ma newsletter, 19, sonoma county bicycle coalition

8/9/2019 ma Newsletter, 19, Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition

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

ISSUE 19 SUMMER 2007

The Sonoma County BicycleCoalition, along withcommunity leaders from SantaRosa and Sebastopol, joined

North Coast State Senator Patricia Wiggins(D Santa Rosa) in announcing that localschool children and their families will bethe beneficiaries of nearly $600,000 ingrants through the states Safe Routes toSchool (SRTS) Program.

The city of Santa Rosa received agrant of $250,000 in the most recentfunding cycle, while Sebastopol receivedtwo grants totaling $326,769 (anotherlocal school district, Cotati-Rohnert ParkUnified, received a grant of approximately$83,000). The Bicycle Coalition assistedSanta Rosa and Sebastopol in preparingtheir grant applications, and also sent

representatives to Washington, D.C. tolobby for additional funding.This is fantastic news for Sonoma

County, said Christine Culver, theCoalitions executive director. We

assembled a strong groupof community membersto draw funding from thissuccessful program to ourarea. Bringing bicycling andwalking safety and safetyeducation to our kids is ahealthy way to get themexercising more whilereducing school-site trafficcongestion.

Since its inception, thehighly competitive program(local school districts,boards, city councils and state agencies canrequest funding through yearly applicationcycles) has enabled awardees to increasethe safety of children walking or riding toschool.

Pedestrian accidents have been aleading cause of fatal injuries for school-aged children, including in school zoneslacking crosswalks or sidewalks, Wiggins

Ross Epic raises money for local riderCarlos Perez

S

aturday morning June 2, at 5:00 a.m. a dozen or so volunteersarrived at the Geyserville High School to help set up for arace that had captured the attention of nearly 200 participants,

fromfi

rst-time racers to lightning-quick pros. The challenge?To climb the formidable Pine Flat Road a 3,300 ascent up some ofthe steepest terrain Sonoma County has to offer, and thats no small task.To make it even tougher we added several miles of lead-in to the climb,and riders still had to return to the start/finish area after the summit.

For all intents and purposes, therace turned out to be a very successfulfirst-year event. Racers offered verygenerous remarks that the race wasby far one of the best hill climbs theyhad attended.

Ross Dillon enjoys a medal from theevent that bears his name.

continued on page 9

Sonoma County communit ies receive prized Safe Routes to School grants

continued on page 9

Amy Diaz from Piner-OlivetCharter School navigates a bike

rodeo course.


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EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Christine Culver

EDITOR/ COPY EDITOR

David Abbott

CONTRIBUTORS

Timothy Bacon

Becky Schuerman Choi

Martin Clinton

Mike Eunice

Chris Jones

Cindy Lewis

Deanna McKenzie

Misty Mesel

Carlos Perez

Simeon Walton

PHOTOS

David Abbott

Becky Schuerman Choi

Christine CulverChris Jones

Doug McKenzie

Dave Ruggles

Anita Suyeyoshi

SCBC BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Vicki Duggan (President)Mike Eunice (Secretary)Tim GonzalezEd Kirsch

Deanna McKenzie

Misty Mesel (Treasurer)Tom Maunder

Lou Salz

Kathy Storin

Ken Wells (Vice-President)Gary Wysocky

STAFF

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORChristine Culver

MEMBERSHIP

COORDINATOR/

OFFICE MANAGER

Timothy Bacon

STREET SKILLS

INSTRUCTOR

Martin Clinton

SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL

COORDINATOR

Chris Davis

BIKE TO WORK ASSISTANT

COORDINATOR

Dave Ruggles

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

We welcome your comments.Send letters to:

SCBCPO Box 3088Santa Rosa CA 95402-3088

e-mail comments:[email protected]

Eyes wide open

SAVE THE DATE!! The annual Velopalooza Bike Party is coming upOctober 13, 2007 and will be held from 5:00 until 9:00 pm. This annualfundraising event will be held at a new venue, Ellington Hall 3535 IndustrialDrive, Suite B4 in Santa Rosa (www.ellingtonhall.com). Admission is free formembers and non-members can sign up at the door.

Come and partake of marvelous food, beer and wine served for membersenjoyment. There will be raffles, a silent auction as well as a live auction filledwith fun and fabulous prizes.

