Discounts

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

Blue Heron Bikes: 10% off parts and accessories.

Marie Bowser Acupuncture: 30% off your first visit.

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

Quad Republic Skate Co. 5% off SKATES, 10% off parts & accessories.

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

Events

Oct
4
Wed
Final Community Meeting on Kains/Adams Bicycle Boulevards @ Albany City Hall
Oct 4 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm

Let EVERY DAY be Bike to Work Day with Bicycle Boulevards in Albany!!

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 final opportunity for public input on the Kains and Adams Bicycle Boulevards!
Attend this community meeting to see a preview of traffic calming options for our neighborhoods.
Give City Staff and the consultants feedback on alternative bikeway concepts that could be implemented on Kains and Adams as alternatives to San Pablo Ave.
Engage with City staff, consultants, and your neighbors in community planning for improving pedestrian and bicyclist.
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 FINAL COMMUNITY MEETING before the City and consultants bring the project to the Traffic & Safety Commission so your attendance is important!!
Here is the flyer for the meeting.

Oct
26
Thu
IMPORTANT MEETING – Kains/Adams Bicycle Boulevards on Agenda of Traffic & Safety Commission Meeting @ Albany City Hall
Oct 26 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm

The crucial Kains/Adams Bicycle Blvd project will be on the agenda of October’s Traffic & Safety Commission Meeting.

WOULD YOU RATHER BIKE ON THIS…..

OR THIS?? SPEAK UP TO MAKE THIS A REALITY IN ALBANY!

Considerable local opposition has arisen, and we are in danger of missing out on these facilities. If you and your family would use either of these Bicycle Boulevards because you want to AVOID bicycling on San Pablo Avenue, live on Kains or Adams, go to the YMCA, please act!
How? 1) Send a letter of support to Aleida Andrino-Chavez , requesting that she forwards it to the Traffic & Safety Commission, and cc or bcc me, Amy Smolens , so I can track support, which is important.
2) Attend this meeting and tell the Traffic & Safety Commission that you and your family need these Bicycle Boulevards as they decide from among the various traffic calming and Bicycle Boulevard options for our neighborhoods.
Engage with City staff, consultants, and your neighbors in community planning for improving pedestrian and bicyclist.
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 FINAL COMMUNITY MEETING before Traffic & Safety Commission makes its recommendations to City Council so your attendance is important!!

This was the consultants’ presentation at the meeting on October 4th.

The monthly Traffic & Safety Commission Meeting, the Fourth Thursday of every month, is a great place to make your ideas known, find out about the transportation issues and projects in Albany, and help improve things for cyclists and pedestrians in and around our town.

This is a map and chart of the regional bicycle route from Oakland to Richmond – Albany is the only gap in a 12+ mile North-South bike route.

Here is the meeting agenda. Kains/Adams is the second item on the agenda, and the first item is related – North Albany traffic calming, which included Kains Ave near El Cerrito Plaza.
Come on down – thanks!

Dec
4
Mon
AS&R Happy Hour before City Council Meeting @ Everest Kitchen
Dec 4 @ 5:00 pm – 7:15 pm

Ride on down to Everest Kitchen to enjoy a special Happy Hour menu and chat about biking and walking – plenty of bike parking!

Come and talk about walking and cycling in Albany – specifically, the Kains/Adams Bikeways project, while eating delicious Nepali & Indian food! All are invited.

Sanjiv says “come on down! 15% discount for you!”

This special Happy Hour takes place right before tonight’s City Council Meeting so we can discuss what’s on the agenda – the Kains/Adams Bikeway projects and other items beforehand…while eating delicious dinner or snacks.
Everest Kitchen is a family owned restaurant and Sanjiv offers us 15% off their menu, including drinks, and yes, they have plenty of bike parking! It’s also an opportunity to ask about what the city is up to and what our stance on issues is, and to meet others who are interested in issues related to human-scale transit/active transit.
Have something you want to talk or ask about? Put it in the “comments” section below! Hope to see you there!

Kains/Adams Bicycle Boulevards on Agenda of City Council – Important Meeting! @ Albany City Hall
Dec 4 @ 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm

The crucial Kains/Adams Bicycle Blvd project is on the agenda of December 4th’s City Council Meeting so we need your support!

OR THIS?? SPEAK UP TO MAKE THIS A REALITY IN ALBANY!

