Albany Strollers & Rollers Newsletter
- April 16, 2019 -
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Calling All Volunteers for Bike to Work Day! May 9th is the BIG DAY!
 AS&R will be hosting again the Energizer Station on the Ohlone Greenway at the corner of Masonic and Marin from 7-9am. Volunteers and donations are needed.
ALL VOLUNTEERS WILL GET AT LEAST ONE COUPON OR GIFT CARD FROM AMONG LOCAL BUSINESSES BUA LUANG, FERN’S GARDEN, BLUE HERON BIKES, TAY TAH AND BIKELINK!
There are several key ways you can help make this annual event again lively and successful.
1. VOLUNTEER AT OUR ENERGIZER STATION!  Roughly 600 cyclists pass through, many stopping for refreshments, a free give-away bag, and conversation. Many volunteers are needed at the Energizer Station on May 9th starting at 6:30 AM for set-up, greeting riders from 7:00 - 9:00 and then break down after that.
2. Help STUFF THE ALWAYS POPULAR MUSETTE BAGS with swag! AS&R’s bag stuffing time is Thursday, May 2 from 9am-11am at Sports Basement Berkeley. It’s fast-paced fun and great for kids, too!
3. We could still use a few more donations of food, drink or money from our local businesses. Or maybe you have a business yourself that you want to participate in some way. Let us know and we can give you a list of what's needed most.
4. If you don't have the time to volunteer, PLEASE COME BY THE ENERGIZER STATION to enjoy food, drink, swag and the company or your fellow rollers on Thursday, May 9th! Whether you're going to work, school, shopping, or for a spin, we look forward to seeing you there!
Thanks so much! Albany Strollers & Rollers and everyone rolling by really appreciate your time and energy!!
Please email Elizabeth Vahlsing lizvahlsing@gmail.com and
Amy Smolens calamari@alumni.duke.edu
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AS&R Happy Hour Meeting
Thursday, April 25th, 5-7pm, Everest Kitchen, 1150 Solano Ave, Albany
Come and talk about walking and cycling in Albany, while eating delicious Nepali & Indian food! All are invited.
Have a gripe, an idea or some input about anything that would further cycling and pedestrian conditions here in Albany?
 Then join us at our next Happy Hour meeting. This is our every other month (even-numbered months) informal get-together to talk about all things bike and ped in Albany. It’s a good chance to ask about what the city is up to and what our stance on issues is, and to meet others who are interested in issues related to human-scale transit/active transit. Everest Kitchen generously will give us 15% off their menu, including drinks, and yes, they have plenty of bike parking!
Everyone is welcome. As usual, we meet at Everest Kitchen, Thursday, April 25th, right before the Traffic & Safety Meeting which is held at City Hall.
Look forward to seeing you!
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Traffic & Safety Commission Meeting
Thursday, April 25th, 7-10:30 pm, City Hall, 1000 San Pablo Avenue
The monthly Traffic & Safety Commission Meeting, the Fourth Thursday of every month, is a great place to make your ideas known, find out about the transportation issues and projects in Albany, and help improve things for cyclists and pedestrians in and around our town.
We expect the agenda to include curb management and loading zones for the Middle School and High School. The agenda will be posted on the City website at https://www.albanyca.org/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/16109/275?backlist=%2fgovernment%2fboards-commissions-committees%2ftraffic-safety-commission when published.
Come on down!
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Free Cycling 101 Class for Adults and Teens
Saturday, May 4th, 1-3 pm, UC Berkeley, Barrows Hall, Room 175, More Information, Register
Want to ride but don’t quite have the confidence? Take one of these FREE Bike East Bay classroom classes that focuses on road-cycling safely. No bike required.
It’s FREE but you have to register so go here.
By signing up for this class you are also eligible to participate in a UC Berkeley research study and earn up to $15. Please follow the link at the end of this class registration for more information.
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Mid-Solano Complete Street Update
You and your families shop, eat and do business on Solano Avenue, but it's not exactly welcoming to most of you to BIKE on Solano Avenue! Here is an update on AS&R's recent efforts to have it be a truly complete street, safe for all of you no matter which transportation mode you use. Your input so far has helped us push for more - be assured that additional input will be needed in the future!
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The future of San Pablo Avenue
Planning for San Pablo Avenue is also heating up as or because the planet is too. The Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC) as an agency is leading this effort, and it includes various options of bus and bike lanes, and all are described here.
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Bike About Town Family Rides
Friday May 17th, 6:30-8 pm, meet at Bikes on Solano, 1554 Solano Ave
Join the City of Albany’s Department of Recreation and your fellow Rollers as we explore Albany by bike. All levels of cyclists are encouraged to join, and we always need experienced riders to help the less confident ones.
 This will be the 3rd Friday of the month from May-September.
For additional information about the ride series, see the City's website.
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Pints With Purpose - $1 from every Pint or Flight Goes to AS&R “Bike Bike Rack” at Wildcard Brewing
Saturday, May 25th, 12Noon-10:00pm, Wildcard Brewing - 1122 Solano Ave, Albany
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.
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!
Support those who support us - hope to see you there as Bike Month winds down!!
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Reminder - Donation webpage for Albany Strollers & Rollers
The new AS&R Donation page on BikeEastBay's website is an easy way for people interested in making a tax-deductible donation to Albany Strollers & Rollers to do so, and receive an immediate receipt. Your donation is fully tax-deductible via BikeEastBay, a 501(c)3 organization, as our fiscal sponsor. 
You may have ideas of your own for safer bicycling and sidewalks which might benefit from additional funding. See our own website for additional info. The direct link for making a donation via the new donation page is www.BikeEastBay.org/Donate-AlbanyStrollersAndRollers.
Feel free to email Amy Smolens at calamari@alumni.duke.edu or Harry Chomsky at harry@chomsky.net if you have any questions.
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CALENDAR
April:
May:
- 2, Thursday: Musette Stuffing for Bike to Work Day
9-11am, Sports Basement, 2727 Milvia, Berkeley, CA 94703
- 4, Saturday: Cycling 101 for Adults and Teens
1-3pm, UC Berkeley, Barrows Hall
- 4-5, Saturday-Sunday: El Cerrito Trail Trekkers' 6th Annual Hillside Festival
8:30am-8:30pm (check website for schedule of events)
- 9, Thursday: Bike to Work Day
7-9am, Ohlone Greenway at Masonic/Marin
- 15, Wednesday: AS&R Regular Meeting
7-9pm, St. Albans Episcopal Church, 1501 Washington Ave, Albany 94706
- 17, Friday: Bike About Town (first of 2019 season)
6:30-8pm: Bikes on Solano, 1554 Solano Ave, Albany 94706
- 23, Thursday: Traffic & Safety Commission Meeting
7-10:30pm, City Hall, 1000 San Pablo Ave, Albany
- 25, Saturday: Pints with Purpose
12-10pm, Wildcard Brewing, 1122 Solano Avenue
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