May
1997

Seven countywide Bike to Work events will reward bike commuters May 20th

• If you bicycle to work only one day a year, do it on Tuesday, May 20, our annual celebration of bicycling as practical, efficient transportation. What better way to enjoy that commute to work!
• On May 20th, the Bicycle Coalition and many community organizations are sponsoring Bike to Work '97, a series of events all over Santa Barbara County. This is our major undertaking for the year and the most ambitious undertaking to date.
• The Bike to Work '97 committee has been working hard since last fall under the guidance of Gary Wissman to forge an expanded series of events. New this year will be events in Carpinteria and Solvang.
• To reward us all, there will be free food, T-shirts, and raffle prizes. The shirts will be the same at all events, but the prizes were donated by local merchants. Among other prizes, two electric-assisted bikes and at least one regular one will be given away. You could be the lucky winner!
• We need lots of volunteer help to pull this off. If you can spare an hour or two to help at a location near you, call Wissman at 961-8912 or 964-4607. If not, we want to see you and your bike on May 20.
• One final note. Since it's been a long-standing tradition to encounter rain on our Bike to Work date, we have set a rain date of Thursday, May 22. Just in case.

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Bike to Work ‘97 locations

• Santa Maria
  4:30-6:00 p.m.
  County Government Center
  2115 South Centerpointe Parkway
• Lompoc
  7:00-8:00 a.m.
  South Side Coffee Company
  105 South H Street
• Solvang
  7:30-9:00 a.m.
  Solvang Park
• UCSB
  5:00-6:00 p.m.
  Faculty Club lawn
• Goleta
  12:00-1:00 p.m.
  Goleta Valley Athletic Club
  170 S. Los Carneros Road
• Santa Barbara
  7:30-8:30 a.m.
  State Street at De la Guerra
• Carpinteria
  7:30-8:30 a.m.
  Parking Lot 3

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Renewal of ISTEA transportation act is vital

• Enclosed in this issue of Quick Release is a page that describes the massive federal transportation bill ISTEA (called "ice tea") that expires this fall. It lists the $5 million in projects funded by ISTEA dollars within Santa Barbara County, and urges you to write to our representatives in Congress asking them to continue it for another six years.
• Before the passage of ISTEA in 1991, the money went for roads and most decisions were made by Caltrans, who wants that power back. Before ISTEA, about $3 million a year went to bicycle and pedestrian projects—nationwide! Now, citizens of Santa Barbara County have a large say in what projects are selected, particularly for TEA and CMAQ, the components of ISTEA that fund bikeways. With funding ramping up each year since 1991 for bikeways and walkways, it reached $180 million in 1996. We had sixty times as much money for what we need!
• Lobbyists for the oil, automotive, and road building industries, plus Caltrans and other state DOTs, are all working hard to regain control over the tiny percent that is now benefiting us all. If they succeed, we will be returned to the dismal funding level where we were before. We will lose our local voice. Our choice of travel will be restricted to driving, a costly mode of travel at best, for most people. Our safety will be diminished. Our environment will be further desecrated. We will look back with teary-eyed nostalgia to the bountiful years of the Nineties.
• We will regret not acting. Don't let this happen. Act now and contact Congress.
• The Quick Release insert is here.

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Earth Day a great success in Santa Barbara



A steady stream of bicyclists passed by our booth all day, under the watchful eye of Alan Bergquist, right rear. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• Earth Day was celebrated on April 20 in downtown Santa Barbara where the Bicycle Coalition's booth attracted ongoing attention. Applause and drum rolls are due to Alan Bergquist for his excellent job in coordinating and managing it all day long.
• Earth Day is always a pleasant experience because of the people who go there. They're always upbeat, enthused about life, and striving for a better future. Several came up to say what a great service the Bicycle Coalition was performing for the community, and how grateful they were.
• The new bike maps were extremely popular. We passed out hundreds. As people were looking at the maps, Coalition volunteers leaped into action to pass them other literature on Bike to Work '97, Quick Release, and the new ISTEA reauthorization post cards. We quickly went through 100 copies of Quick Release, and hundreds more of everything else.
• The bike checkups were extremely successful. Rob Anderson from Santa Barbara Bikesmiths and Kevin Brown from the Santa Barbara Bicycle Project spent nearly the whole day dealing with an endless flow of people with bikes. They were helped by last-minute volunteers Wayne Cretin from VeloPro Cyclery and Jennie Zaine from Open Air Bicycles. The waiting line for checkups was 20 people at one point. The mechanics managed perhaps 80 checkups, and there was demand for perhaps twice that. We've got to consider that next year.
• Helping at the table before our brightly-colored banner, in addition to Alan, were Ralph Fertig, Gary Wissman, Rob Dayton, Dave Beamer, Jean Thomson, and Bob Burgess. Congratulations all around for a great event!

