December
2002

Tailwinds helps North County kids



Olga Reed School winners, left to right: Melissa Downes, Vaughn Rask, Brittani Key, and Chuy Aragon.

• Tailwinds Bicycle Club is sponsoring ongoing "Win-A-Bike" contests for schools in the North County. The club is giving away bicycles, locks, and helmets to students who write the best essays that start with the phrase, "If I won the bicycle offered by Tailwinds, I would ..."
• The children then go on to answer questions: What new adventures would you enjoy? How would it expand your world? Where would you go and what would you do? What are the joys of bicycling? How would bicycling keep you physically fit? How would it improve your ability to think and react? How would you take care of your bike? What safety & traffic rules would you learn and obey? How would you outfit your new bike and yourself?
• The schools are teaming up with bike shops. To date, two teams have awarded prizes. The Blockman School in Sisquoc teamed with The Bike Barn Bicycle Shop to award Mason Turner, Roberta Castillo, and Encina Hernandez for their essays. And Olga Reed School in Los Alamos teamed with the Pedal Power Bicycle Shop to award Vaughn Rask, Brittani Key, Chuy Aragon and Melissa Downes for theirs. A third team of William Rice School of Santa Maria and Main Street Cycle have a contest still under way.
• Tailwinds created their contest to encourage our youth to keep physically fit, expand their world, reward writing skills, and promote cycling. Participating school 4th-8th graders can enter. School principals manage the contest in their respective schools. In addition to these contests, Tailwinds has donated to the American Lung Association, American Heart Association, Arthritis Foundation, Cancer Society of America, Cyclones Youth Cycling, Friends of Waller Park, and Guadalupe Youth administered by the Guadalupe Police Department.

Coalition proposes local bike/walk conference

• The Bicycle Coalition wants to bring a new California conference to Santa Barbara. The fall 2003 conference is modeled after the "Pro Bike/Pro Walk" that takes place in even years. As envisioned, the California version will be held in odd years.
• The idea was presented by Chris Morfas of the California Bicycle Coalition to a group of California delegates at the "Pro Bike" conference in St Paul last September. Our Bicycle Coalition's Ralph Fertig immediately recalled the great Pro Bike that we hosted here in 1998. So he's been soliciting support to win the new conference to our community. Our proposal is posted at www.sbbike.org/QR/2002/0212/bike-walk.pdf.
• If we bring it here, it will be an opportunity for local advocates and government staff to attend at a lower cost than if it's elsewhere. It also means that we will need lots of volunteers to help plan things and make them run smoothly during the conference itself. An estimated 200 people will attend. We'll hear whether we get it by mid-December.

Transportation forum includes bicycling



Ralph Fertig and Eva Inbar advocated better bicycling and walking conditions, respectively. Photo by Robert Bernstein.

• The Community Environmental Council and Santa Barbara City College partnered to sponsor a forum called "Transportation and Transit in the South Coast for the 21st Century." The forum took place over three Monday evenings, and on the second, two Bicycle Coalition members spoke. Ralph Fertig promoted more bicycling and Eva Inbar spoke out to encourage more walking. Fertig described how individuals and their communities both benefit from more bicycling.
• For the individual, bicycling controls weight, enhances fitness, saves money, increases creative thought, and reduces stress.
• For the community, it frees parking and driving space, reduces emergency response costs, cleans our air, makes our lives quieter, benefits employers with healthier workers, and helps local businesses where bicyclists tend to shop.
• Fertig cited three studies that showed that after the car, the bicycle is the preferred mode to travel. For example, Traffic Solutions and the City of Santa Barbara had a 6-month program early this year that encouraged Downtown workers to use something other than their cars to get to work. Of the 178 who gave up driving alone to work, 31% turned to bicycling. After that, 24% carpooled, 18% walked, and 13% took the bus instead.
• Finally, to increase bicycling in the South Coast, ideas were taken from our Member Appreciation Barbecue last August. Essentially, we need more bike paths and bike lanes, secure parking at work, showers and lockers, bike racks on buses, education and promotion.
• And what would help most? Fertig championed a bike path along the Union Pacific Railroad along the entire South Coast between Ellwood and Carpinteria.

Santa Barbara County 14th in US for bicycling

• A new release of data from the 2000 Census shows that bicycle commuting to work in Santa Barbara County is among the highest in our country. Out of 3126 counties in the United States, we tie for 14th place with 2.7% of our workers commuting to work by bicycle. And out of 58 California counties, we're second highest after Yolo County, where bike commuting came in with a super 7.5%, the highest in the entire United States. Beside Yolo County, there are 12 others that beat us: 3 are in Colorado, 2 in Florida, 2 in Oregon, and one each in Alaska, Indiana, Michigan, Montana, and Utah. California is the largest bastion of bicycling in the country. Out of the top 40 counties, nobody has more than California's six. Admittedly, we're tied with Colorado with six also, but we're in good company and doing just great.
• Our fine showing certainly reflects the hard work of the Bicycle Coalition and all you great bicyclists! As for the 2010 Census, how much better can we do?

