April
2008

Ballot Measure A—what’s in it for us?

• Today’s Measure D transportation tax will expire in two years. Since it was passed by Santa Barbara County voters in 1989, many things have changed:
• The 50% for a tax measure to pass is now 67%.
• State transportation funding now favors “self-help” counties that can pay more of project costs.
• Voters are now more aware of the benefits of reducing drive-alone car trips.
• The views of bicyclists, pedestrians and bus riders are now being solicited by transportation planners.
• The current Measure D half-cent sales tax has funded several major roadway projects; however 70% of the funding went to local cites and the county for transportation projects, including sidewalks, bikelanes, paths and bus service.
• In 2006, the proposed replacement tax—a three-quarter cent measure with generous amounts dedicated to alternatives—nearly passed in the South County, but was soundly defeated in the North. That led to a new approach: a return to a half-cent measure, an inclusive plan development process that brought our Bicycle Coalition to the table, and different plans for the North and South.
• The result of that new proposal, now “Measure A” on the November ballot, is shown in the above two charts. In addition to the dedicated slices to alternatives, the cites and county have agreed to further dedicate between 5%-15% of their “Local Transportation” share to alternative transportation, including bicyclist projects.
• There are lots of Measure A details, including an Oversight Committee and Complete Streets clause. As the process wends its way through governments on its way to voters, we’ll be following up and reporting to you important considerations.

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Solvang students describe “The Perfect Bike Ride”



Solvang Visitors Bureau director Tracy Farhad, left, congratulates winner Teresa Rosales. Photo by Laura Kath.

• In conjunction with the Amgen Tour of California, Solvang’s Local Organizing Committee asked local 5th and 6th grade students to write about their “perfect bike ride.” The winner, Teresa Rosales, was awarded the grand prize on stage during the Tour Time Trial on February 22nd. Her prize was a Specialized Hot Rock bike from Dr. J’s Bicycle Shop in Solvang. Contest runners-up were Branson Mroz and Talia Fredette.
• In addition to the contest, John Padfield, Solvang’s education outreach director, organized two presentations by cycling team members for students at Solvang Elementary School. On January 28th, Toyota-United Pro Cyclists talked to students, and on January 30, members of the Health Net Cycling Team did the same. Both teams were in the Santa Ynez Valley for pre-Tour training.

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Coalition offers $300 prizes for “Bike Art”

• Our Bike Art Project that was announced last month in Quick Release has changed somewhat. It’s still a new feature of our Bike Week of activities that run May 17-25th this year. We’re now offering a $200 prize for the best adult Bike Art submission, plus $100 to the best youth entry. The only condition placed on your fantasy is that it be rideable. Not very far, but still something you can pedal to move.
• On Saturday May 17, before our Bike Week Celebration event, artists are invited to display their creations. Voting for the winner will be by Celebration participants, one vote per person, taking place between 6:00 and 6:45 PM at the Chase Palm Park Center. That’s at 236 East Cabrillo Boulevard in Santa Barbara. We’ve put some photos to stoke your imagination, along with further Bike Art details are online here. The Bike Art Project is something that we believe will continue to grow and mature in upcoming years.
• Anyone can submit an entry. If you need an old bike or ideas or any more information contact Judy Keim at 687-2912.

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Coalition proposes UCSB bike protocol



During classes like here, there are few bicyclists on campus bikepaths and roundabouts, but between classes, they are jammed. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• We learned a few months ago that at University of California Santa Barbara bikepath roundabouts, those in the roundabout were expected to stop for those entering. While that is the standard for older “rotaries” or large traffic circles, it’s the opposite of today’s modern traffic roundabouts like those in Santa Barbara and UCSB, plus the upcoming one in Montecito.
• Bicycle Coalition president Ralph Fertig was curious, so sent a query to the Thunderhead Alliance list of 128 US bicycling advocacy groups like ours, plus one to David Takemoto-Weerts, the bicycle coordinator at University of California Davis, asking what they do.
• It might be that the only two US college campuses with bikepath roundabouts are at UCSB and UCD, because the only relevant reply was from Takemoto-Weerts. He wrote: “Prior to my visit to UCSB as part of Pro Bike/Pro Walk 1998 conference, I had heard that UCSB required bikes/vehicles in the circle to yield to incoming traffic—which was counter to the way we did things here. I was curious to see the circles when I went on the bike tour, and I observed that they were not significantly different in design from many of ours—we have over a dozen on campus now.” He concluded, “...for uniformity, predictability and compliance with standards, I think that yielding to traffic in the circle makes the most sense.”
• So Fertig provided that information to the campus Transportation Alternatives Board on March 13th, and recommended that UCSB stencil “YIELD” at roundabout entrances. “It’s more a matter of consistency with traffic roundabouts than for student bike safety,” Fertig noted. The Board agreed and voted unanimously to send the recommendation onward to Marc Fisher, the Associate Vice-Chancellor for Campus Design and Facilities. Keep watching those roundabouts.

