March
2008

Coalition supports 101 bikepath



Cyclists pass the entrance road to La Conchita. Caltrans is proposing a bikepath between the railroad (on the right) and the highway. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• On February 13, Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition president Ralph Fertig and VP Wilson Hubbell met with Caltrans planners to consider bicyclist safety improvements in conjunction with a Highway 101 widening project. It encompasses Santa Barbara and Ventura counties with a section of roadway where bicyclists must ride on the highway shoulder.
• Last August 2007, after the $151 million highway project was announced, Fertig and Hubbell attended a Caltrans workshop. Along with many others who bicycle, we expressed concern about our safety there. In September, we sent comments to Caltrans, and encouraged others to do the same. Assemblyman Pedro Nava sent a letter to the project manager asking him to work with us and with Ventura Velo.
• Caltrans listened. At the February meeting, we studied preliminary plans for a separate bikepath that would connect the Old Coast Highway on the south with Bates Road on the north. Admittedly a tight fit between the highway and the Union Pacific railroad, Caltrans planers deem it possible. They would sweep and maintain the path.
• Where the bikepath crosses the entry road to La Conchita, bicyclists would have to stop for motorists entering and leaving the community. It would be the only stop on the 3-mile path.
• One obstacle, however, is an upcoming pedestrian tunnel that will connect La Conchita residents with the ocean. As currently envisioned, its entry would directly interfere with the bikepath in the area shown in the photo. Solutions are being considered.
• Whether or not any new bikepath is created, cyclists will continue to have access to the Highway 101 shoulders the same as today. They’ll hopefully be able to chose what they’re comfortable with.
• We left the meeting feeling very optimistic. Caltrans people are definitely willing to provide safer conditions for people who bicycle. We look forward to being involved as the project advances.

---

Goleta’s Ride for Rwanda



Former Santa Barbara City Councilman Dan Secord, left, chats with Rwanda ride organizer Jacob Seigel-Boettner before the 150-person charity ride took off Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• The second annual Ride 4 Rwanda took place at Goleta Beach on February 2nd. The nine-mile charity ride was the result of collaboration between Jacob Seigel-Boettner and Tom Ritchey.
• While visiting war-ravaged Rwanda, mountain bike pioneer Ritchey was struck by the coffee farmers struggling to carry small loads to market on rickety bikes. So he designed an extended, stronger 7-speed bike that allows them to carry four times as much twice as fast. He established Project Rwanda in 2005 to help farmers with micro-loans, and set up bike maintenance training.
• Seigel-Boettner, a son of SB Middle School teacher John Seigel-Boettner, is currently a Peace and Conflict major at UC Berkeley. He’s shortly taking a quarter off studies to establish new bike shops in Rwanda. Learn more about Project Rwanda at www.projectrwanda.org.

---

Bike plan workshops

• Santa Barbara County's Association of Governments has been updating the Regional Bikeway Plan, and they are conducting a series of four workshops around our county to solicit your ideas. The first three workshops took place in late February in Lompoc, Santa Maria and Solvang. The fourth is coming to the South Coast in March, so you can still attend it:
• Wednesday, March 5, 6:30 PM
  Board of Supervisors Hearing Room
  105 East Anapamu Street, 4th floor, Santa Barbara
• What goes into the final Regional Bikeway Plan is the long-range plan for bike paths, bike lanes on roads, and more. The emphasis is on connections between population centers rather than within them. If it's in the Bikeway Plan, it has a better chance of being funded when money becomes available than if it’s not.
• Attend the workshop to see what issues are receiving new emphasis, what bikeways are in the existing plan, and what additions are being considered. Tell the SBCAG staff what needs work.
• For more information on the Regional Bikeway Plan, call them at 961-8900.

