OUR HISTORY

The Paths

The city of Berkeley, California is unusually blessed with an extensive network of pedestrian pathways. Named, for the most part, by the original land developers, the city has numbered the paths from #1 to #136. Most pathways are marked by signs at both ends. Pathway conditions vary widely from those with concrete steps and railings to those that are completely undeveloped or even absorbed and landscaped over by adjacent homeowners.

In the early 1900s, the hill areas east and north of Berkeley were largely owned by private developers and were located outside the city limits. The extension of rail and streetcar lines into Berkeley made it feasible for the developers to build street systems upon what was then open land and to offer lots for sale.

By the time that the hill areas were ready for development, it had become clear that the traditional straight-line grid pattern of streets was not appropriate for hill terrain. The result was a pattern of hill streets with intriguing twists and turns, built with a minimum of cut and fill, and neighborhoods with breathtaking vistas.

Building streets along contours resulted in the creation of some very long blocks, and the typical Berkeley area resident owned neither a horse nor a car. Purchasers of lots in the new subdivisions would need good pedestrian access to the rail lines, so a wide network of pathways was built to provide shortcuts through the long blocks.

In later years, as the City of Berkeley incorporated the new housing developments in the city limits, the pathways became part of the public infrastructure. Over a period of many years, the open lots sold and the hills filled with houses.

The pathways remain with us, a reminder of Berkeley's early days. To the harried urban resident, the pathways offer leafy garden corridors to quiet, removed from the world of noise beyond. The pathways continue to provide shortcuts to public transportation, shopping districts, and schools. In an emergency, they serve as critical evacuation routes as well as a means for rescue personnel to deliver aid. But day after day the pathways give us more ways to enjoy the outdoors.

BPWA EARLY DAYS 

In 1997, Ruth Armstrong Moskovitz, a long-time supporter of Berkeley parks and a graphic artist, posted a notice in the Berkeley Library’s North Branch about starting a group to preserve Berkeley’s pathways. Jacque Ensign, a retired social worker, saw the sign and contacted Ruth. Soon two other friends, Pat deVito, a lawyer and former city official, and Eleanor Gibson a retired teacher, expressed interest. The four women met eight times from January to mid-May, 1998. 

The first meetings yielded a Mission Statement: "Dedicated to the preservation and restoration of public paths, steps, and walkways in Berkeley for the use and enjoyment of all.” Eventually, it became: “Berkeley Path Wanderers Association (BPWA) is a grassroots volunteer group of community members who have come together to increase public awareness of the City of Berkeley's pathways. BPWA hopes to accomplish this goal through volunteer-led path walks; identification and accurate mapping of Berkeley's complete path network; and eventual restoration of paths that have been blocked or obscured.” 

They also spent these early meetings developing: 

  • The 1998 Volunteer Survey form, which would help BPWA compile information about the condition of each path. The Volunteer Form, which would help BPWA know how many people in the community would be interested in leading walks, surveying paths, and so on.

  • Plans for a first public meeting.

Ruth did a lot of legwork to get BPWA off the ground, including: 

  • Obtaining a copy of the report on the paths prepared for the city of Berkeley following the 1991 Berkeley-Oakland hills fire by the civil engineering firm of Luk Milani.

  • Talking to relevant City staff, including a host of Public Works people and the Planning Department’s Andrew Thomas, who was starting work on the city’s General Plan.

  • Arranging an affiliation with Berkeley Partners for Parks, which enabled BPWA to use their bank account and 501(c)(3) status.

FIRST GENERAL MEETING 

The first BPWA General Meeting, on May 20, 1998, was a tremendous success. Fifty-five people jammed a small meeting room at Live Oak Park Recreation Center in Berkeley, including Betty Olds, and several other Berkeley Council members.

BPWA BOARD FORMED 

At the Fifth General Meeting on January 20, 1999, 11 volunteers joined the four founders to create a 15-member Board of Directors. The Board first met on February 17, 1999. Ruth Armstrong (Moskovitz) resigned from the Board on Feb. 1, 2001. 

BPWA MILESTONES

In April 2018, the Berkeley City Council issued an official proclamation honoring BPWA’s 20-year anniversary as stewards of the public paths and stairways. 

In 2019, four paths were named in honor of the original founders of the BPWA: Pat deVito, Jacque Ensign, Eleanor Gibson and Ruth Moskowitz. 

For more information on BPWA history, see the 25-year anniversary videos.