Playground Safety

Playground Safety

Berkeley Partners for Parks (BPFP), in conjunction with the City of Berkeley and the Parks and Recreation Commission, has evaluated the safety of Berkeley's forty-nine public play areas. As of September 1995, twenty play areas were found not to meet current standards for playground safety, as defined by the Consumer Product Safety Commission's "Handbook for Public Playground Safety". The City of Berkeley has been provided with a ranked list of playground areas in need of renovation.

The City has estimated that replacement of hazardous equipment would require close to $1.3 million. In June of 1996, the Berkeley City Council allocated $125,000 to a fund to be matched by Berkeley Partners for Parks or the specific purpose of upgrading play areas. Berkeley Partners for Parks and its Adopt-a-Park groups have begun a fundraising effort, which has contributed to the replacement of the Thousand Oaks Tot Lot.

The City of Berkeley has created a Five Year Strategic Plan to fund playground renovations at a rate of $150,000 per year. The City of Berkeley and Berkeley Partners for Parks share the goal of finding the resources to ensure that all play areas throughout the City are brought into compliance with current safety standards. Our City's children deserve safe and fun places to play. If you would like to be involved in fundraising or planning of play area improvements, please contact BPFP President Zasa Swanson at (510) 649-9874.

Five Tot Lots Renovated in 1998

Playground Safety Report