SANTA BARBARA BICYCLE COALITION
Quick Release
WeSpecial IssuSB e
Summer 2015 • Volume 25 / No. 2
Our Vision The Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition (SBBIKE) vision is that Santa Barbara will be a leader in creating a bicycle-friendly community and transportation system. Extensive on-road and separated bikeways, a coordinated transit system, parking, and amenities allow us to enjoy a culture where the majority of daily trips include a bicycle. As a result, our community is healthier and encourages balanced living within our resources. Universal cycling education for all ages supports the development of safe and respectful road behaviors from both motorists and cyclists. Widespread community and political support for bicycling is in place. By 2040, because it is a cycling-centered county, Santa Barbara is both a great place to live and work and a nationally acclaimed cycling destination, boasting a year-round calendar of successful, fun, and inclusive events.
Letter from the Editor Once we decided to put together a special issue featuring people across Santa Barbara who choose to cycle or make cycling available to others, I caught glimpses of stories everywhere I went—the father and son in matching spandex rolling gracefully along Foothill Drive; the giggling couple on a tandem near the Rose Garden; the young woman pedaling up Haley trailed by a three-wheeled cart brimming with buckets of bright flowers; the Hispanic man, whose arms were loaded with groceries and whose smile spoke of kindness and weariness; the grandfather grinning on a quiet neighborhood street in Noleta, his granddaughter on her bedazzled ride circling him endlessly; the college student from France with infectious energy who chose a 90mile overnight ride as her first bicycling experience in the US. Stories of people in our community whose lives have been profoundly impacted by the ability to choose to bicycle could fill volumes. Here are just a few of the people who have found joy and pride, connection and equality, empowerment and freedom, health and perspective through bicycles. These families and individuals and the countless others whose stories build the fabric of our community are why SBBIKE advocates for safe, accessible cycling infrastructure. Data shows that, as more people are enabled to choose cycling for some or all trips, safety on our roadways improves. More trips on bike equal less congestion and pollution for all. The coalition supports a bold Bike Master Plan and adoption of Vision Zero because these measures will improve the experience of everyone who uses our roads—be it on two tires, four tires, or none. With gratitude for all our stories,
Holly Starley
COVER PHOTOS: Libby Jeffries, Julie Churchman, Laura Almengor, Lori Lee Collins, Eduardo Lara, and Carmen McCurry and two of her three sons, Andrew and Ian—a few of the many people across Santa Barbara who choose to bike and promote cycling in our communities.
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Quick Release Summer 2015
BOARD Courtney Dietz, President David Hodges, Vice President David Bourgeois, Treasurer Byron Beck Robert Caiza David Campbell Sue Carmody Hector Gonzalez John Hygelund Tracey Strobel Mike Vergeer
STAFF Ed France, Executive Director ed@sbbike.org Christine Bourgeois, Education Director edu@sbbike.org Shawn Von Biela, Shop Manager shop@bicicentro.org Howard Booth, Membership Coordinator howard@sbbike.org Joey Juhasz-Lukomski, Volunteer Coordinator joey@sbbike.org Sam Franklin, Advocacy Coordinator sam@sbbike.org Lori Newell, Education Coordinator, North County, lori@sbbike.org
GOVT. LIAISONS & ADVISORS Matt Dobberteen, Advisor County of Santa Barbara matt@cosbpw.net Kent Epperson, Advisor Traffic Solutions kepperson@sbcag.org Teresa Lopes, Advisor City of Goleta tlopes@cityofGoleta.org Amy Steinfeld Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
ART DIRECTOR Cynthia Stahl, info@cynstahl.com
EDITOR Holly Starley, editor@sbbike.org
CONTACT US 506 E. Haley St. Santa Barbara, CA 93103 PO Box 92047 Santa Barbara, CA 93190 www.sbbike.org SBBIKE: 805-845-8955 Bici Centro: 805-617-3255
CONTRIBUTE Your time: www.bicicentro.org/volunteer In-kind: www.bicicentro.org/wishlist Financially: www.bicicentro.org/donate
Thank you, Business Members and Supporters DI A MON D ME MBE R S
P L AT I N UM ME MBE RS
GOLD & C ARBON FI BE R ME MBE R S Marcia Burtt Gallery
T ITA N I UM ME MBE R S
S I LV E R & ALUM I NUM ME MBE R S
Rincon Cycle CapCranks Cory Motors
BRONZE AND STEEL MEMBERS Bildsten Architecture and Planning The Dirt Club Fastrack Bicycles HelloHarvest Hoffman Architecture Horny Toad
Isla Vista Food Coop Mesa Architects Mesa Business Association Revolution Coaching LLC Pacific Pedalers/ Santa Barbara Pedicab Pedal Born Pictures
Premier Business Marketing Race Corps REI True Nature Landscape Architecture Waynes Pro Bike
www.SBBIKE.org
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E BIK B S
ellll e w e w e N N i r i o r o L Meeeett L M
Has a New Num be r
SBBIKE is proud to announce its new phone number (separate from Bici Centro’s, which remains the same). And the number is … 805-845-8955.
