May
1994

Bike to Work Day on May 17: just do it!

• The strength of the Nike ads that implore us to "just do it" lies in defeating all the elaborate rationalizations that we fabricate to not do something. If we think about something long enough, we'll find some reason to avoid doing it.
• Just do it. Just ride your bicycle to work on Tuesday, May 17.
• Lori Risque at Traffic Solutions in the South Coast has been working on ideas that include free bicycle repair at De la Guerra Plaza and possibly coffee at bike shops in town. Some members of the Bicycle Coalition are working with her. But at the moment, things are up in the air.
• For late breaking details on Bike to Work Day, call Lori Risque at 568-3293 or Ralph Fertig at 962-1479.
• The Traffic Solutions office has just published the first issue of a fine newsletter, Changing Gears, that features bicycling and promotes Bike to Work Day. The 8-page issue was passed out to visitors at Earth Day, April 24, and is being mailed in a bike-to-work package to all South Coast Employee Transportation Coordinators.
• Changing Gears has articles on the following: how to do a bike fair, joining others on Bike to Work Day, starting bicycle commuting, safety tips, new bike lockers in Santa Barbara, employer benefits from bicycling employees, and more strict traffic law enforcement.
• This issue is dedicated to bicycles because it's targeted for May; future issues will deal with other alternative modes, like buses, carpools, walking, and telecommuting. It's a superb promotional piece that will doubtlessly enhance the position of bicyclists within our community. We're working with director Gregg Hart on ideas to effectively disseminate it to key community individuals.

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From your new Coalition president

• The bicycle is such a pinnacle of human invention that nothing else devised by man—given all our collective worldly resources—comes anywhere close to it in terms of efficiency for moving people.
• The wasteful single occupant car: it squanders 53 times as much energy to move a given distance. A bus full of people—26 times as much. A train—25 times as much. A car full of people?—10 times as much. Walking comes in at about 5 times as much. And the second closest means of moving people is a long distance jet—it wastes 4 times as much energy.
• The modest bicycle, a mechanical device a century old, accessible to most everybody on our planet, outstrips the mightiest competitor by a factor of four!
• As the new president of the Bicycle Coalition, in an age of growing awareness of the massive benefits of bicycling as transportation, I hope to help us all achieve the renewed support and recognition that we deserve. We are very fortunate to inherit a solid organizational foundation due to the unflagging efforts of our first president, Trisha Davis. She rallied us with enthusiasm and dedication, and we're very pleased that she will continue to contribute as a member of our board of directors.
• Together, we're going to move ahead so that years from now people will look back with praise for our vision and gratitude for our actions, here and now.

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Coalition elections yield new officers and Board of Directors

• Bicycle Coalition elections for new officers and the first members of our Board of Directors were held at the regular meeting April 6. The Board of Directors consists of seven individuals, the four officers and three other elected individuals.
• Elected were Ralph Fertig, President; Craig Jurkoic, Vice President; Sandra Wintermoss, Secretary; Gary Wissman, Treasurer; and three other members for the Board of Directors: Bob Burgess, Trisha Davis, and Jean Thomson.
• This is an excellent group of dedicated individuals who promise to improve the bicycling environment within our County. It promises to be an exciting time, so congratulations to all involved!

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New bicycling projects are possible in upcoming ISTEA funding cycle

