ma newsletter, 22, sonoma county bicycle coalition

8/9/2019 ma Newsletter, 22, Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition

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promoting bicycling for transportation and recreationNEWS FROM THE SONOMA COUNTY BICYCLE COALITION

ISSUE 22 FALL 2008

O n July 23, the Bay Areas MetropolitanTransportation Commission (MTC)approved a draft Regional TransportationPlan (RTP) that promises hefty increases in bicycle

and pedestrian funds over the next 25 years. The

increases are a major victory for a broad-basedcoalition (including Sonoma County BicycleCoalition) that came together to make the case formore funds for active (meaning human-powered)transportation modes in the Transportation 2030Plan.

SCBC worked with other county bicycle

coalitions as well as the regional Bay Area BicycleCoalition, the Sonoma County AccountableDevelopment Coalition the Transportation andLand Use Coalition, and public health advocatesto wage an 18 month campaign that paid off.

Our major wins include: Full funding for the Regional BicycleNetwork at $1 billion (with the exceptionof the bridges). This represents a ten-foldincrease compared to the previous plan, from$4 million/year to an approved $40 million/ year. Massive growth to the SafeRoutes to Transit program MTC committed anadditional $10 million peryear (over and above thecurrent $2 million/year) forthe next ve years to createmore bike parking at transitstations, and to provide

funding to build safer accessroutes to transit centers. A brand new regional SafeRoutes to School program,with $10 million/year forthe next 5 years.

continued on page 3

After months of uncertainty, ATOC to return

Amgen Tour of California will

once again comescreaming into SantaRosa, thanks to the manyfolks including SCBCsupporters who helped raiseapproximately $150,000needed in addition to theCitys $20,000 to bring therace back to town.

The 2009 race willinclude stops in 16 host cities over the course of nine days from February 14-22. Already consideredcyclings most important and successful road

race in the United States, theevents fourth running will

be expanded to cover morethan 800 miles over the ninedays.

``Nowhere are the fansmore appreciative of theriders or more knowledgeablethan in Santa Rosa, saidMichael Roth, vice presidentof communications for AEG,the sports conglomerate that

owns the race. ``Its been a tradition that we trulylook forward to every year.

Bay Area Groups Organize And Win Big For Bikes!

Christina AlverezScott Gee, Kaiser Pediatrician, supported bicycle

funding to combat the shocking number of youthwith hypertension and high cholesterol.

Once again in 2009 the Amgen Tour of California is coming at you.

continued on page 14

See Page


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Measure Q will ask Marin andSonoma County voters to approvea -percent increase in the localsales tax to fund the SMART project.SMART will provide a 70-mile

passenger train service betweenCloverdale and Larkspur on theSan Francisco Bay. In additionthe SMART project will include aparallel bicycle-pedestrian trail thatwill connect the 14 train stations in

Marin and Sonoma Counties.The long-term plan for SMART Trails is

to interconnect with existing public lands thatare now inaccessible to cyclists and pedestriansbecause we lack a central backbone corridorthat would allow for connectivity throughout the

greater North Bay area.

In 2006, a similar ballot measure wasapproved by 65.3% of the voters, a mere 1.4percent short of the super majority needed toensure passage of this historic initiative. Thenew ballot measure has been improved over the

past effort by including weekend passenger trainservice, so that recreational uses and opportunitiesare greatly increased.

The same old opponents, mainly basedin Marin County, have now been sued by theSMART Board of Directors for making falsestatements in their Ballot arguments againstMeasure Q. Because this is a two-Countymeasure, the Courts in Marin and Sonomahave been conducting separate trials in both

jurisdictions. In Marin the lawsuit is moreextensive because there has been a variety of

Im going to do a little preaching. No, dontchicken out and turn the page. Im talking to you.

Again, the topic of rude anddisrespectful bike riders has caused arift in a local community. Both you andI know that it is a very small minorityof bike riders with boorish behavior thathas caused this, but we all get to suffer.

For over 23 years bike riders havebeen riding through a quiet communitycalled Wild Oak to get from Oakmont toAnnadel and back. This is the gatewayto many great bike rides in easternSonoma County and it is also the bestway to avoid riding on Highway 12.Now the Home Owners Association of Wild Oak (HOA) wants to keep bikesout; they say too many bikes are nowcoming through too fast and they oftenscare pedestrians.

The SCBC and the Santa Rosa

Cycling Club have been working withthe HOA for months looking for anacceptable alternative. We discusseddifferent routes (all fairly costly) anda launching a media and educationalcampaign. But the HOA determinedthat they had a right to stop bikes fromcoming through and didnt want to wait.So up go the signs No Bicycles. Asone can imagine, the news of this wentthrough the cycling community like wild

re and I got tons of calls and emails.One of those calls came from a

past Santa Rosa mayor and planningcommissioner. He told me to dig deepin the old records stored at City Hall.

Some of these records are in huge binders with tiny print and some are on micro che (it is just as nastyas you may remember if youre old enough). Butlow and behold, we found language from a PlanningCommission resolution stating that public access toAnnadel State Park shall be provided for pedestrians,equestrians, and bicycles via an improved easementparalleling the old railroad bed or in a location approvedby the Department of Community Development. Atthis time the City also determined that bicycles areallowed due to an existing 20-foot Public Pedestrianand Emergency Vehicle Access Easement that existsin the nal recorded subdivision maps for the WildOak subdivision. Consequently, bicyclist would notbe prohibited from using this easement since the Citydoes not prohibit bicycles from riding on sidewalksoutside speci ed areas such as downtown Santa Rosa.We understand that the HOA is not happy and is stilllooking at prohibiting bicycles and is in discussionwith the City. As you can imagine, the SCBC is veryinterested in keeping it open and hopes to have the

No Bicycle signs removed soon.But, this doesnt solve the real issue: ill-behaved

bicyclists. I have often thought that most bike riderswho ride past a pedestrian and startle them have noidea what a scary experience they just caused. Andto those who dont care what mayhem their actionscause, may the thorns of a thousand goat heads restdeeply in your tires.

I ask you to consider every person you ride by ona path to be your much loved elderly grandmother andshe has bad hearing and teeters apprehensively withthe use of her cane. Just say hi or good day orring your bell, and if they dont respond, it is highly

possible that they just didnt hear you so slow downand give them extra space.