1,000 and Counting SBBIKE membership has grown by leaps and bounds in recent months. On May 14, the coalition became 1,000 strong and has grown since. What number will we hit by the fall?
Fall. 2015
?
Lori Newell
L
SBBIKE’s New “Enthusiast” in the North County
ori Newell’s passion for cycling started in her youth. As a kid, her bicycle meant freedom. “You can only walk so far,” she
points out. Lately, she’s alarmed to see how few kids are riding bikes. The freedom she remembers so well is something she wants to pass on—along with the exercise and sense of responsibility young
May 2015
1,000
people get from learning to ride. That passion for cycling and teaching made Lori, who lives in Santa Maria, the perfect candidate to become SBBIKE’s new bicycling education coordinator in the North County. Lori talks enthusiastically about expanding programs like Pedal Power to more junior highs in Santa Maria (two already run the earn-a-bike program) and eventually to Guadalupe and Orcutt. “There’re a lot more kids we could be reaching,” she notes. While Lori doesn’t call herself a hard-core cyclist—she prefers the term “cycling enthusiast”—she often chooses her bike to run errands and get around town. “I hate to turn on the car for short trips,” she says. In terms of barriers—what keeps her from riding more often— safety is a concern. “The couple-thousand pounds hunks of
June 2014
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Membership levels represented by the heads of Membership Coordinator Howard Booth, Education Director Christine Bourgeois and Volunteer Coordinator Joey Juhasz-Lukomski. What will Joey’s head equal?
metal out there can be kind of intimidating,” she notes. She grows momentarily somber. “That’s where education comes in,” she adds, perking up. “The more people who know how to ride safely, the safer it is for everyone out there on the roads.” Lori, who joined SBBIKE’s staff last month, can’t wait to get out there and start making the roads safer for everyone.
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Quick Release Summer 2015
E
duardo Lara, originally from Honduras, first came to Santa
Barbara in 1980. When he returned in 2000, rental prices had risen. That, along with traffic, parking, and insurance costs made the choice obvious for him. He gave his car to his sister and has used a bicycle to get around ever since. “It was easier,” he says. “It was
The Interpreter on Two Wheels
Meet Eduardo Lara
convenient.” Plus, Eduardo, whose colleague at City Hall pays $17 a day to park, figures he’s saved a lot of money over the years. The campus supervisor at San Marcos High School, Eduardo rides his bike 10 miles each way from his home on the East Side. He’s a skilled leather carver, and he often brings his tools and leather to share the craft with his students. Eduardo enjoys how cycling enables him to pay attention to what’s happening in the community. Along with his work with students, he volunteers with the Just Communities Language Justice Initiative, an organization that aims to ensure all voices are heard. He interprets for workshops, educating Spanish-speaking students and parents.
Eduardo Lara
While grateful for Santa Barbara’s rideability, Eduardo wishes the city offered more bike stations. (He’s had three bikes stolen over the years.)
Eduardo also interprets at City Hall, making public forums like city
Now, Eduardo has two backup bikes for when his
council meetings available in Spanish.
daughters visit.
A Company That Makes Choosing to Bike Easy
young creative individuals who make the company run requires perks that make employees happy at work and while commuting
to and from home. The company’s cycling program includes an earn-a-bike program, daily cash incentives for biking to work, on-site showers and lockers, secured bike parking, a Cycling University, a bike repair day, 24 Sonos Bikeshare bikes for employees, CycleMAYnia Bike To Work Breakfast, participation in the National Bike Challenge, and an SBBIKE Diamond business membership! Allison Griffin, Sonos’s facility manager, is proud. “Our 300 local employees have logged over 2,000 bike commuter trips since the program was launched on April 1, and over 80 employees are participating in the earn-a-bike program.” The Sonos’s Libby Jeffries and Allison Griffin, with the CycleMAYnia 2015 Bicycle Friendly Business Award
Sonos Bikeshare program aims to encourage workers to travel by bike between
Meet Sonos
Sonos also encourages employees to walk to work, take the bus, or use other
Sonos’s four downtown SB buildings.
by H owar d B o ot h
alternative forms of transportation. Since April, over 150 employees have taken
W
hen it comes to enabling people to
Since 2002, Sonos has been reinventing home audio for the digital age. The
choose to bike, Sonos is leading the
company is changing the way people listen to music and supporting safe and
way. Attracting and retaining the bright,
3,628 fewer car trips.
accessible biking in Santa Barbara.
www.SBBIKE.org
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The Officer with the Best Job in the PD A Man with No Excuses
Meet Officer Thomas Van Eyck
O
fficer Thomas Van Eyck has been biking on the job since May 2011. He is a part
of Santa Barbara Police Department’s Tactical Patrol Force, which deploys officers on bike in staggered schedules from 6 am to 7 pm.