---

Coalition considers position on Modoc



The section proposed for nighttime parking runs from the fire truck to where the road narrows. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• Modoc Road in Santa Barbara provides the major bike route between the city and UCSB. During the 4:00-6:00 PM period, our volunteers counted a ten-year average of 54 bicyclists there in June mid-week days.
• The City of Santa Barbara is trying to address parking demand for Modoc apartment residents between Las Positas and the fire station. The nearby single-family residential areas have parking limited to adjacent home owners. The City parking division has been tasked by the City Council to find new parking. What they propose is to add about 15 nighttime-only parking places in a section on eastbound Modoc currently signed “NO STOPPING” just east of the fire station.
• On February 6th, the Bicycle Coalition’s Wilson Hubbell and Ralph Fertig met with the City’s Victor Garza on Modoc. They saw no reason to allow parking and degrade bicyclist safety. However, a compromise was suggested: allow the nighttime parking only if Sunday daytime parking on that section of Modoc were eliminated.
• Following the meeting, an email was sent to our email list asking what people thought. At least 17 people responded with a variety of views. They noted that Modoc motorists speed, the police don’t enforce the parking times very well, there should be no parking anytime on Modoc, nighttime cyclists would be put at extra risk with more parking, and much more. There was no consensus.
• The Bicycle Coalition Board of Directors spent an hour at their subsequent February 11th meeting discussing the situation, ending up asking the City to consider alternate locations for parking. So the City is looking at options. Stay tuned, we will hear more.

---

CycleSmart bicyclist education news

• Every other month, we offer our Street Skills for Cyclists classes. If you missed the opportunity last January to hone your bicycling knowledge and skills for biking confidently in traffic, catch our next class:
• Street Skills for Cyclists Class
  Thursday, March 20, 5:30-8:30
  Saturday, March 22, 8:30-3:30
  Granada Garage, Santa Barbara
• Learn more about what the class has for you and others on our website www.sbbike.org/CycleSmart/apply.html. And spread the word among your friends.

---

Wet Willy Sez
by Wilson Hubbell

• Dear Wet Willy: I’ve done several charity rides with 1000+ riders and they’ve been really scary. The participants are the nicest people you will ever meet, but many of them wandered all over the road and could only be passed safely at great distance. These were all 50 to 75 mile events so you’d expect to see better bike handling skills. Our local club rides don’t have this problem and they’re usually less than 50 miles. Have you encountered this phenomenon in your own experience? — Charitable
• Dear Charitable: Yes, Wet Willy has encountered this phenomenon and so have others (see www.planetultra.com/maynard/diseaseriders.html ). Many folks get into shape specifically for a 50 to 100 mile charity ride, and may God Bless all of them, but fitness alone does not create or improve bike handling skills. It would be great if everybody who signed up for a charity ride also took a League of American Bicyclist Road I Course before the event. That would improve cycling skills but, unfortunately, it’s not likely to happen.
• To me, the most important cycling skill to have in a big group is the ability to ride a straight line. Many riders, including some very strong ones, tend to watch their front wheel or the road directly in front of it. This can cause the wandering you noticed, and severe wandering when fatigue sets in. Probably the best way to avoid wandering is the method that seasoned racers use when riding in close quarters, and this is how a former Olympic coach described it to me: Lift your chin up and look ahead toward where you intend to go. This will give you a better view of the riders around you and you’ll ride a straighter line toward what you’re looking at up ahead. Don’t worry about not seeing potholes or broken glass below you, your peripheral vision will spot those things without you looking down for them—and sooner too.

---

ATOC news

• As March Quick Release goes to press, the Amgen Tour of California cyclists are working their way down the coast towards Santa Barbara county. Watch for a report of local activities in our next issue.

---

Mission bikelanes are finally coming



Bicyclists are squeezed between deteriorating drain grates and traffic under Highway 101. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• On May 17th, 1996 over 70 bicyclists—plus Santa Barbara Mayor Harriet Miller—came to comment on ideas for a new Santa Barbara Bicycle Master Plan. With pens for comments and red dots to identify dangerous locations, they moved all over and marked up a 12x60-foot city street map for an hour. The most striking result was that the largest cluster of dots was at Mission Street under Highway 101.
• Fast forward 13 years. On February 12th, the Santa Barbara City Council approved a $2.3 million construction contract. It’s the widening of Mission Street undercrossing that will thankfully include bikelanes, help motorists, and improve pedestrian safety.

