November
2006

Bike-friendly Measure D—it’s now or never
by Ralph Fertig, President



We're all pedaling toward a future that could be wonderful or dismal, depending on Measure D's passage or rejection. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• What is probably the greatest opportunity in our lifetimes to make a difference for the future of bicycling in Santa Barbara County is within our grasp. It's in Measure D transportation tax renewal coming before us for approval or rejection on November 7th.
• We are being offered the most bicyclist-favorable transportation measure in the state of California. If we let this golden opportunity slip from our grasp, I guarantee that we will be run over by aggressive motorists who assert that we deserve little from the taxes we all pay.
• I have personally followed the development of the renewal Measure D content over the past two years. It has been along a trail of rising optimism as organizations, elected officials, individuals, and government staff have worked with unprecedented cooperation in forging a forward-looking measure that will serve our transportation needs for decades to come.
• Unlike the original 1989 Measure D, the proposed renewal ensures that alternatives to the car will receive deserved recognition. One-third of our residents have no ready access to motor vehicles due to cost, age, or physical disabilities. Measure D will meet the needs of us all with these programs:
• Safe routes to school
• Regional bicycle facilities and education
• Commuter rail, Ventura-to-Goleta
• Traffic Solutions alternative programs
• Regional and local buses
• Senior and disabled transit.
• In addition, 50% of the revenue goes directly to each city and the county to maintain roads and other transportation facilities. Finally, there is a list of roadway widening, safety, and congestion relief measures that will be funded if Measure D passes. Widening Highways 101, 1 and 246, like it or not, are major components of the whole balanced package.
• Measure D's cup is 95% full. Don't let detractors cry over the missing 5%. It's money that will stay in Santa Barbara County, will attract state and federal dollars, and will carry us into a sustainable transportation future.

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Coalition Board endorses Measure D

• The Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition's Board of Directors endorses the renewal of Measure D this November 7th. The benefits for people who bicycle will come to us for decades from passage of the measure. Please vote YES on Measure D.

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Castillo Street is finally finished—and it’s dry



Castillo undercrossing serves many users. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• After 16 months of testing and intermittent construction, Caltrans finally finished the Castillo Street undercrossing of Highway 101 in Santa Barbara. Plagued for years with water seepage due to a high water table, the road is an important connection for bicyclists, but has been a treacherous one due to standing water and broken pavement. It's a link for City College students and for those heading to the waterfront for jobs, dining and recreation.
• The roadway now has a smooth layer of asphalt on top of the "electro-osmosis" moisture removal system that was developed by the government. Bikelanes have been restriped on the roadway. We appreciate the patience from everybody, and thank Caltrans for the final result.

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TGI/Hazards Team is helping our community

• The Bicycle Coalition welcomed Patrick Flood, a member of TGI/Hazards Cycling Team (formerly Team Kona) who came to our October meeting. We considered what his pro team might do to help our community. What came out of the meeting are these top priorities for involvement:
• Organize the Friday night VIP party for the Amgen Tour of California February 23rd.
• Make a showing at the ATOC pre-race start in Santa Barbara and to lead out the proposed kids races.
• Get two team members certified as bike safety trainers and piggyback on the local law-enforcement school safety program.
• Put together a meeting between city, law-enforcement, and local cyclists to set an agreed upon protocol for group riding in Santa Barbara county.
• Read about the team at www.konavproad.com.

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Bicycling in Andalucía, Spain
by Ralph Fertig



Bicyclists traverse the Plaza de las Tendillas in Córdoba, consisting of fountains, pedestrians, outdoor cafés, and people enjoying the passing pageant of life. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• It's hard to know what bicycling in a foreign country is like until you actually go there. Last month, I found out as I spent two weeks biking around Southern Spain. What I had heard was that motorists are crazy, they speed everywhere, they honk at bicyclists, and the only people on bikes are recreational cyclists. Some of that turned out to be true.
• I spent three days each in Sevilla, Córdoba, and Granada, with six days biking among the cities on a Trek hybrid bike that I rented from Cycling Country, a bike touring company.
• Because of gas at $6 a gallon, and narrow streets in the historic sections of the cities, small cars, motorcycles, pedestrians and bicycles dominate. Not an SUV in sight. There were a large number of people bicycling, not just children, but adults obviously depending on their bikes for daily transportation. Some streets were less than 12 feet wide building-to-building with "sidewalks" a foot wide or less. Often I had to step into a doorway to let cars pass.
• Except when gridlocked, motorists speed too much and were too careless. I saw two cars crash at a T-intersection in Carmona, and later a truck tore a side-view mirror off a bus while passing in Granada. Thankfully, they were totally considerate of bicyclists, giving me lots of space when passing. And only a handful of times did any beep at me.
• 
  