Meet Jeff Rawlings Jeff Rawlings. PAUL KINGSELY
J
Does he enjoy using his bicycle at work? “It’s the best job in the department,” he answers without hesitation. Van Eyck explains that the department uses bicycle patrols as a method of enforcement. “Since we deal with street-level crime, it allows
eff Rawlings’s move to Santa Barbara with his wife and kids in 2006
us to cover lots of ground very thoroughly,” he
paved the way for a decision a few years later that would change
says. Van Eyck’s bicycle gives him one other
Jeff’s life. Research on the negative effects of inactivity called to him.
advantage—the element of surprise. “In a police
I only live two and a half miles from the office, he thought. What’s
car they can see you coming,” he explains. “On a
my excuse for driving a car every day? It was February, and he wasn’t
bike, it’s not uncommon to contact a person in
taking advantage of the beautiful weather.
the middle of committing a crime.”
He pulled out a mountain bike not ridden in a decade. “And I haven’t
The opportunity to work outdoors and get the
looked back since,” he says. In just a couple of weeks, Jeff was willing
exercise isn’t so shabby either. And Van Eyck gets
to commit. He sold his car, and he bikes or walks to work daily.
opportunities to do things like pedaling over
Choosing to bike has positively impacted Jeff’s life. He lost 25 pounds.
to the Eastside Library, where he participated
And every day has a “great, energizing” start.
in a Bici Familia event handing out protective
Over the years, Jeff has explored the many routes between his home
equipment to the kids.
on the Mesa and his business downtown, Koolaburra. And he can
While Van Eyck no longer makes the 10-mile
speak in depth about the pros and cons of each. One route he never
commute to work by bicycle as often as he did
takes is Meigs Road. “It’s terrifying,” he says, noting traffic speed and
when he first started bike detail, he still mountain
cars in bike lanes. “Maybe if there were protected bikeways,” he adds.
bikes as a hobby.
For Jeff, determining whether a bikeway is safe comes down to one question: “Would you allow your 10- or 12-year-old to ride it alone?” The answer, he says, pointing to the many gaps in the network, is often no. He does let his son, Ben, 14, ride alone, but he worries. Jeff’s glad the city is talking about the future of cycling infrastructure, but he worries the debate lacks vision. He’s concerned the focus is too much on the immediate headaches of change. “Let’s imagine the type of impact we could make,” he says. “If you build for cars, you know what kind of environment that creates,” Jeff adds. “Think of the vast wastelands of pavement in places like Orange County and San Bernardino. What future do we want for Santa Barbara?” Jeff’s answer is clear. “Let’s be like the Amsterdams and Portlands of the world.”
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Quick Release Summer 2015
The SBPD Tactical Patrol Force (from left to right) Officers Thomas Van Eyck, Mike Epstein, April DeBlauw, Dustin McGrew, Allan Tuazon, Greg Hons, and Sergeant Warren Holtke. Courtesy of THOMAS VAN EYCK
Meet Julie Churchman
Churchman grew up riding to school
The Teacher with Lessons in the Love of Cycling
By Andie Bridges
W
hen Julie Churchman took a substitute teaching
position at Adams Elementary
her hard work, Adams has become the first Santa Barbara elementary school to incorporate biking into its first through sixth grade PE curriculum.
she sets up obstacles for a handling drill,
students didn’t know how to ride
she tells me about her students. The fifth grader who learned
a bicycle. “It blew me away that
Many of Adams’ students come
child deserves to experience. Through
frame dances with an infectious energy. As
discover that nearly half of her
not knowing how to ride a bike.”
