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Winter 2015 • Volume 24 / No. 4
SANTA BARBARA BICYCLE COALITION
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2 Quick Release Winter 2015
BOARDCourtney Dietz, PresidentDavid Hodges, Vice PresidentDavid Bourgeois, TreasurerByron BeckRobert CaizaSue CarmodyHector GonzalezJohn HygelundMike Vergeer
STAFFEd France, Executive [email protected]
Christine Bourgeois, Education [email protected]
Shawn Von Biela, Shop [email protected]
Howard Booth, Membership [email protected]
Joey Juhasz-Lukomski, Volunteer [email protected]
Sam Franklin, Avocacy [email protected]
GOVT. LIAISONS & ADVISORSMatt Dobberteen, AdvisorCounty of Santa [email protected]
Kent Epperson, AdvisorTraffic [email protected]
Teresa Lopes, AdvisorCity of [email protected]
Ralph Fertig, President Emeritus(deceased)
GRAPHIC DESIGNCynthia Stahl, [email protected]
EDITORHolly Starley, [email protected]
CONTACT US506 E. Haley St.Santa Barbara, CA 93103
PO Box 92047Santa Barbara, CA 93190
www.sbbike.org617-3255
CONTRIBUTEYour time: www.bicicentro.org/volunteerIn-kind: www.bicicentro.org/wishlistFinancially: www.bicicentro.org/donate
Our Vision
The Santa Barbara Bike 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.
COVER PHOTOS – Santa Barbara cyclists. Just a few of a series of portraits featuring the community’s cyclists that the photographer took at the bike light giveaway on SB’s west side. By STEPHEN LEWIS. BACK IMAGE – New lights! By PAUL WELLMAN.
Letter from the EditorOne phrase jumped out at me as we were compiling this issue—
social inclusiveness. It’s one of Connecting Our Community
campaign’s core messages about why well-engineered cycling
and walking infrastructure is important to an entire community.
And the phrase speaks to my heart, as I suspect it must for many
of us at the Santa Barbara Bicycling Coalition.
I Googled “social inclusion” and read about breaking down the barriers that separate
groups of people from each other and some groups from information and resources.
One Canadian government site, in part, defined a socially inclusive society as “one
where all people feel valued” and “their differences are respected.”
In this issue, the coalition launches the transformation of its newly purchased building
into a community center that welcomes all and is a model for sustainable resource
availability. Its advocacy heads strive toward the implementation of infrastructure
changes that will make our roads and transportation systems safer for every user—
cyclists, walkers, and motorists alike. The coalition spreads its education efforts into
the North County. Bici Centro opens up its third shop at Santa Barbara City College
(the second Bici is at Santa Barbara High School). Twenty local youth receive shiny
bicycles for Christmas. And a four-year program (decades in the making if you trace
Iluminando la Noche’s roots) designed to make a large and largely invisible group
of our cycling community visible reaches its highest numbers. And while the annual
light distribution has helped thousands of riders to be seen better at night, it has
also worked to bring these cyclists and their needs to light. Data from this year’s
annual survey will allow the group to speak its desires as the city determines what
infrastructure changes Santa Barbara will see over the coming decade and beyond.
As I envision the many arms of the coalition opening and spreading ever
wider and further—geographically, demographically, and politically—
to include more and more of the community, I think, Yep, this is
something I want to be a part of. This is social inclusiveness.
Inclusively yours,
Holly Starley, QR editor
www.SBBIKE.org 3
Santa Barbara Cruisers
Thank you, Business Members and Supporters
PLATINUM MEMBERS
DIAMOND MEMBERS
Marcia Burtt Gallery
GOLD & CARBON FIBER MEMBERS
Rincon Cycle CapCranks
SILVER & ALUMINUM MEMBERS
TITANIUM MEMBERS
BRONZE AND STEEL MEMBERS
The Dirt Club Ebike Santa BarbaraHelloHarvest Hoffman ArchitectureHorny ToadJohn Jones Precision WheelsKendrick Consulting
Mesa ArchitectsMesa Business AssociationRevolution Coaching LLCPacific Pedalers/ Santa Barbara PedicabPedal Born PicturesPedal Power Bicycles
Race CorpsREIService Objects True Nature Landscape ArchitectureWe Bike ElectricWaynes Pro Bike
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Hutton Parker Foundation Grant Gets SBBIKE Plan Rolling toward 2016 completion date
S BBIKE’s community center renovation project is the Hutton Parker
Foundation’s most recent beneficiary. The foundation, which has
invested in local community (“instead of Wall Street” per its motto) for the
past sixteen years, has granted the project $50,000.
