You can find some interesting stills of the Key System on this excellent site.

I never know what it will be; I’m in the hands of KPFA Radio.

I’m not a KPFA groupie. I don’t tune in at any other time of day. Years ago, I was a loyal listener; before the Pacifica drama. The few times when I listen to radio these days, it’s KCSM jazz, or news, or a ballgame. The clock-radio was set to KPFA by accident one night; I thought it was another station. I was resetting my alarm after yet another favorite morning station was swallowed up by the ever hungry airwave monster that consumes radio stations like whales consume krill.

After the first disorienting morning, I meant to find another station. But days passed. Then weeks passed. I was gradually becoming addicted to the randomness of the programming – the occasional dead air, those transitions when one track ended abruptly and another began in the middle, the occasionally amateurish chatter, announcements with background music cranked up so loud, I couldn’t comprehend them. Some of the hosts were smooth and professional. Others were so ragged you wondered how they made it through their show… or why they were asked to return. There was the ever changing music roulette, then brief local news, then Al Jazeera English. Except when, inexplicably, there was no local news or instead of Al Jazeera, there was Democracy Now. Or something else completely different. Where else could I be so surprised, so unsure of what would happen in the next moment?

So the clock-radio remains set to KPFA. It isn’t going to change any time soon. I crave the randomness now. The chaos somehow helps me prepare for my day; for daily life out there among my neighbors, my fellow Berkeleyans. As I realize this, I also realize how disingenuous I’ve been in claiming to be something other than a typical Berkeleyan. We’re all a bit like KPFA early morning radio, aren’t we? Unpredictable, a bit random, brilliant at times and rough around the edges at others, perfectly charming one moment and all too abrasive the next. I’m Sun Ra and you’re Balkan folk songs and she’s experimental ambient sound. We’re supposedly grouped and sorted, arranged into some logical pattern, some coherent program, but the waking world can’t always catch our drift. We’re noticeably different, often incompatible and yet, together produce a mesmerizing pastiche. If you’re looking for neat and orderly, waking world, you’ve tuned to the wrong station. But you may want to leave that dial where it is. You might just find that we grow on you.

To get you off on the right foot, literally and figuratively, I’m introducing a new series called “30 Minute Walks.” We’ll start with easy and moderate walks and work up to more strenuous efforts later. The goal of the series is not only to get you out walking on a regular basis, but also to familiarize yourself with the most walkable parts of the city so you can either design your own walks in the future or settle happily into being a flaneur.

I’ll start the series with four walks, one in each quadrant of the city. When possible, I’ll offer suggestions for paring the walks down to 15 minutes, in the event that you can’t find the time for 30 minutes. The goal is to walk every day and two 15 minute walks are nearly as beneficial as one 30 minute walk. I’ll provide a Google map that will be printable and an elevation profile, when possible, so you can get an idea of the level of effort of each walk. In the event that you’re walking just before or just after work, I’ll provide some ideas about places nearby where you can grab a coffee or a sandwich.

So let’s get walking!

The very first thing you’ll need is good map. I’ll be providing a walk map, but you might need to cut your walk short or for some other reason stray out of the area covered by the walk map. I recommend the Berkeley Path Wanderers Association map because it’s a great map for walkers and lists all the paths (some maps don’t). If you’re a goal-driven person, I would also recommend a pedometer so you can record your total steps, walk duration and total calories expended. Check the post Practical Tools For Walkers – Part 1 for information about analog and digital pedometers.

Other important points before you strike out on your first walk:

• I’ll always indicate the start of a walk with a GREEN bubble and the end with a RED bubble.
• I’ll indicate the recommended direction, if any, in the notes on the Google map. Generally speaking, you should be able to walk in either direction.
• Some paths are not labeled in Google’s database. When that occurs, I’ll use a green arrow to call attention to the path and record the name in the map notes.
• I’m basing the estimated 30 minute duration on my average walking speed — your mileage (or at least your speed) may vary. I also am taking pictures and generally fooling around, so a fast walker may cover the distance in less time.

