MAY 2024 - #2

PREORDER YOUR T-SHIRT BY MAY 18!

Preorder your El Cerrito/Richmond Annex Walk & Roll T-shirts by Saturday, May 18!

Happy Bike to Wherever Day!!!

Time is almost up to pre-order your screen-screened El Cerrito/Richmond Annex Walk & Roll T-shirt. We will have a small selection to sell later, but if you want to select your size, style, and color, please place your preorder by this Saturday, May 18. 

We've also added a ladies tank top style!

We are taking preorders for these beautiful, fun, screen-printed T-shirts in yellow or orange, priced at $22 for adults and $19 for youth. Fill out this form to preorder by May 18!

If you would like to change your order or have any questions, please email carrienews@gmail.com.

NOTE: We have also provided our design to Copy Central in El Cerrito (10578 San Pablo Ave. @ Moeser) so they can print it as a decal on any items that you provide (such as T-shirts, sweatshirts, tote bags, etc.) for $20 or on a T-shirt that they provide for $25. Decal-printed items will not be as durable as screen-printing; for the best results, fabric with high cotton content is recommended, as well as air-drying after washing.

EVENTS

BUSINESS MEETING, Wednesday, May 15, 7–8 p.m.: Join us for a Zoom meeting; we will be prioritizing items for our draft work plan for 2024-2025.

BIKE TO WHEREVER DAY, Thursday, May 16, 7–9 a.m.: The EC/RA Walk & Roll table will be at El Cerrito Del Norte station at the Contra Costa 511 Energizer Station. To volunteer at our table, write to elcerritostrollroll@gmail.com. Please stroll or bike by and say HI! See below for more info.

HAPPY HOUR, Wednesday, June 12, 5–7 p.m.: Meet and greet and talk walkin’ and rollin’ at the Little Hill Lounge, 10753 San Pablo Ave. 

EL CERRITO JULY 4/WORLD ONE FESTIVAL: EC/RA Walk & Roll will have a table at Cerrito Vista Park on July 4. Volunteers needed for a fun shift at our table, 10–noon, noon–2, and 2–4 p.m. Please write to elcerritostrollroll@gmail.com and let us know what time you’d like to help out.

Bike to Wherever Day is Thursday, May 16, 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Happy Bike Month!!! Ride your bike to wherever — work, school drop off, errands, a friend's house, or your favorite coffee shop — and swing by a community Energizer Station to pick up a limited-edition collectible bag, swag, and take part in the good vibes. 

The City of El Cerrito will be hosting an Energizer Station along the Ohlone Greenway at the El Cerrito Plaza BART station, and Contra Costa 511 will host a station at the El Cerrito Del Norte BART station, both from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. El Cerrito/Richmond Annex Walk & Roll will be at Del Norte this year. Please ride by and say hello! 

Bike East Bay encourages you to Pledge to Ride here, plus see a digital map of 80+ Energizer Stations, bike offers and discounts, and Bike to Wherever Day events.

Celebrate Bike Month with 100 hours FREE bike parking  

Parking your bike is easy and secure when using one of the 194 BikeLink electronic bicycle lockers in El Cerrito. To celebrate Bike Month, new or existing users get 100 free hours of parking courtesy of BikeLink and the City of El Cerrito! To get your 100 free hours:  

1. Download the BikeLink App and register.

2. Use BikeLink locker in El Cerrito (Del Norte BART, Plaza BART, Community Center, Recycling Center, or City Hall) between April 12 and June 30, 2024.  

3. E-mail “El Cerrito Promo” to support@bikelink.org to claim your 100 free hours!

Source: City of El Cerrito

Speak up for El Cerrito road safety  

Last fall, the El Cerrito launched a Local Road Safety Plan, which focuses on reducing crashes on city roads — particularly fatal and serious injury crashes. To identify crash patterns and inform potential interventions, the plan team gathered 5 years of crash records from 2018 to 2022 and analyzed crash type, location, severity, and involved parties.

Key findings include:  

• There was one fatal and nine severe injury crashes over the 5-year period. Total annual crashes ranged from 82 to 217.  

• 30% of total crashes occur on San Pablo Avenue, despite being only 2% of citywide road miles. Citywide, nearly all crashes occur at intersections.  

• Bicyclists and pedestrians were involved in two-thirds of the fatal and severe crashes, despite accounting for fewer than 11% of all crashes.  

