Get GEARED UP! Helmets, Bikes, Bells!
Come help celebrate 4 years of family bike riding!
Meet at San Pablo Park playground, take a tour of Berkeley/Oakland/Emeryville, and then join us for a post-ride BBQ/Potluck at San Pablo Park starting around 12:30 (or whenever we finish the ride). Sign up to participate in the BBQ/Potluck on the Geared 4 Kids Facebook Group page.
Helmets required for kids.
Ashby is the nearest BART station.
Want to ride or “BART & ride” from Albany? Put a note here in “comments” and get something going!
We’ll be touring the Berkeley Marina.
Helmets required for kids.
North Berkeley is the nearest BART station.
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If you want to ride from Albany write something in the “comments” section here!
Join our Facebook group to keep in touch with future events:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/gearedforkids
You can also look for more info, including mailing list, on our website:http://geared4kids.org/
Do you or your family ride, walk, roll, scoot or skate on the Ohlone Greenway? I’m sure you do, as the multi-use path on the Greenway is Albany’s Active Transportation Highway – over 1,000 trips per day on regular days when last counted several years ago!
The Parks & Rec Department is overseeing Greenway improvements so now’s the time to give input in order to have a better experience to stroll, roll or just hang out!
The information with the Project Plans and what was discussed at previous meetings is at this link:
A parcourse, wayfinding, art – all can have a positive effect on the experience, safety and atmosphere of strolling and rolling.
An orchard is proposed for the eastern edge of the Greenway. What a great idea… BUT if those trees are planted too close to the multi-use path, as was already done south of Dartmouth, they will drop debris on the path, encroach on the path itself and also invite more conflicts between people biking northbound & walking on the east dg path and people who are picking fruit.
Another point someone brought up was that some of the existing trees west of the path cast are planted directly between the overhead light and the path, casting shadows on the path and making the nighttime path experience more dangerous.
In short, as Albany’s Active Transportation Highway, the City must take care not to degrade this important function. If amenities to either side are to be added, it should be done with great care.
Please attend this meeting to give your input and improve the Ohlone Greenway for everyone – strollers, rollers, sitters, dog-walkers, and fruit-pickers!
Full P&R agenda is at http://www.albanyca.org/index.aspx?page=16&recordid=12040
6-1: Ohlone Greenway Design: Restoration Design Group will give a presentation.
Recommended Actions:
1. That the Commission recommend a preferred concept direction to move into the design into the next phase.
2. That the Commission approve the planting of fruit and nut trees by the California Rare Fruit Growers along the eastern strip of the Ohlone Greenway as described in the Memo.
3. That the Commission set a Special Meeting Date for the 4th week of February to review the 35% Plans for the Ohlone Greenway.
Do you or your family ride, walk, roll, scoot or skate on the Ohlone Greenway? I’m sure you do, as the multi-use path on the Greenway is Albany’s Active Transportation Highway – over 1,000 trips per day on regular days when last counted several years ago!
The City Council is considering Greenway improvements so now’s the time to give input in order to have a better experience to stroll, roll or just hang out!
The agenda for the meeting is at this link, item 9-2.
The Consultants’ “Preferred Master Plan” is here – (fyi, you can just open it up or download the 4.8MB pdf document.)
A parcourse, wayfinding, art – all can have a positive effect on the experience, safety and atmosphere of strolling and rolling.
An orchard is proposed for the eastern edge of the Greenway. What a great idea… BUT if those trees are planted too close to the multi-use path, as was already done south of Dartmouth, they will drop debris on the path, encroach on the path itself and also invite more conflicts between people biking northbound & walking on the east dg path and people who are picking fruit.
Another point someone brought up was that some of the existing trees west of the path cast are planted directly between the overhead light and the path, casting shadows on the path and making the nighttime path experience more dangerous.
In short, as Albany’s Active Transportation Highway, the City must take care not to degrade this important function. If amenities to either side are to be added, it should be done with great care.
Please attend this meeting to give your input and improve the Ohlone Greenway for everyone – strollers, rollers, sitters, dog-walkers, and fruit-pickers!
Do you or your family ride to the Tom Bates ball fields, the Bay Trail, César Chávez Park, Emeryville or anywhere else passing along Gilman and the I-80 interchange? Would you rather have a safer, more pleasant ride? Here’s an opportunity to give input so that happens.
In 2014, Caltrans gave the City of Berkeley permission to move ahead with plans for double-roundabouts at the I-80 and Gilman Street interchange, located in West Berkeley near the boundary with the City of Albany.
Such roundabouts are not friendly to active transportation. Consequently an active transportation overpass of I-80 and the West Frontage Road is proposed as part of the project. This project element is not shown on the schematic to the right because it was a late addition.
Unfortunately the overpass is to the south rather than north of Gilman. In this position it will require users to go more than a thousand feet out of their way after navigating the congestion on Gilman and crossing through motorist traffic on that street to reach the overpass.
As if that is not bad enough, the Alameda County Transportation Expenditure Plan also includes building a railroad underpass on Gilman. This information has not been included in or mentioned as part of the context for the current project in the publicity so far. This underpass will make the active transportation overpass even less desirable to reach by those it would otherwise best serve.
There is another option that should be studied – placing the overpass north of Gilman. This could connect to the Codornices Creek path upon construction, or be built to facilitate such connection in the future. This would provide a motorist-separated approach that matches the overpass. It would allow people to ride from Hearst and Milvia in Berkeley all the way to the Bay Trail entirely on cycling paths except for the few low motorist-volume blocks of Dartmouth between the Ohlone Greenway and San Pablo. It would also directly connect the two sports complexes at either end. For these reasons, Albany’s Active Transportation Plan is the only one that shows an overpass in this area, and it shows it at Codornices Creek not Gilman.
