January
2005

Coalition begins 15th year of advocacy

• On January 3rd, 1991, a simple memo was circulated among County employees who bicycled, announcing the formation of an advocacy group to "lobby for funds currently available for the improvement of bicycle lanes and paths." That's how it all began and now we are beginning our fifteenth year of continued successes for people who bicycle.
• Looking over the past year, we are very grateful to our talented and thoughtful members, our board of directors, and government people who have been helpful and understanding the benefits of more bicycling throughout our county. Here are some of the highlights of our Bicycle Coalition accomplishments during the year 2004:
• Established a "CycleSmart" program of bicyclist education, with "Street Skills for Cyclists" classes.
• Held a premier "Bike Week Celebration" dinner, award ceremony, and entertainment by adventure cyclist Willie Weir.
• Helped with "bike rodeos" at schools for kids.
• Conceived and designed a "trail stop" with information panels along the Obern Trail.
• Worked with UCSB to plan new bicycle facilities.
• Wrote to Amtrak about their new Surfliner train without bike racks, with suggestions for change.
• Worked with Caltrans to get bikelanes on Foothill Road in Santa Barbara, but funding was reportedly not available at this time.
• Worked with the City of Santa Barbara on bicycle safety in community transportation plans.
• Asked for safer bike-to-work conditions for Mixtec farm workers in the Santa Maria Valley.
• Had our Bicycle Coalition booth at California Lemon Festival and the Children's Festival where we distributed bike helmets to kids.
• Worked with the City of Goleta for bikelanes on and approaching the upcoming Cathedral Oaks crossing of Highway 101.
• With funding from Goleta Valley Cycling Club, purchased flashing LED safety lights and gave them to kids who bike to local schools.
• Helped the GVCC with it's People Powered Ride.
• Obtained over 700 names on a petition favoring a Santa Ynez River Trail as part of a Supervisor-approved Santa Ynez Valley Community Plan.
• Tried to bring Walk/Bike California 2005 conference to Santa Barbara, but Ventura beat us to it.
• Offered three bike rides as part of the Sustainability Project's Parade of Green Buildings.
• Supported the bicyclist-friendly parts of the Isla Vista Redevelopment and Master Plan.
• We participated in Santa Barbara's Earth Day with bike parking, free check-ups, and an information booth.
• Worked on the bicycling part of the South Coast Livable Communities' Transportation Platform.
• Participated in Santa Barbara City College's Project HOPE, telling students about the advantages of bicycling .
• Urged the MTD to install 3-bike racks on their new buses, along with possible inside bike accommodation in certain situations.
• Worked with the County to keep the 1915 Rincon Hill Road bridge open for cyclists.

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Bicycle Coalition lights the way for kids



Passing out safety lights at Mountain View Elementary School. From the left, Drew Hunter, Emily Thomson, Allie Frankel, Evan Thomson, and Jean Thomson who biked with her two children and Allie to the school. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• The Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition is giving red flashing safety lights to kids who bicycle to school. In the week before the holiday break, lights were passed out to students at Monte Vista, Washington, Hollister, Mountain View, and Vieja Valley Elementary schools. Other South Coast schools are being targeted in early 2005.
• Over 300 of the lights were purchased with a donation from the Goleta Valley Cycling Club, a recreational bicycling club. "We're grateful to the club members for their outstanding gift to children in our community," said Bicycle Coalition President Ralph Fertig. "The lights have five different pattern modes that kids love, so they are more likely to use them for safe bicycling."
• Participating in the program so far are Dru van Hengel, Nancy Mulholland, Drew Hunter, Judy Keim, Jean Thomson, Janet Rowse, Debbie Castanha, Ralph Fertig, Jessica Scheeter and Lisa Fleischauer.

