Business owners and residents ask city to reconsider new Bancroft Way signal that removed parking

Several residents and business owners urged the City Council on April 21 to engage the city’s traffic engineers about a recently reconfigured traffic signal at Bancroft Way and 6th Street.

Rachel Berry, who said she represents Root and Bloom Institute (a nonprofit renovating space at 6th and Bancroft), said a new signal installation included 150 feet of red curbing in all directions that removed nearly 50 parking spaces including ADA spots. She said she and neighbors were not given notice that the intersection would be reconfigured with four left‑turn lanes and that several of those lanes appear unnecessary given nearby traffic patterns.

Rolf Bell, a long‑time Berkeley resident and business owner, said the January 2024 reconfiguration impacted about 30 businesses and 16 residences and that none received notice of the work. Bell said while pedestrian safety improved, the added left‑turn lanes made cycling more dangerous and deprived customers of essential parking; he asked the mayor and council to meet with the neighborhood and traffic staff to find a better configuration.

Council did not take immediate action at the meeting but public commenters asked staff and the mayor’s office to follow up with traffic engineering and meet with affected businesses and residents.