August
2004

101 In Motion—where’s the bicycling?
 by Ralph Fertig



A rough (and illegal) path used by bicyclists exists along the railroad in Santa Barbara. Doubtlessly, a permanent (and legal) path would attract a large numbers of users. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• Where is bicycling as a means of transportation in the 101 In Motion study? The million-dollar study that we're buying is supposed to determine ways to reduce motorized traffic congestion throughout the entire urban South Coast between Winchester Canyon and the Ventura County line. However, it seems that all of the "solutions" so far are designed to deal with car commuters between Ventura and Santa Barbara.
• When I read in the News-Press that three of the 34 ideas for relieving South Coast congestion were dropped, I looked at what was left to see how ideas for increasing bicycling to reduce congestion were faring. To my surprise, they were not among the 31 remaining ideas. What I had suggested at Goleta and Carpinteria public workshops (to applause) were:
• A bikepath along the railroad between Ellwood and Carpinteria
• If commuter rail comes in, bike racks on the coaches and secure bike storage at stations
• Individualized marketing of alternatives like bicycling to all households.
• If you look at the 101 In Motion website that serves our community, you find a listing (as of July 23) of upcoming public workshops in February and March 2004. There is a phone number that I called for information. I didn't reach a person, but a recording told me that the next "stakeholders" meeting will be June 28th, and please leave a message. I did, hoping that somebody would phone me back. Nobody did.
• A week later, I received an anonymous email that answered my question "what happened to bike considerations?" It said that there were two lists of "solutions"—a primary one that neglected bicycling, and a "complementary" one that did include it. The final package, they told me, would be a combination of primary and complementary elements.
• Individualized marketing was one of their primary elements, but it only considered rideshare. Again, marketing pops up under complementary elements, but only for buses and carpool/vanpool. In contrast, an application of individualized marketing in South Perth, Australia, was a smashing success: it increased bicycling 61%, walking by 35%, and bus use by 17%. It cost 1/30 as much as roadway widening. To me, that's very cost-effective. But as proposed by 101 In Motion, marketing biking or walking is not considered.
• As for a railroad bikepath, 101 In Motion did include "expand bikelanes and bikepaths" as a complementary element. The greatest request by Bicycle Coalition members and others is for more bikepaths separate from motorists. Just like the railroad path would be.
• So where does this leave us? With the price tag of $500 million, plus or minus a few hundred, for widening Highway 101 over the next several decades, there must be cost-effective, healthy, sustainable alternatives. We only ask that bicycling will be given fair consideration

Coalition works on “BikeEd”

• On July 23, our bike education people met with Jean Anderson, education advocate from San Luis Obispo to coordinate strategies. We're ahead of San Luis with local instructors, but they hope to catch up this fall with a new training class. Erika Lindemann and Nancy Mulholland may assist them. As for coordinating with a statewide effort, that seems to have gone away, so we may have to work regionally on providing education.

Member Appreciation BBQ on August 8th

• Mark your calendars for a fun afternoon at our annual Member Appreciation Barbecue. Note that this year it's at a new location:
•   Member Barbecue
    Sunday, August 8, 1:00 PM
    Tucker's Grove County Park, Area 3
• It's open to all Bicycle Coalition members, their family and invited friends. RSVP as soon as possible to the invitation that you, as a member, have received in the mail.

