It’s time for the Albany Arts & Green Festival again!
Our free Bicycle Valet Parking service at the Arts & Green Festival is always popular!
photo courtesy Matt McHugh
As AS&R does every year, we will provide FREE bicycle valet parking, sponsored by Bua Luang Thai Cuisine, so you can enjoy the festival without worrying about your bike.
Come visit our booth to find out about what’s going on for cyclists and pedestrians here in Albany!
For the 6th straight year, non-profit bike workshop Street
Level Cycles will provide free or low-cost bike tuneups, so if you have an old bike that you want to get road-ready, come on down!
Street Level Cycles has graciously donated free bike tuneup services at the Arts & Green Festival since 2008
photo courtesy Matt McHugh
CAN YOU VOLUNTEER TO HELP US? ALL VOLUNTEERS WILL GET A CHIPOTLE BURRITO FOR LUNCH AND THE FIRST 15 TO VOLUNTEER WILL GET A SPECIAL COUPON FROM BUA LUANG THAI CUISINE.
We need people to park bikes and work at our table. Please email Amy Smolens to help out!
Thanks, Bua Luang, for supporting our community with your sponsorshp!
There are lots of items on the agenda that affect cyclists and pedestrians here in Albany.
Those include the following:
*7-1, City Council Strategic Planning Follow Up
Part of what City Council Members recommended in its recent planning session was an emphasis on parks, including the long-awaited Pierce Street Park, and a more bikeable and walkable Albany.
Please speak in support of these plans and concepts!
*7-2, Update on “Complete Streets” planning for Buchanan Street and San Pablo Avenue to improve safety for walking, biking, and other modes of travel. The Staff recommendation is for Council to provide direction to staff and the Traffic and Safety Commission.
Show up and speak to let Council hear that a more bike and pedestrian friendly San Pablo Avenue should be a priority and a reality!
It may also be a good time to speak about your vision for Bike Boulevards on Kains and Adams, making up for the fact that many people will not feel safe riding on San Pablo in the sections without bike lanes.
*8-1, Albany Wayfinding Plan for Bicyclists and Pedestrians
Whenever I ride around Berkeley I marvel at the signage that directs me to the best and safest roads to cycle. I am also fully convinced that motorists on or crossing roads with signage for bicyclists are more courteous to their two-wheeled friends sharing the road.
Show up and tell Council that we all need wayfinding signage for our convenience and safety!
If you can’t attend, please consider writing a brief letter in support of any of these items to cityhall@albanyca.org requesting specifically that your letter be sent to all the City Council Members.
Thanks! Feel free to email the Discussion List or any of the Core Group with any questions or thoughts.
The Major Taylor Bike Fiesta will occur on June 1st from 10am-3pm at Lincoln Elementary School located at 29 6th Street, Richmond, California. This will be a celebration of the life and accomplishments of Marshall “Major” Taylor, the first African American professional cyclist. Born in 1878, Major Taylor had a professional racing career that spanned 13 years and included the world one-mile track cycling championship in 1899. He remained committed to his passion in the face of adversity and is a source of inspiration.
At the Bike Fiesta event, Fix the Cycle aims to spread awareness of the health benefits associated with safe bike riding. The fun educational activities for youth and adults will take place in a family friendly environment that encourages cycling. Activities include yoga, Zumba, the Cyclecide bike circus, and entertainment by Raw Talent and Earth Amplified powered by Rock the Bike. The Richmond Police Department and Cycles of Change will be running bike rodeo courses for youth throughout the day. The event will also include helmet giveaways and Fix the Cycle will be raffling free bicycles, bicycling gear, and other great prizes gear for youth and adults. There will be free healthy food, health screenings, educational booths, and simple bike maintenance repairs while supplies last. Of course, bicycle parking will be available.
If anyone wants to ride from Albany, please make a suggested meeting time and place in “comments.”
Walk Oakland Bike Oakland (WOBO) is proud to join forces with Mayor Quan’s office and the Measure DD Community Coalition to bring Oaklavía back to Oakland.
Oaklavía will close three miles of streets circumnavigating Lake Merritt to car traffic, allowing participants to experience what a people- and community-centered urban space can feel like when our built environment is committed to safe and accessible places to walk and to bike. Love Our Lake Day is accessible by BART (Lake Merritt, 12th Street/City Center, 19th Street stations) and several AC Transit bus lines. More info on getting to the event here
It is a free public event that invites families and visitors around the Bay Area to come out and play, stroll, bike, and paddle at Lake Merritt.
Bike Parking will be provided by East Bay Bicycle Coalition (self-serve, bring a lock) and Oakland Spokes (valet parking.)
Free Bike Rentals (limited) will be provided by Bay Area Bikes. Bring photo ID and credit card. Harrison and 20th St.
WanThe EBBC is proud to present the 3rd annual Pedalfest in collaboration with Jack London Square, Bay Area Bikes and New Belgium Brewing Co.
This fantastic outdoor festival brings out the best in cycling – with contests, classes, games, and shows throughout the day. Here is a sampling of some of the awesome things you can expect from Pedalfest 2013:
* Handmade and vintage bikes
* BMX competition
* Whiskeydrome: cycling daredevils
* Pedal-powered food and beverage
* Rock the Bike: a pedal-powered music stage
* New Belgium Beer Garden
* Bike trivia dunk tank
* Bicycle vendors, artisans and more!
