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finding the Easy

June 27th, 2008

it’s so easy to get bogged down.  can’t do this, can’t do that.  too many distractions, too much B.S.

time to can the excuses and get serious.  WOBO will be working extra hard in the coming months on two priority campaigns - and we want you to join us!

  1. Bike Broadway - from Lake Temescal to Chinatown and Jack London.  It can all be done, bike laned out.  Too many car lanes, zero bike lanes to go with the section from 27th - 580.  Get out the paint gun!
  2. Funded Bike Parking program - the saga of the parking meter removal is still not solved as the needed $200,000 has not been committed by the City.  We have to persevere and get that fixed, once and for all!

There are still a lot of other project we’ll be working on, but we hope you’ll come out and support our efforts on these.  Check the website for how to get involved, and get involved.  Make it easy.

See you out on the street - WOBO

bike night party at mama buzz may 16th

May 15th, 2008

check out the invite below and join us tomorrow night on telegraph.
great to see hundreds of folks out in downtown Oakland today for Bike to Work Day, kudos to our City Councilmembers who rode in:

  • Pat Kernignhan
  • Ignacio De La Fuente
  • Jean Quan
  • Larry Reid (from Eastmont!)
  • Nancy Nadel

bike night invite

    bike to work with your councilmember on BTWD May 15th

    May 6th, 2008

    May 15th is bike to work day! And you can ride in with your City Councilmember to celebrate the day and chat them up on biking in Oaktown. I’ll be leading District 1’s ride down Broadway, including a trip down Webster to scout the downtown bike lanes campaign.

    Join us. There’s coffee and pancakes waiting at the end, drawings and good times.

    Map to find YOUR route & meet up time:

    http://www.oaklandpw.com/AssetFactory.aspx?did=2983

    Remember our event at Mama Buzz May 16th from 6 - 10, 2318 Telegraph. Here about campaigns and how you can get involved. It’s up to us.

    first friday event at Oakland Museum

    April 25th, 2008
    Join the City of Oakland, Walk Oakland Bike Oakland  , East Bay Bicycle Coalition, and Wheels of Justice Cyclery to
    kick-off Bike Month at “First Fridays After Five,” the Oakland Museum
    of California’s monthly after-work fete on Friday, May 2, 5-9pm.
    
    •  Free valet bike parking!
    •  Learn (or teach ;-)  about the best routes, clothing, bike tune-up
    needs, and gear at the Bike to Work Advice Booth.
    •  Get an early start on Cinco de Mayo and salsa with hot, hot, hot
    Dr. Loco and his Hot Jalapeño Band in the café.
    •  Full cash bar; museum, store and café open.
    
    Don’t miss the most exciting party in Oakland with a low carbon
    footprint! All ages welcome. Included with museum admission ($8
    regular/$5 student). Free to Museum members. 
    
    				

    gearing up…!

    April 14th, 2008

    this weekend really put summer squarely in my head.  more riding, more walking.  and we have some work to do on those fronts as all of you know.  if you want to make Oakland better, get involved with one of our top three campaigns - or let us support you on your campaign of choice!

    • Bike Broadway from Temescal to Downtown and beyond!
    • Secured funding for secure bike parking - replace Oakland’s lost bike parking!
    • Safe Crossings - get the city to adopt a cutting edge crosswalk policy asap!

    there is much to do.  tons of great events to socialize coming up later this month and into May.  get involved, join us!

    CAMPAIGNS: http://www.walkoaklandbikeoakland.org/pages/page.php?pageid=5

    Need a bike lane? Roll your own.

    March 30th, 2008

    “Putting in bike lanes is exactly what the Other Urban Repair Squad does.” Last summer the, the Toronto based group of vigilante cyclists hit a stretch of Bloor between Ossington Ave. and Dufferin St.”

    Read the whole article.

    WOBO naturally does not condone breaking local laws in the name of activism, but this is how to get noticed by the city if you want bike lanes.  The message is clean, concise, and powerful. We want bike lanes, they are easy to build, and people will use them. An alternate approach would be the guerrilla application of sharrows, iconic indicators that bicycles are entitled to take the lane as needed.  These are more powerful and effective than bike lanes, as they indicate that bicycles are traffic, not merely an annoyance cordoned off to limited thoroughfares. 

    WOBO party @ Mama Buzz May 16th

    March 26th, 2008

    wobo will be hosting a shin dig Friday May 16th at Mama Buzz 2318 Telegraph.  music will be spinning, beverages will be consumed, and you can get up to speed on key bicycle and ped project in Oaktown that you want to see happen.

    in the meantime, see you around - WOBO

    Join us! WOBO monthly meeting April 2nd at 6:30 pm

    March 14th, 2008

    WOBO monthly meeting

    Join us for the monthly WOBO meeting on April 2nd, 2008 at 6:30 pm at La Estrallita Cafe and Bar on the first Wednesday of the month at 6:30 pm. New folks are always welcome to join us for food, drinks and discussion and planning on how we can improve Oakland’s walk and bikeability. La Estrallita’s address is 446 E 12th St in Oakland and their phone number is (510) 465-7188. It is just 6 blocks from the Lake Merritt BART station. This is an easy way to get involved. For more information, contact Roger at roger@walkoaklandbikeoakland.org.

    what’s an ideal street look like?

    March 11th, 2008

    Ever thought about what your ideal street looks like? I’m sure it’s nice, a lot nicer than most streets we find around Oaktown. Trees, good lighting. Bike lanes, yes. How about a bench? Wide sidewalks that are clear of clutter, easy to walk down. Some nice big bulbouts so it’s easier to cross the street.

    And how about cars under 40 mph. More like 30, actually. That is essential, it’s not a race.

    WOBO will be working on developing an ideal street standard and will be asking the city to make it a reality. When new projects come along, or it’s time to make repairs, we need to have these ready. We deserve it.

    Gotta street primed for a makeover? Drop us a line, let’s make it happen!

    the ongoing story of bike parking & parking meters

    March 4th, 2008

    Have you noticed how great the weather is this week?  You must be out riding & hoofing it through Oaktown.  Ah, but if you bike, where’s that meter you used to lock up to?

    Gone. With only a fraction of the spaces replaced.

    Tuesday March 11 there’s an update on the parking kiosks and a piece on bike parking replacement with real locks at Finance & Management committee requested by Ignacio De La Fuente.  You can take a look at the report below (or not), and then email the Mayor, your Council member, and the City Administrator to tell them about

    1. your experience trying to find something to lock up to
    2. that we need at least $75,000 for additional parking racks
    3. more staff to help get this and other high priority projects DONE

    http://clerkwebsvr1.oaklandnet.com/attachments/18542.pdf
    Enjoy the great weather - get out.

    WOBO