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 facebook www.facebook.com/sbbikes
October 5th meeting Join us for our general meeting: Tuesday, October 5 Madam Lu Chinese Restaurant 3524 State Street Santa Barbara No-host dinner 6:00 PM Meeting 7:00 PM
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.
Street Skills Clinics The Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition offers Street Skills Clinics. Details at www.sbbike. org/skills/apply.html, or email coordinators at streetskills@ sbbike.org.
Bici Centro program Bici Centro of Santa Barbara is our community bicycle program, helping people who bicycle. Go to www.bicicentro. org, or phone 617-3255.
Quick Release is published monthly by the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition, PO Box 92047, Santa Barbara, CA 93190. Subscribe for $30 per year. Issue # 228.
October 2010
Realtors see bikepaths in their future by Ralph Fertig bikeways, and the benefits I attended the Pro Walk/Pro of sustainable properties. It Bike conference in Chattanooga notes that as the “Generation on September 13-16th, along Y” replaces baby boomers, the with our executive director Ed move from suburban to urban France. The conferences are held areas will accelerate. And with every two years. Twenty years it, vehicle miles traveled will ago, the emphasis was on facilidecrease as bikes and buses ties for bicyclists. Then about 15 increase. Savvy realtors, it years ago, walking was added to advises, can benefit from this the mix—after all, we have many shift. And cities, if they wish things in common, and more to retain vitality, will accompeople walk than bike. modate their young people. What happened in the last The closing plenary session decade was rising alarm among featured the National Associaour nation’s health professionals tion of Realtors’ Hugh Morris when an inactive lifestyle surwho told us that our new alCover of the summer issue of On Common passed smoking as the leading lies are local realtors because Ground, published by the National Associacause of early death. They knew tion of Realtors, features a smiling bicyclist. they understand what’s hapthat biking and walking can be pening on the ground. Houses woven into our daily lives, providing multiple in bike and walk friendly areas now fetch $30,000 long-term benefits, so they came on board. or more than those further from public spaces. The latest group to join us, to my surprise, was Thirty percent of our population wants denser, livable communities, and that percentage is growing. a new sponsor for the conference: the National The trends are clear, and they include more Association of Realtors. The summer edition of bicycling as a crucial part of our urban fabric. The their national magazine On Common Ground was question is how fully will our communities embrace full of articles dealing with the “megatrends” the megatrends and provide a better future for us? of our communities. Articles tell of healthier The answer lies with our elected representatives lifestyles, decreased driving, car sharing, walkand what we collectively and individually ask for. able communities, water scarcity, community
Bike Film Festival and related events were super successes Jim Cadenhead at Cranky’s Bikes was instrumental in bringing the Bicycle Film Festival to Santa Barbara on September 18th. If that wasn’t enough, he arranged a swap meet and bike polo matches, and valet bike parking. There was a “Kickoff Party” with spinning sprint competition at Elsie’s Tavern the day before, and a “Bikes Rock Party” at Mercury Lounge the day after. From all indications, everything succeeded wonderfully. It was well promoted by Nick Welsh’s two-page article “From Geek to Chic” in the Santa Barbara Independent on September 16th. The article describes how our local bike culture is changing from recreational sport rides to casual, utilitarian and imaginative ones. It’s certain that the surge in bicycling will continue, although it’s unclear whether the Film Festival will return in 2011. We absolutely hope so.
Bicycle polo demonstration matches took place on an improvised court at the Junior High’s game field.