Bicycle Safety Education

 Word from the Board, by Nancy Mulholland

• When the phrase "bicycle safety education" is used, most people envision elementary school bicycle rodeos. While these events are an important part of bicycle education, the League of American Bicyclists' (LAB) BikeEd Program goes far beyond teaching children. In fact, the core of the LAB curriculum is geared towards helping adults learn to ride safely and legally as part of vehicular traffic; skills that are essential to enjoy using a bicycle for recreation, exercise, and transportation.
• The most popular course taught by League Cycling Instructors (LCIs) is the Road I course. This course combines classroom presentations and on-bike skill development for participants who must be a minimum age of 16. It covers:
• Bicycle fit, maintenance and safety checks
• Principles of traffic law
• Vehicular Cycling including predictability and communication, lane choice and positioning
• Bike handling skills necessary for safe riding
• Emergency maneuvers to avoid falls and collisions
• Night riding
• Commuting options and needs.
• Other courses supported by the LAB include: Bicycle Street Skills, Road II; Commuting; Motorist Ed; Kids I (parent & child); Kids II; and Bicycle Rodeos. LCIs also have access to a number of excellent audiovisual and written materials.
• When I took a Road I course last fall, I had ridden bikes as an adult for over 30 years, including commuting by bicycle for the past 20. I came away from the course with new knowledge and enhanced skills and confidence for safe road riding. It was an enjoyable and valuable experience and one that I would recommend to any rider.
• Education is one the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition's highest priorities in meeting its mission of "promoting bicycling for safe transportation and recreation." The Coalition has worked with the City of Santa Barbara to certify over 15 League Cycling Instructors and our next step is to start offering a wide variety of BikeEd classes to our community. As noted in July's Quick Release, the Board is looking for a volunteer BikeEd Coordinator to begin this important work. During the first year of the program, the Coordinator will accept requests from local organizations & individuals who want to sponsor or attend a BikeEd course; match the request with an available LCI; publish a list of upcoming courses in Quick Release and other local publications; and work with a BikeEd Committee to develop long term plans for the program in Santa Barbara County.
• We do not expect this job to take any more than five hours a week and several of the Coalition's Board members will be available to support and assist the BikeEd Coordinator. If you are interested in being our BikeEd Coordinator; have any questions about the requirements of the position; or in taking any of the many courses available; feel free to contact either Erika Lindemann (961-8919) or myself (563-9073).

Lance’s band matches his yellow jerseys

• What's the yellow wristband on Lance Armstrong that matches the color of his favorite jersey these days? It's his "LIVE STRONG" wristband and you'll see lots of people—cyclists and non-bikers alike—wearing them.
• They are for sale for a dollar each from Dave Lettieri at FasTrack Bicycles shop in Santa Barbara, or online directly from the Lance Armstrong Foundation at www.laf.org.
• The Lance Armstrong Foundation was established by Armstrong himself to help other cancer victims. The bands are expected to raise $5 million to help the LAF in its program of education, advocacy, public health, and research.
• As this goes to press, Armstrong is heading toward a sixth win in the Tour de France. His unrivaled cycling command is inspiring millions of people to get out and ride.

Bike commute list

• Bicycle Coalition member and avid commuter David Madajian has opened a discussion list to help people select or make commute bikes. It currently has 37 subscribers, up from only 22 five weeks ago.
• Madajian notes that posts on the new Trek L200 seem to make it the hottest bike for commuting. You can read back messages at:
•     http://lists.topica.com/lists/commuterbicycle/read
• If you want to join, just send an email with no subject or message to:
•     commuterbicycle-subscribe@topica.com
• We're proud to have David in our county, setting an example and helping others enjoy bike trips to their jobs.

July Coalition meeting topics

• Our July 6th Bicycle Coalition gathering consisted of an evening dinner and meeting that attracted 20 people to Rusty's Pizza to discuss these and other issues:
• The Bicycle Coalition donated a classic Univega bicycle to the Environmental Defense Center for their annual auction.
• Ralph Fertig reported on his tour of SB City bicycle facilities with Rob Dayton and the TCC committee.
• Jim Cody's talked about desirability of a bikepath south of Hollister Avenue along the Airport in Goleta.
• Nancy Mulholland talked about organizing a countywide BikeEd program that the Bicycle Coalition would spearhead.
• Mike Hecker described his upcoming Semana Nautica criterium in Downtown Santa Barbara, plus mountain bike races in Elings Park.
• Ralph Fertig described the importance of two upcoming Board of Supervisors meetings considering bike trails in the Santa Ynez Valley Community Plan.
• Dru van Hengel announced that she has returned to SB City full time as the Mobility Coordinator. She had spent a year teaching at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
• Ralph Fertig described the new Shoreline Drive bike facilities, plus an upcoming study on the possible connection of the new Shoreline bikepath with the Beachway.
• Our Member Appreciation BBQ will take place this year on August 8 at Tucker's Grove County Park. Members are invited to come and bring family and friends.

