Events

The family that rides together thrives together!
Safe road bicycling takes a lot more than balance, a helmet and a good attitude. Join the East Bay Bicycle Coalition’s (AS&R’s umbrella organization) League Certified safety instructors for a day of fun games, safety drills, skills building, and a neighborhood ride. This workshop is for kids able to ride a bike and who are ready to ride on the roadways with their parents. Parents and kids must attend together and should bring their own bikes. Each child receives a free red blinky light for participating!
Come on down and learn the rules of the road and how to ride more safely and confidently so your family can all enjoy riding around Albany!

Go here to register for this FREE fun workshop!

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.

From the Albany Patch website:
A public hearing and workshop will be held Wednesday for the latest version of the UC Berkeley proposal for a Sprouts Farmers Market, senior housing complex and other retail next to University Village in Albany.
The hearing and workshop will take place at the Planning & Zoning Commission meeting at City Hall. The meeting, which includes other items on the agenda as well, begins at 6:30 p.m.
The revised plans – attached to the planning commission agenda– appear largely similar to those presented to the planning commission in June for the Sprouts grocery store and in July for the senior housing. The proposals also include two smaller retail buildings whose tenants have not been identified.
The development is a UC proposal for 6.3 acres of its property located in two parcels, on both sides of Monroe Street, between San Pablo and the University Village student family housing complex.
The lot on the north side of Monroe would contain the Sprouts market and a smaller retail building. The lot on the south side of Monroe would contain 175 units of senior housing in a four-story building and another retail complex.

Notes from Preston Jordan:
The plans for the UC project keep getting better with regard to cycling. Some time ago AS&R expressed concern about people cycling between University Village and Sprouts along Monroe given the proposed perpendicular car parking on the street.  The latest circulation plan for the project designates the sidewalk along the north side of Monroe for walking and cycling.  This will let people cycle in front of the parked cars instead of behind them where they are more likely to be hit. The circulation plan is on the last page of these plans.
For the first time, the plans also show the proposed HAWK signal for the biking and walking crossing of San Pablo at Dartmouth in writing.  This is shown on the seventh page of these plans.
The last remaining potentially large problem is the proposed design of the bus stop on San Pablo. It specifies the boarding and debarking area right on the cycle track, which is not pragmatic and could result in CalTrans not approving the cycle track. AS&R has made suggestions how to solve this numerous times.  Please tell the Planning and Zoning Commission and staff that this problem must be solved by commenting at the meeting or emailing Jeff Bond, jbond@albanyca.org.
If you would like to attend the meeting, AS&R suggests you follow it remotely from the comfort of your usual place or on KALB Channel 33 on a Wednesday evening in order to save yourself time.  You can compare the meeting’s progress against the agenda and head to City Hall shortly before this item comes up (which will be a bit after the end of public comment on the previous item).

Come on down to the meeting to show your support for the cycling and pedestrian amenities contained in this proposal and to voice your opinions!

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!

http://parkingday.org/about-parking-day/

You already bike and walk more to help reduce greenhouse gases – attend this forum to encourage others to do the same.
Photo courtesy Amy Smolens

Want to have input on how the City of Albany can reduce greenhouse gases?
The City of Albany’s Sustainability Committee invites the community (YOU!!) to attend an open forum discussion of outreach and education strategies aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Albany. The event will be hosted by the City’s Sustainability Committee and provide the opportunity to create a network of local organizations and/or local volunteers to lead community outreach.

AGENDA
1. Introduction and discussion of objectives by the City of Albany Sustainability Committee
2. Introductions by participating organizations to briefly describe their charter, interests and activities in the area of greenhouse gas reductions and climate change
3. Discussion of concepts for outreach and identification of commonalities among participating organizations
4. Discussion of next steps and possible future meetings
Note: there may be a quorum of representatives from the City Council or City commissions or committees in attendance at this public meeting.

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!

If you’ve read about Ciclovías and Open Streets events all over the world, here’s one right in your backyard.
On Sunday, October 18th from 11am-4pm, Shattuck Avenue between Rose and Haste will be closed to motor vehicles so you can bike, skate, wheelchair, scooter and walk to your heart’s content!
There will be plenty of activities for your and your family to enjoy, or just wander along the street with no worries about cars, grab a bite at an outdoor table and hang out!
For more information, go to www.sundaystreetsberkeley.org .
Hope to see you there!

Want better conditions on BART? Come to this forum!

Do you take the train and/or bus in addition to biking & walking? If so, this forum is important for you to attend!!

This forum for BART & AC Directors, as well as info on the BART Bond Measure, will be co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters Berkeley Albany Emeryville and the Berkeley Chinese Community Church.

• Bart Director District 3 – Ken Chew, Worth Freeman, Varun Paul,
  Rebecca Saltzman
• Bart Director District 7  – Roland Emerson, Zakhary Mallett, Will Roscoe, Lateefah Simon

  **IF YOU WANT TO BIKE FROM ALBANY OR NEARBY, PROPOSE SOMETHING IN “COMMENTS” HERE ALONG WITH CONTACT INFO FOR YOU