---

March 4th meeting

• Come to our Bicycle Coalition general meeting on March 4th.
• We will welcome Lori La Riva, the new Traffic Solutions bicycling liaison. She is a recent graduate from UCSB, with a BS in Environmental Studies. Lori will be coordinating the Team Bike Challenge and will represent Traffic Solutions for our Bicycle Coalition, Santa Barbara Car Free, and the Safe Routes to School program.
• In addition, Jorge Aguilar, a consultant for the City of Goleta will attend with new drawings of the city’s proposed bikepath along Los Carneros Road at the Highway 101 intersection (see article below). It is possible that this bicyclist safety measure will become a standard for challenging freeway ramp traffic in our community.

---

Bicycle tourism ignites in SB County

• It’s like once word got out, cycling tour companies flocked to Santa Barbara County, especially to the Santa Ynez Valley. Perhaps it was the Amgen Tour of California, maybe the Postal Service/Discovery cycling teams training here, or it might be the falling dollar that makes foreign bike travel less attractive—but for whatever reasons, a cornucopia of tour offerings arrived in 2007, and they’re increasing in 2008.
• The graph shows multi-day cycling tours and elite cycling workshops that we are aware of. None occurred before 2004 in the January-April time period, and so far this year we’ve listed 13 on our website.
• New this year are Central California Coast Cycling Tours sponsored by Bicycle Adventures. They’re offering six cycling tours in 2008 for $2750 a person, with two nights in Cambria, and three in Los Olivos.
• A recent example of interest arose in early February when Joe Christian from Mello Velo Bike Tours contacted Coalition president Ralph Fertig about visiting the area. They currently have tours in France and Italy, and are considering expanding to the US. Fertig put him in touch with local tourism people. The reported result is that they will add two or three tours to the Santa Ynez Valley to their 2008 offerings later this year.
• And so it’s happening: tours are fostering healthy recreation, promoting bicycling, and bringing new tourism dollars to our county.

---

Isla Vistans bike to work

• “In the United States bicycling plays a significant role in some communities. In Davis, California, 22 percent of journeys to work are by bicycle—a figure surpassed only by the California campus communities of Stanford (48 percent) and Isla Vista (27 percent).”
• — Andy Clarke, Director, League of American Bicyclists

---

Bike Art Project
by Judy Keim



Here’s an example “Bike Art” crafted in Ohio. Photo by Judy Keim.

• May is Bike Month and May 17-25th is our Bike Week. This year our Bicycle Coalition wants to do something new and unique to honor The Bicycle in downtown Santa Barbara.
• So, starting with “First Thursday” which is May 1st, we plan to display decorated bikes along State Street. You can ride them, walk them or just lock them up. For Bike Week, we would like to bring them all together—perhaps near the Art Museum—to form a “Bike Art Project.” Then, perhaps for the Solstice Parade, ride them.
• Anyone can participate. If you need an old bike or ideas or any more information contact Judy Keim at 687-2912 or Don Lubach at 964-7798.

---

February Coalition meeting topics

• Our February 5th monthly Bicycle Coalition was a downtown noon meeting, attracting 13 people to discuss these topics:
• Dru van Hengel described the upcoming LCI instructor training workshop in San Luis Obispo where six from our county will train.
• Drew Hunter described the Santa Barbara local committee’s activities for the Amgen Tour of California, including a kids’ race, evening party, and Cottage Hospital’s Family Fitness Fair.
• We met Dennis Jaffe, the new Walk Santa Barbara director who described his background and common interests that pedestrians have with bicyclists.
• Ed France talked about the Bici Centro program. They will be renting a 1200-square foot space at La Casa de la Raza for their after-school program and open workshops.
• Ralph Fertig outlined upcoming activities for both Earth Day on April 20th, and Bike Week on May 17-25th. We are actively working on both important events.
• Wilson Hubbell described bicyclist denial-of-service at drive-up windows, noting that some US insurance policies actually do prohibit it.

