Oakland Lake Merritt is slowly being cleaned up and transformed by the large number of projects big and small that comprise Measure DD. Measure DD is a198.25 million bond measure that was passed by Oaklanders like this blogger in 2002.
Think about the Oakland back then (chances are you weren’t here). The Mayor was Jerry Brown. The City Adminstrator was Robert Bobb. The Oakland Raiders, Oakland A’s, and Golden State Warriors were all here, not moving, and even the Warriors were considering becoming the Oakland Warriors. The Oakland District Three Councilmember was Nancy Nadel. Room 389 on Grand was called The Golden Bear. The U.S. President was George W. Bush, and we were still recovering from 9-11, the previous year.
A lot of, as they say, water under the bridge since then.
It’s now 2018, and 16 years later, and we’re finally seeing the effects of money used from the Measure DD bond issue. One of the really dramatic changes for this Adams Point dweller is the new, larger bus stop at Grand Avenue and Parkview Terrace next to Children’s Fairyland. Wow, what a welcome upgrade over the narrow area created by a bus stop structure just a little too close to the sidewalk, and uncut grass. Now, there’s a kind of mini-plaza, with enough room for people to walk by without interrupting each other’s path. It completely changes the feel of the place: it’s airy, clean, and dare I say, friendly. Nice.
To learn more about Measure DD, visit this page: http://www2.oaklandnet.com/government/o/PWA/o/EC/s/MeasureDD/OAK025943
Stay tuned.