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Bicycles on Amtrak—what you need to know
Word from our Board, by Mark McClure

• We're fortunate to have a number of trains running through Santa Barbara every day. While the schedule is less than optimum for most commuters, the service is still useful.
• For cycling purposes, there are three types of trains that serve Santa Barbara: Surfliners with bike racks, Surfliners without bike racks, and the Coast Starlight.
• Surfliners with racks are the cyclist's best choice because they accept bicycles in the passenger coaches. You hang your bike on special racks in the coach's alcove. There are eight of these trains each day, four north and four south; two reach San Luis Obispo. If you make a reservation to ride these Surfliners (as opposed to buying a ticket on board), you can reserve a rack for $5. This helps with crowded conditions.
• There is one Surfliner train without racks and there is the Coast Starlight, which is also rackless. Each of these trains makes two passes through Santa Barbara each day, and on these rackless trains your bike must go in the baggage car.
• If you're unlucky enough to get the Surfliner without racks, the Amtrak personnel will probably just bungee the bike up against the baggage car's wall, no box required.
• The Coast Starlight is a long-distance train that will probably require that your bike be boxed for shipment. Amtrak sells suitable boxes for $10. If you want to ride beyond Paso Robles, you'll need to take the Coast Starlight.
• The individual train personnel seem to have a lot of discretion with regard to bicycles, so it pays to be nice to them. Train schedules are available at the Santa Barbara station or at www.amtrak.com.

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County’s alternative transportation jobs

• Back in 1994, the Santa Barbara County Supervisors created a new position to fill a need—an alternative transportation coordinator who would support bicyclists, pedestrians, and bus patrons within our County. One of the conditions of the job was that the coordinator had to bring in more funding for projects than it cost the County. Wilson Hubbell was selected to fill that position and since then he has obtained $10 million in outside funding.
• Last year, the Supervisors recognized the need to expand the County's alternative transportation support services, so they directed the Public Works Department to hire a second person. That position was filled by Matt Dobberteen, and since then, he and Hubbell have brought home $650,000 in outside funds for projects.
• Public Works is now suggesting that, in order to save money, one of the two positions should be deleted when Wilson retires next year. The question should not be "can we afford the position" but rather "can we afford not to have the position?"
• On December 17th, the Goleta Valley Voice published a letter to the editor written by Bicycle Coalition president Ralph Fertig. It listed the improvements that Wilson Hubbell has brought to the Goleta Valley during the past decade, and urged readers to contact the Supervisors to keep the position.
• The Bicycle Coalition Board of Directors will meet with Dobberteen in late January to discuss the County's job situation.

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Bike Week dates set

• Our Bike Week 2005 dates have been determined: May 14-May 22. Exciting events are being created for our bicycling fun.
• This year we've moved our Bike Week Celebration kick-off event to Saturday, May 14th. Adventure Cycling writer, world traveler, and actor Willie Weir will return.
• New this year is the Tour of the Santa Barbara Bike Trails, being organized by Mike Hecker for Sunday, May 15th.
• We're seeking other bicycle events for Bike Week—please contact us with your ideas.

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Coalition expresses concerns about UCSB



Construction of the UCSB Psychology Building Addition means an abrupt end to this bikepath. Photo by Don Lubach.

• Concerned with closed bikepaths through UCSB and a sense that bicyclists do not receive the consideration relative to the benefits that they bring to campus, we sent a letter to the University on December 10th.
• Our letter went to Marc Fisher, Associate Vice Chancellor for Campus Design and Facilities, with copies to the Daily Nexus and others. Here is part of it:
• "There are an estimated 15,000 people bicycling on the UCSB campus each school day. It is the dominant means of travel within and through the campus, and the envy of communities throughout America. Bicycling is very important.
• The campus bike paths are not solely used by University people: regional commuters and recreational cyclists use them daily.
• Bicycling benefits UCSB because a bicycle occupies 1/12 the space of a car, does not pollute, brings point-to-point convenience and exercise to its occupant, and requires fewer resources to manufacture, maintain and propel. It is the most sustainable, most energy-efficient means of moving people on our planet.
• Nevertheless, we note that the current needs of people on bicycles appear to be neglected too frequently. An indicator is that popular connecting bike paths are being closed before alternatives are provided—or only alternatives that are circuitous or less safe.
• We are asking you to have your staff consult more frequently during the planning process with people who actually bicycle within and through campus. We ask that meaningful funding and design of bicycle facilities be an integral part of campus planning rather than a marginally-funded afterthought. By doing that, the University will truly support the significant role that bicycling plays in our lives."