EDITOR

Christine CulverCOPY EDITOR/LAYOUT

David AbbottCONTRIBUTORS

Michael Allen Timothy BaconMartin ClintonBecky Schuerman ChoiChristine Culver

Vicki DugganSandra LupienChristina PanzaGary Wysocky PHOTOS

Colleen AbbottDavid AbbottChristina AlverezBecky Schuerman ChoiCece Hugo

Veronika LenziLynne MarchSCBC BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Tom Bahning Vicki Duggan (President)Mike Eunice (Secretary)

Tim Gonzales Tom MaunderDeanna McKenzieMisty Mesel (Treasurer)Richard Peacock Lou SalzKen Wells (Vice President)Fritz WisorEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Christine CulverMEMBERSHIPCOORDINATOR/OFFICE MANAGER

Timothy BaconSAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOLDIRECTOR

Christina PanzaEVENTS COORDINATOR

Sandra LupienSTREET SKILLS INSTRUCTOR

Martin ClintonVALET BIKE PARKINGCOORDINATOR

Sandra Lupiene-mail comments:[email protected]

No Bicycles?

Christine Culver, Executive Director

Rail and Trails on the November BallotGa ry Wysoc ky a nd Micha el Allen

continued on page 9


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The County of Sonoma has applied fora Bay Area Air Quality Management DistrictBicycle Facilities Program grant to install bicyclelanes on Occidental Road, between Highway 116and the West County Trail.

Sonoma County Regional Parks reports

that the Cheney Creek Bridge & Trail Projectin Bodega Bay is complete.

Foss Creek Trail in Healdsburg, from FrontStreet to the railroad depot, is now in design.This will provide connectivity to two of the areabikeways.

City of Santa Rosa has applied toBAAQMD for a grant fo r electronic bicyclelockers that can be used with smart cards.The City has also received additional funds fromthe Highway Safety Improvement Grant forcompletion of the Sonoma Avenue bike lanes .

Town of Windsor has a whole lot going on!They have applied for a grant for bicycle lockers for the downtown area and the Town Hall. Theycompleted striping bike lanes on Old RedwoodHighway from Pleasant Avenue to LakewoodDrive. They will soon be striping bike lanes and lling in the gaps on Windsor Road andMitchell Lane . AND they have implementeda new bicycle sharing program for Townemployees. A big thanks to SCBCs StreetSkills instructor Martin Clinton for providinghis services to town staff!

A big congratulations to SomomaCounty, Cities and Towns for winning recentCalTrans Safe Routes to School grants forinfrastructure projects: (1) Healdsburg wona grant for $1,135,000 to construct sidewalksand curb ramps and widen the existing bridge

at Healdsburg JuniorHigh and ElementarySchool. (2) Santa Rosa received $258,000 forpedestrian-activated

ashing beacons atRoseland, Sequoia,Whited, and WrightElementary Schools.(3) County of Sonoma , Burbank Avenue ElementarySchool received$730,000 for apathway; (4) Windsor received $70,000 toinstall in-pavementlighted crosswalks,curb ramps, safetylighting, signage andstriping at the highschool.

SCBC CALENDAR

Local Scene

SCBC thanks everyone who spoke with MTCCommissioners, wrote letters, or attended publicmeetings, and especially Sabrina Merlo with theBABC for her superb leadership. Public commentswere indeed tallied, and the Commission repeatedlyheard about the high numbers of constituents allover the Bay Area requesting more funding forwalking and bicycling.

The complete $200-plus billion, 25-year RTP

package now goes into the environmental review

process and will re-emerge in the fall of 2008. Thenal plan will be brought back to the Commission

in March 2009 for nal approval. Between nowand then, MTC will be considering a number of policies for how to prioritize their investments aswell as considerations such as creating incentivesfor transit-oriented development. So, our and yourwork on the RTP isnt over. Well still need to beactive to make sure that MTC adopts great policiesthat give cyclists and pedestrians the greatest

return on these investments.

Bicycles, peds to see hefty increases in fundingcontinued from page 1

SCBC thanks its many donors this spring & summer:Santa Rosa Cycling Club $10,000REI Santa Rosa $2100Agilent Technologies $1500Community Market $800

SCBC Board MeetingsOctober 27 (note this is a Wednesday)November 17December 8 (also a Wednesday)

Street Skills Seminars(Past students can retake for free)October 4November 2December 6Reservations are required; pleasee-mail [email protected]

VelopaloozaOctober 18

Volunteer Party December 4CXSR Cyclocross

www.bikemonkey.netDoyle Park:- December 4

Youth Community Park -November 1

A Place To Play - December 6Dan Galvin Park: January 10, 2009

Juilliard Park: February 14, 2009

Membership meeting andBoard Elections

January 29, 2009


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Non-Stop Bicycling?Everyone knows that bicycle riders hate stop

signs. Everyone knows that many bicycle ridersignore stop signs. You probably also know thatthe number one complaint about bicycle riders isthat we (WHO?) dont obey stop signs!

But the question, just like complaints aboutthe weather, is what to DO about the situation?Now there is a proposal being suggested inCalifornia that would change the rules aboutbicyclists and stop signs, following a precedent

from the state of Idaho whichfor about twenty years hasallowed a bike rider to treat astop sign as a Yield! How doyou like those potatoes? IdahoState Code 49-720 speci callysays:

A person operating abicycle or human-poweredvehicle approaching a stopsign shall slow down and, if required for safety, stop beforeentering the intersection . . .

a person after slowingto a reasonable speed andyielding the right-of-wayif required, may cautiouslymake a turn or proceed

through the intersection without stopping.So, whats not to like? It wont surprise youthat many in law enforcement dont like the ideaof having to judge reasonable speed instead of

judging stop! There is also the problem that achange in traf c law takes a long time to becomeknown to the driving population: think of theMerge to the curb before turning right rule thatis widely unknown.

There are some in bicycle safety programswho much prefer to keep to the idea of everyroad user following the same rules and having

the same rights. This ties in with the idea thatbicycle education for young people will lead tosafer use of motor vehicles when the students areolder, IF the rules are the same.

There is also concern that young riders maynot have the judgment to estimate speeds and oneproposal has been that any new rule should NOTapply to children, who should ALWAYS stop.Complicated!

There is growing realization that stop signsare not, in fact, working as the traf c-calmingdevices they were once thought to be. Traf c

circles work much better than four-way stop-

signs where there is space for the circle at anintersection, reducing speeds and also reducingthe urge to accelerate between intersections. Butin many quiet residential neighborhoods, peopleLOVE their stop signs and sometimes claim notto understand traf c circles or roundabouts!

The use of a stop sign where visibility is pooris not an issue; its where you can see clearly inall directions and there is light traf c that autodrivers as well as bicyclists tend to roll throughthe intersection. In most countries other thanthe United States, there are very few stop signs,only yield signs to show who has priority at anintersection. Someone proposed that in Californiastop signs are judged by the same 85-percent rulethat applies to setting speed limits: Unless 85percent of drivers come to a true stop at a sign,replace it with a Yield sign! The theory is thatno more than fteen percent of the population isdangerous idiots, but I dont want to argue aboutthat statistic!

Its true that car and truck drivers often havepoorer visibility than cyclists, but that shouldaffect the yield speed, not whether a true stopis required.

