January
1996

Bicycling projects recommended to receive 71% of TEA funding



Members of the TEA Review Committee and Lompoc engineer Larry Bean consider the proposed site for the Allan Hancock College bikepath. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• The Federally-funded Transportation Enhancement Activities (TEA) has moved closer to benefit Santa Barbara County bicyclists. The six-member TEA Review Committee met finally on December 14 and agreed upon recommending and ranking a group of six projects for funding, including four bicycle-related ones. The bicycle projects, in ranked order, are as follows:
• Outer State Street bikelanes, Santa Barbara, $117,000. The 2.5-mile project would provide striped bikelanes along State Street from the intersection of De La Vina to Highway 154. The four existing traffic lanes would be narrowed to slow motor vehicles and make room for the 5-foot bikelanes. Signal sensors will be embedded in the pavement.
• Westside-Banos del Mar bikepath, Santa Barbara, $175,000. This 2000-foot bikepath provides a missing link from Rancheria Street past Los Banos del Mar Pool, to the beach bikepath. An on-demand signal at Shoreline Drive will provide safety for bicyclists crossing the street.
• Alamo Pintado Road/Grand Avenue bikelanes, unincorporated County near Ballard, $ 374,000. A 2.25-mile segment of the existing road will be widened by eight feet to provide two four-foot bikelanes. The bridge at Alamo Pintado Creek is scheduled to be widened and the TEA grant will provide a river rock facing to preserve its historic appearance.
• Allan Hancock College Extension bikepath, Lompoc, $322,000. This 12-foot wide, mile-long bikepath will connect the planned cantilevered bikepath on the H Street bridge to the new College campus.
• The other two recommended projects are restoration of the Carpinteria Salt Marsh and habitat preservation on UCSB's Lagoon Island.
• Ten projects were originally submitted for TEA funding within the County, six of which include bikeways (for 63% of the requested total). The Committee's recommendations, however, have increased it to 71%.
• The TEA Review Committee consisted of John Beyea, Ralph Fertig (Bicycle Coalition president), Todd Lee, Aileen Loe, Randy Mudge, and Greg Nielsen. Their recommendations will be reviewed, but not altered, by the Technical Transportation Advisory Council (TTAC); passed to the SBCAG Board of Directors to discuss on January 18 and/or February 22; and submitted to the California Transportation Commission for final action.
• The important result will most likely be safer and more prominent bicycle facilities for everybody—residents and visitors alike—in Santa Barbara County.

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Youth bike rehabilitation program progresses

• To accelerate creation of a viable bicycle rehabilition and ride program for children, weekly meetings between individuals from the Bicycle Coalition and Girls Inc. have been held. This not only has resulted in a structured framework, but it also has attracted other organizations.
• On December 8th, the group met with Todd Sosma, director of the County program, "Multiagency Integrated Systems of Care," targeting rehabilitation of at-risk youngsters. Sosma reiterated interest in helping to pay for the program. One suggestion was a bike-repair van that would travel to sites where his kids were.
• A preliminary proposal, due in mid January, is being written to the Santa Barbara Foundation for $50,000. Money will be for employees, space rental, tools and operating expenses.
• New attendees at the December 11 meeting were Dale Bowers from Santa Barbara BMX, and Jeff Boudin, development director at Zona Seca. Boudin has been active in leading bicycle tours, working with the League of American Bicyclists, and promoting the 1995 Santa Barbara Corporate Challenge.
• Interest is accelerating and everyone is benefiting. To offer help or ideas, call Coalition committee head Steve Morris at 965-7979.

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Video cameras installed at Goleta intersection



Looking north on Encina Lane across Calle Real. New video cameras are perched on overhead lights. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• In early December, the County Public Works department installed a computer-controlled set of video cameras to manage traffic at the intersection of Calle Real and Encina Lane in Goleta. Initially, the system will be changing signals at the intersection according to detected motor vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians. This is essentially what loop detectors buried in the pavement are supposed to do, but often fail for bicyclists.
• The capability of the new system, manufactured by Peek Traffic Systems, goes way beyond signal changing. It has the potential to:
• Make separate traffic counts for motor vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians
• Count and analyze turns at the intersection
• Record accidents
• Automatically record license plate and driver images of those violating the law; for example, those entering an intersection after the signal turns red.
• Store up to two days of data.

Close-up view of new video camera during installation. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• The Peek software system can control eight video cameras, each of which can be divided into 32 zones of detection. One zone, for example, might be far right for bicyclists. The system can be set up with a laptop computer at the site, then left on its own.
• According to the County's alternative transportation coordinator Wilson Hubbell, the camera system will provide bicyclists with better movement through the intersection. Hubbell also commented that the legislature recently passed a revision to the California Vehicle Code to close a loophole that has allowed violators to avoid prosecution under automatic video recording. It has been shown that accident and fatalities fall by 30-40% after similar systems are activated. If you've been on a bike—or in a car—and almost hit by somebody running a red light, you can appreciate the increased safety.