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Earth Day April 20

• Our Bicycle Coalition will again participate in Santa Barbara’s Earth Day festivities. This year’s theme “Reduce Your Eco Footprint” fits us perfectly. Look for bike parking, bike check-ups, Bikestation tours, and our booth in the Alternative Transportation area.

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Curb Your Commute



Matt Dobberteen and Dru van Hengel retrieve their steeds from the Biltmore bike valet parking area after the Curb Your Commute introduction. Dobberteen notes that the bike parking is closer to the entrance than that for all the luxury cars. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• This summer, 101 freeway construction will begin in the South Coast between Milpas Street and Hot Springs Road, disrupting highway traffic for four years. And if that isn’t enough, there are three other major 101 projects coming in the upcoming decades to the South Coast.
• The Association of Governments (SBCAG) has determined that if 2000 drive-alone motorists switch to some other means of travel, delays will be averted. So they have teamed with Traffic Solutions, Caltrans and local jurisdictions to offer employers a series of incentive programs, collectively called “Curb Your Commute.”
• Details of the program were unveiled to business leaders on February 28th, and followed up by Lori La Riva, the new Bicycle Coalition liaison from Traffic Solutions, at our March 4th Bicycle Coalition meeting. While measures mostly address carpool, vanpool, and bus from Ventura, bicyclists—current ones and new converts alike—can also benefit. They might bike to the Vista bus stop in Ventura, stow their bikes under the bus, then use it at the Santa Barbara end to reach their workplaces. Or they might drive to Carpinteria, then bike the rest of the way.
• Employers are encouraged to work with Traffic Solutions (phone 963-7283) and establish a webpage that their workers can access for benefit details. This August-October there will be a “Commute Challenge” where employees can form teams and compete for prizes. If you bike four times a month, you could qualify.
• Your first step is to ask your employer whether they’re signing up for the program.

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Wet Willy Sez
by Wilson Hubbell

• Dear Wet Willy: My riding partners say I should replace my bike chain every 400-500 miles in order to avoid chainring wear from an overstretched chain. It seems odd that a chain would only last half as long as my tires normally do. What do you think? — Worn Out?
• Dear Worn Out: Chains don’t stretch that much—but they do wear, and wear makes them longer. It’s wear that can make chains damaging to pricey chainrings and cassette cogs, and the way to reduce wear is keep your chain reasonably clean and well lubricated.
• You should purchase a chain wear measuring tool like the Park Chain Wear Check, Model CC3. It only costs about $10 at your local bike shop and will help eliminate the possibility that you may throw away a chain with many miles left in it. For example: Wet Willy did a ride from Oregon to Maine (3704 miles) with one reasonably clean and well lubed chain. The Park Tool showed the chain still had life left at the end of the trip!
• How to clean the chain? I take mine off the bike, put it inside an old plastic coke bottle with some citrus degreaser, put the cap on and shake the bleep out of it. Then I pull the chain out, rinse it off with water and set it aside for drying. When dry, I put it on the bike with a healthy dose of chain lube. It also helps if you clean up your chainrings and cassette cogs when you clean the chain, and citrus degreaser can work here too.
• What to lube a chain with? I use something called Pro Link Chain Lube every 150 miles or so, and there are other products from your local bike shop that will work well too. The key is to clean and lube the chain regularly. If you ride in wet/dusty/muddy conditions, clean and lube regularly and more frequently. Wet Willy also recommends that you check out an excellent and thorough discussion of chains and chain wear at www.sheldonbrown.com/chains.html.

