July
1995

Bike projects to reduce vehicle pollution

• Four projects that will directly benefit bicyclists were selected for funding at a June 15 meeting of the Air Pollution Control District (APCD) Board of Directors. The four include bike lockers, wider streets with bike lanes, and bus bike racks.
• The program is the Motor Vehicle Emission Reduction Projects. It comes from an annual $4 surcharge per vehicle fee within Santa Barbara County, and is administered by the APCD.
• The value of the four bicycle projects is $152,000, which is 16% of the total $972,627 granted for over the two-year program period. The four projects are:
• City of Lompoc, 40 bicycle storage lockers for various locations throughout the city. $20,000 (out of a project total of $24,000).
• County of Santa Barbara, widen the road & stripe bicycle lanes on both sides of Alamado Pintado Road between Los Olivos and Ballard. $92,000 funding (out of a project total of $248,400).
• City of Santa Maria, 20 bicycle storage lockers to be located within the service area of Santa Maria Area Transit. $10,000 funding (out of a project total of $12,000).
• Metropolitan Transit District, 19 bus bicycle racks for installation on 19 buses for 4 express routes. $30,000 funding (out of a project total of $50,000 that is mostly personnel time).
• The Alamado Pintado project was granted less than the $152,000 requested, according to County applicant Wilson Hubbell, but "we'll gratefully accept what we're offered," he commented. The Bicycle Coalition has urged the County to somewhere find the extra $60,000 to make up the difference.
• Our thanks go out to the agencies who submitted the proposals, to the proposal review team from the APCD and the Association of Governments, and to the APCD Board of Directors. We're looking forward to the upcoming implementation of all these projects.

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Fate of Highway 246 bikepath in doubt

• Three months ago, everybody was pleased that bicyclists would be getting both a separate bikepath and 8-foot wide striped bikelanes on Highway 246 between Solvang and Buellton [see May 1995 Quick Release]. But now, following a recent meeting with local landowners, Caltrans, political representatives and bicyclists, the likelihood of having a path is in doubt.
• Landowners protested its passage through their property and in one situation, it would require rebuilding a large stone entry. The result of the meeting, according to attendee Wilson Hubbell, was that Caltrans backed away from endorsing the path, but left it open for the County, Buellton and Solvang to pursue if they wished. Funding for the path already exists—$444,000 from the Federal STP program and $111,000 from other sources.
• Elihu Gevirtz from County Planning & Development feels that there is still hope. A new meeting with Caltrans and landowners is coming up and possibly an accommodation can be reached.
• In the meantime, the Bicycle Coalition Planning Committee has come up with a challenge. We want the bikepath, but if that's impossible, we will accept instead a rumble strip between the fast-moving traffic lanes and bikelanes on Highway 246 to alert inattentive drivers. Other Caltrans districts have installed them, and they can protect bicyclists here too.

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New Quick Release look

• For those of you who have followed Quick Release since the first November 1991 issue, you may have noticed a number of progressive changes. Mostly, as the amount of news grew, the type size shrank. Now, the type has changed to Officina Serif and Poppl Laudatio Condensed. And more photos are now appearing in the issues. Hope you like the changes!
• --Ralph Fertig, Editor.

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Caltrans representative coming to July meeting

• Bring your thoughts and ideas to our regular Bicycle Coalition meeting at noon on July 5th. Our guest will be James Alessi from Caltrans District 5 headquarters in San Luis Obispo.
• Alessi contacted the Coalition a few weeks ago because the major concern voiced in letters sent to Caltrans about the forthcoming Fairview Avenue overcrossing of Highway 101 in Goleta—it was how to accommodate bicyclists. The letters were written in response to a request for comments to Caltrans' Initial Study of the proposed changes.
• The overrcrossing has to be replaced because of the deteriorating concrete itself. The 101 section will be paid by Caltrans; the Southern Pacific Railroad overcrossing and approaches, by Santa Barbara County. The Coalition's Planning Committee is considering options at this time. If you have ideas about how bicyclists should be safely accommodated there, contact the committee Chair Jean Thomson at 683-3105.
• In the meantime, come to the July 5th meeting with questions about any Caltrans issue. We will probably also clarify the Highway 246 widening & bikepath issue. This is your chance to have your concerns heard.

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New bike stencils mark signal sensors



Bicyclist logo is at upper right in left turn lane. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• For a long time, bicyclists trying to turn left from Calle Real onto Kellogg Avenue in Goleta have had the aggravation of waiting for a car to pull up in the left-turn lane behind them and trip the sensor. Or they could turn against a red light.
• No longer is that true thanks to County alternative transportation coordinator Wilson Hubbell. Hubbell has embarked on a program of checking sensitivity of sensors, adjusting them to detect bikes, and spray painting a bike logo on the best spot to activate the signal. The photo shows the first one, at Calle Real and Kellogg.
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  This fulfills a long-standing need. The logo not only reminds drivers that bicyclists are legitimate users of our roads, but finally bestows upon us a status equal to that of drivers and pedestrians. Now it's up to local bicyclists to demand that all cities follow the County's lead.

