March
1997

Residents speak out for Goleta bicyclists, but decision on Hollister is delayed



The bikelane ends for cyclists approaching parked cars in Old Town Goleta. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• Bicycle supporters attended and spoke on February 6 at an important meeting about bikelanes on Hollister Avenue in Old Town Goleta. According to speaker Robert Bernstein, there were 21 who talked favorably about accommodating bicyclists on that half-mile stretch.
• The Project Area Committee (PAC) had already voted to recommend five car lanes. This vote increased the competition for the remaining footage (about 20 feet per side) among three categories: sidewalks, car parking, and bikelanes.
• The County Planning and Development Department, represented by Dan Gira and David Lackie, offered two new ideas. One identified private parking that might be made public and restriped for extra capacity. The other idea proposes removing perhaps half of the 61 spaces of Hollister on-street parking, placing the remaining parking in pockets alternating with wider sidewalks, and striping bikelanes continuously on the street. Transportation engineer Chris Gabriel, however, found the proposed dimensions too spare (7-foot parking stalls and 4-foot bikelanes), and stated that the County would not designate them as official Class II bikelanes. In response, Planning stressed that the drawings were only concepts at this time.
• A PAC vote on Hollister bikelanes was postponed until March 6. It seems clear that bicyclists are being heard, but bikelanes are assured by no means. Hollister Avenue will be reconsidered by the PAC at this meeting:
• Thursday, March 6, 7:00 p.m.
  Goleta Valley Community Center
  5679 Hollister Avenue, Goleta
• In the meantime, you can write to:
• Goleta Old Town Project Area Committee
  County Planning & Development
  123 East Anapamu Street
  Santa Barbara, CA 93101

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Why we need bikelanes on Hollister

• Bicyclists will come through because there are Hollister bike lanes on both sides of Old Town, and it's part of the Pacific Coast Bike Route.
• Without bikelanes, bicyclists will occupy the car lanes and slow traffic, will ride on the sidewalk, or will drive instead.
• Because bikelanes are safer than unmarked streets, they encourage bicycling, thereby reducing congestion, pollution, noise—and our taxes.
• Rising UCSB population and the new bike crossing of 101 at San Pedro Creek will bring more bicyclists.
• There's no safe, reasonable, or planned alternative, so most bicyclists will use Hollister anyway.
• This year, the County will install signs on Hollister designating it as one of four major east-west bike routes.
• The Goleta police bike patrol will be safer and more visible.

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UCSB bike commuter program

• Participation in the University's Bicycle Commuter Program is hovering around 200 people, and appears to have stabilized, according to Mindy Norris, transportation coordinator.
• Ironically, the winter rain draws people into the program as they develop a pressing desire for free parking permits that the bike program offers. Each day it rains, notes Norris, a couple of new commuters join.
• The 18-month old program is designed to encourage University staff, students, and faculty to avoid driving along to campus. Norris feels that it's still at the stage of capturing ambient levels of bicycle commuters and it will take additional efforts to entice new people to leave their cars at home. John William's article about the program in Bicycle Forum last year resulted in calls from places all over the U.S.

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Coalition membership

• We thank those who have renewed their Coalition memberships and welcome the support of the following who have joined us for the first time: Richard Fortune, William Pollock, and Richard Rosenbaum.

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Bicycling on Arroyo Quemado bridge



Bicyclists have to share the lanes with 70 MPH motor vehicles on the narrow Arroyo Quemado bridge. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• For bicyclists on the Pacific Coast Bike Route, perhaps the most dangerous local section is the Arroyo Quemado bridge on Highway 101 just west of Refugio State Beach. This narrow, 22-foot wide south-bound bridge was built in 1918 when traffic was light and speeds were low. For today's cyclists, it's a harrowing experience to wait at the beginning, watching cars, buses and trucks barreling over the hill toward you, hoping for a break in the flow so you can sprint to reach the far end without dying. It's quite memorable.
• For years, bicyclists have complained to Caltrans about their safety on that span; for years, Caltrans has said it would do something.
• In 1995, Caltrans had a railing strengthening project. It was an ideal time to hang a lightweight cantilever for bicyclists on the side, but nobody seemed to consider it in time.
• Last fall, we discovered that another bridge project, a $3 million seismic retrofit, will start this summer. Again, it seems like an ideal time to do something for bicyclist safety, but it is not part of the voter-approved program.
• Now we hear that early next decade, Caltrans plans to build a new bridge for $10 million next to the old one. The question is, why not halt the seismic retrofit and use that money to speed up the new bridge schedule? Since the old bridge has withstood earthquakes for seven decades, why the rush to close the bridge for months and spend $3 million?
• If you want safe bicycling sooner and feel that $3 million is a waste of tax dollars, contact our elected representatives and tell them so:
• Senator Jack O'Connell
  228 East Carrillo Street #F
  Santa Barbara, CA 93101
  phone 966-2296
• Assemblyman Brooks Firestone
  PO Box 2698
  Santa Barbara, CA 93120
  phone 965-1994

