The monthly Traffic & Safety Commission Meeting, the Fourth Thursday of every month (other than holiday times so check exact date,) is a great place to make your ideas known, find out about the transportation issues and projects in Albany, and help improve things for cyclists and pedestrians in and around our town.

The agenda will be posted on the City website here.
Come on down!

Want to ride more but feel unsure about your skills and knowledge of how to ride our roads? Then take one of the East Bay Bicycle Coalition’s free skills classes – Urban Cycling 101!
The next Classroom Workshop in nearby Berkeley is Monday December 2.
This fun and entertaining workshop is taught by one of our bicycle safety instructors certified by the League of American Bicyclists. Learn basic rules of the road, how to equip your bicycle, fit your helmet, take a bike on transit, and avoid crashes by riding predictably, visibly, and communicating with other road users by your actions and signals. No bike required.
(Please note: All of our UC Berkeley classes are open to the public, but are also part of the BEST (Bicycle Education & Safety Training) program allowing ticketed cyclists to have their fines reduced.)
What a great opportunity to get the skills needed to ride more confidently on the road!

These classes offer great information for both beginner and experienced cyclists alike. Here’s what a few of the class’ attendees had to say:
“You know the type, aging, maybe a grey goatee, riding an expensive carbon bike, riding up to 10,000 miles a year, who the #$%^ are you to tell me anything about bike safety?  Well, that was me, and mostly still is, except that I honestly got a lot out of an EBBC, Urban Bicycling Skills 101 class, and look forward to far safer riding in the future! ”
Brian Aldrich – President, Grizzly Peak Cyclists

“I wanted to thank you for leading the Urban Cycling 101 class at Berkeley… I just bought my first bike since childhood and I was initially so overwhelmed by riding in traffic. The class was really great and I feel a lot more comfortable trying to ride my bike around. The videos were great and I loved that it was so comprehensive. I signed up for the road class, and I just joinedEBBC as a member.”
Alexis Wong, Urban Cycling 101 student and new EBBC member

Register here

Want to ride to Cal with others? Write a note here in “comments,” or put on AS&R’s Discussion List or Facebook page!

Street Level Cycles has graciously donated free bike tuneup services at the Arts & Green Festival since 2008
photo courtesy Matt McHugh

No doubt you know Street Level Cycles as the non-profit organization that provides FREE tuneups to members of our community at the annual Albany Arts & Green Festival.
Here’s a chance to learn more about them and enjoy a great afternoon of food and fun, at their holiday party and fund-raiser for their youth programs.
A donation of $10 per person gets you:
-a free boat rental
-wooden toy-making for kids
-entry into the kids or adult bike raffle
The Taco Guys will be there with their gourmet food truck serving up some of the best and most original tacos in the Bay.  Top it off with a cup of Waterside’s famous hand-crafted coffee and a fresh baked pastry to make for the perfect afternoon.
During the event, they will give away 100 kid’s bicycles to local low-income families.  If you know a family in need of a kid’s bicycle, please tell them to contact SLC before the event!

At 4pm, they will have a “Donors and Supporters Happy Hour and Silent Auction.” Any of you who have volunteered at an AS&R event over the past few years are invited to take part.  Items in the silent auction include gift certificates to local restaurants, original works of art, a week vacation rental in a beautiful Tahoe cabin and more.
All proceeds from this event will go directly to supporting their free programs for low-income youth!
Hope to see you there!

The UC Village Mixed Use Project is on the agenda of tonight’s Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting.
This developers have created a top notch cycling and walking infrastructure to encourage safe walking and cycling to and from the development. The blocks are ringed with cycling paths as well as a path on Monroe down the center and a safer crossing of San Pablo Avenue. This infrastructure will be enjoyed by those using Sprouts and the retail at the development, the residents and visitors at the senior housing facility, those who live in UC Village and other Albany residents.
The full meeting agenda is here, as are links to supporting documents.

Get GEARED UP! Helmets, Bikes, Bells!

Join us for a happy hour at our new location at Grazzy Burgers/Albany Taproom – yes, they have plenty of bike parking! This is our every other month (even-numbered months) informal get-together to talk about all things bike and ped in Albany. It’s a good chance to ask about what the city is up to and what our stance on issues is, and to meet others who are interested in issues related to human-scale transit/active transit.

Everyone is welcome.

Note that this will usually take place right before a Traffic and Safety Commission meeting, and will also be a good chance to talk about anything coming up on their agenda.

The monthly Traffic & Safety Commission Meeting, the Fourth Thursday of every month (other than holiday times, so be sure to check date here,) is a great place to make your ideas known, find out about the transportation issues and projects in Albany, and help improve things for cyclists and pedestrians in and around our town.

The agenda will be posted on the City website here.
Come on down!

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!