OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) – Frustration continues in an Oakland neighborhood after the city removed its homemade solution to ending the constant sideshow around residents’ homes.
For residents of the San Antonio neighborhood on East 21st Street in Oakland, sideshows are almost a part of everyday life, but a group of neighbors is fighting back.
“This is the worst thing I’ve seen in the 23 years I’ve lived here… It’s much worse and more dangerous,” San Antonio resident Randy Duarte told KRON4.
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Residents erected their own tire barriers to stop reckless driving and built three roundabouts at nearby intersections. “The speed bumps were anchored in the ground to make them difficult to move,” Duarte said.
This only happened after the city had removed all barriers on Wednesday morning.
“It’s actually stopped everyone in their tracks. They think it’s a problem,” Duarte said.
When asked for a comment, the city told KRON4 that it had been informed on Tuesday about the installation of “unauthorized sources of danger” on the street in the district.
“We at the city understand our community and we all want safer streets, but increasing the danger to the public by installing hazards is not the solution. The city will immediately remove these unauthorized, dangerous installations,” the city of Oakland said in a statement to KRON4.
“When we asked about a proper roundabout, we were told that someone would have to die before they would do anything… And we’re not waiting for that,” said Heather Washington, another Oakland resident in the neighborhood.
“The next step is to continue to put pressure on the city and continue our efforts,” Washington said.
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