When Cherry Chan moved back to Oakland last year after living in Hawaii, she found a city that was struggling with a host of social issues, among them, brazen property crime. Chan works at a shoe shop in Oakland’s Montclair neighborhood, where she says she often sees car break-ins. “It’s become like the wild west,” she said. Early this year, In-N-Out Burger closed its location near Oakland International Airport “due to ongoing issues with crime.” Then Denny’s Restaurant followed suit. Shop owners…
When the winter rains arrive, Oakland public transit riders will find shelter once again at their bus stops. But that’s only because the city’s Transportation Department agreed to postpone a plan to remove 100 bus shelters. Josh Rowan, Transportation Department director, also agreed to work on alternatives with AC Transit. Riders complained and some accused the city of being against homeless people after Michael Ford, the city’s transportation parking director, proposed removing the shelters at an Oakland/AC Transit Interagency Liaison…
BART is gearing up plans to relocate its Police Department to new headquarters in downtown Oakland in 2026, after receiving a $150 million federal loan to fund construction. BART police are vacating their current headquarters at 800 Madison St. in Oakland to make room for a new BART development project, which will include affordable housing units, shops and parking. The new headquarters will be about a mile away, at 2000 Broadway. In a competitive market, the new facility could help…