Discounts Become an AS&R member and get discounts at local bike shops and businesses!
Blue Heron Bikes: 10% off parts and accessories.
Bikes on Solano: 10% off labor, parts and accessories.
Offers are valid to members of Albany Strollers & Rollers and their households. Tell your friends!
Contact us with questions.
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![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_20230910_BothBoothsAndSignage1IanKenBikeKidSeats-300x183.jpg) Come volunteer a few hours at AS&R’s information table before enjoying the Solano Stroll!
This year, Albany Strollers & Rollers is again on hand with our information table at the annual Solano Avenue Stroll, so we need some volunteers to staff the table. We will provide flyers, info sheets and knowledgeable AS&R members, so no experience necessary, but a willing smile and ability to share what you know about AS&R’s role in human-powered transit, bicycle and pedestrian advocacy in our community!
![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/IMG_20180909_ASRTableCfBASRMikePNIckBusy-300x200.jpg) This is the biggest event of the year so come be a part of the fun and lend a hand!
Some assistance with table set up in the morning before the Stroll starts (9:30 am), and/or breakdown afterward (until 5:30) will be welcomed.
**VOLUNTEERS (the first 12 to commit) WHO WORK AT LEAST A 4-HR SHIFT WILL GET FREE LUNCH PROVIDED BY LOCAL FAVORITE KIM’S CAFÉ & SANDWICHES!!
**COMMIT TO VOLUNTEER EARLY FOR AN INVITATION TO NEXT THURSDAY’S (8/8) STROLL KICKOFF PARTY!!
The AHS MTB team may also need additional volunteers, so whether you’d like to help park bikes (we have parked 300 bikes in the past!!) or volunteer at AS&R’s info table, please contact Amy Smolens .Parking bikes is a great gig for kids, too, as long as they are strong enough to roll a bike. If students need volunteer-hours, this is perfect!
Please contact Amy Smolens at amy@albanystrollroll.org if you can volunteer in any capaciity!
![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_20230910_AHSMTBTCheckingBikesIn-225x300.jpg) The AHS Mountain Biking Team is leading the Bicycle Valet Parking at the Solano Stroll – will you lend a hand?
![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_20230910_AHSMTBTrailerLotsOfBikes2-300x225.jpg) Bikes, Bikes, Bikes!! 300 + of them coming to the Solano Stroll! Please help the AHS MTB Team park them all!
At the Council’s May 20th meeting, staff recommended planning to convert Adams and Kains back to one-way for motorists in the prior direction but with the addition of contraflow cycling lanes the other direction so these streets continue to be cycling routes along the San Pablo Avenue corridor. In addition staff recommended planning improvements at intersections along each street to increase at these for sidewalk users and people biking and features to reduce motorist traffic on the 800 block of Kains and 900 block of Adams. This planning and subsequent implementation of the design to be funded by a grant application whose preparation and submittal staff asked Council to authorize. The Council approved of each of these recommendations.
In response to a question, the City Manager stated the current pilot configuration will remain until the new configuration is implemented. If the grant is received, this would likely not occur for more than a year at the minimum. If the grant is not received, many years.
![Kains Contraflow Bike Lane - cropped](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_20230210_KainsContraflowBikeCrop-scaled.jpg)
Meanwhile, counts of people cycling on the streets show the pilot reconfiguration to allow people to bike both directions is working. At least with regard to Kains. The number of trips along the street by bike increased from before the reconfiguration to the first count during the pilot and then again to the second count. For an increase of 60%, which may have continued to rise.
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City Staff has made two recommendations in its report and Council passed the changes unanimously. In response to a question by a commenter raised with the City Manager during deliberation she stated the both streets would remain in their current configuration until installation of the contraflow lanes if the grant is awarded.
The following graph shows the current configuration is working to increase the number of people biking on Kains. To our knowledge data has not been collected to indicate whether this means more people are biking because of the facility or people that were already biking have switched to Kains. Either indicates the installation of the facility has improved cycling conditions. In the event of the second because it means people that were already biking have switched their routing habits to Kains. Perhaps because it is lower stress than other routes they were riding. Perhaps because it is the shorter route for their trips now.
