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2019 Earth Day Events

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Earth Day is Monday, April 22! We’ve pulled together a list of Earth Day celebrations in Contra Costa, happening through Sunday, April 28.

If you see a ☀ next to an event listing, it means 511 Contra Costa staff will have a table at the event. Say hello, pick up some 511CC swag & get info on bonuses for trying an alternative (and environmentally friendly) commute.

Click any link below for additional information

Earth Day Events

Saturday, April 20

  • Antioch: Upper Sand Creek Basin – Spend the morning in the beautiful Upper Sand Creek watershed, exploring an area that is usually closed to the public. Volunteer activities include trash pickup, invasive species removal, and planting native flora. Upper Sand Creek Basin, 6600 Deer Valley Rd, 9am-12pm.
  • Clayton: Clayton Cleans Up – Community clean-up day; volunteers check in at Clayton City Hall. Various locations. 9am-12pm (Must complete registration form; for more info call the Pioneer at (925) 672-0500.
  • Crockett: Crockett Shoreline Cleanup – Join the Carquinez Watershed Council in a celebration of Earth Day. The Carquinez Regional Environmental Education Center will be hosting a free planting party for the whole family; volunteers will be cleaning up trash and doing a trash assessment at the site. Crockett Shoreline, 10am-2pm.
  • Martinez ☀: John Muir Birthday–Earth Day Celebration – 511CC staff will be giving each person who bikes to the event a $5 Jamba Juice gift card. Celebrate pioneering naturalist John Muir’s 181st birthday at his former home while learning practical ways to help the planet thrive. There will be live music, activities for the kids and other entertainment. John Muir National Historic Site, 10am-4pm. 511CC giving people who bike to the event $5 Jamba Juice gift cards
  • Port Costa: Port Costa Earth Day Cleanup – Meet at the café in Port Costa for coffee and snacks in the morning, followed by an Earth Day cleanup of the Port Costa Shoreline! 2 Canyon Lake Dr, Port Costa, 9am-12pm.
  • Richmond: North Richmond Earth Day Cleanup & Celebration – Help clean up Wildcat Creek at Verde Elementary School. After the creek cleanup, enjoy the North Richmond Earth Day Celebration at Shields-Reid Park and Community Center including food, live performances, kids activities, and more! The Watershed Project will be hosting fun and educational watershed activities for kids of all ages. Cleanup 9-11am, festival 11am-2pm.

Sunday, April 21

Monday, April 22

  • Pleasant Hill ☀: Diablo Valley College Earth Day – Meet the experts, ask questions, and learn what you can do to be more sustainable. Live entertainment, giveaways, and free food. 511CC staff will have prizes and information on how students can earn rewards for everyday transportation with the Miles app. All are welcome. Commons at DVC, 321 Golf Club Rd, 11am-2pm. 

Tuesday, April 23

  • Pleasant Hill ☀: Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Earth Day Celebration – A day of ecologically oriented fun including a recycling contest! All ages welcome. Kaiser Permanente Medical Center – Main Courtyard, 1425 S Main St, Walnut Creek, 11:30am-1:30pm.

Wednesday, April 24

  • Concord ☀: ASI Earth Week Festival – Celebrate sustainability and Mother Earth on the CSUEB Concord campus! Talk with featured organizations and enjoy music, food, and giveaways. In front of CSUEB Concord University Union, 4700 Ygnacio Valley Rd, 11am-2pm.
  • Moraga: Saint Mary’s Earth Day Festival – Enjoy over 20 booths, including an electric vehicle car show, the Global Gael food truck, yoga, music, art, and more. Celebrate the Earth and learn about environmental issues and solutions. St. Mary’s College, De La Salle Hall, 1928 St. Mary’s Road, 12:30pm-3pm.
  • Pittsburg ☀: Los Medanos College Earth Day Fair – An opportunity to learn about environmental organizations, their work, and how to live in an environmentally friendly way. The Sierra Club will be hosting a table to share information about the work they do and outings they sponsor. Los Medanos College Campus Quad, 2700 E Leland Rd, 10am-1pm.

Saturday, April 27

  • Orinda: Orinda Action Day – A day of community service by residents and friends. Volunteers check in at the Orinda Library Plaza. Orinda Library Plaza, 26 Orinda Way, 10am-12pm.