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Trail Daze May 17th

• Invest in the future of our trails by joining off-road bikers and other trail users on Saturday, May 17 to clear the Little Pine/Santa Cruz Trail in Los Padres National Forest. This event is sponsored by Chris King Cycle Group, Mountain Bike Trail Volunteers, the Forest Service, and others.
• The Generous sponsors are giving free breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus T-shirts, and raffle prizes. What a deal!
• Space is limited. Sign up before hand at local bike shops or phone Chris King at 683-0950. Then show up at 8:00 a.m. at the Los Prietos Ranger Station on Paradise Road. Wear long pants, boots, your bike helmet and work gloves. The Forest Service will provide tools.

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Coalition membership

• We thank those who have renewed their Coalition memberships for 1997 and welcome the new support of Eva Inbar, Kenneth Palley, Jonathan Southard, Alexander and Nancy Trieger, and the Firestone Winery.

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Carpinteria favors parking and bikelanes

• In an echo of events that took place in Old Town Goleta on March 6, the Carpinteria City Council contended on April 14 with conflicting needs and limited space in the redesign of Carpinteria Avenue. City consultants had proposed removing parking from the south side of Carpinteria in order to accommodate bikelanes, wide sidewalks, trees, outdoor dining, bike racks, and other community amenities. A week before a Council vote, however, merchants rallied to oppose parking removal because they feared it would destroy their businesses. The City Council voted to retain on-street parking.
• Most important to bicyclists, however, the Council also favored striped bike lanes on the street. Ralph Fertig and David Wheeler from the Bicycle Coalition spoke in favor of keeping the current bikelanes on this major street. Nobody really opposed the bikelanes, even though this meant narrow sidewalks with scant or little space for cafes, trees, and other civilized amenities for the community.
• The consultants are now reworking designs to retain what they can. It's not over until the paint's on the roadway. There will be more.

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Dan Burden talks about livable communities

• On April 9th, bike and pedestrian consultant Dan Burden gave a slide presentation and discussion forum in Santa Barbara. The session was sponsored by the City and the Local Government Commission, a national nonprofit group.
• Burden had visited Santa Barbara previously, and noted that the city is a laboratory of good ideas. He urged us to avoid erosion of our quality of life by retaining what we now have. Burden is a founder of the Bicycle Federation of America and for 15 years he held the post of bicycle/pedestrian coordinator for the state of Florida. He is currently a consultant who emphasizes livability issues in communities.
• His presentation was video taped and will be broadcast on the Government Access TV Channel 18 on. We highly recommend watching it:
• Thursday, May 1 at 7:00 p.m.
• Saturday, May 3 at 9:00 a.m.
• Saturday, May 3 at 8:00 p.m.
• Sunday, May 4 at 10:30 p.m.

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Annual election

• NOTICE: Annual election of Coalition officers and board members is in June. Nominations will be held at our May 7th general meeting. Consider how you can help our community.

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Two bikeway projects survive cut

• On April 17, the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) reviewed proposed Regional Transportation Improvement Plan (RTIP) projects, and pared the list down. Before the cut, there were six projects that involved bikeways. Now, there are two left:
• San Jose Creek Bikepath from Calle Real to Hollister Avenue, Goleta.
• US 101/Mission Street undercrossing widening and striping bikelanes, Santa Barbara.
• Going into the meeting, there was an SBCAG staff report that recommended only proceeding with the Mission Street project. But because supervisor Gail Marshall and others urged that the San Jose Creek bikepath be in the list, it was included.
• As reported in Quick Release last month, our Caltrans' district director Ken Nelson said last December that Caltrans is a partner with SBCAG, that SBCAG should take the lead in transportation planning, and that "Caltrans will implement what you want us to." It therefore came as a great shock to everybody when he withdrew Caltrans' proposed controversial widening of Highway 101 in Montecito from contention, saying that Caltrans was going to go ahead with the widening without SBCAG's approval.
• Previously, Caltrans proposed widening because of traffic congestion. But it was then shown that congestion within that stretch was below levels of concern. So this time, Nelson says that widening is needed for safety. We are now told that trees along that section of highway pose a danger to drivers, so should be removed. Many people are outraged. We will be hearing much more.

