Berkeley roads can’t handle citywide evacuations during major disasters, study finds

A REPORT COMMISSIONED by the city of Berkeley found that its major roadways do not have the capacity to sustain large-scale evacuations in cases of wildfires or tsunamis.  

The Evacuation Time Study Project, a 323-page study developed and conducted by transportation consulting firm KLD Associates over a span of two years and released by the city Tuesday, estimated evacuation times for various natural disaster situations in Berkeley, including a tsunami warning, a fire affecting Panoramic Hill, and a repeat of the 1923 Berkeley Fire, which burned over 600 buildings and remains the worst fire in city history.