quintessential rite of passage that every
Out on the blacktop, Churchman’s fit, wiry
School, she was shocked to
these kids were going off into life
every day. She views learning to bike as a
Julie Churchman and Fifth Grader, Meritxell Hernandez, who learned to ride in Julie’s PE class. ANDIE BRIDGES
to ride this year, the brown-eyed girl who helped her paint a school mural, and the athletic boy whose bike was recently stolen. In addition to safety lessons, pep talks, and sprinting alongside the bikes, Churchman has developed partnerships
from low-income families that do not own bikes. Bringing cycling to these kids became
to strengthen her program. She pursued and was awarded a grant from
Churchman’s mission as her short-term job
Cycle Kids, which provided a fleet of bikes and a curriculum covering safe
quickly evolved into a full-time passion.
biking, health and nutrition. She also became a League of American Bicyclist
For the past five years, she has been working to ensure that every child at the school has an
Certified Instructor and worked with SBBIKE and Deckers to bring more bikes to the children.
opportunity to experience the freedom and fun
This year, over 99 percent of her graduating class has learned to bike. These
of riding. “They ride across the playground for the
students will leave Adams with a valuable life skill, increased self-esteem, and
first time, and I see kids become kids again. That
many happy childhood memories. All thanks to the hard work of a
look of joy on their faces is amazing.”
passionate teacher.
A Man Who Remembers
Meet Eddie Gonzalez
F
or Eddie Gonzalez, who helped launch
At a meeting that doubled in size, Bici
Bici Centro, junior high—when he and
Centro was born. The budding shop built
his friends biked regularly to the beach,
momentum swiftly. The first day Bici offered
boogie boards in tow—was where his love
free DIY repairs on the patio, more people
of cycling started.
than the volunteer wrenchers could serve
“That feeling, those memories remain vivid
showed up.
in my heart,” he says. That’s also why Eddie
Bici fit Casa’s mission statement. Its
relates so well to young people. Eddie’s the
founders wanted to empower the array
youth center director at Casa De La Raza,
of people riding Santa Barbara’s streets—
and his office is decorated with handwritten
especially students and non-English
notes and bustling with kids. Plus, he’s the
speakers, many who worked double shifts,
father of six.
commuting on non-ergonomic bikes that
In 2004, as Casa’s facilities manager, Eddie
hurt their backs and knees.
heard some ideas that would coalesce into
Also important was Bici’s education
something grand. First, an old bicycling
component. Education, Eddie says, turns
buddy pitched a bicycle junkyard at Casa.
people into models of safe bicycling.
Next came Ed France, who wanted to
Inclusivity was important too. “It’s everyone
promote people using bikes and who would
on bikes,” Eddie says. Eddie remembers the
become Bici’s tireless driving force. After
wonderful amalgamation of people who
four related ideas, Eddie knew something
gathered at Bici in the early years. And he’s
important was brewing.
glad that’s still going.
Eddie Gonzalez. PAUL KINGSELY
www.SBBIKE.org
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Carp Community Unites for Joy of Cycling I
n May, a host of individuals and organizations united to bring SBBIKE’s Bici Familia to Carpinteria for the first time. The
success of those efforts was undeniable. On a sunny Friday afternoon, 102 children practiced safe bike handling skills on blacktop obstacles and rodeo courses and, along with 68 parents, learned about bike safety. Around 18 of those kids rode for the first time. And 91 of them went home with brandnew helmets for just $5 each—thanks to an IYOB (In Your Own Backyard) crowd-funding effort by Carpinteria Family School teacher Lori Lee Collins that netted matching funds from the (Jack) Johnson Ohana Foundation. Making all this fun and learning possible were 41 community members from Carp and around SB County. Volunteers came from the Carpinteria Children’s Project, the Family School, SBBIKE/Bici Centro, COAST, and Traffic Solutions. Bike Monkeys from Santa Barbara Middle School helped with bike repair and valet. ELAC (English Learner Advisor Committee) volunteers and Don Jorge Tacos provided food. Adams Elementary School and Girls Inc. loaned bikes to add to the SBBIKE fleet. Peter Dugré of Coastal View News got the word out. As Family School teacher Lori Lee Collins says, Bici Familia “brought a bunch of parts of the community together, and that’s an important part of these events.”
1. Carp Family School student helps with helmet fitting. 2. Kids learn basic wrenching skills. 3. Students and volunteers take to the streets en masse. JAN SILK
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Quick Release Summer 2015
The Spanish-speaking families were welcomed by Las Promotoras (from left to right) Lupe Martinez, Irma Arroyo, and Maria Rodriguez; Family School parent Carmen McCurry; and Lead Promotora Angelica Ornelas.
Meet Lori Lee Collins, Teacher
chaos” on the blacktop. “And there was this joy,” she adds. Lori Lee decided then and there she would bring that joy to the community she works with in Carpinteria. “Biking is such a great vehicle to build community,” she says. “It’s a social justice tool. It’s an environmental tool.