• An upcoming application cycle for federal funding is providing an opportunity to secure more bicycle projects within the County. The massive federal ISTEA transportation program has two components that can provide us with funding: Surface Transportation Program (STP), and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program (CMAQ).
• Both STP and CMAQ funds may be used for bicycle projects, but for CMAQ the emphasis is on reducing ozone and carbon monoxide emissions. By the way, the TEA program that just funded five bikepath projects within our County is a 10% segment of the STP program, but it's on a different application timetable.
• The County of Santa Barbara held two public workshops on proposals, held April 26 and 27, in the South and North County, respectively. They will be followed by recommendations to the Board of Supervisors, on May 17 and/or May 24. At our May 4th Coalition meeting, we'll discuss what happened at the April meetings, and suggest a plan of action. If you can't make it to any meetings, you can still be heard by writing directly to the individual County supervisors:
• Willy Chamberlin
  Tom Rogers
  Naomi Schwartz
  Tim Staffel
  Mike Stoker
  105 East Anapamu Street
  Santa Barbara, CA 93101
• For an update on County applications, call Elihu Gevirtz at 568-2018 or James Marrs at 568-3047.
• All cities within the County can apply separately for funding. Unlike the County, however, there is no current indication that they will conduct public workshops.
• According to transportation planner Rob Dayton, the City of Santa Barbara is developing a plan to alter Shoreline Drive between Castillo Street and Shoreline Park. It will possibly have two traffic lanes, two striped bicycle lanes at the shoulders, and a separate bike/pedestrian path that will connect near the marina with the "Beachway." This way, bicycle commuters will have clear and designated safe lanes, while others can choose the separate path. It seems like an ideal solution.
• The City staff will probably present recommendations to the City Council on May 17. Obtain further details from Jay Hillje at 564-5393 or write to the Councilmembers by May 13, voicing support for bicycle projects:
• Hal Conklin, Mayor
  Helene Beaver
  Rusty Fairly
  Gil Garcia
  Elinor Langer
  Harriet Miller
  Tom Roberts
  735 Anacapa Street
  Santa Barbara, CA 93101
• May 17 is looking like a great day for bicyclists: Bike to Work Day, plus meetings of the County Board of Supervisors and Santa Barbara City Council to discuss recommended funding. Try to write, phone, or attend the meetings and voice your concern about our future.

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1993 Bicycle shipments up 5%

• According to the Bicycle Wholesale Distributors Association, 1993 bicycle shipments to US dealers rose 5.2% over 1992, to a total of 2.38 million bikes.
• Mountain and children's bike sales each gained 12% over 1992 sales, taking their share from road bike sales, which slipped by 16%. The 1993 bike proportions are shown in the pie chart above.
• Also reported were shipments of bicycle accessories, that, except for cyclocomputers, dropped on the average about 1% in 1993.

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Quick Release being placed on Usenet

• If you've anything to do with computers, you've probably heard of the Internet, a vast international computer network. Thanks to Tom Harvey, a local programmer and avid bicyclist, we're now cycling on an electronic superbikepath called Usenet ("Users' Network"), part of the labyrinthine Internet.
• Look for Quick Release under rec.bicycles.soc (in Usenet lingo, this means under recreation/bicycles/societal issues). Other rec.bicycles categories include buying and selling equipment, racing results, general discussion, technical design, and rides and tours. It's estimated that 43,000 people worldwide read the rec.bicycles.soc section.
• Harvey is additionally working on a way to place Quick Release on the Community Databank of the regional three-county Rain Computer Network. Rain includes Internet access as well as contact with many local government, business, and professional groups. To contact Harvey, reach him via electronic mail at tom@rain.org. To find out about Rain, call 899-8610.

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Highway 154/101 work to get bike lanes

• On April 19, Caltrans and the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) recommended a revised plan for changes to the 154/101 interchange in Santa Barbara. The new version resulted from earlier public input at a September 28 workshop. There are three major changes:
• Widening Calle Real between State Street and Highway 154 to four lanes.
• Widening the 154 bridge over Highway 101 to five lanes.
• Replacing the southbound 101 onramp with a new one between State Street and 101.
• This mostly means that lots of established trees and shrubs will be replaced by concrete in order to serve the increase in drivers envisioned by the planners.
• On the plans, however, are bike lanes on the new 101 bridge, untouched bike lanes on State Street west of Highway 154, and bike lanes on Calle Real. Nothing is cast in concrete yet, and comments can still be made by June 6 to:
• Eileen Loe
  Caltrans
  PO Box 8114
  San Luis Obispo, CA 93403
• Make sure to express the necessity of bike lanes. You can also ask for a bike slot on both sides of Calle Real at 154, between the right-turn only lanes and straight-ahead lanes. And don't forget to demand a rich and varied landscape replacement when they're done.

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Bicycle position filled

• John Fegan has been appointed to the position of Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Manager for the US Department of Transportation. With 20 years of DOT experience, including close involvement with the National Bicycling and Walking Study, Fegan is well qualified.
• Unfortunately, his new appointment comes in addition to his current responsibilities as Bicycle Program Manager of the Federal Highway Administration. It has been commented that with over 1000 employees, the DOT could certainly commit to a single additional individual to help with coordinating this growing area.

