Discounts

Become an AS&R member and get discounts at local bike shops and businesses!

Blue Heron Bikes: 10% off parts and accessories.

Bikes on Solano: 10% off labor, parts and accessories.

Offers are valid to members of Albany Strollers & Rollers and their households. Tell your friends!
Contact us with questions.

Events

Jul
13
Fri
Pierce Street Project – Public Workshop @ Pierce Street Park
Jul 13 @ 1:00 am – 2:30 am

From the city’s website:

http://www.albanyca.org/index.aspx?page=18&recordid=1795&returnURL=%2findex.aspx

“The City is initiating a visioning process for “Pierce Street Park”, which will include the creation of a new park, bicycle/pedestrian trail, and City Public Works facility located on Pierce Street.

Join us for a public workshop to discuss project ideas on July 12th starting at 6 pm.
We will be meeting at the corner of Cleveland at Washington for a site visit and tour, then
returning to City Hall by 7:30 pm for continued discussion regarding the project.”

Sep
30
Sun
FREE Family Cycling Workshop in Albany! @ University Village Park
Sep 30 @ 9:00 pm – 11:30 pm

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 (AS&R’s umbrella organization) League Certified safety instructors for a day of fun games, safety drills, skills building, and a neighborhood ride. This workshop is for kids able to ride a bike and who are ready to ride on the roadways with their parents. Parents and kids must attend together and should bring their own bikes. Each child receives a free red blinky light for participating!
Come on down and learn the rules of the road and how to ride more safely and confidently so your family can all enjoy riding around Albany!

Go here to register for this FREE fun workshop!

Oct
3
Wed
International Walk & Roll to School Day @ Albany Elementary School and Middle School
Oct 3 @ 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm

All year AS&R members sell rear lights to the public, and for every one we sell, an Albany student gets one free! Over the past few years we’ve installed more than 800 lights on kids’ bikes.
This event, International Walk & Roll to School Day is the payoff – AS&R volunteers and school parents install lights on kids bikes, helping them ride to and from school and activities more safely.
As you can imagine, this is a tough task so we could use your help that morning!!
Send an email to any of the AS&R Core Group to volunteer – thanks!

May
17
Sat
APAL Bike Rodeo @ Cornell Elementary School
May 17 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Come on down to pedal-power a delicious smoothie and help others do the same! courtesy Amy Smolens

Come on down to pedal-power a delicious smoothie and help others do the same!
courtesy: Amy Smolens

Bring your kids to Albany Police Activity League’s Annual Bike Rodeo!

Ken McCroskey, AS&R's master helmet adjuster and children's brain guardian, tirelessly applies his craft courtesy: Francesco Papalia

Ken McCroskey, AS&R’s master helmet adjuster and children’s brain guardian, tirelessly applies his craft
courtesy: Francesco Papalia

http://albanypal.net/id27.html

Free bicycle helmets will be given to youth participants.

Rodeo activities will include bike inspections, safety information, and a bicycle safety course. The goal of the bicycle rodeo is to encourage riders to wear helmets on every ride, to give young cyclists basic skills for on-road riding, and to teach them the rules of the road to help keep them safe. This event focuses on young riders in elementary and middle school.
AS&R will again be working with kids, showing them how to ride their bikes safely and responsibly.
We’ll also have our  ”Check for Bikes” clings on hand for parents…and the famous Bicycle Blender so everyone can pedal-power a delicious smoothie!
PLEASE VOLUNTEER: We could definitely use some help running the bike blender station and talking to parents and kids. Any takers, please? If so, please contact Amy Smolens or Ken McCroskey.

School kids learn how to cycle safely and have fun doing it, while following the rules of the road. courtesy Peggy McQuaid

School kids learn how to cycle safely and have fun doing it, while following the rules of the road.
courtesy: Peggy McQuaid

Mar
29
Wed
Creek Planning Meeting @ Albany City Hall
Mar 29 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

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.

May
16
Tue
Public Meeting on Albany Bay Trail and Beach Restoration @ Albany City Hall Council Chambers
May 16 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm

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.

This is perhaps the LAST SIGNIFICANT CHANCE for input before final approvals and construction. Thanks much to Councilmember Rochelle Nason for making this meeting happen and to AS&R member Susan Moffat for mobilizing the group a few weeks ago.
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.
Please feel free to share this information with people who may not be on the AS&R list to encourage broad community input.East Bay Regional Park District Staff (EBRPD) and City staff will present information regarding EBRPD beach/trail projects in Albany. The meeting will provide an opportunity for community members to comment on the EBRPD beach/trail projects.
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.