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City staff has reported that renewed discussion regarding the Kains/Adams improvements is anticipated to go to the Transportation Commission in April, and ideally to the Council in May.![map Kains/Adams Bikeways](https://mcusercontent.com/bf50ebdeee5ccc82e735e3cbd/images/378597cf-4edc-06ea-95a9-28ad80f57934.jpg)
At its October 26, 2023 meeting, the Albany Transportation Commission considered the ongoing Kains and Adams Pilot Project. After considering alternatives, Commissioners voted 6-1 in favor of recommending to the City Council that the Pilot be continued through May of next year and that the commission consider changes with staff to evaluate and modify the program. There was a consensus among six of the 7 commissioners for keeping the routes on Kains and Adams Streets with additional signage, additional pavement markings, and the possibility of full two-way traffic with diverters, to be determined. The matter has now passed to the City Council.
Albany Strollers & Rollers members met online via Zoom on Tuesday, February 6th to discuss the options and formulate a strategy in preparation for a future City of Albany meeting on the subject. This AS&R meeting explored and discussed changes to the Kains and Adams Pilot Bikeways.
A fruitful discussion emerged resulting in the following strategy going forward:
- Lobby Council Members to direct Police to de-prioritize enforcement of contra-flow parking on Kains/Adams
- If APD indicates it will commence enforcing State law against motorists parking on the left side of a two-way street, intervene to have the City return the streets to one way for motorists with a contraflow lane for people cycling. This configuration was designed and approved by the transportation engineering firm in its study of how to make Kains and Adams cycling routes. The contraflow cycling lane width approved by the firm was quick-marked with chalk, as shown in the photo, and found to be comfortable.
- Pursue median barriers in the cross streets other than Marin and Solano in the future to limit the number of motorists driving along these bike routes.
- Pursue stops on the cross streets other than Marin and Solano in the future to provide safer crossing of them by people biking.
Note that Alameda CTC will be installing a HAWK signal on Marin at Kains and a rectangular rapid flashing beacon on Solano at Kains in ~2025 to improve those crossings for active transportation
In March of last year, the City kicked off its first systematic street lighting evaluation. Thank you to all everyone that participated in a survey or the workshop that were part of the process. It was a rapid and effective process resulting in a number of reports. The Council considered the last of these, which regards lighting recommendations and specifications, at its last meeting. The Council adopted this report. It recommends the following actions, somewhat in order by benefit for cost:
- Replace failing LED and remaining high-pressure sodium lights;
- Improve lighting at intersections currently with low lighting and dusk/nighttime collision history;
- Add lighting near schools;
- Add lighting along cycling routes and priority sidewalk network;
- Add shields to eliminate streetlight shining on adjacent buildings; and
- Comprehensively improve lighting along Solano and Marin
It provides specifications, such as color temperature, intensity, and shielding to eliminate light spill.
With the specifications now available, the City has been able to commence replacing failed LEDs, part of the first action. The map below, completed a year ago by volunteers, has resulted in the City starting with western Albany where the failure rate is the highest. Note the map only regards lights on wooden poles.
![streetlighting census](https://mcusercontent.com/bf50ebdeee5ccc82e735e3cbd/images/1330854b-cbfd-7da4-7dcb-ed6814d8719b.png)
![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/AHS-MountainBikeTeam-300x137.png) The AHS Mountain Biking Team is leading the Bicycle Valet Parking at the Solano Stroll – will you lend a hand?
Free Bicycle Valet Parking will again be featured at the Solano Stroll, but with a new twist: the Albany High School Mountain Biking Team will be taking the lead for this important service, using Albany Strollers & Rollers’ specialized racks! The new location will be on Key Route Blvd just north of Solano Avenue – it’s near the Greenway so we’re expecting lots of drop-ins so it’s sure to be busy!!
As usual, AS&R will also have an information table near the lot where we (YOU!) will talk about and answer
![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/IMG_20180909_ASRTableCfBASRMikePNIckBusy-300x200.jpg) Come visit AS&R at our information table then enjoy a great stroll up Solano! Or better yet, volunteer a few hours with your neighbors before strolling!
questions about active transportation stuff!
WE NEED YOU TO MAKE THIS A SUCCESS!
The AHS MTB team could use additional volunteers, so if you’d like to help park bikes (we have parked 300 bikes in the past!!) or volunteer at AS&R’s info table, please contact Amy Smolens .
This is a great gig for kids, too, as long as they are strong enough to roll a bike. If students need volunteer-hours, this is perfect!