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Bicycle Coalition wins $10,000 for video

• On February 20, the Air Pollution Control District (APCD) Directors voted to award $10,000 to the Bicycle Coalition for the creation of a video. The video will promote bicycling as an alternative to driving a car in order to reduce air pollution within our County. Our thanks go to Gary Wissman who wrote the proposal for the Coalition. We are honored and grateful to receive this vote of confidence.
• This funding comes directly after a $6500 donation that memorializes the late Phillip Babcock and will help us craft one or more bicycling safety videos. The combined finding will allow us to economize and forge more professional products. Come to our March 5 general meeting to discuss an approach.

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Highway 246 update

• The section of Highway 246 between Buellton and Solvang has been subject to much consideration, but seems to have reached a final resolution. The proposed and funded bikepath just north of the highway was previously eliminated, but the road configuration has finally been settled.
• At a recent meeting, Wilson Hubbell met with representatives from Caltrans, the offices of Senator Jack O'Connell and Assemblyman Brooks Firestone, plus the cities of Solvang and Buellton.
• According to Hubbell, eight-foot shoulders will be installed the entire distance, but whether these will be designated as Class II bikelanes is still undecided. Although the broad shoulders will be fine for skilled bicyclists, official bikelane designation will offer greater insurance that the space will not be transformed into additional motor vehicle lanes in the future.
• The four-to-six-month project should begin in August 1998.

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Slide show on trails

• Charlie Willard, Statewide Trails Coordinator for the California Department of Parks and Recreation, will give a slide lecture titled "Twelve Challenges to the Trail Community," in Santa Barbara this month. The lecture will be part of the annual meeting of Santa Barbara County Trails Council. If you're interested in mountain bike and other trail use, go and listen:
• Wednesday, March 19, 7:00 p.m.
  Santa Barbara Public Library
  Faulkner Gallery
  40 East Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara

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Santa Barbara Bicycle Project moves ahead



Kevin Brown, in rack, and Kia Bielsky, third from right, about to lead another Saturday ride for Bike Project kids on February 15th. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• The Santa Barbara Bicycle Project is gearing up for increasing interest by conducting more safety and "earn your bike" classes, plus having more rides for the kids. "The rides," says Project coordinator Kevin Brown, "are what really motivate these kids, so we're having one each weekend." In addition, Brown is finding that the participants like it so much that they want to continue after completing the 8-week course to learn more.
• Two upcoming programs might help the Bicycle Project. One is the Summer Youth Employment Training Program operated by the County. It helps economically disadvantaged and handicapped youth develop work skills and self esteem. It would pay for the participating youth and possibly some assistant teachers as well.
• Another idea was proposed by the Junior Chamber of Commerce. They are suggesting a charity bike ride to earn money for the Bicycle Project sometime in the next few months. Both of these ideas, as well as possible safety funding from the California Office of Traffic Safety, are being pursued by Brown.
• The Bicycle Project has kids, but is struggling with too few tools and a lack of basic supplies like lubricants and tube patches. It also needs volunteers to help the kids on rides and in the shop. For details, come to a Monday evening meeting or talk with Brown at 966-5419.

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Bike safety applications submitted

• Three different applications of interest to bicyclists were submitted last month for funding from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). The OTS seeks projects that change behavior in key target audiences in specific communities. The three applications and amount requested from the OTS are:
• Santa Barbara Bicycle Project safety education, $15,000. Submitted by SB County. This would fund an Effective Cycling instructor and assistant, helmets, headlamps and rear flashers.
• Bicycle safety video, $17,000. Submitted by SB City. Funding would be for a digital video camera, tapes, personnel, editing, bilingual translation, and production.
• Computer geographical information system (GIS), $50,000. Submitted by SB County. Funding is for software and training to create a database that has bicyclist and pedestrian accident descriptions linked to their locations within the unincorporated County.
• It will be several months until we hear about these grants, but certainly hope that bicyclist safety will be increased by our efforts.

