Events

Get GEARED UP! Helmets, Bikes, Bells!
Meet up at playground (Portland & Carmel).
This month’s route will be about 4.5 miles long and we’ll be heading to Albany/El Cerrito, including a stretch of the Ohlone Greenway.  Bring along snacks to share at our mid-route stop, and, or course, we’ll have tunes to pedal to all throughout the ride!
Helmets required for kids.
Be sure to pack snacks, water, and clothing appropriate to weather conditions!
Cold wet weather cancels — check Facebook event or our website, http://geared4kids.org/,  for cancellations.

There are lots of items on the agenda that affect cyclists and pedestrians here in Albany.
Those include the following:
*7-1, City Council Strategic Planning Follow Up
Part of what City Council Members recommended in its recent planning session was an emphasis on parks, including the long-awaited Pierce Street Park, and a more bikeable and walkable Albany.
Please speak in support of these plans and concepts!
*7-2, Update on “Complete Streets” planning for Buchanan Street and San Pablo Avenue to improve safety for walking, biking, and other modes of travel. The Staff recommendation is for Council to provide direction to staff and the Traffic and Safety Commission.
Show up and speak to let Council hear that a more bike and pedestrian friendly San Pablo Avenue should be a priority and a reality!
It may also be a good time to speak about your vision for Bike Boulevards on Kains and Adams, making up for the fact that many people will not feel safe riding on San Pablo in the sections without bike lanes.
*8-1, Albany Wayfinding Plan for Bicyclists and Pedestrians
Whenever I ride around Berkeley I marvel at the signage that directs me to the best and safest roads to cycle. I am also fully convinced that motorists on or crossing roads with signage for bicyclists are more courteous to their two-wheeled friends sharing the road.
Show up and tell Council that we all need wayfinding signage for our convenience and safety!
If you can’t attend, please consider writing a brief letter in support of any of these items to cityhall@albanyca.org requesting specifically that your letter be sent to all the City Council Members.
Thanks! Feel free to email the Discussion List or any of the Core Group with any questions or thoughts.

Bring your kids, bring your dog, bring your friend who doesn’t bike much. The Geared 4 Kids ride is a monthly ride open to the public, specifically for riders who are new to wheels, pedals, and gears. ALL riders are welcome, so if you’re just looking for a relaxed weekend ride, this ride’s also for you. Come on out!
Our routes will be 4-5 miles, mostly flat, and will stay as far off heavily trafficked streets as much as we can manage. Our hope and goal with this ride is a bike party for kids, complete with music to pedal to and stops along the way to share snacks, play, and chat. Pack snacks, water, and sunscreen/raingear.

If anyone wants to ride from Albany, write something in the “comments” here

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!

Have an old bike sitting in your garage? As part of the City’s Safe Routes to School Program, Albany Middle School students are asking for donations of used bikes (any size) to fix up and donate to students of all ages before Bike to School Day on May 7th. Drop off used bikes at Albany Middle School between 2pm-5pm on Wednesday, April 2nd. Email greenalbany@albanyca.org for more information.

Come on out with your kids!

Get GEARED UP! Helmets, Bikes, Bells!
Come join the “Geared 4 Kids” group for a family-style bike party!
Meet at playground on Oregon off MLK.
Helmets required for kids.
Ashby is the nearest BART station.
You can also look for more info, including mailing list, on their website:http://geared4kids.org/
Be sure to pack snacks, water, and clothing appropriate to weather conditions!
Want to ride or “BART & ride” from Albany? Put a note here in “comments” and get something going!

Come on out with your kids!

Get GEARED UP! Helmets, Bikes, Bells!
Come help celebrate 4 years of family bike riding!
Meet at San Pablo Park playground, take a tour of Berkeley/Oakland/Emeryville, and then join us for a post-ride BBQ/Potluck at San Pablo Park starting around 12:30 (or whenever we finish the ride). Sign up to participate in the BBQ/Potluck on the Geared 4 Kids Facebook Group page.
Helmets required for kids.
Ashby is the nearest BART station.
Want to ride or “BART & ride” from Albany? Put a note here in “comments” and get something going!

Join AS&R’s friends & neighbors at Rich City Rides  for the Opening Day of Trails ride!

AS&R members took BART to join Rich City Rides, Check for Bikes, Bike Concord, Bike East Bay and others at the MLK Unity Ride. Hope to see you on this family-oriented ride!

We can’t wait for spring—and here’s why! On April 8, 2017, people across the country will celebrate the nation’s fifth annual Opening Day for Trails. Rich City RIDES (RCR) and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy have teamed up to present Opening Day for Trails in Richmond. Bring your family and friends for a bike ride event where you’ll extend your pedal-powered reach to fun destinations like the Richmond Greenway and Unity Park’s Groundbreaking event!

Come join us for a fun ride on the trails!

Opening Day for Trails is a free event open to all ages! Come join us for a bike ride with a purpose, learn how you can be healthier, and create a healthier Bay Area by engaging in human-powered transportation. For new bike riders, don’t fret! Our ride marshals will help in coordinating two rides based on your level of comfort. We hope you’ll join us on Opening Day—and we can’t wait to see you out on the trail this spring!
Bike Giveaways! To start the ride, we will give away 10 free bikes to kids participating in the event. At the end of the ride, 3 participants will receive free bikes based on their active participation in other RCR bike rides. For an additional opportunity to win prizes be sure to sign Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s official 2017 Opening Day pledge to get out on the trail! You can be entered to win special prizes from Fuji Bikes and Performance Bicycle for your next trail adventure.

If anyone wants to propose a ride or BART from Albany, please write in “comments” to this event – thanks.

Here is the route – flat and fun, with few cars!