August
2001

Why is Westside SB bicycling declining?



Dots on this central Santa Barbara map designate intersections where bicyclist counts were made over the last 5 years. Red dots indicate an overall decline in 2001; green dots indicate an overall increase in 2001.

• The results of a June 2001 bicyclist count in Santa Barbara show a disturbing trend in the City's Westside—bicycling is declining.
• The map shows where changes occurred. The red dots represent an overall decline in bicyclists at given intersections, and the green dots represent an overall increase. The change was determined by comparing the 2001 counts to the average of the prior four years, for each given intersection. All the declines are in the Westside.

• The above graph of the three Westside intersections on a year-by-year basis shows a 38% decrease in bicyclists since 1997. Compare this to the average of the other nine central Santa Barbara intersections that had an 11% increase, and the difference is dramatic. Why is this happening?
• Maybe it's the paucity of bikelanes in the Westside. All of the intersections where there has been an increase in bicyclists have bikelanes in at least one direction. In the Westside, two out of three have no bikelanes (the third, a T-intersection at Modoc/Mission, has bikelanes on Modoc).

The Anapamu Street bike/pedestrian bridge over 101 is closed until October.

• Maybe it's the closing of the Ortega Street bike/ped bridge over Highway 101 in May 1999. The bridge was torn down after a contractor with an over-height load drove through the supporting I-beam. The replacement bridge still needs railings and lighting, but Caltrans says it should be open by mid-August. However, the bridge has been closed during three bicyclist counts, and the decline has occurred only for two.
• The closure of the Ortega bridge may have deflected bicyclists to the two nearby alternatives evidenced by an increase on Carrillo under 101 and on Montecito Street at Castillo. But this still does not explain bicyclist declines in the heart of the Westside.
• Although it was closed after we did our 2001 bicyclist count, another bike/ped bridge over Highway 101 at Anapamu Street was just shut down July 16 by Caltrans for repairs. That $960,000 project won't be finished until mid-October of this year. The unfortunate timing of the closure will further constrain Westside-to-Downtown travel choices.
• Basically, we really don't know why there has been a change. Lack of bikelanes, bridge closures, fear of motorized traffic, shifts of bicyclists to streets we don't count may all be explanations. But our bicyclist count has alerted us to a changing situation that we must somehow address.

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Ralph’s lacks racks!



Bikes are locked to each other or to a railing at the new Ralph's supermarket. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• Ralph's splendid new "Fresh Fare" supermarket opened in Santa Barbara July 25th. Reportedly the most expensive Ralph's market ever built, the market seems to have everythingæexcept racks for bicyclists.
• A recent check of the basement parking area and ground-level entries found bicycles locked together or to a wrought-iron fence. When a security guard was asked if there were bike racks anywhere, he said no. But since he bikes to work there, he wished that the store had supplied some. The fence is fine, but bike racks convey legitimacy.

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“Young Voices” needed

• The Santa Barbara News-Press, to their credit, runs columns written by local young people. They are looking for new writers to express themselves. If you're under 22, or know someone who is, why not write a bicycling article? Say why you like it and how it benefits us all. Articles should include a school photo, be 500-700 words long, typed, and sent to City Editor Andy Rose, PO Box 1359, Santa Barbara 93102.

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Bicyclist count report

• Thanks to 16 bicycle advocates, the Bicycle Coalition has helped the City of Santa Barbara with another count of bicyclists at 23 intersections all over town. All told, there were 2603 bicyclists observed during the 46 afternoon hours, or one a minute on the average. Other figures:
• 24% wore helmets (range 6-54%)
• 18% rode on the sidewalk (range 0-61%)
• 5% rode the wrong way (range 0-16%)
• In general, sidewalk bicycling occurred where there were no bikelanes and/or the traffic was intense. The intersection with the 54% helmet use was State/La Cumbre; the one with the 6% helmet use was Castillo/Ortega.
• This is the fifth June in a row that we have statistics for. Not all intersections have been counted each year, but we have a complete five-year record for 13 intersections. This provides a reliable year-to-year comparison. For those 13 intersections, the count in 2001 was 1475 bicyclists—only 6 less than the prior four-year average. As noted above, there has been a decline in Santa Barbara's Westside, and an increase elsewhere.
• The data have been given to the City Transportation department for their use. Thanks go to Ralph Fertig for coordinating the effort, plus the other 15 counters: Chuck Anderson, Pierre Delong, Mike Hecker, Drew Hunter, Richard Lambert, Ann Lawler, Don McDermott, Aaron Musicant, Mark Musicant, Owen Patmor, Alan Prichard, Curtis Ridling, Dru van Hengel, Woodie Wilde, and Gary Wissman.

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Bike Week flag sales

• We've sold 42 of our Bike Week flags so far. The city of Palo Alto just bought four. The 4'x6' flag has a white bicyclist logo on a red background. It's heavy nylon with two grommets for hanging. Price is $30 plus tax & postage. Find a PDF-format order form at: www.sbbike.org/art-home/flag.pdf.

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Senate Bill 10 advances

• A bill that would extend the popular Safe Routes to School program for another three years is moving through the California legislature. The Senate Bill SB 10 requires Caltrans to continue to set aside one-third ($20 million) of the Federal HES Hazard Elimination/Safety funds for local agencies to improve pedestrian and bicycling safety near schools.
• On June 4th, the bill was passed 27 to 11 votes in the Senate. It's now in the Assembly Appropriations Committee, where it was placed on July 11th into their "suspense file," a holding file for bills that involve more than nominal fiscal impact. We're optimistic that it will succeed, but it might need letters from Bicycle Coalition members in the upcoming months.