One additional point is also being madeat this time of high fuel prices and potentialshortages: Stop-and-Go at stop signs is justas wasteful and polluting as stop-and-go incongested traf c! Maybe this green argumentwill help such a program, there is precedencefor this type of program: the United Kingdomsystematically removed stop signs in order toconserve fuel during WWII, though admittedlythere was also a sharp reduction in traf c.

So the question remains: what to do aboutstop signs?

Wait until most are replaced for all road users?Have different rules for bikes and motorvehicles?Or enforce the law as it currently exists?

Personally I always unclip and take onefoot off the pedal when approaching a stop sign,so that Im clearly preparing to stop, if anyonecan see me. I would suggest that an absoluteminimum is to obey the Precedence rule at stopsigns: only Go when it is Your Turn! Rememberthat this will apply even IF it becomes legal totreat the sign as a Yield!

Martin Clinton is certi ed as a CyclingInstructor by the League of American Bicyclists.He teaches the class: Street Skills for Cyclists. Callthe Coalition of ce for the next available date.

Follow the rules whatever they beMa rtin Clinton

Some cities have already changedthe laws. Should bicycles be allowed

to yield instead of stopping?


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Each fall, SCBC hostsone fabulous fund-raisingparty featuring dinner, drinks,discussion, and dancing. Youknow what Im talking aboutits the annual Velopalooza Gala.

Save the evening of October 18 get it in yourcalendar right now becauseVelopalooza 2008 is going to beshiny, sparkly, and of course alot of fun.

Location: Itll be at SCBCshome base: 655 1st Street,in the event space at our of cein downtown Santa Rosa. Itsconvenient to transit, theresplenty of space, and its an old

bank (complete with teller stations, vaults, and no kidding secret panels), so it leaves lots of room for creative decorating.

Food: Well have delicious Mediterraneanfood, made from fresh, local ingredients byMommys Yammys catering.

Drink: Therell be Sonoma County wine, New Belgium beer, Taylor Maid Farms coffeeand tea and other delicious things to sip.

Music: DJ (and bike service guru) MattWadlow will provide ambiance and get youdancing. Were delighted to have him.

Auction: As usual, therewill be many irresistible itemspresented in both silent and liveformats. Expect to bid on a brandnew scooter from RevolutionMoto, great wines, vacation

packages, amazing adventureswith your heros, bikes, bike gear,handcrafted bags, massages,

jewelry and other wonderfulservices, and so much more.

Valet Bike Parking (of course): Ride your bike and check it in at our parking station (staffedby members of NorCal VeloWomens Cycling Team), thencome on in and relax knowingyour bike is safe and sound (and in

the good company of other bikes). And you get afree raf e ticket!We also know its going to be a great

time. And for just a $35 donation ($50 fornon-members), part of which youll get back in Bike Bucks to use at the auction if youregister and pay in advance, you cant have abetter time. Buy your tickests online athttp://velopalooza.eventbrite.comor call (707)545-0153 to register now. Were

really looking forward to the event and to seeingyou there.

Put it on Your Calendar. Velopalooza is Coming!Sa nd ra Lup ien

Alta Planning & Design www.altaplanning.comBear Valley Inn 415-663-1777 www.bearvinn.comBici Sport Bike Shop 707-775-4676 www.bicisportusa.comBicycle Czar [email protected] Bike Peddler 707-571-2428 www.norcalcycling.comChelinos Mexican Restaurant707-571-7478 www.chelinosrestaurant.com

Community Bikes 707-579-5811 www.liteinit.org Community Market 707-546-1806 www.srcommunitymarket.comDavid Peoples, Coldwell Banker Realtor www.PeoplesHomes.netDow House Graphics 707-494-3900 www.dowhouse.comEleanor Guerin, Massage Terapist707-322-6540 www.east-west-massage.comEleven Gear, Rick Pepper www.elevengear.usFriendly Feed and Supply 707-546-2156Fun Car attoos 707-566-9169

www. uncartattoos.com

Gary Wysocky CPA 707-575-3820Halls Executive Gi s & Awards707-546-9220 www.hallsawards.com Jefrey Kahn, PhD. 707-546-4349 Jill B. Nimble/Nimble raining www.jillbnimble.comNew Belgium Brewing Company www.newbelgium.comNor Cal Bike Sport 707-573-0112 www.norcalcycling.com

eam NorCal Bike Sport Red Peloton www.redpeloton.comNorCal Velo Cycling eam707-874-3120 www.norcalvelo.comNorth Santa Rosa Physical Terapy707-523-2848Orthopedic & Sports Physical Terapy707-571-7615 www.osptclinic.comR.G. Window Cleaning 707-778-1383REI 707-540-9025 www.rei.com/stores/santarosaRevolution Moto www.revolutionmoto.comRickshaw Rudys Pedal Cab Service www.rickshawrudys.comRincon Cyclery 707-538-0868 www.rinconcyclery.com

So Co Agricultural Preservation & OpenSpace 707-565 7360 www.sonomaopenspace.org Santa Rosa Cycling Club www.SRCC.comSojourn Bicycling and Active Adventures800-730-4771 www.gosojourn.comSoulcra Bikes 707-775-2453 www.soulcra bikes.comSpoke Folk Cyclery 707-433-7171 www.spoke olk.comSyCip Designs, Inc 707-542-6359

www.sycip.comTe Un Club 707-824-0240 www.theunclub.biz West County Cycle Service707-824-0112 www.westcountycycleservice.com West County Revolution 707-829-2192 www.westcountyrevolution.com Wine Country Bikes 707-473-0610 www.winecountrybikes.com Wooden Spoon echnologies, Inc707-523-2222 www.wooden-spoon.com Wordshop ranslations 707-829-0305 www.wordshoptranslations.com W- rans 707-542-9500 www.w-trans.com

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR BUSINESS MEMBERS


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Bicycle Rodeos are all the rage.Have you been to a bicycle safety rodeo

yet? A bicycle safety rodeo is a hands-on bicyclesafety and skills event for elementary school-agekids. The event includes:

Bicycle Safety Education: Volunteers teachkids about bicycle safety Helmet-Safety Clinic: Each child has their

helmet checked and tted properly, and canreceive a free or low-cost helmet.

Bicycle Safety Inspection: A local bicycleshop provides free bicycle safety inspections andminor adjustments.

Bicycle Skills Course: The course allowsparticipants to practice bicycle skills and gaincon dence in their abilities, empowering them toride on roads without endangering themselves or

other roadway users. Bicycle License Station: Children who

complete thecourse receivelaminatedpicture ID-like BicycleLicenses.

