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FAll 2015 • Volume 25 / No. 3
SANTA BARBARA BICYCLE COALITION
QuickReleaseQuickRelease
SBSANTA BARBARA BICYCLE COALITIONBIKE
B
ike the Vote
CANDIDATES’ QUESTIONNAIRE
INSIDE
2 Quick Release Fall 2015
BOARDDavid Hodges, ChairCourtney Dietz, Vice ChairDavid Bourgeois, TreasurerByron BeckRobert CaizaDavid CampbellSue CarmodyHector GonzalezJohn HygelundTracey StrobelMike Vergeer
STAFFEd France, Executive [email protected]
Christine Bourgeois, Education [email protected]
Shawn Von Biela, Shop [email protected]
Howard Booth, Membership [email protected]
Joey Juhasz-Lukomski, Operations Manager [email protected]
Eve Sanford, Advocacy Associate [email protected]
GOVT. LIAISONS & ADVISORSMatt Dobberteen, AdvisorCounty of Santa [email protected]
Kent Epperson, AdvisorTraffic [email protected]
Teresa Lopes, AdvisorCity of [email protected]
Amy Steinfeld Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
ART DIRECTORCynthia Stahl, [email protected]
MANAGING EDITORHolly Starley, [email protected]
CONTACT US506 E. Haley St.Santa Barbara, CA 93103
PO Box 92047Santa Barbara, CA 93190
www.sbbike.orgSBBIKE: 805-845-8955Bici Centro: 805-617-3225
CONTRIBUTEYour time: www.bicicentro.org/volunteerIn-kind: www.bicicentro.org/wishlistFinancially: www.bicicentro.org/donate
Letter from the EditorWhile we still await the crisp, cool air that draws us to snuggle
in for fall, the autumn events that help make the Santa Barbara
cycling community unique, inclusive, and far-reaching—the
SB100, Iluminando la Noche, and Open Streets, to name a
few—are just around the corner.
Also drawing near is an election. On November 3, three of SB’s districts will elect a city
councilmember to the body that guides major decisions about our city—
our community.
All of this creates a rich tapestry of diverse opportunities to be personally involved
in shaping our community. Civic engagement is action derived from a sense of
personal responsibility to community. And there are many ways to participate. From
volunteerism to event organization, from rallying to address issues or solve problems to
electoral participation, civic engagement is what makes a community strong, ensuring
it reflects the values and desires of its members and meets their needs.
A primary reason I’ve personally been drawn to the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition
is that involvement with this organization offers an array of ways to engage civically.
This Quick Release highlights many upcoming opportunities. Read an update on the
drafting of the Bicycle Master Plan that will determine the design of our city’s bike
routes through 2030, a plan to which many of you have added and can continue to
add your voice. Hear what candidates in the 2015 District Elections envision for our
community. Research what these City Council hopefuls have to say about issues that
matter to you both in these pages and our Full Candidate Questionnaire online, as well
as in other election news sources to make an informed vote. Here, too, is the story of
three young adults who have learned not just to ride but the value of volunteerism—a
civic engagement that is now part of their lives—thanks to SBBIKE volunteers. Read
about Santa Barbara’s well-loved century race and charity event, the SB100, and
its dedication to our community. Find out how to distribute lights to hundreds of
economically underserved members of our community, making their rides safer; how
to participate in an event that closes a portion of Cabrillo to give people a taste of
community on the streets with people-powered transportation; and how to enrich
your community simply by donating your used bicycles.
My fall challenge to our members – Make a commitment to civically engage in Santa
Barbara—to personally help make your community the one you want to live in.
Happy participation,
Holly Starley
Practicing safe handling skills on the blacktop at Vieja Valley Elementary. ANDIE BRIDGES
www.SBBIKE.org 3
Thank you, Business Members and Supporters
PLATINUM MEMBERS
DIAMOND MEMBERS
Marcia Burtt Gallery
GOLD & CARBON FIBER MEMBERS
Rincon Cycle CapCranks Cory Motors
SILVER & ALUMINUM MEMBERS
ceramics
TITANIUM MEMBERS
BRONZE AND STEEL MEMBERS
Bildsten Architecture and Planning The Dirt Club Fastrack BicyclesHelloHarvest Hoffman Architecture
Horny ToadIsla Vista Food Coop Mesa ArchitectsMesa Business AssociationRevolution Coaching LLCPremier Business Marketing
REITailwinds Bicycle Club of Santa Maria True Nature Landscape ArchitectureWaynes Pro Bike
4 Quick Release Fall 2015
S BBIKE’s newest staff member, Eve Sanford, joined
the coalition after a long southbound cycle,
bringing planning expertise, a zeal for what bicycling
means to cities, and a commitment to community
involvement in advocacy efforts. Sanford volunteered
with the local bike coalition while studying urban
planning, with a transportation focus, at Cal Poly
Pomona and later worked in planning with the City of Los Angeles.