WOULD YOU RATHER BIKE ON THIS…..

In October, Albany’s Traffic & Safety Commission passed a plan that included two-way bicycle boulevards with semi-closures, so there will be no additional motor vehicle traffic at all – just safe two-way passage by bicyclists wanting to avoid San Pablo Avenue.

This is Option 3, which the Traffic & Safety Commission chose, without moving any stop signs nor utilizing traffic circles.

There was some local opposition by residents who didn’t see any need for bicycle facilities in Albany but YOU and your neighbors showed up and wrote letters. Let’s make sure that happens at this meeting, too, so bicyclists can ride safely in our town! If you and your family would use either of these Bicycle Boulevards because you want to AVOID bicycling on San Pablo Avenue, live on Kains or Adams, go to the YMCA, please act!

HOW CAN YOU HELP?
1) Send a letter of support to citycouncil@albanyca.org , requesting that your email is forwarded to all City Council members, and cc or bcc me, Amy Smolens , so I can track support, which is important. Even a brief “I support the Kains and Adams Bicycle Boulevards and my family and I would ride on them…”
“My family and I don’t feel safe riding on San Pablo so please approve the Kains and Adams Bicycle Boulevards.” Any additional detail about your support is beneficial, but just do what you can do!
2) Attend this meeting and tell City Council that you and your family need these Bicycle Boulevards that the Traffic & Safety Commission has recommended.
If you are going to go to one meeting this year, this should be it, because Kains/Adams is a central project for our bike network and it’s at risk due to local opposition. I will tell you that I have lived on Kains for 25 years and I and other neighbors support it.
You know what the Warriors say – “Strength in Numbers” so we need you to made your voice heard – thanks!

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 safely & comfortably on Kains and Adams!

Yes, we mind the gap!

Here are a map and chart of the REGIONAL BICYCLE ROUTE from Oakland to Richmond – Albany is the only gap in a 12+ mile North-South bike route. Yes, we “mind the gap!!”

This is the FINAL COMMUNITY MEETING before it becomes a reality, so your attendance is crucial!

Mar
14
Wed
San Pablo Avenue Organizing Meeting: North Berkeley (and Albany) @ Farm Burger
Mar 14 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Bike East Bay is working for continuous bike lanes on San Pablo Avenue, as part of a safer street for everyone who bikes, walks, drives, or takes transit.

(photo credit – BikeEastBay)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Join Bike East Bay supporters in your neighborhood to learn about options for bikeways and transit on San Pablo Avenue.

Share your vision for the corridor and get organized for kicking off advocacy.

WHERE:

1313 Ninth Street
Farm Burger
Berkeley, 94710

WHEN:  March 14th, 2018 6:00 PM   through   7:00 PM

(This event is organized and hosted by BikeEastBay, who request you RSVP to participate)

Mar
21
Wed
San Pablo Avenue Improvement Organizing Meeting: El Cerrito, Albany and Richmond @ Elevation 66
Mar 21 @ 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm

(photo credit – BikeEastBay)

Join Bike East Bay supporters in your neighborhood to learn about options for bikeways and transit on San Pablo Avenue.

Share your vision for the corridor and get organized for kicking off advocacy.

Bike East Bay is kicking off a campaign for continuous bike lanes on San Pablo Avenue, the major transit and commercial boulevard from Oakland north to Hercules. A safer and more comfortable San Pablo Avenue will connect neighborhoods from east to west and all along the corridor for everyone who bikes, walks, drives, or takes transit.
March 21st, 2018 6:00 PM   through   7:00 PM
10082 San Pablo Avenue
Elevation 66
El Cerrito, CA 94530

(This event is organized and hosted by BikeEastBay who request you RSVP.)

This meeting is at a perfect time for you to attend and then head to AS&R’s Meeting at 7:30!

May
10
Thu
Bike to Work Day – Volunteers Needed! @ Albany Strollers & Rollers Energizer Station - Ohlone Greenway & Marin Avenue
May 10 @ 6:30 am – 9:30 am

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

Sep
9
Sun
Solano Stroll – Volunteers Needed – AS&R is providing Free Bicycle Valet Parking! @ Tree Lot and Wells Fargo parking lot
Sep 9 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

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! Thanks to Floor Dimensions for donating the Red Carpet to show the way!
Photo courtesy Amy

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 (we parked 300+ last year!!) at either lot or volunteer at AS&R’s info table, please contact Amy Smolens or  Sylvia Paull.
This is a great gig for kids, too, as long as they are strong enough to roll a bike. If students need volunteer-hours, this is perfect!