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“CycleSmart” bicyclist education news



Nancy Mulholland gives the $50 certificate to Jamey Wagner for his winning program name. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• Wagner wins name contest
• "CycleSmart" has been chosen by our Bicycle Coalition Board of Directors as the new name for our Bicycle Education Program. Congratulations to Jamey Wagner for submitting the winning entry. His $50 gift certificate from Bicycle Bob's was given to him in time for his holiday shopping. Our thanks to all who submitted the 25 name entries. It was great to have such good participation.
• To clarify things, "CycleSmart" is now the umbrella term for our bicyclist education program coordinated by Nancy Mulholland. Our "Street Skills for Cyclists" adult classes are one component under it. Other future classes will address the needs of bike commuters and children.
• Logo contest extended
• The Bicycle Coalition Board has decided to reopen the Logo contest now that we have a name. If you have already submitted a logo design, your entry will be automatically included in the contest. Or feel free to submit additional ones to complement our new name CycleSmart.
• The designer of the chosen logo will receive the second $50 gift certificate to Bicycle Bob's. Deadline for entries is now January 31, 2005. Entries should be sent to Nancy Mulholland at nmulhol04@yahoo.com or mailed to the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition, PO Box 92047, SB 93190.
• Street Skills Class January 8th
• Scared of drivers hitting you from behind? Unsure what the best way to make a left turn in traffic is? Worried by close SUVs? If these and other fears keep you from biking around town as freely as you would like, take our Street Skills for Cyclists class.
• The class will help you look at any street or intersection and know the best place to ride. You'll gain confidence to ride where you want to. Our class includes: your legal rights and responsibilities, common causes of crashes, how to be visible and avoid accidents, what lane position to take, and emergency on-bike maneuvers.
• The class will take place on Saturday, January 8th from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. An optional 6-hour follow-up will be offered on January 9th for those desiring the experience of on-road bicycling.
• League Cycling Instructor Chuck Anderson will lead this session. Cost is $30 for both days. It's open to anybody at least 14 years old. Registration is required; a registration form is online at www.sbbike.org/docs/Street-Skills.pdf.
• Upcoming LCI course
• A League Cycling Instructor's (LCI) certification course will be held April 8-10 in San Luis Obispo. Enjoy a weekend in San Luis Obispo with other bicycle riders while learning how to share important information on safe vehicular cycling.
• We especially need LCIs who live in the North County and those who are bilingual (English/Spanish). To register for the course or to get details about it, you can email the coordinator, Jean Anderson, at slopver@charter.net.
• For information on possible grant funding to cover the registration fee, contact Dru Van Hengel at 564-5544 or at dvanhengel@ci.santa-barbara.ca.us.

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Bike Helmet Program

• In order to promote bicyclist safety and reduce head injuries in children, the County's Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency distributes low-cost bike helmets. These are the helmets that we sell at the California Lemon Festival in Goleta, and the Children's Festival in Santa Barbara. They are nine dollars each.
• Chris Greenfield at EMS has told us that you can purchase one or more during normal business hours from EMS. They do not fit the helmets onto people, but supply fitting instructions with each one.
• Santa Barbara County Public Health Department
  Emergency Medical Services Agency
  300 North San Antonio Road, Santa Barbara
• If you have questions about the helmets, contact Eliana Guerra, the administration assistant, at 681-5274. One of our Board members said that he intends to carry some in his truck to give to kids who are biking without one. What a great idea!