VOLUNTEERS (the first 12 to commit) WHO WORK AT LEAST A 4-HR SHIFT AT EITHER LOCATION WILL GET FREE LUNCH PROVIDED BY A SUPPORTING SOLANO AVENUE RESTAURANT !!
![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/HundredsOfBIkes-e1505281696154-300x114.jpg) Bikes, Bikes, Bikes!! 300 + of them coming the Solano Stroll! Please help the AHS MTB Team park them all! Photo courtesy Nick Pilch
Some sponsoring businesses may also provide gifts or coupons for our volunteers, too – stay tuned!
Volunteer hours run from 9am-5:30pm so it’s easy to pick a
![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/LynnEveStrollBuaLuangLunch-169x300.jpg) AS&R Super-Volunteer Lynn Eve Komaromi takes a well-earned lunch break – thanks, Bua Luang! Please join Lynn Eve and your AS&R neighbors in volunteering!
shift that works for you! Please let Amy know if you would prefer to help with the Valet Parking, the Info Table or either one, and if you have time preferences or are flexible.
Since 1974 Solano Avenue and the cities of Albany and Berkeley have hosted the Solano Avenue Stroll, the East Bay’s largest street festival! The Solano Avenue Association , AS&R , AHS MTB and Check for Bikes invite you to see what makes Solano Avenue a wonderful place. The Stroll features over five hundred vendors including 50 entertainers (there’s always great music!,) 50 food booths, 150 government and non-profit agencies, 150 juried hand-crafters, a 75 entry parade, state of the art mechanical rides and much more!
230,000 participants and event guests visit from all over the west coast so that’s where YOU come in – many of them ride their bikes, so we need people to help park them in our lots.
Lots of them want to talk about cycling and walking around the area, and they want to
![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/IMG_20180909_GuyCoolFoldingBikeTableBLBanner-300x278.jpg) See you soon!
talk to YOU!
![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/MikeG2BtWDBusyBayTrailMikePBags-300x225.jpeg) Bike to Wherever Day was back! Photo courtesy Mike Gill
After a Covid-induced break of two years, Bike Month was back for real, with the central event being “Bike to Wherever Day.”
On May 20th, Albany Strollers & Rollers partnered with Xtracycle’s Jamie T and Evan on our BtWD Energizer Station and it was a rousing success. More than 300 cyclists went by while we were at our Albany Energizer Station.
![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/MikeG4BtWDMargoMusetteBags-300x169.jpeg) Margo, Queen of the Musette Bags! Photo courtesy Mike Gill
Every one of the 160 Bike East Bay musette bags was picked up and many more folks stopped by to eat, drink, get their bike checked or chat about bike stuff!
![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/ElaineBtWD12173MeASRTableGuy-225x300.jpeg) AS&R had a busy info table all morning! Photo courtesy Elaine Mariolle
In addition to Jamie & Evan, we’d like to thank Amy S, Ken M, Gjergji Z, Dan L, Ruth K, Raquel & Mireya P, MaryAnn F, Margo W, Chuck T, 2 Nick Ps, Peggy M, Mike G, Michael P, Joanne M, Ian M and Elaine M
![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/ElaineBtWD12186FamilyBikingBest-300x225.jpeg) Cyclists of all ages came out! Photo courtesy Elaine
(visiting from Tucson) for staffing the station, setting things up, distributing swag & snacks, counting cyclists, talking to commuters, signing up new members, and just keeping things running!
![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/ElaineBtWD12158FoodTablePeopleCrop-214x300.jpeg) There was plenty of food and drink to go around! Photo courtesy Elaine
Special thanks goes to volunteer super shopper Mattison Ly, who took our gift cards from Sprouts & Safeway and somehow spent every penny on fantastic refreshments for our volunteers and visitors…and delivered it all on her Xtracycle!
![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/ElaineBtWD12171WomanCoffeeMusetteCrop-1-211x300.jpeg) Coffeetime on the Greenway! Photo courtesy Elaine
There was plenty of food and drink for everyone, thanks to the generous donations by local businesses Kim’s Cafe (Cathy,) Trader Joe’s El Cerrito ( Sandra & Michael,) Royal Ground Coffee (Mike), GU Energy (Roshelle,) Sprouts (Crystal, Deanna & Rolando,) Safeway Albany (Alicia). Rob Allen from Blue Heron Bikes was stationed alongside the Ohlone Greenway, checking bicycles for safety and road-worthiness as he has in previous years!
