• WOBO is run almost entirely on volunteer power.
• We're efficient and effective and 100% of donations go into public outreach materials and programs to make Oakland more walkable and bikeable.
• Help us do more by making a donation or purchasing a WOBO annual membership (Individual - $35, Household - $50, Individual w/WOBO t-shirt - $50). To contribute or discover member benefits, visit our Donation Page.

Oaklavía is just over a month away! The next six weeks are dedicated to getting the word out. Come help us put together our community mailing on Oaklavía at the next monthly meeting. Food, drinks, and good times also included.

Bike to Work Day (BTWD) is almost here! Are you excited? Is your bike ready to ride? Thursday, May 13th is a week away, and we want to give you the rundown of upcoming volunteer opportunities (to help WOBO make BTWD a huge success) and events:

• WOBO could use a little more volunteer help on BTWD – if you're interested in working at an energizer station, at the City Hall pancake breakfast or on a Pedal Pool on BTWD, please fill out this short volunteer form.
   
• On Bike to Work Day, be sure to visit WOBO at one of our energizer stations: 14th & Lakeside, 27th & Broadway, or RideSFO. We'll also be at the City Hall Pancake Breakfast and the Bike Away from Work Party.
   
• May is Bike to Work Month, and although it's already begun, there's still plenty of time to sign up for the Team Bike Challenge (TBC). Not only is it fun to change the way you get around town, but there's even an iPhone app to make tracking your TBC miles more fun.
   
• For a rundown of Bike to Work Month events, the EBBC has a good list of the major ones (including the Bike Away from Work Party), and you can check out the complete Bike to Work Month calendar.
   
• Wondering if there's an energizer station on or near your bike commute route on BTWD? Check out the current list of Alameda County energizer stations.
   
• Get info on riding to City Hall on BTWD with your Councilperson from the WOBO Pedal Pools page.
   
• You can enter the Bike to Work Day Raffle online – it's free!
   
• If you need any other information, check out the Bay Area Bicycle Coalition's BTWD information hub or shoot us an email at info@walkoaklandbikeoakland.org.

If you're interested in the future of the MacArthur Blvd corridor from Seminary Avenue to High Street, there's a community design workshop about that area on Saturday, May 8th. The day will begin with walks along different segments of the corridor, followed by a "charrette" (a hands-on design session with your neighbors and staff – no experience required to participate) to allow for an active exchange of ideas on transportation safety, access, landscaping, and other potential improvements as part of the LAMMPS project.

LAMMPS is a community-driven, community-based plan designed to improve transportation conditions along MacArthur Boulevard between High Street and Seminary Avenue. For more information on the project and the schedule of community meetings & workshops, visit lammpsplan.com.

DETAILS: Saturday, May 8th from 9am-3pm. Mills College, Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business (5000 MacArthur Blvd) - The Gathering Hall.

The City of Oakland has released the draft Energy and Climate Action Plan and is inviting community input. Please join WOBO and others from the Oakland Climate Action Coalition at one of two public workshops on Thursday, May 6th. Tell the City they're on the right track with their goal of supporting Oaklanders in reducing car travel by making walking, biking, and taking transit easier. The plan includes getting new funding to advance implementation of the bike and pedestrian master plans, a program to encourage City employees to commute to work without a car, and creating a transportation master plan.

The Energy and Climate Action Plan can still be better. For instance, it should prioritize safe walking and biking access to transit as a top strategy, and should identify how it can work with partners like WOBO, EBBC, and others to achieve the goals of reducing our transportation emissions.

DETAILS: Thursday, May 6th – workshop session 1: 3-5pm, workshop session 2: 7-9pm. The Elihu M. Harris State Building, 1515 Clay Street (between 15th & 16th), Meeting Room 1.

To assist with planning for needed space, please RSVP, identifying which workshop session you plan to attend – email: climateaction@oaklandnet.com.

