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City Email Addresses for Solano Ave Proposed Bike Lane/Cycle Track:
- Justin Fried/Staff Liaison Community Development/Transportation Commission: jfried@albanyca.gov
- City Council: citycouncil@albanyca.gov
Some Key Considerations:
- Loss of parking on Solano
- Loss of accessibility for disabled persons, seniors and families with young and/or multiple children = loss of business/restaurant patrons
- Residents of both 1 block north of Solano and 1 block south of Solano will feel the parking pinch when Solano parking is taken and Solano Ave patrons are looking for parking close by their destination
- Unlike other shopping/hangout destinations such as 4th Street in Berkeley, or Shattuck in Berkeley, etc., there is no Albany City parking garage on/near Solano for business/restaurant patrons
- City Budget Potential Impact
- Loss of ease for customer access to businesses, potentially loss of business revenue and subsequent business tax revenue for the City - people go where it's easy to park and convenient to patronize businesses and restaurants
- The City is standing to lose an estimated $2M/yr in property tax due to the sale of Golden Gate Fields to a non-profit for future development to a park. While the park is a grand idea, the loss of $2M annually will impact City budget and City funding for programs/staff/capital improvements, etc.
- When the annual budget will be less (GGF sale/property tax loss) decisions will need to be made about what will/will not be funded - just like your home budget - $$$$ can only be spread so far
- Current Existing Bike Lanes Flanking Solano
- Both Washington & Marin currently have bike lanes. Both streets are only 1 block away from Solano. If people are fit enough to bike up either Washington and/or Marin, they are fit enough to bike 1 block to their Solano destination
- Both Washington & Marin do not have the business/restaurant constant in/out customer and delivery traffic that Solano has which makes their existing bike lanes easier/safer for cyclists
- Practicality of the Proposed Bike Lane/Cycle Track
- The proposal shows the enclosed/raised barrier bike lane/cycle track running from Tulare to Masonic - only about 10 blocks long - does it make sense to pay for a short bike lane with a shrinking budget (sale of GGF/loss of tax revenue) when the flanking streets currently have existing through bike lanes?
- Fire Department's concerns regarding reduced width of Solano - impacts fire department staff ability to quickly access needed first responder equipment stored on both sides of the truck, and the ability to work on both sides of the fire truck
- The proposed bike lane/cycle track is only on the South side of the street with the assumption that cyclists would use it to go uphill. Other than regard for traffic rules, what will stop cyclists from going downhill on the bike lane as well? What will stop eBikes?
- Business deliveries - all of the Solano Ave beloved restaurants and businesses receive deliveries made on large trucks. The deliveries provide the goods and food that customers of the beloved Solano Avenue businesses consume - and take a bit of time and space to load/unload - how will that work? There are no alleys in the back of Solano for deliveries
The draft ATP plan is on the agenda for the Transportation Commission this coming Thursday night at 7 p.m. May 28. Attached copies of the draft and the staff memo below. The cycle track/bike lane plan for Upper Solano Ave (Tulare-Masonic) appears on page 51 of the draft plan, and again on page 1 of the appendix. In the staff memo, please note the city council meeting of May 5, 2025, and the Transportation Commission meeting of Dec 4, 2025. Also attached is a copy of the original report from the Parametrix consultants for a plan they estimate would cost $30-$50 million. Attached is the letter from the Albany Fire Dept. stating their concerns. Both these items were included in the Dec 4, 2025, Transportation Commission agenda package.
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“A lot of people are afraid to say what they want. That’s why they don’t get what they want.” — Madonna