We also want to recognize businesses and owners Tay Tah (Pat), Rendez-Vous (Laurent), Bua Luang (Joe) and Fern’s Garden (Fern, obviously) for donating
![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/MikeG6BtWDBusyFoodDrinkTable-300x169.jpeg) Photo courtesy Mike Gill
special gift cards for all of our Bike Month Volunteers as a thank you for your time and service to the community!!!
SUPPORT THOSE BUSINESSES WHO SUPPORT YOU!
![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/ElaineBtWD12153MangoMintTeaKimsTJCup-225x300.jpeg) Kim’s Café supports AS&R every year! Photo courtesy Elaine
We all truly appreciate those small businesses, as well
![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/IMG_20220517_SandraKyTJsFoodGreenwayMural-169x300.jpg) Sandra from Trader Joe’s donated a full basket full of food for our Energizer Station! photo courtesy Amy Smolens
as our other supporters (see description of BtWD and list in the right margin of our website) for going the extra mile to give back to AS&R’s volunteers and show that they are really involved with our community!
Without YOU, the volunteers, this absolutely could not happen!
![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/ElaineBtWD12155ASRBannerBubbles-1-221x300.jpeg) Excitement was bubbling over for Bike to Wherever Day! Photo courtesy Elaine
Sophie Gabel-Scheinbaum, who is working on the community engagement efforts for future Transit Oriented Development at El Cerrito Plaza BART Station, will speak to us at our January 13 meetingwill speak to us at our January 13 meeting. They’d likely have a brief presentation to give some context on the project concepts and then open it up for questions as well as facilitate discussion.
A Vision for El Cerrito Plaza (elcerritoplazadevelopment.com)
![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Design2-1-300x195.jpeg)
![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Bay_Area_Bike_to_Wherever_Day_2021_logo.jpeg)
Albany Strollers & Rollers works to increase bicycle and pedestrian safety, awareness, and facilities in and around Albany. Seventeen years old and over 700 member-households strong, AS&R successfully advocates for improvements and serves the community of Albany.
Please join our mailing lists or like us on Facebook for local news, events, and discussion. Let us know if you’d like to get more involved, attend one of our meetings or happy hours, and have a look around our website for posts on active transportation issues and resources you can use.
![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/20200828_5TacosBusyBBRsBikes-300x169.jpg) Ride your bike and have a nice meal outside!
You may have noticed that a lot of space previously reserved for car parking has been repurposed for customers of restaurants and cafés – that’s Albany Inside Out! Many of the people volunteering on this program are your fellow AS&R members.
AIO not only helps businesses serve customers on site after months of Covid-induced restrictions, but encourages people to walk, bike and otherwise use active transportation when they go out for a meal, coffee or snack. Of course, many of the restaurants and cafés taking advantage of the outdoor space have bike racks so you have a safe place to lock up.![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/20200813ZaytoonBusyBikesForeground-300x269.jpg)
By helping Albany’s small businesses repurpose outdoor space to welcome customers under Covid-19 limitations, we hope that this will help Albany’s family owned businesses not only to survive, but to thrive!
ALBANY INSIDE OUT PARTICIPANTS WHICH ARE SERVING OUTDOORS INCLUDE:
Rendez-Vous Cafe Bistro, Souvenir Coffee Co, Mr. Dewie’s Cashew Creamery, Royal Ground Coffee, Zaytoon Mediterranean Restaurant & Bar, Everest Kitchen, Bua Luang Thai Cuisine, Tay Tah Cafe, 5 Tacos and Beers, Little Star Solano, Boss, As You Wish Frozen Yogurt, Hal’s Office, Suzette Crêpe Café, iSlice, Lizzy’s Cajun Café, Kim’s Cafe and Sandwiches, Chez Mansour, Delhi Diner, Duo Grill House, Solano Junction, Fonda Solano, Rivoli, Talavera, Barney’s Gourmet Hamburgers, Ocean View Brew Works , Juanita & Maude, Barney’s Gourmet Burgers, Brazilian Breads, Sam’s Log Cabin, Albany Taproom.