You can extend the classroom to the community through the love and joy of biking.” Plus, Carpinteria is a great place to ride. But navigating its three bridges on bike can be a challenge. “People need to learn how to ride legal, safe, and visible,” says Lori Lee, an LCI who chooses to bike for many of her transportation needs, sometimes riding from Santa Barbara to school. Lori Lee Collins, teacher at Carpinteria Family School. JAN SILK
L
So, as she says it, she put the vision out there. How did that go?
ast spring, Carpinteria Family School teacher Lori Lee
“Oh my gosh. I cried at the end.” She pauses, overwhelmed. “It
Collins stopped to check out Bici Familia at Adams
brought me such joy,” she says. “The day was just beyond my
Elementary School. She watched what she calls “organized
C
wildest imagination.”
armen McCurry started riding
her bike more often after her son took to cycling to school. Now she rides in the morning after her
Meet Carmen McCurry, Parent
youngest, a fifth grader at Carpinteria Family School, leaves. He has
to cross a narrow
bridge, and while she knows he’s a safe rider, she worries. So she heads off behind him. When she sees his bike parked at the school, she just keeps going. Carmen’s raising three boys—Andrew, 15; Ian, 13; and Sebastian, 11—on her own. She’s a widow, and she feels lucky to have had her community’s support as she’s navigated life with a missing partner. “It helps,” she says. Carmen wants to give back. That’s why, in late May, she headed to SBBIKE/Bici Centro to start the process of becoming a League of
Carmen McCurry and two of her three sons. All three volunteered alongside her at Carp’s Bici Familia. JAN SILK
are shy. She wants to engage and involve them. And she wants to share a message—everybody can ride bikes, parents and kids alike.
American Bicyclists Certified Instructor (LCI).
Carmen remembers riding with her husband and the boys when they were
Carmen, who’s Peruvian, particularly wants
young. That was different. Now her family cycles for transportation. This, in
to reach out to the large Spanish-speaking
part, is what she wants to share with the community. Not only is biking fun, it’s
community in Carp. The parents, she says,
convenient and a way to save on gas costs.
www.SBBIKE.org
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Meet Mrs. B
A Woman Who Cruises for Change
Six years later, SBici, the bike club, is a campus mainstay. Through SBici, students learn wrenching and safe riding, volunteer at community events, get bike-related jobs, and become lifelong advocates for healthy
B
efore Dons Net Cafe (DNC), the entrepreneurial business
class she teaches at Santa Barbara High School, partnered with SBBIKE/Bici Centro and
says Mrs. B. The teacher points to the mentors made available to the students through SBBIKE and TS. “You can’t measure that,” she says, adding,
bike program at the school, Lee
“Students are exposed to policymakers,
Knodel, aka Mrs. B., didn’t ride
community members, volunteers. How
bicycles. Much to her husband’s
much more real world can you get?”
to join him on two wheels for nearly two decades. Now she
has her own yellow beach cruiser, and the couple has a bike rack on their car. “I’m built for comfort, not speed,” Mrs. B. says with a laugh.
For Mrs. B., traffic is a barrier to riding. She believes infrastructure is the best solution. “I 100 percent advocate for designated, well-defined bike lanes,” she says. And Mrs. B. is going to keep
A leader with Roots and Shoots, a youth-led community action and learning program,
cruising—and facilitating programs that
Mrs. B. found biking a natural fit for the DNC.
set in motion a ripple effect of change.
Meet the Duartes
S
A Family with a Vision
amuel Duarte was 10 when he got his first bike, and he rode it to school
every day. Now, he shares his love of
He helped coordinate
cycling with his two boys, Kael, 4, and
Ciclovia in Guadalupe
Kaleb, 3. Samuel and his wife, Jessica,
this May. And his
moved to the Central Coast five years ago.
enthusiasm for the event, which brought crowds
For Samuel, biking is a relaxing
to the streets on bike
and fun way to spend time with
and foot, is contagious.
his boys. They ride on weekends,
Samuel led efforts for an
though not as often as he’d like.
important component of
He’d like to ride to the parks in
Ciclovia—beautification.
Santa Maria without worrying about
Organizers plan to
traffic. “But it doesn’t feel safe,” he
beautify one structure
says. “Even in our residential streets, cars zoom at unsafe speeds, and
Samuel Duarte and his sons, Kael and Kaleb
so riding isn’t as enjoyable as it could be.” He envisions a network of bikeways crisscrossing the city.
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so many lives, including my own,”
Traffic Solutions (TS) to launch a
chagrin. He’d tried to entice her Mrs. B and students at Bike to School Day in May. CHRISTINE BOURGEOIS
environment and lifestyle. “It’s changed
or area within the city during every Ciclovia.