  Many roads in the countryside had good shoulders and warning signs alerting motorists to the presence of bicyclists. Photo by Ralph Fertig.
• The large cities had few bikepaths, so I mostly biked on the streets with everybody else. I learned to follow the motorscooters and motorcycles in weaving around stalled cars, and follow the bicyclists onto sidewalks. Whether there are any laws about biking on sidewalks, I don't know, but if so, they are not observed and everybody seems to adjust to it all. Supposedly, helmets are required, but except for me and groups of long-distance cyclists, I rarely saw any.
• Basically, I found biking in Andalucia a genuine pleasure and October was a perfect time of year.
• I have to relate an experience that connects us to Spain. I stayed one night at the Hospedería de San Francisco in Palma del Rio. It's a former Franciscan monastery, build in 1492, where Junípero Serra studied before coming to the New World to establish a series of nine missions in Alta California. As I wandered the corridors, I found an old oil painting of our Mission Santa Bárbara on the wall. It bundled everything together in our shrinking world. I smiled, felt immediately at home—then walked on down the hall.

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Kirby James to speak at our meeting

• Please join us at our regular monthly noon meeting on November 7th. We will have a guest, Kirby James, who is secretary of the Cyclists Touring Club, Exeter Section, in England. He will show photos of bicycling conditions in England and discuss their good and their difficult situations. He writes, "I suspect that many of the fundamental problems will be the same."
• There will be many other topics as well, just be sure to vote first, then join us.

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Coalition asserts that bicycling is safe

• In response to a misleading letter in the Santa Barbara News-Press, Bicycle Coalition president Ralph Fertig sent the following that was published on October 2nd:
• A recent letter to the News-Press fosters a misunderstanding of bicycling safety.
• The writer says that "riding a bicycle, even on bike lanes, is extremely dangerous." Bicycling is not extremely dangerous. It is safer per hour of exposure than many other activities, like soccer, football, swimming, squash, motorcycling or basketball. We're also more likely to die per hour in a car than on a bicycle.
• As for bike lanes, they're the safest place to bicycle. In terms of accidents per mile, bike lanes are safer than sidewalks, bike paths, or streets without bike lanes. Bike lanes encourage good behavior by decreasing illegal wrong-way and sidewalk biking. They additionally make driving conditions safer because motorists are less likely to swerve into oncoming traffic when bike lanes are present than when they are absent.
• Rather than being harmful, bicycling is overall healthful. Increased longevity among people who bicycle far outweighs potential loss of life by 20 to 1. The health benefits of bicycling include reduction of heart disease, strokes, lung disease, and diabetes.
• Finally, I agree with the writer that we need safer conditions and more education for children. We have an opportunity to do exactly that by funding the safe routes to school program that is part of Measure D up for a vote this November. If we pass Measure D, it will provide $1.5 million a year countywide for sidewalks, crossings, bike paths away from traffic, and education to improve the safety of all children.

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Help children learn how to bicycle safely
by Debbie Castanha



Oops! Foothill Elementary 4-6 graders watch the helmet-less melon splatter during the COAST-sponsored bike safety presentation on Walk to School Day.

• As the Coalition for Sustainable Transportation's new coordinator for Safe Routes to School (SR2S), I extend a debt of gratitude to the SB Bicycle Coalition's active membership for your efforts on behalf of all cyclists, young and old. Many schools have parents who are committed to SR2S, but we'd love for more individuals passionate about bikes, children's safety, and related issues to consider either supporting an existing school's program or initiating a new one.
• COAST and its SR2S program are especially grateful to the Licensed Cycling Instructors (LCIs) who year after year extend their volunteerism to our schools by sharing their cycling expertise at local schools' bike rodeos. Our community still has plenty of room to educate our youth about cycling safety and etiquette, as reflected by the recent and infamous Santa Barbara News-Press photo of a young student riding with no hands and unstrapped helmet!
• If you're not an LCI, but still wish to help the kids, there are other ways to support the program. You might consider:
• Adopt a school to help with their Safe Routes Program. Some schools lack parent support or simply don't have enough volunteers, often because both parents work. Perhaps you'd be interested in helping schools which would like to host a bike rodeo or helmet fitting event, but which have inadequate support. Or, maybe you'd like to help plan events for Bike to School Day next May at a school, or assist the volunteer LCIs at a rodeo-just a one to two hour commitment once a year and no experience is necessary.
• Assist with bike tune-up and helmet fitting. These special events will take place at various schools. Dates to be determined; it's an hour commitment.
• Subsidize low cost helmets. Some schools need this financial assistance for their students.
• Make a small cash donation. You know that many schools struggle for the necessities, and many schools with would-be bikers could use a little incentive, prize, or healthy snack during a special event such as Bike to School Day.
• Help provide supplies for bike rodeos. Right now, we're looking for new or used orange cones (6-10) and traffic delineator poles (8-12 to delineate our course from the playground).
• If you can help in any way or want to hear more, contact Debbie Castanha at 687-0011, or debbie_castanha@hotmail.com.