And this isn’t the first time the foundation has been behind Santa Barbara
Bicycle Coalition’s plans for its new building. Hutton Parker, a local
real estate guru, coached SBBIKE’s leaders through last year’s building
purchase. Through the relationship built then, SBBIKE applied for the
grant, and Hutton Parker’s board of directors reopened the capital
support fund that made it possible.
Thus, the proverbial ball is rolling, and SBBIKE is revitalizing its new
building—creating an inclusive community center that supports all
people-powered transportation and is a model of sustainability. “We’re
talking solar panels, permaculture planning, rain-water harvesting, water
efficiency strategies,” says SBBIKE executive director Ed France.
The project will prioritize “capital improvements that will transform
our building from a useable space (with some problems) to a vibrant
COMMUNITY CENTER
community center that’s comfortable and accessible
for everyone—just like we want our bike paths to be.”
A local architect is helping to map the requirements
necessary to not just make improvements but do
so in a way that brings the building fully up to code,
which France calls a significant but worthwhile
process. “As a community center, our concern for
safety is paramount,” he notes.
While the $50,000 isn’t quite enough to bring the
project to fruition—that’ll take more like $200,000—
the coalition is in communication with other local
foundations and philanthropic leaders, such as
Sarah Miller McCune. The McCune Foundation, a
longtime supporter, has already stepped in with a gift
through its President’s Fund. With such support, the
renovated facility could be open by early 2016.
Not that it’ll ever be closed for long. France says
closures will be minor and will involve different
portions of the space during late 2015. The Bici
Centro workspace will be available on an ongoing
basis through shifting its location within the complex.
$50K BOOSTS COMMUNITY CENTER REVITALIZATION
Families, DIY mechanics, volunteers, commuters, cycling enthusiasts—all part of SBBIKE’s community on a typical day at Bici Centro, the DIY shop and hub of the community center. Photo by HECTOR GONZALEZ
“We’re talking solar panels, permaculture planning, rain-water harvesting, water
efficiency strategies … capital improvements that will transform our building from a useable
space (with some problems) to a vibrant community center that’s comfortable and
accessible for everyone—just like we want our bike paths to be.” —Ed France
www.SBBIKE.org 5
ADVOCACY
SBBIKE’s Sam Franklin on answering, “Yes!”
W hat does winning a campaign take? SBBIKE Connecting Our Community
campaign (Connect) coordinator Sam Franklin and a group of advocates
and volunteers asked this over an intense weekend. More specifically, they
examined how to convince city officials a majority of Santa Barbarans support
infrastructure changes necessary for a safe and connected bicycle network.
The city’s Bike Master Plan (BMP), fifteen-year planning for cycling infrastructure,
is due for an update. City council, unsure of where the community stands, has
decided to take a year to find out—hiring a consultancy firm to conduct a public
input process. As Franklin puts it, “They don’t want to make changes perceived
as not popular.”
Franklin believes community members who are aware of why infrastructure
changes are necessary, will support them. But the issue isn’t on everyone’s radars.
The Alliance for Biking and Walking’s
Winning Campaigns seminar
encouraged advocates to define the
issue—identify the problem and frame
what you want to change—before
talking solutions. “The core problem
is that data for traffic collisions show
Santa Barbara is the most unsafe city
in the state compared to cities its size,”
says Franklin. In other words, “Too
many people are getting hit on bikes.” A
secondary problem is the perceived lack
of public interest. “Politicians believe
there isn’t enough public support for changing our infrastructure.”
Peter Brown, Public Works Mobility coordinator, says that’s not necessarily the case,
though it may have been six to twelve months ago. “Since then, a couple of the
opposers have listened and educated themselves,” he explains, concluding, “We’re
anticipating council support.”
Regardless of where the council stands, the results of the yearlong public input
process will majorly impact the BMP, says Brown.
Connect, with its ever-broadening group of supporters, intends to show that
improving our bicycle infrastructure “isn’t about serving a tiny group of cyclists but
about a generally accepted consensus on how creating better
infrastructure benefits all.”
