October
2002

Study shows bikes second only to cars

• An SBCAG telephone survey shows that, after the car, bicycling is the favorite choice for Santa Barbara County workers commuting to jobs. The survey, conducted between June 6-July 17 of 2002, is a departure from prior methods of measuring commute mode. Previously, surveys were optional, so people apt to respond were overrepresented. In the past, the modes for each day in a week were counted individually, whereas this time people were asked what their "primary" means of travel was for the week. This means that if a person drove three days, but biked two, it counted as a week of driving.
• The results show that 2.8% of commuters bicycle as their primary means of getting to work. Bicycling was, after the 90% who were in a car, the second choice for commuting. It was prefered over walking, bus, motorcycles, vanpools, or telecommuting.
• One survey question was whether the employer encourages workers to commute by alternatives to driving alone. In the 37% of job sites where employers encourage alternatives, 4% of the workers bicycle; that's twice the 2% where employers do not encourage alternatives.
• The study also included our neighbor counties. It showed that, compared to our 2.8% bicycling, San Luis Obispo County had 0.8% and Ventura County had 0.4%.
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• There was also a breakdown for bicycling by region within our county: Goleta 8.0%, Santa Barbara 4.6%, Carpinteria 1.8%, Santa Maria 1.1%, Lompoc 0.5%, and Santa Ynez 0.0%. When compared with average commute distances for each region, there was a high negative correlation between the percent bicycling and distance: the fewer miles people had to commute, the more likely they were to bicycle to work.

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Evening meeting

• In an effort to reach out to more members and community bicyclists, the Bicycle Coalition will hold its first special evening meeting. The main topic will be bike paths along railroads.
• Tuesday, October 1
  Taffy's Pizza
  2026 De la Vina Street, Santa Barbara
• There's a no-host dinner at 6:00 PM, followed by a meeting at 7:00. This is your chance to meet other bike enthusiasts.

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“Why I love to bike commute” contest winner

• Alex Trieger, a Bicycle Coalition member and longtime bike commuter to Cottage Hospital, wrote several long "wordy" entries to our "Why I Love to Bike Commute" contest. Then he tossed them all away and wrote a simple one from his heart.
• It won him a brunch for two at the Santa Barbara Biltmore. Alex's winning entry is here. Read the others at: www.sbbike.org/commute/love-it02.html.
• Why I love to bike commute by Alex Trieger
• I've often been asked and wondered myself, why do I like to commute by bike? Because I can! and to support a low impact, non polluting transportation and also to maintain a lifestyle of health and well being. To be able to use my energy and time to power myself around town is a real pleasure and privilege. Our city is ideally situated in a valley with many varied and well marked bike routes, that our benign weather encourages the use of all year long. The physical well being and mental keenness is empowering as well as feeling good.
• Not only are bicycles one of the most efficient and harmonious machines to increase one's physical capabilities, but they can also be kinetic works of art. The many sensory delights of smells, sounds and sights are constant stimuli for your mind. Children laughing and playing, flowers and plants dazzling the eye and perfuming the air and smells of barbeque beckoning, people smiling or the smoothness of new pavement are all there to enjoy.
• When you get to work you feel good and ready to go. At the end of work the ride home is a way to unwind from the stress and the pleasant feeling of physical tiredness enables sleep to come easily.
• My cycle commuting and a whole new perspective will be yours to see, feel and experience.

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Our brochure is now in bicycle shops

• The Bicycle Coalition's brochure that was passed out during Bike Week is now appearing in bike shops throughout Santa Barbara County. Created by the Coalition's vice president Ralph Fertig, the brochures are housed in acrylic holders with our color logo on the front, or placed in the shops' existing literature racks.
• Our sincere thanks to Coalition member Bob Cooper who volunteered to take them around to the shops. "Nobody has turned us down," he cheerfully reported.
• Their presence will tell bicyclists all over our county what we're doing and how much we need their help doing it.