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Charges filed in death of Jake Boysel

• Santa Barbara County's District Attorney Tom Sneddon filed charges of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter against Ernesto Botello in the collision and death of Jake Boysel. The charges were filed on October 24th and an arraignment is scheduled for November 13th.
• The 12-year old Boysel was killed while he was biking to school in a bikelane on September 7th in Calle Real just west of Highway 154 intersection. Botello's maximum possible sentence is a year in jail.

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Hollister becoming better for bicyclists

• Steve Wagner, Community Services Director for the City of Goleta, reports that new bikelanes will be striped on Hollister Avenue from the Community Center east to Highway 217. In addition, they have reduced inside travel lane width so there is a foot more space for bicyclists next to parked motor vehicles in Old Town Goleta. That's still not enough for an official bikelane, but it's better than before.
• Wagner plans to reinstall bikelane symbols outside the car parking spaces. Bicycle Coalition president Ralph Fertig suggested that it might be a good place to use the Caltrans recently-approved "sharrows." They are "shared lane arrows" that consist of two chevrons and a bike logo as shown here. You can read more about sharrows here: www.sbbike.org/docs/sharrows.pdf.

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Cell phone bill signed by governor

• It remains to be seen how much our safety will actually be improved, but Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislative bill SB 1613. It acknowledges the distraction that cellular phones cause motor vehicle operators by prohibiting drivers from using a handheld wireless phone while operating an automobile, except in emergencies. While it is a step towards increasing safety for bicyclists, it certainly seems that the distraction of using any cell phones while driving will continue to be a problem.

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MS Bike Ride & Fest pledges increase



Cyclists at Leadbetter start on the 75-mile route. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• On October 21-22, the MS Bike Tour & Fest expanded from one to two days, offering participants a choice of rides from 12 miles to 200 miles over one or both days. They are delighted to report that the pledge by cyclists greatly increased over their 2005 ride, even though their 700+ rider participation was lower for this Tour.
• This year, the ride started on Saturday in Thousand Oaks with a ride to Santa Barbara, then continued Sunday with a choice of rides out of Leadbetter Beach in Santa Barbara. Congratulations to the Multiple Sclerosis Society for a great event.

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Fifteen years of Quick Release

• With this issue, our 181st one, we begin our sixteenth year of publication of the Bicycle Coalition's monthly newsletter. Started by volunteer Ralph Fertig in November 1991 to help our new organization, the informative newsletter has continued uninterrupted since then.

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Burn baby, burn!

• Ever wonder whether a high-caloric treat after a bike ride is justified by your exertion? Let us help you figure it out. The table above shows you how many calories you will expend per hour on a bike ride. It depends simply on your weight and speed.
• Further, consider that even after you stop pedaling, your metabolism stays elevated, and you will continue to burn more than usual energy for some time.
• If you want to know more about how much energy you burn with other activities, you can check out numbers for them at www.fitnesslogs.com/calories3.htm, the source of our data and graph.

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Best of SB bicycles

• Both the Santa Barbara Independent and News-Press recently reported their annual surveys of the best places in the South Coast to shop. Both agree that the "Best Bike Shop" is Bicycle Bob's; finalist positions are shared by Open Air Bicycles and Hazard's CycleSport. The News-Press also offers "Best Bike Rentals" with Wheel Fun Rentals first, and Beach Bike Rentals a finalist. Congratulations to all the winning businesses.

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UCSB students address bike needs



This confusing intersection south of the Library is a major concern of the BIKES committee. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• School is back in session and UCSB's Associated Students BIKES committee has launched into a program of ideas for improving campus conditions for the 15,000 who bike there. They have generated a list of projects for the year that includes new bikepaths, path resurfacing, bike parking issues, rule enforcement, path lighting, the interface between paths and parking, and design concerns.
• From student "lock-in fees" voted to support AS BIKES's efforts, they have money to finance projects. That is augmented with University's matching dollars, but it's still inadequate to meet the needs. Learn more at http://as.ucsb.edu/bikes.

