Have you been out to the Albany Waterfront lately? If you have, you may have noticed 12 brand spanking new bike racks out there. The racks were funded by a $5000 grant to Albany Strollers & Rollers, secured by AS&R Core Member Susan Moffat and administered by her, John Alexander and me. 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. 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.” AS&R was happy to be able to use our grant money to fund racks at the Waterfront, which is located on the the Bay Trail, an important regional connector. 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 recently and got nothing but positive reactions to the design from both functional and aesthetic standpoints. The people I spoke to were from up and down our Bay coast – from San Leandro to Richmond so I am glad that neighbors are enjoying the racks and our waterfront.
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.
This is one of Albany Strollers & Rollers’ many projects serving our community, including co-funding racks at our parks and the extremely popular Bike Bike Racks in Albany’s business district (although the original Patch article here has technical problems, you can get the gist of our program and see photos of the original 6 racks.)
Albany Strollers & Rollers is eager to hear your suggestions about how to make your cycling or walking experience safer and more comfortable. Please write them in your comment below. Who knows? Perhaps your idea could become the group’s next project.
Meanwhile, we hope you’ll roll to the Waterfront more often to enjoy a stroll along the Bay.