Throughour partnershipwith the SRPDBicycle andPedestrianSafety program,funded by theOf ce of Traf cSafety, SCBChas coordinateda number of successfulbicycle rodeosthis summer.SCBC board

member TomMaunder,Rodeo Consultant extraordinaire, has led coursesfor kids at summer daycare programs with theSanta Rosa Park and Recreation Department onJuly 10, and the Rincon Valley Uni ed SchoolDistrict on July 23. SCBC member Claire Houseof the NorCalVelo Womens cycling team led aBack to School Rodeo at the Sonoma CountyYMCA on August 23. Safe Kids of SonomaCounty provided the rodeo kit, and the SRPDsCommunity Outreach Specialist, Rafael Rivero,

with help from helmet tting expert Iola Buckley,

provided helmets and helmet ttings, as well aseducation. SCBC Boardmember Tim Gonzalezenthralled kids with his engaging bike-safetyeducation demonstrations. Finally, NorCal BikeSport/The Bike Peddler provided bike safetyinspections at the SR Park and Recreation and

YMCA Rodeos, and Sonoma Bicycle Company

sponsored the Rincon Valley Rodeo. In addition,SCBC coordinated two mini-bicycle skillcourses, along with helmet tting/distribution by

the SRPD, at Bicycle Santa Rosa on July 4, andat National Night Out on August 5.

The rodeos would not have been a successwithout the help of the requesting organizationsand the many volunteers who participated.A special thanks to Linda Warden of RinconValley School District, Sandra Lemus of SRPark and Recreation, and SCBC members NancyCummings, Bridget Hayes, Heather Rosales,Anna Lisa Wiley, Barbara Denlis, Tim Bacon,and Paul Peterson. Also, a big thank-you toLeslie Graves, tness director at the SonomaCounty YMCA, for all her support in making theYMCA event a success.

More than 200 kids participated in theSCBC/SRPD summer rodeos, and more rodeosare planned. If you enjoy kids and are interestedin promoting bicycle safety in a fun, hands-onenvironment, please think about volunteering atour next bicycle rodeo!

Safe Routes to School Program Update:Kawana Elementary and Sebastopol UnionSchool District.

Tina Panza, Director of the Safe Routesto School (SRTS) program, has been hard atwork launching funded Safe Routes to SchoolPrograms at Kawana Elementary School inthe Bellevue Union School District, and in theSebastopol Union School District. Funding for the Kawana program has been provided by theSafe Routes to School National Partnership,with support from the Robert Woods JohnsonFoundation, the Bikes Belong Foundation, andKaiser Permanente. Funding for the SebastopolUnion SRTS Program was awarded through the

Christina Panza

Safe Routes to School, Bike Rodeos get kids on bikes

International Walk

and Roll to School

Day is October 8th


Young bike riders learn the rules of the roadon a controled bicycle course.


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The long awaited Humboldt Street bicycleboulevard is slowly starting to move forward.The idea for a bicycle boulevard on HumboldtStreet in Santa Rosa was originally prioritized bythe Santa Rosa Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisorycommittee in 2001, and was included in theSanta Rosa Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan,adopted in 2001.

A bicycle boulevard is a roadway that has been modi ed as needed to enhance the safety,comfort and convenience of bicyclists, and isdesigned for bicycles and cars to share the roadequally. The modi cations are designed toprovide easier through movement for cyclists,and to slow auto traf c.

A public meeting was held on August 6,2008 at Odd Fellows Hall on Paci c Avenue inSanta Rosa, with Nancy Adams, City of SantaRosa Transportation Planner, and Jason Nutt,City of Santa Rosa Traf c Engineer, presentingtheir concept for the changes needed to createa bicycle boulevard on Humboldt Street.Approximately 120 local residents attended tohear about the proposed improvements, andto give feedback to the City representativesregarding the changes. An overwhelmingmajority of those present appeared to be insupport of the project. Many of those inattendance spoke to offer thoughtful comments,

or ask questions regarding the presentation. Oneconcern of some of the residents in attendancewas the potential for the elimination of on-streetparking in some areas. Only 10-12 on-streetspaces are projected to be eliminated over thethirteen block stretch, mainly to accommodatethe addition of traf c circles in four locations.

The bicycle boulevard will extend fromLewis Road at the north to 5th street at thesouth, providing a safe and convenient bicycleconnection from the County AdministrationCenter to downtown Santa Rosa. The proposed

improvements to Humboldt Street includespeci c signage and street markings to identifythe bicycle boulevard at the north and southextent of the boulevard, plus the addition of traf c circles at four intersections (at Silva, Carr and McConnell and Spencer Avenues). Traf ccircles are considered to be easier for cycliststo negotiate, because coming to a completestop is usually not required. In addition, theytypically lower the overall speed of auto traf cbecause they reduce the common action of motorists accelerating away from a complete

stop. Existing four-way stop signs will be

retained at the intersections with Lewis Road aswell as at Benton and 7th Streets, but eliminatedat the intersections of Humboldt Street andSilva, Carr, McConnell and Spencer. The twointersections with traf cstoplights, Paci c and

College Avenues, wouldhave bike boxes addedto the intersections. Bikeboxes are painted areas onthe roadways, behind thecrosswalks, where bicyclistscan queue up ahead of carswaiting at the stoplights.They are designed to reducethe potential for bicycle/car collisions by locatingthe bicycles in front of waiting cars, where theycan be clearly seen. Additional improvements,

primarily to enhance pedestrian safety will alsobe made at those intersections with four waystop signs Benton Street and 7th Street, and atCherry Street. At these three intersections thecrosswalks will be revised to include colored,stamped concrete and curb bulb-outs willbe added at Benton and Cherry Streets toeffectively narrow the street crossing distance forpedestrians. Additionally, the bulb-outs at theBenton Street intersection would be planted toact as bio-swales to soak up rainwater during therainy season.

The proposed change with the potentiallargest impact on auto drivers may be theprohibition of left turns onto Humboldt Street fromeast and west bound traf c on College Avenue.

The preliminary cost estimate for the longterm project is $250,000. The tentative schedulefor these improvements is as follows:

The Santa Rosa Bicycle and PedestrianAdvisory Board were expected to hear aboutthe public meeting regarding the plan, includingcomments and concerns raised by the meetingattendees, at their September 18th meeting. The

project will then be presented to the City Councilat a Study Session scheduled for their October28th meeting. The pilot project, with trial traf ccircle outlines is due to be installed within thenext 6-9 months.

Information about the project, includingthe power point presentation shown at theneighborhood meeting, and the commentscollected at the meeting, can be found onlineby using the term Humboldt Street BicycleBoulevard with a search engine such as Googleand looking for the documents with the City of

Santa Rosa website address, ci.santa-rosa.ca.us.

HUMBOLDT

STREET

BICYCLE

BOULEVARD

Humboldt Street Bicycle Boulevard rolling aheadVicki Duggan


8/16

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It all started as a conversation onSCBCs chat list. Sonoma Valley residents ChipRoberson (founder, Sonoma Valley Cyclists)and Sherry Adams (Alternate, Sonoma County

Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committeefor Unincorporated Areas) wanted to nd a wayto encourage bike riding by more people in theSonoma, Boyes Hot Springs, Agua Caliente,and Fetters Hot Springs Area and they wantedto see those riding bikes doing so safely. Theirbrainstorming turned into the seed of an eventthat became -- less than three months later, onSaturday, September 6 th -- the Sonoma/SpringsBicycle Festival (SSBF).

