Here are some of the 96 BikeLink lockers at nearby El Cerrito Plaza BART
Come help our neighbor to the North, El Cerrito, shape its bicycle and pedestrian future!
The Open House for El Cerrito’s Active Transportation Plan will begin with a short presentation about the planning process and proposed bicycle and pedestrian networks. Focus area project posters will be available for review and comment throughout the workshop.
The City released the draft Plan for public comment on Sunday, June 14th. The Plan, which is an update to the 2007 Circulation Plan for Bicyclists and Pedestrians, evaluated the existing bicycle and pedestrian networks and identified new focus projects and programs to close gaps in these networks and provide amenities to make it easier to bike and walk in El Cerrito.
The draft Plan proposes nine focus area projects, revised bicycle and pedestrian networks, a policy toolkit and program framework to making walking and biking easier in El Cerrito. The nine focus area projects are:
- BART to Bay Trail Access Improvements at Central Avenue, Carlson Boulevard, and Cerrito Creek Connections between Plaza BART and the Bay Trail
- Ohlone Greenway Crossing Improvements – Citywide
- Citywide Wayfinding at Key Walking and Biking Routes
- Arlington Boulevard Pedestrian Improvements
- East Side Bicycle Boulevard – Blake Street, Norvell Street, Schmidt Lane, Richmond Street,
- Moeser Lane, Norvell Street, Lincoln Avenue, Albemarle Street, Behrens Street
- Wayfinding associated with East Side Bicycle Boulevard
- Key Boulevard Improvements – between Humboldt Street and Hill Street
- Fairmount Avenue Improvements – between Carlson Boulevard and Colusa Avenue
- Potrero Avenue Improvements – between western City Limit and Ohlone Greenway
The draft Plan is available for review via the project website, www.el-cerrito.org/ATP. Public comments will be accepted from Sunday, June 14th until Friday, July 17th and may be submitted via email to the Public Works Department at streets@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us, via mail to City of El Cerrito, 10890 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito, CA 94530 or dropped off at the El Cerrito City Hall Front Counter, Attn: Public Works.
Give your input to improve the Greenway by El Cerrito BART stations!
Come help our neighbor to the North, El Cerrito, shape its (and your) bicycle and pedestrian future!
The primary goals of this project are to:
*Improve bicycle and pedestrian routes to transit, commercial nodes and housing
*Bring new vibrancy to the areas around the BART stations
*Increase safety and accessibility for BART riders and Greenway users
*Improve the integration of the El Cerrito Plaza and El Cerrito del Norte BART Stations with the surrounding community.
Here are some of the 96 BikeLink lockers at nearby El Cerrito Plaza BART
On Tuesday November 10 the City of El Cerrito will host a community meeting to review the preferred plan for the Ohlone Greenway at the El Cerrito del Norte and El Cerrito Plaza BART station areas. This is the last of several outreach efforts to engage the public in the process of re-designing the Ohlone Greenway at two key areas in the City. At the meeting, community members will have a chance to voice their opinion on the preferred plan to create gateway elements and outdoor gathering spaces around the Greenway and BART stations, improve the mixed-use bicycle and pedestrian path and intersection crossings, and other enhancements.For more info, go here.
Join Friends of Albany Parks and El Cerrito Green Teams and in their first trash/litter clean-up of 2016! They will be meeting at a scenic stretch of Cerrito Creek alongside El Cerrito Plaza to clean up the creek and surrounding areas as needed. All ages are welcome.
Sign up to volunteer today!
(510) 215-4350, green@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us or just show up!
Latecomers welcome. Meet near Trader Joe’s south side in El Cerrito Plaza. Tools, gloves and good company provided. Wear closed-toed shoes with traction and clothes that can get dirty.
Do you or your family ride, walk, roll, scoot or skate on the Ohlone Greenway? I’m sure you do, as the multi-use path on the Greenway is Albany’s Active Transportation Highway – over 1,000 trips per day on regular days when last counted several years ago!
The Parks & Rec Department is overseeing Greenway improvements so now’s the time to give input in order to have a better experience to stroll, roll or just hang out!
Do you or your family ride on the Ohlone Greenway? Now’s the time to give input to improve it!
