Hey, did you know that El Cerrito’s right next to Albany? I’m sure you ride through and around El Cerrito quite a bit, so here’s your chance to have input on EC’s cycling and walking infrastructure.
The City is in the midst of two planning efforts, the Urban Greening Plan and the Active Transportation Plan (an update to the 2007 Circulation Plan for Bicyclists and Pedestrians.) On Tuesday, July 23rd, at the City’s first of three community workshops, community members will review results of the Urban Greening needs assessment and opportunities inventory and will provide feedback on the proposed priority improvements for the bicycle and pedestrian network. Information about the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan and the Complete Streets Plan will also be available.
There will be information presented and input garnered on four different plans that are either being developed or updated. There is a link to an informational flyer here about the event, which is the first of three community workshops (the other two are Saturday, October 19, 2013 and Saturday, March 8, 2014.)
Contact Ralph Boniello here if you want to speak to an active AS&R member in El Cerrito.
RSVP to Emily Alter at ealter@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
Want to see and have input on Albany’s Active Transportation Plan? Here’s a chance. City Staff will be 
leading a bike tour to the sites of the ATP Striping and Signage projects.
Let’s ride with City Staff, see what they are thinking and give input on what signage and striping we think would help keep Albany residents and visitors safe when they are riding their bikes!
Contribute to the greening and bike friendliness of our neighbor to the north, El Cerrito!
Come explore a greener, more compact, bikeable and walkable El Cerrito at the upcoming Community Open House!
The City will be presenting the new regulatory framework proposed in the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan and Complete Streets Plan to encourage higher-density, mixed-use development with bicycle and pedestrian improvements and new public open space. Information on the City’s Urban Greening Plan key opportunity sites and Active Transportation Plan priority projects will be available.
The Open House will take place on Saturday, October 19th at the Community Center, from 9am to 1pm with repeated presentations at 9am and 11am. Come hear about the City’s planning efforts and provide your feedback on the proposed regulations, priority projects and opportunity sites.
For more info go here.
I’m sure you walk and ride around neighboring El Cerrito so here’s a chance to make that experience a little better.
El Cerrito will be completing a San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan in the coming months. The Plan, which builds on the efforts of the draft Plan released in 2009, will provide new development regulations that encourage higher density residential and commercial development throughout the planning area. The goal of the Plan is to create a more walkable, bikeable, transit-friendly community through providing clear, market-friendly guidance in the form of a Hybrid Form-Based Code for private residential, mixed-use and commercial development, a Complete Streets Plan and a Multimodal Capital Improvement Plan. The complete revised draft Plan and its programmatic Environmental Impact Report (EIR) will be released for public review in early 2014.
Two upcoming public meetings are scheduled to present key components of the Plan:
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan and Complete Streets City Council Study Session
City Council Chambers, El Cerrito City Hall, 10890 San Pablo Ave.
Tuesday, November 5th, 7pm
The City Council agenda and draft PowerPoint are available at www.el-cerrito.org/CouncilMeetings
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan – Form Based Code Planning Commission Study Session
City Council Chambers, El Cerrito City Hall, 10890 San Pablo Ave.
Wednesday, November 20th, 7:30pm
An agenda for this meeting will be posted by Friday, November 15th. Please check back here: www.el-cerrito.org/PlanningCommission for more information.
To learn more about the San Pablo Avenue Specific & Complete Streets Plan, please visit www.el-cerrito.org/SPASP or attend one of the upcoming meetings. To submit questions and comments, please feel free to contact Emily Alter at EAlter@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us or 510.215.4385.
I’m sure you walk and ride around neighboring El Cerrito so here’s a chance to make that experience a little better.
El Cerrito will be completing a San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan in the coming months. The Plan, which builds on the efforts of the draft Plan released in 2009, will provide new development regulations that encourage higher density residential and commercial development throughout the planning area. The goal of the Plan is to create a more walkable, bikeable, transit-friendly community through providing clear, market-friendly guidance in the form of a Hybrid Form-Based Code for private residential, mixed-use and commercial development, a Complete Streets Plan and a Multimodal Capital Improvement Plan. The complete revised draft Plan and its programmatic Environmental Impact Report (EIR) will be released for public review in early 2014.
This is the second of two recent public meetings to present key components of the Plan:
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan – Form Based Code Planning Commission Study Session
An agenda for this meeting will be posted by Friday, November 15th. Please check back here: www.el-cerrito.org/PlanningCommission for more information.
To learn more about the San Pablo Avenue Specific & Complete Streets Plan, please visit www.el-cerrito.org/SPASP or attend one of the upcoming meetings. To submit questions and comments, please feel free to contact Emily Alter at EAlter@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us or 510.215.4385.
“Study Session on General Plan Transportation Goals & Policies” is one of the agenda items. This is the next in a series of Planning and Zoning Commission Study Sessions on the Albany 2035 General Plan Update. This Study Session will cover the first draft of the General Plan goals and policies for transportation. An opportunity for public comment will be provided.
The Planning & Zoning Commission is being review and provide feedback on the proposed goals and policies… so we hope some of you will review it and give your feedback.