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New bike lockers

• At least three South Coast sites will have new bike lockers installed in the next month or two.
• The County is moving unused lockers to two locations near bus stops on Hollister Avenue in Goleta. Lockers for six bikes will be installed at the K-Mart plaza near Storke Road. Lockers for four bikes will be positioned near the Goleta Valley Community Center. All will require a coin deposit for the key.
• Santa Barbara City will be using some of its Proposition 116 funds to buy and install lockers at the Arrellaga Street bus stop near Highway 101. Usually, bicycles are chained to the adjacent fence, probably by people catching the MTD express bus to UCSB.
• Perhaps you wonder what happened to the MTD bike racks funded last summer? We're waiting for the Legislature to pass a change in the Vehicle Code to allow bikes to extend further from the bus. Hopefully it will be passed shortly.

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Notes from December 6 Bicycle Coalition meeting
by Sandra Wintermoss

• In attendance: Ralph Fertig, Wilson Hubbell, Robert Bernstein, Pat Maurice, Robert Bernstein, Steve Morris, Arnie Schildhaus, Lori Risque, Gary Wissman, Rob Dayton, Alan Bergquist, Dennis Whelan, Jean Thomson, Ann Lawler, Elizabeth (Betsy) Gallery, Greg Nielsen and Sandra Wintermoss.
• Alan: Keep in mind that our goal is to promote cycling regardless of who has control. Our name doesn't have to be associated with it.
• Ralph: December Quick Release contained the proposed schedule of Coalition membership categories. Members will get Quick Release and some non-members will receive it complimentarily, but we encourage everyone to join the Coalition.
• [The meeting was suspended so the Board of Directors could vote on 2 motions. There are now 2 categories of membership—Regular dues paying and Honorary; and the 6 proposed categories of regular membership were amended to include Families at $40.]
• Wilson: No news on CREF funding, it was delayed 2 weeks.
• Arnie: A working arrangement with Girls, Inc. on bike rehab program is looking good. We are looking for potential funding sources and trying to be as inclusive with other groups as possible.
• Gary: There is lots to be done on our Web page. Send your stuff in HTML format to me via email.
• Rob: I have received 5 Bike Route Sign applications. Greg, Ralph, Wilson, Alison and I will be reviewing the applications. The next step will be a community meeting with enormous maps on the floor for people to write on.
• — Sandra: Maybe KEYT can preview it.
• — Rob: We want to use comments from the route meeting in the City Master Plan. We need to publicize the meeting.
• — Ralph: The routes are only half of the City plan. Maybe a 2nd meeting should consider how to incorporate routes into the Bicycle Plan.
• —Dennis: UCSB did something similar for their parking structure—a 2-day workshop with 40 people to address design issues.
• Gary: The Goleta Old Town Design workshop was a good idea.
• Rob: The City wants 3 Coalition members will be consultants. Ralph will be one; we need 2 others.
• Greg: We received 10 TEA applications. The committee went out yesterday to look at all sites. They are working on preliminary scores.
• Rob: SB City staff recommended the roundabout design (without bikelanes) for Milpas/101 intersection. Concurrently, they want the Salsipuedes Street bikelanes and a pedestrian crossing over 101 at Dwight Murphy Field.
• — Robert: I feel that Milpas should be treated like State Street. The more you accommodate cars, they more people are afraid to walk or cycle.
• — Rob: The Milpas commercial corridor is too narrow. This plan is a compromise. It's extremely hard to accommodate bikes there.

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Bikeway signage program to help SB Bikeway Plan

• The Request for Proposal for the design of a southern Santa Barbara County bikeway signage program has resulted in five submissions. The RFP was sent out in late October to help the County and City of Santa Barbara with the $140,000 federal funding that they were awarded in July 1994 for bikeway signs from Summerland to Goleta.
• The five submissions came from all over California, and two of them consisted of teams with complementary skills. They are:
• Pountney and Associates, San Diego.
• Associated Transportation Engineers, Santa Barbara.
• Oasis Design, Santa Barbara.
• Penfield and Smith, Santa Barbara; and Fehr and Peers, Lafayette.
• RRM Design Group, San Luis Obispo; Biesek Design, Santa Barbara; and Meyer, Mohaddes Associates, Los Angeles.
• The five proposals are to be assessed by a local committee on December 18, after this goes to press. Two other projects will be influenced by the selected design: the City of Santa Barbara's Bicycle Master Plan update, and Traffic Solutions' revision to its countywide Bike Map.
• In any event, it seems that public meetings will be held to confirm the best routes, and the process will take three months or more. Depending upon which design group is selected, the Santa Barbara Bicycle Master Plan may or may not proceed in step with the process.

