• WOBO is run 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.

This Friday evening, bike adventurer and author Willie Weir will be in Oakland to entertain with true tales from his latest book Travels with Willie. We think he's a hilarious storyteller, and the Seattle Weekly agrees: "The self-described 'cycling fool' has some of the same manic energy as his fellow bike enthusiast Robin Williams; accordingly, his presentations are more like stand-up comedy than dry slide-and-pointer travel presentations."

It's a guaranteed good time! Not only will there be laughs, but we'll have refreshments, you can rub elbows with other bike/ped enthusiasts, and Willie will be on hand after the show to chat a bit and sign copies of his new book. And if you need a little more convincing, here's a little of Willie performing live.

DETAILS: Friday, February 19th at 7pm at Oakland's Humanist Hall (390 27th Street, between Telegraph & Broadway). Tickets: $5 WOBO members, $10 non-members. Special $25 annual WOBO membership (including event ticket) will be available at the door. The book Travels with Willie will be available for purchase for $15 (cash only). All ticket revenue and a portion of book sales will benefit WOBO.

If you've ever wondered what San Francisco's Sunday Streets program would look like if it happened in Oakland, you're about to find out. WOBO is bringing our own version of weekend car-free streets – called Oaklavía – to the O starting in June! Mark your calendar for two bike/ped positive events:

• Sunday, Jun. 27th - Uptown to Jack London Square
• Sunday, Oct. 10th - Fruitvale District

Want more info? You'll find it here. Want to get involved? Even better! You can sign up to volunteer here. We especially need help with organizing, representing Oaklavía at meetings, recruiting volunteers, outreach, and getting the word out via social media. And if you're interested in becoming an event sponsor, contact Karen Hester at: karen@walkoaklandbikeoakland.org.

Meet Michael Flocchini, AC Transit's Education and Training Manager, at the next WOBO Member Meeting. Michael will share AC Transit's current project to update driver training to improve bike/ped safety. We'd love to have you there, because Michael wants to learn from you – he's interested in your constructive ideas on how buses, bikes and pedestrians can all share the road!

DETAILS: Thursday, Feb. 25th from 6:30-8pm at Bay Area Wilderness Training (2301 Broadway - enter on 23rd Street).

Have you noticed? Whether on the Internets or in the local papers, WOBO has been popping up all over the news lately. If you haven't gotten a chance to peep these fine articles yet, click here and here for the scoop.

WOBO would like to send a special Thank You, Gracias, and Danke to the East Bay Express and Oakland Local for helping to spread Bike/Ped love throughout the O!

Our friends at the Alliance for Biking & Walking just released their 2010 Benchmarking report. The report shows that lack of investment in biking and walking could be contributing to higher traffic fatalities and chronic disease rates in the U.S. Bicycling and Walking in the United States: The 2010 Benchmarking Report reveals that in almost every state and major U.S. city, bicyclists and pedestrians are at a disproportionate risk of being killed, and receive less than their fair share of transportation dollars. We pulled out a few facts about Oakland to share with you:

• Oakland is the 12th best city (out of the U.S.'s 50 biggest measured) for walking and bicycling
• 5.2% of Oakland commuters walk to work; 1.4% of Oakland commuters bike to work
• 12% of all trips in Oakland are by walking or biking, but pedestrians and bicyclists experience a disproportionate 28% of our traffic fatalities.
• In Oakland, 70% of biker-commuters are men. About half of all Oakland commuters who walk to work are men and half are women.

Learn more about how Oakland measures up and how membership in advocacy organizations transforms cities into safer places where many more people walk and bike by downloading the full report here.

The next Women of WOBO (WOW) ride is in honor of International Women's Day. Join us to tour around San Leandro Bay, mostly following bicycle paths that are part of the Bay Trail. And the "International Mystery" part means you should bring your favorite international snack to share! Depending on the weather, we'll stop and share on the edge of the Bay, or somewhere more protected. Any and all female-identified people are invited to participate.

Please RSVP to shannon@walkoaklandbikeoakland.org by Wednesday, March 3rd 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, December 6th from 10am-1pm. Starts and ends at Fruitvale BART station (by the bike racks). Approximately 10 miles and pretty darn flat. Route map (subject to change): www.tinyurl.com/WOBORide10-03-07.

WOBO members and community stakeholders in the Harrison-Oakland neighborhood now have a terrific Community Transportation Plan (see section titled "Planning Eforts Underway") to help guide the City and advocates on how to improve neighborhood quality of life, and bicycle/pedestrian safety in the area. The plan, a product of more than 18 months of work by the City, consultants, WOBO and community members, includes bike lanes and wider sidewalks, removes a dangerous turn at Harrison and 27th, reconfigures the intersection at Fairmount, moves bus stops closer to where they are needed, and much, much more!