That's right. It's about time WOBO put one of these things together. And have we got a good lineup for you pedal pushers to peep! We'll be screening Quicksilver, starring Kevin Bacon & Laurence Fishburne, and that's not all. We'll also be showing The Scraper Bike King, starring Oakland's own Baby Champ. Yeah, we thought you'd like that. Oh, and did we mention this was all going down at Linden Street Brewery? Be there – and tell yo' friends!

WOBO is working with neighbors and the East Bay Bicycle Coalition (EBBC) to brainstorm on how to make 40th Street a "complete street." The City of Oakland is working to create an East-West bikeway around the MacArthur BART, so WOBO & the EBBC hosted a workshop on April 27 to solicit community feedback on the project and hear thoughts on how bicycle and pedestrian advocates can get involved. We'd love to hear your input, and we also need volunteer help with research to determine the best alternatives. If you'd like to help out or learn more, please email gloria@walkoaklandbikeoakland.org.

Oakland's potholes are quaking in their boots, because the City is in the midst of their annual Pothole Blitz!

Oakland Public Works is in week two of its annual Pothole Blitz. The second of three week-long blitzes started May 3rd and is focused on Central Oakland. Starting Monday of next week, the Blitz will attack potholes in North and West Oakland. The goal is to fix more than 1,000 potholes during the three-week blitz by doubling up the number of staff assigned to the much-needed work.

If you have any potholes in your neighborhood, report them to Public Works now. There are three ways to do this:

• Email public works at: pwacallcenter@oaklandnet.com
• Visit Oakland Public Works' "Report a Problem" page and click on "New Service Request"
• Call the Public Works Call Center at (510) 615-5566

You must include the nearest street address or business location for them to take any action. Let's see if we can get our streets looking (and feeling) drivable again! Thank you for taking the time to report any potholes.

We're going to try it again! Last month rained us out but hopefully the May weather will be kinder to us as we head out to the Albany Bulb. This former landfill (turned unofficial dog park) is a great place to view the Bay, check out Burning Man-esque art installations, and relax after a ride along the Bay Trail. Participants should bring a snack to share, and perhaps binoculars to check out the birds. Any and all female-identified people are invited to participate.

Please RSVP to shannon@walkoaklandbikeoakland.org by Wednesday, May 12th with your name, email, and phone number in case there are any last-minute updates. All participants must sign a waiver and wear a helmet – no exceptions!

DETAILS: Sunday, May 16th, from 10am-1pm. Starts and ends at Mosswood Park, near the corner of Macarthur Blvd and Webster Street (nearest BART: Macarthur). Traveling via the Bay Trail. Distance: approximately 14 miles and pretty darn flat. Route map (subject to change): www.tinyurl.com/WOBORide10-04-11.

The EBBC recently announced T.D. Fisher as the 2010 Bike Commuter of the Year for Alameda County. The best part? She's from Oakland! Holla!!

Fisher works as an orthotist, assessing and designing orthopedic and prosthetic devices that encourage growth, rehabilitation and medical comfort. Her clients include children, teens and adults. After ten years of commuting to work by car, Fisher decided to go green a year-and-a-half ago, switching from driving to biking.

Although her commute from home to office is short, she often bikes 25 to 35 miles roundtrip on a single client visit. The transition to biking was also a challenge because she had to determine how to haul the tools of her trade via bike, including electric grinders, saws, braces, scissors, cutters and an occasional prosthetic limb. The problem was solved when a friend gave her a kids' bike trailer to use in conjunction with her old mountain bike. "I bike to work routinely and I am so much happier since I stopped driving my car," says Fisher. "People often notice and stop to talk to me about all the stuff I carry."

Way to go, T.D.! May she be an inspiration to us all during Bike to Work Month.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) continues to gain ground in Oakland. In late April, the City Council voted unanimously in support of adopting a "locally preferred alternative" BRT route through Oakland. From the Streetsblog article on the Oakland BRT project:

"The route through Oakland would travel primarily on International Boulevard and Telegraph Avenue as part of a future AC Transit BRT corridor through Berkeley, Oakland and San Leandro. As a full-featured BRT line, it would include dedicated travel lanes for buses, level boarding, and fare machines at stations for pre-paying.