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Greg Siple

CREF Funding eludes our Trail Stop

• On December 7th, the County Supervisors voted on funding of Coastal Resource Enhancement Fund (CREF) projects. Our proposed Trail Stop was not included.
• Previously, on November 22, Bicycle Coalition president Ralph Fertig gave a presentation on our proposed rest area on the Obern Trail to the County Supervisors, asking for $34,690 for the project, but suggesting that a smaller amount could get things started. His PowerPoint presentation has been posted online at www.sbbike.org/docs/Trail-Stop.ppt. Supervisor Susan Rose, the supervisor in whose district the project would be built, expressed a positive interest in it afterwards.
• Fertig then consulted with contractor Allen Associates, our architect Jeff Stoutenborough and others trying to determine how to save money and break down the project into phases. They came up with a recalculated total of $27,840 and six independent phases.
• Unfortunately, the most important parts of the project—the information panels and their supporting kiosks—are commercially fabricated items that are difficult to reduce costs with volunteer labor.
• The battle had been uphill because there were 29 projects like ours asking for $1.2 million—and there was only $320,000 available this year.
• Supervisor Rose did send an email on December 8th to those who had asked her to fund the project. She said, "Although the Obern Trail Stop was not recommended for funding through CREF, it has been determined that there are resources available in the Quimby Fund. These are specific dollars dedicated to parks and recreation in my district."
• So with partial funding plus volunteer labor and wholesale purchasing, our project again appears promising. We will get it built one way or another.

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Check them all out: 2890 web sites

• Do an online search on Google for "Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition" and what results come back? A list of 2890 matches that refer to us! One of them is our own web site, the rest are sites all over the place, many with links back to us. No wonder we get so many visitors—about 200 a week—to our site each week.

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REI shoots in Santa Barbara County

• The large sports cooperative Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI) has chosen Santa Barbara County as the location to photograph for a cycling flyer. The forthcoming flyer will not only feature bicycles, apparel, and bike gear shot in local settings, but it will use local road cyclists, commuters, and mountain bikers as models.
• On December 18, REI was here coordinating with local location management company Epic Locations, and interviewing bicyclists to serve as models. A REI representative said that the Santa Barbara area was selected partly because of the variety of shooting locations and good weather, but mostly because it was known for the bicycling culture that we have. She said that REI people are aware of hot biking communities around the country, and we are definitely one of them.
• REI was pleased with the 47 bicyclists who applied for a part in the photo shoot that will take place around here January 9-12th. So watch for their crew in action with all our photogenic bicyclists all over our photogenic county.

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December Coalition meeting topics

• Our December 2nd Bicycle Coalition meeting attracted 10 people to discuss these topics:
• Ralph Fertig described the Coalition's proposal for a rest stop on the Obern Trail, and the hope that it would be at least partially funded that afternoon.
• Mike Hecker said that difficulties with the parking lot owner at his Goleta Cyclocross race location may force him to move the January race to Solvang, or to cancel it.
• Ralph Fertig described the possibility that Earth Day 2005 will be held at Elings Park instead of the County Courthouse, making access by bicycle much more difficult.
• Nancy Mulholland reported on the success of our November 6th Street Skills for Cyclists class. For the next few months, she and the committee plan to offer a class every other month. The next one is January 8th.
• Distribution of our flashing LED safety lights to kids was discussed. Dru van Hengel will contact Jessica Scheeter at COAST to find school contacts.
• Ralph Fertig read a Coalition's letter to Amtrak about lack of bikeracks on their newest Surfliner train, and offering suggestions.
• Bike Week 2005 was discussed. We are going ahead with plans although the role that Traffic Solutions will play in Bike to Work activities won't be clear until after their January discussion of possibilities.
• A draft letter to UCSB was considered. It basically asks for more attention to accommodating bicyclists in campus planning. Some changes were suggested and a revised version will be sent.
• Wilson Hubbell spoke about his retirement next spring, and the County's intention to not replace him.
• Vie Obern talked about her recent hike around County-owned Baron Ranch property, (just west of the Tajiguas landfill), and the possibilities for public trails. Any such trails would be the first in the 30-mile stretch west of Goleta. The Bicycle Coalition will write to the Public Works department encouraging the opening of the property.

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Bridge gets planked



County workers are employed here installing new plastic planks on the Obern Trail bridge. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• Those who walk, bike or ride horses along the Obern Trail know of the rough and noisy bridge just east of Patterson Avenue. That is now just a memory because the County has replaced the deteriorating wood planks. The new ones never were trees, but are recycled plastic that was molded into tongue-and-groove lumber.
• Our thanks to the County's Wilson Hubbell for his dedicated work in designing and funding the project that will make our trail trips more pleasant and safer.