The updated General Plan Transportation Element is at http://albanyca.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=&event_id=290&meta_id=76393
The full agenda is http://albanyca.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?event_id=2e45d59b-d656-405c-bbed-9017eef80205
Do you ride in or through El Cerrito? Yup, me too!
Want a San Pablo Avenue that is safer for your and your family to ride? I thought so!
Want protected bike lanes on San Pablo Avenue? Go to one of the El Cerrito meetings and speak up!
El Cerrito is moving forward into the ‘feasibility’ phase of designing bikeways on San Pablo Avenue and is proposing protected bikeways in the Midtown area of El Cerrito between its two BART stations. Bike East Bay helped secure a Safe Routes to Transit grant for El Cerrito for this design work. As good as it promises to be, this project needs to be complete.
The City of El Cerrito recently released a draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) that covers plans specific to San Pablo Avenue. The document is open for public review until July 21, 2014. The proposal is a comprehensive document that outlines infrastructure modifications to the main commercial thoroughfare through the city; chapter 3 covers the Complete Streets plan. Comments on the Draft Specific Plan should be emailed to Melanie Mintz, the Interim Community Development Director, detailed information concerning the plan and how to submit comments can be found on the city website. We urge you to voice support of a formal bicycle lane, as opposed to sharrows, in the uptown section of San Pablo Avenue. Bicycle lanes provide street safety for all users, forming a link between public transit, businesses, and residences.
Wednesday, July 9 is the first in a series of Public Meetings and your first opportunity to weigh in supporting the plan.
By the way, EC City Hall has secure BikeLink lockers for you to use!
Do you ride in or through El Cerrito? Yup, me too!
Want a San Pablo Avenue that is safer for your and your family to ride? I thought so!
Want protected bike lanes on San Pablo Avenue? Go to one of the El Cerrito meetings and speak up or write a letter! You have until the end of the day July 21 to do so.
El Cerrito is moving forward into the ‘feasibility’ phase of designing bikeways on San Pablo Avenue and is proposing protected bikeways in the Midtown area of El Cerrito between its two BART stations. Bike East Bay helped secure a Safe Routes to Transit grant for El Cerrito for this design work. As good as it promises to be, this project needs to be complete.
The City of El Cerrito recently released a draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) that covers plans specific to San Pablo Avenue.
THE DOCUMENT IS OPEN FOR PUBLIC REVIEW & COMMENT UNTIL THE END OF THE DAY JULY 21, 2014 SO IF YOU WANT TO PROVIDE INPUT, NOW’S THE TIME .
The proposal is a comprehensive document that outlines infrastructure modifications to the main commercial thoroughfare through the city; chapter 3 covers the Complete Streets plan. Comments on the Draft Specific Plan should be emailed to Melanie Mintz, the Interim Community Development Director, detailed information concerning the plan and how to submit comments can be found on the city website. We urge you to voice support of a formal bicycle lane, as opposed to sharrows, in the uptown section of San Pablo Avenue. Bicycle lanes provide street safety for all users, forming a link between public transit, businesses, and residences.
Wednesday, July 16 is the 2nd in a series of Public Meetings and a good opportunity to weigh in supporting the plan. This one is a Planning Commission meeting, so will likely include discussion of the sidewalk interface with private development, plan & site layout requirements and parking requirements, including bicycle parking.
By the way, EC City Hall has secure BikeLink lockers for you to use!
**Again, the plan is open for public review and comment and is available on the City’s website at www.El-Cerrito.org/SPASP. Public comment will close next Monday, July 21st at the end of the day. There are also hard copies available at the Richmond City Hall, Richmond Library, El Cerrito City Hall and El Cerrito Library. So give your input!
Have you noticed that Albany is small and you often end up in El Cerrito and Berkeley? Here’s a good chance to give some input to our neighbor to the north!
Come help design five urban greening projects to improve the environmental sustainability, economic vitality and community cohesion of the City of El Cerrito! The Community Charrette is an interactive design workshop that allows you to meet with neighbors and other community members to envision the future of five pilot projects: 1) Fairmount Park, 2) Hillside Natural Area, 3) Former Portola Middle School Site, 4) Lower Fairmount Ave from Carlson Blvd to San Pablo Ave, and 5) Bay Trail (Blue Belt) to Wildcat Canyon (Green Belt) Connections. These sites have been selected from a larger list of Urban Greening opportunities for their strategic location, multiple community and environmental benefits, and pilot potential. With feedback gathered at the Charrette, the City’s Urban Greening consultants will prepare conceptual designs to be included in the Urban Greening Plan.
Like some of the things AS&R has been able to accomplish in Albany? Suggest them to the City of El Cerrito. Like what you see in EC? Suggest them here in Albany!
9:30 am Welcome and Plan Overview
10:30 am Breakout Design Sessions
12:00 pm Lunch
12:30 pm Report Back
1:25 pm Next Steps
1:30 pm Close
For more information, please visit the website at www.ElCerritoUrbanGreening.org
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!