SUPPORTING BUSINESSES INCLUDE:
Albany Sauna & Hot Tubs, HEAL: Pilates, Raven & Rose, Copy Express, Umami Interiors, Feagley Realtors, Morningtide, Winkler Real Estate Group, Ember Acupuncture, Oaktown Spice Shop, Five Little Monkeys, Abrams Claghorn Gallery, I Song Orthodontics, Terry Kotsatos – Edward Jones, Albany Berkeley Optometry, Toy Go Round, Hamro-Aangan, Ivy Room, Enoteca Mediterraneo, Fish First, Schmidt’s Pub, Nielsen Arts Gallery & Custom Framing, Jade And Jewels, fillgood.co, Wendy’s Gnome Shop, The Church on the Corner, Hotsy Totsy Club, Lift & Sprint, StretchLab, Picnic.
![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/AlbanyInsideOutLogoTaglineBlueRound-300x300.jpg)
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If you are able, please support these small businesses!
![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/IMG_20180510_HighShotFrancesco-1024x672.jpeg) Standing Room Only at AS&R’s 2018 Bike to Work Day Energizer Station! Help us make it happen again! courtesy Francesco Papalia
If you have enjoyed volunteering at or stopping by AS&R’s BIKE TO WORK DAY ENERGIZER STATION, here’s your chance to make sure it happens in 2020. Soon advocates throughout the Bay Area will be gearing up for Bike to Work Day (BtWD) postponed from its usual date in May to September 24th. Every year for many many years now (almost since BtWD began), Albany has had a successful and well-attended Bike to Work Day Energizer Station on the Ohlone Greenway in the morning. It’s always a thrill to see the community getting together and celebrating the use of pedal power as a way to get to work, or school, or wherever you’re going.
![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/NataliePic2Vols-300x225.jpg) Natalie took this great pic of some of AS&R’s volunteers at our Bike to Work Day information table! It’s people like you who make this event a success!
Albany Strollers & Rollers is in need of an organizer or two for this year. As an organizer (or pair of you,) you would be in charge of being a liaison with Bike East Bay, who coordinates efforts in the area. You would also organize efforts of the day of. Finally, solicitations of donations, volunteers and local publicity are part of this effort, but you would have A LOT of help in that area. A number of us can answer any questions and help out with these things, as well as provide a large list of previous volunteers. We just need a main coordinator. Your help would go a long way towards advancing active transportation in Albany!
![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/MikePic9KidsOnXtracycleCrop-300x226.png) Cyclists in training. photo courtesy Mike Gill
If we don’t have a coordinator, we’ll have to skip the event this year. Now you don’t want that, do you?
Please reach out to contactus@albanystrollroll.org if you have any questions or interest at all, and we thank you so much for considering!
![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Ginny1GroupOfBtWDSchoolGirlsCrop-300x159.jpg) Every day is Bike to School Day! photo courtesy Ginny Porter
![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/2018BtWDMike2DavidArkinFridaPeteM-300x259.jpeg) Yup, we even had a dog stop by for treats! courtesy Mike Gill
In the closest victory for biking in Albany in over ten years, the Council approved one-year bike boulevard pilots on Adams and Kains to be installed in the future pending funding. In the week of the climate strike and after having earlier in the same meeting considered the draft Climate Action and Adaptation Plan showing more than half of Albany’s greenhouse pollution currently comes from cars, you would think the City Council would fall over itself to approve bike boulevards first proposed seven years ago and studied and engineered for over last two years. Instead, the Council barely found its way to approving them on a 3-2 vote. Vice Mayor McQuaid and Councilmember Barnes opposed without offering any alternative actions by which Albany could take local responsibility for its transportation greenhouse pollution.
The last time the Council approved major cycling infrastructure on just three votes was in April 2007. In voting yes, then Councilmember Lieber strongly invoked the need to act locally to avert the climate crisis. Here we are still having to fight that battle. The 2007 action approved construction of the multi-use path along the 500 block of Pierce Street. The next phase of that project will complete the path from there through Thomsen Pierce Street Park and along Cleveland to connect with the Buchanan path. Unforeseeable then was that this portion of the path will go right by 60+ affordable residences planned at Cleveland and Washington. The path will make those residences all the more affordable by providing a safe means for people living there to get around without having to own a car.