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Smart choice

• Two engineering students met on campus one day.
• Wilson calls out, "Hey, neat bike, Rob! Where d'you get it?"
• "Well, funny thing," replies Rob, "I was walking to class yesterday when this beautiful coed rode up to me on this bike. She jumped off, started taking her clothes off and tells me I can have anything I want."
• "Smart choice!" says Wilson. "Her clothes wouldn't fit you anyway."
• — The Spoke'n Word, Riverside Bicycle Club

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MTD and bus bike racks

• A Quick Release story published last month discussed the Metropolitan Transit District's comments about their bus bike rack program as reported in a January 16 article in the Santa Barbara Independent.
• MTD marketing director Karin Doerschlag subsequently remarked that the Independent article was incorrect, and in Quick Release, her name was misspelled, and the $50,000 value for rack and labor funding was wrong. Indeed, records from APCD, the grant administrator, show that the MTD received $30,000 from County motor vehicle taxes for the bus bike racks and labor; it was the total program value as proposed by the MTD that was $50,000. Our apologies.

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Notes from February 5 Bicycle Coalition meeting
by Sandra Wintermoss

• In attendance: Ralph Fertig, Dave Beamer, Robert Bernstein, Gary Wissman, Wilson Hubbell, Greg Nielsen, Lori Risque, Alan Bergquist, Benjamin Sawyer, David Lackie, Rupert Essinger, Kevin Brown, Rob Dayton, Ann Lawler, Dan Gira, Matt Richards, and Sandra Wintermoss.
• Ralph: In Lompoc, a bike shop robber choked to death on his flashlight when he fell.
  — SBCAG 1990 bicycle commuting census data in South Coast 5.2% of people commute by bike; in Carpinteria 2.1% do; in SB City 3.2%. This means that Goleta has about 7% bike commuters.
  — MTD's Karin Doerschlag was incensed because Quick Release published an article without con- sulting her first. Robert wrote an apology; Ralph will contact her & suggest a mutual press release.
• Gary: Bike to Work 97, Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce magazine will have Bike to Work info.
• Lori: Chumash Reservation in Santa Ynez will host a Bike to Work day; as for funding, it has to go to Tribal Council for their decision.
• David: Concerning Goleta Old Town Hollister Avenue bikelanes, the County is involved in the revitalization. The Project Area Committee makes recommendations to the Planning Commission.
• Dan: If parking is a given, it pits pedestrians against bikes. It needs your support.
• Rob: I don't understand why 2 lanes won't work at 25 mph? Why add extra capacity?
• David: Slowing will reduce the level of service, especially with a signal timing program.
• Benjamin: One of the goals & ultimate purpose of Old Town redevelopment is to reclaim the community from the auto.
• Wilson: Arroyo Quemado Bridge is a death bridge. It is part of the federal De Anza Historic Trail. Caltrans has $3 million for earthquake retrofit, but no widening of the bridge. Why retrofit if the bridge is to be abandoned?
• Lori: Bikeway Map progress is being made; drafts are going through review. Final draft soon.
• Kevin: SB Bicycle Project has 3 more students graduated. The great article in the Independent has gotten volunteers, bikes and students. They have over 100 bikes, 45 currently working. They are considering starting a free bike program.
• Rob: Mayor Harriet is interested in the program.
• Kevin: We can put 20 bikes on the street a week.
• Lori: I will provide a report on free bike programs.
• Kevin: Steve Morris wrote application to Office of Traffic Safety for safety courses.
• Rob: Outer State Street bikelane will go to Council next week. There are still safety issues.
  — Castillo bikelanes can go in if 8 parking spaces on the motel side are removed. Bikelanes will go in under Highway 101 this summer.
  — There is $45,000 of unused City CMAQ money that maybe can be used elsewhere.
• Matt: Storke Ranch project between Los Carneros and Storke Road was approved, but leaves only a narrow animal migration path across the property on a proposed bikepath. Can we do anything?