Cycling is part of Sanford’s ethos. “It ties into the quality of life in cities,”
she says, her enthusiasm palpable. “Biking for transportation is a solution
to some of the modern issues we’re facing. It’s a way of doing something
good for the environment while getting to know your community. And it’s
fun.” She grins.
Sanford remembers the bike that got her into cycling. It was a green,
three-speed, 1970’s cruiser that took her to school and her first job. “That’s
when I got serious.” She remembers thinking, I can out-bike the bus. This
is how I’m going to travel.
Travel she has. Last October, Sanford cycled out of Vancouver for a solo
trip to San Francisco that ended with her getting a ride share to her new
home in SB. The trip was “amazing” and didn’t stay solo for long; Sanford
cycled with many new friends along the coast, often in the rain. It also
Meet SBBIKE’s New Advocacy Associate
Hodges Takes the Board Helmby Andie Bridges
L ast month, David Hodges became the newest chair of the Santa
Barbara Bicycle Coalition Board of Directors. Hodges’s journey to his
new position began in 2012 at a Santa Barbara High Bike to School event.
Hodges, who was working as the school’s assistant principal at the time,
was impressed by the competence and energy of the organizers. “I really liked the people
who got involved. The students all responded so positively.”
He was so impressed that he volunteered to sit on a small chair in the middle of a bike ramp
as a stunt cyclist flew over him.
Hodges’s enthusiasm and hands-on approach garnered the attention of staff and volunteers
alike, and he was asked to become a member of the SBBIKE Board of Directors.
“When Ed France approached me, I was really honored and excited to be a part of SBBIKE.”
At the time he joined the board, the organization was operating out of the Casa de la Raza
location. Hodges was a part of the move to a permanent home and a surging membership.
“I feel there has been a lot of momentum in the last few years; a lot of good things
happened in a short period of time.”
Now retired, the father of four grown children is excited about putting his energy toward
improving biking opportunities for all. “I hope to help make Santa Barbara a really premier
cycling city for commuters, for kids on their way to school, and for visitors.”
Our two latest and greatest
additions to the SBBIKE
Board of Directors are
David Campbell and Tracey
Strobel. David has been a
lightning rod of support
for the Bici Centro crew
and helps the organization
as a liaison between the
shop volunteers and staff
and the board. Tracey
comes to us with a strong
background in bicycle
shop management,
retail management, and
a passion for bicycle
advocacy.
SBBIKE Welcomes New Board Members
tested her repair skills. She laughs
recalling a broken spoke at a rare
isolated spot—60 miles from the
nearest town.
Sanford is stoked about SBBIKE, an
organization she’d followed in the
media. A few months into the job, she’s enjoying
the dynamic work, the energy at the shop, the
hardworking and committed staff, and Executive
Director Ed France’s leadership.
Sanford hopes to guide SBBIKE in growing “an
increasingly unified and widespread presence,”
throughout SB County. And she’s dedicated to
ensuring everyone who wants to be a part of
cycling infrastructure improvement has the tools
to do so—“not just us as an organization but
individually. It’s our job,” she explains, “but it’s
people who live in the area who are the experts.
And they can be a very impactful resource.”
SBBIKE GROWTH
www.SBBIKE.org 5
BMP UPDATE
I n 1997, the city of Santa Barbara incorporated a Circulation Element
first developed in 1964 into its general plan. One doesn’t need to travel
the city by bike or foot long to know that its goal—to achieve equality
of choice and safety among multiple modes of travel—has not yet been
reached. That Circulation Element guided the development of the city’s
’98 Bicycle Master Plan (BMP).
This summer, preparing the 15-year update of the BMP, the city
conducted public outreach to ask its constituents’ input. Thousands took
a voluntary survey, hundreds gave their evenings to participate in public
events, and hundreds gave site-specific input on an interactive website.
More than 90 percent of survey takers, among them 50 percent who
drive and 30 percent who bike, asked for improved cycling infrastructure
and the closing of network gaps with high-quality class 1 or class 2 lanes
and expressed their dislike for, the inarguably less safe, sharrows (lanes
shared by bikes and cars). In other words, the public asked for the long-
term circulation goal to be met—that all modes of transport are equally
safe and equally accessible.
The city is close to finalizing the draft of a plan that will guide
infrastructure changes through 2030. And that plan, as edited to date,
does not yet pave the way toward meeting that goal. It does not fully
reflect what the public asked for. For starters, multiple gaps in the
network remain unaddressed. A number of key crosstown routes have
devolved into sharrows—identified as the least supported bikeway
treatment. And the number one problem area residents identified—the
Castillo undercrossing—has been left out entirely. In many ways, it’s as if
the suggestions made and vetted by the public process can be taken off
the plan all too easily.
