AS&R Funded New Bike Racks now at the Waterfront!

The new Dero “Recycle Circle” racks at the Waterfront Cove are getting good use already! Soon decomposed granite will be laid around them for a level and clear approach, but for now they look great!

The  City of Albany has installed 12 new racks, presented by Albany Strollers & Rollers to the Waterfront Committee. The racks were funded by a $5,000 grant to Albany Strollers & Rollers from the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and Coca-Cola, secured by AS&R Core Member Susan Moffat and administered by her, John Alexander and Amy

Smolens.  The grant was part of a program funded by Coca-Cola North America and designed by Rails-to-Trails to catalyze trail development and encourage trail use nationwide.

These 4 racks are located where there is more space so people with longtails, trailers, tandems and trail-a-bikes can comfortably park

In providing the grant, the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy stated: “Albany Strollers &
Rollers was selected due to your longstanding commitment to promoting safe routes for walking and bicycling that connect to the Ohlone Greenway and the San Francisco Bay Trail.”
The Waterfront Committee and AS&R’s representatives selected Dero’s Recycle Circle Racks, made from 96% recycled material and coated with a corrosion-resistant thermoplastic coating.  The installation of these racks will complement the restoration of the Cove art/seating feature (Cove Enhancement plans are available in the staff report here) and replace a rusted and inadequate rack with artful bubble-shaped racks that echo the curves of the Cove and that are made of rebar, reflecting the wild nature of the Bulb, which was once a landfill built of construction debris. I rode down there over the weekend and got nothing but positive reactions to the design from both functional and aesthetic standpoints.

The racks are perfectly situated for folks who want to enjoy the beach, a hike or just enjoy the beautiful view

In addition to this Cove Enhancement Project,  the East Bay Regional Park District’s improvement of Albany Beach
is likely to draw more visitors in the future. The racks will be welcomed by park users and will help encourage more people to access this spectacular spot by bicycle rather than car.  We hope that as people see the city taking better care of the waterfront through the Cove improvements, including these bike racks, visitors will also be inspired to be better stewards of our shoreline.
Thanks to the Waterfront Committee’s Claire Napawan and Francesco Papalia, the rest of the WFC, and the City of Albany’s Jeff Bond, Mark Matherly and Tony Wolcott.