Sunday, April 28

  • Lafayette: Lafayette Earth Day Festival – Discover opportunities to make environmentally friendly choices at the festival. Several organizations will host informative and educational booths including the Girl Scouts, the Climate Reality Project, and Wheel Kids Bicycle Club. Lucia’s, a popular Berkeley pizzeria, will offer regular, vegan and gluten-free pizzas for purchase. Lafayette Library, 3491 Mt Diablo Blvd, 11am-2pm.
  • Orinda: Wagner Ranch Wildlife Festival – Enjoy free admission to the beautiful historic ranch and 18-acre nature preserve, rarely open to the public. Join a variety of activities for all ages: wildlife fun at the Frog Pond, animals to visit in the garden, tours of the meadows, and live music. You’re also welcome to bring a picnic lunch or visit one of four food trucks. Wagner Ranch Nature Area, 350 Camino Pablo, 11:30am-4:30pm.
  • Walnut Creek: Lindsay Wildlife Experience Eco Fest – Meet wild animals – like falcons and porcupines, check out an electric car showcase, learn about sustainable food choices, and more! Lindsay Wildlife Experience, 1931 First Ave, 10am-5pm.

Monday, April 22 – Saturday, April 27: Cal State East Bay Earth Week

  • Concord: Earth Week is free & open to the public, with events including talks, tree planting days, free lunch (bring your own utensils), a scavenger hunt & more. Check the schedule for times & locations.

 

 

Free Teen Driving Safety Program: November 4, 2015 (Danville)

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If you live in or near Danville, help your teen be a safer driver by bringing them to the CHP’s Start Smart program on November 4! This two-hour driver safety class at Monte Vista High School is for new and future licensed teenage drivers and their parents. All are invited to attend!
Presented by the California Highway Patrol, Street Smarts Diablo and Monte Vista High School. The event is free but registration is requested. Click here to register.
The class will be held at Monte Vista High School Theater (at 3131 Stone Valley Rd) in Danville from 7-9pm. For more information, call Street Smarts Diablo at 925-969-1083.

Share Our Trail – 2015 Trail Safety Campaign

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511CC is partnering with the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) for a trail safety awareness campaign called Share Our Trail. The campaign is designed to increase awareness of bicycle and pedestrian safety on the mixed-use paved trails. Staff from 511CC and EBRPD will target busy sections along the Iron Horse, Contra Costa Canal and Lafayette-Moraga Trails from June through mid-September 2015.
Staff will be on the Iron Horse Trail at Love Lane, in Danville, July 15 from 7-9:30 a.m. and Saturday, July 18th from 9:30 a.m. – noon.
Look for campaign posters in the display boxes on the Iron Horse and Contra Costa Canal Trails this summer. For more information, email info@511contracosta.org.

Bike to Work Day 2015 in Contra Costa – Wrap-up & Photos

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On Thursday, May 14, over 100,000 people across the Bay Area commuted by bike in celebration of Bike to Work Day! The Bay’s 400-plus energizer stations saw more than 51,000 riders stop in or ride by on their way to work. In Contra Costa, morning energizer station hosts counted over 3,585 cyclists!
Even with the threat of rain, thousands of people still grabbed their bikes for the commute to work – some for the very first time! 511 Contra Costa wants to thank all the participants for making this another successful Bike to Work Day and for helping reduce CO2 emissions!
IronHorse_8We’d especially like to thank the hosts and all the volunteers who helped coordinate and staff the energizer stations throughout Contra Costa. By providing encouragement, snacks, mechanical assistance, and even shelter from the rain, you helped make bike commuting a reality for so many!
If you participated in Bike to Work Day and want to keep commuting by bike (or want to try bike commuting for the first time), we’ve got resources that can help make it fun and easy. Visit our biking page for a guide on how to become a bike commuter, to sign up for a BikeLink (bike locker) card, to learn about taking bikes on transit, and to find out how you can get a cash reward for making the switch to commuting by bike!
We collected all our Bike to Work Day photos in the galleries below. If you volunteered at a Contra Costa County energizer station or stopped by one on your commute, check below and you might just see yourself! (Click any photo to see a larger version.)
Bike to Work Day 2015 was a huge success and we’re thrilled about how many people got involved. Whether you participated this year or not, we hope to see you on your bike next year… if not sooner!
 

ENERGIZER STATIONS

Alamo: Iron Horse Trail at Stone Valley Rd West – Hosted by RPM Mortgage

Photo courtesy Michele O.
Photo courtesy Michele O.