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Coalition endorses transportation charter

• In 2003, the six-year Federal transportation act called "TEA-21" will expire and be replaced by a new one. TEA-21 and its predecessor "ISTEA" were the first post-Interstate Highway transportation bills. For decades, the Interstate system got all the money, but in 1991 that changed with the passage of ISTEA. It opened a tiny bit of funding for alternatives like bicycle paths, buses, and sidewalks.
• Now, with the economy weaker, the auto, oil, and roadbuilding interests are trying to reclaim all the transportation funding that they used to have. Bicyclists and other groups are gathering a grassroots program to retain what we so-recently gained.
• The Surface Transportation Policy Project has just created a national network called the "Alliance for the New Transportation Charter" (ANTC, web site www.antc.net), intended to at least continue and hopefully expand the transportation reforms of ISTEA and TEA-21.
• On September 12, the Bicycle Coalition joined others that support their direction. We're joining the Coalition for Sustainable Transportation (COAST) and the Sustainability Project locally, 85 other California organizations, and hundreds nationally. The benefit will be that we'll hear what actions are needed in order to make a difference as the next transportation bill, dubbed "TEA-3," wends its way through Congress next year.

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Coalition obtains extra space for bicyclists



The Santa Barbara City Council meets with staff and project developers on Modoc Road. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• An appeal to the Santa Barbara City Council by Bruce Burnworth, a local resident and bicyclist, asked them to alter new housing project requirements. Although the main thrust of the appeal was to force the developer of the Greenwell Acres Housing Project to pay for putting utility lines underground near the project, it also included requests to change roadway parking and lane dimensions. The appeal's outcome was safer conditions for bicyclists.
• The Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition discussed the situation at its August 6th meeting, and wrote a letter to the Council on August 20th. In part, it said: "The Coalition's adopted Policy Statements provide that all Class II bikelanes should meet or exceed the minimum standards set by the California Highway Design Manual. It is our understanding that the proposed bikelane/parking configuration for Modoc Road at the Greenwell Acres Housing Project (1) does meet minimum California Highway Design Manual standards and (2) would remove obstacles on both sides of Modoc Road related to disorganized perpendicular parking, 'part time' bikelanes and illegal parking in the bikelanes."
• The letter continues, "The Coalition would obviously like more space for bicyclists wherever feasible in order to achieve the safest bicycling conditions for the community. However, we also recognize that the proposed bikelane/parking configuration is a major improvement over existing conditions along this section of Modoc Road."
• The City Council denied the appeal to underground extra utilities, but voted to increase the space for bicyclists next to parked vehicles by one foot. Councilmember Iya Falcone made the motion to increase the space, and the Council agreed. Instead of 12 feet for parking and bikelane, it will now be 13 feet wide. It will be safer!
• Whether a stripe between the bikelane and parking is desirable, and where it should be placed for maximum cyclist safety is being discussed by City staff. William Hunter, Associate Director at the University of North Carolina's Highway Safety Research Center said that the extra inside stripe increases our safety. He offered his 1999 study of bicyclists and parking: bicyclists tend to travel in the middle of the available bikelane next to parked cars. However, they move away from the traffic lane when vehicles are passing, when nobody is parked next to them, and when the parked car is close to the curb.

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Ride your bike to “green buildings”

• The Sustainability Project is offering its annual "Parade of Green Buildings" on Saturday, October 12. While their emphasis is on environmentally-sound building and gardening practices, they're aware of the benefits that bicycling brings to our planet.
• So Bicycle Coalition Board members Ralph Fertig and Erika Lindemann are arranging self-conducted bike rides that include 12 of the South Coast sites, with optional excursions to 5 others. Plus we'll have a bike info table at the green building lecture the night before the Parade. You can get our up-to-date ride sheets and other green details at www.sbbike.org/green.html.
• Tickets for the Parade are $10, available in advance from the Wake Center (300 N Turnpike), the Schott Center (310 W Padre), or at the Friday lecture. The ticket gets you the Friday night presentation, access to all Parade sites, plus a Saturday closing party and raffle. The free raffle includes a bicycle and other prizes. Further details are available at the Sustainability Project's web site www.thesustainabilityproject.org or from Emilio Casanueva at 893-2661 x2208.