Class I ramblings
Word from the President

• If you ride at all along the South Coast of Santa Barbara County you will probably spend time on Class I bikepaths. While much has been written about how to ride safely and appropriately interact with motorized traffic on the road, how to interact with other users on these paths is not often considered.
• Bikepaths differ from bikelanes in several ways, but the main one is this: Joggers, roller bladers, dogs, baby strollers, children learning how to ride a "two wheeler", etc. are very common on bikepaths yet are rarely encountered on bikelanes. These types of bikepath users can be traveling much slower than most cyclists, and thus should be treated as objects in the pathway that must be safely passed. You would also think that most slow moving—or stationary—folks would know enough to stay to the right and let others pass by, but this is frequently not the case. Beware.
• Many mountain bikers use bells to warn other trail users of their presence and cyclists who frequent Class I bikepaths should consider doing the same. My experience has been that people who may object to a voice from behind (or ahead) warning them of an approaching cyclist will react favorably to the sound of a bicycle bell—and move aside accordingly. Maybe it's human nature, but bells sounds friendly and people react positively to them. Try one, you'll like it.
• If you are actually trying to get somewhere it may be best to avoid bikepaths altogether. Most local cyclists don't even think about riding on the East Beach "Beachway" during summer weekends because of crowded conditions. The erratic behavior of tourists who walk along six abreast—or rent those pedal-powered "surrey" contraptions—can also be lethal. The City of Santa Barbara has begun to establish bikelanes along Cabrillo Boulevard parallel to the "Beachway" for just this reason.
• Last but not least, remember that all of us represent cycling and cyclists to other types of bikepath users. We are out there all the time but others are not, and they may not know "The Rules". Be patient, be friendly, beware—and get a bell.

Gaviota Coast study

• If you're ready to ride a Coastal Trail between Point Sal and Goleta, you'll need lots of patience. The National Park Service is very slowly moving ahead with its feasibility study of the Gaviota Coast. Their latest communication describes the results of comments, including those from the Bicycle Coalition, submitted during the initial comment period.
• The NPS received hundreds of comments. Those that concern bike trails include the following, often contradictory, suggestions:
• trails should avoid sensitive habitats
• the California Coastal Trail should be implemented
• mountain-to-shore trails should be built
• trails may be paved for bicyclists, dirt for hikers and equestrians
• trails and trailheads disrupt the ecosystem
• trails should not go through private land
• put a trail along the railroad
• create a continuous bike trail UCSB-Gaviota, or maybe on to Vandenberg AFB
• create a trail through Vandenberg
• keep everybody out of Vandenberg for security reasons.
• What's next? In February 2003, the National Park Service will publish a Draft Feasibility Study Report and Environmental Impact Statement. Then there will be a 90-day public comment period including several public meetings. It will be very important then to speak out again for trails. We'll keep you updated.

Gift memberships

• Here's an idea to make holiday giving easy for all your bicycling friends: give them a gift membership in the Bicycle Coalition! It's simple, they'll keep up with bicycling news for a whole year—and, by the way, your donation is tax deductible.
• Just send the names of your recipients with payment, noting that they are gifts. We'll send a note to them telling them who their benefactor is. We'll all be better off!

Do bikepath posts endanger cyclists?



Posts are located at both ends of this 10-foot wide bridge near Vieja Valley school. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• After dark on November 1, a cyclist hit a post before the bridge on the Atascadero Creek Bikepath east of Patterson Avenue. He was taken to the hospital with a broken scapula. It could have been much worse. After his story was posted on our email forum, several others described collisions with posts on bikepaths.
• A survey of the South Coast turned up 40 posts in the middle of bikepaths. Two posts defined a protected wetland, 19 were at road entrances to bikepaths, and 19 at bridges.
• Great differences were found. Posts are 35-58" high, and 2-6" in diameter. They are flexible plastic, painted steel, or galvanized steel. The painted posts are white, gray, brown or black. Some have reflective tape, some have fragments of tape, and some have none. Some bridge entrances have reflectors or tape, some have nothing. The bridges themselves were 5-10 feet wide. Some posts were located within the bridge, others several feet before it.
• What would be safer for bicyclists, especially at night? Install overhead lights near posts, use flashing LEDs on them, use flexible posts that yield when struck, paint them white or yellow, and apply consistent reflective tape on railings and posts. And remove unneeded posts.