Next steps? Advocate for funding for this plan! Interested in helping? Contact Jen at: jen@walkoaklandbikeoakland.org

During two days last May (one Wednesday and one Saturday), WOBO volunteers counted bicyclists along Broadway (between College Avenue & 3rd Street) and at two nearby intersections of 14th Street. The counts were conducted to:

1. Determine the number of bicyclists who use the corridor during peak commute hours and on the weekend
2. Determine the relative proportion of bicyclists who travel along the parallel streets of Broadway: Franklin Street and Webster Street in downtown Oakland, and
3. Identify other trends that may be correlated to bicycle facilities along Broadway

• Over the course of the two days of counting, volunteers counted 2,632 bicyclists
• During commute hours, nearly twice as many bicyclists were counted at Broadway and 27th Street than the next highest count location
• Count patterns indicate that Broadway is used as a bicycle commute corridor
• During commute times, bicyclists appear to be using the parallel corridors of Franklin Street and Webster Street as much or more than Broadway

The report also contains statistics on bicycle collision data. The full report will be available on the Bike Broadway Campaign website in the coming months.

WOBO Board members would like to thank all volunteers who participated in the counts, and who slogged away doing data entry. We would also like to extend an extra special thank you to Lauren Buckland – WOBO's Volunteer of the Month – for analyzing the data and preparing a top-notch report of the findings. We are well on our way to documenting the huge demand for bike lanes on Broadway and the Franklin/Webster Street couplet!

The inventory of Oakland's 300+ stairs and paths was submitted to the City for analysis. Follow the stories from the field: coverage by the San Francisco Chronicle and even more info at the Oakland Urban Paths site. We are looking for volunteers who might assist in data-cleaning and analysis. Interested? Contact Paul Rosenbloom at: prosenbloom@gmail.com.

This month we've got a pothole one-two punch, with two potholes – one on either side of the intersection at 51st and Telegraph – in the southbound lane. The one on the north side of the intersection is a long, narrow pothole which is perfect for catching bikes off guard, and the damaged area on the south side of the intersection is a big, deep monster that is brutal on cars and guaranteed to wreck a bike. If you're headed south on Telegraph (by car or bike) be sure to avoid these. Click here or on either image below to see all the photos.

We'll be reporting these hazards to the City via their website immediately. If you know of any potholes or road hazards in your area or on your travel routes, make sure to let the City know. In our experience, they've been quick to respond and fix the problem.

Oakland Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee Meeting

This month's agenda items include a discussion of median modifications on MacArthur Blvd at Richmond Blvd and the Bicycle & Pedestrian Facilities Program's One-Year Plan. For more info call (510) 238-3983 or email bikeped@oaklandnet.com.

City Council President Jane Brunner's February Community Advisory Meeting

Join Garrett Fitzgerald (City of Oakland Sustainability Coordinator) and Emily Kirsch (Oakland Climate Action Coalition), as we discuss your ideas and insights in relation to the question: How Can We as Individuals, and as a City, Address Climate Change? To learn more, please view this month's Brunner Report online or call 238-7001.

2010 Oaklandish Tour De Taco

Hosted by Cyrus Farivar of californiatacotrucks.com and the East Bay Bike Coalition, the Oaklandish Tour De Taco is a gastronomical quest on wheels through the Fruitvale district of Oakland. Whether you're a taco truck veteran or a mobile food newb, the Oaklandish Tour De Taco is not to be missed!

Oakland Kidical Mass

An opportunity to get to know families who get around Oakland by pedal power. Bring the kids on the trail-a-bike, the trailer, the Xtracycle, on their own bikes or however you happen to make it work. No kids? No problem! Come out and share the joy of a casual social ride. We'll hopefully spend a few minutes talking about the future of Oakland Kidical Mass, so please be ready to share ideas for future rides. Rides normally meet up at 10 am and begin at 11 am. Destination is Union Point Park. Questions contact Mark@walkoaklandbikeoakland.org.

Women of WOBO: International Women of Mystery Ride

The next Women of WOBO (WOW) ride is in honor of International Women's Day. Join us to tour around San Leandro Bay, Mostly following bicycle paths that are part of the Bay Trail. And the International Mystery part means bring your favorite international snack to share! Depending on the weather, we'll stop and share on the edge of the Bay, or somewhere more protected. Any and all female-identified people are invited to participate. Please RSVP to Shannon by Wednesday, March 3rd with your name, email, and phone number in case there are any last-minute updates.

Oakland Running Festival

The Inaugural Oakland Running Festival will feature the city's first marathon in more than 25 years, a half-marathon, team relay, 5k and kids' fun run as well as a Health and Fitness Expo and Celebration Village!

Both of this month's links fall into the category of "when life hands you lemons, make lemonade." Pete Dungey of Oxford, England, after having had enough of unfilled potholes, decided to fill them himself... with primroses. You can check out the article here. And if you're no fan of Valentine's Day, then you'll appreciate what some Portlanders do each February 14th – they head out on the Worst Day of the Year Ride. The photos below sure make the year's Worst Day look like a lot of fun!