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
March 6th meeting Join us on the first Tuesday of the month for our general meeting: Tuesday, April 3 Madam Lu Chinese Restaurant 3524 State Street Santa Barbara 6:00 PM No-host dinner 7:00 PM 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 our 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 your application options.
April 2007
County presence at DC Bike Summit by Ralph Fertig
“Time me,” Representative Lois Capps said as she strode out of her office, “I’m going to vote.” A group of us waiting for our upcoming meeting with her watched as she rushed down the Longworth House Office Building corridor. Fifteen minutes later, she returned from voting, and eight of us were ushered into her office where we asked her to support national bicycling measures. Because of outside support, four of us representing Santa Barbara County—Erika Lindemann, Chris Orr, Ralph Fertig, and Bob Zimels—were able to attend the Washington DC Bike Summit on March 13-16th. We are all grateful for the help from our Bi- For whatever reason, there are few outside bike racks around the capitol, but this one is located outside the Supreme Court building. cycle Coalition, Goleta Valley Cycling Club, and the International Mountain Bicycling Associato us. Additionally, here are some of the Summit tion (IMBA). highlights: So much Over the past two decades, bicycling has surged to happened a multi-billion dollar industry. Representation on during those Capitol Hill has increased, and federal funding for 4 days, I can bicycle facilities and programs has grown ten fold. barely touch The major challenge facing us over the next two on the topics years is to increase bicycle funding in the from the six reauthorization of the SAFETEA-LU federal general sestransportation act. sions, three The “Complete Streets” movement, where all specialized roadway right-of-way users like bicyclists must be workshops, considered, is gaining traction. It’s becoming “Complete Green Streets” where permeability, and meetBicycle Coalition president Ralph Fertig runoff, landscape, and other issues are embraced. ings with (left) met with League of American members of Bicyclists’ director Andy Clarke before Summit organizer League of American Bicyclists, Congress. On the Bike Summit. now 127 years old, reported that its League Cycling Instructor (LCI) training program will the following pages there are separate articles by surpass 1000 instructors this year, that it is partChris Orr about the Summit, and Shimano’s new nering with MS rides for safety training, and that “Coasting” bike components that were introduced it has recognized 60 Bicycle-Friendly communities (including the City of Santa Barbara).
Thirty US cities are considering “congestion pricing” where rush-hour fees are assessed. This has been successfully deployed in London, Singapore, Stockholm, and elewhere. It reduces pollution and congestion, while increasing bicycling, walking, and transit.
Gasoline prices are rising, there’s a new political perspective in Congress, climate change is high on their agenda, obesity is increasingly a concern, and bicycling is now being advanced as a solution for all those challenges. We will be working with Congress to promote it as such.
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 .
Senator Diane Feinstein’s assistant Kit Batten (center) listened to the 50 California participants describe our bicycling needs.