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We thank our active members

• Please thank and support the following Bicycle Coalition business members:
• Bicycle Bob's, Santa Barbara
• Big Gear Bike Gear, Santa Barbara
• Café de Velo, Santa Barbara
• Jeffrey Stoutenborough, Architect, Santa Barbara
• King Cycle Group, Portland, Oregon
• Nett & Champion Insurance Services, Santa Barbara
• Open Air Bicycles, Santa Barbara
• Pedal Power Bicycles, Santa Maria
• Santa Barbara Electric Bicycle Company, Santa Barbara
• In addition, we welcome new members David Gaines, Peter Schuyler, Joseph Beck, Kathy Foltz, Stuart Feinstein, David Powdrell, Keith Kie, Christopher Proudman and Jesse Wickizer. We further thank Bill Pollock who renewed his membership.

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Diane Soini, bicyclist from childhood
by Ralph Fertig



Diane Soini enjoys her Catrike Pocket trike along Camino Cielo in the Santa Ynez Mountains.

• Diane Soini learned to ride her bike when she was five years old, and hasn't stopped since. Her first bike was succeeded with a Raleigh 3-speed, Nishiki 10-speed, Trek mountain bike, Lightning recumbent, and recently, a Catrike Pocket trike.
• A native of the South Coast area, Diane has degrees in geology and women's studies. She works as a web developer at QAD in Summerland, and bikes there from Santa Barbara's Westside. "Riding my bike to work keeps me healthy and helps me let off some stress," she says. "I get to experience nature and the changing of the seasons. I love how strong the smell of flowers are in February and how cold it gets in the morning this time of year, and the smell of all the good food cooking on the Westside in the evening."
• Her love affair with recumbent bikes started at the Lightning factory in Lompoc. Then she discovered a recumbent group in Ventura and started riding with them. Next was a national group with a web site http://bentrideronline.com. They hold an annual New York rally that she flew to last year. Taking her recumbent was a challenge. "What an ordeal," Diane says. "Flying a bike out is difficult especially when it doesn't really fit in the box. But the rally was fun."
• At the rally, she met one of bicycling's gurus, Sheldon Brown. "He came to speak, and although I ate dinner with him and noticed all these bike geek guys hanging on his every word, I had no idea who on earth he was. Sheldon rides a trike and looks really cute with his dyed red leprechaun beard and leprechaun hat." [See Brown's web site www.sheldonbrown.com].
• Diane loves bicycling because she can go fast under her own power. "It takes me 4 days to walk 60 miles," she observes, "but I can do that in an afternoon on my bike."
• Diane Soini joined our Bicycle Coalition a year ago after reading how bad bicycling is in other parts of the country, and realizing the good work we are doing to make cycling a viable and pleasurable form of transportation here. She joined us to give something back. "All you guys who attend those tedious planning meetings deserve so much praise and so many thank yous."
• Diane thinks that all kids should bike to school if they live close enough. "It's a necessary life skill to get some place on time under your own power. It fosters personal responsibility and independence." She continues, "we need to create more safe back-routes for kids so they don't have to ride the heavy-traffic arterials to get to school. Jake Boysel's death was a loud tragedy, but all the kids denied the independence and freedom of cycling is a quiet tragedy."
• What does our future hold? Diane envisions commuter rail where people bring bikes on board to ride that final stretch. "I know most people think that alternative transportation is for the other guy but for me, I can't think of any better way to get to work than to buy a cup of coffee, read the paper on the train, then ride my bike the rest of the way. That is so much more appealing to me than all the 101 traffic jams."

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October Coalition meeting topics

• Our October 3rd monthly Bicycle Coalition meeting was an evening one at Madam Lu's Restaurant that attracted 15 people. We discussed these topics:
• Passage of Measure D this November will be close. Bicyclists will greatly benefit from its renewal.
• The death of 12-year old Jake Boysel was discussed. We are awaiting charges to be filed.
• Rosanne Crawford, a candidate for the Santa Barbara School Board, talked about her concern for student safety.
• Ralph Fertig invited people to bike to sites featured in the Habitat for Humanity's upcoming Tour of Green Homes.
• Dru van Hengel said that the "bike station" in the Granada Garage will likely open for bicyclists late this year.
• Promotional opportunities in Solvang and Santa Barbara around the Amgen Tour of California were considered.
• We discussed with Patrick Flood from TGI/Hazards how cycling team members might promote safe biking in our community.
• Michael Kwan invited people to join him for a Los Angeles Muertos ride.
• George Amoon, Goleta City planner, gave us a timeline between 2008-2011 for constructing the San Jose Creek Bikepath that will connect Cathedral Oaks Road with Goleta Beach.
• Ralph Fertig noted that Brooks Firestone effected the removal of trails from the Santa Ynez Valley Plan, including the important Santa Ynez River Trail that we strongly supported.
• Wilson Hubbell reported favorable conversations with Café de Velo owner Baron Corpuz about use of his shop for a "bicycle kitchen" type of program in Santa Barbara.
• Pros and cons of Santa Barbara's critical mass rides were discussed. We will continue to watch its development.

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