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Bike Project seeks volunteers

• The Santa Barbara Bicycle Project is moving ahead with its "earn-a-bike" program for kids. To start things off, Steve Morris gives all participants bike safety classes. The kids consider the Saturday group bike rides, however, to be the best part. Many who have finished the program keep coming back for more training and rides.
• According to Bike Project coordinator Kevin Brown, the greatest need is for volunteers. They are needed in the shop and on the rides to set good examples. Because of insurance regulations when dealing with young people, a background check for volunteers is required. But once that's done, you can join the rides or work in the shop.
• If you're interested, call Brown at 966-5419, or come to one of our evening meetings.

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New Bikeway Map is out



Traffic Solutions representative Lori Risque holds the new countywide Bike Map. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• After two years of hard work, the new revised edition of the Santa Barbara County Bike Map is finished. It's absolutely beautiful and available free at Bike to Work '97 events, local bike shops, or from Traffic Solutions.
• The 25,000 copies were underwritten by Traffic Solutions, a division of the County Association of Governments, and Caltrans District 5. Members of the Bicycle Coalition and bicycle clubs throughout the county helped verify and recommend the vast network of bikeways shown. For the first time ever, the Map shows bikeways all over the County. It also contains bike safety and bike law information, and useful contacts.
• 
• Perhaps the nicest new feature is the named bike routes on the South Coast as crafted by the public, Bicycle Coalition members, and the South Coast Signage committee. The colored routes on the map reflect the 4000 signs and road markings that are out to bid now and will be installed this summer. Watch for them.
• Special thanks go to Lori Risque who marshalled the entire project through months of tedious details to its glorious completion. We're totally grateful for this fine guide to bicycling.

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Add years to your life

• A health study of 17,000 Harvard University graduates showed that bicycling can add years to your life expectancy. The study examined the relationship between mortality rates and physical activity of men 35 to 84 years old. Those who cycled 60 miles a week from the age 35 added two and a half years to their life expectancy.
• — R.S. Pfaffenbarger et al, "Physical Activity, All-Cause Mortality and Longevity of College Alumni," New England Journal of Medicine, v.314, 1986.

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State bikeway funds

• On April 21, Brooks Firestone's bill AB 1020 for increasing the Bike Lane Account passed a major hurdle, the Assembly Transportation Committee. A compromise was struck which allocates $15 million over the next seven years. The schedule has three years at $1 million, two years at $2 million, then single years of $3 million and $5 million each. While this is less than the $5 million a year that Firestone proposed, it's considerably more than the $360,000 we have now.
• Next stop is the Assembly Appropriations Committee, then the Assembly itself. Things look very promising, thanks to Firestone.

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Notes from April 2 Bicycle Coalition meeting
by Sandra Wintermoss

• In attendance: Ralph Fertig, Bob Burgess, Alan Bergquist, Dave Beamer, Wilson Hubbell, Matt Richards, Steve Watson, Benjamin Sawyer, Vie Obern, Rosemary Bruckner, Rob Dayton, Gary Wissman and Sandra Wintermoss.
• Ralph: Letter from supervisor Gail Marshall comments favorably on biking and Goleta PAC vote.
  — Upcoming Coalition elections at the June meeting; nominations at May meeting.
  — Dan Burden will visit April 9 visit to talk. He's famous for his North America bike tour in the 70s.
  — ISTEA reauthorization efforts. The Coalition wants Congress to vote for it. A postcard mailer was approved. Benjamin Sawyer and Steve Watson (Electric Transportation Co.) will help pay.
  — New Bike Map is printed, but not folded. It was produced completely within our County.
• Wilson: Will give a slide lecture April 10 about his bike trip in Vietnam.
• Alan: Earth Day on April 20 needs volunteer mechanics. Pat says check with Kevin at the Bike Project about kids from earn-a-bike program.
• Vie: State Parks will have Earth Day booth with Trails Council. They will pass out Trails Day info.
• Ralph: Carpinteria Council gave preliminary approval to Carpinteria Ave redesign to remove the south-side parking and put in bikelanes. Now merchants are upset. Ralph will contact Carp people.
• Gary: Bike to Work '97 funds, gifts and food are coming in. Poster won't be ready for Earth Day. Rob says posters work better than flyers.
• Ralph: Pro Bike/Pro Walk '98 conference. Ann Lawler dealing with rides. General meeting 4/ 30.
• Rob: South Coast Signage project is off for bids and construction, but timing is unknown.
  — 8-foot bikelanes coming on Carrillo Hill from above San Andres to Cliff Drive.
• Gary: To get safety video money, we need liability insurance. He will investigate further.
• Ralph: Bike Project Steering Committee is upset because Girls Inc. started deducting money for rent and services. Arnie is talking to them.
• Ralph: Bicycle Summit in Northridge, April 24. Impressive speakers from all over the state. Lori and Ralph are going.
• Wilson: Goleta Old Town PAC voted for bikelanes. Most traffic lanes there are wider than necessary.
• Gary: North/South County meeting was changed to North County Bike to Work '97 meeting.
• Wilson: Goleta Valley Cycling Club members clean Atascadero Creek bikepath monthly.
  — County impact fee structure is being updated. It's transportation impact fee, much now used for bikes, trails, buses. Ann Lawler wrote new Calif study about use for alternatives; some places commit 100%. This is going to Supervisors soon.
• Steve: People in Riverside/San Bernardino have a new electric bike discount program.
• Matt: Concerned about animal migration corridor combined with bikepath at Goleta housing project. Wilson says the corridor was designed too small and the bikepath is part of the GTIP.

