Marsalis Johnson in one of the dedicated mechanics of Street Level Cycles
You may be familiar with Street Level Cycles from the free tuneups they offer every year at the Arts & Green Festival. They are a non-profit that teaches at-risk youth job skills that will help them transition into the workforce, as well as serving as a public bike shop (go on and use the tools yourself sometime!)
Thanks to the efforts of a committed group of staff and interns and generous support from the community, renovations are complete and our new public repair shop and newly renovated rental shop are ready to go! So join them on May 30th to check out our new spaces and our fancy new Public Bike Rental Fleet!
Bring a bike to donate and get a gift card from one of their sponsors!
D.O.G Food Truck will be there for the celebration, serving up some of the best hot dogs the Bay has to offer. Homemade sides, fresh-baked buns, and vegetarian options will keep the whole family happy and full. Fido is welcome to join in the festivities and check out our dog-friendly cafe. They even have a dog menu!
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.
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.
It’s the 23rd Annual Bike to Work Day in the Bay Area, a party on wheels!!
Come join our annual rolling party, Bike to Work Day!
photo courtesy Nick Pilch
As usual, there will be coffee, snacks, swag, bike goodies, the famous Bike to Work Day musette bags, food, coffee, fun and lots of good conversation & information so come on down on your way to work!
Great news – Bikes on Solano is co-hosting this year’s Energizer Station with Albany Strollers & Rollers, so Mike, the owner, and other staff will be there with work stations checking your bicycles for safety and road-worthiness!
Plenty of food and drink for everyone, but we could use people to pick it up!
courtesy Francesco Papalia
We need help at our Energizer Station the morning of, as well as preparing for a big celebration.
Can you help stuffing the musette bags with goodies on May 6th from 3-5pm, picking up food & coffee early morning on the 12th, and handing out swag, food and counting cyclists all morning at the Energizer Station?
If so, please contact Ken McCroskey at kenwait@aol.com or leave a comment on this post.
Thanks!!
For Elected & Appointed Officials, as well as City Staff, City Councilman Nick Pilch is leading a ride for you…details coming soon, and yes, it will finish at the Energizer Station so you can enjoy our swag, food and company!
If you can help stuff these bags full of swag on the afternoon of May 6, please email Ken – thanks! Snacks provided!
The musette bags are always filled with swag!
Want to ride to work but aren’t sure how to start? Learn how to get ready for the road with in this FREE class given by AS&R’s partner, Bike East Bay!
Learn how to outfit your bike, fit a helmet, avoid common crashes, get a green light at traffic signals, and more. For adults and teens, no bike required.
This indoor, 1-hour class is made possible via a partnership with the Berkeley Public Library with funding from Alameda CTC.
The class is FREE but registration is required – please register here to take advantage of this great opportunity – thanks!
Here’s a great family event with our El Cerrito neighbors!
Need a kid’s bike at a great price? Just want to ride around with your family?
They also set up an obstacle course, offer free minor repairs to community members bringing their own bike to the event, have a food truck on site, and generally try to make it a fun celebration of bicycling even for those not coming to buy a used bike. Details are below and at the following link.
The Harding ReCycle is a bicycle festival where you can
- buy a “ReCycled” bicycle refurbished by the Harding Dad’s Club bike mechanics
- get basic repairs on your bike for free
- learn how to make repairs yourself
- bring or borrow a bike and ride our obstacle course
- compete in the “Slowest Bike Race”
- learn how to ride without training wheels
Buy a $2 raffle ticket to be entered in a raffle for a brand new kids bike valued at $350!!
Have a bike to donate? They’ll accept donations of used bicycles up to and including the day of the Harding Recycle. Arrange for your donation to be picked up from your home by emailing hardingrecycle@gmail.com, or bring it to the event on May 21st.
Want more info? Go to their website!
You see Street Level Cycles every year at the Albany Arts & Green Festival when they offer free bike tuneups to you and your family !
You might not know that they’re a full-service community bicycle shop that combines a do-it-yourself studio with a youth education program, creating a space where members of the community can learn to fix their bicycles while supporting local vocational training.
You can always donate bikes, parts and components, which they use to build bikes and sell to support their shop and their programs.
Danny & Sergio from Street Level Cycles tuned up everyone’s bikes at the Arts & Green Festival – now you can give back to them!
But TODAY ONLY – JUNE 4th, Street Level Cycles/Waterside Workshops is holding a “Bike Donation Pick-up Day” for East Bay residents. Before the Pick-up Day, you will be able to call and schedule a pick-up from their home or business.
What are you waiting for? Find your old bike & parts and give them a call at (510) 644-2577!
THIS RIDE HAS BEEN CANCELLED BY RICH CITY RIDES
Come on out and join your Richmond brothers and sisters for a beautiful night ride!
Bring your lights and good cheer for the 5th Annual Winter Night Lights Solstice RIDE. It looks like the weather just might be warming up already… hmm. Still dress warm and did we mention to bring some lights? Dance away Autumn and celebrate the longest night of the year as we usher in Winter season. Seasons Greetings!
Be seen while you pedal at night and keep your pants legs out of the chain with our new leg bands!
If you need to be more visible for the ride contact Amy Smolens to pick up some awesome reflective leg and arm bands!
If anyone wants to coordinate a bike or BART ride to the starting point, write something in “comments” here or post on AS&R’s Facebook page.
Come join our annual rolling party, Bike to Work Day!
courtesy Nick Pilch
It’s the 23rd Annual Bike to Work Day in the Bay Area, a party on wheels!!
As usual, there will be coffee, snacks, swag, bike goodies, the famous Bike to Work Day musette bags, food, coffee, fun and lots of good conversation & information so come on down on your way to work!
Don’t miss rolling down to see all your friends and neighbors!
courtesy Nick Pilch
Great news – the staffs of Blue Heron Bikes and Berkeley Bikes & Skateboards will be there with work stations checking your bicycles for safety and road-worthiness as they have in previous years! Thanks to owners Rob Allen & Winston Jamison for spending time with us all! Blue Heron is also giving all Bike Month Volunteers a special coupon for helping out!!
Plenty of food and drink for everyone, but we could use people to pick it up!
courtesy Francesco Papalia
We need help at our Energizer Station beginning at 6:30 a.m. through wrap-up at 9:30, as well as preparing for a big celebration.
Donations so far from Kim’s Cafe and Royal Ground Coffee…stay tuned for more.
Can you help stuffing the musette bags with goodies on Friday from 10am-noon, picking up food & coffee early morning on the 11th, and handing out swag, food and counting cyclists all morning at the Energizer Station?
Want to help get donations of food, beverages or $ for food & bevs? If so, please contact Ken McCroskey at kenwait@aol.com or Amy Smolens at calamari@alumni.duke.edu or leave a comment on this post.
Thanks!!
For Elected & Appointed Officials, as well as City Staff, City Councilman Nick Pilch is leading a ride for you…details coming soon, and yes, it will finish at the Energizer Station so you can enjoy our swag, food and company!
Stuff to stuff!
Stuffing bags for everyone who rolls by is FUN!! If you can help, please email Ken at kenwait@aol.com – thanks!
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!!
