[CalBike Report] CalBike Report July 2006

Thu Aug 3 19:44:25 PDT 2006

Great newsletter! Thanks for keeping me informed. And thanks for 
opposing the transportation bond!

Dave

>CALIFORNIA BICYCLE COALTION
>
>CalBike Report, August 3, 2006
>
>The CalBike Report is a monthly update on CBC's advocacy work.
>
>Topics in this edition include:
>CBC Opposes Transportation Bond
>Two League of American Bicyclists Certified Instructor Training 
>Seminars Scheduled for 2006
>Report from the California Bicycle Advisory Committee (CBAC)
>Implementation Strategy for the Highway Safety Improvement Plan in the Works
>October 2006 Call for Safe Routes to School Proposals
>Coalition News from Around California
>
>CBC Opposes Transportation Bond.  The California Bicycle Coalition 
>(CBC) board of directors has voted to oppose statewide 
>transportation bond measure 1B.  If approved by California voters in 
>November, the measure will spend $20 billion over the next ten years 
>on projects that will do little to make California a better place to 
>ride a bicycle.
>
>Despite pressure from CBC and over fifty environmental, planning and 
>social justice organizations throughout the state, the bond measure 
>hammered out by the state legislature and the governor contains 
>little but crumbs for pedestrians and bicyclists.  
>
>In the event that the bond passes, CBC is poised to work directly 
>with members of the legislature to create and implement a policy to 
>mitigate the bond's impact on pedestrian and bicyclist safety and 
>access.  CBC's "Complete Streets Campaign" will develop and propose 
>legislation to ensure that all transportation projects be designed 
>to provide safe and convenient non-motorized access from the start, 
>when it is most affordable, rather than as expensive and less 
>effective post-project retrofits.
>
>Complete Streets, also known as Routine Accommodation, is a campaign 
>being embraced by communities nationwide that promotes the idea that 
>roads should accommodate all users, not just motor vehicles. A 
>network of complete streets improves the safety, convenience, 
>efficiency and accessibility of the transportation system. In such a 
>system, pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users and motorists of all 
>ages and abilities are able to safely move along and across a 
>complete street. If the transportation projects funded by the bond 
>are screened by their adherence to Complete Streets criteria, its 
>negative impacts could be mitigated.
>
>Please join us! Write <mailto:rebecca at calbike.org>Rebecca Markussen 
>to get involved in the Complete Streets Committee.  To donate to the 
>CBC Complete Streets Campaign, go to www.calbike.org.
>
>Two League of American Bicyclists Certified Instructor Training 
>Seminars Scheduled for 2006.  CBC is subsidizing two 
><http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/education/seminars.php>League 
>Certified Instructor Training Seminars through its grant from the 
><http://www.healthytransportation.net/>Healthy Transportation 
>Network.  An August course to certify new instructors to teach LAB 
>Street Skills courses will be held in San Luis Obispo and an October 
>training session will be held in Sacramento.  The League's website 
>provides a full 
><http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/education/seminar_schedule.php>schedule 
>of LCI seminars.
>
>Report from the 
><http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/tpp/offices/bike/cbac.htm>California 
>Bicycle Advisory Committee (CBAC).