Our first walk is in the Claremont District around The Uplands. I selected this neighborhood because the color is so magnificent this time of year. There seems to be a higher concentration of persimmon and maple trees — it’s really stunning. Here’s the suggested route:

View 30 Min. Walks: SE – Oakridge in a larger map

The walk begins by climbing Oakridge Path. There are some stairs and a steady uphill, but it’s not strenuous. It’s a good way to get the blood pumping first thing in the morning. After the initial climb, the remainder of the walk is either flat or downhill. Here’s the elevation profile:

The photos of whimsical garden art are from the Oakridge Path for the most part, so you’ll have something to amuse yourself as you walk. The path also offers some breathtaking views.

If you only have time for a 15 minute walk, follow the route up Oakridge Path, continue onto Oak Ridge Rd. but turn right onto Park Path, which is about halfway between the end of Oakridge Path and Oakridge Steps. At the bottom of Park Path, turn left and proceed to The Cutoff, which will be on your right. The Cutoff ends at The Plaza Drive. Turn right and follow The Plaza Drive to Domingo then follow Domingo back to the starting point.

If you’re a morning walker, you can drop in at Peet’s on Domingo near Ashby and/or stroll down to The Bread Garden for pastry. If you’re an evening walker, you can treat yourself to dinner at Rick & Ann’s on Domingo and/or a drink at the Paragon Bar in the Claremont Hotel across the street.

You may find that it’s just too difficult to get out on these 30 minute walks every day. If that’s the case, take half of your lunch break to walk around the area where you work. Get off one Muni or BART stop short of your destination and walk that extra distance. When you need a break from the more routine walking, come back to these walks that have more to offer in terms of interesting scenery. Mix it up. The important thing is to get into the habit.

Please let me know how the walks are working for you and how your walking program is proceeding. Also feel free to leave suggestions for additional walks or ways to improve the routes I’ve provided.

Good luck and have fun.

I’m increasingly perplexed by the new Brennan’s. I realize this as I’m waiting in the food line for my sandwich. I’ve been here quite a few times since they moved but I’m alone today. Maybe I’m just feeling sentimental.

A young woman is slicing meat for my sandwich. She’s very pleasant but she moves slowly and carefully. She’s not one of the old guys. One of the old guys is working next to her. He used to be the young guy who didn’t know anything but now he handles the carving knife like a ninja — using both edges of the double-sided knife, slicing, skimming, dropping some meat to the plate then back to carve without missing a beat. He moves like the knife is an extension of his arm. The ninja has made three sandwiches in the time it’s taken the woman to make one. She smiles at me and hands me the plate. The old guys never smiled. They’d look at you quizzically to prompt you to order. They may ask if you wanted your roast beef rare or medium, or what type of bread you wanted. The old guys didn’t mince words. They made your plate and shoved it at you unceremoniously under the glass partition. I like the friendliness of the woman but I like the old guys too. I guess we’ve grown used to each other.

I slide down to the cashier who is taking money from the person in front of me. The customer wants the woman to validate her parking. Brennan’s used to be an island in a vast sea of parking places. People who had spent all afternoon sucking back Irish Coffees could clear their heads walking back to their cars. If necessary, they could take a little test drive around the parking lot. Maybe take a little nap. Now there are only a few spaces on the side of the building. There’s a two hour limit for those spots. No good for the regulars who spend hours inside talking to their friends. You can’t park on the street unless you want to shovel money into meters all afternoon. True, you could park down at Aquatic Park… if you could find a spot. Otherwise you’re banished to the Spenger’s lot where they accept validations. You sit in a line of traffic, watching the gate go up and down for the cars in front of you; become part of the stream of strangers who file across Fourth St. and push through Spenger’s double wooden doors. The customer in front of me is an older woman. She has probably lived in Berkeley for a long time. Now she’s a tourist getting validated.

I sit at one of the long rows of tables. They are arranged in the same way as they were in the old place, these long rows, family style. I may be alone, but it feels like others will soon join me. When they do, they don’t have to sit too close. I can talk to them from a few seats away. No need to invade a person’s space. We can be friendly, we don’t have to move in together.

