QUICK RELEASE www.sbbike.org Serving Santa Barbara County We’re a countywide advocacy and resource organization that promotes bicycling for safe transportation and recreation.
How to reach us Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition PO Box 92047 Santa Barbara CA 93190-2047 phone 568-3046 email info@sbbike.org web www.sbbike.org
March 4th meeting Join us on Tuesday, March 4th for our monthly meeting. Help us celebrate and improve bicycling during 2003: Tuesday, 12:00 noon County Public Works Conference Room, 1st Floor 123 East Anapamu Street Santa Barbara, California
Online email list We sponsor an online email forum where you can post and read messages that pertain to regional bicycling issues. It’s easy and free. To subscribe to our general forum, just send an email message to: sbbike-subscribe@topica.com
Leave the subject line and body of the message blank. That’s all!
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Coalition pursues Santa Maria trail On February 11, the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Commission considered the opportunity to create a trail to replace a 4.9-mile section of current railroad. The Bicycle Coalition was represented by Vice President Ralph Fertig who urged the commission members to be visionary and look at future needs when the City’s urban growth expands into the present-day agricultural areas where the rail line goes. The railroad under consideration is owned by the Santa Maria Valley Railroad. They announced their intention to abandon that section last October, and the City obtained a 180-day extension to June 12 to consider possible action. The Recreation and Parks commissioners listened to over an hour of public testimony. About half were farmers who wanted the land for agriculture. The other half were in favor of buying the land for public multipurpose trails. Three members of Tailwinds Bicycle Club spoke, along with a spokeswoman for a walking group, and a man from a railroad group that wants to run a tourist train there. Alexander Posada, the Recreation and Parks Director suggested four actions that the commissioners might choose. After a lengthy discussion, they decided to pursue the purchase. They asked staff to word a new recommendation that would ask the City Council to accept the railroad land as an important link in circulation; to authorize use of $30,000 in City Trail funds to develop an acquisition plan; and to assist community groups in funding the acquisition. The next step will be on March 11 when the Rec and Parks Commissioners meet to discuss their new recommendation
The railroad runs along the northern edge of Allan Hancock College, under Highway 101, past homes, and along farms, to the Santa Maria River.
that will subsequently be sent to the City Council no earlier than March 18 for action. It’s at that City Council meeting that public opinion will be heard again. It’s very important that cyclists, bike shop owners, active lifestyle advocates, and others speak up for saving the corridor. Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever. We’ll keep you informed here and on our email list.
Commute to work by bike is first choice after cars A new study about local workers shows that— after the automobile—the bicycle is the preferred means of getting to their jobs.
You can help improve bicycling safety and conditions in Santa Barbara County by joining others in our own regional Bicycle Coalition advocacy group. Together we will continue to make a real difference. See page 6 for details.
Our video for sale We’re pleased to offer our own video “Decide to Ride.” It’s about a young woman who learns to bike commute to work. It’s only $18 (tax and US shipping included) from us, address above. A description is available at www.sbbike.org/video/video.html.
March 2003
Even in the dark days of winter, the County’s bike enclosure has regular use by workers who don’t store their bikes inside.
The January study asked Santa Barbara County Public Works employees a number of questions, among them “How do you normally commute to work?” An impressive 85% of the workers responded to the survey. As expected, most said that they use cars to get to work. But if not driving, bicycling is the favored means of commuting for 8% of the workers. That’s more than the 6% who walk. More than the 4% who take the Clean Air Express bus (that’s a natural-gas transit project run by Traffic Solutions with 8 buses for North County commuters coming south). And more than the 1% who use local bus service.