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New UCSB bike racks



New bike racks from Creative Pipe have been installed at the MultiCultural Center. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• Students at UCSB are assessing themselves to provide better bicycling on campus. Recently, they have allocated $7500 to the purchase of new bike racks and lockers. So far, three kinds of bike racks have been installed. They all provide improvements over others on campus that twist wheels or prevent U-lock users from locking a wheel and the frame.

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Jackson’s bill makes biking safer

• Assemblywoman Hannah-Beth Jackson's bill to double motorists' fines for violations in school zones was signed into law by Governor Gray Davis on September 17. The bill doesn't mandate the fines, but allows jurisdictions within three counties—Santa Barbara, Ventura and Alameda—to adopt the ordinance if they choose to.
• The measure allows the extra revenue to pay for bicycle and pedestrian safety features within the school district where the fines are collected. We thank Assemblywoman Jackson for bringing us this bill and hope that it will be successfully adopted.

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Fatality in Lompoc

• A bicyclist fatality in Lompoc on September 17 happened when Maria De Los Angeles Lopez lost control of her bike on a steep downhill. Witnesses said that she was going 25 to 30 MPH when she hit the curb on Seventh Street and crashed. Police reported that the 34-year old Lopez was not wearing a helmet and "there's indications that she's fairly new to bike riding and not very familiar with bikes."

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Andy Singer

Bike and win prizes

• Traffic Solutions is offering free lodging, meals, boat cruises, and other prizes to employees who use alternative means like bicycling to get to work during "Rideshare Week," October 7-11. Check with your employer who has to register with Traffic Solutions. Information at www.trafficsolutions.info.

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Mike Hecker—cyclist, biker, race director
by Ralph Fertig

• At a press conference after the San Francisco Grand Prix, Mike Hecker asked Lance Armstrong what should be done to increase bicycling in America. Armstrong replied, "We need more races like this." Exactly what Mike intends to bring to Santa Barbara County.
• Last July, Mike was elected to the Bicycle Coalition Board of Directors. He brings new energy and vision to our organization.
• Born in Goleta, raised in Buellton, Mike knows our county well. He remembers his first bike, a used Western Flyer, and his cousin who taught him riding in two hours, without training wheels. At the age of 12, while riding a motocross motorcycle, he was in an accident that led to corrective surgery of a congenital hip problem. For physical therapy, he turned to bicycling. He did so well that, at the age of 15, Mike cycled the 100-mile Solvang Century in a little over five hours.
• A major influence was his Cub Scout leader, John Seigel-Boettner, who encouraged the boys to bicycle. At a Scout "Bike-a-Thon," Mike outlasted all the other riders.
• For the next 17 years, Mike successfully raced on and off road. Recently, he turned his love for biking into creating local races. Spurred by the demise of the Midland Mountain Bike races, Mike immediately attracted racers to his Firestone Walker Cross Country Mountain Bike Race in 2000. Last May, the third race brought out nearly 400 competitors.
• Mike is expanding. He's the leading voice for a local velodrome movement that hopes to bring us track racing. He's president of the Santa Barbara Bicycle Club. He will bring a criterium race back to Solvang next year, the first time this race has been held since 1979. And this winter he hopes to hold a series of cyclocross races. What's Mike's long-term vision: to bring major road racing to Santa Barbara. In San Francisco, 500,000 spectators turned out for the Grand Prix. If anybody is going to do it here, Mike will be first in line.