An analysis of how this happened could fill pages. For one, the feedback
loop between City Council and planners seems bizarre. No votes have
been taken, and only off-the-cuff feedback seemed to be enough for
a high-quality connector route to the Westside to be quietly taken off
the table. This seems to be in reference to a July council session when
one of seven (six councilmembers and the mayor) outright opposed the
route (stating, “How will I get to South Coast Deli?”), one council positing
that we should “close the gaps but not remove a single parking spot,”
while the mayor and the remaining four asked for further research into
mitigation of trade-offs. This apparently was the “council direction” that
removed an element of the ’98 Master Plan and one of the most solicited
bikeway improvements by the public. Is a dirty look enough to overturn
both the will of the public and our existing policy?
Moreover, planners didn’t start with any overarching visions—no goals
like boosting cycling or decreasing collision rates, for example. Instead,
Equality of Systems Still Absent in BMPExisting Policy, Public Voice Call for Stronger Bicycle Master Plan
the actual physical routes underwent a process
of elimination—focusing on what city decisions
makers don’t want and working goals around
what had already been set in motion late in
the game. A vocal minority of these decision
makers, it seems, don’t share the goals written
into our general plan and reinforced by the
public—raising questions of whether the public’s
time was spent in participation or fanfare and
whether the circulation goals are more than
words. The proof is in the pudding. The new plan
has quietly dropped routes from the ’98 plan.
The 2015 BMP has not yet been finalized or
adopted. “It remains to be seen if our city is serious
about improving bicycling or if this has been a
$200,000 public relations campaign,” says Santa
Barbara Bicycle Coalition Executive Director
Ed France.
SBBIKE hopes the plan will be strengthened by
December, when the City Council will see the
final draft. Infrastructure that allows people to
choose to get around safely without cars frees
congested streets and parking lots, chips away at
social inequality, improves overall health, reduces
pollution, boosts access to and use of local
businesses, and attracts new business. Moreover,
city staff and the SB City Council should be guided
by two things: The city committed 15 years ago to
creating cycling routes that are equally accessible
and equally safe. And the public asked that the goal
be met over the next 15.
If you participated in the public outreach process, remind City Council and staff that you want your participation to count. Send letters to PO Box 1990; SB, CA 93102 or e-mail your SB City Councilmember, staff planners, and city engineers.
6 Quick Release Fall 2015
SBBIKE doesn’t endorse a specif ic
candidate. But we do endorse
educating yourself and voting.
District 1
BIKE THE VOTE
Lower East
Eastside
APS
Canon Perd
ido
Eucaly ptu s Hi l l Rd
State St .SBBIKE asked D1 candidates:
The draft Bicycle Master Plan proposes a bicycle
boulevard on Alisos Street and a bicycle lane
on Cota Street . Do you support these projects?
Cruzito Herrera Cruz: Yes to both of
these projects.
The bicycle
boulevard has
complications with the surrounding
community members and parking.
Complications and problems which
can be addressed are parking,
traffic, and residential circulation.
The bicycle lane will limit parking
and/or traffic direction. A proactive
position can be taken on both
projects in District 1 because [of]
the lack there of safe-designed-
bikes-lanes/boulevard.
Jason Dominguez: Yes. I attended
the Alisos
demonstration. I
converted a long-
time local activist,
living on Alisos, a non-biker, into a
proponent with a simple explanation
of the boulevard plan. She was
against it based on misconceptions
that were quickly dispelled with data
and facts. I have been speaking with
several audiences. Many people
are enthusiastic, though some are
worried about past designs and
actions, bulb-outs, and fears that
plan will lengthen commutes.
Andria Martinez Cohen: Yes. I agree
that these
two projects fix gaps in the current
network and can attest to the fact
that these streets are already being
used as the preferred crosstown
routes linking the Eastside to
Downtown and the Westside.
Residents I have spoken with on
Alisos St. are supportive of the
project, and the demonstration
in May was a successful outreach
event. By keeping most bike traffic
on Cota while vehicle traffic benefits
from more efficient thoroughfares
on Haley and Gutierrez Streets, the
overall mobility of commuters is
improved and safer.
*
How will you work to implement
BMP projects in District 1 once the
plan is passed?
Continued on sbbike.orgWhat other ideas do you have for
improving bicycling in Santa
Barbara citywide?
www.SBBIKE.org 7
BIKE THE VOTE
SBBIKE asked all candidates:Should Santa Barbara…
CRUZ: Yes. [I] would support a
policy of “Vision Zero”. In supporting
a Vision Zero policy is critical goal to
saving lives via drivers, pedestrians,
and bicyclists. Our city-roads
must be designed to minimize the
ability to make a mistake because
our City’s street infrastructure has
limited road designs and making
the roadways and walkways safer is
a positive position to implement.