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 restaurants Tay Tah , Bua Luang Thai Cuisine or Brazilian Breads – yum!!
Kim’s Cafe is providing home made iced tea at our lower lot. Some sponsoring businesses also provide fabulous gifts or coupons for our volunteers, too!
RXBAR has also donated boxes of delicious protein bars (many flavors) for all volunteers and visitors to our AS&R booth!
**NEW VOLUNTEER PERK – Sam at Ale Tales just donated discount coupons for all volunteers (or parents of youth volunteers!!)
Volunteer hours run from 9am-5:30pm so it’s easy to pick a shift that works for you!
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!

Come visit AS&R at our information table then enjoy a great stroll up Solano!
Or better yet, volunteer a few hours with Sherie, Amy and your neighbors before strolling!
Photo courtesy Patsy Reese

230,000 participants and event guests visit from all over the west coast so that’s where YOU come in – many of them ride their bikes, so we need people to help park them in our lots. Lots of them want to talk about cycling and walking around the area, and they want to talk to YOU!

Volunteers like Griffin and Sylvia keep things running like clockwork at both lots
Photo courtesy Patsy

AS&R’s supporting sponsor, Floor Dimensions has donated a long Red Carpet to lead passers-by to our information table and straight up the ramp to our western Bicycle Valet Parking lot!
Please see the press room to stay tuned into what’s hot at this years event!

Bikes, Bikes, Bikes!! 300 + of them at our two lots so please join us!!
Photo courtesy Nick Pilch

Oct
10
Wed
International Walk & Roll to School Day @ Albany Elementary Schools & AMS
Oct 10 @ 7:00 am – 9:00 am

AS&R funded lots of bike racks so there are plenty of parking spots for your kids – ride to school!
photo courtesy Amy Smolens

If any of your kids walk, bike, scoot or roll in any manner to an Albany Elementary or Middle School, his or her school will celebrate that fact today!
Check with the school’s eTree or other parents for events…
If you receive details for any specific school, please email Amy or Ken and we will post it for all to see!

Sep
8
Sun
Solano Stroll – Volunteers Needed – AS&R is providing Free Bicycle Valet Parking! @ Tree Lot and Wells Fargo parking lot
Sep 8 @ 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

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! Thanks to Floor Dimensions for donating the Red Carpet to show the way!
Photo courtesy Amy

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 (we parked almost 300 last year!!) at either lot or volunteer at AS&R’s info table, please contact Amy Smolens or  Sylvia Paull.

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!

This is a great gig for kids, too, as long as they are strong enough to roll a bike. If students need volunteer-hours, this is perfect!

VOLUNTEERS  (first 10 to commit at Masonic Lot) WHO WORK AT LEAST A 4-HR SHIFT WILL GET FREE LUNCH PROVIDED BY A SUPPORTING SOLANO AVENUE RESTAURANTS  Bua Luang Thai Cuisine or Brazilian Breads – yum!! Others will get FREE Bobas donated by Tay Tah !!
Kim’s Cafe is providing home made iced tea at our lower lot. Some sponsoring businesses also provide fabulous gifts or coupons for our volunteers, too!
Volunteer hours run from 9am-5:30pm so it’s easy to pick a shift that works for you!

AS&R’s volunteers park hundreds of bikes at two lots at the annual Solano Stroll! Please give us a hand this year!

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!

Come visit AS&R at our information table then enjoy a great stroll up Solano! Or better yet, volunteer a few hours with your neighbors before strolling!

230,000 participants and event guests visit from all over the west coast so that’s where YOU come in – many of them ride their bikes, so we need people to help park them in our lots. Lots of them want to talk about cycling and walking around the area, and they want to talk to YOU!
AS&R’s supporting sponsor, Floor Dimensions has donated a long Red Carpet to lead passers-by to our information table and straight up the ramp to our western Bicycle Valet Parking lot!

Volunteers like Griffin and Sylvia keep things running like clockwork at both lots
Photo courtesy Patsy Reese

Please see the press room to stay tuned into what’s hot at this years event!

See you soon!