JULY 2026-2

FAMILY-FRIENDLY HAPPY HOUR, JULY 8, 5–7 P.M.: Join us to hang out, eat, have a beer, and talk multimobility and safer streets with like-minded neighbors! Bring the kids/family/friends/partners! Our happy hours are every other second Wednesday, 5 to 7 p.m., at family-friendly Fatapples, 7525 Fairmont Ave. Look for us at the picnic tables or indoors, depending on the weather. Mark your calendar for our remaining 2026 happy hour dates: September 9, and November 11.

Ribbon-cutting for Del Norte TOD project July 13

El Cerrito will mark the completion of its El Cerrito del Norte Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Complete Streets Improvement Project, which enhances safety, accessibility, and connectivity through improvements for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users around the Del Norte BART station.

When: Monday, July 13, 11:00 a.m.

Where: Mayfair Pedestrian Walkway, 11600 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito

Optional bike ride: Join folks from Bike East Bay and El Cerrito/Richmond Annex Walk & Roll for a short 2-mile bike ride to the ribbon cutting. Meet us on the Ohlone Greenway next to the El Cerrito Plaza BART station at 10:30 a.m.

This project includes protected bikeway segments on:

• San Pablo Ave. from Knott Ave. to Potrero Ave. (0.5 mile)

• Cutting Blvd. from I-80 to Key Blvd. (0.3 mile)

• Eastshore Blvd. from Potrero Ave to San Pablo Ave. (0.2 mi)

In addition the project includes new protected intersections, street trees and landscaping, bus-boarding islands and shelters, pedestrian-crossing upgrades, new traffic signals and streetlights, and more.

Sources: City of El Cerrito and Bike East Bay 

OHLONE GREENWAY TREE WALK, JULY 18, WITH ECRA WALK & ROLL’S STEVE PRICE: In the early 1990s, El Cerrito’s 2-mile stretch of the Ohlone Greenway had exactly one tree — until someone cut it down (above). For the verdant landscape we have there today, thanks go to volunteers, a city contract arborist, and a dedicated city official and staff. El Cerrito Historical Society invites all to join them for a Greening the Greenway walk with Steve Price, organizer and lead volunteer of the tree-planting effort, and Steve Batchelder, then El Cerrito’s consulting arborist. Meet for the free tour on Saturday, July 18, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the intersection of the Ohlone Greenway and Fairmount Avenue, adjacent to El Cerrito Plaza BART Station. Note: The flat, 2-mile walk ends at Del Norte BART station; and this event will be repeated on Nov. 15. For more information, contact Dave Weinstein: davidsweinstein@yahoo.com.

BIKE EAST BAY SUMMER BRAKE PARTY, JULY 22: Join Bike East Bay for their Summer Brake party at GU Energy Lab’s backyard at 1609 4th Street in Berkeley on Wednesday, July 22, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Snacks (vegan and GF options available) and refreshing drinks will be served, including pours of Drake’s Brewing beer, wine, and non-alcoholic options. This is a free, all-ages event, with fun activities for kids (and adults!). Free bike parking is available for all attendees (please bring your own lock). RSVP and more info about Summer Brake is here. Group ride to the event: Meet at North Berkeley BART at 5:15 p.m. and roll-out at 5:30 p.m. Source: Bike East Bay

ECRA WALK & ROLL GENERAL MEETING, AUG. 12, 7 P.M. ON GOOGLE MEET: Our next general meeting is Wednesday, August 12, 7 p.m. on Google Meet, when representatives of the Contra Costa Transportation Authority will attend for a listening session on local transportation needs. Our final meeting of the year is October 14. (In December, we PARTY!) Click on this Google Calendar link to add all of our 2026 meetings to your calendar, with the Google Meet links.

Help Rich City Rides secure ECIA funds for e-bike lending library

On Tues., July 21, from 3:30 to 8 p.m., Rich City Rides will be at Richmond City Council Chambers, 440 Civic Center Plaza, to request that the Richmond city council use some of the ECIA grant funds to support their e-bike lending library. (ECIA, the Environmental and Community Investment Agreement, is a $90 million fund established between the City of Richmond and  Chevron, which is distributed in grants.)

Rich City Rides would appreciate if supporters could attend the Richmond city council meeting to show support; see their talking points. Sign up to speak once you arrive at the meeting. If more than 25 people sign up to speak, each person only gets 1 minute. Rich City Rides staff will be there to provide information on how to register, and they will point you in the right direction. Please prepare a 1 -minute statement. If each speaker is given more time, you can elaborate on the spot. Please let Carlos Torres of Rich City Rides know whether you can attend and direct questions to: carlostorres@richcityrides.org

Source: Rich City Rides 

Take CCTA survey, shape the future of Contra Costa transportation

CCTA, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority, delivers countywide transportation improvements. CCTA’s work includes bike/pedestrian overcrossings, and safer and easier ways to get to school.