MARTINEZ COHEN: First developed
in Sweden in 1994, Vision Zero
is guided by the principle that
convenience to the users of a city
or nation’s roadways should never
take precedence over human
life. I wholeheartedly agree, and
I support a Vision Zero policy
that will bring our traffic fatality
rate down to zero by 2025.
San Francisco is one of the first US
Cities to adopt Vision Zero, and we
can learn much from their approach.
They are currently working on the
implementation with five focus
areas: engineering, education,
enforcement, evaluation, and
policy to create a transportation
system that is safe for all road users,
for all modes of transportation,
in all neighborhoods, and for
people of all ages and abilities.
Santa Barbara should be a
leader in this movement, and
bring together not only City
departments, but MTD, the police
department, schools, and the
public to make all neighborhoods
in the City safer and healthier.
Adopt Vision Zero?
CRUZ: Yes. I would be supportive of
erecting more bike corrals with the
following stakeholders: community
members, and business merchants
in designating area [and giving]
consent and approval.
MARTINEZ COHEN: Yes. I bike to
work and shopping when possible,
and more bike parking is needed for
the latter. Racks will help to achieve
25 percent biking rate in SB and
protect pedestrians and bikes
from harm.
Create more bike corrals?
Eastside
Read candidates’ thoughts on the possibility of a bike share
program in Santa Barbara in Full Candidate Questionnaire.
Continued on sbbike.org*
DOMINGUEZ: Yes. As an avid
bike rider myself, I am a strong
supporter of bike corrals because
oftentimes it is hard to find a
place to safely lock your bike
when there are no options or all
the spots are already taken. The
examples in front of Handlebar
Roasters near Downtown and
Figueroa Mountain Brewery in the
Funk Zone are working well for
the community and Fig Mtn did
not have to eliminate any parking.
DOMINGUEZ: Yes. I’m for improved
infrastructure, education, and
enforcement to save lives, improve
mental and physical health,
and the environment. Physical
barricades, traffic calming, and other
engineering measures are needed.
People would ride more if streets
were safer and felt safer. My goal is
to have 25 percent of Santa Barbara
commuting, running errands, or
participating in recreational cycling.
SB is nearly the worst city in CA for
injuries to pedestrians and cyclists
from cars.
My demographic (men 45+)
are the most common victim of
serious injuries and fatalities; I am
happy to share my insight to help
reduce injuries to this group and
improve SB’s ranking. I was injured
in SB while bike commuting; trucks
and moving vans were involved. I
suffered serious injuries and was
lucky to avoid permanent disability,
and that experience has made me
committed to safe streets.
What is Vision Zero?
*
Vision Zero is a multinational movement
that aims to achieve roadway systems
with no fatalities or even injuries.
8 Quick Release Fall 2015
K. MISSY MCSWEENEY-ZEITSOFF: After
council passes the
BMP, with my vote, staff
will implement it, with
Council overseeing the
process and the progress.
My other bike / pedestrian safety
measures would include more
crosswalks, with the blinking lights;
more education on helmet use and
observation of traffic rules; use of
green paint in areas of increased
danger; and, with consultation with
bicycle riders, the possibility of lane
divider bumps in some areas. There
is currently some uneasy feeling
between those who ride bikes and
those who only drive cars. There
should be some community meeting
to vent and agree to learning to co-
exist on the road, to mutual benefit.
I am trained in mediation. I lived in
Malibu for 28 years, so I understand
this controversial subject. I was on
the first Council.
District 2
BIKE THE VOTE
SBBIKE asked D2 candidates:
How wil l you work to implement the Bic ycle Master
Plan projects in District 2? What other ideas do you
have for improving bicycl ing in Santa Barbara?
LUIS ESPARZA: The contour of District 2’s coastline is naturally ideal for bike paths that can take users from one end of district to the other. Class 2 lanes feasibility increases with additionally restriping of Cliff Drive and consideration of bicycle use when designing and constructing future roundabouts. Heeding the community’s request for green painting is a cost-effective method to achieve immediate results and mentally reinforces the right of non-vehicles to share our roads for drivers who are increasingly unaware or plainly unsympathetic to said right; while the planning and structural considerations of other methods are pending. Some other ideas for improving bicycling in our city include but are not limited to: a. Instruct SBPD for strict
enforcement of driving while distracted (i.e. texting) traffic violations;
b. Minimize traffic and driver anxiety in general by working with public and private employers to implement employee “shift-shifting”. For example, many businesses and employees may want to begin their work shift earlier and be done earlier in the day, or conversely, begin the work shift later and work until later in the day; and
c. Increase education, workshops, and outreach concerning overall use of bicycles.