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County project update

• Projects that will help bicyclists in three parts of Santa Barbara County are finished or progressing, according to Wilson Hubbell.
• The downhill side of Foxen Canyon Road at "The Wall" near Zaca Station Road has been repaved. Several large pot holes, a poor job of repaved trenching, and damage from winter storms made that section dangerous.
• On Harris Grade Road, north of Lompoc, a section will be widened to give bicyclists more room. The new segment will extend northward from Burton Mesa Boulevard to Rucker Road. Above Rucker Road, it varies in width, but every wider section is a safety improvement for us.
• The County Supervisors have approved the application for Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to study Old Town Goleta for redevelopment. There are lots of ideas about how to make the area more human-oriented and commercially viable—like bike lanes, off-street parking, trees, and sidewalks separate from traffic. We will hear in a few months.

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Proposition 116 money to repave Santa Barbara City street



Deep cracks are typical of current pavement conditions on East Canon Perdido Street. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• The City of Santa Barbara has decided to transfer part of its $352,000 bicycle facility funding (mostly from California's Proposition 116) from the Mission Street undercrossing of Highway 101 to repaving Canon Perdido Street. The Mission Street project ran into trouble when costs for moving underground utilities soared, pushing the project way above budget.
• According to transportation planner Rob Dayton, the original Prop 116 idea for providing bike lanes on Canon Perdido Street was to grind down the concrete slabs that protruded and fill in the big cracks. After further consideration and the realization that it would provide only a partial solution, it was decided to use the Mission Street money to repave the entire segment between Milpas Street and Santa Barbara Street. Parking would be retained on both sides of the wide street, but traffic lanes would be narrowed and wide bike lanes striped.
• Santa Barbara bicyclists certainly need a crosstown route and this appears to be exactly what will provide it.

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Why the Bicycle Coalition needs your help

• The Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition needs your help to move forward with a number of projects that will increase bicycling awareness, promote education, reduce accidents, and in general make it easier and more fun for us all to bicycle.
• For five years we have been operating with a meager budget that has come from the generosity of Coalition officers, Goleta Valley Cycling Club, Traffic Solutions and individuals. We are very grateful for their help, but with more support, we'll be able to proceed faster with:
• Educational safety video for TV
• Provide bike "valet parking" for local events
• Print our own letterhead and envelopes
• Bicycle Coalition web page on the Internet
• Promote the bike restoration program
• Provide bicyclist-friendly ideas for restaurants
• Print bike-promoting flyers for inclusion in utility bills
• Make Bike to Work Day better
• Promote Santa Barbara County as a bicycling destination
• Create periodic awards for outstanding people
• Offer pro-bike presentations to local groups
• Provide architects with bike-friendly ideas
• Sell Santa Barbara as the site for the ProBike '98 international conference
• Create public service announcements for TV
• Create a bike photo and video clip library
• Create a display for Earth Day and other fairs.
• To support these and more bicycling projects, please join the Coalition for 1996. We'll make certain that you get Quick Release mailed to you each month. The Coalition is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, so donations are tax deductible as allowed by law.

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VeloNews lawyers retreat from attack

• An aggressive letter dated October 24 from lawyers for Inside Communications, publishers of VeloNews, demanded that the volunteer Internet bicycling site VeloNet relinquish its long-standing name. The names were too similar, lawyers contended, and "ôInside Communications is aware of no other bicycling related product, publication, or company using "VELO" alone or in combination with other elements or words." They also stated that VeloNet's "value and recognizability" flowed directly from the VeloNews trademark.
• On October 31, VeloNet operator Patrick Goebel published the lawyers' letter along with an appeal to the bicycling community for help. To Goebel, it seemed clear that Inside Communications wanted to take the name VeloNet for their own commercial purposes.
• The result was over 1000 email messages to Inside Communications protesting their threat. Many pointed out that the word "velo" certainly does appear in hundreds of bike clubs, velodromes, and other groups worldwide. Indeed, it is the generic word for "bicycle" in German-speaking Switzerland.
• The result has been that Goebel has changed the "VeloNet" type face and published an online disclaimer. Access VeloNet's web page at:
• http://cycling.org/

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Bike team has online site and school program

• The Chevrolet/LA Sheriff's racing team has initiated a home page on the World Wide Web. It will give team followers instant access to current photos and news. Reach them at:
• www.infi.net/lasheriffs
• Santa Barbara feels a special attachment to the team since world-class racers Malcolm Elliott and Simeon Hempsall, as well as director Dave Lettieri and mechanic Matt Taini, live in town. In addition, the team has early spring practice in the area. Watch for their green and yellow jerseys.
• The team offers a free public service, the "Tour de Schools," for elementary school children. The program (described at their Web site) consists of an introduction to racing and recreational bicycling, bicycle safety, and saying NO to drugs, gangs, and violence. A video is shown featuring team members discussing these issues. Riders show analogies between cycling and teamwork, goal-setting, reaching goals, and remaining drug-free. Helmet use and other safety measures are also discussed.
• Cycling equipment, race technique, and strategy are explained to the audience by team members and bicycle riding is shown to the children. They distribute free trading cards, postcards, comic books, and waterbottles.
• If anybody wishes to take the initiative to get this free pro-bicycle, anti-drug program here, contact Ralph Fertig, 962-1479 for coordination.