My wife and I rode our bicycles over Grizzly Peak on July 4th and we were thrilled to find that it was closed to cars from Centennial to Skyline. While this was done to prevent wildfires from people settling off firecrackers, it sure made for a great cycling experience. As we passed one of the officers staffing a roadblock I asked half jokingly if they could close Grizzly Peak to cars every Sunday. He replied “I wish.”

I started this petition to make this wish come true. Wouldn’t it be great for Grizzly Peak to be car free every Sunday? Even a 4 hour window, from 9 to 1 for example, would be excellent.

As Berkeley and Oakland take additional action to respond to the climate crisis we need to look for creative ways to reduce the dominance of automobiles over our community. Grizzly Peak is a gem that attracts cyclists from throughout the Bay Area, but it can be daunting for families and beginners to have to contend with cars on the roadway while learning to navigate the twists and turns of the road. 

It is also worth noting that there is strong precedent for creating car-free spaces in the Bay Area. JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park is currently closed to cars at all times and San Franciscans are debating making this permanent, but even before the pandemic it was closed to cars half the day on Saturday and all day on Sunday.