RANDY ROWSE: One issue in the works is the potential class 1 bike lane on Las Positas, its connection to the new roundabout, and the enhancement of the Modoc bikeways, with connectivity to UCSB. As stated in answer #4 [see Full Candidate Questionnaire at sbbike.org], the draft Bicycle Master Plan is not ready for implementation,
Loma A
ltaThe Mesa
Modoc L
os
Po
ita
s
Robbins
Mo
nte
cito
as pointed out by
neighborhood
stakeholders. We
do have decent
connectivity
within District
2, but the issue, in my opinion, is
more acute in the downtown area.
Safe and attractive bicycle travel
is important and desirable in a
town that naturally lends itself to
this activity. All types of personal
conveyance must be provided for,
and options to do any of them
safely and conveniently are the
job of planners, law enforcement,
and, ultimately, Council.
It is my hope and vision that the
Bicycle Master Plan helps to lay out
the best routes for bicycle travel that
make it clear to cyclists and cars
alike which routes are optimum and
should be expected to be used for
bike travel. The implementation
should be phased in triage-like
fashion, wherein the color coding of
bike lanes could be accomplished
first and likely within our current
budget. Education would be the job
of the Bicycle Coalition, along with
law enforcement, hopefully starting
in the schools. Law enforcement,
in the form of bike patrols and
motorcycle police, should conduct
regular crossing ‘sting’ operations
that ticket errant motorists as well
as cycling scofflaws. The phased-in
approach should yield the greatest
benefit in the shortest time span.
State
www.SBBIKE.org 9
BIKE THE VOTE
SBBIKE asked all candidates: Should Santa Barbara…
ESPARZA: Yes. The stated goal of
reducing fatalities and injuries is
laudable and deserving of local
government support and assistance,
although the platform available
online lacks detailed suggestions.
Additional crosswalks are needed at
problematic intersections, existing
crosswalks require enhancement to
be more like the one at Meigs Road
and Red Rose Way, and traffic signal
timing can be slightly adjusted to
better prevent collision possibility.
A PR or media campaign would
help counteract the increased
aggressiveness and distractions of
modern life.
McSWEENEY-ZEITSOFF: Yes. Vision
Zero is both sensible and workable.
ROWSE: Of course, the goal of
zero fatalities for bicyclists and
pedestrians is desirable. This
concept, “Vision Zero” was adopted
by the Swedish government in
1997 and has been met with great
statistical success. I lived in Sweden
for a time and am familiar with the
culture, traffic systems, and the
ability for the people to adapt to
change. (Right-hand driving started
one day in 1967, and no fatalities
occurred.) The reason I mention
this is that the Swedes have little
Adopt Vision Zero?
ESPARZA: Yes. The current bike
corral on Canon Perdido Street is
usually full and exhibits the need
and desire of the community
for me. Creating the corrals in
city and private parking lots may
minimize objections by merchants
and neighbors concerning loss of
street vehicle parking.
McSWEENEY-ZEITSOFF: Yes.
Removing 10 to 20 cars for the loss
of 1 parking space is a good idea.
ROWSE: Yes. I worked with the
Downtown Parking Committee
when the first bike corral was
installed on Canon Perdido. It
worked there because of the chronic
misuse of the sidewalks for bike
storage in that location. It is very site
specific. As we evolve our traffic and
circulation policies for areas like the
Funk Zone, the Victoria/State area
and Milpas, we should have those
discussions on a case-by-case basis.
It is important to bear in mind that
the parking inventory and proximity
SBBIKE doesn’ t endorse a specif ic
candidate . But we do endorse educating
yourself and voting.Create more bike corrals?
trouble in getting buy-in from
their citizens for policy changes,
unlike out here in the Wild West. I
supported the initial study stipend
in order that the new program
wouldn’t be either rejected out of
hand or adopted blindly with the
predictable stakeholder blowback
and wasteful expenditure of tax
dollars. I believe that education
and enhanced enforcement
for both drivers and cyclists/
pedestrians would go a lot further
and be more readily achievable for
implementation than wholesale
engineering changes. In short, my
idea of “Vision Zero” would be
tailored specifically to our town and
conditions rather than a template
that works in other cities and
cultures. Let’s have that discussion.
to intersection turning lanes are part
of the public domain and not to be
parceled out to narrow number of
interests in the proximity.
The Mesa
SB’s first downtown bike corralRead about the bike corral
installed on Canon Perdido and
future sites being considered in
“Corralling Momentum.”
*Continued on sbbike.orgRead candidates’ thoughts on
proposed routes on the Mesa and the
possibility of a bike share program
in Santa Barbara in Full Candidate
Questionnaire.
10 Quick Release Fall 2015
CRISTINA CARDOSO: Yes, I strongly
support both
projects.