>Encroachment Permit Staff Not Responsible for Work Zone Design. The 
>issues around the design and operation of roadway work zones has 
>become a flash-point among bicyclists, especially since recently two 
>bicyclists were killed by an overtaking van in southern California 
>on Pacific Highway - the bicyclists had to move into the narrowed 
>traffic lane because the shoulder was closed for a work zone. Gerry 
>Meis, Caltrans Division of Traffic Operations, discussed with CBAC 
>bicycle accommodation in work zones. Per Gerry, encroachment permits 
>staff is responsible for processing the 
><http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/traffops/developserv/permits/>permit 
>paperwork, not for designing the work zone.  Permits are not 
>required for all work done on state highways - some are exempt. CBAC 
>noted the need for improved, specific guidance about accommodating 
>bikes in work zones and a process for ensuring that the guidance is 
>followed.  CBAC requested the opportunity to review material being 
>developed for the CA Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
>
>CBAC Provides Caltrans with Recommendations for Ten Mile River 
>Bridge Seismic Replacement Project.  Alan Escarda, Heidi Sykes and 
>John Steele of Caltrans presented information about the 
><http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist1/d1projects/tenmile/index.htm>Ten Mile 
>River Bridge Seismic Replacement Project and sought CBAC's input on 
>the appropriate bicycle accommodations for this project, which is 
>located in Fort Bragg.  The Committee recommended that Caltrans 
>include an 8' shoulder on each side of the bridge.  CBAC members 
>also offered a less preferred recommendation to include a 6' 
>shoulder on each side of the bridge plus a separated 5' pedestrian 
>sidewalk on the ocean side.  CBAC viewed the inclusion of shoulders 
>more narrow than 6' as unacceptable. <mailto:jimbaross at cox.net>Jim 
>Baross, CBAC Treasurer and CBC Board Member
>
>Implementation Strategy for the Highway Safety Improvement Plan in 
>the Works.  Advocates throughout the state have been participating 
>in California's <http://www.dot.ca.gov/SHSP/>Strategic Highway 
>Safety Plan (SHSP).  The Plan is a required component of the 
><http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/tfhrc/safety/pubs/81218/intro.htm>Highway 
>Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) that brings funds totaling more 
>than $90 million/year to California.  CBC has been making the case 
>that bicyclists and pedestrians, who comprise 20% of traffic 
>fatalities in the state, should get a significant portion of the 
>safety funds, including an allotment for Safe Routes to School, as 
>this program was previously funded through an allocation of one 
>third of the state's safety funds.  The next step is the development 
>of an implementation plan for the HSIP which will take place this 
>fall through a series of committee meetings.  CBC is representing 
>California's bicyclists by serving on committees that will address 
>bicycling and walking. <mailto:deb at marinbike.org>Deb Hubsmith, 
>Advocacy Director, Marin County Bicycle Coalition
>
>October 2006 Call for Safe Routes to School Proposals.  On June 16, 
>2006, Caltrans announced the project awards for the 2005-2006 
><http://www.dhs.ca.gov/routes2school/>Safe Routes to School (SRTS) 
>funding cycle.  One hundred and fifteen projects throughout the 
>state will receive a total of $32 million to build pathways and 
>sidewalks, install bike racks, improve crossings, conduct traffic 
>calming techniques, and make other improvements to make it safer and 
>easier for children to walk and bike to school.  A California SRTS 
>Advisory Committee, which was convened by Joyce Parks, Caltrans' new 
>SRTS State Coordinator, helped develop an implementation plan.  In 
>October 2006, there will be a call for SRTS proposals (for both 
>infrastructure and non-infrastructure activities) in October 2006. 
>Non-profits are eligible to apply for non-infrastructure planning 
>and program grants and are advised to begin working on program ideas 
>and partnerships now, so as to be ready to submit an application.  
><mailto:deb at marinbike.org>Deb Hubsmith, Coordinator, Safe Routes to 
>School National Partnership
>
>Coalition News from Around California. 
>During June and July, the <http://www.ocbikecoalition.org/>Orange 
>County Bicycle Coalition (OCBC) had some successes in convincing 
>Caltrans to improve their plans for bicycling both during and after 
>the rebuilding of the Pacific Coast Highway at Bolsa Chica.  In a 
>separate project, OCBC has been working to improve the detours and 
>signage used during the rebuilding of the Warner Avenue Bridge, 
>which crosses over the Santa Ana River Trail, a heavily-used route 
>for Orange County bicyclists.  Thank you to 
><mailto:HarveyDonW at juno.com>Don Harvey, JD, PhD, OCBC Executive 
>Director
>
>San Francisco's official bicycle plan, updated and adopted last 
>June, is battling a lawsuit challenging the adequacy of the 
>environmental review it received before adoption.  Six weeks ago, a 
>preliminary injunction was handed down that freezes all lane 
>striping, parking and lane removal/re-allocation, sharrow 
>stenciling, even sidewalk bike racks, until the suit is heard and 
>decided (on the calendar for Sept. 13).  The 
><http://www.sfbike.org/>San Francisco Bicycle Coalition's website 
>and the San Francisco Examiner provide information about the 
>lawsuit. <mailto:andy at sfbike.org>Andy Thornley, SFBC Program Director
>
>On June 25, <http://www.sbbike.org/>Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition 
>members, Ralph Fertig and Soumil Mehta, led two hour-long bike 
>facilities tours of the University of California Santa Barbara 
>campus.  The rides were open to participants of the "Building 
>Confidence: From Sustainable Policy to Practice" conference that ran 
>for two days at the campus.  A total of thirty-two people 
>participated in the tours. <mailto:sb-ralph at cox.net>Ralph Fertig, 
>SBBC President
>
>The <http://www.penbiped.net/index.php>Peninsula Bicycle and 
>Pedestrian Coalition (PBPC) has had some success in working with 
>Caltrans to clarify the bike lanes and I-280 on-ramps on Woodside 
>Road.  The Coalition is starting work with Caltrans on the proposed 
>widening and lane additions to Willow Road over US Route 101, which 
>is a common bicycle route to businesses on the east side of  US 
>Route 101 and the Dumbarton Bridge bicycle path over San Francisco 
>Bay to the East Bay.  The PBPC has also been working to ensure 
>bicycle access is properly provided in new Transit Oriented 
>Development (TOD) project at Bay Meadows in San Mateo.