The goals for the SSBF were to be afamily event aimed providing participants theopportunity to have a great time while learning alot about cycling. And we met those goals.

Those whogathered in SonomasDepot Park were greetedby the live Bluegrassmusic of the David ThomBand, as they parked theirbikes in SCBCs BicycleValet Parking lot. Localfood vendors The RedGrape, E Saan Thai, andPrimavera were there to besure people had plenty of food. And, SCBCs bike-blended smoothie boothwas a huge draw, as usual.

In terms of education and information,the festival launched witha ride around the Sonoma/ Springs region, led bySCBCs Martin Clinton.

The route highlighted whats great for cyclistsin the region, and provided tips for navigatingdif cult areas. 52 people (including SonomaMayor Joanne Sanders, Council Members SteveBarbose, Stanley Cohen, and Laurie Gallian)participated in the ride, including a number of children. At the park, booths provided expertadvice and information on safety skills, bikecommuting, Safe Routes to School Programs,bike programs for seniors, local and countybike planning, and more. One booth providedhelmet ttings to children and distributed 43 new

helmets (donated by Safe Kids Sonoma County)

to childrenwho neededthem. And,volunteersdistributed100 sets of blinky bikelights for freeto festivalattendees.

For kids, therewas a bikedecoratingand bikelicenseplate-making

booth. Andmany of the kids and some adults faced off in theslow race and the monkey bike race; the winnersof those contests received a pack from Camelbak or the monkey bike they rode, respectively.

Camelbak provided 3 paks for the festivalraf e, and Sonoma Valley Cyclery donated thebike a Trek 7100 hybrid. Charlie Hughes of Santa Rose was the delighted winner of the bike.

Interspersed throughout the activity wereinspiring speakers: Mayor Sanders, CountySupervisor (District 1) Valerie Brown and her

opponent in the upcoming election, Will Pier,Councilmember Gallian, League of AmericanBicyclists President Amanda Eichstaedt,and SCBCs own Christine Culver. SonomaCouncilmember Ken Brown emceed the event.

Hundreds Celebrate Bikes At 1st Annual Sonoma/SpringsBicycle FestivalSa nd ra Lup ien

Cece Hugo The Monkey Bike Race was a huge hit.

Cece Hugo A happy festival attendee with a free helmet from Safe Kids of Sonoma County in hand.

SCBC worked in partnership on the festivalwith Sonoma Valley Cyclists (SVC) and theCity of Sonoma to produce the festival,with the goal of creating an annual event.The City of Sonoma at all levels wassupportive and thrilled with the idea of having the festival, and so were localbusinesses. SCBC, SVC, and the City of Sonoma are grateful to presenting sponsorThe Red Grape, and sponsors Elliot CarterChiropractic, Sonoma Valley Cyclery,Safe Kids Sonoma County, Three HouseMultimedia, The David Thom Band,Enologix, The Basque Boulangerie, SonomaOld School, Sonoma Chevrolet, SonomaOff-Broadway Cleaners, Caf la Haye , andSonoma Dog Camp and dozens of supervolunteers for making the festival possible.

See you at the 2 nd Annual Sonoma/SpringsBicycle Festival in 2009!


9/16

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Petaluma sets records, Mayors ride shows supportBike to Work/School Week is a signi cant

project of the Petaluma Pedestrian and BicycleAdvisory Committee, so we are thrilled when wewitness so many of our residents getting into thespirit of the week.

Bike to Work/School Week was launchedwith the second annual Mayors Bike Ride onMay 10. This years event was particularlyspecial as it began with a ribbon cuttingceremony to commemorate the completionof a new trail on the SRJC-Petaluma campus.Construction of this trail closed amajor gap in thePetaluma RingTrail located withinthe urban separatoron the east side

of Petaluma, andoffers easier accessto Leghorns Park,Kenilworth JuniorHigh School, theSRJC, ParkwayPlaza ShoppingCenter, and severalother trail systemson the east side.After she cut theribbon, Mayor

Pamela Torliatt led the 40 participants on an easysix-mile ride with a police escort. Nothing makesbicycling more enjoyable than freely ridingthrough intersections as a few of our friendly

police of cers stop traf c.Thanks, in part, to high gas prices and

heightened environmental awareness, bicyclistswere prevalent during Bike to Work/SchoolWeek. And even though Bike to Work/SchoolDay was a scorcher, record numbers of bicyclists

took to the streets. Counts conducted at threeEnergizer Stations and ve participating schoolsdocumented 873 bicyclists, up from 619 in 2007.

Here in Petaluma, contests are also held toencourage bike ridership on Bike to Work/SchoolDay. Anyone whobicycles during theweek may enter adrawing for greatprizes generouslydonated byPetaluma businessesand supportivecitizens. Businessesvie for the covetedSprocket Trophypresented to thecompany with the

highest percentage of employees biking to work that day. Once again, Sonoma Technology wonthe award but the competition was erce. Schoolsare also bestowed with a one-of-a-kind trophycreation (fabricated by our own Bernie Album)and cash prizes for the most bicycling students.Casa Grande High School, Kenilworth JuniorHigh School, and Corona Creek ElementarySchool won, but PBAC would like to recognizeLa Tercera Elementary and Meadow ElementarySchools for their enthusiastic and considerableparticipation.

Becky Schuerman Choi is a former Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee member.

Bec ky Sc huerma n Cho i

Becky Schuerman Choi Petaluma Mayor Pam Torliatt relaxes withBernie Album (l) and Yuri Hauswald (r)

after this years ride.

Becky Schuerman Choi Craig Sawyer helps his sons get

energized in Petaluma.

misstatements made in the ballot argument suchas that the tax was in perpetuity (not true as thisis a 20 year tax measure); and that 60 car freighttrains would be routinely running through MarinCounty (gross exaggeration). In Sonoma County,Judge Elaine Rushing moved rapidly to rule inthe favor of SMART and ordered the opponentsballot arguments to be rewritten. The Marin trialis undecided as of this writing.

Deb Fudge, Vice-Chair of the Smart Board,and a founding board member of SCBC, is

asking voters to consider the following: SMARTwill provide us with a second corridor of travelthrough the North Bay area. What can bebetter than taking 1.5 million cars of the road,every year? We will reduce our greenhouse gasemissions by 124,000 pounds, each and everyday. I cant think of a more important action wecan take for the North Bay than to vote for theTrain in November

Michael Allen, 06 SMART campaignTreasurer, and Gary Wysocky, a longtime Friend of

SMART and founding board member of SCBC.