School bike program a “growing success”

• Pioneering a new school program at La Cumbre Junior High, Dave O'Donnell called his June-July venture a "growing success." Attracting more than twenty students, the free four-week program "Mountain Biking Summer School" was a fine platform for future years of biking.
• The class accepted 7th and 8th grade students from anywhere in the County's South Coast. It included mountain biking, bike maintenance skills, and trail use ethics. "If I can teach the kids to wear helmets, stay to the right, and possibly mix in a hand signal or two," ventured O'Donnell, "I will call the class a smashing success."
• O'Donnell, a Latin teacher at La Colina, San Marcos, and formerly La Cumbre, may seem an unlikely biking teacher. However, when he taught at La Cumbre, he donated a bike to the school each year. The summer job came to him, O'Donnell muses, "since I own some spandex."
• O'Donnell was assisted by another adult and two high-school students. He foresees the class as a permanent La Cumbre summer program that might be expanded to include an overnight bike and camp trip. It could also be helped with more preparation and additional funding from some source. If you have ideas or can offer help, contact O'Donnell online at dolatin@hotmail.com or by phone at 898-1419.
• When he isn't at La Cumbre, O'Donnell is working with San Marcos High School students on a mountain bike team. "We will have a pretty strong mountain bike team ... in a few years," he ventures.

Cars curbed in IV

• Because too many automobiles in Isla Vista are causing problems for everybody, the Board of Supervisors recently approved changes. Starting in early 2005, residents parking on the streets will require permits, and parking meters will be installed in the Embarcadero business loop.
• Revenue from the meters and parking fines will be used within the Isla Vista area for transportation improvements for pedestrians, bicyclists and bus customers. What the estimated 1000 UCSB students who now drive to IV, park on the streets and walk to campus will do remains to be seen. Some will simply pay to park on campus, but others will seek alternative means of travel that will certainly include bicycling. We'll be watching to see how much better for bicyclists the community becomes.

Santa Ynez River Trail still in Community Plan



Looking east toward Highway 101 in Buellton, existing informal trails show the popularity of the river area. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• On July 13, the County Supervisors began considering the next step for the Santa Ynez Valley Community Plan. The Plan is important to bicyclists because it contains proposed new trails that we want. The most important are:
• Trails on the north shore of Cachuma Lake
• A trail through Sedgwick Ranch
• The Santa Ynez River Trail.
• The Bicycle Coalition has been strongly advocating for the first and last trails. Cachuma trails are currently being considered by the US Bureau of Reclamation that manages the Lake property; this is following a series of public meetings where we took a strong position. The Sedgwick Ranch trail that connects Brinckerhofff Avenue and Figueroa Mountain Road appears to be acceptable to everybody.
• The Santa Ynez River Trail, however, is facing opposition not only from landowners along the river who oppose the River Trail, but also from ranchers elsewhere in the valley who fear future trails near their property.
• The Supervisors are currently considering whether or not to send the draft community plan—in its current or another form—off for study of environmental impacts. At earliest, the plan could be adopted by summer 2005. That would be, however, just a plan, and until funding comes along, it could remain a dust-gathering document.
• At the July 13th meeting, the county staff offered a modified version of the Santa Ynez River Trail. Instead of following the river all the way between Buellton and Cachuma Lake, they now suggest that the section east of Highway 154 become a trail next to the highway from the river crossing to Cachuma.
• About 20 people made public comments at the meeting. Bicycle Coalition member and bike shop owner Corey Evans spoke in favor of the River Trail between Buellton and Solvang, emphasizing the need for outdoor recreation for children and families. The Womans Environmental Watch group advocated trails near developed areas for residents and visitors alike.
• Two women opposed the River Trail. One claimed that a trail along Highway 154 would keep her from entering and leaving her property that fronts the road. Another said that a trail would take 25 feet of Caltrans' right of way that doesn't exist.
• Caltrans' Highway Design Manual specifies that a bicycle path next to a road requires only 14.6 feet of space outside the road surface. As for the trail blocking access to property, it wouldn't happen.
• The Board of Supervisors will continue public comment and consideration of the Plan at their August 3 meeting. Bicycle Coalition president Ralph Fertig plans to speak to them then.