The main concern of opponents to the Pierce Street path was loss of motorist parking on the street. When that was resolved through engineering, residents opposed to the project turned to other issues. Hundreds of residents signed a petition against the project. Albany Strollers & Rollers had only about a hundred member households then but prevailed nonetheless.
![](http://www.albanystrollroll.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/MilviaBicycleBlvd-300x239.jpg) Albany will soon have Bicycle Boulevards like this one in Berkeley!
This time the main concern of opponents was again motorist parking. Not loss but rather which direction motorists would park. The pilot project will convert Adams and Kains back to two-way, as Kains was in the early 1990s, but install barricades preventing motorists from entering each block in the direction currently prohibited (semi-diverters). These barriers will allow people biking to pass through. In this manner, these streets will finally be legal for people to bike both directions without increasing motorist traffic.
Opponents’ main concern was whether motorists parking on the side of the street with the semi-diverters would park facing them (contraflow parking – left wheels to the curb) or away from them as typical for a two-way street (right wheels to the curb). Organized under the banner Safe Streets Kains and Adams, opponents threw up speculation of collision chaos under either alternative. As common in political discourse, the group did not bother to analyze available injury collision data to test its speculation.
UC Berkeley currently makes thirteen years of statewide injury collision data available through https://tims.berkeley.edu/. AS&R analyzed these data for the nine blocks of Adams and Kains in the pilot, five blocks in Berkeley with semi-diverters, and two dead-end blocks in Albany with no turnarounds (north end of Stannage and Madison). The semi-diverters in Berkeley were installed over 40 years ago (1975) and motorists have been parking contraflow ever since. Motorists on the dead-end streets in Albany make three-point turns to park right wheels to the curb. So these three sets of blocks capture current and possible future motorist parking.
In thirteen years, the nine blocks of Adams and Kains had two injury collisions, each involving a motorist at fault colliding with someone biking. The five blocks with semi-diverters in Berkeley had two injury collisions that were motorist on motorist. The two dead-end blocks in Albany had no injury collisions. While it is tempting to draw conclusions about which configuration is safest from these data, the collision rates on all three are statistically the same. And low (less than one injury collision per block every twenty years). These data indicate however motorists end up parking on Adams and Kains it will be no more dangerous for motorists than it is now.
Meanwhile, the Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC) recently identified the top 10% of streets with the most injury collisions involving people biking. The only such street in Albany is San Pablo (see page 61 of Book 2 of the agency’s new active transportation plan for the County). This validates AS&R’s decade of advocacy for safer cycling options in the corridor.
An opponent of the project also protested that the planned bikeway west of San Pablo between Richmond City Hall and Oakland’s Jack London Square is no longer part of the Alameda CTC’s plan. Even if this were true, all the other cities along this route (Richmond, El Cerrito, Berkeley, Emeryville, and Oakland) have already built or funded this route though. The only city that has not done its part is Albany, creating a gap right in the middle. The pilot project would close most of this gap by allowing two-way biking on Adams. The other component to close the gap is an active transportation bridge over Cerrito Creek. Of this, the Alameda CTC states the following in Book 4 of its new active transportation plan:
“Cerrito Creek has a greater impact on connectivity, especially west of San Pablo Avenue which crosses the creek, but is a high-stress street for bicycling. A concept design study of a bridge at Adams Street is currently under development by Alameda CTC.”
So the opponent’s contention that Alameda CTC is no longer interested in the west of San Pablo route is wrong at best. Alameda CTC is actually so interested it has decided to help Albany or actually take the lead.
Unremarked by the Council is its zoning of Adams and Kains for two to three times as many residents as there are currently and reducing the off-street car parking required per residence from two to one. It reduced the parking requirement on the idea this would increase construction of new residences and the new residents would not need more than one car each because they would walk, bike, and take transit. This is working as evidenced by the recent construction permit application for nine new residences where there is currently a parking lot at Kains and Portland. The two votes against biking both ways on these streets contradict these previous voters by the Council.
Opponents of piloting bike boulevards on Adams and Kains misinformed their neighbors, almost 200 of whom subsequently signed a petition against the project. Supporters of the project that spoke to the Council in favor were outnumbered about ten to one by opponents. Still, with the 700 member households of AS&R standing behind those who did speak, AS&R prevailed. This is part of what winning the future by minimizing climate change looks like. Millions of political decisions going the right way. Thank you for providing your support.
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