April
2009

UCSB presents transportation challenge



This drawing of the proposed Ocean Road redesign depicts a generous and gracious tree-lined boulevard. Rendering for UCSB by Urban Design Associates.

• Question: How do you manage traffic when there are many more bicyclists and pedestrians than motorists?
  Answer: Slow motorists to bicyclist speed and provide safe street crossings for people on foot.
• The University of California Santa Barbara has a Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) that proposes a 1% annual growth of students, staff and faculty between now and 2025. To accommodate the 6700 new people, campus redesign and building programs are proposed for access, housing, research and classrooms.
• An outstanding feature of UCSB’s plan is to house new students, staff and faculty on University land. This means that most trips to school and work will be on foot or bicycle. A major feature of the LRDP is Ocean Road development. It consists of 16 new buildings with 543 residential units for staff and faculty, and added parking for 1435 motor vehicles. All 12 Isla Vista streets would connect to Ocean Road.
• Bicycle Coalition president Ralph Fertig has taken a particular interest in the Ocean Road development. He perceives it as an opportunity for a livable enclave with equality of transportation for all.
• Fertig recently gave a well-received presentation to UCSB’s Transportation Alternatives Board. Among his suggestions were the following:
• Make five of the 12 Isla Vista connecting streets into bikepaths on the campus side.
• Open Picasso to through motor vehicles, and keep Sabado Tarde available for buses.
• Block through motorized traffic in the remaining five Isla Vista streets.
• Manage all the Ocean Road intersections with creative—mostly passive—traffic control.
• Slow Ocean Road motorists to bicyclist speeds.
• Do not stripe bikelanes on Ocean Road, instead integrate bikes and cars to reduce turning crashes.
• Early this month, University planners and consultants will meet with Bicycle Coalition and AS BIKES committee people to consider Ocean Road traffic. Stay tuned, it’s an exciting opportunity for us all.

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Wet Willy Sez
by Wilson Hubbell

• Dear Wet Willy: After biking in the rain, I take care of myself with a shower and the clothes washer. What is needed for my wet dirty bicycle? — Wet like Willy
• Dear WLW: Santa Barbara County locals don’t ride in the rain much, but bikies in places like Portland do—and regularly discuss wet bike maintenance. Here are some of their recommendations:
• Fenders and mudflaps help to keep water and dirt off your body and the most vulnerable moving parts of your bicycle. In dry climates, fenders also help to keep bikes looking good and free of random road grit. This may be the best wet weather “preventative maintenance” you can do on a bike. (Most of Wet Willy’s bikes have fenders.)
• Chains, chainrings, cogs and derailleurs can be prematurely worn by grit and sand that is thrown up by the wheels, especially on a fenderless bike. Gently hose down your bike after a wet weather ride then wipe off the chain and lubricate it. An occasional tap water rinse will not hurt your bike, but storing it outdoors in the rain can.
• Brake pads may have embedded grit which can slowly damage your rims. Wipe off the pads along with the braking surfaces of the rims when you clean your other components. Annually lubricate any non-sealed bearings in the hubs, headset or bottom bracket and install stainless steel brake and derailleur cables—if your bike does not have them already. Bici Centro can teach you how!

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Bike access to Cottage Hospital area envisioned



Workshop participants worked their way through multiple alternatives, agreeing overall on most of the many transportation options. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• On February 24th, a workshop was held for medical workers and residents in Santa Barbara’s Oak Park neighborhood. Participants considered feasibility of improving circulation around Cottage Hospital. After an introduction, people split into three groups and at the end reported nearly identical conclusions. Of interest to bicyclists are:
• Make Castillo and Bath into one-way streets with bikelanes north of Mission.
• Consider an Amtrak commuter station between Los Positas and Mission, using the Junípero bike/ped bridge to cross 101.
• Make Calle Real two way with bikelanes.
• Construction is years away, but project planning is progressing at this time.