Good cycling infrastructure boosts business and improves health, social
inclusiveness, and most importantly safety. “Our roads should be designed in such
a way that we end up with zero fatalities,” says Franklin. “Nothing else trumps this.
This is larger than just for cyclists. Better bikeways will also help pedestrians
and car drivers.”
Connect Message Good cycling infrastructure:
• Boosts local business
• Benefits the community’s health
• Promotes social inclusiveness
• Makes all forms of transportation
safer for everyone
Infrastructure designed to protect
pedestrians and cyclists is a safety
benefit for motorists. Better bikeways
will benefit all Santa Barbarans. This is
Connect’s message to the community,
and whether it’s also the community’s
message to the city over the next
few months will guide infrastructure
planning for the coming decade and
beyond.
Public Input Timeline
• Now – Preparation of
materials, such as flyers and
videos, explaining the issue
• Spring – Public inquiry via
neighborhood summits,
intercept surveys , and online
surveys (English and Spanish)
• Summer – Analysis of the data,
summary, and plan formation
This process will be the primary factor
in determining the BMP’s focus, says
Public Works Mobility Coordinator
Peter Brown. It’s intended to find out
what the community as a whole needs,
“and not just the cycling community,”
he explains. “It will engage people who
primarily drive and walk around town to
determine what they want in terms of
improving transportation options.”
As for the options, “We know from a
technological or engineering standpoint
what they are,” Brown says. “It’s a
matter of how those align with what the
community is looking for.”
City: “Does SB Support Bike/Walk-Friendly Changes?”
“Data for traffic collisions show Santa Barbara is the most unsafe city in the state compared to cities its size … Our roads should be designed in such a way that we end up with zero fatalities. Nothing else trumps this. This is larger than just for cyclists.” —Sam Franklin
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OUTREACH
Systematic Distribution Makes Safety Impact
More than 1,000 new lights are lighting up Santa Barbara County
nights thanks to Iluminando La Noche (Light up the Night),
SBBIKE’s annual light distribution. This fourth giveaway saw 560
cyclists, who received sets of lights and answered questions about
their cycling usage and needs.
Howard Booth, SBBIKE’s membership coordinator, points
out that, while a lot of bike coalitions host annual low-
income light giveaways during the “fall back” time change,
most give away fifty to seventy-five lights. “With our
numbers,” he says, “we’re hitting a really significant part of
the population.” (South Coast cyclists number in the several
thousands, so each systematic distribution over the past four
years has reached 10– 15 percent of that population.)
“We’re actually having a major impact on lighting up the night,”
says Booth. And that means a major impact on safety.
SBSANTA BARBARA BICYCLE COALITION
BIKESBSANTA BARBARA BICYCLE COALITION
BIKE
560 participants from Carpinteria, Goleta, and Santa Barbara received new sets of light at the November 2014 distribution.
1,000+ New Lights Light SB Nights
These graphs, just two of a series created from the surveys collected at the most recent distribution, show who the recipients are and how they’re using their bicycles., Graphs by DANIEL FISHBEIN
www.SBBIKE.org 7
OUTREACH
Survey Sheds Light on Commuters’ Needs
Over the years, SBBIKE volunteers have surveyed the cyclists
who’ve received lights, determining who is in this group and their
needs and desires. The emerging picture shows the group is
young (the highest numbers were in their thirties), predominantly
male, and riding to work or school.
This last data point sets the group apart from a broader group of
cycling cohorts, notes Booth. “Most of the people we’re seeing,
this is their only means of transportation. This is how they get
there—to work, to school, to wherever they need to get.”
Understanding who’s getting the lights and what type of riding
they’re doing is important to better serve these commuters’
needs. What’s more, participants this time around were asked to
choose, from four infrastructure options, what type of bicycling
paths they’d like to see. The results will be a part of informing the
city what the community wants when it comes time to revise the
Bicycle Master Plan at the end of 2015. (See page 5.)
1,000+ New Lights Light SB Nights
These graphs, just two of a series created from the surveys collected at the most recent distribution, show who the recipients are and how they’re using their bicycles., Graphs by DANIEL FISHBEIN
Photos from left to right, by PAUL WELLMAN, STEPHEN LEWIS, and HECTOR GONZALEZ.
