Late Night BART Service from San Francisco: On New Years Eve, BART will run special 3-line service at 1am on the Orange, Yellow, and Blue lines. Timed transfers will be available at MacArthur, 12th St Oakland, and Bay Fair. The last East Bay bound train will run through downtown San Francisco around 1:30am. For full details, refer to this BART news story.
Free Rides on Transit:AC Transit, Caltrain, and SF Muni will all offer free rides starting at 8pm New Year’s Eve. AC Transit is offering free rides on all lines through 5am New Year’s Day, including AC Transit Transbay and Tempo lines. SF Muni will offer free rides on all lines until 5am New Year’s Day. Caltrain will offer free service on all trains until the last southbound train departs San Francisco at 2am.
Click any link below for additional information.
New Year’s Eve Observed (Friday, December 29)
Wheels (LAVTA): Modified Weekday service – no school service
All other transit agencies serving Contra Costa will provide regular weekday service
New Year’s Eve (Sunday, December 31)
BART: Extended Sunday service (8am-midnight + 1am special service)
All other transit agencies serving Contra Costa will provide regular Sunday service
Tri Delta Transit is the only transit agency serving Contra Costa County which will make schedule changes surrounding Veterans Day. On Friday, November 10, they will operate on their Saturday/Sunday/Holiday schedule and administrative offices will be closed. On November 11, their regular Saturday/Sunday/Holiday schedule will remain in effect.
All other transit agencies serving Contra Costa will run on regular schedules on both Friday (11/10) and Saturday (11/11). Details on Tri Delta Transit’s schedule for Friday are below.
May is National Bike Month and Thursday, May 18, is Bike to Work Day. Start your work day with fresh air and exercise! Enjoy meeting other cyclists and pick up free goodies at various Energizer Stations along your route.
Tips: Getting Ready to Bike Commute
Don’t feel like you’ll be ‘road ready’ in time for Bike to Work Day? Preparing to bike commute isn’t as difficult as you might think. Take a little time to get familiar with your bike, figure out how to carry your stuff, and find a good route or even a bike buddy.
If commuting all the way from home to work seems daunting, it’s not cheating to make the distance more manageable by adding BART to your commute. Although bikes are always allowed on BART, there are some rules to be aware of:
Bikes are never allowed on crowded cars
Bikes are not allowed in the first car
Bikes are not allowed in the first three cars during commute hours
Folded bikes are always allowed in all cars
Bicyclists must use elevators or stairs, not escalators
511 Contra Costa’s Bike Mapper lets you create a custom bike route by choosing from three hill tolerances and three types of routes: bike paths, bike lanes, or the most direct route. Find other bike maps and resources here.
Pledge to Ride on Bike to Work Day
Pledge to ride on Bike to Work Day – Thursday, May 18 – and you’ll receive a map of energizer stations, a digital goodie bag, and routes to ride to celebrate the day. On Bike to Work Day, you’ll be joining thousands of fellow cyclists as they pedal to work, school, or wherever.
511 Contra Costa offers a variety of incentives for biking more, especially for commuting by bike:
Drive Less by replacing just one car commute a week with biking and receive your choice of $25 gift cards.
Pledge to try biking to work and we’ll send you a $20 BikeLink card to help you Secure Your Cycle with a countywide network of electronic bike lockers.
Buy a new e-bike and apply for an E-Bike Rebate of up to $500.
Register to get a free Guaranteed Ride Home if you experience an emergency on a day you biked to work.
Road Safety Quiz
Find out how well you know the rules of the road by taking our Road Safety Quiz. Everyone who completes the quiz will be entered in a drawing for one of twenty $20 Starbucks gift cards. Winners will be notified on May 31.
You’ll find everything from social rides to classes geared towards improving your confidence on the bike on our Bike Events page.
Video Highlights from Bike To Work Day 2018
Wondering what Bike To Work Day is like? Check out the video below.
Video Credit: Ford Tivakul
Employers: Tips on Encouraging Bike Commuting
If you’re an employer and want to inspire more of your employees to commute by bike, we can help! Our 2023 Bike to Work Day Employer Toolkit shares ideas and resources to encourage your employees to get out and ride during Bike Month. We also have great strategies and employer resources for making your workplace bike-commute friendly year round.
Energizer Stations: Contra Costa
On Bike to Work Day, more than 45 Contra Costa energizer stations will welcome riders with a free canvas tote, snacks, and good vibes as they bike to work – or wherever. Whether you are an everyday rider or trying a bike commute for the first time, everyone is welcome.
