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 are some of the 96 BikeLink lockers at nearby El Cerrito Plaza BART
Come help our neighbor to the North, El Cerrito, shape its bicycle and pedestrian future!
The Open House for El Cerrito’s Active Transportation Plan will begin with a short presentation about the planning process and proposed bicycle and pedestrian networks. Focus area project posters will be available for review and comment throughout the workshop.
The City released the draft Plan for public comment on Sunday, June 14th. The Plan, which is an update to the 2007 Circulation Plan for Bicyclists and Pedestrians, evaluated the existing bicycle and pedestrian networks and identified new focus projects and programs to close gaps in these networks and provide amenities to make it easier to bike and walk in El Cerrito.
The draft Plan proposes nine focus area projects, revised bicycle and pedestrian networks, a policy toolkit and program framework to making walking and biking easier in El Cerrito. The nine focus area projects are:
- BART to Bay Trail Access Improvements at Central Avenue, Carlson Boulevard, and Cerrito Creek Connections between Plaza BART and the Bay Trail
- Ohlone Greenway Crossing Improvements – Citywide
- Citywide Wayfinding at Key Walking and Biking Routes
- Arlington Boulevard Pedestrian Improvements
- East Side Bicycle Boulevard – Blake Street, Norvell Street, Schmidt Lane, Richmond Street,
- Moeser Lane, Norvell Street, Lincoln Avenue, Albemarle Street, Behrens Street
- Wayfinding associated with East Side Bicycle Boulevard
- Key Boulevard Improvements – between Humboldt Street and Hill Street
- Fairmount Avenue Improvements – between Carlson Boulevard and Colusa Avenue
- Potrero Avenue Improvements – between western City Limit and Ohlone Greenway
The draft Plan is available for review via the project website, www.el-cerrito.org/ATP. Public comments will be accepted from Sunday, June 14th until Friday, July 17th and may be submitted via email to the Public Works Department at streets@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us, via mail to City of El Cerrito, 10890 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito, CA 94530 or dropped off at the El Cerrito City Hall Front Counter, Attn: Public Works.
Join our neighbors to the north for the 4th Annual “Slow Roll Richmond Solstice RIDE!”
Come on out, decorate your bike with lights and good cheer for the 4th Annual Solstice Ride. Hopefully El Niño won’t join us for this ride but will come through on the next day… which would be the best day. Dress warmly… and did we mention to bring some lights?
No BIKE! No problem – with many thanks to our Commuter Cyclist program for the 1st time ever Rich City-Rides has bikes to lend for the magical ride. We’ll announce an RSVP for lender bikes as soon as we can, in the mean time let us know here if you need one here.
End of the road celebration location is coming…
If you want to ride together up to Richmond leave a note and/or idea in “comments” here!
Come on down and learn how to ride a bike more safely – and have more fun!
Want to ride more but don’t feel confident enough?
Here’s a FREE bicycle skills class, courtesy of Bike East Bay (with support from the UC Berkeley Police Department.)
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.
Please note: All of Bike East Bay’s UC Berkeley classes are open to the public, but are also part of the BEST (Bicycle Education & Safety Training) program allowing cyclists ticketed at UC to have their fines reduced. For these Thursday classes, they encourage people to be ticketed cyclists (don’t run a stop sign so you can attend :) ), but Bike East Bay confirms that you still can register.
Class is FREE but please register here.
Come on down and learn how to ride a bike more safely – and have more fun!
Want to ride more but don’t feel confident enough?
Here’s a FREE bicycle skills class, courtesy of Bike East Bay (with support from the UC Berkeley Police Department.)
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.
Please note: All of Bike East Bay’s UC Berkeley classes are open to the public, but are also part of the BEST (Bicycle Education & Safety Training) program allowing cyclists ticketed at UC to have their fines reduced. For these Thursday classes, they encourage people to be ticketed cyclists (don’t run a stop sign so you can attend :) ), but Bike East Bay confirms that you still can register.
Class is FREE but please register here.
Come on down and learn how to ride a bike more safely – and have more fun!
Want to ride more but don’t feel confident enough?
