The Albany Little League and ABGSL needs a hand staffing the barricades at the Opening Day Parade, March 24, from 8-10AM. If you can give them a hand, please contact Jennifer Hansen Romero <jhansenromero@yahoo.com>, and tell her you are an Albany Stroller & Roller volunteer.
Or sign up here:
http://www.volunteerspot.com/
We also need volunteers to staff our booth at the Carnival afterwards from 12-4. If you can do a 1 or 2 hour shift, let me know at nicky@mindspring.com
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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.
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!
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!
Hundreds of people from all over the Bay Area take advantage of our Bicycle Valet Parking service at two lots on Solano Avenue. Please volunteer a few hours before enjoying the event!
Photo courtesy Amy Smolens
Albany Strollers & Rollers will again be providing Free Bicycle Valet Parking at two locations: 1800 Solano Ave (Wells Fargo) and 1245 Solano (the vacant lot near Masonic.)
We’ll also have an information table by our western lot near Masonic.
WE NEED YOU TO MAKE THIS A SUCCESS!
If you’d like to help park bikes at either lot or volunteer at AS&R’s info table, please contact Amy Smolens.
AS&R Super-Volunteer Lynn Eve Komaromi takes a well-earned Pad Thai break – thanks, Bua Luang!
Please join Lynn Eve and your AS&R neighbors in volunteering!
All volunteers who work at least a 4-hr shift or pick up & return rental racks will get free lunch provided by a supporting Solano Avenue restaurant, Mountain Mike’s Pizza , Tay Tah or Bua Luang Thai Cuisine!!
Since 1974 Solano Avenue and the cities of Albany and Berkeley have hosted the Solano Avenue Stroll, the East Bay’s largest street festival! The Solano Avenue Association , AS&R and Check for Bikes invite you to see what makes Solano Avenue a wonderful place. The Stroll features over five hundred vendors including 50 entertainers (there’s always great music!,) 50 food booths, 150 government and non-profit agencies, 150 juried hand-crafters, a 75 entry parade, state of the art mechanical rides and much more!
We would like to thank Janka White, the owner of AS&R’s new supporting sponsor, Floor Dimensions. Janka is donating a long Red Carpet to lead passers-by to our information table and straight up the ramp to our western Bicycle Valet Parking lot!
Thanks also to Lucas Euser of Clif Bar who donated boxes of Clif Bars and Z Organic Kids Bars & Fruits so ALL OF OUR VOLUNTEERS will have plenty to snack on all day!!
Come visit AS&R at our information table then enjoy a great stroll up Solano!
Or better yet, volunteer a few hours with Amy, Michael and your neighbors before strolling!
Photo courtesy Tenisha Neal
This family event promotes the unique traits of Solano Avenue, helping independently-owned businesses, artists, and community organizations to thrive by exposure and fundraising. Join 250,000 participants and event guests visit from all over the west coast at this annual street festival!
Please see the press room to stay tuned into what’s hot at this years event!
Brought to you by the Cities of Albany and Berkeley; and with the help of our generous sponsors, SAA members, and volunteer board of directors.
Lucas Euser of Clif Bar donated boxes of Clif Bars and Z Organic Kids Bars & Fruit for ALL OUR VOLUNTEERS!!
Photo courtesy Francesco Papalia
Bike, trikes, scooters, strollers, trailers, tandems, striders, long-tails, unicycles and more bikes!! Photo courtesy Mark Altenberg
Thank you Janka White of Floor Dimensions for donating a “Red Carpet” to lead festival-goers to our lower lot and table!!
