Sidewalks are “at least as basic as circulation to the proper workings of cities.” – Jane Jacobs, urban writer, activist, and role model

Oakland local picked up the new about walks this Saturday in Oakland to celebrate Jane Jacobs and Oakland’s rich urban history of city and urban path alike.

Walking the Line for Oakland Urban Paths | Oakland Local.

More info on all the walks below.  Come out, see something new or find out more about what lies close to home.  Get involved, make walking the easiest way to get around!

Crocker Highlands/Grand-Lake Stair Walk

The walk will take us through the hills of Oakland’s Crocker Highlands/Trestleglenn/Lakeview/Grand-Lake Neighborhoods, once served by the Key Route Street Car system.  We will look at the historical homes, traverse the secret stairs and pathways – historic cut throughs to the Key Route alignment, and visit two business neighobrhoods.  The walk will take about 2 hours and we will end on the Grand Avenue business District.   If you have a friendly dog, please bring them along.

No Need to Sign Up . . . Just Show Up At Posted Meeting Location

Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Dates: Saturday May 1, 2010

Begin and End: Arizmendi on Lakeshore Avenue (3265 Lakeshore Ave, Oakland CA 9461)

Host: Chris Hwang

Host Organizations: Walk and Bike Oakland & Oakland Urban Paths

Contact info: chris@walkoaklandbikeoakland.org

Map: coming soon

This event IS accessible and welcoming to seniors, children, and friendly dogs.

Mills College: A Creekside Oakland Gem

Tour leader will lead the group along the creek and highlight current efforts to restore the creek. The creek walk will be followed by a tour of Mills College as a place to enjoy some greenery and recreational walking.

No Need to Sign Up . . . Just Show Up At Posted Meeting Location

Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Dates: Saturday May 1, 2010

Begin and End: Mills College, bus stop at main gate on MacArthur (5000 MacArthur Blvd, Oakland, CA 94605)

Host: Chris Hwang

Host Organizations: Walk and Bike Oakland & Oakland Urban Paths

Contact info: chris@walkoaklandbikeoakland.org

Map: coming soon

This event IS accessible and welcoming to seniors and children.

Lake Merritt, Roses and Glen Echo Creek

Several dedicated footpaths criss-cross the city of Oakland, connecting some of the city’s most stunning settings.  This walk begins at the Grand Lake Theatre, take in views of Lake Merritt before heading towards Piedmont Avenue via the Morcom Amphitheatre of Roses. Follow Glen Echo Creek and head back for a snack at the Grand Tavern.

No Need to Sign Up . . . Just Show Up At Posted Meeting Location

Time: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Dates: Saturday May 1, 2010

Starts: Grand Lake Theatre, 3200 Grand Avenue, Oakland 94610

Ends: Grand Tavern, 3601 Grand Avenue, Oakland 94610

Host: Paul Rosenbloom

Host Organizations: Walk and Bike Oakland & Oakland Urban Paths

Contact info: chris@walkoaklandbikeoakland.org

Map: coming soon

This event IS accessible and welcoming to seniors and children.

The Oakmore Stairs

The four sets of stairs in the Oakmore neighborhood were rebuilt as part of the original development created between 1926 and 1936 by Walter Leimert, who built a bridge across Sausal Creek connecting the new neighborhood with Park Boulevard and the rest of Oakland. This is your chance to meet and hear stories from long term residents and get a historical primer of the Key Route System.

No Need to Sign Up . . . Just Show Up At Posted Meeting Location

Time: 10:30 am – 1:00 pm

Dates: Saturday May 1, 2010

Starts and ends @ Leimert and Arden Place, Oakland 94602

Host: Eric Uddenberg

Host Organizations: Walk and Bike Oakland & Oakland Urban Paths

Contact info: chris@walkoaklandbikeoakland.org

Map: coming soon

This event IS accessible and welcoming to seniors and children.

Old Oakland

Walk through what was once the western terminus of the Transcontinental Railroad! Formerly Oakland’s bustling downtown district in the days of railroads and streetcars, this area’s grand, brick, commercial Victorian buildings, now restored, continue to thrive as offices, galleries and eateries. Visit the historic Washington Inn, G.B. Ratto & Co. International Grocers, Swans Marketplace and the “Friends of the Library” bookstore. The tour will also stop by Lafayette Park, where Sue Mark will talk about the 10,000 Steps historic parks project.

Downtown Oakland is easily accessible to BART. Parking is available at the Oakland Convention Center, enter at 11th and Clay streets.

