Events

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.

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 League Certified safety instructors for a day of fun games, safety drills, skills building, and a neighborhood ride.
This workshop is for kids who are able to ride a bike and ready to ride on the roadways with their parents. Parents and kids must attend together and should bring their own bikes and helmets. Each child receives a free red blinky light for participating!
This is perfect timing for Bike to School Day, Bike to School Day and all the activities we’ll have in Albany during May, “Bike Month!”
They can sign up in advance at http://bit.ly/EBBCAlbanyFCW or just show up.

WanThe EBBC is proud to present the 3rd annual Pedalfest in collaboration with Jack London Square, Bay Area Bikes and New Belgium Brewing Co.
This fantastic outdoor festival brings out the best in cycling – with contests, classes, games, and shows throughout the day. Here is a sampling of some of the awesome things you can expect from Pedalfest 2013:
*      Handmade and vintage bikes
*      BMX competition
*      Whiskeydrome: cycling daredevils
*      Pedal-powered food and beverage
*      Rock the Bike: a pedal-powered music stage
*      New Belgium Beer Garden
*      Bike trivia dunk tank
*      Bicycle vendors, artisans and more!
*      Oaklandish bicycle parade
*      Kids bike rodeo  |  Bike tune-ups with the Bikemobile
*      Cyclecide pedal-powered carnival rides!
*      Bike Folding Race
*      Free EBBC bike valet
*      Free SF Bay Ferry rides when you bring your bike

Get more details and see last year’s photo gallery at pedalfestjacklondon.com
We can’t wait to see you there! Come out and volunteer to help with our valet bike parking, outreach, pouring beer, and helping out with our activities, or just come enjoy the festival and raise a (beer) glass to a great event celebrating our rich and diverse bike culture here in the East Bay. All proceeds from the New Belgium beer gardens go to benefit the bicycle advocacy work of the East Bay Bicycle Coalition.

Want to ride or BART and ride from Albany? Write something in the ‘comments’ below.

Want to ride more but need more skills and confidence?
Take the East Bay Bicycle Coalition’s FREE bicycle skills class!
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.
Bring your kids and friends, but please pre-register here.

Extra added bonus: All of the EBBC’s UC Berkeley classes are also part of the BEST (Bicycle Education of Safety Training) program allowing ticketed cyclists to have their fines reduced. Yes, Traffic School for bicyclists!

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