I’m sure you walk and ride around neighboring El Cerrito so here’s a chance to make that experience a little better.
El Cerrito will be completing a San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan in the coming months.  The Plan, which builds on the efforts of the draft Plan released in 2009, will provide new development regulations that encourage higher density residential and commercial development throughout the planning area.  The goal of the Plan is to create a more walkable, bikeable, transit-friendly community through providing clear, market-friendly guidance in the form of a Hybrid Form-Based Code for private residential, mixed-use and commercial development, a Complete Streets Plan and a Multimodal Capital Improvement Plan. The complete revised draft Plan and its programmatic Environmental Impact Report (EIR) will be released for public review in early 2014.
This is the second of two recent public meetings to present key components of the Plan:

San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan – Form Based Code Planning Commission Study Session
An agenda for this meeting will be posted by Friday, November 15^th. Please check back here: www.el-cerrito.org/PlanningCommission for more information.

To learn more about the San Pablo Avenue Specific & Complete Streets Plan, please visit www.el-cerrito.org/SPASP or attend one of the upcoming meetings.  To submit questions and comments, please feel free to contact Emily Alter at EAlter@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us or 510.215.4385.

The monthly Traffic & Safety Commission Meeting, the Fourth Thursday of every month (other than holiday times so check exact date,) 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.

The agenda will be posted on the City website here.
Come on down!

The UC Village Mixed Use Project is on the agenda of tonight’s Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting.
This developers have created a top notch cycling and walking infrastructure to encourage safe walking and cycling to and from the development. The blocks are ringed with cycling paths as well as a path on Monroe down the center and a safer crossing of San Pablo Avenue. This infrastructure will be enjoyed by those using Sprouts and the retail at the development, the residents and visitors at the senior housing facility, those who live in UC Village and other Albany residents.
The full meeting agenda is here, as are links to supporting documents.

Join us for a happy hour at our new location at Grazzy Burgers/Albany Taproom – yes, they have plenty of bike parking! This is our every other month (even-numbered months) informal get-together to talk about all things bike and ped in Albany. It’s a good chance 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.

Everyone is welcome.

Note that this will usually take place right before a Traffic and Safety Commission meeting, and will also be a good chance to talk about anything coming up on their agenda.

The monthly Traffic & Safety Commission Meeting, the Fourth Thursday of every month (other than holiday times, so be sure to check date here,) 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.

The agenda will be posted on the City website here.
Come on down!

“Study Session on General Plan Transportation Goals & Policies” is one of the agenda items. This is the next in a series of Planning and Zoning Commission Study Sessions on the Albany 2035 General Plan Update. This Study Session will cover the first draft of the General Plan goals and policies for transportation. An opportunity for public comment will be provided.
The Planning & Zoning Commission is being review and provide feedback on the proposed goals and policies… so we hope some of you will review it and give your feedback.

The updated General Plan Transportation Element is at http://albanyca.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=&event_id=290&meta_id=76393

The full agenda is http://albanyca.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?event_id=2e45d59b-d656-405c-bbed-9017eef80205

Do you ride in or through El Cerrito? Yup, me too!
Want a San Pablo Avenue that is safer for your and your family to ride? I thought so!

Want protected bike lanes on San Pablo Avenue? Go to one of the El Cerrito meetings and speak up!

El Cerrito is moving forward into the ‘feasibility’ phase of designing bikeways on San Pablo Avenue and is proposing protected bikeways in the Midtown area of El Cerrito between its two BART stations. Bike East Bay helped secure a Safe Routes to Transit grant for El Cerrito for this design work. As good as it promises to be, this project needs to be complete.
The City of El Cerrito recently released a draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) that covers plans specific to San Pablo Avenue. The document is open for public review until July 21, 2014. The proposal is a comprehensive document that outlines infrastructure modifications to the main commercial thoroughfare through the city; chapter 3 covers the Complete Streets plan. Comments on the Draft Specific Plan should be emailed to Melanie Mintz, the Interim Community Development Director, detailed information concerning the plan and how to submit comments can be found on the city website. We urge you to voice support of a formal bicycle lane, as opposed to sharrows, in the uptown section of San Pablo Avenue. Bicycle lanes provide street safety for all users, forming a link between public transit, businesses, and residences.
Wednesday, July 9 is the first in a series of Public Meetings and your first opportunity to weigh in supporting the plan.
By the way, EC City Hall has secure BikeLink lockers for you to use!

Do you ride in or through El Cerrito? Yup, me too!
Want a San Pablo Avenue that is safer for your and your family to ride? I thought so!

Want protected bike lanes on San Pablo Avenue? Go to one of the El Cerrito meetings and speak up or write a letter! You have until the end of the day July 21 to do so.

El Cerrito is moving forward into the ‘feasibility’ phase of designing bikeways on San Pablo Avenue and is proposing protected bikeways in the Midtown area of El Cerrito between its two BART stations. Bike East Bay helped secure a Safe Routes to Transit grant for El Cerrito for this design work. As good as it promises to be, this project needs to be complete.
The City of El Cerrito recently released a draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) that covers plans specific to San Pablo Avenue.
THE DOCUMENT IS OPEN FOR PUBLIC REVIEW & COMMENT UNTIL THE END OF THE DAY JULY 21, 2014 SO IF YOU WANT TO PROVIDE INPUT, NOW’S THE TIME .
The proposal is a comprehensive document that outlines infrastructure modifications to the main commercial thoroughfare through the city; chapter 3 covers the Complete Streets plan. Comments on the Draft Specific Plan should be emailed to Melanie Mintz, the Interim Community Development Director, detailed information concerning the plan and how to submit comments can be found on the city website. We urge you to voice support of a formal bicycle lane, as opposed to sharrows, in the uptown section of San Pablo Avenue. Bicycle lanes provide street safety for all users, forming a link between public transit, businesses, and residences.

Wednesday, July 16 is the 2nd in a series of Public Meetings and a good opportunity to weigh in supporting the plan. This one is a Planning Commission meeting, so will likely include discussion of the sidewalk interface with private development, plan & site layout requirements and parking requirements, including bicycle parking.
By the way, EC City Hall has secure BikeLink lockers for you to use!

**Again, the plan is open for public review and comment and is available on the City’s website at www.El-Cerrito.org/SPASP. Public comment will close next Monday, July 21^st at the end of the day. There are also hard copies available at the Richmond City Hall, Richmond Library, El Cerrito City Hall and El Cerrito Library.  So give your input!

Contribute to the greening and bike & ped friendliness of our neighbor to the north, El Cerrito!
Please join City Staff THIS Wednesday, October 22^nd at 7 pm in the El Cerrito City Hall Council Chambers for a Joint Study Session of the Parks & Recreation Commission and the Environmental Quality Committee and hear an update from the Community Development Department on the City’s Urban Greening Plan, currently underway. The two bodies called for the City’s successful application for a Proposition 84 Urban Greening Planning Grant in 2011. The Plan evaluates existing parks and open spaces in the city and proposes policies, programs and projects to create and enhance vibrant, ecological green spaces in El Cerrito. The public will have an opportunity to provide comments at the end of the presentation.
Additional comments and questions may be submitted to Emily Alter via email at EAlter@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us or at (510) 215-4385. The City anticipates that the draft Urban Greening Plan will be released early 2015. For more information on the Plan, please visit www.ElCerritoUrbanGreening.org