* Oaklandish bicycle parade
* Kids bike rodeo | Bike tune-ups with the Bikemobile
* Cyclecide pedal-powered carnival rides!
* Bike Folding Race
* Free EBBC bike valet
* Free SF Bay Ferry rides when you bring your bike
Get more details and see last year’s photo gallery at pedalfestjacklondon.com
We can’t wait to see you there! Come out and volunteer to help with our valet bike parking, outreach, pouring beer, and helping out with our activities, or just come enjoy the festival and raise a (beer) glass to a great event celebrating our rich and diverse bike culture here in the East Bay. All proceeds from the New Belgium beer gardens go to benefit the bicycle advocacy work of the East Bay Bicycle Coalition.
Want to ride or BART and ride from Albany? Write something in the ‘comments’ below.
Hey, did you know that El Cerrito’s right next to Albany? I’m sure you ride through and around El Cerrito quite a bit, so here’s your chance to have input on EC’s cycling and walking infrastructure.
The City is in the midst of two planning efforts, the Urban Greening Plan and the Active Transportation Plan (an update to the 2007 Circulation Plan for Bicyclists and Pedestrians.) On Tuesday, July 23rd, at the City’s first of three community workshops, community members will review results of the Urban Greening needs assessment and opportunities inventory and will provide feedback on the proposed priority improvements for the bicycle and pedestrian network. Information about the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan and the Complete Streets Plan will also be available.
There will be information presented and input garnered on four different plans that are either being developed or updated. There is a link to an informational flyer here about the event, which is the first of three community workshops (the other two are Saturday, October 19, 2013 and Saturday, March 8, 2014.)
Contact Ralph Boniello here if you want to speak to an active AS&R member in El Cerrito.
RSVP to Emily Alter at ealter@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
AS&R has parked and watched over hundreds of bikes at big Albany events
photo courtesy Tenisha Neal
AS&R will again be providing Bicycle Valet Parking at the Solano Stroll, so there’s no reason not to avoid the car traffic and parking hassles.
Location: Pumpkin Patch, north side of Solano, just west of Masonic
Thanks again to our generous sponsor, local business Bua Luang Thai Cuisine! Bua Luang has been supporting AS&R since 2008, and sponsoring our Bicycle Valet Parking services at city events since 2010.
This is a really busy event and AS&R needs your help to make our table and Bicycle Valet Parking a success. You’ll not only have fun and meet cool people, but you’ll get a free lunch!
To volunteer, please email Nick here.
The Solano Stroll is a mile-long party full of music, food, entertainment and crafts! Enjoy!! And please considering volunteering a few hours of your time – thanks!
For more details go to http://www.solanoavenueassn.org/strol.htm
http://albany.patch.com/groups/events/p/solano-stroll-bike-valet-parking
For the 3nd year, the Cities of Albany and El Cerrito are joining together to host a car-free “Street Play” event! “Alberrito Streets” will be held on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2013 on portions of Key Route Blvd in Albany and Ashbury Ave in El Cerrito.
Come on down to pedal-power a delicious smoothie!
*AS&R’s popular “bicycle blender” will be out, so you can pedal-power your way to delicious smoothies!!
*Ride like a Gaucho at a ‘pop-up’ Bike Park, sponsored by the El Cerrito High School Mountain Bike Team. 
Test your bike skills on a fun skills course that includes Log Skinnies (balance beams), pump the bumps, a teeter totter and more.
Other activities may include
- bike parade
- ball games
- bicycle obstacle course
- table tennis
- live music
- street soccer
- tug-o-war game
- hula hoops
- chalk art, and more!
**Blender master Ken McCroskey needs some help with the bike blender and tabling. Can you spare an hour or two? Please email Ken here to join the fun – thanks! Your kids will love it, too!
Come join the fun!
photo credit Peggy McQuaid
Want to test your cycling, running and swimming skills in a low-key setting, while helping AHS sports teams in the process? Come on down to Memorial Park for on October 5th for the Albany Community Triathlon!
The Albany Community Triathlon emphasizes fitness and fun with a 400m swim, 10k cycle and 3k run.
Come join the action and the fun!
Registration is available at www.albanytri.com.
Registrants will get a t-shirt, water bottle and a useful REI Coupon while supplies last!
All proceeds will go to the Albany High School Athletic Department to benefit all teams. In addition to the fund raising, this event focuses on fitness and fun. If you have always wanted to participate in a triathlon, but felt intimidated at the prospect, this is the one for you.
New for 2013 – take part in the FAMILY HEAT!
Parents, kids, spouses: When you register, you can indicate your desire to be in the same wave as one or more family members. Then you can compete together & keep an eye on each other during the race (but not assist each other, per triathlon rules).
Albany Strollers & Rollers is one of the sponsors of the Albany Community Triathlon – other sponsors include Albany Lions Club, the Albany Community Foundation, REI, Blue Heron Bikes, Albany Ford/Suburu and Transports.
AS&R is lending the bike racks we use for bicycle valet parking to the triathlon for the race transition area and we are also putting goodies in the swag bags of all participants and volunteers.
For more information about the Albany Triathlon and to register, please see the web site, www.albanytri.com. This is a great community event and really fun to watch even if you don’t want to participate!
Come on down, have fun and support Albany High School sports!!
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!
