The city will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the Albany Bay Trail Connector Tuesday, Oct. 30.
The project was intended to improve the connection between regional pathways throughout the Bay Area and the Bay Trail.
Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Assemblymember Nancy Skinner are scheduled to attend and to give brief speeches during the ceremony.
The project includes multiple funding from federal, state and regional agencies, as well as partnerships with the University of California, Albany Unified School District, and the United States Department of Agriculture research facility in Albany.
Albany Strollers & Rollers was involved in the process, serving on the committee to select the engineering firm and helping work on the facility design.
Not many Energizer Stations could boast a Mayor handing out bags and swag. Ours could, as Peggy Thomsen volunteered all morning!
courtesy Nick Pilch
It’s the 21st Annual Bike to Work Day in the Bay Area, a party on wheels!!
As usual, there will be coffee, snacks, swag, bike goodies, the famous Bike to Work Day musette bags, fun and lots of good conversation & information so come on down on your way to work!
Riders were happy to see staff from both Blue Heron Bikes and Wheels of Justice there for safety checks.
courtesy Nick Pilcn
Great news – the staff of Blue Heron Bikes and Berkeley Bikes & Skateboards will be there with work stations checking your bicycles for safety and road-worthiness as they have in previous years! Thanks to Rob, Winston and their co-workers for spending time with us all!
Donations of food and drink have been rolling in from Albany Fresh Produce, Kim’s Café, Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Monterey Market, La Farine, Safeway, Andronico’s, La Val’s…more to come, I’m sure!
Thanks to those businesses for supporting the community!
Plenty of food, thanks to the generous supporting local businesses!
courtesy Francesco Papalia
We need help at our Energizer Station (back at its usual location of the Ohlone Greenway and Marin) and preparing for a big celebration.
If you’d like to help out, please contact Nick at nicky@mindspring.com or leave a comment on this post.
Thanks!!
More info at http://ebbc.org/btwd
Share this on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/events/257209727792108/?source=1
Here’s an example of a parking space repurposed as a public space. Come see what ours has to offer!
The third Friday of the month is called PARK(ing) Day, a day when select car parking places are repurposed as public spaces. This is the same as a parklet, only for one day, and unofficial.
We will do this with one of the spaces in front of Blue Heron Bikes and Coffee Conscious on Gilman St. in Berkeley. They will have comfortable furniture and a bike blender to make smoothies, in what is just car parking every other day.
It will be fun so come join them!
Then head on up to Bike About Town!
Join 4-time US National Champion and Berkeley resident Fred Rodriguez for the 2nd Annual “Fast Freddie Gran Fondo,” a recreational ride benefiting his Fast Freddie Foundation
The 73 mile Lungo route rolls out at 8am and includes 7,000 feet of climbing while the 35 mile Medio route rolls out at 10am and includes 3,600 feet of climbing. Both rides are in the beautiful Berkeley, Oakland and surrounding hills.
Join 4-time US National Champion Fast Freddie Rodriguez for his Gran Fondo and help a worthy cause in the process!
The mission of the Fast Freddie Foundation (FFF) is to inspire and provide young people with the tools to achieve personal successes by utilizing life skills learned through cycling. They encourage a commitment to education and a healthy life style through physical activity. FFF believes these are essential elements to achieving success, both in sport and life. FFF is strongly committed to enhancing the physical, ethical, and life development of kids through the creation of youth cycling programs and the support of cycling organizations that aim to give kids the skills and tools for realizing their dreams and a foundation for the future.
Albany Strollers & Rollers is supporting the event and the Foundation by lending them our valet parking racks, so the participants will have somewhere to park while enjoying their delicious post-ride meal! I’m happy to support Fred Rodriguez and his Fast Freddie Foundation! If you want a beautiful ride for a worthy cause, check his out www.ffgranfondo.net
To register go to http://www.eventbrite.com/e/fast-freddies-fondo-tickets-12522337649
Spend the afternoon at a Pop-up Park on Solano Avenue!
Tables & umbrellas will be set in two parking stalls adjacent to Gordo’s and Domino’s for a day of community, music and relaxation. Grab a burrito, tacos, pizza, ice cream or anything from local businesses as we transform two boring parking spaces into an inviting parklet.
The intrepid installation team for Albany Strollers & Rollers’ new public bike pump at the corner of Solano & Santa Fe.
The City of Albany’s Mark Matherly, AS&R’s Amy Smolens & Dan Lieberman and Dan’s son Sander
Afterwards, roll up the hill to pump up your tires at Albany Strollers& Rollers’ brand new public bike pump before heading to the final Bike About Town ride!
These racks that AS&R funded at the Waterfront are perfectly situated for folks who want to enjoy the beach, a hike or just enjoy the beautiful view.
Help keep our access there!
Do you ride your bike, walk, hike, jog or otherwise enjoy the Albany Bulb & Neck areas? Do you want to continue to have access so you can enjoy the Albany Waterfront to its fullest? Both pieces are scheduled to be transferred to the East Bay Regional Park District and some groups and individuals want to curtail recreational use and bicycle access.
The City is completing its “Albany Neck & Bulb Transition Improvement Plan” public process so this meeting is your final opportunity to give your input in order to ensure that the Waterfront area is something that can be enjoyed by all.
Representatives from Albany Strollers & Rollers and Bicycle Trails Council of the East Bay were invited to a Stakeholder meeting with Albany City Staff and the Planning & Design Consultants, and we were able to voice our opinions.
BUT it is crucial that City Staff, Consultants and City Council hear from YOU AND YOUR FAMILY TO SET FORTH PRIORITIES and a plan to communicate to EBRPD.
Want to ride along our beautiful Bay? Speak up!
Bike & hiking paths? Bathrooms? Bike racks? Picnic tables? Improved bicycle access from all directions?
What would make this a great recreational area, like the areas that Berkeley has in its Marina?
This City Council meeting is the FINAL PUBLIC FORUM TO SAY THAT YES, RECREATIONAL ACCESS IS IMPORTANT TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!
Consultants from WRT will give a brief presentation on the process and the final study, and there will be an opportunity for public comment.
More details will be posted as we have more information but please save the date to make sure we keep access to OUR WATERFRONT!
We risk losing access to our Bay if we don’t speak up!
Written comments can be provided in advance of the meeting to cityhall@albanyca.org. We encourage written comments be sent before the day of the meeting to ensure they can be taken into consideration.
Documents related to this effort are included here:
1. Final Albany Neck & Bulb Transition Study (very large – 143 pages)
2. Conservancy Staff Report 05-29-2014
3. WRT_Albany Neck & Bulb Stakeholder Meeting_Access and Recreation
4. Scope of Consultant Services for Albany Neck and Bulb Transition Plan
5. WRT Transition Improvement Plan as of April 2015
