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BikeAlameda Planning Retreat Summary

Bikealameda planning retreat on Saturday, February 6 was well attended and fruitful. Over 20 people met at the Aoelian Yacht Club to discuss last year's financial status, this year's budget and brainstorm new projects and programs for this year.

In addition to board members, many BA members showed up to brainstorm programs and projects for 2010. In the early morning board members discussed the 2009 financial year. The we went to a larger room to write down the list of projects amd programs that BA worked on last year. Items participants indicated as current BA programs were listed on flip charts. After the ideas were written up we had two separate break-out sessions where groups of two to eight people discussed their preferred projects and tried to summarize their answers to three important questions:

1. What is the goal of the program/project?
2. What steps are needed (next steps)?
3. What groups will we work with?

• Kevin Loh - Science and Technology of Alameda High School – FLY – Future Leaders of the Year institute. Biking to school month targeting high schools. Each day they do, get a credit and donation to a charity. Maybe Audrey Lord-Hausman could help Dave’s (Cycle City) comment more teenagers are biking and suggested Joe Mariscal retired principal would be helpful. Jeff suggested May might be a natural month. EBBC. Walk & Roll to School elementary schools do first Wed. of the month. Kevin said teenagers want to change the world is the extra incentive, so that is an incentive to biking, already an incentive is the freedom, exercise, fresh air. Nominate new campaigns and 2009 updates. Might want to present to the school board
• Transportation Commission - Jon Spangler– Only 4 of the 7 positions are filled and haven’t been meeting. Need to get it going again. Really need to address this!
• Tweed to Feed (Aimee) – Slow ride gathering food for Food Bank. Inclusive, slow, polite, legal, kind of opposite of critical mass.
• Road Closure (Cyndy Johnson) - Sunday Streets Themes, decorate for a season Set up BA table.
• CASA – Community Outreach through faith based organizations
• Bike Friendly City (Cyndy Johnson) – Certain requirements you need to meet to qualify for that. But some effort to complete, but no reason Alameda couldn’t qualify. Would need to get the City involved. League of American Bicyclists sponsored certification. Then you get a sign at entrance to the City
• Blazing Saddles (Mary Ellen) – European and Asian tourists come over and go on a preset tour , rent bikes with maps on their handlebars. But problem is they don’t follow laws or helmets. They are based in San Francisco. Perhaps they could come over to Alameda via Ferry to check out Alameda. Dave mentioned bike rentals within a bike store doesn’t work, not profitable.
• Alameda Home Tour and Garden Tour (Donna) – Promote bicycling those routes instead of driving.
• Address Bike Theft Issue (Donna) - We need to address this. Lock Education! Dave indicated U locks are crucial. . If enough cyclists used data dots stolen bikes could be recovered.
• Bike Lockers (Lucy) summer campaign. Discussion of lockers @ Towne Center and Parking Structure .there is Video, yet inadequate surveillance
• Bike licensing - could be improved like digital picture of bike for a serial # . Engraving # in frame
• Bike locker electronic cards – Could we sell them at VBP.
• Reflective Wear in Conjunction Pedestrian Friendly Alameda (Audrey L-H)
• Making Biking Cool – Like “I hella bike Oakland”. I heart Alameda (not exactly cool)
• Bike Advocacy for Alameda Point (Cyndy) – Have a voice for what happens there. Should we back a bike friendly plan.
• Riding bikes in crosswalk - Dangerous. Maybe signs to that affect.

SUMMARY SHEETS FOR EACH BREAKOUT BRAIN STORMING SESSION: For any project or program to begin, a board member needs to be assigned in an advisory role. BA Board Leader(s) who signed up for each topic after the brainstorming sessions are noted below. Note that some of the creative ideas were combined under major headings for brainstorming purposes.