Even in the daylight, the green paint on the walls isn’t quite right. They were trying to match the old paint. This shade is too blue. It’s a cozy place now, smaller. I like that. But I also miss the vast dining room, row upon row upon long row of tables. I miss the dingy expanse of linoleum under the tables and the echo of footsteps on the hard floor in the hushed dimness of late afternoon. It was so very much like a real Irish pub back then, very authentic. Not the fancy tourist pubs in Killarney. Neighborhood pubs where people brought their families. No intricately carved bar, no wall-to-wall oak, no stained glass windows. Just a place to sit, drink, eat and socialize. A place where the kids could run around.

I’m looking over at the southwest corner of the bar. There’s a little inglenook with several tables and a single television mounted on the wall. The prize bull at the Cow Palace, a photo from the old place, is mounted next to the TV. The TV is tuned to a cooking show. It’s always tuned to a cooking show. Why? Regulars at the old place fought over which games would be shown on the two big projection screens. There were heated arguments. Hockey vs. basketball. Baseball vs. football. A cooking show? Not a chance. Not unless it was a hockey guy and a football guy cooking together, then maybe. Who watches this television? The tables are empty. Who sits there? Maybe the cooks come out on their breaks and brush up on making a roux or tempering chocolate.

I study the walls. Pretty much like the old place with one exception. There’s a poster announcing that XBOX is available — fun for the whole family. XBOX? Do they project it on the TVs? It used to be that the kids that came in with their parents would watch sports or talk to their family. Read a book. Do homework. In some sad cases, they just sat idly while the old man get hammered. XBOX…

There are several suits sitting at the tables next to the windows on the west side of the room. The windows look out on the train platform. They must be from one of the startups that have recently moved into the area. But startup people don’t wear suits, do they? Maybe they sell wine. Or condos. Or pharmaceuticals. The only people you used to see during the week at this time of day were retirees, truck drivers, sailors, and hardcore alcoholics. Now we have guys in white shirts and suits, looking very starched and very serious. Drinking iced tea. They have briefcases for gods sake. Briefcases in Brennan’s — that might be worse than XBOX.

The seats at the bar are mostly unoccupied except for a few men huddled at one corner. They’re regulars. You can tell by the way they lean in to talk then erupt suddenly in laughter. They see each other here all the time. They call to the bartender. They know her too. The bartenders haven’t changed. This is the most amazing thing about Brennan’s — the help stays forever. I am comforted by the bartender’s presence. There is something about the way she laughs and talks to the men, the repartee that passes between them, that convinces me that it’s the same old, friendly neighborhood place that it’s always been. The paint may be off a bit, the trains may pass a little closer, the sun may shine in through big arched windows and XBOX may be available on demand, but it’s really the same, timeless place. Deep down. Under the skin.

I’m glad it’s still here.

That’s right, certain political forces want to cut funding for bikeways, pedestrian paths, traffic calming measures, green spaces, and projects to reduce pollution. And given the contentious nature of our federal deficit discussions, those cuts could easily come to pass. With other sacred cows on the chopping block, less committed supporters of alternative transportation could easily be persuaded to abandon their support in order to save pet projects they hold more dear.

Earlier this week, in response to hyperbolic claims of TE opponents chronicled in a Washington Post article, Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Portland, OR, attempted to set the record straight in an impassioned speech to his congressional colleagues.

While cyclists and pedestrians in major urban centers may feel secure about government commitment to green development, there are indications that not all parts of the country are on board. Earlier this month, the town of Hull, WI unveiled a draft ordinance to RESTRICT pedestrian and bicycle activity on some of its roads. As explained in a recent story in the Wausau Daily Herald, the ordinance would require pedestrian, cycling and running groups to “register their travel plans” with the town and, in some instances, ban such activities altogether. Town leaders cited “anecdotal evidence” that cyclists and walkers are inconveniencing motorists as justification for the ordinance, despite statistics that show only 5 pedestrian/auto collisions in the past 10 years.

Significant advances have been made in the past decade, both in the U.S. and other countries, that make alternative modes of transportation safer, more pleasant, and more convenient. The Transportation Enhancements have fueled much of that success. In lean times, politicians typically opt for a meat and potatoes fiscal diet — highways, defense and commerce — while pushing more nourishing vegetables off to the side. If Americans expect to overcome the ills of climate change, obesity, pollution and congestion, they have to invest in a profound change. Continuing the existing Transportation Enhancement funding is like putting fresh fruits and vegetables in your shopping cart, a commitment to a healthier lifestyle. Without that commitment, other important strategies like Complete Streets and Green Cities have little chance of success.