This summer, CCTA is partnering with Bike East Bay to listen to people who live, work, go to school, and travel throughout Contra Costa County. Take the CCTA Summer Listening Survey here (or in Chinese and Spanish), and you can enter to win one of five $100 Visa gift cards.

Learn more at: ccta.ca.gov/community/listening, where you can also record a voice memo or video.

Likewise, at ECRA Walk & Roll’s general meeting on Wednesday, August 12, 7 p.m. on Google Meet, representatives of CCTA will attend for a listening session on local transportation needs.

Source: Contra Costa Transportation Authority

RICHMOND AWARDED $700,000 CALTRANS GRANT FOR GREENWAY GAP CLOSURE PLANNING: The City of Richmond has been awarded a $700,000 Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to advance the Richmond Greenway Gap Closure Project. This project will improve safety and access for people walking and bicycling by planning for a new bridge over 23rd Street, Carlson Boulevard, and the Union Pacific railroad tracks. Once complete, the bridge will connect the eastern and western portions of the Richmond Greenway, creating a safer and more continuous route through Richmond and strengthening regional connections to the Ohlone Greenway, San Francisco Bay Trail, and Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. The grant will fund the next phase of project development, including additional planning, coordination with Union Pacific Railroad and the California Public Utilities Commission, continued community engagement, and preparation for environmental review. This work builds on recommendations from the 2023 Richmond Greenway Gap Closure Study and will help position Richmond to seek future funding for environmental documentation, design, and construction. Source: Richmond City Manager’s Weekly Report 

ALBANY ATP PASSES WITH SOLANO AVE. BIKE LANE: At its July 6 meeting, the Albany city council passed a proposed Active Transportation Plan update, which included an uphill cycle track on Solano Avenue between Masonic and Tulare, by a vote of 4-1. Despite an organized opposition that sent dozens of emails to the council, supporters of the ATP as proposed came out in force to make the case for safer, complete streets. Congratulations, Albany Strollers & Rollers!

FREE BUS PASSES FOR WEST COUNTY STUDENTS: Contra Costa students can take the bus to school for free with 511 CCTA’s Pass2Class program! Families can apply for up to two months of free youth rides on County Connection, Tri Delta Transit, WestCAT, or AC Transit. Applications open July 7. Passes available while supplies last. Source: 511 CCTA

PLEDGE TO TRY TRANSIT FOR A FREE $25 CLIPPER CARD: Looking for an extra incentive to walk or roll to BART instead of driving? 511 CCTA is giving eligible El Cerrito and Richmond Annex commuters a preloaded $25 Clipper card or $25 loaded to your Clipper mobile app just for pledging to swap a solo drive for the bus or BART. Skip the I-80 gridlock, save cash, and support a cleaner, greener community. Apply online and claim your $25 card here. Source: 511 CCTA

REGIONAL TRANSIT MEASURE QUALIFIES FOR NOVEMBER BALLOT + JULY 18 FUNDRAISER: The Metropolitan Transportation Commission announced that the Connect Bay Area regional transit funding measure officially qualified for the November 2026 ballot after elections officials confirmed the campaign submitted enough valid signatures across Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties. The five-county sales tax measure would provide long-term operational funding for major Bay Area transit agencies while supporting projects to strengthen and better connect transit systems across the region; and protect major transit agencies like BART, Muni, Caltrain and AC Transit from devastating service cuts and provide direct support to counties for transit improvements. The campaign is hosting a fundraising party on July 18, 2 to 5 p.m. in Pleasant Hill. Register and donate here.

REPORT TRAFFIC CONCERNS TO EL CERRITO PUBLIC WORKS: If you see a traffic hazard or problem of any type — such as potholes, trees down, maintenance needs, lights/signals out, bad sidewalks, illegal dumping, or graffiti — the best way to take care of it is to report it to El Cerrito Public Works Department via their traffic request page. Things can only get fixed if the city knows they need fixin’!

REPORT ROAD HAZARDS TO RICHMOND AND BEYOND: To report debris in bike lanes and other transportation-related road hazards, be a squeaky wheel here; and for up-to-date links for reporting systems in every East Bay jurisdiction, go to Bike East Bay’s hazard reporting page.

Our mission: El Cerrito/Richmond Annex Walk & Roll promotes walking, bicycling, and other low-carbon multimodal transportation alternatives and builds community for safer, more joyful, and inclusive streets for all.

To sign up for our monthly newsletter, visit our website at ecrawalkroll.org (scroll down for sign-up) or write to us at info@ECRAWalkRoll.org.

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

Newsletter edited by Janet Byron