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Ocean Avenue worse



This recent photo shows mud in the westbound Ocean Avenue bikelane at Baily Avenue, completely hiding the "BIKE LANE" wording.

• Lompoc bicycle manufacturer Tim Brummer reports that mud being tracked onto Ocean Avenue bikelanes between Lompoc and Surf by Big E Produce trucks is getting worse. About half the time, mud covers the bikelane, forcing cyclists onto the road itself. "We are telling everyone to avoid this bikelane if possible, due to these extremely dangerous conditions," says Brummer.
• Last September one of the Lompoc Valley Bicycle Club members slipped and fell in the mud in the Ocean Avenue bicycle lane. Brummer reports that there have been about 15 flat tires due to the sharp rocks and other debris left by Big E Produce. Appeals have been made to supervisors Joni Gray and Gail Marshall. The County has swept the roadway once, but cannot afford to do it every week. Big E Produce stated to the investigating Santa Maria Sun that the roadway is clean. Tim Brummer is asking if there is anything we can do to help. Ideas?

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Proposed Montecito bikelanes raise concern



The large sycamore in the center of this photo is one slated to be cut down in order to widen the road for bikelanes. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• Although funded years ago, the bikelane designs for North Jameson Lane were just recently drawn. The road has been redesigned to have two 11-foot travel lanes, and two 5-foot bikelanes. On June 25 the County published a document that described what changes would happen and how environmental damage could be mitigated.
• By widening the roadway to 32 feet from the present range of 24 to 34 feet wide, three creek bridges would need widening, eight "specimen trees" would be cut down, and extensive shrubbery and other trees would be removed or heavily pruned.
• Although young replacement trees and shrubs would be planted in the public right-of-way, it's unclear whether the popular bicyclist route would ever be as pleasant. In spite of the increased safety offered by the wider road and bikelanes, it might become a barren road separated from the noisy traffic on Highway 101 by a bare chain-link fence.
• Apparently, the County will lose the funding unless it moves quickly. There was a meeting of County staff and local homeowners on July 10. Written comments on the project were due July 25. As this goes to press, more people are becoming involved, and the County is offering another meeting July 30 to air concerns. Supervisor Naomi Schwartz is helping the process.
• Some North Jameson homeowners have suggested that it's better to save the trees and make the road one-way with a bikepath on one side. This design is generally a bad idea, but maybe it would work. If it happens, however, just how it would connect with the forthcoming bikepath on Ortega Hill above Highway 101 becomes an issue. This won't be resolved quickly, but we don't want to lose years of work that was needed to obtain the funding.

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Alex Pujo, local visionary & activist
by Ralph Fertig

• After being raised in Buenos Aires, working in New York City, and living in suburban sprawl in New Jersey, Alex Pujo yearned for something else. He found it in 1974 when he arrived in Santa Barbara. "The Downtown Plaza was completed," Alex recalled, "and there were as many bicycles as cars. I never left."
• Alex studied industrial design in Buenos Aires, graphics in New York, fine arts in Santa Barbara, and architecture in San Luis Obispo. Today, Alex is an architect with an office overlooking State Street in the vibrant heart of Downtown. From his home two miles away, Alex often bikes to work, although sometimes he needs his car.
• Having lived in Buenos Aires and New York, Alex knows that cities can function without automobile dependence. He has traveled in Europe and been impressed with nearly carless cities: Venice, Brugge, Amsterdam, Pompeii. He has also been horrified by the waste of empty 10-lane NY freeways at quiet hours, and the car parking requirements for local buildings.
• Alex has been a voice for efficient transportation and urban vitalization for years. He has served on the City's Sign Committee and Architectural Board of Review, and on the County's Design Review Team. He has been active in Citizens Planning Association, Grassroots 101, and currently is involved in COAST, the Coalition for Sustainable Transportation. And he and his wife June Pujo are members of the Bicycle Coalition. We're delighted to have Alex pedaling alongside us.

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Bernstein runs for Goleta City Council

• Former president of the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition Robert Bernstein has thrown his bike helmet into the ring to contend for one of five seats in the new Goleta City Council, if voters approve the city's formation.
• "Time is a big challenge right now," says Bernstein. "Still, I am willing to put out the effort because of supporters who are hoping that we can win a seat inside the system. A seat which can help shape the City in a way that is more friendly to sustainable transportation and land use."

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New Goleta bikelanes



Looking south from Cathedral Oaks Road, the new bikelanes invite bicyclists. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• Thankfully, no trees had to be cut down to widen Los Carneros Road and install new bikelanes in Goleta. The newly finished segment between Cathedral Oaks and Highway 101 doesn't have much traffic yet, but with new construction probably coming, it will. Our thanks to Wilson Hubbell for seeing this 0.6-mile roadway through.
• There is an awkward northbound section between 101 and Calle Real. The road comes off the 101 bridge with two northbound lanes. Then it becomes one straight lane and a right-turn lane before Calle Real. Most motorists turn right there. Next, it's one lane north of Calle Real. The challenge: how to configure the bikelane in the middle segment.