APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY
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CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION NO. ______________ C.M.S.
INTRODUCED BY COUNCILMEMBER CARROLL FIFE
RESOLUTION DECLARING MAY 15, 2025 AS BIKE TO WHEREVER
DAY IN THE CITY OF OAKLAND
WHEREAS, Bicycling is a healthy, affordable, environmentally - friendly way for Oaklanders to get around, and Whereas Oakland is a top city in the US for bicycling - now a Gold level Bicycle Friendly Community; and
WHEREAS, the safety of all road users increases as more people cycle and walk due to the ‘safety in numbers’ effect, and this is good for local businesses as more in Oakland shop by bike and on foot; and
WHEREAS, Walk Oakland Bike Oakland and Bike East Bay are two local advocacy organizations working to build support for redesigning our streets for people, celebrating that while Oakland has built more than two hundred miles of bike lanes, paths and boulevards, much work remains; and
WHEREAS, Oakland has benefitted from 30 years of community leadership through the Bicyclist and Pedestrian Advisory Committee and, eventually, the Bicyclist and Pedestrian Advisory Commission led by neighborhood leaders across the city, focusing on four goals:
1. Be strong advocates for bicyclist and pedestrian safety and hold the city accountable.
2. Be a two-way conduit for information on bicyclist and pedestrian projects.
3. Encourage equity-driven investments and policies and increase community involvement in high-injury and historically underserved areas.
4. Build relationships with policymakers and provide feedback on policies that affect walking and bicycling in Oakland; and
2 WHEREAS, Oakland’s Neighborhood Bike Route guide and Slow Streets implementation recommendations prioritize equitable access to calm, friendly streets for biking, walking, and playing from West Oakland to Deep East Oakland; and
WHEREAS, the City of Oakland integrates critical and free -of-charge bicycle repair and programming through its public libraries, such as the mobile free bike library and The Bike Fix at the 81st Avenue Library branch; and
WHEREAS, the Bay Wheels bike share program in Oakland, which launched in 2017, has since installed 83 docking stations with 650 pedal bicycles and 510 electric-assist bicycles, plus a planned expansion into new neighborhoods with another 19 stations to be added in 2025; and
WHEREAS, since 1999, the City of Oakland has installed over 3,000 bicycle parking racks and 420 publicly -accessible bicycle eLockers in the public right -of-way, in addition to supporting free valet bicycle parking facilities at Fruitvale BART and 19th Street Downtown; and
WHEREAS, every transit system serving Oakland (BART, AC Transit, Amtrak Capitol Corridor, SF Bay Ferry, and more) provides access for bicycles and e-bikes at no additional charge, and BART allows bicycles on escalators and on-board trains at all hours; and
WHEREAS, the City of Oakland has adopted high quality bicycling infrastructure such as the physically separated bikeways completed on Telegraph Ave, Lakeside Dr., and Broadway, and is at work on similar facilities in 2025 on Fruitvale Ave, Harrison St, 14 th St, 20th St, Lakeshore Ave, Doolittle Dr. and more, in addition to new multi-use trails along San Leandro St and the San Leandro Creek; and
WHEREAS, Rick Rickard is named Bike Commuter of the Year (BCOY) for his decades of commitment to biking in Oakland and the East Bay; and
WHEREAS, Bike to Wherever Day is an annual event, now in its 32nd year in Oakland that encourages people to try cycling around town; and
WHEREAS, on the morning of Bike to Wherever Day, dozens of energizer stations will be set up around Oakland with drinks, snacks, and the iconic bike bag for those bicycling until supplies run out, with a free breakfast at City Hall for bicyclists riding in “Pedal Pools” with Elected Officials, as well as a Bike Happy Hour gathering from 4 -7pm in Old Oakland; now, therefore, be it
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3 RESOLVED: That the Oakland City Council hereby declares May 15, 2025 as Bike to Wherever Day in the City of Oakland in celebration of bicycling’s biggest day of the year.
IN COUNCIL, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA,
PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:
AYES - BROWN, FIFE, HOUSTON, KAPLAN, RAMACHANDRAN, UNGER, AND
PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE GALLO
NOES –
ABSENT – COUNCIL PRESIDENT JENKINS (serving as Mayor pursuant to Charter Section 303) ABSTENTION –
ATTEST:
ASHA REED
City Clerk and Clerk of the Council of the
City of Oakland, California
3414138/LL