To help you promote your involvement in Bike Month (aka Bike to Wherever Days) and the Bay Area’s Bike to Work Day on Thursday, May 18, we’ve put together a media kit with promotional copy and graphics.
Iron Horse Trail or Online:Go With The Flow – A biking (or walking) tour of Central San’s service area, following the flow of wastewater for 21 miles along the Iron Horse Regional Trail from San Ramon to Martinez. Explore all or part of the route in person, or travel it virtually with the guided map tour.
Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda:Lamorinda Zero Waste Challenge – A fun, free and friendly competition between the cities of Lafayette, Orinda, and Moraga. Sustainable Contra Costa will provide a weekly set of two simple and impactful actions. Each time a participant submits an action shot, they’ll be entered into that week’s drawing for amazing local gift cards. April 3-May 14.
Saturday, April 15
El Cerrito:El Cerrito Earth Day & Appreciation Lunch – Residents can volunteer at work parties across the city, helping clean up and beautify the city, starting at 9am, followed by a volunteer appreciation luncheon at the El Cerrito Community Center from noon to 1:30pm.
Online:Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour – In a series of live garden visits passionate garden owners will take you on private tours of their gardens. In addition, you can learn about the must-have plants for your garden, how to create a pollinator pathway, how to garden for birds, butterflies and bees, and more. 10am-3pm, Zoom or YouTube.
Sunday, April 16
Online:Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour – In a series of live garden visits passionate garden owners will take you on private tours of their gardens. In addition, you can learn about the must-have plants for your garden, how to create a pollinator pathway, how to garden for birds, butterflies and bees, and more. 10am-3pm, Zoom or YouTube.
Saturday, April 22
Antioch:RecycleSmart Annual Compost Giveaway – Alamo, Diablo, Danville, and Walnut Creek residents can register in advance to pick up free compost at Creekside Community Church in Alamo. 9am-2pm.
El Sobrante:Earth Day Cleanup & Celebration – Join the El Sobrante/94803 Green Team and SPAWNERS at the El Sobrante Library for their annual cleanup and celebration. Sign in and join Green Teams to clean up streets or SPAWNERS to clean up creeks. A celebration will follow the cleanup, featuring food, children’s art activities, entertainment, speakers, electric car and bike demos, and more. Cleanup 9:30am-12pm / Celebration 12-2pm, El Sobrante Library.
Martinez:John Muir Birthday – Earth Day – A wonderful fun-filled family day in the sun, at the grounds of the John Muir National Historic Site, which includes his 1880s Victorian home and an authentic 1849 Mexican Adobe, along with his orchards and vineyard. There will be food and live music along with many displays relating to history, ecology, and nature. 10am-4pm, John Muir Historic Site.
Martinez:Earth Day Rocks – The Martinez Public Library is hosting a make-and-take craft event for teens and tweens all day (9am-5pm) Saturday, April 22. For each participant, they will supply a rounded rock, 3 paint colors, and a paintbrush, which they can use to paint animal faces, a flower, an insect, a message to the earth or whatever else they like. 9am-5pm, Martinez Library, 740 Court St.
Oakley:Earth Day Community Clean-Up at Dutch Slough – River Partners and the California Department of Water Resources are hosting a community clean-up event at Dutch Slough Tidal Marsh Restoration. This is a great opportunity to connect with nature, get your hands dirty, and learn about the beautiful freshwater tidal marsh. RSVP required. Bring a water bottle, work gloves, sturdy shoes, a hat, and layers. 9am-12pm, Dutch Slough Tidal Marsh Restoration, 7199 Sellers Ave.
Pinole:Pinole Earth Walk – A three-mile paved loop walk beginning and ending in Fernandez Park. Snacks and refreshments will be provided at the finish line, and there will be kids’ activities and local environmental organizations to connect with. 9am, Fernandez Park.
Pinole:Point Pinole Beach Cleanup – Join the East Bay Regional Park District to celebrate Earth Day at Point Pinole with a shoreline Cleanup. 9am-12pm, Giant Highway Staging Area.
Pleasant Hill:Pleasant Hill Instructional Garden – Expert talks, informative displays, a garden tour, and hands-on demonstrations to understand how small efforts can make a difference to help the Earth, reduce our impact on climate change, and improve sustainable practices. 12:30-4:30pm, Pleasant Hill Instructional Garden, Santa Barbara Rd & Hawthorne Rd.