Many of our
residents depend on bicycles
for transportation both from
economic reasons and because
of the lack of parking.
District 3
BIKE THE VOTE
SBBIKE asked D3 candidates:
SHARON BYRNE: I need
to study this in
more detail. The
WS to DT route
seems achievable, as I understand
it. The north and south routes
proposal is encountering very stiff
opposition from WS neighbors
on Chino and San Andres. There
IS a great N-S route on Castillo
and Bath, and I use that heavily.
CATHY MURILLO: Yes. I
have always known
that speeding,
traffic congestion,
and scarcity of
parking are issues for the Westside
neighborhoods (the most dense in
the City). But now that I am going
door-to-door and speaking to
my neighbors about their specific
streets, I am painfully aware how
the very quality of their lives are
impacted by “too many cars” and the
need for bicycle accommodation.
I support improving both the
Westside-to-Downtown and
North-South connectivity. I have
heard much support for making
Chino Street a Bike Boulevard. Also,
I must take credit for initiating the
update of the Bicycle Master Plan
– in collaboration with members of
the Transportation and Circulation
Committee. There are so many
benefits to encouraging residents
to use bicycles as transportation:
better physical health, reduction
of carbon emissions, creating
more space on the roads for
people who must use their cars.
Loma Alta D
r.
WestsideO
rtega
Robbins St .
Monte
c ito
US 101
State
*
How will you work to implement BMP projects in District 3 once the plan is passed?
What other ideas do you have for improving bicycling in Santa Barbara citywide?
(b) to establ ish a strong bicycle route that connects the North and South s ides of the
Wests ide. Do you support or have ideas for these projects?
Two goals of the draf t B icycle Master Plan are (a) to establ ish a strong bicycle route from the
Wests ide to Downtown and
Continued on sbbike.org
de la Vina
www.SBBIKE.org 11
BIKE THE VOTE
SBBIKE asked all candidates: Should Santa Barbara…
BYRNE: Yes. If you don’t know
where you’re going, you’ll never
get there, so setting a goal for zero
fatalities or serious injuries is a
great target and gets the collective
consciousness moving towards
achieving it. I also got the Milpas
Community Association to endorse
adopting Vision Zero here.
CARDOSO: Yes. I strongly support
Vision Zero. I do not agree that
achievement of zero deaths should
require 10 years.
MURILLO: Yes. Helping the public
get from one place to another—
safely and with minimal impact
to the environment—has always
been a priority in my public service.
Vision Zero has a simple message
and goal: Here are the numbers of
people hurt or killed on our streets;
let’s reduce those numbers. At the
Council hearing in May, decision
makers could support the proposal
with ease. I’m committed to the
City adopting the best practices
proven to work elsewhere to
increase both safety and circulation
for pedestrians, bicyclists, and
motorists. Santa Barbara should be
second to none.
Adopt Vision Zero?
BYRNE: Yes. There is already
interest in doing this at places
like the Shop Café on Milpas, and
I’ve pushed for it where there’s
interest. We need to be careful in
planning the locations, as some
merchants will protest any loss
of parking, especially if they only
have one or two on-street spaces.
CARDOSO: Yes. Bicycle[s] will
be used more if owners have a
safe place to secure them.
MURILLO: Yes. Support from local
businesses and residents is key, as
they know best what serves their
needs, in terms of commerce,
traffic, and livability. Bike corrals
are a solid investment for the City
as they will help increase business
profits from both new and existing
customers, as well as reduce traffic
and parking congestion. A bonus is
that pedestrians have more sidewalk
space because the bicycles are on
the street.
SBBIKE doesn’t endorse
a specif ic candidate. But
we do endorse educating
yourself and voting.
Westside
*
Continued on sbbike.orgRead candidates’
thoughts on the
possibility of a bike
share program in
Santa Barbara in
Full Candidate
Questionnaire.
More thoughts on bike sharesRead a classic article by Ralph Fertig in the spring 2015 QR, page 5.
Create more bike corrals?
12 Quick Release Fall 2015
EDUCATION
“I Did It! I Really Did It!”by Kayln Noe
“H ow’s our speed?” I ask over my shoulder.
“Good. They’re close behind us,” Ally answers after she turns to look
over her own shoulder. “We could even go faster,” she hints, adding that
pedestrians should be more careful before stepping across
the bike path.
It’s only our fourth day of biking, and Ally’s already thinking like a real
bicyclist. Just four days ago, her only bike experience was from her
childhood training wheel days. Now we’re heading to Bici Centro after
a successful kayaking outing.
Behind us riding tandem are Johnny and TJ, along with solo riders
Alejandro and Hector. Ally, Johnny, and Alejandro shared the desire to
learn how to ride a bike. One obstacle that prevented these students
from learning earlier is the need for modifications and less traditional
approaches to both bikes and instruction – which SBBIKE provided.