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Amgen Tour attracts thousands to SB county



After a drenching day cycling to San Luis Obispo, Tour cyclists were delighted with a dry, although windy day in Solvang. Here a cyclist approaches the finish line. Photo by Ralph Fertig.



Members of the Saunier Duval cycling team rest in Santa Barbara before the stage start. Spectators had the chance to get up close and chat with the professional cyclists. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• The third Amgen Tour of California raced through Santa Barbara County on February 22-23rd, promoting bicycling, fitness, and our area as a new bicycling magnet. An estimated 15,000 spectators saw the 15-mile time trial in Solvang, followed by 5,000 at the Santa Barbara stage start the next day.
• The two Local Organizing Committees are to be congratulated for crafting a number of related events around the stages. Thanks go to coordinators Carol Petersen and Max Hanberg in Solvang, and Barney Berglund in Santa Barbara for their dedication to cycling in our communities.
• In Solvang, race day featured a Lifestyle Festival, valet bike parking, live music, a “Race of Truth” with non-pro cyclists riding the closed time trial course, the Time Trial itself, followed by the award ceremony and an evening Celebration Gala dinner.
• All that was followed in Santa Barbara with a separate evening Party, Cottage Health System’s Family Fitness Fair, a Kids Bike Race, valet bike parking, Dave Gonzales’ stirring National Anthem, then the stage start. Our Bicycle Coalition booth, located near the starting line, attracted many interested visitors and we gained new members.
• Each year, cities compete for the Tour and the route accordingly changes. We certainly hope that in 2009 they will again return the excitement of world-class cycling to our area.

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Bike Week Celebration update

• Mark your calendars on May 17th for our fourth annual Bike Week Celebration dinner, award ceremony, and exciting presentation by world cycling tourist Willie Weir.
• We’re delighted that this year we are honoring two individuals who continue to contribute so much to bicycling in our community: City Councilman Grant House, and Bici Centro coordinator Ed France. New this year will be our “Bike Art” contest where you’ll have a chance to check out the bike entries and vote for a winner while chatting over drinks on the Chase Palm Park Center oceanfront terrace. After that, we’re serving another dinner prepared by award-winning Country Catering.
• Then to top off the evening, our favorite touring cyclist, actor, NPR commentator, and storyteller Willie Weir will be back from three months of biking in Colombia and Venezuela. We just heard from Willie, “Colombia has got to be on my short list of favorite countries to cycle in. The combination of small towns perched in the mountains with a cycling culture makes it a delight.” Not so, apparently for Venezuela that he says has a car culture. “Quite a contrast between the two countries.”
• Bike Week Celebration invitations are going out to Bicycle Coalition members in late April, so watch for them. Space is limited to the first 96 people who respond.

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Zaca fire trail loss is described



Vie Obern received flowers in recognition for her 42 years as Trails Council newsletter editor. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• The harmful effects of the Zaca fire on Los Padres National Forest trails were described and illustrated at the March 10th meeting of the Santa Barbara County Trails Council.
• After honoring Vie Obern and Kalon Kelley for their years of dedication to improving area trails, presentations about the burn area were given by Dave Weaver, Kerry Kellog, Kevin Cooper and Ray Ford.
• The 230,000-acre fire was apparently hit and miss, where some sections were totally incinerated, and adjacent ones were untouched. The fire did harm most of the 167 miles of trails in the burn area. Trails along slopes were totally obliterated by sliding rocks and gravel and rainfall erosion. In other places, large burned oaks have fallen over the trails, and many more are in danger of collapsing. Perhaps the only benefit for trail users is that the ticks and poison oak have been killed off.
• Trail restoration will take years and thousands if not millions of dollars. Work will start at the outside edges and slowly continue inward. The trails will be opened as work progresses. This April, closures will be reviewed by the Forest Service.
• Learn about the Santa Barbara County Trails Council at www.sbtrails.org, and consider joining others in enjoying our natural heritage. For trail access, check with the Forest Service at www.fs.fed.us/r5/lospadres.

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Café de Velo moves

• We’re sad that Santa Barbara’s Café de Velo is moving to Santa Paula. Their main business, mail order Renaissance Bicycles, could be anywhere, and opportunities for a real café are apparently better in Santa Paula. We wish Baron and Cecile Corpuz great success.

