"Almost immediately after the Tempo bus line went live on International Boulevard in the summer of 2020, people flagged its dangers, saying drivers were using the dedicated bus lane as a mini-freeway to bypass traffic slowdowns, leading to red-light running at very high speeds - and a rash of pedestrian fatalities. Finally, starting in the summer of 2024, AC Transit and Oakland's transportation department added plastic bollards to cut off access to the bus lane."
"And a new interagency report, released at an interagency meeting of the transit agency and the city on December 10 in Oakland, shows that pedestrian deaths on bus rapid transit (BRT) lanes fell from seven in 2023 to zero so far in 2025, partly due to those bollards and other interventions. Intrusions from private vehicles into the bus lanes have dropped by 83%, and the speed of cars still making their way illegally into the lane has fallen, the report found."
Rows of plastic bollards were installed on International Boulevard’s Tempo BRT lane starting summer 2024 to block private vehicle access after drivers used the dedicated lane as a high-speed bypass, causing red-light running and pedestrian fatalities. An interagency report shows pedestrian deaths on BRT lanes fell from seven in 2023 to zero so far in 2025, with vehicle intrusions down 83% and illegal-car speeds reduced. Three deaths in the bus lane in 2025 involved two drivers and one bicyclist; none were pedestrians. City and transit officials credited the bollards and focused resources for the improvement.
Read at The Oaklandside
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