Antioch: Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center – Hosted by Kaiser Permanente Antioch Medical Center

KPAntioch_1 KPAntioch_2 KPAntioch_3 KPAntioch_4

Antioch: Delta de Anza Trail at Lone Tree Way – Hosted by the City of Antioch & Sutter Delta Medical Center

Delta de Anza_1 Delta de Anza_2 Delta de Anza_3

Brentwood: Marsh Creek Trail at Central Blvd – Hosted by East Bay Regional Parks District

Marsh Creek Trail_1

Brentwood: Ron Nunn Elementary School – Hosted by Ron Nunn Elementary School

Ron Nunn_1 Ron Nunn_2

Brentwood: City Park – Delta Pedalers Bicycle Club

Brentwood_1 Brentwood_2 Brentwood_3
Brentwood_4 Brentwood_5 Brentwood_6

Concord: Cambridge Elementary School – Hosted by Monument Impact

Cambridge_3 Cambridge_2 Cambridge_1

Concord: Concord BART Station – Hosted by Bank of America & County Connection

ConcordBart_3 ConcordBart_2 ConcordBart_4
ConcordBart_5 ConcordBart_6

Danville: Iron Horse Trail at Sycamore Valley Rd – Hosted by The Studio

Photo courtesy Michele O.
Photo courtesy Michele O.

Danville: Iron Horse Trail behind Lunardi’s/Danville Train Depot – Hosted by Street Smarts San Ramon & the Town of Danville

Photo courtesy Michele O.
Photo courtesy Michele O.

San Ramon: Iron Horse Trail at Bollinger Canyon Rd – Hosted by Sunset Development Company, City of San Ramon & Whole Foods Market

Photos courtesy Michele O.
Photo Courtesy Michele O. Photo Courtesy Michele O. Photo Courtesy Michele O.
Photo Courtesy Michele O.

Walnut Creek: Iron Horse Trail between Broadway & Newell Ave – Hosted by Whole Foods Market

Photo courtesy Michele O.
Photo courtesy Michele O.

Walnut Creek: Iron Horse & Contra Costa Canal Trail intersection – Hosted by CCTA, 511 Contra Costa & East Bay Regional Park District

IronHorse_1 IronHorse_2 IronHorse_3
IronHorse_4 BTWD Photo IronHorse_6
IronHorse_7 IronHorse_8 IronHorse_9
IronHorse_10 IronHorse_11 IronHorse_12
Photo by Michele O.

Walnut Creek: Ygnacio & Contra Costa Canal Trail Intersection – Hosted by Encina Bicycle Center

Photo courtesy Michele O.
Photo courtesy Michele O.

Walnut Creek: Ygnacio Canal Trail & Wiget Ln – Hosted by Renaissance ClubSport

Ygnacio_1 Ygnacio_2 Ygnacio_3

Contra Costa HOV Lanes on I-680 to Be Converted to Express Lanes (2014)

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The Bay Area Infrastructure Financing Authority (BAIFA) is working closely with Caltrans to convert the existing HOV lanes on I-680 into express lanes from Rudgear Road to Alcosta Blvd. in the southbound direction and from Alcosta Blvd. to Livorna Road in the northbound direction.  Like existing HOV lanes, express lanes are FREE for carpools, vanpools, buses and other eligible vehicles while allowing solo drivers to use the lanes for a toll.
Open House
BAIFA invites everyone  to attend an informational meeting to learn more. Project plans will be on display and project team members will be present to provide input about the project.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
San Ramon Community Center at Central Park
12501 Alcosta Blvd. San Ramon, CA 94583
OnLine Public Open House
Can’t make the meeting in person? BAIFA is also hosting an online public meeting at www.BAIFAexpresslanes.org that will begin January 30 and be open for two weeks, closing February 13. The online format will allow the public to view the same information that will be shown at the public meeting and provide input during the two-week period. Once on the project website, click the link to view the information.
Visit www.BAIFAexpresslanes.org or contact MTC Public Information at (510) 817-5757 for more information.
 
 
 
 

"East Bay-cations" in and around Contra Costa County

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Looking for a fun and cost-effective way to take a break this summer?
It might be time to give “stay-cations” a try.
The catchy almost-portmanteau has only been around since 2005, but the concept is old enough.
Instead of packing up the family for adventure abroad, use your time off to explore the lesser known adventures around you.
Who knows? You might just develop a new appreciation for your old haunts. Just be sure to apply your regular vacation rules – eat well, don’t street, and leave work out of it!
Start Small with a Walk in the Park
The East Bay Regional Parks District operates 65 parks, spanning 100,000 acres and 1,150 in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties. Each park has beautiful flora and fauna, and several hold historical (or even paleontological) significance.
And best of all, the Parks District website has lots of information to help you get to these parks by transit!
Let’s say you want to take an afternoon to explore Point Pinole, eat a picnic, and find all 100 species of birds that call the park home. You could drive (and pay for parking), or hop on the AC Transit 71 or 376. Even WestCAT can take you there. Find your route with the 511 Trip Planner.
Check out the East Bay Regional Park District’s summer catalog for more ideas.
Higher-Impact Day Trips
How about a day trip? You don’t need to back a toothbrush, but you can still get a new perspective.
The Martinez-News Gazzette talks up the then-new Benicia-Martinez Bridge bike and pedestrian crossing. A local bicyclist shares one choice route.