The information with the Project Plans and what was discussed at previous meetings is at this link. However, the proposal will be updated based on feedback that they received at February 1, so people should come to see how it evolved!
At this meeting the consultants will have 35% designs for you to see and provide input. This is a crucial time in the planning process!
Preferred Concept plan that was presented to Council on February 1 included:
- Plaza area as presented in the 250K Focused amenities (Adventure play with climbing wall, fitness pod with 3 stations, both diagonal ramps, social path short cut to Solano
- Redwood Grove informal play area
- San Gabriel sculpture play
- Social paths
- 3 Creek paintings
- 3 fitness stations along Greenway with 2 pieces of equipment at each
- Dartmouth Circle improvements
- Orchards
- Public Art locations
A parcourse, wayfinding, art – all can have a positive effect on the experience, safety and atmosphere of strolling and rolling.
An orchard is proposed for the eastern edge of the Greenway. What a great idea… BUT if those trees are planted too close to the multi-use path, as was already done south of Dartmouth, they will drop debris on the path, encroach on the path itself and also invite more conflicts between people biking northbound & walking on the east dg path and people who are picking fruit.
Another point someone brought up was that some of the existing trees west of the path cast are planted directly between the overhead light and the path, casting shadows on the path and making the nighttime path experience more dangerous.
In short, as Albany’s Active Transportation Highway, the City must take care not to degrade this important function. If amenities to either side are to be added, it should be done with great care.
Please attend this meeting to give your input and improve the Ohlone Greenway for everyone – strollers, rollers, sitters, dog-walkers, and fruit-pickers!
**THE AGENDA AND 35% PLANS ARE HERE** (NOTE: 4.3 MB FILE)
Do you or your family ride on the Ohlone Greenway? Spend a few hours to clean it up for everyone…and get a free lunch!
Do you and your family use the Ohlone Greenway for fun and transportation? Sure you do!
Here’s a great opportunity to spend a few hours cleaning it up for everyone you know.
PLUS, you’ll get free pizza for lunch courtesy of Albany Community Foundation and a free Friends of Albany Parks t-shirt!
Kids are welcome – the more, the merrier!
So come on out for a few hours, meet your neighbors, have a free lunch and help our community!
Would you rather have the Bay Trail look LIKE THIS…
Do you and your family ride or walk on the Bay Trail? Then come on down to help clean it up for yourself and everyone…and get a free lunch for your time!
Join AS&R, Albany Community Foundation, Albany Rotary, and the City of Albany as we work together to clean-up and improve the Bay Trail in Albany. Between Buchanan Avenue and our border with Richmond, the Bay Trail runs along Freeway 680. This stretch receives a lot of trash from the
freeway, and is hard to access for servicing. A recent clean-up job has left this area in a much improved state, but there is work still to be done.
…OR LIKE THIS??
Join us as we paint over graffiti, sweep rocks off of the path, and trim trees to allow easy cycling access. Bring gloves, sunscreen, and a water bottle. Wear clothes you can paint in. Tools will be provided.
Rotary is covering supplies to $100, ACF is providing lunch, and the City will help with trash removal.
Meet at Buchanan and the Bay Trail, just west of the freeway underpass.
It’s time for the Albany Arts & Green Festival again!
AS&R’s booth is always busy! Can you volunteer a few hours with us?
Photo courtesy Angela Armendariz
Come out to Memorial Park for green lifestyle booths, art booths, local performers, food trucks, music and more! This family friendly event will include lots of activities for kids.
Our Bicycle Valet Parking service, this year sponsored by service organization Berkeley Lions Club, is always popular – we could sure use your help parking bikes – thanks! photo courtesy Amy Smolens
As AS&R does every year, we will provide FREE bicycle valet parking, so you can enjoy the festival without worrying about your bike! This year the service organization BERKELEY LIONS CLUB has stepped up as a new sponsor of our Bicycle Valet Parking – thanks to BLC President Dave Nicely and the board for helping our organization!
Come visit our booth to find out about what’s going on for cyclists and pedestrians here in Albany!
Local bike shop BLUE HERON HAS AGAIN DONATED SOME FABULOUS PRIZES for our 3rd annual kids’ coloring contest so be sure to bring the kids down!!!