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Send a message to Congress to vote for bikeways

• What¨s happening?
• We're under siege for the tiny portion of federal funding that has been going to bicycle projects over the last few years. Big oil, auto, state DOT, and road building interests are lobbying Congress to give it all back to them like it was for decades until the landmark ISTEA legislation in 1991. Our senators and representative will listen to these powerful interests unless we tell them otherwise.
• What¨s ISTEA?
• The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA, called "ice tea") is a landmark six-year transportation bill that expires this fall. Its renewal is being discussed in Congress right now. ISTEA includes broad eligibility for non-highway projects and a new emphasis on efficient use of all transportation systems.
• Until ISTEA, federal policy fueled our overdependence on the automobile by dedicating most federal dollars to new highway construction rather than to trains, buses, and bikeways. It posed barriers to achieving many of society's broader objectives, including air and water quality, economic health, and social equity. ISTEA is working to remove those barriers, improve our environment, and provide all people with a broad choice of transportation opportunities.
• What¨s ISTEA done for us?

• Nationwide, ISTEA is pouring about a billion dollars into bicycling projects over its six year life. Within Santa Barbara County, we have received over $5 million in funding for many bikeway projects, most of which are still within the planning stage. The projects are in or near these communities:
• Carpinteria — Coastal Trail, Carpinteria Beach
• Carpinteria — Via Real bikelanes
• El Capitan — Coastal Trail, El Capitan Ranch
• Gaviota — Coastal Trail, Gaviota Beach
• Goleta — Phelps Road bikelanes
• Goleta — Bikeway signs
• Goleta — Ward Drive bikelanes
• Goleta — Los Carneros Road bikepath
• Goleta — Maria Ygnacio/Hollister access
• Lompoc — East-west channel bikepath
• Lompoc — Route 1 Bridge bikeway
• Summerland — Bikeway signs
• Orcutt — Orcutt Road bikelanes
• Santa Barbara — Bikeway signs
• Santa Maria — Bikeway striping & signs
• Santa Maria — Frontage Road bikepath
• Santa Maria — Santa Maria/Guadalupe path
• Santa Ynez — Refugio Road bikelanes
• Solvang — Highway 246 bikepath
• Solvang/Buellton — Highway 246 bikepath
• What can I do?
• Contact our California representatives in Congress. Tell them that it's important to retain the bicycle-friendly portions of ISTEA. Write, phone, fax, or email your message to:
• Senator Barbara Boxer
  112 Hart Office Building
  Washington, DC 20510
  phone 202-224-3553
  fax 310-414-0980
  email senator@boxer.senate.gov
• Senator Diane Feinstein
  331 Hart Office Building
  Washington, DC 20510
  phone 202-224-3841
  fax 202-228-3954
  email senator@feinstein.senate.gov
• Representative Walter Capps
  (for all of Santa Barbara County except Carpinteria)
  1118 Longworth House Building
  Washington, DC 20515
  phone 202-225-3601
  fax 202-225-5632
• Representative Elton Gallegly
  (for Carpinteria and Ventura County)
  2441 Rayburn Building
  Washington, DC 20515
  phone 202-225-05811
  fax 202-225-1100
• If we don't speak up now, the mammoth car, oil and road interests will run right over us!