SCBC Board Endorses SMARTcontinued from page 2

The Petaluma Pedestrian and BicycleAdvisory Committee would like to thankall the businesses and citizens thatsupported our Bike to Work/School Weekactivities this year, not to mention all theenthusiastic bicyclists who participated tomake the week well worth the effort.


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Santa Rosa Recreation and Parks rstmountain biking classes for kids brought a bitof exhilaration, a little sweat, and countlesssmiles from the 50-plus kids who participatedin the two classes over the summer. Participants

between the ages of ve and 13 brought their

bikes to Howarth Park to learn from over adozen volunteer cyclists, several of whom areprofessional caliber athletes. They learned aboutbalance, braking, shifting, trail conditions, uphillsand downhills, and so much more. But perhapsthe biggest grins came from riding over a 3-foottall teeter-totter. Just imagine the con dencethese children developed as they rode towardsa ramp that appeared taller than they were andpointed toward the sky.

One mother of two boys in the class leftus these comments: Oh my gosh, they hadsoooooooooooooo much fun! The boys cant stoptalking about how great it was.

Class coordinator Scott Bowen, who helpedspearhead the presentation of the classes, shareshis thoughts on the positive feedback he hasreceived about the classes:

Seven yearold MadisonGlenn had yet toventure beyondher single speed,coaster brakebike. But whenher parentsheard about themountain bikingclass for kids,they gured,why not? Andwith little to noexperience on abike with gearsor hand brakes,

she set off ona borrowedSpecialized HotRock 7-speed.

And even though she was a bit timid at the start,by the end of the 2-day class, Madison wascharging at the Super Teeter-totter with an ear-to-ear grin.

Days later, Madi was asking her parentsto take her to the trails. They grabbed theirbikes and rode out together. The timidrider was gone and Madi pedaled down the

singletrack despite the questions from her

parents are you sure this isnt too dif cult for you? Madis reply; No way, we did this in class.Come on! And when Madis dad asked her theother day what her favorite sport was, the answeronly made sense after seeing how happy she wason the trail.

The SCBC extends special thanks to ScottBowen and Carlos Perez as well as all the othervolunteers for making the classes such a greatsuccess.

In the rst two sessions, our hopes werecon rmed. Kids love mountain biking. If yougive them the opportunity, they will jump atit. And the parents agree that biking is a greatactivity for their kids. So the natural question is:how do we get more of these mountain bikingclasses for kids? Well, it starts with you. Weneed instructors. If you have interest and time

to join us for two hours, two days a week inthe afternoon during the spring and summer of 2009, let us know. Wed love to see this programgrow. The kids, the parents, and the city all wantthis program to grow. Next summer it has thepotential to bring hundreds, perhaps thousands of kids with smiles like those we saw on the nearly60 who participated this year.

If you are interested in volunteering for theclasses please contact Tim Bacon [email protected] or 545-0153.

Veronika Lenzi A young mountain biker maneuvers throughthe cones as parents and students look on.

Veronika LenziVolunteers were on hand to help would-be thrill seekers get through the scary

parts of mountain biking.

Mountain biking class for kids has strong beginning


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SCBCs Fifth Annual Bicycle SantaRosa Festival took place on July 4. SCBC, incollaboration with the City of Santa Rosa Parks& Recreation Department, hosted the celebrationof bicycles as a viable form of transportation,a great form of recreation, and a powerful tool

for building stronger, healthier, more vibrantcommunities. Hundreds of adults and kids showedup and spent the day our largest turnout yet.

The festival kicked off at 9 a.m. with the CityCouncil Ride, planned and led by SCBC StreetSkills instructor Martin Clinton, in collaborationwith the Accountable Development Coalition. This

years ride highlighted getting in and out of theCitys parks on a bike, as well as showing ridersfour ways to get across Highway 101, which is amajor concern for many area cyclists. More thana dozen elected of cials and candidates fromthroughout Sonoma County went on the 14-mileride to learn about whats great for cyclists inSanta Rosa, and what needs work. In all, over 100people participated in the ride. The Santa RosaCycling Club hosted a longer ride to coincide withthe start of festivities.

Rides returned to the park around lunch time,

and were joined by many more for a fabulousfestival, featuring local food vendors. Most werenew to the event this year, including CommunityMarket, Mommys Yammys, and TrishasLumpia House. Back for a second year was DougSimons BSR Hot Dog Stand and the SCBC BikeBlender Smoothies The smoothies were a greathit, with discounts offered to those who blendedtheir own drinksjust in case they didnt getenough riding earlier.

NorCal Velo Womens Cycling Team hosteda bike decorating booth and helped both kids andadults gussy up their bikes in anticipation of the

Kids BikeParade. Thisyear it wasled by DennisRutkowski,aka Rickshaw

Rudy, withMartinClinton andcity councilmemberSusan Gorinriding in hisrickshaw. Shortly after the parade, a few roundsof kids games kicked off. The sack races andwater balloon tosses were led by Leslie GravesSonoma County Family YMCA, who reportedmany of the kids had never been in a sack race

and had a lot of fun learning a new contest.The SRPDs Helmet Giveaway and Skills Coursewas set up on the A Street side of the park, tomake sure the kids on bicycles were safe. The

jumphouse was available for those kids withenergy to burn and the popular art table was therefor a quieter pace.

Adults wereinvited to get intothe spirit with oursecond ever slowrace and rst-ever

tube change contest.Former SCBCBoard PresidentGary Wysockywon the slow raceafter a year of serious training.CommunityBikes providedthe supplies andofficiated the tubechange contest,which was won by David Abbott despite someserious challenges being thrown down byexecutive director Chris Culver. Prizes for theadult contests were provided by the WindsorBicycle Center.

Speaking of prizes, The Bike Peddlerdonated not one, but two bikes for our raf e thisyear. A cruiser bike and a commuter bike wereup for grabs, and the happy winners were VickieLingron and Sandi McGuire.

A host of displays by non-pro t and communityorganizations was on hand. Being an election

Fifth annual Bicycle Santa Rosa searing successDea nna M c Kenzie

David Abbott In the absence of a dunking booth, theballoon drop was the splash hit of the

Fifth Annual Bicycle Santa Rosa.

David Abbott Megan Kalstad and Gary Wysocky

show their go-slow skills


David Abbott A 4th of July reveler poses with one of the two

prizes from this years drawing.