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HopeDance seeks 2008 bike films

• Last year, HopeDance’s Bob Banner organized a Bike Film Festival in San Luis Obispo that we also screened in downtown Santa Barbara and at UCSB.
• This year, Banner is organizing a second Festival and is calling for submissions of short films as follows:
• Less than 15 minutes long
• Must be on a DVD
• $10 must be included with all entries
• Deadline is April 20th, 2008
• Content—anything to do with biking: bike messengers, unicycles, tricycles, animations, racing, mountain biking, urban rides, pedicabs and so on.
• Mail to HopeDance Films / Bike Short Film Festival, PO Box 15609, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406.
• All final filmmakers whose work actually gets screened in the Festival will receive a DVD copy of all the films that are screened. We’re currently talking to Banner about showing them in the South Coast as part of our Bike Week activities. Direct questions you have to Bob Banner at 805-544-9663.

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Bike plan workshops



Robert Rainwater, foreground, and other Santa Barbara workshop participants mark maps with desirable bicyclist routes. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• Santa Barbara County's Association of Governments held four workshops throughout our county in February and March as part of updating the Regional Bikeway Plan. The workshops took place in Lompoc, Santa Maria, Solvang, and Santa Barbara.
• After an introduction, workshop participants were invited to add notes on an array of maps, indicating what important bike facilities should be emphasized in the upcoming years.
• You can still comment by sending an email to Mike Powers at mpowers@sbcag.org

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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 joined us: Dave Leith, Andy Lentz, and Katherine Cowell. And we greatly appreciate those who renewed their memberships: Open Air Bicycles, Dru van Hengel, Rob Dayton, Browning Allen, Sarah Grant, Anne Chen, Grant House, Chris & Cameron Cottrell, Dan Henry, Arlene Allen, Bob Burgess, David & Teresa Bothman, Steve Morris, Dave Everett, Alex Trieger, and Alan Bergquist.

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Bici Centro Shop opening April 5th



Bici Centro’s Ed France, left, and York Shingle stand behind one of the program’s bikes in their new shop. Photo by Ralph Fertig.

• The good folks at Bici Centro of Santa Barbara have been busy moving into their new 1200 square-foot office/workshop space at La Casa de la Raza. Bici Centro is a community bike program that helps kids earn their own bikes and offers free shop space and assistance to those who wish to repair their bicycles. Last December, our Bicycle Coalition formalized our partnership relationship with Bici Centro. The grand opening ceremony will take place here:
• Bici Centro of Santa Barbara
  601 East Montecito Street, Santa Barbara
  Grand opening Saturday, April 5, 7:00 PM
• If you wish to see the shop in action, it will be open to the public from 1:00 PM. And at 3:00 there will be a BBQ meal available. For more information check out www.bicicentro.org or email Bici Centro at info@bicicentro.org.

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March Coalition meeting topics

• On March 4th, our monthly Bicycle Coalition was held in downtown at noon, attracting a record 23 people to discuss these topics:
• Dru van Hengel described the upcoming Street Skills class that will take place March 20-22.
• Drew Hunter described our success at the Amgen Tour of California’s stage start in Santa Barbara.
• Project director Rosemarie Gaglione and two consultants from Goleta went over details of their proposed optional bikepath on Los Carneros Road south of Highway 101. A lively discussion followed with a general agreement over the project.
• Caltrans’ David Kuperman expressed concern over bicyclist safety at the Summerland entrance to the Ortega Hill Bikepath. A group ride to inspect the location followed the meeting.
• We met Lori La Riva, the new Traffic Solutions representative to the Bicycle Coalition. She described how bicyclists could benefit from the upcoming “Curb Your Commute” program.
• Wilson Hubbell updated us on the Measure A (formerly “Measure D”) transportation tax renewal. Of importance to us is the inclusion of a “complete streets” clause.
• Ed France talked about the Bici Centro program. They are cleaning, painting and moving into their new shop space at La Casa de la Raza, in anticipation of their April 5th grand opening.
• Ralph Fertig outlined our upcoming activities for both Earth Day on April 20th, and Bike Week on May 17-25th. We are actively working on both important events.
• Ralph Fertig urged bicyclists to attend SBCAG’s Santa Barbara workshop on a revised Regional Bicycle Plan on March 5th.

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