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SB City Circulation Element vision detailed

• A series of work sessions to consider goal statements for a revised Santa Barbara City Circulation Element are taking place April 4 to May 16. The purpose of these sessions is to clarify issues and present findings to the City Council for endorsement of the vision before June. That will be followed by a public participation process that all of us should be involved in.
• A draft form of the vision states, "Santa Barbara in 2015 should be a city in which alternative forms of transportation are so available and so attractive that ownership of an automobile will have become a choice, not a necessity for mobility. To meet this challenge over the 20-year life of this document, the City must rethink traditional transportation goals and land use policies, and begin to focus its resources on developing mobility solutions that are less auto-oriented."
• It goes on to suggest eleven ways to motivate change:
• Increase the availability and use of transit
• Increase biking and walking
• Prioritize other modes of transportation
• Reduce use of the automobile for drive-along trips
• Minimize the need and requirements for parking
• Develop land use planning to support mobility goals
• Establish principal mobility corridors within the City
• Coordinate with regional systems and goals
• Allow increased congestion as a temporary disincentive to auto use
• Prevent negative effects of traffic on residential neighborhoods
• Shift available resources to favor alternative transportation modes.
• The meetings for discussing this vision take place Mondays from 12:00-2:00 at 630 Garden Street, Santa Barbara. The are open to the public. Contact the Planning Department at 564-5470 to determine dates and topics of discussion.

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How local businesses help bicyclists

• Figures from a recent survey done by the South Coast Traffic Solutions office shows great accommodation to the needs of bicycle commuters. The study looked at large businesses that have 50 or more employees, and comprise half of the regional workers.
• Results show that almost all have bike racks, and a substantial proportion offer showers as well. A small minority offer nothing. If you feel that your company could do more to encourage bicycling, contact your employer transportation coordinator.

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Why don’t we have bike racks on buses?

• Many recall the Metropolitan Transit District buses pulling bike trailers around the South Coast, and wonder what happened. The only bike racks today on vehicles in the County are on SLO Transit buses that run between San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria—and visited Santa Barbara on Earth Day.
• The trailers were abandoned, but many transit authorities in the US are discovering that redesigned front-mounted racks provide a viable means of extending their service area without expanding routes. New racks, assessed in trial programs in Phoenix and Seattle, have been purchased for their entire fleets. The two-bike front racks have these advantages:
• Bikes of all popular sizes and styles can fit
• Loading takes less than a half minute
• Parts won't snag bus washing equipment
• Rear bikes are placed without moving front bikes
• Kids can't hitch rides on front racks
• No removal is required to reach bus engines
• They're secure because the driver can watch them.
• Times change, and bike/bus multimodal transit is catching on. Why not here?

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More details on TEA bikepath funding

• As reported in the April Quick Release, Santa Barbara County was awarded $2.8 million for five new bicycle path projects. To clarify matters, that money is just the federal funding through the Transportation Enhancement Activities (TEA) program, and is only part of the total being spent on the five projects. It will be added to an additional component, about $1 million, that will come from other sources.
• According to Park Service ecologist Virginia Gardiner-Johnson, the 1.2-mile trail at El Capitan Beach will be finished by 1996, and the 3.5-mile trail at Gaviota will be finished by late 1996 or 1997. These segments will bring the long-envisioned Coastal Trail from Goleta to Gaviota closer to reality.
• In a related topic, at an April 16 conference at UCSB, the entire 40-mile coastal stretch was proposed as a national seashore much like Point Reyes north of San Francisco. The plan would entail purchasing development rights from ranchers. Community benefits would include recreational trails, environmental protection, guaranteed public access, plus a growing demand for nearby lodging, dining, and—of course—bicycle rentals and repair. This is just an idea at this point, but if public support is strong, it could become a reality.

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Attach bike projects to road improvements

• A recent letter from Scott Eades, Assistant Bicycle Coordinator for our Caltrans district, said that he appreciates hearing from us about bicycling. Maintenance problems (for example potholes and obstructing shrubbery along Cabrillo Boulevard near the Bird Refuge in Santa Barbara) are being referred to Caltrans Maintenance for handling.
• State highway capital improvement projects like bike detector loops or paved shoulders do not justify the cost of planning and construction as individual projects. His suggestion is to keep a list of desired changes, and then incorporate them into larger road projects as they come along.