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Bike to Work Month 2008 overwhelming success

Increased participation, fun at Bike-to-the- Movies, Bike Swap, More

M ay was Bike to Work Month 2008and it was packed with great events.Thanks to the stellar efforts of hundreds of volunteers, and the support of anincredible group of sponsors, it was a tremendoussuccess. Here are the highlights:

Bike to Work DayIt was the kind of day when, even if you

wake up at 5:00 a.m., youre immediately sweatywhen you step out of the shower. But, the heatdidnt stop people from getting out on their

bikes in Sonoma County, and the temperatureswerent the only record-breakers: Bike to Work Day 2008 saw a 50 percent increase in ridershipover Bike to Work Day 2007. There were alsomore energizer stations, 24, than ever. SCBCvolunteers set up food and drink stations inlocations throughout the county, serving anarray of breakfast treats to bicycle commutersfrom 6-9 a.m. Volunteers counted some 3,300cyclists during those hours, and many more wentuncounted. Its hard to say what combination of high gas prices, concern for the environment,

tness concerns, or (insert hypothesis here)motivated all those riders to get out there, but onething is clear: SCBCs message that cycling isa fun, healthy, environmentally-friendly, viableform of transportation is getting out there.

SCBCs Annual Bike Swap/Flea MarketNext up for Bike to Work Month was a

fun day out in the sun at Santa Rosa VeteransMemorial Building. We lled up a big chunk of the parking lot with bikes, bike gear, parts,

clothes, and other stuff. Many SCBC membersdonated items including about a dozen bikes for SCBC to sell at this fund raiser. A numberof other vendors showed up with their wares.Among them was Brooks Van Holt, proprietor of the new Santa Rosa used bike shop, Bicycle Czar.Brooks and his daughter made the front page of the Press Democrat the next day in a fabulousphoto of them riding Brooks Swing Bike (not forthe faint of heart, believe me). In the afternoon,Food Not Bombs showed up with home-cooked,delicious food for shoppers and vendors to enjoyfree of charge. In all, SCBC raised just under$3,000 that day, which bolsters our ability toadvocate for better conditions for cyclists. A hugethanks to Doug Simon for planning and settingup the space, and to Michael Teller and Jon Dick for their invaluable help matchmaking peoplewith bikes and bikes with parts.

Bike to the MoviesThis is the best: Ride your bike. Get free

valet parking. Sit in a comfy chair, eat popcornand candy, drink New Belgium beer or a soda,watch three inspiring lms about bikes astransportation, and support Sonoma CountyBicycle Coalition.

Bike and movie fans gathered in Santa Rosaat the 515 Orchard Street Performance Galleryfor the Bike to Work Month Bike-to the Movies

event. The lucky attendees viewed the classicsWe Are Traf c! A Film About Critical Mass,and Return of the Scorcher, as well as a veryspecial preview about a group of elementaryschool students who launched a bike to schoolclub in Albany, California. The event really didfeature fresh-popped popcorn with real butter,and delicious beer donated by New BelgiumBrewing. As if all that wasnt enough, the folksat 515 Orchard provided a cozy re in their woodburning stove, and resident musician Mark Growden gave an impromptu solo concert on

his accordion (and those who arrived earlymarveled at his ability to play bicycle handlebarslike a ute). While guests relaxed inside, their bikes were safe outside in SCBCs valet bicycleparking corral. One lucky attendee won adrawing for a Camelbak Hoss Commuter Pack.And, everyone went home very happy at the endof the night.

Bicycle Commuter of the Year/Team BikeChallenge

Bike to Work Month features two contests:

Sa nd ra Lup ien

Lynne March REI staff members Ashley Daniels, Brent

Crouse & Kris Gause ipped pancakes for bikecommuters at the Santa Rosa City Bus

energizer station in front of City Hall.

continued on next page


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Bicycle Commuter of the Year and Team BikeChallenge. In the Spring edition of the SCBCnewsletter, we introduced Tom Robinson,Bicycle Commuter of the Year 2008. SCBC lovesto honor everyone nominated for that award, andof course the winners of Team Bike Challenge.So, what better way to ground and celebrate thewhirlwind that was May than by honoring someof the Sonoma County folks who exemplify bikecommuting as a totally possible lifestyle choice?So, on June 5, SCBC held an awards reception.

We gathered at 6 p.m. in Downtown SantaRosa at the Upton Building. SCBC served beerdonated by New Belgium Brewing Company,as well as soft drinks, some light snacks, andPesto Tortellini donated by Amys Kitchen. Theguests mixed and mingled; among them wereSanta Rosa City Council Candidates Marsha VasDupre and Gary Wysocky, and Sonoma CountyBoard of Supervisors District 5 Candidates EfrenCarillo and Rue Furch.

Each Bicycle Commuter of the Year nomineereceived prizes donated by Bike to Work 2008Sponsors: a Camelbak commuter pack, and giftcerti cates to G&G Market. Bicycle Commuter of the Year Tom Robinson also received aplaque and a gift basket of teas from TraditionalMedicinals.

Team Bike Challenge ran throughout Bike to

Work Month and is aimed at creating new bikecommuters by mixing them with seasoned ridersand, of course, luring them with prizes. Ridersform teams of two to ve people (most often theteams comprise co-workers); at least one ridermust be a novice (someone who rarely rides abike and is not yet a bike commuter). Riders earnpoints for their teams each day a member makesa utilitarian trip by bike (to work, the store,school, etc.). Novices rides are worth the mostpoints.

This year, SCBC opted to award not only the

rst place Sonoma County Team, but the secondplace team as well. This, because the contest wasneck-in-neck throughout the month, and becausethe second place team, the Meadow Riders(teachers/staff at Meadow View ElementarySchool in Roseland) comprised four novices andone Lifestyle Rider. Each of the 5 MeadowRiders won a Timbuk2 commuter bag, and aG&G Market gift certi cate.

The rst place team for 2008 is the EcoLeaders (graduates and staff of the LeadershipInstitute for Ecology & the Economy). Eachmember of the Eco Leaders team received a

Timbuk2 commuter bag, a thermal water bottlefrom ElevenGear, and a gift basket of teas fromTraditional Medicinals.

The reception was such a nice event. It waswonderful to bring together this inspiring groupof cyclists, and in some cases, their families andfriends.

Commuters of the year and Team Challenge step upcontinued from previous page

This years BTW winners:

Team Bike Challenge:ECO LEADERS (pictured above)

Shelly Lydon (Team Captain)Tanya NarathRob AndersonJennifer DawesLaurie Martin (not pictured)

MEADOW RIDERS:Beth Power (Team Captain)Scott DoughtyFrances McCorkleStephanie ChanAlexia Underwood

Bicycle Commuter of theYear: Tom Robinson

The SCBC staff extends deep gratitude toeveryone who volunteered their time tomake Bike to Work Month 2008 a really bigdeal. And, we thank our Bike to Work 2008Sponsors: Sonoma County Independent BikeShops; Measure M; Santa Rosa CommunityMarket; Sonoma County Agricultural and OpenSpace District; North Bay Bohemian; SusanNoble, Realtor; G&G Markets; TraditionalMedicinals; Camelbak; and North BayCorporation/Santa Rosa Recycling.