>
>PBPC held a well-attended Bicycles and the Law Presentation 
>featuring an attorney experienced with bicyclists and pedestrian 
>cases and a retired police officer experienced in accident 
>investigations to help prepare bicyclists in case of an accident. 
>The Coalition also staffed three Bike to Work day energizer stations 
>and one rest stop in this year's Bay in a Day double century. 
><mailto:Steve1214 at hotmail.com>Steve Vanderslip, PBPC President
>
>The <http://www.ebbc.org/index.html>East Bay Bicycle Coalition's 
>campaign for routine accommodation of bicyclists, pedestrians and 
>wheelchair users in transportation projects was recently instituted 
>into policy.  On June 28, the <http://www.mtc.ca.gov/>Metropolitan 
>Transportation Commission (MTC) approved Resolution No. 3765 - 
>Routine Accommodation of Pedestrians and Bicyclists Study and 
>Recommendations, which calls for full consideration of the needs of 
>non-motorized travelers during project development, design, 
>construction, and rehabilitation.  Reference the July issue of 
>EBBC's rideOn newsletter for more details. 
><mailto:robertraburn at ebbc.org>Robert Raburn, EBBC Executive Director
>
>The <http://www.tahoebike.org/>Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition (LTBC) 
>has requested and received a resolution by the City of South Lake 
>Tahoe to take the necessary steps to become designated as a Bicycle 
>Friendly Community.  LTBC is in the final design stages of the first 
>Lake Tahoe Bicycle Trail Map--including Truckee--of all paved 
>bikeways.  The Coalition is also collaborating with the Tahoe-Reno 
>International Film Festival, August 23-27, 2006 to bring awareness 
>of bicycling as a direct and tangible way of mitigating air 
>pollution, increase water quality, reduce traffic congestion, and 
>connect our communities in a more friendly way. 
><mailto:BikeLakeTahoe at aol.com>Ty Polastri, LTBC President
>
>The <http://fresnobike.org/>Fresno County Bicycle Coalition 
>organized its community's 
><http://fresnobike.org/BTWD2006/Site/Photos.html>Bike to Work Day 
>2006 event, now in its fifth year. 
><mailto:markstout2003 at yahoo.com>Mark Stout, FBC Board Member
>
>
>Financially invest in CBC for safer cycling in California.  We reply 
>on your generous donations in order to promote bicyclists' interests 
>in Sacramento.  Pledge your support today by contacting Rebecca 
>Markussen at <mailto:rebecca at calbike.org>rebecca at calbike.org or 
>916-446-7558.
>
>If you do not wish to receive future editions of the CalBike Report, 
>send an email to <mailto:rebecca at calbike.org>Rebecca at calbike.org 
>titled, "unsubscribe calbike".  If you have received multiple copies 
>of this Report, send an email to 
><mailto:Rebecca at calbike.org>Rebecca at calbike.org titled, "multiple 
>copies calbike".
>
>
>Rebecca A. Markussen
>Communications Director
>California Bicycle Coalition
>(916) 446-7558
>www.calbike.org
>
>
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