---

Coalition consults on Goleta bicyclist safety



This looks north on Los Carneros Road where a new right-hand lane will be created leading to the 101 onramp. The grassy area on the right could become a new bikepath. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• A few years ago the new Goleta City Council stopped a Los Carneros Road widening project over the Union Pacific railroad because of concerns for bicyclist safety. The project has returned, and Goleta planners are now considering ways to make the widened road safer for us.
• On February 13th, project manager Rosemarie Gaglione invited the Bicycle Coalition’s president Ralph Fertig to meet with her, city staff, and consultants to consider alternatives.
• Right now, three lanes on north-bound Los Carneros merge into two lanes (see photo), and the right-hand one is used to either enter south-bound Highway 101 or go straight. The proposed project would continue the third lane and turn it into a dedicated freeway entrance lane. That leaves bicyclists with the challenging maneuver of weaving through the freeway-bound motorists to go straight.
• After some discussion, we agreed to offer north-bound bicyclists a choice of riding on the roadway, or entering a separate one-way parallel bike-path that would cross the roadway just before the freeway on-ramp at a signalized location. The signal might be controlled with a video camera, infrared sensors, or push-button.
• We’re very pleased that the City of Goleta is making an effort to accommodate people who bicycle on their roadways. At our monthly meeting March 4th, city consultant Jorge Aguilar will come with new drawings to show us. If you’re concerned with bicycling safety on Los Carneros and elsewhere, please join us for the meeting.

---

We thank our active members

• Please thank and support the following Bicycle Coalition business members:
• Bicycle Bob’s, Santa Barbara
• Nett & Champion Insurance Services, Santa Barbara
• The Bike Barn, Santa Maria
• Café de Velo, Santa Barbara
• Open Air Bicycles, Santa Barbara
• Pedal Power Bicycles, Santa Maria
• Santa Barbara Electric Bicycle Company, Santa Barbara
• Chris King Precision Components, Portland OR
• Run Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara
• In addition, we thank those who renewed their memberships: Nicola Gordon, Tom Towle, Dick Kling, Owen Patmor and Doris Phinney.

---

Bici Grand Opening April 5th
by Ed France

• March is an historic month for Bici Centro. We’ve secured a 1200 square-foot street-front shop space within our existing location at La Casa de La Raza. Moreover, a partnership with the City of Santa Barbara After-School program, through the City Recreation division, will push us to greatly expand our youth Earn-A-Bike offerings. We’ve drafted plans for our new shop, and submitted grants for the youth program, but without your help as individuals, we won’t be able to successfully expand our services to the community.
• Over March our shop is going to take a great amount of creativity and work as we build it into its complete state by April 5th. We’re going to have to raise funds for rent, put out a call to volunteers to build the shop materials, and get serious as volunteers as we commit to one shift a week for Bici Centro.
• Our Youth Earn-A-Bike is likely to grow to multiple class sessions through the community. If you’re looking to get involved, check out our calendar for our next youth team meeting. We have a pending grant with the SB Foundation, but we’ll also need individual contributions for the $250 per student cost it takes to run our program. Below is a list of our current shop needs for donations:
• Road bike parts and wheels
• Open wrenches and other miscellaneous tools
• March shop building assistance
• Bicycle accessories
• Youth program scholarship donations.
• New volunteers for open shop.

---

Ed France is our new Advisor

• The Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Edward France, the Santa Barbara Bici Centro director, has agreed to be an Advisor to our Coalition. We’re delighted to have Ed contribute his expertise and enthusiasm. You can reach him at 310-936-0857 or edfrance@gmail.com.

---

Bye bye biker

• Most weeks, Lynn Kirst writes a column “Trail Talk” for the Montecito Journal. Equestrian Kirst has, with few exceptions, used her column to slam mountain bikers.
• Her February 14th column attacked the Montecito Trails Foundation for altering their logo to include a small biker. Last spring’s survey of 365 South County trail users showed that 81% are hiking, 19% were biking, and none were on horseback.
• This is a time when the Front Country Trails Task Force seeks to serve all, when bikers volunteer to maintain trails, when they’re joining the MTF and Sierra Club because they love our trails. It’s sad that Kirst’s tirade urged MTF members to quit in protest over a symbol that reflected reality. The biker was expunged from the logo.