BUSINESS MEETING WED., FEB. 12, 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Zoom. Michael Blasky, community engagement specialist for Contra Costa Transportation Authority, will give a short presentation on CCTA’s new Countywide Transportation Plan to improve roads, public transit, biking, walking, and other travel modes in Contra Costa County. (Take their survey here.) Draft agenda for the meeting is here.

GO GREEN! MOBILITY FAIR – APRIL 26: ECRA Walk & Roll is partnering with the El Cerrito Environmental Quality Committee, BART, and Bike East Bay to host the first GO GREEN! Mobility Fair at the El Cerrito Plaza BART north parking lot, on Sunday, April 26, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be games, music, food, a free Bike East Bay Family Cycling workshop, and much more!

ECRA WALK & ROLL 2025 SCHEDULE

Business meetings: This year we’ll meet every other 2nd Wednesday of the month on Zoom, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Business meeting dates for 2025 are Feb. 12, Apr. 9, June 11, Aug. 13, Oct. 8, and Dec. 10.

Happy Hours: We’ll gather to hang out, eat, have a beer, and talk multimobility and safer streets on 2nd Wednesdays starting in March, 5 to 7 pm, at family-friendly Fatapples, 7525 Fairmont Ave. Look for us at the picnic tables or indoors, depending on the weather. Happy hour dates for 2025 are March 12, May 14, July 9, Sept. 10, and Nov. 12.

Richmond Carlson Crosstown Project Phase II information session

The city of Richmond is hosting an information session on the Carlson Crosstown Project Phase II on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Richmond Recreation Complex, 3230 Macdonald Ave., in Richmond.

This project intends to complete Carlson Boulevard Crosstown Connection Improvements from Broadway to Tehama Avenue via installation of bicycle lanes, cameras, asphalt paving, signing and striping, and street lighting. Read more on the project website and attend the meeting to share your thoughts.

ECRA Walk & Roll encourages members to attend the information session to speak out in support of the upgrades, as well as extending the project scope to connect under I-80 to the southern portion of Carlson through Richmond Annex and El Cerrito.

Sue Wilson elected to represent Richmond Annex

ECRA Walk & Roll congratulates Sue Wilson, who was sworn in on Jan. 14 to represent Richmond’s District 5, which includes Richmond Annex, Marina Bay, and southern Richmond. After knocking on 1,000 doors and speaking to residents during her campaign, Wilson wrote that one of the lessons she learned was, “I did not understand how dangerous some of our roads are until so many of you listed that as your number one concern.” Wilson’s platform included advocating for road diets, increased traffic lights, protected bike lanes, and other measures to dramatically reduce speeds on Carlson Avenue, Potrero Avenue, and other dangerous streets. We look forward to working with Wilson to make walking and biking between and through Richmond Annex and El Cerrito seamless and safe!

New maps and signs at El Cerrito del Norte BART Station

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission, in partnership with BART and other transit agencies, has installed new signs and maps at the El Cerrito del Norte BART station to make it easier to navigate transit in the Bay Area. Installed as part of MTC’s Regional Mapping and Wayfinding Project, the signs and communication systems will be the same across all nine Bay Area counties and the region’s 27 transit agencies. The El Cerrito del Norte installation is one of two test locations where riders will be able to engage with the prototype wayfinding materials during their journey and provide feedback to MTC. In 2027, after testing is complete, MTC plans to install new, easier-to-understand materials at thousands of transit stations and stops throughout the region. Feedback on the new signs and maps can be submitted here. Source: Metropolitan Transportation Commission

Video: Multimodal mobility and economic development in El Cerrito

By Steve Price

In November 2024, I gave a talk, “Multimodal Mobility and Economic Development in El Cerrito,” to the El Cerrito Economic Development Committee. My presentation was well received. Making our local economy biased toward accessing local businesses by car alone is not good economics, especially in a world threatened by climate change. With the Go Green! Mobility Fair coming up on April 26, I’m sharing that presentation in this 25-minute video, which outlines the argument for improving mobility choice for local travel. Making our area more hospitable to travel of all sorts makes for a more welcoming and enjoyable, as well as prosperous, place to live. Click the image or here to launch the video, and enjoy! I welcome your feedback at shprice@me.com.

CCTA COUNTYWIDE TRANSPORTATION PLAN SURVEY: The Contra Costa Transportation Authority is developing a new Countywide Transportation Plan. The plan will help identify how and where transportation investments in Contra Costa County should be prioritized. Please take this survey ASAP (closes in February) to tell CCTA how you get around and what kind of transportation improvements you would like to see in Contra Costa County, including prioritizing safety for walkers and bikers. Individuals who complete the survey will be entered in a drawing to win one of five $100 virtual VISA gift cards.

Michael Blasky, CCTA community engagement specialist, will give a short presentation on the plan at ECRA Walk & Roll’s Feb. 12 meeting at 7 pm on Zoom. Source: Contra Costa Transportation Authority

RICHMOND DISTRICT 5 BIKESHARE SURVEY: Take the District 5 Electric Bikeshare Survey to bring more bike hubs to your community. District 5 is the first district in Richmond being surveyed on their preferred e-bike hub locations. More hubs mean better access, reduced traffic, cleaner air, and affordable travel options. Take the survey here. For more information, call (510) 230-8499. Source: City of Richmond

UPDATED RICHMOND ST. COMPLETE STREETS WEBSITE: El Cerrito’s website featuring the Richmond Street Complete Streets Improvement Project has been updated to provide more information on the project goals (safety, connectivity, and feasibility); its grounding in previously adopted city plans; and five strategies based on community input. ECRA Walk & Roll continues to engage with the city and project consultants to ensure a project design that maximizes safety for walkers and cyclists on this busy thoroughfare. Send your ideas and questions to the project team at RichmondStreetComplete@gmail.com.

RIDE PUBLIC TRANSIT FOR A CHANCE TO WIN $511: 511 Contra Costa encourages county residents to ride BART, the bus, or the ferry for the chance to win $511. When you ride public transit at least once in a week, you can enter that week's drawing for $511. Ride on Spare the Air Days for added entries or fun prizes. To participate, create an account then log your trips. You get one entry for each day you ride BART, a bus, or the ferry, to or from Contra Costa County. For more information, visit 511contracosta.org/BigWin. Source: 511 Contra Costa

SPARE THE AIR THIS WINTER: The Winter Spare the Air season runs November through February, when wood smoke joins vehicle emissions as the two largest sources of air pollution in our region. When unhealthy breathing conditions are expected, the Air District will announce a Spare the Air Day and you can take these actions:

• Don’t burn wood or charcoal on Spare the Air Days.

• Don’t drive to work. Choose transit, biking, walking, or working from home instead. 511 Contra Costa can help you find incentives for your new commute.

• Skip the school drop-off and pick-up. Walk or bike with your kids, or carpool instead.

• Turn off your car’s engine when idling for more than 30 seconds.

To receive Spare the Air notifications to your phone, text 'START’ to 81757. Source: Bay Area Air Quality Management District

511 CONTRA COSTA WINTER WALK CHALLENGE: 511 Contra Costa’s 2025 Winter Walk Challenge continues through March. Participants will receive a new walk challenge each week by email from January through March and reply to the email with a selfie or photo to show how they met the weekly challenge. Shift as many car trips to walks as possible! All participants are registered to win one of ten $20 Amazon gift cards every week, plus one iPad Grand Prize. Register here. Source: 511 Contra Costa