Contribute to the greening and bike friendliness of our neighbor to the north, El Cerrito!
Come explore a greener, more compact, bikeable and walkable El Cerrito at the upcoming Community Open House!
The City will be presenting the new regulatory framework proposed in the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan and Complete Streets Plan to encourage higher-density, mixed-use development with bicycle and pedestrian improvements and new public open space. Information on the City’s Urban Greening Plan key opportunity sites and Active Transportation Plan priority projects will be available.
The Open House will take place on Saturday, October 19th at the Community Center, from 9am to 1pm with repeated presentations at 9am and 11am. Come hear about the City’s planning efforts and provide your feedback on the proposed regulations, priority projects and opportunity sites.
For more info go here.
Grab your costume, decorate your bike, and don’t forget those bike lights – it’s time for the annual Halloween edition of Bike About Town!
Join Albany Strollers & Rollers and the City of Albany’s Department of Recreation with sponsor Wheels of Justice as we explore Albany by bike on Spring, Summer and Autumn evenings. Each of the events will trace different routes that pass through parts of Albany you may not have biked before. All levels of cyclists are encouraged to join us.
For anyone who doesn’t have rear lights and wants one, we’ll have some for sale at our cost and can help you install
them.
We begin at 6:30 at the little park across the street from Wheels of Justice Cyclery, at Solano and Peralta in Albany (despite what Google Maps may insist.)
Come a few minutes early to pump up your tires. Ride maps are distributed, and we take off in a big group. There are experienced cyclists to lead and bring up the rear. After wheeling about for a half hour or forty-five minutes we return to Peralta Park, just across the street from our start, for light refreshments, a raffle, and general carousing.
Dates this year are Fridays May 24, June 28, July 26, August 23, September 27 and October 25 (our annual Halloween ride!!)
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.
Two upcoming public meetings are scheduled to present key components of the Plan:
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan and Complete Streets City Council Study Session
City Council Chambers, El Cerrito City Hall, 10890 San Pablo Ave.
Tuesday, November 5th, 7pm
The City Council agenda and draft PowerPoint are available at www.el-cerrito.org/CouncilMeetings
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan – Form Based Code Planning Commission Study Session
City Council Chambers, El Cerrito City Hall, 10890 San Pablo Ave.
Wednesday, November 20th, 7:30pm
An agenda for this meeting will be posted by Friday, November 15th. 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.
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 15th. 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.
Get GEARED UP! Helmets, Bikes, Bells!
The Albany Chamber or Commerce, of which AS&R is a member, is sponsoring a Health & Wellness Fair for Albany families and residents. This is a free event for the community and there will be vendor tables for healthy eating, exercising, living, healing, as well as demonstrations and speakers.
Of course, AS&R will have a booth so bring your friends
and family, come on out and enjoy the fair! We’ll have the always fun, entertaining and delicious “Bicycle Blender” so you and your neighbors can pedal their way to a smoothie.
We have been invited to participate in order to talk to other community members about cycling and walking around town, as well as blend up yummy smoothies. So please, if you have some time to help at our booth for a little while, sharing your ideas while enjoying the food and music, please email Amy Smolens at calamari@alumni.duke.edu – thanks!
Get GEARED UP! Helmets, Bikes, Bells!
The “Geared 4 Kids” group has been riding bikes, family-style, for 3 years now and it’s time to celebrate!
There will be a BBQ/Picnic/Potluck after the ride starting around 12:30pm. Details for the BBQ can be found on the Facebook group page here.
Meet up for the ride at 2220 Sacramento St (street parking ONLY — do not use driveways or parking lot).
This month’s route will be 5.5 miles long and take us through a bit of Berkeley, Oakland, and Emeryville. 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!
North Berkeley BART is closest station.
http://geared4kids.org/
Want to ride from Albany? Make a suggestion below in “comments” and get something going!
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!

Street Level Cycles has graciously donated free bike tuneup services at the Arts & Green Festival since 2008
photo courtesy Matt McHugh
For the 7th 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! Don’t forget, Bike to Work Day is on May 8th, so here’s a way to help make sure your ride is up and running well.
NEW THIS YEAR – SLC mechanics will give a Free “How to Fix a Flat Tire” Clinic!
Local bike shop Blue Heron has donated some fabulous prizes for our kids’ coloring contest so be sure to bring the kids down!!!
**AS&R NEEDS YOUR HELP TO MAKE THIS A SUCCESS**
CAN YOU PLEASE VOLUNTEER TO HELP US FOR A FEW HOURS? ALL VOLUNTEERS WILL GET A CHIPOTLE BURRITO (THANKS TO EL CERRITO CHIPOTLE) 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!
It’s Bike to School Day!!
Get details from your child’s school and encourage him or her to cycle to school on this special day.
Have questions about your child riding to school? Ask the AS&R Discussion List – no doubt one of us will have some ideas for you!
Want more details about BtSC? Go to http://www.walkbiketoschool.org/go/whos-biking/2014/CA/Albany