The project engineering consultant has said the northern crossing was not studied because it would require some right-of-way from Golden Gate Fields. However there is precedent for garnering land from Golden Gate Fields for active transportation facilities. The East Bay Regional Park District successfully used eminent domain to secure property from Golden Gate Fields along the shoreline for the Bay Trail.
The Alameda County Transportation Commission, City of Berkeley, Caltrans, and the Consultant Team will prepare traffic studies, community outreach, preliminary engineering studies, and CEQA/NEPA environmental review studies. AS&R invites you to attend the first community meeting to share your thoughts on the Gilman Street interchange project! And if your thoughts include studying a northern alignment for the active transportation overpass, please let them know.
Want to ride to the meeting from Albany? Leave a comment here with a suggestion and make it happen!
Want to ride more but don’t feel confident enough?
Here’s a FREE bicycle skills class, courtesy of Bike East Bay (with support from the UC Berkeley Police Department.)
Learn basic rules of the road, how to share the road with cars on busy streets, how to equip your bicycle, lock your bike, fit your helmet, and avoid crashes by riding predictably, visibly, and communicating with other road users by your actions and signals. Every workshop has the same content so you only need to attend once. For adults and teens, no bike needed.
Please note: All of Bike East Bay’s UC Berkeley classes are open to the public, but are also part of the BEST (Bicycle Education & Safety Training) program allowing cyclists ticketed at UC to have their fines reduced. For these Thursday classes, they encourage people to be ticketed cyclists (don’t run a stop sign so you can attend :) ), but Bike East Bay confirms that you still can register.
Class is FREE but please register here.
Want to ride more but don’t feel confident enough?
Here’s a FREE bicycle skills class, courtesy of Bike East Bay (with support from the UC Berkeley Police Department.)
Learn basic rules of the road, how to share the road with cars on busy streets, how to equip your bicycle, lock your bike, fit your helmet, and avoid crashes by riding predictably, visibly, and communicating with other road users by your actions and signals. Every workshop has the same content so you only need to attend once. For adults and teens, no bike needed.
Please note: All of Bike East Bay’s UC Berkeley classes are open to the public, but are also part of the BEST (Bicycle Education & Safety Training) program allowing cyclists ticketed at UC to have their fines reduced. For these Thursday classes, they encourage people to be ticketed cyclists (don’t run a stop sign so you can attend :) ), but Bike East Bay confirms that you still can register.
Class is FREE but please register here.
Want to ride more but don’t feel confident enough?
Here’s a FREE bicycle skills class, courtesy of Bike East Bay (with support from the UC Berkeley Police Department.)
Learn basic rules of the road, how to share the road with cars on busy streets, how to equip your bicycle, lock your bike, fit your helmet, and avoid crashes by riding predictably, visibly, and communicating with other road users by your actions and signals. Every workshop has the same content so you only need to attend once. For adults and teens, no bike needed.
Please note: All of Bike East Bay’s UC Berkeley classes are open to the public, but are also part of the BEST (Bicycle Education & Safety Training) program allowing cyclists ticketed at UC to have their fines reduced. For these Thursday classes, they encourage people to be ticketed cyclists (don’t run a stop sign so you can attend :) ), but Bike East Bay confirms that you still can register.
Class is FREE but please register here.
Want to ride more but don’t feel confident enough?
Here’s a FREE bicycle skills class, courtesy of Bike East Bay (with support from the UC Berkeley Police Department.)
Learn basic rules of the road, how to share the road with cars on busy streets, how to equip your bicycle, lock your bike, fit your helmet, and avoid crashes by riding predictably, visibly, and communicating with other road users by your actions and signals. Every workshop has the same content so you only need to attend once. For adults and teens, no bike needed.
Please note: All of Bike East Bay’s UC Berkeley classes are open to the public, but are also part of the BEST (Bicycle Education & Safety Training) program allowing cyclists ticketed at UC to have their fines reduced. For these Thursday classes, they encourage people to be ticketed cyclists (don’t run a stop sign so you can attend :) ), but Bike East Bay confirms that you still can register.
Class is FREE but please register here.
Join AS&R’s friends & neighbors at Rich City Rides for the Opening Day of Trails ride!
We can’t wait for spring—and here’s why! On April 8, 2017, people across the country will celebrate the nation’s fifth annual Opening Day for Trails. Rich City RIDES (RCR) and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy have teamed up to present Opening Day for Trails in Richmond. Bring your family and friends for a bike ride event where you’ll extend your pedal-powered reach to fun destinations like the Richmond Greenway and Unity Park’s Groundbreaking event!
Opening Day for Trails is a free event open to all ages! Come join us for a bike ride with a purpose, learn how you can be healthier, and create a healthier Bay Area by engaging in human-powered transportation. For new bike riders, don’t fret! Our ride marshals will help in coordinating two rides based on your level of comfort. We hope you’ll join us on Opening Day—and we can’t wait to see you out on the trail this spring!
Bike Giveaways! To start the ride, we will give away 10 free bikes to kids participating in the event. At the end of the ride, 3 participants will receive free bikes based on their active participation in other RCR bike rides. For an additional opportunity to win prizes be sure to sign Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s official 2017 Opening Day pledge to get out on the trail! You can be entered to win special prizes from Fuji Bikes and Performance Bicycle for your next trail adventure.
If anyone wants to propose a ride or BART from Albany, please write in “comments” to this event – thanks.