April
2000

It’s time for the MTD to put bike racks on all their buses



Buses without bike racks crowd around the Santa Barbara MTD Transit Center as 40 bikes are locked nearby, perhaps safely. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• With rising gas prices, increased transit use, and more bicycling in the South Coast, the combination of bike and bus makes more sense than ever. Further, it's typically the poorer people in town who are most dependent upon walking, biking and busing, and are hurt most when facilities are lacking. Here are two stories that illustrate what needs attention:
• Nick Covacevich lives in Santa Barbara and works in Goleta. He doesn't own a car, so depends on his feet, a bicycle and the Metropolitan Transit District (MTD) buses to get around. The problem is that he works until 8:00 PM. He bikes to the MTD terminal and uses an express Route 12 bus with bike racks to get to work, but at night, Route 12 buses have stopped running, and the slower Route 11 buses sometimes have racks and sometimes don't. So he sometimes has to bike 12 miles home.
• Alan Bergquist had a different problem. He biked to a UCSB basketball game, but got a flat tire upon arriving. Alas, no spare tube, patch kit, or open bike shop. Afterwards, he hoped to get a Route 11 bus home. One was waiting on campus, but there was no bike rack on it and the driver was adamant that Alan could not bring his bike inside even though there was only one other passenger. Alan walked the three miles home.
• We know that demand for bike/bus combinations is increasing. On March 15, there were 40 bikes locked outside the Santa Barbara MTD Transit Center. During the month of October 1995, there was an average of 28 bikes locked there. If there were more bike racks on MTD buses, would more cyclists use them? Very likely.
• Last year, the MTD designed its own attachment method for securing Sportworks' bike racks to the agency's new Nova buses that continue to replace their aging fleet. It's time to expand bike racks to the entire MTD fleet, and allow drivers' discretion in allowing bikes inside. Write to express your view:
• Board of Directors
  Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District
  550 East Cota Street
  Santa Barbara, CA 93103
• Please send a copy of your letter to Robert Bernstein, Coalition President, PO Box 92047, Santa Barbara, CA 93190. Let's resolve this issue.

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Wider lanes in Lompoc help bicyclists

• The newly-repaved H Street in Lompoc is open. Originally Caltrans designed it with equal-width lanes, but after many people and groups cited the need for greater bicyclist safety on this section of the Pacific Coast Bike Route, Caltrans redesigned it. Because the curb-to-curb space was limited, they didn't have room for full bikelanes, so increased the width of the outside lane, which now ranges between 13' 0" to 14' 4" wide.
• According to Lompoc businessman Tim Brummer who pursued the change, it's been an immediate success. "More locals are now riding down H Street, and not many are riding on the sidewalk, like they did before. Also, there is more room for car drivers to make turns."
• Caltrans listened to bicyclists and should be thanked for their efforts. Send your comments to:
• Jay Walter, District Director
  Caltrans District 5
  50 Higuera Street
  San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
• Mention others who helped: Steve Price, Amy Donatello and Pat Mickelson.

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Traffic roundabout nearly finished



The Milpas Street roundabout is empty except for cyclists on a late Sunday morning. When the Highway 101 access ramps are open, motorized traffic will increase. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• The biggest traffic roundabout in our county, on Milpas Street in Santa Barbara, opened to Highway 101 ramp traffic in late March. The question for bicyclists is whether it is more or less dangerous than the previous intersection that was controlled with traffic signals.
• The roundabout configuration consists of two lanes each entering from Milpas north, Milpas south, and the Highway 101 offramp; Carpinteria Avenue has one entrance lane. Within the roundabout, there are no striped lanes, so traffic may move in a single line. If this happens, it will be fairly safe for bicyclists who keep their speeds up to motorist speeds and who take the roundabout lane until they exit. This should not only make them more visible to entering motorists, but also prevent exiting motorists from cutting them off.
• If the roundabout indeed slows motorists to 15 MPH, there may be few problems. Bicycle Coalition VP Ralph Fertig often bikes through the intersection, so he will be watching the situation with interest. If you have comments about bicyclist safety, phone Fertig at 962-1479, or email him at rhfertig@sb.net .

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Survey by Goleta Roundtable

• Surveyed Goleta voters said these services are most in need of help:
• Land use planning 84%
• Streets 79%
• Street sweeping 62%

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Earth Day 2000

• Entertainment from top performers combined with environmental exhibits will attract an expected 30,000 people to Santa Barbara City College for Earth Day festivities on April 22, 10:00-6:00. What's more, they expect hundreds, maybe thousands to bike there because parking is limited.
• The Bicycle Coalition will once again be there, offering free bike checkups and information. Pierre Delong is organizing things for us and needs volunteers. Phone Delong at 683-0034.
• The Community Environmental Council is organizing the event. Musical entertainment includes performances by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, and many others.
• There will be an opening ceremony led by local faith groups and Chumash elders; construction of a sand mandala by a group of Buddhist monks from South India; and participation by 200 environmental businesses and nonprofit organizations displaying their visions of a better future. More bicycling included, naturally.

