Boy, do we have some great news for you! Did you know that we are leading an awesome bike tour of some of Oakland's best community murals, complete with incredibly interesting facts and time for gawking? AND, did you know it is free for all our awesome members! That's right folks, F.R.E.E!
If you're not already a member, not to panic. We have great news for you too. For just $25 you, too, can be as cool as our members. We are offering up a super cheap discounted membership rate just so you'll come along on our ride with us. If you'd like to pass on the discounted membership for now, the ride is a $10 suggested donation for non-members. Non-members: Register online here.
But, seriously, this super fun group ride is sure to give you loads of fire for your next dinner party or awkward first date. We intend to just totally fill you with Oakland knowledge and blow your minds with some amazing art work, sourced locally of course.
Please join us this Sunday, August 9th at 10 am, we'll meet you at the newly christened Alice St. Mural, located conveniently on Alice St. at 14th St. See you there! Oh! And bring your friends!
Can't make it this Sunday, no big deal. We have loads of great ways to get the most out of your membership with WOBO coming down the pike. Stay tuned to ourFacebook, Twitter, andWebsite for more ways to have fun with your feet!
On the morning of July 25th, Councilmember Abel Guillen and the City of Oakland staff led a walk through the project area for The Grand Avenue Road Diet. On the walk city staff showcased the locations of future improvements and answered questions from the public. The City has created a project website, which includes renderings of the completed road diet and a FAQ section.
In response to the ongoing discussion on the best design for A Better Grand Avenue, the city is holding another community meeting on the project. This meeting will be conducted as an open house and take place on Wednesday, August 12th at 7 PM at Barnett Hall. Barnett Hall is located behind Lakeshore Ave Baptist Church, 3534 Lakeshore Ave.
We hope to see you there as we discuss the advantages of back-in angled parking and why we think Grand Avenue is a great place to pilot this type of parking in Oakland. Let city staff know what you think! You can email Philip Ho (pho@oaklandnet.com) and Wlad Wlassowsky (wwlassowsky@oaklandnet.com) (Transportation Services staff) and copy Councilmember Abel Guillen (aguillen@oaklandnet.com) with your thoughts on back-in angled parking.
We think this project offers a great opportunity to try something new and The City seems hesitant to agree, but they can be convinced. Speak up today for safety improvements like back-in angled parking that will make walking and bicycling safe and enjoyable for all!
Rendering of Grand Avenue Road Diet. We love the pedestrian improvements, but do you want to drive or ride your bike behind cars blindly backing out of parking spaces?
Love Our Lake Day is fast approaching. Still time to join our volunteer team!
Save the date! Love Our Lake Day is Sunday, September 20th! Our Open Streets team is continuing to move ahead and getting the Sunday, September 20 Love Our Lake Day plans in ship-shape. From 11am to 4pm, the streets around Lake Merritt turn into a 2-mile long car-free playground. And this year, we have a few mega-partners (hint-hint:350.org Bay Area Bicycle Music Festival and the 11th Annual Oakland Grand Prix Bike Race) to make this an even bigger two-wheeled festival than we've ever imagined.
Interested in joining our community planning team or signing up to volunteer on the day of the event?? Sign up here to join the team today. There is serious fun to be had, you'll WANT to be part of the action!
Hip Hip Hooray!! In case you missed it, Oakland Urban Paths was voted Best Organization for Group Walks in the East Bay Express Best of the East Bay 2015! We've long known them as the best option for urban exploration in Oakland, now the people have spoken! Not only are these walks a great way to explore the hidden gems in the city, they're a great way to meet neighbors who share a passion for Oakland's transportation history (yeah, remember the street cars?), natural resources, and livability!
The next Oakland Urban Paths walk is this Saturday, August 8th at 10 AM. "Glen Echo Creek: Lake Merritt to Piedmont" meets at the corner of Broadway and 29th. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes and don't forget to bring your camera!
Right: Last month's OUP walk exploring Montclair and the Sacramento Northern Railroad. Photo by Gene Anderson.