8 Quick Release Winter 2015
EDUCATION
$12K GRANT A STEP IN NORTH COUNTY EXPANSION
W hen SBBIKE Education Director Christine Bourgeois learned
of a grant that would aid the coalition’s expansion into the
North County, she jumped on it. While she’s more than impressed
with bicycling education’s momentum in the region, she’s also
painfully aware of its lack of resources. Lompoc’s, for example, is
the only Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program.
The $12,000 grant, allocated for Santa Maria and awarded by the
Henry Mayo Newhall Foundation, will continue the Pedal Power
programs that have been going since 2012 at three junior highs—
Fesler, Tommie Kunst, and El Camino—and expand them; allow
for the hiring of a part-time education coordinator; and enable
outreach into schools and businesses.
“We really want to grow bike education there,” says Bourgeois.
Santa Maria boasts six League Certified Instructors (LCIs), four of
them teachers. Two more educators, including Fesler’s assistant
principal, have signed up for LCI training in April.
While the grant is earmarked solely for Santa Maria,
Bourgeois sees it as a step toward moving into other
cities, like Guadalupe, Santa Ynez, and Buellton. In
fact, last week, SBBIKE sent in a pre-application for
Measure A funding to expand through the region.
“What’s going on there already is pretty exciting,” says Bourgeois.
Santa Maria’s bike club Tailwinds is providing SBBIKE support and
“pushing us to do more.” Plans to bring bike education into junior
high PE classes are underway. “The North County is sounding
more progressive than Santa Barbara,” notes Bourgeois.
“Wait,” she says, “there’s more.” Having heard of a high school
already offering bike education, she had to see for herself. At
Santa Maria’s Pioneer High School, she found fifty cruisers and
a massive, two-lane, on-campus course that simulates traffic,
where students learn the rules of the road and get a fitness credit.
Bourgeois hopes Measure A funding will help this seven-year-
old program, whose fleet is getting old and funding dwindling.
“People want bike education in the North County,” concludes
Bourgeois, “and the bike coalition needs to provide it.”
The spring 2014 Pedal Power students at Tommie Kunst designed their own T-shirts. Photo by CHARLOTTE BELYEA
“The North County is sounding more progressive than Santa Barbara.” —Christine Bourgeois
Details: Education Coordinator needed on a contract basis (20h/week), at $15+/h DOE, in Santa Maria, CA
Description: SBBIKE is looking for a motivated individual who will grow the existing Santa Maria area youth cycling education programs and develop adult bike education and outreach for businesses.
Check out the posting at http://bicicentro.org/news/3206487 for a full list of responsibilities and qualifications.
How to apply: Please send résumé and cover letter to [email protected] and attach your résumé as a PDF. Telephone inquiries won’t be accepted. All materials should be received by February 13, 2015.
JOB OPENING
www.SBBIKE.org 9
SHOP
T hanks to a partnership between the Santa Barbara
Bicycle Coalition and Santa Barbara City College, Bici
Centro has been selected to open the college’s first bike
shop. Inside a shed next to the bridge on east campus, the
Do It Yourself (DIY) shop is alive and well, hosting the same
affordable bicycle repair and education users have come to
expect from Bici Centro. As enrollments continue to grow
at SBCC, infrastructure like this could be key in equalizing
the accessibility gap between bicycles and other forms of
transportation. And students like those in SBCC’s bike club,
who have utilized the mobile bike shop to actively promote
Bici Centro, understand the demand for bike repair on
campus.
The bike shop’s arrival stems from an update to the
college’s alternative transportation plan. The goals are
to reduce the demand for parking, reduce congestion,
improve air quality, and identify the most sustainable long-
term transportation practices for SBCC. When properly
applied, commuting by bicycle can, thankfully, accomplish
all of these at once, not to mention the individual benefits
of health and happiness for the rider. Prior to the shop’s
opening, a bicycling safety course for staff and faculty was
held at the bike shop. When asked why they didn’t opt to
ride their bicycles to SBCC, the group cited reasons like a
malfunctioning bike, safety concerns, and the steep hills
surrounding the campus.
While the addition of the shop certainly can’t eliminate
the hills, it will offer classes and information on bike
repair, riding safety, route planning, and theft prevention.
Geography and cycling instructor Mike Vergeer, who
taught the course, commented, “The great thing about this
expanded effort at SBCC is that our shop and programs
on campus address all of these concerns. We’ve got the
antidotes!”