Let your friends and social networks know about TE. Forward the links from this post. Ask everyone to let their city, state and federal legislators know that TE funding is essential. It’s not a nice to have; it’s a must have. Our quality of life depends on it.

In reality, traffic diversion has been quite effective in many of the neighborhoods where the bollards have been installed. The Claremont neighborhood is a prime example of this success. Traffic that used to spill into the neighborhood during peak commuter hours is now unable to penetrate the interior. Children can safely walk from their homes to Monkey Island Park without encountering commuters slicing frantically through the back streets to get from Claremont Blvd. to Derby St. At the same time, cyclists and pedestrians are able to pass through the barriers and therefore have unrestricted access to any part of the neighborhood.

Admittedly, the bollards are ugly as sin. Efforts to beautify them have achieved only lipstick-on-a-pig success. Some of the configurations make no sense and serve no purpose. Yet Berkeley appears to have been very much a visionary city as new strategies proposed by leading New Urbanism and Smart Growth experts emerge. The difference? Berkeley attempted to retrofit a street network originally optimized for autos and the new strategies build pedestrians, cyclists and mass transportation into the cityscape design. As a result, more attractive means of filtering traffic can be used.

A recent article by British transportation expert Steve Melia examines a design strategy called filtered permeability that, not unlike the bollards, promotes walking and cycling by making those forms of transportation more efficient, and therefore more attractive, than less sustainable options. To paraphrase Melia, if a street is designed for equal access by all forms of travel, people will often choose the most convenient mode of transportation (i.e. autos). However, if part of that street is restricted to autos, it becomes more convenient to walk or ride a bike. So bikes and pedestrians have greater permeability than autos, hence the term.

Approaching Covert path from it’s highest point on Keeler Ave., it’s easy to mistake it for a pleasant but not particularly wild path. Guarded and obscured by the outstretched branches of an old pine, Upper Covert sneaks along the side of a neighboring house and meanders along a gentle, grassy slope. Halfway down the 164 railroad tie steps, you’ll slip through some trees and into a more shaded area. The slope steepens as it descends down to Cragmont Ave. All very nice, you may say, but still very obviously in someone’s back yard.

Upper Covert is the older segment of the two-part path, finished in the spring of 2005. Lower Covert, the portion that connects Cragmont Ave. with Keith Ave., resisted development until the spring of 2009. Its steep slopes, heavily wooded knolls, and a twisting tributary of Codornices Creek offered a significant challenge to path builders. It is those same physical features that make Lower Covert such a welcoming refuge.

Descending from Cragmont Ave., Lower Covert begins routinely enough with a flight of 40 concrete steps. Once you’ve reached the bottom, the terrain quickly switches to a woodland trail, leading you into the heart of Lower Covert’s charms.

Following the trail, you’ll encounter more railroad tie steps twisted into a switchback and descending into a gorge. This part of the path is particularly beautiful in the morning as filtered sunshine dapples the creek bank and falls off into the darkened gorge.

Continue down into the gorge and cross the stone-lined creek bed. This is an excellent place to just hang out for awhile. The gorge is protected from most street sounds. You’ll normally hear only the many birds that frequent the area, the skittering of squirrels and the light rustling of redwood boughs blowing in the breeze.

Covert Path lies in the heart of some of the best walking country the Berkeley hills have to offer. Chart a course to include some of the other neighboring paths or, better yet, just wander and let your feet be your guide.

View Larger Map

The Key System, which would later be joined by an electrified Southern Pacific fleet of streetcars, was one of the many attractions that Berkeley offered those seeking respite from the destruction on the other side of the bay.

A full turn-by-turn description of the streetcar’s journey and more information about the film can be found here.

In the Practical Tools for Walkers series, I explained how to use commonly available tools and techniques to record and share walks. Does that mean the era of the paper map is coming to an end? Will Google Maps replace the likes of USGS, AAA, and Rand McNally?

It’s a fair question and a topic that Mike Snowdon recently explored in an article for Travelllll.com.