July
1992

Bicycle Coalition agrees to help Ride Against Drinking Drivers

• At the June 3rd meeting of the Bicycle Coalition, Karin Roser came to speak about the Bicycle Ride Against Drinking Drivers. Roser, coordinator for the County's Victim Witness Assistance Program, has been instrumental in promoting the Ride over the four years that it has taken place.
• Roser came to the Bicycle Coalition meeting to ask for assistance with the event, and met with agreement. Coalition members Benjamin Sawyer and Gary Wissman agreed to work with Roser.
• "The purpose of the Ride," according to Roser, "is to heighten public awareness about the danger drinking drivers pose to all of us using the roadways, especially those of us on bicycles." In the past, the short ride has attracted several hundred riders, and has ended with a rally at the County Courthouse. After the rally, a number of longer bicycle rides have been led by the Goleta Valley Cycling Club.
• Currently, plans are being developed, possibly in conjunction with the Santa Barbara Fall Festival October 3-4th. The Fall Festival, produced by Sandra Wintermoss, will consist of a hill climb over La Cumbre peak on Saturday and a criterium race in downtown Santa Barbara on Sunday. Wintermoss is a local writer and bicycling promoter active in the Equipe Coastline. The Bicycle Coalition and the County Rideshare Office are both considering booths to pass out bicycling information during the weekend.

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Letter to News-Press exhorts drivers to respect bicyclists’ rights

• A powerful letter to the editor of the Santa Barbara News-Press appeared in the June 14 issue. Written by Goleta resident Robert Bernstein, the letter was spurred by the tragic death of a young New Zealand bicycling tourist who was run down and killed by a motorist on the shoulder of US 101 May 28th. Bernstein is a new member of the Bicycle Coalition, a bicycle commuter, physicist, and unicycle juggler. Here is the entire article:
• Motorists must ensure safety of bicyclists
  by Robert Bernstein, Goleta
• With regard to the recent bicycle/car accident on Highway 101: If bicycles and cars cannot safely coexist on Highway 101 or on any other local road, the simplest solution is to ban cars until the problem can be solved.
• Absurd? Perhaps. But no more so than the News-Press article entitled,"Bicyclists warned to avoid 101 stretch" (May 29). A number of points must be made:
• Bicyclists' legal right to be on that stretch of Highway 101 is every bit as real as the rights of motorists.
• Both accidents on Highway 101 in recent years have occurred due to gross negligence on the part of the motorists. It is motorists who have primary responsibility for making roads safe, not bicyclists.
• Your article does a grave disservice to safety by sending a "blame the victim" message to motorists that absolves them of a sense or responsibility.
• Bicyclists are statistically in far more danger from riding on surface streets in town, per mile traveled, than they are on Highway 101.
• Your article unjustifiably tells bicyclists that they should avoid 101 for safety reasons, yet implicitly gives a false sense that they are safer on surface streets.
• Bicycling as an alternative to motorized recreation or transportation is a positive activity that should be encouraged through real safety improvements, no discouraged through sensationalist scare tactics. Bicyclists don't run people down on our highways, pollute our air, consume vast amounts of untaxed land area or cause wars over oil.
• If motorists had to pay their way for these expenses, gasoline would cost more that $4 per gallon. If bicyclists have to subsidize motorists' indulgence, the least they can ask for is a little respect and some hard cash for safe, convenient bike routes.

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La Conchita bike lane continues to threaten bicyclists

• The dangerous situation of a bicycle lane between US 101 traffic and shoulder parking along La Conchita has been defended by Caltrans' Larry Loudon as being "within the guidelines of our design standard." Loudon says nothing about safety. Or why Caltrans initially banned parking there, and only relented after the Coastal Commission became involved.
• Letters of protest were sent by Dan Love, president of Oxnard-Ventura Bicycle Club and Julie Kaplan, president of the Gold Coast Velo club. Kaplan suggested a number of solutions that would provide increased safety for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians in the area:
• Eliminate parking along US 101 opposite La Conchita
• Remove the new guardrail and regain the lost space
• Relocate the guardrail to the asphalt berm outside the shoulder
• Construct a separate bikepath between the Northbound lane of 101 and the railroad
• Widen the Southbound lane into the median, and move all lanes over.
• Apparently, the impetus to install the new guardrail was not because of roadbed erosion (as was reported in May Quick Release), but to deter motorists from driving into the ocean. The area in dispute lies within Ventura County, but Santa Barbara bicyclists use it when they head south. In addition, it is part of the Pacific Coast Bicycle Route, published in national and international touring guides as the only route down the California coast.
• On behalf of the Bicycle Coalition, a letter is being written to further protest the unsafe conditions. As more happens, Quick Release will inform you.

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Bicycle exhibit at Earthling Bookstore

• This July 5-11, check out the display window at Earthling Bookstore on State Street in Santa Barbara. Ralph Fertig and Jeff Wells are installing a Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition exhibit. Jeff is loaning one of his bicycles, Ralph is doing some graphics, and Earthling is loaning some books. Every bit of publicity helps people think bicycles.

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Start pedaling if you want to watch TV

• If kids they want to watch TV, put them on a bicycle-powered generator. Available from Real Goods mail order for $295, the generator/battery charger comes with a bicycle stand.
• They say a rider generates about 100 watts, enough for lights, pumps, fans, and entertainment centers. Start pumping!

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UCSB releases bicycle theft statistics

• According to a recent University of California report, bicycle theft was the largest crime category at UCSB. Figures showed a 42% leap over 1990 bicycle thefts, although the numbers were still lower than 1987.
• The 422 reported bicycle thefts are only on campus. For Isla Vista, 396 bicycles were stolen, and for Santa Barbara city, it's 384. According to the report, only 14% of the UCSB crimes were "cleared," that is suspects were arrested, the report was false, or the victims didn't prosecute.
• Be sure to photograph your bike, make a record of the serial number, and keep it locked at all times it's unattended.

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Olympic bicycling covered on TV

• Bicycling events at the Barcelona Olympics run from July 26 through August 2. TV coverage, however, will begin on July 25th at 2 pm on ESPN with US Olympic cycling trials and a preview of cycling events, just three hours before the opening ceremonies. Extensive coverage of the bicycling events is scheduled by both NBC and ESPN. Check scheduling as the Olympics unfold.
• At least two local Olympic hopefuls, Joe Razo and Mark Guerin from Santa Barbara, headed to the Blaire, Minnesota velodrome for trials. Razo and Guerin are members of the racing Equipe Coastline club in Goleta.