In order to make this event a continued success, we need the help ofour dedicated volunteers. Additionally, we are continuing to round up prizedonations to be raffled and auctioned off. If you or anyone you know has time orprized possessions to donate, we welcome them with open arms!

This event is an opportunity for members to celebrate all theaccomplishments of the organization and to get together to have a great time.Its also the Coalitions most important fundraiser of the year. We hope youllbe able to join us for a fun-filled, bike-filled, prize-filled evening of celebrationand community!

Velopalooza around the cornerMisty Mesel

Christine Culver, Executive Director

NorCal Bike Sport and theBike Peddle r for a beaut ifulSpecialized Globe bicycle

Soulcraft

SyCip DesignsTool Box GrillC amelBakProducts, Inc.

Petaluma C offee Company

Sonoma C ounty TourismBureau

Peets CoffeeREI

Great W estern Bike Rally

Watching adults rediscover cycling is almost as good aswatching a child riding without training wheels for the firsttime. Rushing back is the forgotten joy and freedom they

hadnt known they lost when they picked up thekeys to a car.

But for me, it is more than that. It is the Iget it now! look. Every year we take a number

of public officials and city staff on a bike ride around Santa Rosa. We take themon the routes that bike riders use and show them the problems we encountereveryday. What a difference it makes to get them out there and experiencing theroads and trails.

Most of the people making the decisions about what our roads andcommunities look like havent been on a bike in years. But when you get themto swing their leg over that bike seat and try to figure out how to get across anintersection they then understand the importance of adding bike lanes.

Santa Rosa City staffer Fabian Favilla is one of the recently enlightenedriders to join the ranks of regular bike commuters. We are lucky to have suchdedicated employees working for our cities. His excitement and enjoyment on

the bike is infectious and inspiring. Thanks for making the leap Fabian!

A HUGE thank you to the Santa Rosa Cycling Clubfor $10,000 donated to help support the SCBC inmaking Sonoma County a great place to ride bikes!

We would a lso like to thank the following merchants for theirgenerous donations to the Wine Country Century raffle:


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SCBC CALENDAR

Local SceneCounty Bike Plan Public Workshops

Four public workshops will be conducted as part of a countywide effort to updateexisting and/or develop new bicycle and pedestrian plans for the communities of Cloverdale,Cotati, Rohnert Park, Healdsburg, Sebastopol, Sonoma, and Windsor as well as for SonomaCountys unincorporated areas. Petaluma has already completed its draft plan and Santa Rosais updating its plan in a separate effort.

The purpose of the workshops will be to encourage comments and ideas about walking

and bicycling throughout Sonoma County. Each workshop will focus particular attentionon the region of the County where the meeting is being held, andparticipants are encouraged to attend the workshop in the area oftheir greatest interest. There will be discussion of opportunities forimproving bicycling and pedestrian facilities as well as presentation ofthe Plan development process. Interactive exercises to identify issuesand opportunities and a discussion of the specific recommendationsand draft plans for bicycle and pedestrian facilities, projects, andprograms will also be part of each workshop.

The Sonoma County Transit Authority is overseeing this process.Please send comments on the plan to Lynne March at (707) 565-5373,or email at, [email protected]. SCBC members should feel free to

contact our office with comments and concerns.The workshops will be from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the

following locations:

North County

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Town of Windsor

Huerta Gymnasium

9291 Old Redwood Hwy.

Windsor, CA

East County

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Sonoma Community Center

276 East Napa St.

Sonoma, CA

South County

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Cotati Community Center

216 East School St.

Cotati, CA

West County

Thursday, September 27, 2007

City of Sebastopol

Sebastopol Veterans Hall

282 High St.

Sebastopol, CA

SUPPORT SCBC MEMBER BUSIN ESSESBear Valley Inn 415-663-1777www.bearvinn.com

Bici Sport Bike Shop707-775-4676

The Bike Peddler 707-571-2428www.norcalcycling.com

Cambria Bicycle Outfitter707-579-5400www.cambriabike.com

Community Bikes707-579-5811

Community Market 707-546-1806www.srcommunitymarket.com

Dow House 707-494-3900

Empire Eye Doctors Medical Group707-544-3147

Gary Wysocky CPA707-575-3820

Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce707-433-6935www.healdsburg.org