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SCBC member Barrie came to us recentlyasking if we knew about any rides for peoplewho arent interested in moving at a fast pace orclimbing, or training for longer, more strenuousrides. We love the idea and want to develop itwith our members throughout Sonoma County.If you want to host, with SCBCs support, andlead (or arrange for a leader) one of these ridesin your community, contact Sandra Lupien [email protected] or 707-545-0153.The ride can be whatever you want it to be agentle ride on a bike path, a ride to a speci cdestination such as a brunch, a farmers market,karaoke night, a soccer game, a festival, a tourof historic sites in your town whatever yourimagination comes up with. The idea is to

provide a ride that virtually anyone can go on;kids, people on three speeds, people on trikes,people who are experienced riders and those whoare not that goes at a leisurely, inclusive pace.Its a community-building experience. Wed loveto be able to help promote at least one such ridea month anywhere in Sonoma County. Lookingforward to hearing your ideas.

Barrie led the rst Spandex-Free Ride onSunday, September 7th. Seven people gatheredin Santa Rosa at the Stony Point entrance to theSanta Rosa Creek Trail and rode the North sideof the trail to Willowside, and returned using thesouth side of the trail. It was a low-key, fun ride,and everyone enjoyed talking with each other,and was enthusiastic about future rides.

SCBC sponsors spandex-free leisure rides

In its rst three years, the Amgen Tour of California has become the most successful racein the United States with regards to attendance,

economic bene ts to the state, global recognitionand the caliber of the cyclists participating. In2008, the race drew 1.6 million spectators,continuing to set records for a single sportingevent in the state of California, as well as anycycling event ever held on U.S. soil. Each yearthe race has generated $100 million in economicgrowth for the state.

The Amgen Tour of California kicks off the professional road cycling season each yearand continues to draw some of the worlds mostrenowned and respected riders, such as top Tour

de France competitors, World Champions and

Olympic medalists that include Tom Boonen,Paolo Bettini, Fabian Cancellara, GeorgeHincapie, Oscar Freire and Bobby Julich. Winner of the 2007 and 2008 Amgen Tour of California,

Santa Rosa resident Levi Leipheimer of the Astanateam has had a strong season since his AmgenTour of California victory earlier in the year andrepresented the United States in the OlympicGames.

Winning the Amgen Tour of California hasbeen a goal of mine from the beginning; no matterwhich races I compete in, said Levi Leipheimer.This has always been a top priority for me.

For further information on the 2009Amgen Tour of California, please visitwww.amgentourofcalifornia.com.

Professional Bike Racers to Return 2009continued from page 1

Upcoming Spandex-Free RidesCharity Kirk, co-owner of West County Revolution bike shop,will lead a series of Spandex-Free Rides to get participantsacquainted with (or just out on) the Joe Rodota and WestCounty Trails.Here are the details:

Sunday, September 28 at 3pmSunday, October 12 at 3pmSunday, November 23 at 3pm

Bring your bike, whether new or old, and join us on aventure down the bike path from Sebastopol to Santa Rosaand back. Its straight sailing on a fat path and well takesome stops along the way. Remember to bring water and asnack if you desire. Rides alternate between Rodota andWest County trails, starting with Rodota on September 28th.

Meet at Sebastopols West County Revolution Bike Shop at6731 Sebastopol Ave (aka Hwy 12 at Morris St). For moreinformation call Charity at 481-9137.Watch for information on rides in Rohnert Park, and morerides to come in Santa Rosa.


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year, we invited the League of Women Votersto register new voters lets hope this get morebicycle friendly folks to the polls (and elected) thisNovember. Live music was provided throughout theday by inBlack, a jazz combo composed of localhigh school students.

The SCBC Valet Bike Parking crew reachedan amazing milestone and parked its 10,000 th

bike. Our indispensable volunteers were busy

throughout the entire day parking nearly 300 bikes.Thanks to the dozens of volunteers who

made the festival a great success. It could nothave been done without you. Please supportthe sponsors and donors to this event: NorCal/ Bike Peddler, the North Bay Bohemian, OliversMarket, Santa Rosa Cycling Club, Sprint CopyCenter of Sebastopol, and the Windsor BicycleCenter. See you there next year.

Note from SCBC staff:: A huge thanks toevent chair Deanna McKenzie for her fantastic

organizing. skills.

BSR 2008continued from page 11

Cycle 1 Caltrans SRTS grant, administeredby the City of Sebastopol Public WorksDepartment. Tina has been working with schooladministration as well as recruiting parents,community members, and school staff to beinvolved in school SRTS teams. This summer,she also gathered Kawana parents, the principal,staff, law enforcement, and representatives fromSanta Rosa city public works, to participatein a walking audit at Kawana Elementary

School, in order to assess the walking andbicycling conditions around the school andmake recommendations for infrastructureimprovements.

The rst major event will be InternationalWalk and Roll to School Day (IWRTSD) onOctober 8, but plans are being formulated forother encouragement and education activitiesboth before and after IWRTSD. A helmet safetyday is planned for September 26 at KawanaElementary School, with support from the SantaRosa Police Departments Bike and Pedestrian

Safety program. Two Bicycle Rodeos havebeen scheduled in South Santa Rosa, at theBellevue Union School Districts Health andWellness Fair at Bellevue Elementary Schoolon September 27, and with the CommunityAction Partnership at Martin Luther King Park on October 4. Im looking forward to working

with the school teams at both Kawana and inSebastopol Union to plan a robust SRTS programthat will encourage kids and parents to walk and bike more often, said Tina. A successfulSRTS program willdecrease traf c congestion,improve air quality aroundthe school, and improvekids health. Successful,sustainable Safe Routesto School programs are acommunity-wide effort.Community members canassist with volunteering,additional funding, andmany other forms of support. Please contact TinaPanza if you would liketo get involved with theexisting SRTS programs atKawana or in Sebastopol,or if you are interestedin championing an SRTSprogram in your ownschool.

Are you interested instarting a Safe Routes toSchool program at your neighborhood school?Support for grass-roots SRTS efforts is nowavailable through SCBC, thanks to funding bythe Sonoma County Transportation Authority,using transportation tax funds generated byMeasure M. Please contact Tina Panza if youwould like additional information.

Safe Routes toSchool Funding

Needs:

Kawana ElementarySchool needs asecure bicycleparking cage,additional bicycleracks, and SRTSincentive prizes. Ifyou can help, pleasecontact Tina Panza.

The good folks at Bike Peddler pump tires, lubechains and make sure bikes are ready to ride

continued from page 6


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NONPROFIT ORGUS POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT No. 25

SANTA ROSA, CA

SONOMA COUNTYBICYCLE COALTIONPO BOX 3088SANTA ROSA CA 954023088

7075450153WWW.BIKESONOMA.ORG

promoting the bicycle for transportation and recreation

, merchandise only

You can now join or renew your membership online at www.BikeSonoma.org

ma newsletter, 22, sonoma county bicycle coalition

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