Richmond:Earth Day Celebration // Celebración del Día de la Tierra – This celebration honors the achievements of the environmental movement and raises awareness of the need to protect Earth’s natural resources. 9-11:15am: Different volunteer activites at 3 locations. 12-1pm: Community celebration at Unity Park with games, speakers, bike-powered smoothies, a petting zoo, food trucks, and live music. Unity Park (1605 Ohio Ave).
Richmond:Richmond-San Rafael Bridge Trail Ride – Rich City Rides will lead a ride across the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge to honor Earth Day and celebrate Trails Day. Meeting at the Richmond BART plaza at 2:30pm and rolling out at 3pm. 3pm, Richmond BART.
Richmond:The Watershed Project’s Earth Day of Action and Celebration – The Watershed Project will be hosting a Creek Cleanup at Wildcat Creek and a Native Plant Garden Planting at 320 Grove Ave, then moving to the North Richmond Ballpark for celebrations and family-friendly games and activities. 9am-12:30pm.
Walnut Creek:Walnut Creek Earth Day. Live music, speakers, and a kids’ eco art zone. Civic Park, 11am-2.
Walnut Creek:Broadway Plaza’s Earth Day Celebration – Take the pledge to use reusable bags each time you shop and receive a free reusable shopping bag then get to visit the Pixie Pop-Ups Flower Truck to build your own beautiful bouquet. There will also be face painting for the kids. 11am-3pm, Event Plaza at Broadway Plaza.
Walnut Creek: Downtown Earth Day Beautification Project – Join a team of over 60 volunteers and show off your artistic side by contributing to the “Painted Pianos!” project. 9am-1pm, Downtown Walnut Creek.
Walnut Creek:Parkmead Neighborhood Earth Day Cleanup – Meet at the Tice Creek Elementary School parking lot from 9-11:30am. Groups will head out on pick-up routes that will hit the highest litter areas, including Olympic, South Main, Tice Creek and Parkmead Schools. 9-11:30am, Tice Creek Elementary.
Walnut Creek: Unity of Walnut Creek – Tending Our Sacred Grounds – During the event, volunteers can enjoy an Earth Day ceremony, clean up the grounds including the Labyrinth at 1871 Geary Rd and feel free to bring a potluck item to join others who care about the environment. 1:15-3:30pm Cleanup projects. 4-5pm: Plant-based potluck. 1-5pm, Unity Center of Walnut Creek, 1871 Geary Rd.
Sunday, April 23
Concord:Lime Ridge Open Space Earth Day Celebration – Volunteers are needed to plant native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers, as well as to work watering, picking up litter, removing invasive non-native plants, and spreading mulch. There will be a nature walk also. Bring gloves. 9am-12pm, Lime Ridge Open Space Community Building, 3701 Treat Blvd.
Emeryville:Shorebird Park Shoreline Cleanup – Come on out Sunday any time from 9am-noon. Snacks and refreshments provided. Meet at Shorebird Park. As always, bring what you can (e.g. gloves, grabber, garden digging claw). Organizers will have limited supplies for those who show up without any of the above. Shorebird Park, 9am-noon.
Lafayette:Lafayette Earth Day Festival – Learn how you can help our planet at a family-friendly festival featuring kids’ activities, educational exhibits, a petting zoo, food vendors, and more. Lafayette Plaza Park, 11am-2pm.
In their annual review of new transportation laws, the California Highway Patrol has highlighted a few that affect motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians. All these laws went into effect on January 1, 2023:
This law prohibits peace officers from stopping pedestrians for certain pedestrian-specific violations, such as crossing the road outside of a crosswalk, unless there is an immediate danger of a crash.
This law provides for increased protections to bicyclists by requiring vehicles passing or overtaking a bicycle in the same direction, to move over to an adjacent lane of traffic, if one is available, or slow down and only pass the bicyclist when safe to do so. The law also permits cyclists to go when a walk sign is on at intersections and allows Class 3 e-bike riders to use approved bicycle paths and trails, bikeways, and bicycle lanes.
This requires the CHP to work with other traffic safety stakeholders such as the California Office of Traffic Safety, to develop statewide safety and training programs for electric bicycles. This training program will launch on the CHP’s website in September 2023.
This law authorizes law enforcement agencies to request the CHP to activate a “Yellow Alert” when a fatal hit-and-run crash has occurred. The law also encourages local media outlets to disseminate the information contained in a Yellow Alert. The new law serves to use the public’s assistance to improve the investigatory ability of law enforcement agencies.
Parking lots and off-street parking facilities are now included as locations where it is a crime to engage in a speed contest, exhibition of speed, or sideshow activity.