Here’s a FREE bicycle skills class, courtesy of Bike East Bay (with support from the UC Berkeley Police Department.)
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.
Please note: All of Bike East Bay’s UC Berkeley classes are open to the public, but are also part of the BEST (Bicycle Education & Safety Training) program allowing cyclists ticketed at UC to have their fines reduced. For these Thursday classes, they encourage people to be ticketed cyclists (don’t run a stop sign so you can attend :) ), but Bike East Bay confirms that you still can register.
Class is FREE but please register here.
Come on down and learn how to ride a bike more safely – and have more fun!
Want to ride more but don’t feel confident enough?
Here’s a FREE bicycle skills class, courtesy of Bike East Bay (with support from the UC Berkeley Police Department.)
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.
Please note: All of Bike East Bay’s UC Berkeley classes are open to the public, but are also part of the BEST (Bicycle Education & Safety Training) program allowing cyclists ticketed at UC to have their fines reduced. For these Thursday classes, they encourage people to be ticketed cyclists (don’t run a stop sign so you can attend :) ), but Bike East Bay confirms that you still can register.
Class is FREE but please register here.
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!
Help ensure that Albany’s segment of the Bay Trail will be completed, and safe & fun for all!
After a group of Albany residents, including fellow Strollers & Rollers, pointed out improvements that should be made to our Waterfront, there will be a chance to see the plans and give input on the Albany Bay Trail and beach project, officially known as the Albany Beach Restoration and Public Access Project.
Let’s make sure that OUR Waterfront is optimized for people who want to bike, walk, stroll and roll. There is a lot of car parking, but not nearly as much attention paid to parking for bicycles.
Note: a quorum of the City Council and/or an advisory body to the City Council may be present at this public meeting.
Here is the site plan
And the existing conditions map
And the complete packet from the most recent public meeting (April 17), which was at the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission Design Review Board. This packet has cross-sections and more detailed plans and a staff report.
Albany resident and landscape architect Hugo Larman drafted this updated plan based on community input, which expands the beach area, adds bike racks and moves car parking near existing parking.
EIR and other info from EBRPD (scroll down to where is says “Albany Beach Habitat Restoration and Public Access Project.”)
These racks that AS&R bought are perfectly situated for folks who want to enjoy the beach, a hike or just enjoy the beautiful view, but they are lonely! We need more “there” at the Waterfront, and more bike racks near other destinations.
AS&R member Dan Johnson prepared comments and alternative plans . After further discussion, Dan & others believe that the location for parking might not be feasible. However his diagram about the amount of paving is relevant.
While not a part of EBRPD’s plan, the Albany Waterfront Committee’s Cove Enhancement Plan should be completed by the City of Albany and taken into account by EBRPD for a comprehensive plan at the entire waterfront. The only reason it was not completed in 2012 was because EBRPD requested the City hold off because of upcoming construction. That reason is long past.
In response to recent community comments, the designers are making efforts to reduce the large amount of pavement for the vehicle driveway and turnaround to leave more open space for recreation at the south end of the site. However, a number of us believe that it would be more functional and would preserve more open space (as well as reduce bicycle-pedestrian conflicts) to locate the parking near the existing parking, on the north side of Buchanan St., which would eliminate the need for the long driveway. However, this area is City-owned and outside the EBRPD project area.
Live on Kains or Adams?
Go to the YMCA?
Do you and your family want to AVOID bicycling on San Pablo Avenue?
Then you’ll be interested in this site walk focusing on the Kains and Adams Bicycle Boulevard projects.
Walk, talk, and find out about what’s possible to make these streets safer for bicyclists!
I’m sure many of you have ridden the Bicycle Boulevards in Berkeley and seen how more comfortable it is to ride Milvia instead of MLK or Shattuck, Russell instead of Ashby, and 9th instead of San Pablo.
If not, here is info on Berkeley’s Bicycle Boulevard system.
Now imagine if people could avoid San Pablo until a half-block from their destination by riding Kains and Adams!
This is the City page for this event.
More information is below and a link to the Community Meeting on June 15th is here.