For any teenager or adult, working on a skill many of their peers
accomplished during childhood is courageous. These three young
adults had varied goals for our week, but all aimed for greater self-
confidence, a sense of independence, and a new experience.
Alejandro, who started at SBCC this fall and wants commute to campus,
prepared for our week of biking with Bici Centro’s Biking 101 and
Saturday Street Skills series. Ally’s phobia of biking is gone. During the
week, she’s ridden three different types of bikes. Her “I did it! I really did
it! I rode a bike!” helps us remember the excitement of that feeling and
why we want to share it. For Ally and I, being able to ride the Extracycle
opens up a whole new world. We’ll be borrowing it from Bici Centro’s
bike library to accomplish our daily activities. And getting to the harbor
to do Ally’s favorite activity, kayaking, will now be a breeze.
By Friday, all three students are biking like they’ve been doing this for
years. Behind Hector on the tandem, Johnny is smiling and laughing
like he was just told a hilarious joke. Alejandro is asking when he can
practice biking next week. A look of sheer satisfaction on her face – she
just rode a solo bike without training wheels – Ally takes out her phone
to text photos to her mom and aunt, too excited to wait.
Rather than an end, this is really just the beginning of these students’
“biking lives,” and I’m excited to see where it takes them.
Trio of Young Adults Learns to Ride
Johnny Scott-Bartz and LCI/SBBIKE board member Hector Gonzalez enjoy a summer ride.
Since camp, Alejandro Coss and Ally Hoerl have been volunteering at Bici Centro on Tuesdays, an activity they plan to continue.
Ally Hoerl and Kayln Noe cruise on the Extracycle from the Bici Centro bike library.
SBBIKE hosted a weeklong summer camp for three students of paraeducator Kayln Noe, who worked with them first at Santa Barbara High and now at WIN, a transition program at Santa Barbara City College. Noe and her students are grateful for SBBIKE/Bici Centro’s support, bikes, helmets, expertise, and volunteers, and especially for League Certified Instructor Hector Gonzales, who Noe calls “the main engine in this project.”
www.SBBIKE.org 13
FEATURE
W hat’s better than biking 100 miles of coastal Santa
Barbara? Knowing that your doing so means big
donations for local nonprofits.
The Santa Barbara 100, formerly the Santa Barbara
Century, is the only not-for-profit athletics event in the
city. The October 17, 2015, race will be its sixth year,
and the SB100 board has upped its
game. While it made $52,000 for its
beneficiaries—local charities—last
year and $200,000 over the past five,
organizers have set their sights on
$100,000 this year. The many changes,
all geared to meeting that goal, include
a new logo to go with the new name,
upgrades for the onsite event, and
raising entry fees to market value.
After event costs, all the money
raised (read your fees) will go to the
organizations that are the event’s
beneficiaries. No salaries are paid. No
event production company is hired to
organize the race. What that means
is people volunteering their time and
expertise. “We are an all-volunteer
board,” says Marketing and Sponsorship
Director Tricia Middleton. “It’s unique, in
that all of our efforts directly support charities. … It’s why
the event was created six years ago, to help others.”
That means, she says, “Investment in this event pays huge
dividends.” The event’s beneficiaries can attest. The Santa
Barbara Bicycle Coalition (SBBIKE) received $21,000
last year, bringing the total of support the coalition has
received from the race to $100,000. The coalition’s
growth owes much to this support says SBBIKE Executive
Director Ed France. “Youth bicycle education as we’ve
grown it, for example, wouldn’t have been possible
without this generous, ongoing support,” he notes.
Other recipients of SB100 2015 will be Cottage Children’s
Medical Center, where the support will help cover
Cyclists Climb Gibraltar, SB100 Climbs New Heights for Local Charities
expenses for children whose families are unable to fully pay for their
health care; Emory Foundation, which supports grieving families
and funds an annual scholarship for local nurses specializing
in pediatrics or neonatal care, and the Andrew Popp Memorial
Scholarship Program, which assists in educating students from the
slums of Uganda and Kenya.
“It’s crucial for an event to back up our
community’s ecological commitment
on any level,” Middleton says. “We can
stop watering our lawns, we can drive
electric vehicles, we can preserve
our environment, but we have to
invest in our youth, and we have to
invest in our established organizations
that pave the way for more bike
lanes, outreach to disadvantaged
youth, and provide meaningful
solutions to our local problems.”
Another way SB100 invests in youth is by
waiving fees for its local youth cycling
programs—the Echelon Junior Cycling
Team and the newly created Riviera Youth
Bike Team, which aims “to create a long-
term positive impact on the health and
fitness of ‘at-risk’ children by developing and fostering a connection
to cycling.” Middleton can’t wait for the day of the event “when we
can recognize the fastest climbers in the Gibraltar Challenge awards
but also recognize our local youth for their great accomplishments.”