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Bike Week coming May 13-21

• Dru van Hengel and Jonathan Humfrey are propelling Bike Week 2000 events ahead. For the Santa Barbara Bike Expo, participants are:
• Velo Pro Stunt Riders
• SCOR Cardiac Cycling Club
• Steve Morris Defensive Driving (bike rodeos)
• Art from Scrap
• Kona Mountainbikes
• Goleta Valley Cycling Club
• Goleta Valley Athletic Club
• Sales are allowed that day, so there may be a swap meet and sales by separate vendors.
• For Bike 2 School, these schools are so far participating:
• Santa Barbara City College
• Vieja Valley Elementary
• Monroe Elementary
• Monte Vista Elementary
• Brandon Elementary
• Foothill Elementary
• La Colina JHS
• Goleta Valley JHS
• La Cumbre JHS
• All others are invited. Also, some schools are coordinating Bike Rodeos with the Police and Sheriff Departments on their Bike 2 School Days. Come to Bike Week meetings or call van Hengel at 564-5544.

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New bike rental business



Barry Kroepelin stands behind some of his shop's new rental bikes. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• Barry Kroepelin, owner of Big Gear Bike Gear in Santa Barbara, has teamed up with Adam Musicant to open a bike rental business at his bike accessory shop. It's an ideal location, says Kroepelin, since it's the first bike rental people see when they're heading down State Street toward the beach. Weekday rentals have been slim, but weekend traffic is fine.
• Musciant, a member of cycling club Echelon Santa Barbara's Junior Team, is the son of Bicycle Coalition members Mark and Shira Musicant. We wish them all well.

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Win in our bike commute contest

• Win a $200 gift certificate at Hazard's Cyclery or a 3-month membership at Goleta Valley Athletic Club by telling us "Why I love to bike commute."
• The contest, sponsored by the Bicycle Coalition, is part of Bike Week, and details will be forthcoming online at our web site www.sbbike.org and in flyers at Earth Day and local locations. We hope to publish the results, with photos of the bicyclists, on our web site to encourage others.

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No CREF funding for Coalition

• On March 7, the County Supervisors voted for funding of Coastal Resource Enhancement Fund (CREF) grants. Unfortunately, they didn't include the Bicycle Coalition's request for a "Bike the Santa Barbara Coast" brochure, web site, and promotion.
• The Santa Barbara City's request for its Shoreline Drive Park extension, including new bikepaths, did receive $65,000. That gives them about two-thirds of what they need for the project.

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Eva Inbar fights for safety from motorists
by Robert Bernstein



Eva Inbar with her dependable bike that she uses all around Santa Barbara. Basket in front and collapsible grocery carriers in the rear serve her well. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• "My goal is to be riding my bicycle at age 90... like my mother is now" is how Eva Inbar characterizes her passion for bicycling.
• Now, at age 53, Eva uses her bicycle for almost all of her transportation needs. Nothing fancy needed for her basic transportation or recreational day trips. "I am happy on my bike," she explains.
• Eva grew up in a "railroad suburb" of Hamburg, Germany where bicycle use is common. In Europe, bikeways lie right next to sidewalks, separating bikes from traffic, welcoming people of all ages and abilities to ride.
• Eva studied German literature, married an Israeli engineer, converted to Judaism and came to the U.S. at age 25. She received her PhD from UC Irvine and taught at Yale, among other places. She then had four children, whose ages range from 8 to 22.
• She raised her children to be transportation self-sufficient. She gave them bicycles and bus passes, but they were on their own if they wanted to drive. They postponed even learning to drive until after high school. The kids were different from their chauffeured peers, but they took it in stride.
• A near-accident with a speeding car experienced by her daughter on a bicycle at San Marcos High School raised Eva's awareness of rampant violation of speed limits.
• But Eva had already joined the Bicycle Coalition after a frustrating attempt to improve the Highway 154/Calle Real/State Street area redesign which ended up hostile to cycling.
• More recently, Eva helped found the Livable Streets Coalition out of concern that pedestrians need advocacy. It pains her to see pedestrians racing across forbidding roadways, fleeing for their lives!
• Eva is excited to be working with the PTA and is hopeful about a future with plentiful safe bikeways and safe pedestrian routes. Thank you, Eva for holding that vision and working to make it a reality!

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Prop 12 wins!

• On March 7, California voters passed the State Park Bond Act, Proposition 12. It will provide over a billion dollars for state and local parks, including $5 million for the California Coastal Trail. Paved and unpaved trails are eligible for funding, so watch for opportunities in upcoming years.

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Montecito one way?

• As reported in the March Quick Release, the County was working on improving safety for kids biking or walking to Montecito Union School. The latest idea is to keep School House Lane its current width, but make it one way and stripe in bikelanes on both sides. Sound good to you?.

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Proposed Calif bills for bicyclists

• At the beginning of the legislative session, bicycling-related bills were introduced into the state Senate and Assembly, the most important of which are:
• AB1885. Speed Limits Bill allows local governments more control over setting speed limits and factors bicycle and pedestrian safety into setting of speed limits.
• AB2767. Similar to above, allows local governments more control over setting speed limits, and factors bicycle and pedestrian safety into those speeds.
• AB2521. Adds traffic control devices to be used for California Traffic Safety Program funds,
• SB1629. Good Roads Bill requires bicyclist and pedestrian access on all new or reconstructed California highways after 1/1/02. Details at www.cabobike.org/goodroads.htm
• SB1772. Increases funding for state Bicycle Transportation Account from $1 million a year to $12 million a year as of 7/31/01.
• SB1809. Balanced Transportation for Livable Communities Bill adds $18 million a year to Transportation Enhancements (TEA) fund.
• SB1997. Authorizes an Internet bike registration service to comply with existing law.