• Bike to High School Program
  • BA Board Leaders – Jeff & Joyce
  • Participants: Kevin Loh, Dan Wood, David Maletsky, Joyce Mercado
  • Goal: Get high school students to bike to school and make the world a better place with donations to a charitable cause.
  • Action Items:
    1. Find sponsors
    2. Pick a month - group recommended May as it gives you time to plan and piggy backs nicely on May's Bike to Work Day surrounding activities.
    3. Line up support by the high schools.
    4. Promote the event to garner participants.
    5. To overcome the potential issue for some students who may not own a bike and can't afford one, make folks aware of Alameda Point Collaborative Cycles for Change Bike Shop, where bikes can be earned with volunteer work at the shop.
    6. Hook into BikeAlameda's Bike Safety Classes to empower teens to ride confidently, safely and responsibly. (I'll let you know once scheduled; I'm trying to get one in April so there will be one before your project and before Bike to Work Day).
    7. Design some sort of recognition/celebration of the effort. Perhaps prizes. Perhaps a party at a park.
• Biking is Cool
  • BA Board Leader – Joyce
  • Participants: Hal, Kevin, Joyce, Barbara
  • Goal: Make biking cool to attract more riders
  • Action Items:
    1. Seems from my notes we settled on making some sort of event based on customizing bikes and helmets, possibly at the celebration event for the folks who participated in the Bike to High School event.
    2. Then possibly make it a yearly event.
  • Who will we work with?:
    • Bike Shops for promotion
    • Cycles of Change for customization work knowledge
    • School Biking Clubs to garner participation
    • Crucible has some sort of classes on this topic
• Sunday Streets
  • BA Leaders – Refer to Riding Events Committee
  • Participants: Donna, Lucy
  • Goal: Bike education, sales, vendors, community, local, healthy, get outside. A one-time, leading to 1 a month or 1 a week street closure/street fair. After 4th of July parade? Longer street closure to Shoreline for Park Street. See Jan Run. Farmers Market.
  • Action Items/First Steps: Gather a bigger group
  • Who will we work with? EBBC, CASA, WoBo, Bike Shops, businesses, Ped. Friendly Alameda. Other items noted: Promote Park Street businesses that are there. May, Aug, Oct.
• Transportation Committee Group
  • BA Leaders – Lucy, Jeff and Hall
  • Participants: Jon Spangler, Hal, Jeff
  • Goal:
    1. TC should be meeting monthly, regularly as needed.
    2. TC should have 7 appointees members? (2 designated slots: AUSD + “Business” (PSBA/WABA). 3 open slots – Ben Johns? Mayor?
  • Action Items/First Steps:
    1. Verify public records and history since June 2009 (city clerk)
    2. TC members ask Council “What do you want the TC to be doing?”
    3. BA- Publicly ask “Why is TC not meeting?” re 1) Bike Plan Update, 2) AP, TMP implementation, AC Transit cuts, Bike parking and security.
    4. ask council members to bring TC up on agenda
    5. challenge city staff publicly?
    6. contact press ask them to pursue story.
  • Who will we work with? A) BA (Bike Plan Update, bike parking, security, bikes on AC Transit – cuts, etc.) b) League of Women Voters (re: open government principles, “sunshine laws”) C) Alameda Transit Advocates, Pedestrian Friendly Alameda, other transportation stakeholders.
• Bike Friendly City League Status for Alameda
  • BA Leaders – Shelley (to explore), Barbara may be willing to help
  • Participants: Cyndy, Shelley, Bonnie, David Denyven, Barbara
  • Goal: Obtain a Bike Friendly City League Status for Alameda (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze)
  • Action Items/First Steps: Define requirements. Establish Committee volunteers. Law enforcement on Board. Law enforcement on Bikes.
  • Who will we work with? Frank Matarrase, Mayoral Candidates define BFC as priority. Bike shops, Team Alameda. Town Hall Meeting next Thursday.
• Museum/Garden Tours/Architecture Preservation/Holiday Tour
  • BA Leaders – Refer to Riding Events Committee
  • Participants: Donna, Cyndy, Shelley, John
  • Goal: Get people to bike instead of drive for these events. Ancillary benefits to bicycling – education and awareness. New – Christmas lights (judge houses), foodie - velocurios
  • Action Items/First Steps: Volunteers – come up with the scope of our involvement. Partner with key people. Create routes on map for handlebars. Have volunteer watch bikes.
  • Who will we work with? Existing community organizations (museum preservation)
• TWEED Ride
  • BA Leaders – Refer to Riding Events Committee
  • Participants: Peter, Aimee, John
  • Goal: Promote common service through friendly bicycling gathering. Show the public that cycling is fun, not just for “athletes”
  • Action Items/First Steps: 1. Show up/bring food/ride to food bank and beyond. 2. Advance notice and p/up @ houses 3. Food Bank partnership – John to contact. 4. Meals on Wheels partnership. Promote through organization (Food Bank, etc.). Bike Safety check prior to ride (partner with Cycle City). Promote safety/helmet sales, helmet check. Trailers to carry food. Local businesses we p/up. Blue Dot Cafe? Dates: 3 months out – Mid-May. Printing of literature.
  • Who will we work with? See above, within Action Items
• CASA Faith Community Outreach Bike Involvement
  • BA Leaders – Joyce
  • Participants: Donna, Joyce
  • Goal: Didn’t actually have a brainstorming session for this one as it was only Donna and Joyce at the table. Donna relayed she wanted to get CASA type programs in schools. Joined other brain storming groups.

posted: Mon, 01 Mar 2010