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 962-1479 email info@sbbike.org web www.sbbike.org
July 5th meeting Join us on the first Wednesday of July for our general meeting: Wednesday, July 5th Cody’s Cafe 4898 Hollister Avenue Goleta 6:00 No-host dinner 7:00 Meeting
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@lists.riseup.net
Leave the subject line and body of the message blank. That’s all!
Join the Coalition 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 an application form.
Public education on Measure D progresses
GVCC funds Bicycle Coalition projects
Our Bicycle Coalition was stoked that the proposed Measure D tax renewal was approved by the our Association of Governments last April. Since then, all eight city councils and the County have approved the measure, so at this point it seems certain that it will be up to voters to approve or reject next November. Voter approval is by no means guaranteed. A two-thirds vote is needed to pass. So it will take a major education effort to tell people about all the benefits that they will receive if they pass the measure—and the very great loss if it fails. The Bicycle Coalition is working with 22 other organizations under the umbrella of the Coalition for a Fair Measure D, that itself is coordinating with a “Yes on Measure D” committtee. We have collectively hired consultant Larry Tramutola who is probably the most astute and knowledgeable person in California dealing with tax and bond measures. Watch for updates here as the whole process unfolds toward our November vote.
Each year at their Annual Meeting, the Goleta Valley Cycling Club returns their hard-earned money to the community by funding bicycling projects. On June 10th, they again voted to support several organizations and projects. Happily, both proposals from our Bicycle Coalition—LED headlights for low-income workers, and copies of John Allen’s Bicycling Street Smarts booklet—were funded. Here is what the Club supported:
4th moves us to the 5th We usually meet the first Tuesday of each month, but because the first Tuesday in July is Independence Day, we have moved our meeting to Wednesday. It’s another evening meeting where we have a chance to meet those who cannot attend our noon meetings in Downtown Santa Barbara. Please join us at Cody’s. Cody’s Cafe, 4898 Hollister Avenue, Goleta 6:00 No-host dinner 7:00 Meeting
• 200 LED head lights for low-income bike commuters • 648 Bicycling Street Smarts booklets • Two bikes, helmets and locks for selected kids at the Boys and Girls Clubs • $1000 to refurbish props used for local bike rodeos • Travel to the Bike Summit 2007 for a GVCC member • $600 for Safe Routes to School programs • Additional funding to our Bicycle Coalition, League of American Bicyclists, Adventure Cycling, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, and the California Bicycle Coalition. Overall, it’s a generous gift to our community, earned from hard work putting on the People Powered Ride each October. Find out more about the Club’s activities at www.goletabike.org.
Traffic calming helps improve neighborhoods
Our CycleSmart program The Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition’s CycleSmart bicyclist education program offers bicycling skills classes for school children and adults. Look for details of upcoming classes inside Quick Release, or contact our Co-coordinators Dru van Hengel and Erika Lindemann by email CycleSmart@sbbike.org.
July 2006
A bicyclist pedals on the newly repaved and striped bikelane on Chapala Street that has replaced a former motorist lane.
Thanks to residents on one-way Chapala Street in Santa Barbara for asking the City to slow down speeding motorists in their residential neighborhood. Bicycle Coalition members June and Alex Pujo were particularly active in rallying their neighbors to address city committees. Bicycle Coalition president Ralph Fertig additionally spoke to the Transportation and Circulation Committee in favor of the improvements. The happy result is the replacement of one traffic lane with a bike lane over a seven-block section of Chapala between Mission Street and Alamar Avenue. Bicycle Coalition member Mike Hecker loves it: “Using the new Chapala Street bike lane on my return home on training rides is a dream come true. The city is to be thanked for that improvement. And I guess the residents like it too as it has slowed traffic down.” Thank you Santa Barbara indeed!