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September meeting topics

• Here's a brief agenda report about what was discussed at our September 3rd, 2002 meeting:
• The Coalition will purchase letterhead; Erika Lindemann will shop for the best deal.
• Ann Lawler has submitted a $33,500 grant request to the Clayssens Foundation for 1500 helmets and 1500 lights for low-income bicyclists.
• Wilson Hubbell reported that positions are open for SB City residents on the City's Transportation and Circulation Committee.
• The Santa Barbara City Council denied the Modoc Road appeal by local residents for undergrounding utility lines, and approved the project with the road width and bike lane configuration previously considered by the Planning Commission.
• The Coalition approved the County's CIWMB grant proposal for bike bridge matting made from recycled rubber for bridges along the Maria Ygnacia and Atascadero Creek Bikepaths.
• Our October 1st meeting will be at a new time and place—Taffy's Pizza on De la Vina, 6 PM dinner, 7 PM meeting.
• Bikelanes were striped incorrectly at the Donovan Road overcrossing of Highway 101 in Santa Maria; the Coalition contacted Santa Maria and they contacted the contractor asking for corrections.
• Wilson Hubbell reported that Caltrans is making adjustments to the rumble strips on Highway 101 in concurrence with comments submitted to them by the Coalition.

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Bicycle Coalition featured in Bicycling



This beach and bike photo headed the fine Bicycling magazine article.

• The October 2002 issue of Bicycling magazine featured—what else?—bicycling in Santa Barbara! Each month, Bicycling picks a Bike Town, and they chose us. Their headline reads, "The 'American Riviera' lives up to its name—and adds some great cycling, too." Best of all, the Bicycle Coalition gets prominent mention:
• "The Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition (www.sbbike.org) has successfully fought for bike lanes, paths, storage lockers and increased funding for alternative transportation."
• They go on to describe Tailwinds, Echelon and UCSB bike clubs, Hazard's Cyclesport, a bike ride (from our web site), mountain biking on Little Pine Mountain, plus dining and lodging.
• This should help encourage more bicycling in our area and make us all very proud to see national recognition for the Bicycle Coalition's accomplishments.

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Trail closures looming

• A new group called "Safe Trails" was recently founded in order to ban bicyclists from front range trails in the Santa Ynez Mountains. Founders Cerena Childress and Tony Beigen contend that mountain bikers have made the trails so unsafe that many hikers and equestrians now avoid them. They published their views in newspapers and appeared on a TV show.
• Although their complaints stem only from disrespectful downhill bikers, they advocate banning all bikers. Bicycle Coalition Board member Chuck Anderson notes "They believe trails should only be used by those who think and act exactly like them. Their goal is to fragment our trail community and set us at each other's throats."
• On August 29 the Forest Service started a process to address the issue of irresponsible bicycle use on front country trails. Anderson will represent bicyclists in the discussion. He says, "As a united voice we have the power to...keep our public lands/trails open, and create additional recreational opportunities in the future."

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Active members

• Please thank and support the following businesses that are Bicycle Coalition members:
• MarBorg Industries, Santa Barbara
• Oasis Design, Santa Barbara
• Santa Barbara Infrared, Santa Barbara
• Rincon Cycles, Carpinteria
• Lightning Cycle Dynamics, Lompoc
• We're pleased to welcome new Bicycle Coalition members Nat Koren of Santa Maria, and Jim Logan of Goleta. And we're grateful to the following who renewed their memberships: Ron Williams, Ward Bayly, James Elliott, Bill Taylor, and Mike Hecker.

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Students on bikes



Santa Barbara Middle School students go on an afternoon ride to Goleta Beach. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• At Santa Barbara Middle School, students have returned to books and bikes. Bicycling is part of the school's core curriculum, so on the third day, they were off on an orientation ride.
• Not everybody's back because John and Lynn Seigel-Boettner are leading a bike trip across America. They are pulling loaded trailers and bringing their two sons along with three other Middle School students and a photographer.
• According to a recent Santa Barbara News-Press article, "They've had six birthdays, 36 flat tires and more than 500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. They've been through eight states, a dozen thunderstorms and 40 bottles of sunscreen."
• The Seigel-Boettners led a similar trip 16 years ago, captured in John's charming book, Hey Mom, Can I Ride My Bike Across America? Such a trip gives students an education that they don't get from books. One of the kids on the current trip vividly remembers visiting an Amish farm in Kentucky. He took a 9-year-old Amish boy for a ride in his bike trailer: "I'll always remember the look on his face when I turned around. He had the biggest smile."

