Petty officials destroy desperate California locals’ homemade roundabout they erected to stop dangerous sideshows
Local authorities have been dismantling desperate roundabouts that residents built themselves to prevent dangerous carnival rides in their California neighborhoods.
In the San Antonio neighborhood of Oakland, informal car stunt demonstrations are held almost daily, taking place illegally in vacant lots or busy streets.
The crisis has escalated to a point of desperation for residents. Neighbors were fed up with the city’s inaction, so they took matters into their own hands, building tire barriers and makeshift roundabouts to discourage reckless driving.
“This is the worst I’ve seen in the 23 years I’ve lived here… It’s much worse and more dangerous,” San Antonio resident Randy Duarte told CROWN4.
“They almost killed someone,” resident Michael Andemeskel said KTVU. ‘There’s a school up there. Children have been hit on this street. There are people whose cars have been hit and are a total loss.’
Local authorities have been desperately taking apart residents’ homemade roundabouts, which they built to prevent dangerous carnival rides in their California neighborhood.
In the San Antonio neighborhood of Oakland, informal car stunt demonstrations are held almost daily, taking place illegally in vacant lots or busy streets.
To combat the chaos, residents built tire barriers and converted three intersections into roundabouts in an effort to put an end to reckless driving.
“The speed bumps were bolted into the ground, making it difficult to move,” Duarte said.
According to Duarte, the DIY traffic calming measures proved effective.
“It actually made everybody stop. They think it’s a problem,” Duarte said.
However, the city quickly removed the barriers, citing safety concerns.
Neighbors say the city isn’t doing enough to protect them.
Odelson Souza told KUTV that his two-year-old son nearly collided with a car that was speeding on the sidewalk.
“Look, please help us,” Souza said. “Who else do we call? Superman?”
The city justifies the removal by labeling the barriers as “unlawful hazards.”
“We at the city care about our community and we all want safer streets, but increasing the risk to the public by installing hazards is not the answer. The city will immediately remove these unauthorized, dangerous installations,” the city of Oakland said in a statement to KRON4.
Odelson Souza (pictured) told KUTV that his two-year-old son nearly collided with a car that was speeding along the sidewalk
The DIY traffic calming measures seemed effective, but the city quickly removed the barriers
Oakland residents like Heather Washington are undeterred.
“When we inquired about the possibility of building a real roundabout, we were told that someone would have to die before they would do anything about it… And we just don’t want that to happen,” Washington said.
“The next step is to continue the pressure and effort on the city.”
The community is determined to continue to push the city for effective solutions to the ongoing amusement ride crisis.