BPWA board members traverse a steep, winding section of Upper Halkin Walk with the help of a new handrail.

Handrails make steep paths more accessible for people with stability or balance issues. But in case of a fire or earthquake, handrails could be essential for residents of hilly neighborhoods, of all ages and fitness levels, to safely use the paths as escape routes — possibly in the dark.

Thanks to your generous donations and the proceeds from sales of our maps and merchandise, BPWA has been paying for handrails to be installed on some of the 35 or so new, wood-timber stairways that our volunteers have built since our organization began in 1998.

But handrails are expensive! Please donate to BPWA so we all can enjoy the paths more safely.

It cost us $24,800 to install one in January on 260-foot-long Lower Halkin Walk, our newest path. Our most recent handrail, added along all 335 feet of Poppy Path in June, had a pricetag of $23,800.

The cost of handrails varies, depending on their length, the number of turns and supports, and the difficulty of the job. We paid $16,500 last year for the one on Lower Columbia Path, one of the steepest new paths.

“Sixteen of the paths we have built still don’t have full handrail coverage,” says BPWA President Alina Constantinescu. “We would prefer not to increase that backlog, so it’s important that any new path we build gets a handrail soon after it’s completed.”

Alina notes that the city gradually is putting handrails on the historic concrete paths that crisscross the hillier streets. New ones have appeared on Pine Path, Orchard Lane, Oakridge Path East, and Oakridge Path West, but BPWA estimates that 14 concrete paths still need them.

“The City also has set aside $200,000 in T1 measure funding for path projects,” Alina says. “BPWA is advocating to have some of that money spent on handrails for the historic paths.”

“Installing handrails makes our path network safer and easier to use for everyone,” said Susan Wengraf, Berkeley's District Six council member. “In terms of bang for your buck, this is the best thing we can do right now to ensure that we and our neighbors in the hills can get to safety if that becomes necessary.”

No one needs to persuade frequent users of the paths, like Karen Libby, that handrails are a good investment.

“I have a bum knee that can give out at any time,” says Karen, who lives near both parts of Halkin Walk and Alta Vista Path. “Particularly when I go down a steep path, I want something to grab onto. And imagine if I had a heavy backpack and was rushing down steps to escape a fire. A handrail could be a lifesaver.”

On Lower Halkin Walk, a new handrail leaves plenty of room for a tree to grow; BPWA board members admire new steps. In the featured image above, board members Francesca Verdier, John Ford, Karen Ebadi, Alina Constantinescu, and Lisu with the new handrail on Lower Columbia Path.