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Coalition questions Santa Maria lanes



Heading east on Donovan Road, straight-heading bicyclists feel compelled to stay right. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• On August 10, Bicycle Coalition VP Ralph Fertig was checking the new Donovan Road overcrossing of Highway 101 in Santa Maria. He felt that the bikelane striping endangered bicyclists needlessly by directing them into the right-turn lane that leads to a freeway entrance, instead of onto the bikelane straight ahead. Shortly thereafter, he showed his photo to Coalition President Wilson Hubbell, who agreed and in turn asked Santa Maria City staff member Richard Sweet to look at the striping. That led to a request for clarification of bikelane design from the project managers, the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG), who in turn asked their engineers at RBF Consulting why lanes were striped that way.
• The engineers defended their design in a three-page response letter. They claimed that the California Highway Design Manual does not mandate designs, and leaves room "for designer discretion based upon the conditions of the project." They felt that their design would encourage "the relatively high number of less experienced bicyclists anticipated in the area" to use the sidewalk and walk their bikes across the upcoming intersection.
• For the record, Figure 1003.2C of the California Highway Design Manual does illustrate "recommended striping patterns for bike lanes crossing a motorist right-turn-only lane." It's not what the engineers used. The Manual shows the solid bikelane ending for an unspecified distance and reappearing "if space is available" between the right and through lanes. Space is certainly available for it.
• As this goes to press, the situation is being reconsidered. SBCAG director Jim Kemp is taking a personal interest in the design. We will continue to pursue the safest and most reasonable conditions for bicyclists.

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Pro Bike conference overwhelms with ideas by Ralph Fertig



This wide bicycle/pedestrian bridge over the Mississippi River leads to downtown Minneapolis. Photo by Henry Lawrence.

• Last September 3-6, I joined over 500 others in St Paul, Minnesota for the Pro Bike/Pro Walk 2002 conference. This is what we hosted here four years ago, and many participants told me how fondly they remembered and thanked us for our Pro Bike.
• What impressed me most with the Minneapolis/St Paul area was the large number of bikepaths that led for miles from farmland to downtown skyscrapers. A four-hour bike tour one afternoon took us mostly on mile after mile of paths separate from traffic. And lots of walkers, joggers, skaters and bicyclists were using them.
• As for sessions, here is a very brief summary of things that impressed me:
• A Wisconsin program worked personally with employees at 4 large companies in order to tailor alternative commute programs.
• A Washington "Shop by bike" program promoted shopping. They surveyed grocery stores for bike rack existence and location, provided info on carrying groceries by bike, and promoted the idea everywhere.
• A Silicon Valley session on bike parking for events offered tips on costs, staff, signs (they use our Bike Week flags!), promotion, and contracts with event management.
• "Rails with trails" are proliferating in the US. The appeal of continuous railroad corridors for bike/walk trails is increasing. Liability is the railroads' major concern.
• There will be a California-only bike/walk conference in 2003. A committee is preparing a request for proposal.
• There will be an increasing proliferation of vehicles like the Segway and electric bikes on our sidewalks and bikelanes and streets.

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Aloha Mindy Norris

• After three years as administrator of the Traffic Solutions program, and five years at UCSB managing their alternative transportation program, Mindy Norris is moving overseas. Actually, she and her husband are fulfilling a long-time dream of moving to Hawaii.
• Norris was lauded on September 19 by SBCAG for her performance. The Board commended her for work on Bike to Work Day, Rideshare Week, the Green Awards, a new website, the Clean Air Express bus, rideshare matching, emergency rides home, and the County Bike Map.
• We will miss her congenial approach to life, and wish her the best of luck.