Bicyclist count 2004

• This year's bicyclist count in Santa Barbara was intended to test a theory of Ralph Fertig that morning weather conditions determine the number of people who bicycle in the afternoon during the 4:00-6:00 PM period. The theory was based on data from 2003, where five sunny mornings saw a 10% increase of bicyclists over 2002 numbers; and two drizzling mornings saw a 56% decrease. The idea for this year was to count those seven intersections only, but to do it only on sunny-morning days.
• Unfortunately, the theory wasn't tested because counters didn't get out on the two sunny mornings. There were, however, four intersections that had sunny morning counts in 2003 and 2004; they showed a 2% decrease in 2004 over 2003, but they were still 12% over the 2002 counts.
• So the theory that weather determines the number of people bicycling wasn't tested. Maybe in 2005 we can repeat it to see what happens. Our thanks nonetheless go to those who helped this year: Wilson Hubbell, Nancy Mulholland, Pierre Delong, and Ralph Fertig.

How to bike and save your heart

• A 12-year study of 21,000 men shows that burning 1000-2000 calories a week with vigorous exercise reduced their risk of heart disease by 20%. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2000, the study shows that those who burned more than 2000 calories had no additional benefit. Those who burned 500-1000 had health benefits, but no reduction of heart risk. The same was true for those who exercised at a lower intensity.
• In addition, your vigorous exercise could be done in one long session, or several shorter ones with no difference. What does it take? For a 180-pound guy, he can burn 2000 calories a week with either 160 minutes of vigorous mountain biking or 140 minutes of vigorous cycling. If you're lighter, you'll need more time, if you're heavier, you'll need less time.
• If you haven't been biking that much, build up to the optimum number gradually. Figure it out for yourself and join the 20% crowd.

Buellton Parks and Rec

• Corey Evans, owner of Dr J's Bicycle Shop in Buellton tells us that the City of Buellton created a Parks and Recreation Department in July, and that the Santa Ynez River Trail is one of their top agenda priorities.

Coalition offers safety tape to members



No, it's not an honorary sash on Wilson Hubbell (although he deserves one), but a piece of orange reflective material for us to use. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• Ralph Fertig, Bicycle Coalition president, acted on an idea described by another advocacy group: use left-over reflective sign scraps to make bicyclists safer at night.
• So he contacted Wilson Hubbell, the County's alternative transportation coordinator for bicycling, who in turn asked his sign-making workshop whether they had scraps for us to recycle.
• The answer was an emphatic "yes." As a result we have lots of pieces of white, yellow, orange and red reflective stuff. It's peel-and-stick, just right for making you safer whenever you bike after dark.
• We're giving it away to those who come to our meetings and our upcoming Member Appreciation Barbecue. So come out, pick some of the stuff, and get yourself—and your family members—well lit.

Willie will return

• The star attraction at our Bike Week Celebration event last May 14th, touring cyclist Willie Weir, has responded positively to our invitation to have him return in 2005. Actor, photographer, writer and cyclist Weir gave us a memorable and inspiring performance with music, slides and his incomparable stories. "I would be delighted to return," wrote Weir. "I've already mentioned it to Kat and she'd love to come with me." Kat is Weir's wife and cycling companion in the Balkans and most recently, in Turkey.
• No dates have been set, but if you missed Willie this year, you'll have a great opportunity to catch him next year.

