Do you want Solano Avenue to be more walkable, bikeable and safe for all?
The City of Albany is developing a Complete Streets and Corridor Revitalization Plan for Solano Avenue from Masonic Avenue to Tulare Avenue to create an active main street environment. An extensive community engagement process will be deployed to identify ideas and strategies to:
Improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists
Enhance access to transit
Promote a cohesive streetscape
Support local economic activity
The outcome will be a plan with Complete Streets designs for roadway, sidewalk and intersection changes that support all modes and users of all ages and abilities, builds foot traffic for local businesses, encourages interaction in public spaces, and adds vibrancy to the community.
The first public input event includes a walk along a few blocks of Solano to observe what is in place, and then a workshop at the Albany Community Center to generate ideas and collect concerns for the project. Refreshments will be provided at the Workshop.
Participate in this site walk and/or workshop to share your ideas of how this avenue could be safer and more comfortable for you and your family.
Get out and connect with your community and urban environment in a transformative way!
Sunday Streets (also called “Open Streets”) closes streets to automobile traffic for a day so that people may use the space for other physical and social activities. The streets become parks as people replace car traffic. People walk, bike, skate and dance and play. Everyone from businesses and community organizations to musicians and artists use the space creatively, engaging the public and providing spontaneity and discovery. This temporary public space inspires creativity and change for the better, on that day – and beyond.
The first Sunday Streets Berkeley was on October 14, 2012. More than 42,000 people came to Shattuck Ave to stroll, skate, cycle, dance, play in the street. People came from all over the Bay Area to experience Berkeley anew. Local Berkeley businesses reported a 30-50% increase in sales on the day of the event. The first-ever Sunday Streets Berkeley was by all measures a great success.
Previous routes have been expanded – Sunday Streets now runs the length of Shattuck from Rose to Channing, and continues on Durant to Telegraph.
Here’s an interactive map of Sunday Streets activities.
On September 13th, a course/park designer will pitch several plans for a proposed mountain bike/BMX bike park in Albany. Commissioners will benefit from input and feedback from the public, especially supporters like you, to help decide which plan, if any, to advance to the City Council. Proposed location is adjacent to Pierce St Park – just below it, to the west on Cleveland St. Early discussions described a MTB component around the perimeter space and a BMX component at the interior. The designer said he likes to design with different riding abilities in mind on the same course (very easy, medium, challenging) and to provide different price points for features, their materials, etc. He has designed and built Richmond’s new Dirt World and many other bike parks.
Here is the Design and Estimate Proposal.
Any input – in person or even in writing – you can provide (even just “looks great!” or “our family would use this!” will be helpful).
Separately, input is sought for what may be the final design review for the new and improved trails at Albany Hill Park. Here are the 90% Plans.
*New ADA trail at the top parallel to the ridge line
*Improvements to existing trails at the north
*Improved, re-landscaped access points to the park where Jackson and Madison dead-end
*Stairs plus a bulbout in the SE corner where Taft hits Hillside
The city has received the monarch roosting report it commissioned and is taking its results and recent community input to limit impacts to trees near monarch habitat. Some commissioners including myself (Bryan Marten) want to also use that information to move forward with choosing a select few trees to remove to improve views of the bay, bird habitat at the mud flats, etc. This involves the city approaching the large land owner at the SW corner of the hill which the city has said it will do.
This is the full agenda for the meeting.
PLEASE WRITE LETTERS OF SUPPORT to Albany Staff Liaison Chelle Putzer at cputzer@albanyca.org and request that she send your letter to all members of Albany’s Parks & Rec Commission. Thanks!
We’re excited to have brand new local business Wildcard Brewing partner with Albany Strollers & Rollers on “Pints With Purpose,” their community fundraiser in which they help out local non-profits.
In this Bike Month activity, $1 FROM EVERY PINT OR FLIGHT THAT YOU BUY ALL DAY WILL HELP AS&R FUND A BRAND NEW “BIKE BIKE RACK” FOR WILDCARD CUSTOMERS!
Since we’re anticipating lots of you riding over, we’ll have our Bicycle Valet Parking racks set up right out front for you and your families. Racks will be unattended (we’ll be inside) so please bring your bike locks.
Yes, Wildcard is family friendly (they have non-alcoholic beverages including craft root beer, New York seltzer and lemon flavored sparkling water, plus plenty of games) and you can bring or order food in to go with your beer!
They even welcome leashed dogs!
Feel free to bring lunch, dinner or snacks from your favorite restaurants on Solano or San Pablo Avenues, too!
Support those who support us – hope to see you there as Bike Month winds down!!