This year, they identified a mural, the length of a city block and painted over 15 years, that is fading and falling apart.
Samuel, who also rides “because it’s a good way to see your city
“Our goal,” he says, “is to redo this mural and create a bike
and neighborhood from a different perspective,” is doing his part.
path alongside it for the next Ciclovia.”
Quick Release Summer 2015
Meet Laura Almengor
The Girl Who Knows No Glass Ceiling
Meet Kathy Vanetti By Andie Bridges
K
athy Vanetti has a car she doesn’t like to drive. It’s a 15-year-old sedan, with a little over 100,000 miles
on it. And the longer it sits idle, the happier she feels. For 15 years, the labor and delivery nurse has commuted to work by bicycle. She feels fortunate to live in a city with great weather where, “pretty much everything is in biking distance.” Cycling became a part of her life early on. “I was the oldest of six kids, and we biked everywhere.” She recalls riding from her Goleta neighborhood to St. Raphael School and to piano lessons. But her favorite rides were destination-less adventures. Rolling down each street just to see where it would lead, developing the deep sense of place born of childhood wandering. Twice a week now, she rises before dawn and is on the road by 5:45 a.m. After a twelve-hour shift of physically and emotionally exhausting work, she hops back on her
Laura Almengor, SBici’s first female president. HOLLY STARLEY
bike and pedals from downtown’s Cottage hospital to
J
her home on Fairview.
ust for the boys? This gal knows none of that. She may be the princess at home (she’s the only girl among a handful
The amount of dedication required to choose the slow
of brothers and wears the title with pride). But that doesn’t stop
way home is substantial, but for Vanetti, the choice
Laura Almengor, 15, from picking up a wrench or enjoying the
is easy. The ride is a time to de-stress and refocus on
wind in her hair and the adrenaline rush of a fast ride on her
her surroundings. “When you bike, you really get to
Mountain Trek Antelope. Nor will it stop her from taking the
appreciate where you live.” In Vanetti’s estimation,
lead as president of SBici—Santa Barbara High School’s bike
where we live is a pretty
club—next year.
great place to ride.
The bike, which Laura can maintain herself thanks to SBici, “is black and blue, and it’s as gorgeous as I am.” Her easy smile oozes charisma.
The N Who Turse the Sc akes en Route ic
Laura will be the first female president of SBici. Currently, she’s the only girl in the club. But she hopes to change that. How will she recruit other girls? “I’ll tell them, be different. Be unique,” she says. “Girls can also do things men can do.” Plus, she’ll point out the benefits of knowing how to fix a bike and how cycling keeps you healthy and active and lowers your stress levels. She’ll also tell prospective members why she chooses to ride. Besides the adrenaline rush, “Sometimes it’s just peaceful,” she says, growing thoughtful, “and you’re on your own.” That independence is important. The only things that keep Laura from cycling as much as she’d like are homework and her parents’ concerns. She reminds her dad that she knows how to ride safely, how to signal and follow the rules of the road.
Kathy Vanetti, labor and delivery nurse at Cottage Hospital. PAUL KINGSELY
www.SBBIKE.org
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Meet Worth Street Reach
B
The Organization That Empowers SB People in Poverty through Bikes
icycles have long been a part of Worth Street Reach’s efforts to empower people living in poverty.
Recently, bikes have taken on a new role. The organization originally gave out sleeping bags and helped people living on the streets recover lost IDs. Board President Deborah Barnes says Worth Street kept hearing the same question. “Can’t you refer me to someone?” The people she was working with just needed a job, so they could get a place to live. “When anybody lands one,” says Deborah, “we provide them a bicycle—sometimes by a miracle—along with lights, a safety vest, and most often a rack.” But the jobs are few and far between. So she turned to Google. Her discovery of a group in Palo Alto generating work for impoverished people cleaning creeks led to the birth of Santa Barbara’s Bicycle Graffiti Removal Program. The people looking for work helped chose the program. “This was their baby as much as ours,” says Deborah. Worth Street purchased 25 bikes, helmets, and vests. The city sponsored the program’s first 40 graffiti removal kits. (Now, graffiti removal teams use eco-friendly kits.) And a team from SBBIKE trained the captains on safety and mechanics. Graffiti removal teams of four go out in pairs. They pick up debris, cigarette butts, and broken bottles. Recycling helps pay for the gear. The teams are proud of their work. They love keeping the streets clean, especially parks, where children no longer have to play among distasteful words. The teams head out in the morning because, wherever they’re sleeping, in shelters or doorway, they’re rousted out at dawn. They receive thank yous in the form of debit cards for food, gas cards, or phone cards. Those who display leadership skills are promoted to paid positions. This work, especially for those leaders, gives them a sense of responsibility, an opportunity Deborah says many haven’t experienced. The graffiti removal project is on a temporary break, while Worth Street seeks a new part-time project leader. The ideal candidate would know Santa Barbara’s streets and how to repair bicycles. To learn more about the position or Worth Street’s other programs, Worth House and Laundry Love, visit worthstreetreach.org.
