BikeAlameda's mission is to encourage everyday use of the bicycle in and around Alameda. Founded in 1999, BikeAlameda serves the community through education and services such as secure Valet Bike Parking at community events and its Bicycle and Walking Map of Alameda. BikeAlameda believes in safe streets, active, healthy citizens, and vibrant, walkable business districts and neighborhoods. We are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) California corporation.
BikeAlameda was founded in 1999 by Alameda residents Lucy Gigli and Dan Wood, after the City of Alameda conducted public workshops to implement its Bicycle Master Plan. The co-founders realized that there were many active bicyclists in Alameda, but no real sense of community among them. While other cities have organized bicycling groups (clubs such as the Oakland Yellowjackets, and coalitions such as the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition), Alameda's bicyclists were (and in many ways still are) individuals who happen to bicycle, not in touch with other cyclists except for perhaps a passing "hello."
BikeAlameda's initial goal was to provide a community that Alameda bicyclists could belong to. We started with an e-mail discussion list, spreading the word about the group through personal contacts and flyers left on bicycles around town. We built our first web site to help people join the discussion list.
But then, as its most active members noticed that the city was not acting at all to implement any Bicycle Master Plan's short-term or long-term improvements to the bicycling infrastructure, the group started working toward pressuring the city to implementing the plan and taking bicycling seriously.
Eventually, this hard work started to pay off. The city hired staffers in the Public Works department whose job it is to get the Bicycle Master Plan implemented. BikeAlameda, together with Pedestrian-Friendly Alameda and Alameda Transit Advocates, formed the Alameda Transportation Coalition to serve as a unified voice advocating for better alternatives to the automobile. In 2002, the City adopted the Transportation Commission, a governing body to deal with transportation issues beyond just automobile needs.
In 2002, as a prelude to expanding its programs and influence, BikeAlameda became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation.
2005 is the year when we begin working more directly with the community. We will be working to overcome fears, to overcome obstacles that prevent people from biking or limit their biking or make it unsafe.
For six years, BikeAlameda has spent alot of energy and volunteer hours working with the city of Alameda. Asking for changes, giving advice, going to meetings to advocate for small and large changes has been time consuming. For some things, we have been successful. However, there are other issues, like new striping of bike lanes that compete with auto parking or new bike parking that competes with auto parking that have been up hill battles. They require much more fundamental shifts in resources and attitudes within the city.
The great news is that we can spend that same amount of energy to teach bike safety classes and initiate other programs that overcome personal hurdles to riding.
Our goal remains the same. We believe that more people riding (and walking) around our island means safer streets, slower traffic, more thriving business districts and active, healthy citizens AND cleaner air.
Over the years, we have heard many comments as to why people are not biking. The streets are not safe. There are too many cars out on the road. I need to bring my children to school, day care, etc. I don't own a bike. Where would I put the groceries? Why people are uncomfortable biking one mile to work. We have suggestions to all these "dilemmas".
Our new newsletter will help to spread information to keep everyone aware of the benefits of bicycling, along with the "how-tos". This membership will bring in money to finance bike classes and more literature. We want to keep the energy flowing exponentially. Getting more and more people out there.
Contributing to an atmosphere where bicycling to get around the island is the norm. Safe and Easy and Convenient.
In order to accomplish this, we will be starting on the following projects over the next year.