Both changes have been made to increase safety. The stop sign at Blackberry Gate will make it safer for vehicles that need to make a U-turn at the gate, about 20 per day, allow safe access for pedestrians using the pedestrian gate, and allow vehicles exiting the parking lot at Building 88 to do so safely.
The change at Grizzly Gate was made to improve safety near the Lab’s shipping and receiving area since the afternoon is the peak time for delivery vehicles, and mixing exiting vehicles with large delivery trucks was not a safe combination.
Pedestrians and bicyclists can continue to enter the Lab using the Grizzly Gate pedestrian gate until 8 p.m. After 8 p.m., they will need to call the Site Operations Center at 510-486-6999 for entry assistance. Vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists can exit through Grizzly Gate 7/24.
“These decisions were a collaborative effort between the Security and Emergency Services and the Environment, Health and Safety divisions,” said Blair Edward, Site Security department head. “At the gates there are vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists all in close proximity. We need exiting vehicles to stop and be aware of potential hazards before exiting.”
19 Comments
So now everyone has to come to a complete stop at Blackberry gate because 2 people cross there every hour?!?
The stop sign is to protect not only pedestrians and cyclists, but the vehicles that need to make a uturn at the gate and those vehicles exiting the parking lot at Building 88. Safety is important no matter the means of transportation.
Will bicyclists be required to stop there, also? The number of times that I’ve exited in a vehicles and had a bicyclist 6 inches from my bumper or trying to pass me on the right is certainly cause for concern.
Yes, those on bikes need to stop as well. Cyclists are required to follow signs.
There needs to be a better effort to get the word out about this. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen cyclists go through the stop sign in front of B46 like it doesn’t exist.
Can cars enter the grizzly gate after noon?
No.Cars entering the Lab after noon will need to use the Blackberry Gate.
Just to make I sure I understand this correctly, until Strawberry Gate reopens, the only way to enter the lab after 12 noon is Blackberry Gate. Is that correct?
Yes, that is correct.
Is this permanent?
Well, permanent is a long time. But yes, it is.
Has the Grizzley Gate exit been repaired so it opens when a bike approaches? If not then there is a safety concern. Starting a bike on a steep hill is tricky and you can fall over. Or does the exit gate stay open the whole time?
Checking on this for you. Stay tuned.
Bicycles can open the automatic gate if they cross the magnetic trigger imbedded in the street on the far right edge (of the rectangle). However, not everyone knows this. Painting a bike target over that spot would help, but this suggestion has fallen on deaf ears in the past.
Good to know! I did not know this. I was going to suggest a pushbutton on a post that could be pressed as you approach the gate but since we already have a thing then let’s use the thing. Agreed, a painted target on the road and/or a sign that says, “Hey, you on the bike! Run over this thing.” (arrow pointing to thing)
The magnetic vehicle detector works best with steel bike frames, ime. I can ride, trigger the gate, and continue without stopping. On non-ferrous bike frames, I can only trigger the detector by laying my bike down over the area; not ideal but it works.
Here are the road markings used for the same issue at the intersection of Russell St and MKL: https://maps.app.goo.gl/kDcAE1biTo8vjcVy9
You could adopt the same design, they seem intuitive. In my experience, the sensors on Russell work fine with non-steel frames, but might be different from those at Grizzly Gate.
How long until Strawberry gate construction finishes?
It is scheduled for early 2026.