On Sunday July 26,Bay Area Bikeshosted an Electric Bikes Demo Day from the Rocky's Market parking lot off Park Blvd, perfectly situated to show residents how electric bikes perform on "their" hill-bound route. Over 20 residents of all ages came out to see how electric bikes can make pedaling around town easier and, for some, feasible to ride again for the first time in years. Xtracycle cargo bikes founder Ross Evans and his family brought in a fleet of new, powerful kid-hauling Bosch electric Edgerunners, and later led a dozen participants on a joy ride up into Joaquin Miller Park. Vendors from Raleigh and iZIP e-bikes also provided their high-quality bikes for test rides, providing a wide range of electric bike styles for riders of all kinds. Bay Area Bikes considered this free event a resounding success and plans to offer more demo days soon. Look for them and their e-bikes atLove Our Lake Day on Sun. Sept. 20. Read more about this and the Pedalfest e-bike test track here.
Would you like to bring a free electric bike demo to your neighborhood? Email morgan@bayareabikes.comfor more information.
2015 has been a great year for us. How about getting your hands dirty and joining the movement? WOBO's Board is looking for passionate folks who want to put their skills to work to charge up our organization for the huge wish list we want to fulfill. Board members commit to approximately 3 hours per week and pledge to raise $1,000 per year. There are several spots opening up on our Board. In return, you get a very cool mention on your resumé and the piece of mind in knowing that you're pushing Oakland closer to a city that is truly safe and enjoyable for everybody who travels by foot and bicycle!
Interested? Email us a statement expressing why you're interested and why you'd be a good fit for the position along with your resume.
Are you active on Nextdoor and/or MeetUp? Both of these websites are great resources for communicating with your neighbors on civic matters, meetings, and ongoing projects. If you're an active user of either (or both!) websites we'd like your help in spreading the word of ongoing WOBO campaigns, happenings, and relevant community meetings. 'Cause why keep all the fun to yourself?!
Let us know if you're interested in helping spread the word with us! We can only cover so much and would love your help in spreading the WOBO word. Best of all, we get a wider range of participation, feedback and wisdom from the people. Now, THAT'S People-Powered movement.
There are tons of great events and happenings around The Town and we need your help! Below is a shortlist of where we need some volunteer help:
A Better Grand Ave Outreach: Ongoing basis
Help continue outreach to businesses and neighbors. Share the City's andWOBO's fliers on the project, email your comments to the City, and attend the community outreach meeting on August 12th.
Outreach for New Protected Bike Lanes on Telegraph: Throughout August
Be an on-street bike ambassadors, handing out good parking awards to drivers who correctly use new parking-protected bike lanes on Telegraph Ave, giving heads-up to people bicycling about the new lane designs next to the curb, and signing up new members to build support for continuing the bike lanes all the way to UC Berkeley.
PARK(ing) Day: Friday September 18
This annual open-source global event where citizens, artists and activists collaborate to temporarily transform metered parking spaces into mini public parks is quickly approaching! You can help with event outreach (on social media and in person), day-of set up, join the WOBO parklet, and break-down. PARK(ing) spaces (in Oakland AND Emeryville) are still being finalized. If you have a location suggestion, let us know!
Love Our Lake Day: Sunday, September 20
Join our community planning team to plan the most awesome car-free, health and movement and community-building street event, or sign up to volunteer on the day of the event. There is serious fun to be had, you'll WANT to be part of the action. Sign up hereto join the team today!
Oaktoberfest: Saturday, October 3
Blend a brew-fest (beer and wine) with community activism - how bad can that be?! Be part of the table host team. We will be giving out new WOBO swag and bikeways maps, and passing out our newest WOBO slogan sticker!
Winter Wonderland: Thursday, December 3
It's never too early to start thinking about our funnest annual party and fundraising event! This end of year party will celebrate 2015 accomplishments, reveal plans for 2016, and rally support to make Oakland a world class city for walking and bicycling! If you are a party planner at heart, come join the Party Committee (meets about once a month, with weekly phone check-ins in November) We also need help with set-up, registration/check-in, the auction, and more on the evening of December 3rd.
If you're interested in joining our wonderful volunteer team send us an email!
The next Oakland Urban Paths walk is this Saturday, August 8th at 10 AM. "Glen Echo Creek: Lake Merritt to Piedmont" meets at the corner of Broadway and 29th. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes and don't forget to bring your camera!
On Sunday July 26,