Hollister bikepath

• Over the last two months, new Goleta resident Jim Corey has raised our awareness of the desirability of a bikepath along Hollister Avenue north of the Santa Barbara Airport. There are bikelanes all along Hollister between Ellwood and Fairview Avenue, but Corey felt that the high-speed traffic is a deterrent to comfortable bicycling.
• That section of land is part of the City of Santa Barbara, and has had a bikepath on planning documents for years. At our July 6th meeting, the city's mobility coordinator Dru van Hengel was pleased with the interest and will work with Corey and us on moving the proposed path forward.
• For most of the 1.7 mile distance between Los Carneros and Fairview Avenues, bicyclists can use quiet Firestone Road that parallels Hollister, so bikepath connections would be easy to install. Corey feels that safer access for Goleta and UCSB bicyclists to commercial centers will benefit us all—and we certainly agree.

Coalition donates bike to EDC



We gave this classic 10-speed Univega bike to the Environmental Defense Center for their auction. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• At the suggestion of one of our members, the Bicycle Coalition gave a classic bike to the Environmental Defense Center for their annual auction on June 27th. The bike was a 1985 Univega 10-Speed town bike in superb condition. Just the thing for crusing around town. We packaged it with a helmet and a 1-year membership in the Bicycle Coalition.
• We made the donation in the interest of environmentally-responsible transportation. It was purchased by environmental consultant Helene Marsh who was going to spend the summer working on a housing development near Washngton DC, and needed a bicycle to get around.
• The auction this year offered three bicycles that brought in $1260 for the EDC. People had a choice because the others were a road bike and a beach cruiser. The later was donated by the Isla Vista Bike Boutique. Overall, we helped raise awareness of responsible transportation to the EDC and all their auction supporters.

Federal transportation act

• Reauthorization of the massive federal 6-year transportation act is lumbering along. The latest extension, the fifth of its kind, runs through the end of September.
• The House-Senate committee met in early July, attempting to resolve differences between the two versions of the bill. They agreed on 41 minor items, but left hundreds unresolved. They met again during the week of July 18 but likewise made little progress. Although the administration has stated that it will veto anything over $256 billion, recent word is that it may accept funding of $284 billion, although it's still below the Senate's $318 billion.
• Congress is now in a five-week recess through early September. Some people believe that any resolutions will be delayed until after the November elections. You can follow progress, if any, at www.transact.org/transfer/trans04/7_01.asp.

Active members

• Please thank and support the following Bicycle Coalition business members:
• Hazard's Cyclesport, Santa Barbara
• Rincon Cycles, Carpinteria
• We welcome new Bicycle Coalition members Thomas Kren, and Harley Augustino. And we certainly thank those who renewed their memberships: Jessie Altstatt, Ken Yamamoto, Bill Powell, Richard Duane Rosenbaum, Annemarie Horner, David Madajian, Robert Young, Jean Anderson, Stuart Sato and Ellen Wall.

“Cheap bikes are not bargains”

• The July issue of Consumer Reports has several pages devoted to bike helmets and non-road bicycles. It also considers the bicycles supplied by mass-market stores instead of bike shops—and concludes that they are not the bargains that they appear to be. Their sidebar on cheap bikes says:
• "Wal-Mart and Toys "R" Us sell plenty of bikes from brands such as Huffy, Mongoose, Roadmaster, and Schwinn for $100 to $200. They seem like good deals, so why would we advise you to spend $300 or more for a bike in the Ratings?
• Because you get what you pay for. Mass-market bikes have cheaper construction than higher-priced bikes and can weigh 7 or 8 pounds more. They come in only one size, so you're not likely to get a great fit. And mass merchants can't match bike shops for quality of assembly, expert advice, and service."
• Consumer Reports goes on to describe suspension bikes that they bought from big boxes and their subsequent problems. In concluding, they say to consider such a bike only if you rarely use it or if it's for a child who will quickly outgrow it. Otherwise, go to a bike shop where "you'll get a lot more bike for the buck."
• Their separate tests of bike helmets determined that three of them out of the 29 that they rated failed strap retention tests and were designated "not recommended." The July Consumer Reports issue with details is likely available in your library if you are considering a new bike or helmet.