The SB100 is recognized nationally for its beauty and challenge.
Its three courses included the 100-miler, with 9,000 feet of
climbing (including the 7-mile time trial up Gibraltar Road); the
100-kilometer; and the 34-mile course. Says OutsideOnline.com
of the first course, “[it] will hurt more than a little…. But it’s all kinds
of Southern California magic.”
Want to be a part of the magic? Register online as soon as spots
are available. Or sign up to volunteer alongside SBBIKE.
“It’s crucial for an event to back up our community’s ecological commitment on any level. We can stop watering our lawns, we can drive electric vehicles, we can preserve our environment, but we have to invest in our youth, and we have to invest in our established organizations that pave the way for more bike lanes, outreach to disadvantaged youth, and provide meaningful solutions to our local problems.”
—Tricia Middleton, SB100
100 Miles for $100 K
14 Quick Release Fall 2015
In November, Santa Barbara will hold its first District Election.
Voters whose home addresses are in Districts 1, 2, and 3 (see
maps, pgs. 6, 8, and, 10) will vote in the councilmember who
will serve their district. (Voters in the remaining districts will be
voting in the next election.)
Vote in November District Elections
RegisterBy mail. Request your voter registration card online or by
calling 800-722-8683. Mailed cards must be received by (not
postmarked on) Oct. 19.
Online at registertovote.ca.gov until midnight on Oct. 19
Vote Mail your ballot to PO Box 61510 SB, CA 93160.
Drop off your ballot, from 7 am to 8 pm Nov. 3, to:
Ballots are mailed to registered voters in D 1, 2, and 3
Deadline to register to vote
Oct. 5.
Oct. 19
Nov. 3. Election day! (Ballots must be postmarked or dropped off by this date.)
District 1 – Franklin Neighborhood Center
(1136 E. Montecito St.)
District 2 – Holy Cross Catholic Church (1740 Cliff Dr.)
District 3 – Calvary Baptist Church, Sizer Hall
(736 W. Islay St.)
All districts – City Hall, lobby (735 Anacapa St.)
Additional times for this location are Oct. 27–30,
7:30 am to 5:30 pm; Oct 31, 8 am to 5 pm;
Nov. 2, 7:30 am to 5:30 pm
Vieja Valley Rides
Vieja Valley Elementary students cycle
along a route many use to get to and
from school. They’re ending a Bici
Familia event held at the beginning of
the school year, where students and
parents learned about safety on the
road and practiced safe handling skills
on the blacktop. The event was part of
a response by school administration,
SBBIKE, and COAST to a collision
involving two students on bikes en route
to school in the spring (both received
slight injuries and are okay now).
Read more about the event in “Vieja
Valley Elementary Hosts Successful
Family Bike Night” by Andie Bridges at
sbbike.org. Photo by JOHN ROUSSEAU.
WANTED
Contact: Bici Centro (Wed–Fri, 12–7 pm, and Sat, 12–5 pm) at 434 Olive St.
Your Reward: A tax-deductible donation receipt and the knowledge your donation is going toward making Santa Barbara a better place to bike for everyone!
Description: Old clunkers collecting dust. Dilapidated bikes. Bike stuff.
Last sene: Your garage
Alias:Your used bikes.
Volunteer with SB Open StreetsIt’s almost here! The third annual Open Streets is coming
to Santa Barbara on October 24. Want to volunteer with
the event where designated streets are transformed into
a free, safe, and family-friendly
recreation and fitness zone? Go to
sbopenstreets.org/volunteer and
click on the “sign up genius” link.
www.SBBIKE.org 15
Yanonali St
Garden St
Cabrillo Blvd
Milpas St
Corona Del Mar
S. Quarantina StState St
Anacapa St
Castillo St
Yanonali St
CABRILLO
Calle Cesar Chavez
Cabrillo Blvd
Harbor
Bird Refuge
SB Zoo(special entrance)
DolphinFountain
StearnsWharf
Harbor Shops
East Beach Grill
Activate
Kid-U-Cate
Rock &
Skat
e
Mot ivateJu
bil a
te
Rejuvenat
eHealth Fair
YMCA Partic
ipat
e
Celebrate
Saturday, October 24 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sponsored by: Coordinated by: Marketing assistance provided by:
B u i ld i n g St r o n g C o m m u n i t i e s
GLOB
AL GOOD IMPACT
Closed to cars and open to fun activities for the whole family!
For a full list of ACTIVITIES, visit:sbopenstreets.org/participate
Santa Barbara Bicycle CoalitionPO Box 92047Santa Barbara, CA 93190-2047
SBSANTA BARBARA BICYCLE COALITION
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