SBCC’s campus bike shop is open from 10 am–2 pm,
Monday–Thursday and hopes to serve as a hub for the
future development of a bike friendly campus for the entire
SBCC community.
BICI CENTRO GOES TO COLLEGEBy Kevin McClintock
Kevin McClintock, a founder of SBCC’s bike club.
“The goals are to reduce the demand for parking, reduce
congestion, improve air quality, and identify the most
sustainable long-term transportation
practices for SBCC. When
properly applied, commuting by
bicycle can, thankfully,
accomplish all of these at once, not
to mention the individual benefits of health and happiness
for the rider.”
Faculty advisor Mike Vergeer speaks to faculty and staff about the new on-campus DIY bike shop. Photo by SERGIO GARCIA
10 Quick Release Winter 2015
SHOP
As part of the second annual A Bike 4 Christmas,
twenty youngsters received bicycles refurbished
by SBBIKE volunteers. All under the age of ten and
selected by the Franklin Neighborhood Center, the
riders received helmets and instructions on safe
riding. Several of them learned how to ride for the
first time!
SHOP VOLUNTEERS WRENCH UP A CHRISTMAS SURPRISE
(1) Learning to ride (2) New bike and helmet (3) The Christmas giveaway fleet (4) Helmet fittings. Photo by HECTOR GONZALEZ
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www.SBBIKE.org 11
SHOP/MEMBERSHIP
Double the Bici
SBSANTA BARBARA BICYCLE COALITION
BIKE
APPLICATION FOR 12-MONTH MEMBERSHIP
name
(business)
address
city,state,zip
phone
Make check payable to the Santa Barbara Bicycle CoalitionPO Box 92047Santa Barbara, CA 93190-2047for membership details:www.sbbike.org/joinThe Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation, so donations are tax deductable as allowed by law.
Join and RenewIndividual, 1-yr $30
Individual, 2-yr $55
Household, 1-yr $45
Household, 2-yr $85
Business Bronze, 1-yr $100
Business Silver, 1-yr $250
Business Titanium, 1-yr $500
ooooooo
Business Gold, 1-yr $1,000
Business Platinum, 1-yr $2,500
Business Diamond, 1-yr $5,000
Bike Shop Steel, 1-yr $100
Bike Shop Al, 1-yr $250
Bike Shop Ti, 1-yr $500
Bike Shop C fiber, 1-yr $1,000Donate
oooooooo
Are you a member of SBBIKE? Your friendly mail carrier
will soon be delivering your all-new membership card!
Besides the inherent pride of being a card-carrying
member, the card will net you discounts at an ever-
increasing host of local shops, restaurants, and hotels.
Look for a list of those businesses on SBBIKE’s website.
Bici Centro has more than doubled its hours. All are
welcome to use the shop’s DIY stands, tools, and
assistance from volunteer mechanics and tackle those
projects to stoke out your bike! Bici will now be open
Wednesdays through Fridays from noon – 7 p.m. and
Saturdays from noon – 5:00 p.m.
While those with the know-how can grab a stand and
work at their own pace, you don’t have to know what
you’re doing to use Bici’s stands. Volunteers will be on
hand to help you learn about taking care of your own
bike.
The extended hours
mean more time to get
your donation on. Those
bicycles that your kids no
longer ride? They can be
part of the refurbished
fleet for SBBIKE’s youth
earn-a-bike programs. Your former ride taking up space
in the garage? It could be transformed into someone’s
brand-new commuter bike. In-kind donations—of bikes,
parts, and all things bicycles—are accepted during all
shop hours.
Volunteer days on Tuesdays—when the work of volunteer
wrenchers supports SBBIKE’s projects, programs, and
outreach—are also extended. Volunteers can come by
from noon – 7 p.m. No experience required!
Plus, the shop/community center is a great place to hang
out for cyclists of all types and interest levels. Stop in and
get the latest on community cycling events, upcoming
classes, and volunteer opportunities. Get involved with
efforts to improve cycling and walking infrastructure
throughout our county and mingle with friends.
The shop’s entrance is at 434 Olive Street between Haley
and Gutierrez. See you soon.
Members: Check Your Mailboxes
Santa Barbara Bicycle CoalitionPO Box 92047Santa Barbara, CA 93190-2047
SBSANTA BARBARA BICYCLE COALITION
BIKE