Transactions Newsletter

July/August 1999: TLC

Ashby BART/Ed Roberts Campus, Berkeley

Illustrated Project Descriptions

Big changes are in store for the Ashby BART station in Berkeley as plans take shape to house a unique mix of services and programs for persons with disabilities and their families at the site.

Named the Ed Roberts Campus in memory of the man who helped develop the independent living movement in the Bay Area, the location will be headquarters to nine organizations that serve persons with disabilities. Plans include meeting rooms for community gatherings, video-conferencing and "distance-learning" capabilities, a recreation area or gym, as well as exhibition space and a library focusing on disability-related information. Built above the eastern parking lot of the rapid transit station, the campus also may include retail shops.


	Conceptual drawings were developed to show the scale of the Ed Roberts Campus and its placement vis-a-vis the BART station and the corner of Adeline and Woolsey streets. (Click images to enlarge)

Planning for this ambitious complex is being funded by two $50,000 TLC grants as well as local matching moneys from BART and the city of Berkeley. The first grant allowed the project partners to complete design guidelines, develop a financial plan, and begin community-based planning. The second grant is paying for area circulation and traffic studies as well as efforts to gain local consensus on the project.

In the meantime, MTC, BART, AC Transit, the city of Berkeley and paratransit providers are taking a look at ways to improve the site's transit accessibility, with recommendations expected by the end of the year.

-- Réka Goode

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