3 Lives Lost in 10 Days. Enough is Enough. Hayward is in a state of emergency. Our streets are failing us, and the cost of inaction is being paid in the lives of our neighbors. Whether you are walking to the bus, pushing a stroller, using a wheelchair, or driving to work, you deserve to get home safely.
You might see our name and think, "I don't ride a bike, this isn't for me." Actually, it is. We are called Bike Hayward because high-quality bike infrastructure is the single most effective tool for making a street safe for everyone.
Think of physically separated bike lanes as the "missing middle" in Hayward's infrastructure. We have sidewalks and we have car lanes, but there is a dangerous gap in between. By filling that gap with a dedicated, physically separated space, we create a safety buffer that:
Shortens Pedestrian Crossing: By replacing or narrowing car lanes to make room for physically separated bike lanes, we reduce the distance a pedestrian has to walk to get across the street. This means less time in the "danger zone" for seniors and children.
A Faster Path to Accessible Streets: Physically separated bike lanes are the most cost-effective way to improve mobility for wheelchair and scooter users facing narrow or blocked sidewalks. While widening sidewalks is a vital long-term goal, projects that require utility reconfigurations take decades. Building separated bike lanes bypasses these hurdles, providing the fastest path to safety for everyone on wheels along our major corridors.
Traffic Calming: Physically separated bike lanes naturally slow down cars because they narrow the road and make it feel more dangerous to drive at high speeds. High speeds are the #1 killer in Hayward; design is the only permanent way to stop it.
Predictable Streets Save Lives: When everyone (drivers, rollers, and walkers) has their own designated, predictable space, we create a more controlled environment. While no design can stop every incident, physically separated space for all major modes of transportation are proven to make traffic interactions significantly less likely to result in a fatality or serious injury.
The City of Hayward has committed to Vision Zero, with the goal of eliminating traffic deaths and severe injuries. However, planning and spending have not yet matched this life-saving ambition. To ensure the safety of every person—whether they are walking, biking, rolling, or driving—we demand the following systemic changes:
Traffic fatalities are not "accidents"; they are design failures.
Mandatory Safety Audits: Mandate a public, multi-departmental safety audit within 30 days of any fatal or severe injury crash.
Immediate Intervention: Implement "quick-build" safety measures (e.g., flex-posts, signage) at crash sites to prevent reoccurrence while permanent solutions are being planned.
Safety must be the non-negotiable foundation of every street project, not a secondary concern to be traded away for political convenience.
Safety-First Design: Formally adopt a "Safety-First" design policy that prioritizes vulnerable road user safety over car throughput and street parking preservation.Â
Integrate community feedback early in the design phase to allow engineers sufficient time for implementation and prevent project delays.Â
Early Disclosure: Publicize the paving plans and all upcoming street safety projects on the City’s website at least 12 months in advance.
Taxpayer funds spent on safety plans (e.g., the $100,000 LRSP and $400,000 BPMP) must result in physical implementation, not just procedural compliance.
Follow Safety Plans: Mandate that all annual repaving and maintenance projects automatically incorporate relevant safety features from the City’s Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP), Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (BPMP), and all other adopted safety planning documents.
Modernize Every Mile: Ensure every street resurfacing project incorporates modern safety standards, such as lane narrowing (road diets), intersection daylighting, and corner bulb-outs.
Hayward should work towards an "A" rating in Measure BB spending by dedicating active transportation funds to transformative safety improvements rather than basic street maintenance: bikehayward.org/measure-bbÂ
Close the "Maintenance Loophole": Ensure that the majority of Measure BB funds used to meet the 15% mandate is used for transformative safety improvements—such as protected bike lanes and enhanced crossings—rather than just routine maintenance or legally required ADA upgrades.
Did you know that regardless of whether you drive a car or not, you are paying to repave our streets every year?
40-50% of the Funding: Close to half of Hayward’s road repaving funds come from Measure BB sales tax, not just gas taxes. Everyone who shops in Hayward pays for our roads.
The 15% Mandate: Under Measure BB, at least 15% of these funds are legally mandated for Pedestrian and Bicycle safety improvements.
The "Maintenance Loophole": While the City has made progress in recent years, up until 2024, Hayward primarily used these safety funds for regular maintenance instead of transformative street safety improvements. As a result, Hayward has consistently received a Grade F in our Measure BB "Quality of Spend" Report Card.Â
While neighboring cities like Alameda and Berkeley (Grade A) are spending millions in transformative safety projects, Hayward has historically used this money to fill the general maintenance gap. It is time for Hayward’s annual road repavings to finally reflect the actual source of this funding and meet its intended goals: building physically separated bike lanes and safe crossings for everyone.