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Schade seeks better relations with cyclists

• Faced with popular bicycle rides in the Santa Ynez Valley and deteriorating police relations with participants, Lt. Dale Schade is determined to improve everything. Newly appointed to direct the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's station in Solvang, Schade has already met with bicyclists and law-enforcement groups in the North County to discuss bike rides.
• Of particular concern are the two SCOR events—the Solvang/Santa Maria Century and the Solvang Prelude that draw upwards of 6000 and 2000 cyclists, respectively. Conflicts between this many cyclists and motor vehicles presents a real safety concern.
• In the past two years, rides have been characterized by controversial citations, mostly for failure to come to an absolute 100% stop at stop signs. Determined to reverse the situation, Schade is seeking out the bicycle community. A group of concerned bicyclists will be working with Schade and relevant agencies in a spirit of cooperation.
• The overall intent is to create large rides that are safe, that support the regional business community, and that provide a positive bicycling experience for all participants.

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Map committee restarts

• After a period of uncertainty about continued Caltrans funding of the Traffic Solutions office, it appears that enough money will come through to at least support the revision and reprinting of the Santa Barbara County Bike Map.
• Lori Risque, map committee chair, said that meetings will be starting up shortly and that she will be contacting previous participants. The new map will include not just the South Coast that the current version has, but will be expanded to encompass the North County as well. If you have questions or wish to contribute ideas, call Risque at 568-3293.

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Bicycling is favorite California sport

• The National Sporting Goods Association reported in April Bicycling magazine that in only 7 of the 50 states does bicycling rank among the top five favorite sport activities, and only in California and New Hampshire does it rank first. Here, it's followed by inline skating, downhill skiing, backpacking, and hiking. Perhaps bicycling is tops because of the charismatic people who bicycle and tell others how invigorating it is.

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Collision kills cyclist at dangerous intersection

• On Monday, June 12, Stanley Bilski was returning from a mountain bike ride on Tunnel Trail near Santa Barbara when he was struck and killed by a 17-year old driving a Ford Explorer. It occurred at 7:30 pm when the driver turned left onto Montrose Place and struck Bilski who had the right of way coming down Tunnel Road.
• The 30-year old Bilski was raised in Santa Barbara, attending Dos Pueblos High School and UCSB. According to his sister Rosie, Bilski had an active lifestyle that involved in biking, surfing, baseball and other sports.
• The Bicycle Coalition's Saftey & Education Committee is closely following legal procedings while examining the intersection. It turns out that, according to local bicyclists, that intersection is particularly dangerous. With the increased popularity of mountain biking on Tunnel Trail, more bicyclists than previously are now passing through the intersection.
• That section of Tunnel Road has a steep grade and quite sharp curves on both sides of the intersection with Montrose. According to David Fogel, a bicyclist who lived at the intersection for years, drivers frequently violate the law:
• "Proceeding uphill on Tunnel Road approaching Montrose, it is quite common for motorists going left onto Montrose to drive up with quite a lot of speed. As a rule, they tend to begin turning well before the intersection.
• Motorists driving out Montrose and turning right onto Tunnel Road rarely stop. Instead it appears that following a quick glance up the hill to their left, they roll through the stop sign and proceed with their right-hand turns.
• These observations are based on a few years of cycling up and driving up and down Tunnel Road as well as time spent in the yard watching the traffic flow. If people do not behave responsibly, then the consequences may be grave.
• I am concerned that more people may get killed or injured on Tunnel Road. It amazes me that Tunnel Road is used as much as it is by walkers, joggers, hikers, cyclists and motorists and yet it is maintained in a state which is clearly not appropriate."
• If you have other observations or knowledge about the fatality and street conditions surrounding it, or thoughts on improving bicyclist safety there, contact Ralph Fertig at 962-1479 or Wilson Hubbell at 568-3046.
• Bilski's family is urging the County to make the intersection safer for all bicyclists by installing stop signs on Tunnel Road. The commerative flowers placed by the roadside are wilting, and the police outlines, fading. Let's guarantee that Stan's blood wasn't shed in vain.

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Coalition elections held

• At the June 7 meeting of the Bicycle Coalition, officers for the coming year were elected. The officers are: Ralph Fertig, President; Robert Bernstein, Vice President; Sandra Wintermoss, Secretary; and Gary Wissman, Treasurer. Three other individuals were elected to join the four officers to form our Board of Directors: Rob Dayton, Benjamin Sawyer, and Jean Thomson.
• Congratulations to all indivuduals. Contact us any time.

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Report shows younger bicyclists are cited more

• A recent Santa Barbara City Police report covering the first four months of 1995 shows that younger bicyclists are more likely to be cited for infractions of the law, but older cyclists have more reported collisions with motor vehicles.
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  Over half of those cited are under the age of 24. For those younger riders, 82% of all citations are for two reasons: 46% for failure to stop at a sign or signal, and 36% for failure to have a light at night. For older riders, the main reason (68%) was not stopping at a sign or signal.
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  For vehicle-bike collisions, the age group 25-34 years old had the largest proportion (40%) of all reported collisions. As for responsibility, bicyclists were described as primarily responsible 46% of the time; the drivers were responsible 27% of the time; and in the remaining cases, neither was deemed responsible.

