cthenn

I read that GP Blvd is closed to cars today for the 4th, does anyone know if cyclists are allowed through? Last minute post here lol I'm going to leave in about an hour so if anyone knows!?

ztmlgr

I rode GP today around 2-3 PM and it was closed to vehicles from Skyline to Centennial. I just rode around the blockade and nobody said anything. Great to have a car-free Grizzly Peak with the entire road to myself. Saw many other cyclists as well. They should do this every Sunday.

Joe Bikerider

I read your message this morning and wondered what GP is? Just now while perusing Berkleyside it struck me.

https://www.berkeleyside.org/2021/06...or-fire-safety

I guess it’s a little late now. Hope you enjoyed yourride.

DiabloScott

I wouldn't have gone through that stop without an officer's permission - cops don't like it when cyclists ignore road blocks. Since it was for fire danger they probably would have given permission anyway - but if you didn't know why, and it turned out there was some kind of emergency police action up ahead you could've gotten in the way.

bikingshearer 

FWIW, in 2020, I asked and was affirmatively permitted to go through with a cheery "Have a good Fourth." They are there to prevent idiots with fire works.

ztmlgr

I am a believer in the saying that it is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. Actually, there were a couple of details I left out that would have softened the need for your admonishment for my running a roadblock.

First, this is the 2nd year they have closed GP for fire safety on the same day. Although it was possible this roadblock was for an accident or emergency, it was unlikely that it was anything other than July 4th fire prevention. I was up there last year at that same time and riders, including myself, were stopping at the roadblock and the cops just waved us through saying bikes were OK. A reasonable person would have assumed the same policy was in effect this year.

Second, before I got to the roadblocks, I could see that other riders were coming and going in both directions around the roadblock without stopping. Again, a reasonable person would have surmised that bikes were allowed.

Just as an aside, riding on that section of roadway with such spectacular views completely without vehicular traffic was an extremely pleasant experience.

cthenn

I never updated it, but yes, I was able to get around the closures. The officers were all very polite, and it was definitely a fun run through the area. It was cool and cloudy and very quiet, and it was great! There were actually a few more cars than I thought there would be, assumed they were local residents or something else, because there's no way any rando was driving there without being seen by the cops. It's interesting that there are so many jurisdictions over there...OPD from Skyline to Fish Ranch, Berkeley PD from the other side of Fish Ranch to Centennial, and Berkeley PD / UCB police at Centennial.

As an aside, apart from this weekend, there has been a major increase in law enforcement presence all throughout that area, including Redwood, ever since the bike thefts started happening. Before that, I would almost never see any law enforcement in the hills there, other than an occasional EBRPD police vehicle. It's nice to see more patrols around there, the amount of traffic (and in the case of Redwood Rd, speeding motorcycles) has increased exponentially in the past few years. It's abated somewhat since they've tried blocking off many of the turnouts, but for a while there it was a zoo riding GP. I'm sorry for those who were robbed, but it's created a better situation in terms of safety ever since. We'll see how long it lasts.

BoltBreaker

I was on (closed) GP this year, hiking, and it wasn't more than a minute or two before a cyclist rode through. We saw some simply turn around and go back for another lap. I hope this becomes an annual tradition, and grows in popularity, it's just exceedingly rare to have a car-free day on any road nearby.

ztmlgr

I was up there today (Saturday, July 2, 2022) and saw the signs for the July 4th road closure.. It appears about the same as last year according to this from Berkeleyside:

https://www.berkeleyside.org/2022/07...-road-closures

"Grizzly Peak Boulevard and Centennial Drive will be closed Monday at 6 a.m. to all traffic except residents, who must show proof of residency to pass checkpoints, and will reopen at 5 a.m. on Tuesday. Panoramic Way will also be closed to non-residents Monday from 5-11 p.m. (Berkeley Police and UC Berkeley Police will be enforcing closures within Berkeley.) Closures won’t affect cyclists and pedestrians."

I'm planning to be up there again on the 4th for another glorious car-free ride on Grizzly Peak.

bikingshearer 

Enjoy the empty road, all. I stumbled upon it the first year they did it. There was a CHP or Berkeley cop at the northern end of the closure, and I asked if bikes were allowed though. She said yes with a cheery smile. Worked for me. I rode a short stretch on the wrong side of the road, just because I could. I think you can count on this continuing for the foreseeable future, because it is, at base, a fire/fireworks prevention measure, not a cycling friendly measure. Either way, I'm good with it.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to ride Grizzly Peak this time around, so the rest of you will have to take a lap for me.