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 7th meeting Join us on the first Tuesday of each month for our general meeting: Tuesday, March 7 Santa Barbara Bank & Trust Community Room 1021 Anacapa Street Santa Barbara 12:00 noon
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 the 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 an application form.
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.
March 2006
Tax proposal promising for bicyclists As directed by the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) Board in January, tax measure expert Larry Tramutola worked with SBCAG staff to craft a new version of Measure D tax. That new version, emailed to Board members on February 9th, is not very different from the November “Draft #3” written by city and county public works directors, and city managers. The new version, named “Balanced A+B,” repeats the basic structure of the earlier version: a half-cent “A” tax that has the same half-cent rate that we’re currently paying; and an additional “B” quarter-cent tax that, if the voters approve, would take effect only if A is passed by voters. Tramutola and SBCAG staff looked at how Santa Barbara County residents wanted their transportation money spent according to two polls of 1734 voters taken last year. They modified the distribution of funding categories between A and B—alternative transportation measures are now less heavily concentrated in B—and slightly increased some alternatives overall. Bicyclists benefit from the new version. Compared with last November’s Draft #3 version, the Balanced A+B proposes these changes: • Regional road projects (up from 16.6% to 16.9%) • Commuter Rail (stays at 8.0%) • Bus service (up from 15.7% to 17.5%) • Traffic Solutions (up from 1.4% to 1.7%) • Bicycling projects (up from 1.0% to 3.0%) • Safe Routes to School (up from 1.0% to 2.9%) • Local transportation (down from 56.4% to 50.0%)
Details about funding for the Bicycling and Safe Routes to School projects are still being determined. They may both accept project proposals from jurisdictions within our county, and fund the best projects. We’re hoping that school projects will include high schools, and bike projects will include UCSB, Allan Hancock College, and SBCC. Also, they should both include
Hart to speak at our meeting SBCAG spokesperson Gregg Hart is coming to our monthly Bicycle Coalition to describe the latest proposal for Measure D renewal, and obtain feedback on it structure. Our comments will be added to those from other groups in crafting a measure that will go to the SBCAG Board for consideration and possible approval in April. It’s important to attend this, and other meetings to learn, and to voice your opinion. Tuesday, March 7, 12:00 noon Santa Barbara Bank & Trust Community Room 1021 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara
education and coordination programs as well as more bikelanes, sidewalks and signs. Some politicians and city staff are fuming about the proposed reduction of the “A” Local Transportation funding. However, with A and B together, they will gain 7% more dollars per year than they currently get with their 70% share of Measure D. The point is that they would now have an incentive to promote the passage of B, not just A. If they contrariwise insist on concentrating alternative transportation projects back into B, voters might very well reject both A and B, leaving everybody with nothing. Separately, the Coalition for a Fair Measure D, of which we are a member, wants A and B to “mirror” one another with identical percentages. That would preclude the divisive “roads-in-A, alternatives-in-B” thinking. If that happens and only A passes, bicyclists will benefit. What you can do. Please contact your city council-members and county supervisor, listed on the next page. Tell them what you like or don’t like in the current plan. Tell them how you want your tax dollars spent. There are public workshops coming soon, not published as this goes to press. Watch the SBCAG site for details: www.sbcag.org.