• Speed is a major variable in crash severity, especially for bicyclists and pedestrians. 90% of pedestrians survive when hit by a vehicle traveling at 20 mph. At 40 mph, survival drops to 20%. 

Review the city’s crash analysis webgraphic for more information on the crash types, locations, and involved parties.  

Now El Cerrito is considering Vision Zero, a national movement to eliminate fatal and severe traffic injuries, but the city needs to hear from you. What are your road safety priorities? Take the city’s road safety questionnaire before May 31 and enter to win a drawing for a $50 gift card. Learn more about the LRSP at: el-cerrito.org/trafficsafety.

Source: City of El Cerrito

Take action to save Richmond-San Rafael Bridge bike lanes

Last month we received the disappointing news that Metropolitan Transportation Commission staff are proposing a closure of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge pathway all day every Monday through Thursday by converting it to a car breakdown lane, leaving it open for people biking and walking only on Fridays through Sundays.

The Coordinating Committee of El Cerrito/Richmond Annex Walk & Roll (Janet Byron, Bill Pinkham, Steve Price, Carrie Hobbs-Schulman, and Stuart Sonatina) signed onto a coalition letter strongly opposing the proposed closure along with several dozen local, state, and national groups, including the California Bicycle Coalition and the League of American Bicyclists.

This decision must first be approved by the Bay Conservation and Development Commission which is tasked with ensuring public access to the San Francisco Bay shoreline, for which the Bay Trail and bridge path are a critical component. The commission held a hearing on the matter on May 2 and bike advocates spoke out against the closure, although no decisions were made.

Bike East Bay has put together a resource at BikeEastBay.org/RSRPathAtRisk with info on all the ways you can make your voice heard, including signing a petition to keep the bridge path open.

Source: Bike East Bay

ANNOUNCEMENTS

OUR WEBSITE HAS MOVED: The El Cerrito/Richmond Annex website has moved to a new platform (Squarespace) and a new URL: ECRAWalkRoll.org. (The previous address (elcerritostrollroll.org and ecstrollroll.org will be redirected for the next year.) Would you like to be our webmaster and help us get our new website into tip-top shape? Write to elcerritostrollroll@gmail.com to volunteer.

SURVEY ON ALBANY’S KAINS/ADAMS BIKE BOULEVARD: The City of Albany installed Kains and Adams Bikeways to provide a safer north-south route parallel to San Pablo Avenue and improve cycling access to destinations along San Pablo Avenue. As part of Albany's efforts to evaluate the Kains and Adams Bikeway pilot project, city staff have prepared an online survey to solicit public input. The quick survey is open through May 8, 2024. Visit the Albany Strollers & Rollers website for more info.

EL CERRITO AND RICHMOND JOIN CALIFORNIA’S PROHOUSING COMMUNITIES: On April 19, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that El Cerrito and Richmond are among 47 cities that have earned California’s Prohousing Designation for their efforts to encourage development of housing at all income levels. This designation comes with funding incentives and additional resources to help speed housing production. Congratulations El Cerrito and Richmond! The affordable mobility needs of new residents also requires the support of El Cerrito and Richmond; EC/RA Walk & Roll is here to help. 

EC/RA WALK & ROLL SUPPORTS BETTER TRANSIT: We signed onto a letter to Rep. John Garamendi, organized by the Transbay Coalition, urging him to co-sponsor H.R. 7039, “Stronger Communities through Better Transit Act.” The bill would provide approximately $1.28 billion annually to Bay Area transit — enough to prevent service cuts and significantly improve service and access, and create a new formula grant program that funds transit agencies operations so they can increase service frequency and reliability. 

El Cerrito/Richmond Annex Walk & Roll

El Cerrito/Richmond Annex (EC/RA) Walk & Roll is a citizen's group advocating for safe, convenient, alternative transportation modes in El Cerrito and Richmond Annex.

NEXT MEETING – Wednesday, May 15, 7–8 p.m. on Zoom

NEXT HAPPY HOUR – Wednesday, June 12, 5–7 p.m.
Little Hill Lounge, 10753 San Pablo Ave. 

To join, visit our website at ecrawalkroll.org, take our survey, or write to us at ElCerritoStrollRoll@gmail.com

Please submit traffic safety requests to El Cerrito’s online traffic improvement request form.

Newsletter edited and laid out by Janet Byron and Robin Mitchell