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Larry Appel enjoys bicycle commuting & recreation
by Marilyn Mendes

• Larry Appel has been a bicycle commuter "forever." Beginning as a school child, Larry never stopped seeing his bicycle as a means of transportation. He rode to school and on to Santa Barbara City College and then the University of California at Santa Barbara. After his graduation he began working in the Planning Department for Santa Barbara County and continued commuting by bicycle. Today Larry lives in Santa Maria with his wife and two children, ages 12 and 14, and commutes the 7.5 miles to his County office by bicycle 99% of his work days. Yes, he's a rain or shine or wind bicycle commuter. This empowers the Appels to be a one car family by choice, an honorable achievement.
• Health is a major motivator for Larry's continued cycling. Citing his desire to "Beat the Odds" shaped by a family history of heart disease, Larry adds that he also gets satisfaction knowing he personally is making a difference through his continued cycling.
• I asked Larry, as a planner and a cyclist, what were the most needed improvements to encourage bicycle commuting. He listed three physical improvements—better markings for bike lanes, bike activated loops for traffic signals, and lockers and showers at or near the workplace. To this list he added two essentials—getting people to see the bicycle as transportation, not just recreation, and flexible scheduling of the work day for maximum daylight riding.
• Twenty years ago as a college student, Larry rode the 200-mile Davis Double Century. He claims to have been a real novice at distance riding then, not knowing how to prepare for or ride long distances. He finished the ride, but nearly finished himself in the process. It wasn't until 1982 that Larry again got involved in distance riding. This time with the encouragement of Wilson Hubbell he trained and rode many long distance races and rides.
• This past November Larry had knee surgery. As an incentive to a speedy recovery he set two goals for riding. He wanted to again ride the Davis Double Century this May, on the twentieth anniversary of his first ride, and to prepare he planned to ride the Solvang Century. Larry made his goals reality and upon returning to the Davis Double for the first time in twenty years, he was able to trim over three hours off his original riding time! Larry attributes his victory to training and carbohydrate electrolyte drinks.

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SB City Council accepts new Circulation Element vision

• On June 20, the Circulation Element Update Consensus Group presented its vision statement to the Santa Barbara City Council. The document, unanimously accepted by the Council, represents a tedious rewording of the original Vision Statement that had been crafted over a two-year period by the City's own Task Force.
• The new Vision Statement was reworked by 22 representatives of local groups concerned with transportation, including the Bicycle Coalition's Ralph Fertig. It is intended to guide the City for the next two decades.
• The resulting document was, in Fertig's opinion, only cosmetically changed from the earlier version. A general shift in wording reflected a business concern that the City might favor health and the environment more than "economic vitality," a term that was peppered throughout the new document and often used synonymously with "quality of life."
• Lee Moldaver, another consensus group member, was quoted in the Santa Barbara Independent as describing the fabricated document as, "A camel. But it's a sleek, fast, handsome, happy camel with 22 loving godparents."
• All of the pro-bicycle components remained virtually unchanged. For bicyclists, the crucial section out of the 15 vision statements is the following:
• "Increase Bicycling As a Transportation Mode. We recommend that Santa Barbara develop a comprehensive system of bicycle routes which are integrated with other modes of transportation and which provide safe and efficient bikeways."
• From here, the City staff in Public Works and Planning will begin crafting the new Circulation Element itself. Over the next year or two, there will be five opportunities for public comment on the evolving document.
• Since this Circulation Element will expand or constrain bicycling opportunities within the City until 2015, its importance cannot be understated.

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Statewide bike day results

• Santa Barbara County's Bike to Work Day was part of two larger efforts. One of them was the California Bike Commute that drew 9600 registered bicyclists on May 4th. Sponsored by the California Bicycle Coalition and the American Lung Association, the name was chosen to encourage not only workers commuting to their jobs, but students heading to school as well.
• At least 650 of those 9600 registered riders were from Santa Barbara County. All names have been entered into a database and Pacific West Research is currently conducting follow-up research funded by Caltrans. We are attempting to obtain results for our County.
• The other effort was the nationwide Bike to Work Day on May 16th sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists (LAB). Because they had no registration or national lottery, no numbers are available on participants.
• K.C. Butler, the driving force behind the California Bike Commute, said that he regretted holding the event on a different day and would work next year for a common statewide day. Certainly later in the month of May means less likelihood of rain or drizzle.

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Bike repair workshop considered by Coalition

• The Coalition's Safety & Education Committee has discussed the idea of having a program that accepts discarded bikes and either repairs them or trains young people to repair them.
• Lots of used bikes and bike parts are available, and similar programs exist around the country. Is anybody interested in this? We could probably obtain funding for the program. All thoughts and ideas are welcome; call Steve Morris at 965-7979.