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Quick Release Summer 2015
From Top: Bicycle Graffiti Removal teams ride bikes to clean sections of Santa Barbara’s streets. SBBIKE’s Mike Vergeer teaches graffiti removal teams safe riding skills. Credit: Courtesy of Deborah Barnes.
Meet Meet Lindsey, Lindsey, Amanda, Amanda, Sergio, Sergio, and and Tomás Tomás
By Kevin McClintock
SBCC Student Who Ro s ll Campusto
Few groups stand to benefit from sustainable transportation more than students. Thankfully, the convenience and affordability of commuting by bicycle is well utilized by Santa Barbara City College students. Among those to benefit
is ecological restoration major Lindsey Tavares, who in just a few months has adopted a bicycle as her main form of transportation to and from campus. Lindsey explains, “Riding gives me an intimate perspective on who I share the road with and keeps me mindful of my carbon footprint. In essence, my bicycle has humbled me.” She gleefully refers to her bike as her “adventure partner” that she pedals
Lindsey Tavares
everywhere possible, including to camp at More Mesa. Recent improvements at the college, in the form of bike parking and a new Bici Centro location on campus, are growing the SBCC bicycling community. An increase in the number of students bicycling the arteries that connect the city and school have brought to light some common barriers that discourage and even prevent students from choosing to ride. While the favored Castillo Street and Cabrillo Street bike path entrance to campus works well, most bike routes up until that point contain significant gaps. Sergio Garcia, a business major at SBCC and regular commuter from Goleta, points out the slippery Castillo Street underpass and the sections of Cliff Drive in front of SBCC campus and the Mesa shopping center as places where “the bike lane just drops off.” Another difficult road to commute on is Loma Alta Drive, a main connector to campus from the west side. “Visibility is low, and cars go fast,” says Amanda Zavala, a music major at SBCC. She points out the steep bike path behind McKinley school and
Amanda Zavala
mentions, “Riding that as a full-time student with four or more books is potential suicide.” Students know bicycling to school doesn’t have to be unsafe. A healthy transportation system is one that allows all types of road users to feel they can Sergio Garcia
use the road without worry. Acting major Tomás Tedesco sees “empathy between non-
equal drivers” as a necessary step to accomplish this. “Now that Bici Centro is on my way to class, it has motivated me not only to care more about my bike, but also to explore ways I can give back,” says Zavala. One of those ways came in the form of the Santa Barbara Bike Master Plan survey. Tavares was impressed to learn her city was taking feedback not just in the typical public comment setting but also online, by hand, and through interactive meetings. What will continue to inspire students to participate is the progress toward making Santa Barbara a safer place for all road users.
Tomás Tedesco
www.SBBIKE.org
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The Girl Who Connects and the Boy on One Wheel Anya reminds him with a smile, “Mom called you” (much to his mom’s relief … and pride). Kylan smiles shyly. Both Anya and Kylan have learned much from bicycles. For Anya, “Recently I realized the bike is a tool for social change.” She thinks for a minute. “It’s just a really good connector, and it opens your mind.” One such connection is close to home. As SBMS students, the pair has each had the opportunity to bike tour overnight (with some pretty impressive daily mileage). “It’s really amazing. Everybody in the whole school is riding,” says Kylan. “Yeah,” Anya Kylan and Anya O’Conor, 13 and 15, have learned important lessons on two wheels (or one in Kylan’s case). HOLLY STARLEY
Meet Anya and Kylan O’Connor
A
chimes in, “you’re all suffering together. And when we’re on the trips, there’re no cliques. Everyone is mixing with everyone else.” Why bike? Kylan grows thoughtful. “When you get to the top of a hill,” he says, looking to the nearby hills, “you’ll really feel like you’ve accomplished
nya and Kylan O’Connor learned to ride bicycles on camping trips
something.” That’s something this brother and sister
when they were little. Since then bicycling has played a big role in
duo seems to know a lot about.