Highway 101 changes will effect bicyclists



Highway 101 corridor plans include a new bike/ pedestrian tunnel to the left of the existing Cabrillo Boulevard undercrossing. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• Caltrans is working with the City of Santa Barbara and the SB County Association of Governments in proposing a number of changes to the Highway 101 corridor between Milpas Street and Hot Springs Road. Although one reference proposal is to do nothing, given public sentiment toward doing something, it's likely that much will be done. Costs of various alternatives run $33-$40 million.
• Most of the changes will effect bicyclists, either through traffic density and speeds on adjacent roads or with new projects. All of the proposals include creating two tunnels under 101: one at Cacique Street between Milpas and Alisos, the other parallel to the Cabrillo Boulevard undercrossing of 101. The difference between the tunnels is that Cacique will have lanes for motorists, and the Cabrillo tunnel will serve only bicyclists and pedestrians.
• The advantage of the Cacique tunnel is clear—it will give Eastside bicyclists access to the beach while avoiding the Milpas/101 roundabout that currently intimidates and induces many of them to bike on sidewalks.
• The Cabrillo tunnel is more complex. It will be a continuation of the popular "beachway" bikepath that currently ends at the Bird Refuge. However, it will end between the northbound and southbound lanes of 101. Bicyclists will find themselves facing conditions that will vary greatly depending on what other changes are made. Like which on-ramps and off-ramps are closed or moved, redirecting traffic. And whether roundabouts or signals are installed at Hot Springs/Old Coast Highway and at Cabrillo/Los Patos Way.
• The Bicycle Coalition will study the proposed alternatives and Ralph Fertig—who has attended four Caltrans presentations—will make recommendations at our December 3rd meeting. The Coalition will discuss and vote on them and send a letter of endorsement to local officials. This will effect us for years.

New helmet law may help bicycling

• On January 1st, 2003, a new law goes into effect: all children under 18 riding scooters, skateboards, and skates must wear a helmet. The law was sponsored by Senator Jack O'Connell, and signed into law by Governor Gray Davis on September 12.
• There has been widespread contention about the extent to which youth bicycle ridership has been reduced by compulsory bicyclist helmet laws, but everybody agrees that it has reduced ridership. So we can probably expect the new helmet law to likewise reduce the use of scooters, skates, and skateboards. Next January's question then becomes whether kids who left bicycling because of helmets will return to the fold? It could happen.

Andy Singer

November meeting topics

• Our November 5th meeting was very busy, lasting nearly two hours. Here are the major topics that were discussed:
• Caltrans team presented details on proposed changes to Highway 101 between Milpas and Hot Springs Road. Discussion included a new bikepath along the railroad.
• Safety of posts at bikepath bridges was discussed. A survey of them will be done and letters sent to Goleta and the County.
• Canadian cyclist Pierre Dore showed his bike and encouraged us to endorse his envisioned trans-America trail.
• The Bicycle Coalition is proposing to host a new California conference on bicycling and walking here in fall 2003.
• Santa Barbara City has applied for the League of American Bicyclists "Bicycle-Friendly community" status. We will encourage other cities to likewise apply.
• The Bicycle Coalition will have a table at the Building Stronger Communities conference.
• The Santa Maria Valley Railroad is abandoning 5 miles of line; the City of Santa Maria is considering a trail in its place.
• South Jameson Lane paving problems in Montecito will be fixed.
• Four new South Coast bike rides are on our web site in PDF format.
• Bicycling presentation at the CEC/SBCC transportation forum increased awareness of bicycling benefits and enhanced our status.
• Our January meeting will be at Woody's BBQ.

Pierre Doré visits Santa Barbara



Dore's custom recumbent bike has wooden fenders, a cylindrical storage box, and green wheels. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• Canadian Pierre Doré was in town just in time for our November Bicycle Coalition meeting. He brought his metal-and-wood recumbent bike on which he set a record pace across Canada.
• "People want to be connected to nature and cycling gives them that alternative," he said in a news interview. The US, Doré continues, "would save so much money on health care if people were more active. Cycling improves not only your health physically, but also mentally and emotionally." None of us disagree.
• Doré was in Santa Barbara because he envisioned a trans-America trail like the Trans-Canada Trail. It would start here because of our strong bicycling culture. Doré did not know about Adventure Cycling's three coast-to-coast routes, one of which connects San Diego with St Augustine, Florida. The Canadian trail consists mostly of unpaved trail segments between cities, while the American ones are mostly on paved roads. One original idea that Dore suggested was a trail along our Interstate highways, within the right-of-way.
• For information about the Trans-Canada Trail, look at www.tctrail.ca. When finished, it will be the world's largest trail, spanning all provinces and 10,700 miles. For Adventure Cycling routes, go to www.adventurecycling.org.

