Monday, June 18th 2007
Student Efforts win Extended Telegraph Business Hours
Last week the Berkeley City Council approved a measure that will extend the operating hours of businesses on Telegraph Ave. The exact details can be seen under Item 9 on the city council summary for last Tuesday.
A quick summary from ACCESS via Facebook post:
Under this package, businesses that do not serve alcohol are allowed to remain open from 7am to midnight on weekdays and from 7am to 2am on weekends. Businesses with an alcohol permit are allowed to remain open until 10pm on weekdays and midnight on weekends.
The most notable thing is the efforts students put into supporting this measure. For many months students have been lobbying the local government trying to extend Telegraph business hours. Leading the charge, the group ACCESS has been focusing action on this issue since last fall. I have received numerous messages from them asking me to write letters and attend city meetings.
There is also a lesson in leadership here. ACCESS achieved results because their members are truly concerned and dedicated to affecting local policies to directly help students. They had neither the huge budget nor the scores of interns the ASUC Office of External Affairs had, but they had persistence.
This is great for the businesses as well. They can be open longer without having to go through a lengthy permit process. Hopefully, the increased foot traffic on Telegraph later into the night will reduce crime and make everyone feel safer walking around later in the night.
It will be great to see the changes on Telegraph when school starts in the Fall.
