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 3rd meeting Join us for our general meeting: Tuesday, March 3rd Santa Barbara Bank & Trust Community Room 1021 Anacapa Street Santa Barbara Meeting 12:00 noon
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 # 209.
March 2009
Bicycling is scorching topic in media by Ralph Fertig
A flurry of published articles and subsequent online comments has recently occurred. Many concern the bicyclist safety improvements at Santa Barbara’s State/De la Vina intersection, but others are opinions about bicyclists on our streets. Many individuals have expressed views, but four groups dominate: COAST and our Bicycle Coalition continue to advocate for safer walking and bicycling; Cars are Basic and (the ironically misnamed) Santa Barbara Safe Streets favor priority for motorists. As a measure of public reaction, Gina Perry’s Daily Sound column on February 12th resulted in 79 posted online comments. Six supported her view, 61 opposed, and 12 were neutral or off-topic. Here is a sampling of recently published pieces: g January 25, News-Press opinion/editorial by Scott Wentz complains about anti-car Luddites’ failure to increase bicycling. g January 29, Daily Sound column by Cheri Rae, derides the City’s efforts to improve the State/De la Vina intersection, saying because it’s been that way for years, it should be remain unchanged. g February 1, News-Press opinion/editorial by Michael Self, describes the State/De la Vina safety improvements as “experimental meddling.” g February 1, News-Press opinion/editorial by David Madajian, rebuts Scott Wentz’ claim that driving cars is more efficient than bicycling. g February 5, Daily Sound letter by Ralph Fertig, cites inaccuracies in Cheri Rae’s January article. g February 11, Daily Sound article by Eric Lindberg sensibly reports on the City Council meeting. g February 12, Montecito Journal letter by Scott
What Gina Perry wrote on January 12th:
“According to their website, the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition advocates ‘a community where bicycles and other non-motor vehicle options are the norms for healthy transportation and recreation.’” What is actually on our website:
“In order to have a community where bicycles and other non-motor vehicle options are the norms for healthy transportation and recreation, a ‘tipping point’ is needed.”
Quoting a sentence fragment in order to deliberately change its meaning is clearly unethical. Wentz incorrectly claims that the North Jameson Road shoulders and Ortega Hill bikepath cost $12 million, and had no benefits. February 12, Independent editorial by Nick Welsh describes how the routine street improvement at State/De la Vina was overshadowed by politics.
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February 12, News-Press editorial derides spending money on the State/De la Vina “boondoggle.”
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February 12, Daily Sound column by Gina Perry says it’s dangerous for bicyclists to be on her streets, we should stay out of her way and ride elsewhere.
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For the past six decades, the US has been subject to social engineering that promoted automobile use to the detriment of active transportation. People have bought cars, moved to suburbs, paid for highways, and built lifestyles around their autos. We are now reaping the cost with environmental degradation, obesity, and reliance on imported oil. There is always disruption when entrenched behavior is challenged, but we remain undaunted.
Bicycle portal welcomes all to Bici Centro by Ed France
The Bici Centro Bicycle Repair and Education Center got a face-lift last month. Through a partnership with two Northern California artists, the group has recycled over 230 wheels and a few hundred pounds of other bike scrap. The material isn’t smeltered down but instead welded into large installations and sculptures. As a thank you for sending our scrap their way, Marin county artists Mark Grieve and Ilana Spector constructed functional art for our front entry off Montecito Street. This “bike arch” incorporates worn-out rims, forks, cogs, spokes, brake levers, cranks and two lighting fixtures to bring into life the “bicycle portal” patrons cross when entering the center. We thank you.