Lance Armstrong as hero

• Lance Armstrong, four time Tour de France winner and cancer survivor, has become an American hero. He covered the last Tour's 2032 miles at an average 24.6 miles per hour. His resting heart rate is 32 beats per minute, less than half the national average. Each year he cycles 21,000 miles. His fee for a speaking engagement is now $150,000. He owns four homes. And his Tour strategy, according to his 3-year old son Luke, "Daddy makes 'em suffer in the mountains."
• —Outside Magazine, October 2002

Active members

• Please thank and support the following businesses that are Bicycle Coalition members:
• King Cycle Group, Shasta Lake
• Lightning Cycle Dynamics, Lompoc
• MarBorg Industries, Santa Barbara
• Oasis Design, Santa Barbara
• Rincon Cycles, Carpinteria
• Santa Barbara Infrared, Santa Barbara
• We're pleased to welcome new Bicycle Coalition members Jeff Stoutenborough and Bill Frost, both of Santa Barbara. And we're grateful to the following who renewed their memberships: Gail Lowenstine, Benjamin Ellsworth, and Chris King.

Schwartz fixes South Jameson Lane



Thanks to warning signs and grinding down the overlay edge, cycling conditions are now safer. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• Last September the County repaved South Jameson Lane in Montecito. It was a nice improvement to that segment of the popular Coast Route for cyclists. Some of the overlay was perfect, covering the entire roadway. However, most of it just covered the middle traffic lanes, leaving an irregular drop of an inch onto the shoulder, exactly where cyclists would be when motorists are passing.
• Bicycle Coalition Vice President Ralph Fertig sent a letter to Supervisor Naomi Schwartz describing the hazardous situation. Shortly thereafter, Public Works put up signs that said "UNEVEN PAVEMENT SURFACE," they ground down the edge, and scheduled a new overlay of the entire roadway in four months.
• In a letter to Fertig, Schwartz concludes, "...thank you for taking the time to bring this potentially hazardous situation to my attention and for helping to make our community a better place for everyone."
• Thank you, Naomi Schwartz and County Public Works!

Car free and living the good life
by Erika Lindemann

• Jonathan Maguire has been the focus of attention recently, and for good reason. His goal as a member of the City of Santa Barbara's Transportation and Circulation Committee (TCC) was simple: to make the City of Santa Barbara a better place to live by improving the quality of life for its residents. In August 2002 Jonathan was appointed to the City's Planning Commission, bringing the perspective of a bike commuter to the review process. "The way people move around affects their quality of life. I see transportation issues everywhere I look. It is impossible for me to review a building plan without thinking to myself, 'where will I walk in and where will I park my bike?'"
• A Santa Barbara native, Jonathan took the wealth of local transportation options for granted before moving to New Jersey. "If you wanted to go into NYC, there were plenty of trains, but my job was in New Jersey, so I found my choices to be very limited." The lack of choices encouraged most people, including Jonathan initially, to drive almost everywhere, but he soon began biking and walking whenever he could. "I never saw anyone else commuting by bike, but I decided I was going to fight the car trap by changing the way I got around." Jonathan happily returned to Santa Barbara in 1999 and now enjoys the speed and flexibility of his bicycle while also walking, riding the bus and telecommuting.
• Jonathan thinks the two biggest challenges facing bicyclists in Santa Barbara are crossing the freeway and improving connections on existing bike lane networks. He encourages bicyclists to keep a close eye on the operational improvements being explored by Caltrans and to attend TCC and Planning Commission meetings to speak out in support of a more bicycle, pedestrian and transit oriented city.

Report shows rise in bicycling and walking

• The 2002 edition of the Santa Barbara South Coast Community Indicators Project shows that people are bicycling and walking to work more frequently. This is the fifth annual report that monitors our community's quality of life.
• Trips to work over the last ten years have more frequently been make by bicycling and walking, while fewer have been by bus, carpool and vanpool. The percentage of drive-along motorists remains about the same. Although the data doesn't differentiate between bicycling and walking, it's noteworthy that the proportion of people commuting under their own power instead of motorized power has doubled from 10% to 20%.
• We want this healthy this trend to continue, and the Bicycle Coalition will do everything to help it increase.

Bicycle Coalition at conference



Wilson Hubbell staffing our Bicycle Coalition table at the Buellton conference. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• Our Bicycle Coalition was well represented by Wilson Hubbell and Ralph Fertig at the November 5 "Building Stronger Communities" conference in Buellton. They offered Coalition literature and bumper stickers to the 150 attendees, and many people took something. A big benefit to us was that we, as co-sponsors, were included among other transportation players dealing with issues in our county.
• The main conference ideas were all ones that foster bicycling:
• inevitable growth must be managed, not ignored
• sprawl must be curtailed
• urban boundaries must be established to save recreational areas and farmland
• higher urban densities and building infill are necessary.
• Bicycling wasn't mentioned by the speakers as frequently as we would have liked, however "walkable communities" were advocated, and those communities are bicycle-friendly as well. Overall, it was very good to see many mayors and city council members from all over Santa Barbara county. Our thanks to the APCD and SBCAG for arranging this gathering.