both of the Santa Barbara Middle School students’ lives. Anya, 15, recently traveled to Seattle with a group from SMBS for the National Youth Bike Summit. She met Shannon Galpin, head of Mountain2Mountain, an organization that invests in women and girls to change cultures and communities. One project provides bicycles for women in Afghanistan, where women historically haven’t been allowed to bike and those who do are targets of terrible attacks. Anya was shocked to learn of these circumstances, and she was inspired by Galpin’s work. Since February, Anya and six classmates worked to put on a benefit concert at Soho. At the show in May, local women cycling advocates and Galpin spoke to a packed house. The students raised $10,000 to send bicycles to Afghani women. Anya’s brother, Kylan, 13, has taken his cycling to a new level— learning not just to master a new skill but the value of a sense of accomplishment. Last year, Kylan pulled his dad’s unicycle out of the garage, and he’s become quite skilled on one wheel. Recently, Kylan headed for a “quick ride.” He took off from home in the foothills of Mission Canyon; and, one wheel under him and the breeze on his skin, he just kept going. Eventually, he arrived at the Mission some four miles away, where he called his mom—or as
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Quick Release Summer 2015
SB BIKE
SANTA BARBARA BICYCLE COALITION
+
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New Member Special Now is the time to join. Beginning June 1, SBBIKE and Bikestation will offer a joint $100 membership, a $50 savings. Stay tuned for more details. Bikestation members enjoy 24/7 safe, secure bike parking at two downtown Santa Barbara locations—the Granada Garage and the MTD Transit Center.
What is Your Stand?
Santa Barbarans unite to Stand in the Sand. credit: ISAAC HERNANDEZ
negligible pollution, and does wean us off our addiction to fossil fuel. It should be an
by Ed France, SBBIKE Executive Director
O
easy choice for Santa Barbaran so inclined.
n Sunday, May 31, Santa Barbarans united against oil dependency and marched to West Beach to
Stand in the Sand, forming a symbolic barrier against rising oil. The march was initially a response to the BP Gulf Oil Spill five years ago and now returns in response to the Refugio Spill. Negative impacts of oil extraction, refining, and combustion are felt not just here at home but around the world, and largely by communities less equipped for effective regulation, emergency response, and to otherwise mitigate the consequences of pollution. So how should we respond? We live in a world that relies on fossil fuel, and undoubtedly, that reliance will impact us and the environment. Clearly, we must minimize risk
How can we do this? As a community, let’s take three steps—safety, convenience, and audacious accessibility. 1. Safety: Improve safety and perception of safety through a data driven and bold Bicycle Master Plan. 2. Convenience: Provide ample bicycle parking and make sure core bicycle routes travel smoothly with minimal stops. 3. Audacious Accessibility: Put 500 bikes on the ground between the downtown core and Santa Barbara City College as part of a local Bike Share system. At SBBIKE, our stand is taking a bite out of the multitude of short trips through bicycling. It’s one way we can proactively respond to dependence on fossil fuels and its deleterious impacts. Are you with us?
of spills and of refinery explosions and toxic leaks like in Houston. We must also minimize the pollution or carbon
Join and Renew
impact of extraction, refining, and use itself. Individually and as a community, we can do that by reducing our
APPLICATION FOR 12-MONTH MEMBERSHIP
reliance on fossil fuels. I propose that we commit to specific, attainable goals toward this end. My stand? My stand—and my proposal for our collective and individual mission is simple but its impact will be profound: Let’s minimize short car trips. Driving is common and, very often, the right tool for
o o o o o o o
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the job. But we ought not be dependent upon it as our exclusive means of mobility. Nowhere is this more obvious than in our city and town centers. We can most easily wrest free from car dependence on the fewerthan-two-mile trips for meetings, lunch, play, or errands. Short trips that are just a bit too long to walk but don’t necessitate driving a car make up the majority of trips for the average American. Not everyone can bicycle, and not every trip makes sense by bike, but for many if not most trips and for many if not most of us, bicycles can be an
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ideal solution. Short trips by car bear the worst hassle of parking and often congested downtown driving. They also are the height of problematic emissions, as engines and muffler systems must warm up to operate cleanly. These short trips are often made by car not out of conscious choice but simply habit. My stand is to help more Santa Barbarans be empowered to choose to make trips by
email Make check payable to the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition PO Box 92047 Santa Barbara, CA 93190-2047 for membership details:
www.sbbike.org/join
The Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation, so donations are tax deductable as allowed by law.
SB BIKE
SANTA BARBARA BICYCLE COALITION
bike. Choosing to bike for these trips is healthy, has www.SBBIKE.org
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SB BIKE
SANTA BARBARA BICYCLE COALITION
Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition PO Box 92047 Santa Barbara, CA 93190-2047