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Form your Commuter Challenge team now

• Whether you travel to work or elsewhere by bike, foot, bus, carpool, train, or anything other than drive-alone, now is the time to get together with others to win prizes and have fun. The second annual Traffic Solutions Commuter Challenge has opened registration of those living or working in Santa Barbara county. It takes place during May and June, so hop to it.
• The Challenge is a team-based competition in which commuters form teams of five and earn points and prizes like iPhones, iPods, bike shop certificates, movie tickets and cash. While individuals earn points for their team, they also earn points for the team employer as part of an employer competition where they can win up to a $1,500 in cash.
• Last year, 1572 individuals competed. They cleaned our air and reduced roadway congestion by driving 43,241 fewer miles. They saved themselves $743,000 in travel costs and reduced our collective carbon tire-print by 1.25 million pounds of CO2.
• Learn more about Traffic Solutions Commuter Challenge by calling 963-SAVE or visiting www.TrafficSolutions.info.

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Coalition participates in LA Bike Summit



Here participants register for the day’s conference activities. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• On March 7th, our Bicycle Coalition members Ed France and Ralph Fertig joined 300 others for the LA Bike Summit. It consisted of keynote presentations by experts from New York, Portland and Mexico City, followed by a choice of three out of 20 separate sessions, lunch and a closing session.
• While not a major bike conference, it emphasized the increasing numbers of people bicycling in the LA area—and considered the challenges they contend with daily.

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March Coalition meeting topics

• Our March 3rd monthly Bicycle Coalition meeting was held at noon in Downtown Santa Barbara, with 21 participants talking about these topics:
• Ralph Fertig described the upcoming LA Bike Summit conference.
• Sarah Grant reported that several people had signed up for the Street Skills class.
• Dru van Hengel announced that sharrows had been painted on Cabrillo Boulevard.
• Michael Chiacos talked about his concept for a “Bicycle Ambassador” program.
• Ralph Fertig reported on possible new bikelanes in the Cottage Hospital area.
• Expanded Earth Day activities were described—valet bike parking, bike check-ups, information, and outreach.
• The impact and potential for UCSB’s Long Range plan on bicycling were considered.
• Bici Centro’s new classes were described—La Cumbre Junior High class for girls, and a summer series of Parks & Recreation “Bike Adventures” for road and off-road biking.
• People were encouraged to craft videos for the Green Shorts contest.

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Mission bikelane ceremony April 6th



New bikelanes that run between Castillo and Modoc offer bicyclists safer conditions, especially under Highway 101. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• Improvements for bicyclists and everybody else on Mission Street at Highway 101 are finished and it’s time to celebrate the work. Bike on over for the ceremony:
• Mission Street Ribbon-Cutting
  Monday, April 6th, 3:00 PM
  Mission Street near Hwy 101, Santa Barbara
• Improvements include increased visibility, new bike lanes along the Pacific Coast Bike Route, wheelchair access ramps, trees, shrubs, stone/stucco walls, street lighting, and traffic signals modified to detect bicyclists. Our Bicycle Coalition was involved all along the way pursuing safer conditions. The new bikelanes now extend for three blocks between Castillo Street and Modoc Road.
• Project engineer Max Kashanian said, “These are the types of road construction projects that make Santa Barbara a nicer place to live by providing safe options for walking, biking, and using a car.”

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Coalition coordinates with other organizations

• Our Bicycle Coalition has been a long-time supporter of other advocacy groups on the state and national level. Our affiliations currently include these organizations:
• California Bicycle Coalition. Sacramento-based, this advocacy group deals with state legislature. Their website describes current legislation, bicycle commuting, road conditions, their Walk/Bike California conference, and more. www.calbike.org.
• League of American Bicyclists. Century-old national organization protects the rights and promotes the interests of bicyclists. They provide information and education about bicycling, and are active in pursuing federal legislation. www.bikeleague.org.
• Alliance for Biking and Walking. This is a coalition of bicycling advocacy groups in North America. We are a founding member. www.peoplepoweredmovement.org.
• Transportation for America. They focus on creating a national transportation program for 21st Century America by building modernized infrastructure and healthy communities where people can live, work and play. www.t4america.org.