No Need to Sign Up . . . Just Show Up At Posted Meeting Location

Time: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Dates: Saturday May 1, 2010

Begins: G.B. Ratto & Co., 821 Washington Street.

Ends:  La Borinqueña Mexicatessen at 582 Seventh Street, where walkers can meet owner Tina Tamale and eat lunch. To learn more about Jane Jacobs and who she has inspired, walkers can purchase copies of the just-released book “What We See: Advancing the Observations of Jane Jacobs”. Co-editor of the book, Lynne Elizabeth, will be joining the Walk and signing books at Tina’s.

Host: Annalee Allen

Host Organizations: City of Oakland Tourist Program

Contact info: aallen@oaklandnet.com

Map: coming soon

This event IS accessible and welcoming to wheelchairs, bicycles, seniors and children.

An Advocate’s Walk

Ever thought a scenic walk was too far away? Put down those car keys and take BART to the start of a 5-6 mile walk around town. The path will take walkers from MacArthur BART, through the Temescal neighborhood and commercial district, Echo Creek, the Rose Garden, Whole Foods (at Bay) and Lake Merritt. Bring a brown bag lunch if you like for a scenic stop in the Rose Garden.

No need to sign up . . . just show up at posted meeting location.

Time: 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm

Dates: Sunday May 2, 2010

Meeting Place:
Begins: MacArthur BART Station, 555 40th Street / Oakland, CA 94609
Ends: 19th St BART Station, 1900 Broadway / Oakland, CA 94612

Host: Ron Bishop

Host Organizations: Walk and Bike Oakland & Oakland Urban Paths

Contact info: chris@walkoaklandbikeoakland.org

Map: coming soon

This event IS accessible and welcoming to seniors and children.

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Back in the saddle – Inside Bay Area.

Nice to see a little press on riding in our local paper this week featuring two of our bestest – Barry Luck from Cycles of Change and Justice Baxter from Wheels of Justice (Montclair).  Some good reading about safety / lighting, bike fit, locks, brakes (for some who don’t use their thighs) and rules of the road from these folks.

One critical piece that Justice covered is the importance of not riding on the sidewalk – a huge danger to pedestrians and a way to get smacked by a car when you roll off the curb and into traffic.  That said – in many parts of Oakland it is HARD to stay on the street when a bike lane or route is far away and fragmented.  Join us to help fix that today!

Sadly, one piece of incorrect information snuck in there about the right to “Take the Lane:”

Riders should stop at stop signs and lights and, if you want to, you are allowed full use of a lane, provided that you’re riding on a street with a speed limit below 35 mph.

There is no such restriction so it’s up to you.  There are times it is the right thing to do, to be seen to be safe to get position.  See a shot below:

The list of full lane use conditions is here:
http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc21202.htm

Happy riding

whoot for the news covered in the Oakbook that bicycling rates have gone up 75% in Oakland from 2000-2008 according to the good folks at the Census.  And while it’s a crude measurement, it’s critical validation (#7 in the country!) as we seek to improve Oakland for bicyclists every day.  Course, this should come as any surprise when you look around and see folks riding here and there, to work, the market, school and even the hardware store.

That said, boy do we still have a long ways to go!  In Oakland, 47% of our CO2 is coming from transportation – primarily cars and trucks.  Yes, this includes a lot of freeway traffic, but most of it is us.  The residents of the O.  We’re going to have to make walking (5X more common that cycling!) and riding much, much easier and safer soon to make the changes we need.

So here’s to the good news, and let’s keep on keeping on!

So exciting to read the article at Oakland Local about the COC program Bike Go Round.

“Bike-Go-Round is setting out to spread the self-propelled mantra, not in Rockridge or Claremont, but in East and West Oakland, favorite targets of the fast food industry, where obesitybike lanes and bike-friendly establishments and cars meet at large intersections lacking.”

This continues the cricital work Cycles has been doing throughout Oakland for 12 years now.  Their work goes from schools to community centers – both teaching folks how to ride as well how to repair and even earn a bike.   And what’s more, they have an awesome set of partners for their effort with Ride…

“Some of the affiliates include Bikes 4 Life, The Bikery, APC, Street Level Health Project, St. Vincent de Paul, Oakland Housing Authority and MORH1 Apartments.”

We are stoked to have such amazing partners in the O working to advance cycling and idenpendent, healthy travel.  Much like the Crucible’s bike work in their community including earn-a-bike and community fix-a-thons, we know that cycling is all folks, everywhere.  Please consider checking out these programs if you wanna lend a hand or a wrench.