These kids were so excited about winning a bike bell that they didn’t even take their helmets off before coloring! Photo courtesy Francesco Papalia
WE NEED PEOPLE LIKE YOU TO PARK BIKES AND WORK AT OUR TABLE TO MAKE THIS A SUCCESS! CAN YOU PLEASE VOLUNTEER TO HELP US FOR A FEW HOURS?
Lynn Eve Komaromi takes a well-earned Pad Thai break – thanks, Bua Luang & Tah Tah! ALL VOLUNTEERS WILL GET A DELICIOUS FREE LUNCH!
VOLUNTEERS WILL GET A DELICIOUS FREE LUNCH FROM COMMUNITY SPONSORS BUA LUANG OR TAY TAH plus A SPECIAL COUPON FROM TAY TAH!!
Please email Laura Emery or Amy Smolens to help out or fill out this simple form!
Street Level Cycles has graciously donated free bike tuneup services at the Arts & Green Festival since 2008
photo courtesy Matt McHugh
For the 9th 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 12th, so here’s a way to help make sure your ride is up and running well.
More info about the Festival is here.
If you can help stuff these bags full of swag on the afternoon of May 6, please email Ken – thanks!
You’ve enjoyed picking up the famous Bike to Work Day musette bags, chock full of swag & snacks. Help stuff those musette bags for our Energizer Station so friends, neighbors and passers-by can enjoy the fruits of our labor!
You’ve seen Lucy & Ethel in their famous assembly line – help us make ours more fun & successful by joining us!
This important pre-Bike to Work Day event is a ton of fun for all ages. Fast-paced assembly line is a great experience for kids. Snacks provided.
You’ve been getting the bags for free for years, now see how it’s done and boost your karma!
If you want to connect with others to bike or BART to Sports Basement, leave a note in the Comments section of this post.
The musette bags are always filled with swag!
It’s the 23rd Annual Bike to Work Day in the Bay Area, a party on wheels!!
Come join our annual rolling party, Bike to Work Day!
photo courtesy Nick Pilch
As usual, there will be coffee, snacks, swag, bike goodies, the famous Bike to Work Day musette bags, food, coffee, fun and lots of good conversation & information so come on down on your way to work!
Great news – Bikes on Solano is co-hosting this year’s Energizer Station with Albany Strollers & Rollers, so Mike, the owner, and other staff will be there with work stations checking your bicycles for safety and road-worthiness!
Plenty of food and drink for everyone, but we could use people to pick it up!
courtesy Francesco Papalia
We need help at our Energizer Station the morning of, as well as preparing for a big celebration.
Can you help stuffing the musette bags with goodies on May 6th from 3-5pm, picking up food & coffee early morning on the 12th, and handing out swag, food and counting cyclists all morning at the Energizer Station?
If so, please contact Ken McCroskey at kenwait@aol.com or leave a comment on this post.
Thanks!!
For Elected & Appointed Officials, as well as City Staff, City Councilman Nick Pilch is leading a ride for you…details coming soon, and yes, it will finish at the Energizer Station so you can enjoy our swag, food and company!
If you can help stuff these bags full of swag on the afternoon of May 6, please email Ken – thanks! Snacks provided!
The musette bags are always filled with swag!
School kids learn how to cycle safely and have fun doing it, while following the rules of the road.
Photo courtesy Peggy McQuaid
Bring your kids to Albany Police Activity League’s Annual Bike Rodeo!
Free bicycle helmets will be given to the first 100 youth participants.
Ken McCroskey, AS&R’s master helmet adjuster and children’s brain guardian, tirelessly applies his craft
courtesy: Francesco Papalia
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.
Cycles of Change and some AS&R members will again be working with kids, showing them how to ride their bikes safely and responsibly.
Bicycle + fruit + blender = delicious fun!! Want to help like Tenisha is doing here? Email Ken!
Photo courtesy Amy Smolens
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, fitting helmets, and talking to parents & kids. Any takers, please? Volunteers get a cash-value coupon from one of our favorite local supporting businesses, Tay Tah! Want to help out? Please contact Ken McCroskey.
Kids, don’t try this at home…just yet!
Entertainment will be provided by world-famous flatland BMX rider Pete Brandt!