"Compared to the existing 1R Rapid bus line that runs along the same corridor in Oakland, the proposed BRT line would offer more rider amenities and much faster travel times. Overall, travel speeds are expected to increase by 18 percent compared to AC Transit Rapid buses.

"The vote... to endorse a locally preferred alternative route for further study... allows the project to move towards the Final Environmental Impact Report stage."

Read the full article here.

Public Workshops on Draft Energy and Climate Action Plan

The City of Oakland has released the draft Energy and Climate Action Plan and is inviting community input. Please join WOBO and others from the Oakland Climate Action Coalition at one of two public workshops on Thursday, May 6th. Tell the City they're on the right track with their goal of supporting Oaklanders in reducing car travel by making walking, biking, and taking transit easier.

Groundbreaking Ceremony – 12th Street Reconstruction Project

Bring your bicycle out in front of 1200 Lakeshore Avenue at 2PM, Thursday, May 6, to help us celebrate the groundbreaking for a major improvement for bicyclists in Oakland (and the demise of the world's shortest freeway). The project will replace the existing high-speed, 12-lane expressway with a scenic six-lane, tree-lined boulevard that will enhance bicycle and pedestrian safety. It will also create new four-acre park at the Lake's shoreline and open the Lake Merritt Channel to improve water quality and wildlife habitat.

Beyond Bicyles at Rock, Paper, Scissors/Art Murmur

Get ready for a hands-(and feet)-on human-powered night! In conjunction with Oakland Art Murmur and Bike to Work Month, the street will be filled with the Human-Powered Machines of Rock Paper Scissors Collective's Beyond Bicycles Exhibition and many of their makers! It will be your chance to try them out and ask lots of questions. WOBO will be on hand (so grab some stickers), plus you can expect the usual Art Murmur gallery open houses and general merriment.

Oakland on Two Wheels

Explore Oakland and its environs with the museum's bike-tripping docents the third Sunday of the month as we leisurely wend our way through Uptown, Downtown, Fruitvale, Port of Oakland, West Oakland, Brooklyn, or the Lake Merritt area.

Bike-In Movie: Swan's Market

Featuring "The Oak Park Story" and "Return of the Scorcher," this outdoor screening is sponsored by East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC) and follows Maker's Studio at the Museum of Children's Art overlooking Swan's Courtyard.

WOBO's Bike to the Movies Night at Linden St Brewery: Quicksilver

WOBO invites you to enjoy two great bike-themed movies under the stars at Linden Street Brewery on Saturday, May 22nd. It's a double bill with The Scraper Bike King, featuring Oakland's own Baby Champ, and the Bacon-tastic 80's classic Quicksilver. Admission is free and the fun starts at 7pm, movies start when it's dark.

The New York Times recently did an article about Oakland's blossoming cultural scene, including a shoutout to the Art Murmur. You should check it out. While you're already perusing the periodicals, you should read the article Oakland's Creative Bicycle Culture in the latest issue of Momentum Magazine. Not only is WOBO mentioned, but our Executive Director, Kassie, is quoted twice!

And if all that isn't enough, how about something to get you pumped for WOBO's Bike to the Movies Night. It's the movie trailer for... wait for it... Quicksilver!

Want to Get More Involved with WOBO?

WOBO is always looking for more folks to get involved with our all-volunteer crew!- Here's how you can help:

• Become a Fan of WOBO on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, check out our blog, 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 corridor on Broadway:
  • Bike Broadway Campaign - Alicia@walkoaklandbikeoakland.org
  • Outreach/Events Staffing - Dominic@walkoaklandbikeoakland.org
  • Campaigns/Grassroots Organizing - Jen@walkoaklandbikeoakland.org
  • Membership - Kassie@walkoaklandbikeoakland.org
  • Web Content/Development - Alec@walkoaklandbikeoakland.org
  • Graphic design (t-shirts, flyers, etc.) - Kassie@walkoaklandbikeoakland.org
  • Coordinating Volunteers/Interns - Kassie@walkoaklandbikeoakland.org