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
Join 4-time US National Champion and Berkeley resident Fred Rodriguez for the 2nd Annual “Fast Freddie Gran Fondo,” a recreational ride benefiting his Fast Freddie Foundation
The 73 mile Lungo route rolls out at 8am and includes 7,000 feet of climbing while the 35 mile Medio route rolls out at 10am and includes 3,600 feet of climbing. Both rides are in the beautiful Berkeley, Oakland and surrounding hills.
Join 4-time US National Champion Fast Freddie Rodriguez for his Gran Fondo and help a worthy cause in the process!
The mission of the Fast Freddie Foundation (FFF) is to inspire and provide young people with the tools to achieve personal successes by utilizing life skills learned through cycling. They encourage a commitment to education and a healthy life style through physical activity. FFF believes these are essential elements to achieving success, both in sport and life. FFF is strongly committed to enhancing the physical, ethical, and life development of kids through the creation of youth cycling programs and the support of cycling organizations that aim to give kids the skills and tools for realizing their dreams and a foundation for the future.
Albany Strollers & Rollers is supporting the event and the Foundation by lending them our valet parking racks, so the participants will have somewhere to park while enjoying their delicious post-ride meal! I’m happy to support Fred Rodriguez and his Fast Freddie Foundation! If you want a beautiful ride for a worthy cause, check his out www.ffgranfondo.net
To register go to http://www.eventbrite.com/e/fast-freddies-fondo-tickets-12522337649
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!
Come on out with your kids!
We’ll be touring the Berkeley Marina.
Helmets required for kids.
North Berkeley is the nearest BART station.
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If you want to ride from Albany write something in the “comments” section here!
Join our Facebook group to keep in touch with future events:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/gearedforkids
You can also look for more info, including mailing list, on our website:http://geared4kids.org/
Give your input to improve the Greenway by El Cerrito BART stations!
Come help our neighbor to the North, El Cerrito, shape its (and your) bicycle and pedestrian future!
The primary goals of this project are to:
*Improve bicycle and pedestrian routes to transit, commercial nodes and housing
*Bring new vibrancy to the areas around the BART stations
*Increase safety and accessibility for BART riders and Greenway users
*Improve the integration of the El Cerrito Plaza and El Cerrito del Norte BART Stations with the surrounding community.
Here are some of the 96 BikeLink lockers at nearby El Cerrito Plaza BART
On Tuesday November 10 the City of El Cerrito will host a community meeting to review the preferred plan for the Ohlone Greenway at the El Cerrito del Norte and El Cerrito Plaza BART station areas. This is the last of several outreach efforts to engage the public in the process of re-designing the Ohlone Greenway at two key areas in the City. At the meeting, community members will have a chance to voice their opinion on the preferred plan to create gateway elements and outdoor gathering spaces around the Greenway and BART stations, improve the mixed-use bicycle and pedestrian path and intersection crossings, and other enhancements.For more info, go here.
Albany has a chunk of change to spend on improving creek access and quality. And it has to start spending it within a year or two to avoid substantial financial complications (its bond money from a measure passed in the 90’s, and the duration is running out). So the City has scheduled a public discussion at City Hall starting regarding which project(s) to pursue.
There are a couple that would improve active transportation: 1) path from Tenth to Eighth Street along Codornices Creek and 2) a bridge across Cerrito Creek at Adams. The potential project at Codornices Creek would close the last gap on the Codornices Creek path from San Pablo to the soccer fields west of Fifth Street (the path from San Pablo to Tenth is about to be built as part of the senior housing under construction there).
Help connect Adams Street in Albany…
The potential project at Cerrito Creek would allow people to walk east-west along Cerrito Creek from San Pablo to Pierce. Among other, this would benefit Albany High School students living on Pierce that currently ford the creek at Adams.
…with Carlson Blvd in El Cerrito and Richmond!
Amazingly, it would also remove the only barrier along a regional north-south cycling route stretching from near downtown Richmond to the West Oakland BART station and beyond. Most of the other cities along this route (Oakland, Emeryville, Berkeley, El Cerrito, and Richmond) have completed their segments and the only other city (Richmond) has completed a large portion of it contiguous with El Cerrito and approved a plan to complete the rest. In contrast, Albany has completed almost none of its segment.
Bridge the gap!
Consequently Albany is the only gap along the existing nine mile long route and the soon to be 12 mile long route. A bridge over Cerrito Creek between Adams and Carlson would literally bridge that gap.
If either of these active transportation projects, or other aspects of creeks is of interest to you, please attend the meeting to learn more and provide your input. Thanks.
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!