From downtown, head out Marina Vista to cross over the Benicia Bridge, ride through Benicia and back across Carquinez Bridge, and “then take San Pablo Avenue into El Cerrito and hop on BART to get to San Francisco’s Embarcadero station. From there you ride out along the bay to the Golden Gate Bridge, cross over to Marin and catch the ferry back to San Francisco and then Vallejo, back across the Carquinez bridge and home to Martinez.

Overnight Exploration
Several parks in the East Bay Regional Parks District have campgrounds, if you want to really get away from it all.
Overnight with Creature Comforts
Do you live in Danville? Have you ever visited Danville’s farmers’ market? Do you see Danville as a tourist destination?
Don’t take my word for it: Danville has a great downtown.
If you really need to unplug for a few days, consider leaving the car at home, bringing a change of clothes on the County Connection and book a room in Danville for the night.
Danville not your flavor? Give any of Contra Costa County’s cute downtowns a chance, and you might find that rest and relaxation is closer than you thought.

Town of Danville kicks off Share Our Streets

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The Town of Danville is kicking off the first day of summer – a season synonymous with outdoor recreation – with the new “Share Our Streets” traffic safety campaign.
“Share Our Streets”, a joint effort by the Town’s Transportation and Police Departments, is a new summer-long program targeting the three main groups using area roadways: drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians. The campaign, designed to promote safety among those groups, was developed in an effort to address concerns raised by local residents about the conflicts between the three groups. The “Share Our Streets” logo, featuring a biker, walker and driver, will serve as a reminder to everyone that safety, courtesy and caution is a shared responsibility.
Implementation of “Share Our Streets” will be a three-step operation that includes education, warning and enforcement periods. During the first phase (June 21 through July 18), the focus is on getting out the message. Police and citizen volunteers will be passing out informational materials to residents in Town.
In the second phase (July 21 through August 15), law enforcement officers will have the option of issuing a warning ticket in lieu of a formal citation for minor traffic infractions. During the final four weeks of the campaign, Danville Police will be strictly enforcing traffic laws for all three groups.

“Share Our Streets is not about issuing citations,” stated Danville Police Chief Steve Simpkins. “Our goal is to convey a positive message through education by first reminding our users to be courteous and cautious on the road.”

For more information on “Share Our Streets”, contact Sgt. Brad Harms at (925) 314-3722 or Bharms@danville.ca.gov or Transportation Program Coordinator Nat Rojanasathira at (925) 314-3382 or nrojanasathira@danville.ca.gov.

The Street Smarts "Be Reel!" 2010-2011 Video Contest is Underway!

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Attention all aspiring directors, producers, and screenwriters! Now is your chance to show your friends, family, and classmates your awesome video-making abilities.
The Street Smarts “Be Reel!” Video Contest, which takes place each spring and fall, wants middle school students (grades 6-8) in San Ramon Valley to submit 60-second public service announcement videos about traffic safety. Teams, which can include up to four students, will have the opportunity to win prizes, from $25 gift cards to iPod shuffles and nanos, as well as the possibility of having their video viewed at the Danville International Children’s Film Festival. The theme for the 2010-2011 contest is “Walking and Biking to School Together is the Cool Thing To Do.”
For more information about the contest and to enter, visit the Street Smarts website.
Here are a couple of finalist videos from the 2009-2010 contest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iPkYVDNh9k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZMChOVwj1U
Other finalist videos from 2009-2010

Roadwork on Blackhawk Road in Danville September 7-16, 2010

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Contra Costa County Public Works Department will perform road work on Blackhawk Road west of Tennis Club Road starting on September 7 and anticipate completion of the work on September 16. The work includes installation of a drain pipe between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. During the hours of construction one lane of Blackhawk Road will be closed to motorists. Traffic will be directed by flaggers through the road work and motorists can expect possible delays.
Source: Contra Costa County Public Works Department

San Ramon Valley Transportation Summit 2010

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Save the Date! The City of San Ramon, Town of Danville, and 511 Contra Costa invite you to attend an informational San Ramon Valley Transportation Summit. The event will be on Monday, May 3, 2010 featuring:

Sal Castaneda, Award winning TV News Reporter from the Bay Area’s own KTVU News
San Ramon Mayor H. Abram Wilson
Danville Mayor Mike Doyle
Randy Rentscheler, Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Director of Legislation and Public Affairs

Event Information:
Date: Monday, May 3, 2010
Time: 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM, *Breakfast included*
What: Click here to view a tentative schedule and topics.
Location:
San Ramon Community Center (Terrace Room)
12501 Alcosta Blvd
San Ramon, CA 94583
Continue reading “San Ramon Valley Transportation Summit 2010”