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Wander off your route

• "Use the roads less traveled, or I should say the 'roads even more less traveled.' It's on these roads that one encounters the completely unexpected, the magical discovery, the personal encounter that makes all that time in the saddle worth it."
• — Willie Weir, Adventure Cycling, Nov 2004

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UCSB path may get rehab



Heavy use of the narrow degraded path has brought trampling of the adjacent coast habitat. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• UCSB's badly deteriorated path along the bluffs in West Campus moved closer to needed maintenance due to the Associated Students BIKES committee. On December 1st, they voted to give $5000 for a survey of existing conditions to determine the best path relocation and course of action.
• It has been proposed that the 3700-foot long path be replaced with a 10-foot wide decomposed granite one—an estimated $50,000 job. An unresolved question is whether the project, currently part of the Ellwood-Devereux Open Space Plan, might be separated out of the process for a fast-track solution. Stay tuned for more action.

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Chris Orr is a “Local Hero”

• Congratulations to Chris Orr who was selected as a 2004 "Local Hero" as recently published in the Santa Barbara Independent.
• Orr has been active in the Santa Barbara Mountain Bike Trail Volunteers fostering harmony among local trail users. He has also been proactive in working for safer conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists in Old Town Goleta and UCSB.
• Although he is not (yet) a member of our Bicycle Coalition, Chris Orr joins the company of current members who have been previously honored as Local Heroes: Grant House, Bob Burgess, Ralph Fertig, and Vie Obern.
• Other Local Heroes who have contributed to bicycling in our area include Bob Zaratzian (owner of Bicycle Bob's), Dan Gira (former County Planner), Donn and Beebe Longstreet (promoters of a Westside bikepath), Ray Ford (trail advocate and author), and Kent Ferguson (former headmaster at Santa Barbara Middle School, the "Bikingest school in the country").

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Bicycle is best invention

• To celebrate 150 years of English Patent Office service, a radio station ran a poll to determine a favorite invention. Over 5000 votes were cast and the bicycle won over the radio, computer, penicillin, internal combustion engine, Web, and light bulb.

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Active members

• Please thank and support the following Bicycle Coalition business members:
• Hazard's Cyclesport, Santa Barbara
• Jeffrey Stoutenborough, Architect, Santa Barbara
• Piekert Group Architects, Santa Barbara
• Rincon Cycles, Carpinteria
• We welcome new members Susan McLaughlin and Christopher Pope. And we certainly thank those who renewed their memberships: Mike Hecker, Dave Beamer, Merle Clark, Judy Keim, Diane Krohn, Wayne Beckman, Richard Lambert, Dottie McLaren, Steve Morris, and Woody Wilde.

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2005 Clean Air calendar available



JoJo Relyea, holding her new bike, is surrounded with her family and, on the left, Frances Gilliland of the APCD and Kenneth Acklin of Bicycle Bob's. Photo by Daniel Girard, Heyoka Studios.

• Every year in Santa Barbara County, the Air Pollution Control District and Traffic Solutions team up to sponsor a contest for kids aged 5-12 to show how we can get around without polluting.
• JoJo Relyea, a student at May Grisham Elementary School in Orcutt, was the grand prize winner of a bicycle donated by Bicycle Bob's in Santa Barbara, plus a $100 savings bond contributed by Santa Barbara Bank and Trust. She says, "If you want to go to your friend's house, ride your bike instead of having your parents drive you—and that will keep our air clean."
• Twelve other winners have their art reproduced on the calendars, and they received $50 savings bonds from Santa Barbara Bank and Trust. They are: Josef Gottwald, Veronica Duran, Dana Illes, Sabrina Sorich, Kyle Saunders, Corina Brown, Helena Davila, Rylan Ross, Stephanie Zirretta, Matthew Ray Willis, Jose Lopez, and Ben Brewer.
• Calendars are available to county residents while supplies last: phone 961-8800.