Get GEARED UP! Helmets, Bikes, Bells!
This group has been riding for 2 years now and it’s time to celebrate!
There will be a BBQ/Picnic/Potluck after the ride starting around 12:30pm at San Pablo Park. Details for the BBQ can be found on Geared 4 Kids’ Facebook group page.
Meet up for the ride at 10:30am near the playground (Russell & Mabel).
This month’s route will be 4.5 miles long and take us through a bit of Berkeley, Oakland, and Emeryville (a modification of our inaugural route). Bring along snacks to share at our mid-route stop, and, of 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!
If anyone wants to ride together from Berkeley, leave a comment on this post and let’s organize something!
http://geared4kids.org/
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!
Join Golden Gate Audubon leaders to visit Berkeley Aquatic Park, then take the multiuser bridge to the Bay Trail toward Emeryville then Richmond. Meet at 9:15 a.m. on Bolivar Drive near the foot of Bancroft Way in Berkeley.
We’ll bird around Aquatic Park, then take the multiuser bridge to the Bay Trail riding first toward Emeryville, then Richmond. Bring binoculars and snacks; wear layers (it can be warm, or cool and windy along the shore). Call Pat if you want to borrow binoculars. This birding ride is co-listed with Golden Gate Audubon.
Jeffrey Black, (510) 526-7068, buffalo1003@aol.com and Pat Greene, (415) 321-9013 (cell),greene@cgl.ucsf.edu
Does anyone want to ride together from anywhere in Albany? Make a proposal for a meeting time and place in “comments” here!
Come on down and learn how to ride a bike more safely – and have more fun!
Do you, a friend or family member want to ride your bike more but don’t feel confident enough?
Here’s a FREE bicycle skills class RIGHT IN OUR BACKYARD, courtesy of Bike East Bay!
In addition to the regular first-Mondays classes at UC Berkeley, they have now set up a free Urban Cycling 101 Day 1 classroom workshop for adults and teens at the Albany Library/Community Center on Saturday, July 16th, from 1-3pm. Complete details and registrations are available here.
The class is FREE but it’s mandatory to register here.
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.
Help give input to make the Waterfront even more enjoyable!
The Bay Conservation & Development Commission will hold a Hearing on the Albany Beach Project.
Albany Beach Restoration & Public Access Project (first review) is the first actual agenda item of the meeting.
Won’t it be nice when we have a Bay Trail Connection through Albany?
The Design Review Board will review the design by the East Bay Regional Parks District, Questa Engineering, and 2M Associates for the Albany Beach Restoration and Public Access Project in the Cities of Albany and Berkeley, adjacent to Golden Gate Fields. The project would enhance the existing beach and dunes and would create approximately 4,765 linear feet of new Bay Trail, overlooks, and a 20-space parking lot.
Link to Meeting Materials which includes exhibits for the above which is Item 4 (but the first actual agenda item) on the Tentative Agenda.
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.
Come join our annual rolling party, Bike to Work Day!
photo courtesy Nick Pilch
Join us for the 25th Annual Bike to Work Day in the Bay Area, a party on wheels!!
As usual, there will be coffee, food, swag, bike goodies in the famous Bike to Work Day musette bags, fun and lots of good conversation & information so come on down on your way to work!
Here’s a short VIDEO that AS&R member Francesco Papalia took so you can see how fun the morning is!
Don’t miss rolling down to see all your friends and neighbors!
Photo courtesy Nick Pilch
The staff of Blue Heron Bikes and Berkeley Bikes & Skateboards will be volunteering their time, 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!
Local business Kim’s Cafe (thanks, Cathy!!) and Royal Ground Coffee (thanks, Mike!) are again donating home made pastries & beverages for our Energizer Station. Trader Joe’s El Cerrito, Barney Butter non-GMO almond butter from the Central Valley, Semifreddi’s in Alameda and GU Energy in Berkeley are also giving us generous donations. Safeway on Solano and Sprouts at University Village are donating gift cards for groceries, too!
SO YES, WE NEED YOUR HELP IN DISTRIBUTING ALL THESE GOODIES TO 600+ CYCLISTS!
Local businesses BLUE HERON, BUA LUANG, TAY TAH CAFE AND FERN’S GARDEN ARE ALL DONATING SPECIAL GIFT CARDS OR COUPONS FOR OUR BIKE MONTH VOLUNTEERS, IN APPRECIATION FOR YOUR TIME AND SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY!!!
Plenty of food and drink for everyone, but we could use people to pick it up and hand it out!
photo courtesy Francesco Papalia
WE WILL 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.
We will need help stuffing the musette bags with goodies beforehand, picking up food & coffee early morning on the 10th, 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 kenmccroskey@gmail.com or Amy Smolens at calamari@alumni.duke.edu or leave a comment on this post.
Thanks!!
Stuffing bags for everyone who rolls by is FUN!! If you can help, please email Ken at kenmccroskey@gmail.com – thanks!
Stuff to stuff!
photo courtesy Amy Smolens
Do you bike or walk on Central Avenue under I-80 to reach the places you enjoy?
Would you like to help make it easier and safer to do so?
The Central Avenue / Interstate 80 (I-80) underpass in Richmond leads to a lot of great places—the San Francisco Bay Trail, Point Isabel Dog Park, Costco and the Richmond Marina, to name a few.
CalTrans District 4 wants your ideas on how to transform the underpass into a high-quality pedestrian and bicycle connection!
Current Underpass
Help improve your biking and walking experience in the East Bay!
Join us at the Community Workshop to share ideas on the project design. We will discuss safety features, lighting, wayfinding and other design elements.
It could look like this!!
WHO:
You! Residents, cyclists and walkers in Richmond, El Cerrito, Albany (Pierce Street and West Albany residents, that means you!!) and beyond.
For more information, go to http://www.dot.ca.gov/d4/transplanning/i-80central.html
The planned I-80 Gilman Interchange Project will improve travel for all users of that area, including people who bike to the Bates Fields, Berkeley Marina and south on the Bay Trail.
CalTrans has adopted a Negative Declaration for the project, which is excellent news.
This page has additional information on the entire project and plan.
This Open Open Forum Hearing will give you an opportunity to show your support for this project, or discuss improvements that might help Active Transportation access and safety.
If you can’t attend but would like to voice support, please send an email to Zachary.Gifford@dot.ca.gov
Want to ride along our beautiful Bay? Join us! Photos courtesy Amy Smolens
Celebrate Bay Day with Albany Strollers & Rollers, Bike East Bay and Love the Bulb! Join a relaxed Bay Trail bike ride and walking tour of the Albany Bulb. Ride starts at North Berkeley BART, goes up to Point Isabel and back, and finishes at the 
Albany Bulb. We will check out some recent and upcoming Bay Trail improvements and end the ride with the opportunity to take a walking tour of the unique art and nature of the Albany Bulb. If you’d like, grab a bite at FoodieLand Night Market near Albany Beach (plenty of bike parking- bring a lock!) before heading home.
Plenty of bike parking at FoodieLand!
Photo courtesy Mike Cabanatuan
This is the third of Bike East Bay’s Fall Ride Series: a collection of family-friendly rides exploring excellent trails projects in the East Bay. You’ll learn about the surrounding area, and explore favorite routes on these low-key rides. Check out the full schedule at BikeEastBay.org/FallRides.
To RSVP please go here. If anyone wants to ride from Albany to North Berkeley BART, leave a comment with meeting place and time.
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.