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LaHood’s blog

• The new federal Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, has started a blog (http://fastlane.dot.gov) about relevant issues. Of great interest and promise to bicyclists is his March 13th writing:
• Cyclists are important users of transportation systems
• On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of addressing the National Bike Summit. I was invited to speak as a member of the Obama administration, but I have been a supporter of bicycling for many years and was a member of the Congressional Bike Caucus when I was in Congress. Still, I don’t think the League of American Bicyclists knew what to expect when they invited me to their summit.
• I hope they were pleasantly surprised because I am committed to investing in programs that encourage bikes to coexist with other modes and to safely share our roads and bridges. And there’s strong support in Congress for these goals as well.
• In the Department of Transportation, bicyclists have a full partner in working toward livable communities. We’re excited that the Federal Highway Administration is looking at best practices in Europe to improve safety and mobility for walkers and cyclists. We’re excited that a federally funded pilot project to study the effects of improved walking and bicycling facilities in four communities is underway.
• I welcome the vigor of the bicycling community in advocating for bike-friendly measures in the upcoming authorization bill, CLEAN-TEA. Bicycles are a critical part of a cleaner, greener future in American transportation, so keep those wheels spinning.

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Tour of California brings thousands to Solvang



The Tour brought people to their knees as they used yellow chalk for messages and pictures. Photo by Ralph Fertig.



An exciting part of the Tour was the opportunity to watch world-class athletes warm up and race. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• An estimated 25,000 people surged into Solvang on February 20th for the sixth stage of the Amgen Tour of California. It was by far the largest crowd in the third year that Solvang has hosted the “time trial” individual race against the clock.
• Each year, the Tour has grown in length, number of host cities, and fans who turned out to cheer on the cyclists—an estimated at 1.6 million of them this year. What was special this time was Lance Armstrong’s return to racing after two years of retirement. The legendary cyclist’s seven Tour de France wins after surviving cancer made the Tour of California, his first US comeback race, a unique and historic event.
• California’s Levi Leipheimer beat the other racers by eight seconds in the Solvang time trial, and went on to win his third Tour of California two days later. Armstrong ended in an overall respectable seventh place, 1:46 minutes behind Levi.
• Aside from cycling as an flashy competitive sport, do races like this foster bicycling as transportation, either for daily trips or vacation tours? The answer has to be “yes.” All around Solvang, the roads were sprinkled with people on bikes, many of whom parked miles away or stayed in regional hotels and biked in, or those out for rides on our local country roads.
• There were serious cyclists around, but more were casual bike club members, plus kids on BMX bikes, and adults on beach cruisers, fixed-gear bikes and mountain bikes. It was a representative and inspiring mix of all kinds of people on bicycles using their steeds to get around.
• The valet bike parking area was filled to capacity with 300 bikes. According to some cyclists who were following the entire Tour, north to south, Solvang’s bike parking was the best organized of any.
• The worldwide Versus TV coverage showed Santa Barbara county to advantage, showcasing our greening hills on a sunny spring day. That, plus the increasing number of regional bike tours and rides in our area, will overall serve to increase active lifestyle activities and benefit everybody.

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Bike Adventures for kids this summer

• Our Bicycle Coalition and the Bici Centro program are offering four one-week "Bike Adventure" clinics this summer. They are coordinated by the City of Santa Barbara’s Parks and Recreation program. Three are basic skills and one is for mountain biking:
• Skills & Safety Program. Three hours a day for five days, starting on June 8th, June 22th, and July 6th. Ages 10-14. Each day is another bike adventure. Pedal to different parts of Santa Barbara as a group while learning skills to be used for life.
• Off Road Skills. Three hours a day for five days, starting July 13th. Ages 10-14. A prerequisite is the Skills & Safety Program. Learn mountain bike handling skills needed on dirt paths and single-track trails. Each day will include a group ride on a local trail.
• We’re delighted to be working with the Parks & Rec program for the first time. Learn more at 564-5495 and register online at www.santabarbaraca.gov/summerfun.

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Sam Masson offers mobile bike repair



Sam Masson is busy wrenching another bike. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• Sam Masson has embarked on a new venture, a mobile bicycle maintenance business. Even while attending UC Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara, Sam always biked and worked on his and others’ machines. At UCSB, he was the Bike Shop manager. Overall he’s been wrenching bikes for 15 years.
• Sam will come to your home or office and get your bike up and running its best. You don’t have to spend time driving your bike to a shop. “I want to be like an old ‘country doctor,’ but for bikes,” he explains. Sam’s business is named Santa Barbara Bike Repair. Phone him at 895-6112, and learn more at www.santabarbarabikerepair.com.

