Another 221 e-bikes have been added for shared use in Berkeley making it easier, faster, and more accessible to make one-way bike-trips throughout our corner of the East Bay.  

Check out an e-bike – or one of the existing 391 non-electric pedal bikes – at one of the 37 bike share stations across Berkeley. Ride and then lock it up at a destination station – which will grow by 11 over the next year. You don’t have to worry about theft, maintenance, or charging.  

Bay Wheels, the Bay Area bike share operator, offers rates for one-time use as well as by day, month or year. Low-income memberships start at $5 for the first year, with rides of 5 cents per minute reaching a maximum of $1.  

Jump on a bike to shorten the time to catch AC Transit or BART – or use one to ride back near your home. On an e-bike, you won’t have to huff up the hill to see a concert at The Greek. Ride from Solano to The Lorin or even neighboring Oakland and Emeryville – cities that also have Bay Wheels stations.  

The benefits of shared transportation tools extend to scooters like Lime and Veo, additional services the City has coordinated to make it easier for people of all abilities and incomes to move across Berkeley. Scooters can also take advantage of the City’s growing network of bike lanes, cycle tracks and bike boulevards. 

Explore Berkeley, Oakland, and Emeryville without having to worry about where you parked your bike; you can always just jump on a new one at a nearby station. Learn more at Bay Wheels.  

To rent a Bay Wheels e-bike or non-electric bicycle, use the Lyft or Bay Wheels app to scan a bike’s QR code and unlock it from the docking station.  

You can rent a Bay Wheels any time without commitments. Bay Wheels does offer four memberships, where members receive free unlocks and discounted per minute pricing for e-bike rides: 

• Monthly at $29 per month ($.15 per minute for first 45 minutes)
• Annual, at $150 per year ($.15 per minute for first 45 minutes)
• Lyft Pink, at $199 per year ($.15 per minute for first 45 minutes)
• Bikeshare for All for low-income users ($.05 per minute with a max payment of $1)  

See BayWheels pricing details, including their Day Pass, which can be purchased on day of use for $.30 per minute with no time limit. 

Each membership is cheaper than most new bikes – especially e-bikes.  

Those with a Bay Wheels membership can unlock a bike with their Clipper card.  

Unlike shared scooter services available in Berkeley, Bay Wheels bikes must be locked back into a docking station to complete your ride or risk a fine.

Berkeley's bike share stations, infrastructure is growing

Links

We’re nearly tripling the miles we’re paving throughout Berkeley this year while also making it safer and easier to move by foot, bike, car, or bus.

The 13 miles the City will pave across 26 streets this year – thanks to increased City and Alameda County funds – is a 183 percent increase of the roughly 4.6 miles paved per year from 2021 through 2023. 

When we pave in Berkeley, it’s not just about asphalt; we often improve pedestrian and bicycle safety, drainage, and signage. Some streets have total makeovers, going well beyond a smooth ride for whatever wheels you hop onto or into.

The City Council-approved 5-year Paving Plan, which also incorporates state funding, focuses on paving streets throughout Berkeley most heavily used by pedestrians, bicyclists and buses—the modes most sustainable and accessible to all people. 

The paving plan, which is guided by the City’s Street Maintenance and Rehabilitation Policy, also increases paving in the “Equity Zone”, historically underserved and underinvested West and South Berkeley neighborhoods.

To learn which streets are being paved this year as well as in the years to come, view the City’s five-year paving plan or the list at the end of this message.  

Fans and visitors coming near Memorial Stadium on Cal football game days can avoid hassle and traffic by using public transit, walking, biking and avoiding parking in areas with towing and high fines.

Please remember that a small number of blocks in the area will also be off-limits to nearby residents. 

BART trains, AC Transit buses, and free UC Berkeley gameday shuttles provide fast access to or near Memorial Stadium. Ride your own bicycle or scooter – or use a shared one – on Bancroft Way’s new protected two-way bicycle lane. Walk through the vibrant Southside neighborhood to the stadium.

Game day parking restrictions near California Memorial Stadium begin at 8:00 a.m. and last until 11:00 p.m. Cars parked in no-parking zones or areas requiring a residential permit will be either fined $225; or towed and fined $316 in total for towing fees and citation.

Home game days for the 2024 season are October 5, 19, 26; and November 16, 23. 

Plan ahead. Take the bus, ride a bike, or walk on Cal football game days to avoid $225 fines or your vehicle being towed. 

Read more at berkeleyca.gov.