• We Want BRT – And We Want Bike Lanes On Telegraph Too!
• Help Spread The Parklets Love At The Temescal Street Fair On July 8!
• Broadway Valdez Meeting Recap
• OUP Walk On Second Saturday Of July Plus Free Walks Throughout Summer
• Complete Streets To Te Discussed At The June BPAC Meeting
• Get Involved with WOBO

We Want BRT – And We Want Bike Lanes On Telegraph Too!

Do you want bus rapid transit? Do you want Telegraph Avenue to be a safer place to bike and walk? So do we, and we have an opportunity right now to make both happen. Please mark these two important dates in your calendar: July 10 and July 17, both at 10:30 am at City Hall.

At these two meetings, we will ask the City to support the current BRT proposal — from downtown Oakland to San Leandro, shorter than originally planned — and we’ll demand that the City find another way to deliver the bike and pedestrian improvements on Telegraph that were supposed to have happened as part of the BRT project, but are now in limbo due to the shorter BRT route.

More details to come — or contact autumn@wobo.org to learn more.

Help Spread The Parklets Love At The Temescal Street Fair On July 8!

With final permitting in the works for pilot Parklets on 40th Street and Alcatraz Avenue, Oakland is on track to complete its first Parklets this summer. While WOBO fans may be in the know, many Oaklanders still don’t know how awesome Parklets are! That’s why WOBO’s Parklets campaign is tabling at the Temescal Street Fair on Sunday, July 8 from 12-6 pm.

Can you help? Sign up here

Can’t make it but would still like to get involved with Parklets? We’ll be having a Parklets meeting later this month (TBD) and would love your help planning Park(ING) Day in September, conducting phase 2 of the Parklets Impact Survey, and gearing up for a Parklets ordinance later this year. Contact Shannon for more info.

Broadway Valdez Meeting Recap

Thank you to the 80 people who attended Catalyzing Change: Revitalizing the Broadway Valdez District in a Post-Redevelopment Era, a panel discussion on Monday, June 11, hosted by the Better Broadway Coalition.

Panelists including Fred Blackwell, Vien Truong, Andreas Cluver, and Alexander Quinn discussed bold yet realistic opportunities for reinventing the district within our current constraints. Thanks also to Mayor Jean Quan and Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan for welcoming the crowd and being a part of the dialogue. WOBO is one of 13 organizations that joined together in the Coalition because we want to see bike-friendly and pedestrian-oriented reuse and revitalization of the Broadway-Valdez district, just north of downtown Oakland.

For more information on how to get involved in WOBO’s work in promoting a more livable Broadway, contact Marla. Information on the Broadway Valdez District Specific Plan found here.

OUP Walk On Second Saturday Of July Plus Free Walks Throughout Summer

Oakland Urban Paths is a group of dedicated walkers, planners, historians and fundraisers with a common mission: to raise awareness of the paths and Oakland’s heritage through a variety of activities in partnership with Walk Oakland Bike Oakland and the City of Oakland.

The second Saturday of July walk with OUP will feature a walk through the old rail right of way in the Montclair neighborhood and on some of the only public wooden staircases in all of Oakland. The walk begins at 10 am, Saturday July 14 at Montclair Stairs (starting point TBD)

Contact Christopher for more information.

More (Mostly) Free Walks Throughout Summer

Ever feel like cyclists get all the attention and the walkers among us get short shrift?  Well, here are lots of other ways to get your daily constitutional and learn a little something about your city to boot.

Sierra Club (free) 

Jul 14 · Sat · 11:00 am

Art Deco Oakland 2A Hike. An urban walk featuring architecture and history of downtown Oakland. Leisurely pace, but walk takes all afternoon, ending about 5:30 pm near Twelfth Street BART Station. Post-walk dinner at local restaurant. Cancellation: Any rain cancels. Bring: Lunch (no good place to buy lunch); $1.75 for return to museum by BART; and money for post-walk dinner. Meet: 11 am at Tenth and Fallon entry to Oakland Museum next to nursing bear statue (one block from Lake Merritt BART Station). Very little all day street parking available, and museum garage is not open late enough for return after dinner, so use of BART is recommended. Leader: Guy Mayes, (510) 522-1590.

Click here for more information.

Oakland Walking Tours (free)

Schedule: Tours are offered Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:00 am. Reservations are recommended but not required.

Choose from one of eight tour itineraries. To learn more about a particular tour, review the information below. Following each itinerary description are the dates the tour will be offered. The tour schedule is also available by month.

Click here for more information.

Oakland Heritage Alliance (cost $15)

On Saturdays and Sundays throughout the months of July and August, our Walking Tours Program provides an intriguing combination of outdoor exercise and education about our city’s unique architectural, historic and cultural heritage. By hosting these tours, OHA hopes to help develop a sense of place among the citizens of Oakland that encourages a feeling of community accross neighborhoods and social groups. The tours are two-hour walks lead by knowledgable guides, and range from very easy to moderately challenging.

Click here for more information.

Mountain View Cemetery (free)

Second and Fourth Saturday of every month. All tours start at 10:00 am.

Click here for more information.

Oakland Pathway Volunteers ($2, kids free)

June 17, 10:30 am Noble Cafe 100 Grand Avenue, Suite 111, Oakland, CA

Walk to Whole Foods where people may use it’s large restrooms & buy drinks and/or a sack lunch. Then we walk to our lunch spot, the Oakland Morcom Rose Garden, arriving about 11:50 am. After lunch we will walk to nearby Piedmont. We will also visit Piedmont Park as there is a grocery store and restrooms there. We expect to return to our starting point at 3:45 pm.

Click here for more information.

Art Deco Society ($10)

June 24; 10:00 am — 90 minute walking tour of the Art Deco commercial buildings in Oakland’s Uptown District. Free for current ADSC members; $10 non-members. No hills on this tour. Reservations not necessary, but you may confirm with tour guide Marc Kagan, 510-590-2733.

Click here for more information.

Complete Streets To Be Discussed At The June BPAC Meeting

The Oakland Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee will hold its next meeting on Thursday, June 21. Come to hear the City’s plans to update its Municipal Code to integrate “Complete Streets” concepts into planning and engineering designs that promote best practices in accommodating all users of roadways, whether you walk, bike, use a wheelchair, or drive.

The full agenda is available here.

What: June BPAC Meeting
When: Thursday, June 21, 5:30-7:30 pm
Where: Oakland City Hall, Sgt Daniel Sakai Hearing Room (aka Hearing Room 4), Second Floor.

Get Involved With WOBO

WOBO is always looking for more folks to get involved with our volunteer-powered projects! Here’s how you can help:

• Like WOBO on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or join our Flickr group.
• Drop us a line by email (or any social media) and let us know what you think, do or feel when it comes to walking and biking in Oakland. Your pet peeves, favorite walks and rides, areas that need improvement – we want to hear from you!
• Can you volunteer in any of the following areas? We especially need help with our campaign to create a bike network in Oakland:
  • Oakland Bikeways Campaign – Info@wobo.org
  • Parklets for People – Shannon@wobo.org
  • Outreach/Events Staffing – Info@wobo.org
  • Fundraising – Info@wobo.org
  • Campaigns/Grassroots Organizing – Info@wobo.org
  • Membership – Info@wobo.org
  • Web Content/Development – Info@wobo.org
  • Graphic design (t-shirts, flyers, etc.) – Info@wobo.org
  • Coordinating Volunteers/Interns – Info@wobo.org