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Tabling for Friedman

• Thanks to the Orfalea Foundation, we were invited to join other local nonprofits in tabling along the Arlington Theater entryway for the Thomas Friedman talk on March 7th. Most of those arriving for the event browsed the tables on their way in. Don Lubach’s transport bike with flashing lights transfixed them on the spot, then at our adjacent info table, Judy Keim and Michael Chiacos told them all about what we are doing and how they can help.
• The idea of adding sustainable, responsible local organizations to the event was a gift to our community. We are most grateful to the Orfalea Foundation.

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We thank our active members

• Please thank and support these Bicycle Coalition business members:
• Bicycle Bob’s, Santa Barbara
• Nett & Champion Insurance Services, Santa Barbara
• Pedal Power Bicycles, Santa Maria
• Chris King Precision Components, Portland, Oregon
• Run Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara
• Hazard’s Cyclesport, Santa Barbara
• Dr J’s Bicycle Shop, Solvang
• Big Bang PR, Santa Barbara
• Santa Barbara Bike Repair, Santa Barbara
• Santa Barbara Bikes-To-Go, Santa Barbara
• We welcome our new members: Sam Masson, Leslie Mancebo, Casey Duncan, Paul Morneault, and Michael Conway. Plus we appreciate those who renewed their memberships: Gary Brustin, Browning Allen, Chris King, Nancy Golden, Eva Inbar, Paul Bergevin, Ralph & Vicki Kornahrens, Bill Powell, Erika Lindemann, John Padfield, Chris Sobell, Stephanie Stark and John Berberet.

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Street Skills class develops confidence



Our Street Skills class includes a group ride dealing with common roadway situations. Here our March 21st class stops for an assessment. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• Every two months, our Bicycle Coalition offers a 9-hour class that enables bicyclists to build confidence in dealing with riding on streets and roads. The most recent one took place in March, with a Thursday evening classroom session, then Saturday skill-building practice, bike check-ups, and a city street bicycle ride. Among those participating was Goleta City Councilman Ed Easton who said that everybody should take it.
• The next class takes place on May 14th and 16th, just in time for Bike to School and Bike to Work Days. We welcome anybody 16 an older to attend (or those 14 and 15 if accompanied by an adult). Information at www.sbbike.org/CycleSmart/apply.html.

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Praise for our website

• “My wife and I just recently got into road cycling, and with me having the weekend off finally, we took a day trip out to Santa Barbara. Prior to that I found your website and printed out the guided tour page for the Santa Barbara Streets & Paths Bicycle Ride. It was so easy and so much fun riding through Santa Barbara. With the guide and the well-posted signage, we had no trouble on our ride.
• Thanks so much for the effort your group obviously put in to making the site, guide, and all the other work in keeping the town bike friendly.”
• — Lee Gottheimer, Las Vegas

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DC Bike Summit anticipates new transportation act



Our man in DC, Chris Orr, arrives for a Capitol Hill Rally breakfast and meetings with our legislators. Photo by Jonathan Maus.

• The National Bike Summit took place in Washington DC on March 11-13. Bicycle Coalition member Chris Orr attended and reported bubbling enthusiasm over the upcoming reauthorization of the six-year federal transportation act this fall. Speakers and topics included:
• Ray LaHood, Secretary of Transportation. Read his comments about addressing the Bike Summit earlier.
• Jim Oberstar, Minnesota representative. He wants a national legal standard to ensure respect and recognition of bicyclists on our roadways.
• Doris Matsui, California representative. She sees the Complete Streets Act of 2009 as reducing congestion, poor health, and air pollution along federally-funded roads.
• Earl Blumenauer, Oregon representative. He hopes to clean up the existing Bike Commuter Benefit Act by combining bike and transit benefits together.
• Trail design. Poor design is often the cause of trail access contention. Access works best for everybody when the trails are built specifically with bike use in mind.