www.sbbike.org
City of SB awarded bikepath funds
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 3rd meeting Join us on the first Tuesday of the month for our general meeting: Tuesday, July 3rd, 12:00 noon Santa Barbara Bank & Trust Conference Room 1021 Anacapa Street Santa Barbara
Online email list We sponsor a free online email forum where you can post and read messages that pertain to regional bicycling issues.To subscribe, just send an email message to: sbbike-subscribe@lists.riseup.net
Leave the subject line and body of the message blank.
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’ll continue to make a real difference. See the back cover for info.
Caltrans recently announced that a proposed Safe Routes to School project in Santa Barbara County was awarded $901,700—the “Jake Boysel Multipurpose Pathway” in the City of Santa Barbara. The funding is for design and construction of a multipurpose path for bicyclists and pedestrians. It is named in the memory of 12-year old Jake Boysel who was hit and killed by a motorist last year while biking to school on Calle Real. The path will connect Old Mill Road and La Colina Road, running between the St Vincent housing project and Cieneguitas Creek. Our Bicycle Coalition fully endorses the proposed path. Last December, our letter of support said “Their proposal addresses the urgent need for a safer means for children to bike and walk to schools in the western part This map shows the approximate multipurpose path between Old of the city, distressingly brought to our atten- Mill Road on the southwest and La Colina Road on the northeast. tion by the death of a 12-year old student biat Mary Buren Elementary and Kermit McKenzie Junior High Schools. cycling to school last September on a busy arterial. The need for a safer route for our children has $450,000 to Carpinteria for bike/walking paths, been clearly demonstrated for this part of the city.” traffic calming and safety programs at Canalino Elementary, Carpinteria High, and Rincon High Funding for the Caltrans program comes from Schools. the Federal SAFETEA-LU transportation act. There were 459 proposed projects asking for $178 million and competing in the current cycle. Only 88 were selected by Caltrans for a funding total of $35 million. Last year two projects in our county were funded by the state Safe Routes to School program:
$450,000 to Guadalupe for flashing beacons, crosswalk lights, curb ramps, and wider sidewalks
The SAFETEA-LU funding program is intended to improve conditions for children in kindergarten through eighth grade, to safely walk and bicycle to school. Another call for projects will occur this fall for the remaining Federal Safe Routes to School funds. We congratulate the three cities on their success, and encourage all county jurisdictions to apply for further funding this fall.
Bikestation Santa Barbara is attracting...bicyclists !
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 . Quick Release is published monthly by the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition, PO Box 92047, Santa Barbara, CA 93190. Subscribe for $25 per year. Issue # 189.
July 2007
City employee Karen Gumtow leaves the Bikestation for her daily ride home after work.
One month after its May 1st opening, Bikestation Santa Barbara already had 55 bicyclists subscribed for its services. Although there are bike racks for 80 bicycles, due to varying schedules and needs, there can be many more members, possibly 200. Early adapter and City employee Karen Gumtow loves it because it’s just below her Environmental Services office. Although she only commutes a short distance in town, it makes sense to her to bike. The Bikestation has secure bike parking, lockers, showers, bathrooms, compressed air, a vending machine for biking essentials , workstand, and wheel truing stand. Interested? Learn more at www.bikestation.org.