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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

September 2nd meeting Join us for our general meeting: Tuesday, September 2nd 12:00 noon Santa Barbara Bank & Trust Community Room 1021 Anacapa Street Santa Barbara

Online email list We sponsor a free online email forum where you can post and read messages about regional bicycling issues. To subscribe, send an email to: sbbike-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

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Join our Coalition You can help improve bicycling safety and conditions in Santa Barbara County by joining others in our bicycling advocacy group. See page 6.

CycleSmart program The Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition’s CycleSmart bicyclist education program offers bicycling skills classes. Details at www.sbbike.org/ CycleSmart/ apply.html, or email coordinators at CycleSmart@ sbbike.org.

Bici Centro program Bici Centro of Santa Barbara is our community bicycle program, helping people who bicycle. Look at www.sbbike. org/bici/BiciCentro.html, or phone 617-3255. Quick Release is published monthly by the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition, PO Box 92047, Santa Barbara, CA 93190. Subscribe for $25 per year. Issue # 203.

September 2008

101 bikepath in jeopardy Our Bicycle Coalition officers Wilson Hubbell and Ralph Fertig have attended three Caltrans’ meetings since August 2007 concerning bicyclist safety along a section of Highway 101. The six-mile section in question is targeted for a $151 million roadway widening project between Mobile Pier in Ventura County, and Casitas Pass Road in Santa Barbara County. During the two recent meetings in February and June, they were shown photo simulations of a proposed bikepath between the highway and the Union Pacific railroad. Bicyclists today have to ride on the highway shoulder in non-standard conditions; the proposed bikepath would offer us a separate, safer means of travel all the way between Ventura and Santa Barbara, either on bikepaths or the quiet Rincon Highway. At the June meeting, we extensively discussed safety issues, especially dealing with bicyclist conflicts at an upcoming pedestrian tunnel under the road at La Conchita. We left the meeting feeling optimistic that safer cycling was coming for thousands who pedal there. Caltrans, however, just published an Initial Study/Environmental Assessment that now says that the bikepath is a project option. Option A will keep us on the highway shoulder. Option B would provide an 8-foot bikepath. We feel strongly that the bikepath is a major safety improvement.

Currently, cyclists ride on the shoulder of Highway 101, here contending with the entrance road at La Conchita.

If the bikepath is constructed, it will connect the old Rincon Highway with Bates Road. Northbound cyclists would be prohibited from using the highway shoulder; southbound cyclists would have the option of using the 101 shoulder, or taking the bikepath. Caltrans is holding another public meeting where these and other options will be discussed: Tuesday, September 9, 6:00 PM Carpinteria Middle School 5351 Carpinteria Avenue, Carpinteria Please consider attending and speaking out for our safety. If we don’t get this bikepath funded as part of a major highway project, we can forget it.

Cyclists finish cross-country Bike and Build tour Since 2003, the nonprofit Bike and Build has organized summer bike tours across the US for young people. Each year, they have added another east-to-west route, and for 2008, a group of 31 pedaled from Boston to Santa Barbara for the first time. The tours are more than just rides. Every few days, they stop and spend a day or more working on low-income housing projects. The money that each cyclist raises for the trip is used to help finance such projects. Over the past five years, they have raised over a million dollars, and pedaled over 2.2 million miles. On August 14th, family, friends, plus the Bicycle Coalition’s Drew Hunter and Ralph Fertig were at East Beach to welcome the cyclists. Following that, Fertig led a tour of Santa Barbara’s low-income housing projects, bicycle facilities, and city landmarks to those who couldn’t stop biking. Next year, perhaps we can organize some celebratory event for them? To learn more, go to http:// Stoked Bike and Build cyclists celebrate their arrival in bikeandbuild.org/cms. Santa Barbara on August 14th.


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