Hightekbikes, Inc.707-780-3335

Jeffrey Kahn, PhD.707-546-4349

Nor Cal Bike Sport 707-573-0112www.norcalcycling.com

NorCal Velo Cycling Team707-874-3120www.norcalvelo.com

North Santa Rosa Physical Therapy707-523-2848

Orthopedic & Sports PhysicalTherapy 707-571-7615

Port of Sonoma 707-799-7726

R.G. Window Cleaning

707-778-1383

REI 707-540-9025www.rei.com/ stores/ santarosa

Rickshaw Rudys Pedal Cab Servicewww.rickshawrudys.com

Rincon Cyclery 707-538-0868www.rinconcyclery.com

Roger Gilbert Photography707-546-7642

Santa Rosa Cycling Clubwww.SRCC.com

So Co Agricultural Preservation &Open Space 707-565 7360www.sonomaopenspace.org

Sojourn Bicycling and ActiveAdventures 800-730-4771www.gosojourn.com

Sonic.net www.sonic.net

Soulcraft Bikes 707-775-2453

SyCip Designs, Inc 707-542-6359www.sycip.com

West County Cycle Service707-824-0112www.westcountycycleservice.com

West County Revolution

707-829-2192www.westcountyrevolution.com

Wine Country Bikes707-473-0610www.winecountrybikes.com

Wooden Spoon Technologies, Inc707-523-2222www.wooden-spoon.com

W-Trans 707-542-9500

SCBC Board MeetingsRegularly held meetings on the thirdMonday of the month at 6:30 p.m.716 College Suite C, Santa Rosa

Street Skills Seminars(Past students can retake for free)Sat. September 8Sat. October 20Sun. November 18Sunday December 9

YWC2 RideAugust 18www.ywca.org/ sonomacounty

707-546-9922Velopalooza Bike PartyAnd FUNdraiserOctober 13Ellington Hall, Santa [email protected]

Community BikesOpen Sundays from 1-5 p.m.and Thursdays from 5-9 p.m.Do-It-Your-Self-ers welcome.Come learn how to fix your bike.For additional information 579-5811or [email protected]

The Revolution:Sonoma CountyOctober 20The Bay Area Outreach & Recreation

Programs (BORPs) Revolution is afund raiser ride of 100, 65, 25 and 10miles benefiting disabled athletes. Forinformation go towww.borp.org/ revolutionor call (510) 849-4663


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Have you seen the Little Green Bicycles?

Maybe you think Ill be asking if LittleGreen Men were riding those Little GreenBicycles to get back to their Flying Saucers?Not exactly. Actually, Im referring to the latestidea for traffic control in Sonoma County,with a first use in Southwest Santa Rosa.

The little green bicycles are seen on newtraffic signals installed where the Joe RodotaTrail crosses Dutton Avenue. Operated by abicycle-specific push button beside the trail,the signals permit one to ride across the streetwhen the green shows, to be warned whenthe amber bicycle is lit, and to wait when thetop light shows a red bicycle.

Ive written before about pedestriansignals, and how, in general, they only permityou to WALK your bicycle across the street

if you are in a crosswalk. The bike crossing isan obvious improvement for riders in a hurry!The bicycle-traffic signals have been

tried for some time aspart of an experimentin the City of Davis,but have now beenapproved throughoutCalifornia.

Does this meanyou should expect alot more green-bike

signals? Probably not,because they are onlyneeded where there isno application for

the conventionalgreen-disk, green-arrow signalarrangement thatapplies to motorvehicles as wellas bikes.

The obviousapplication for thenew signal is like theset-up on Dutton,where there is a biketrail crossing a street.In the future, theymight also be used where a trail ends at acomplex junction, or where traffic engineerswant to experiment with giving bicyclists

priority in some intersection timing.Remember that in almost every street-riding situation you should be payingattention to, and obeying, regular motor-vehicle signals, and riding your bike just likeevery other vehicle is being driven as far asposition on the street and choice of trafficlane is concerned.

Martin Clinton is certified as a CyclingInstructor by the League of AmericanBicyclists. He teaches the course Street

Skills for Cyclists on behalf of the SonomaCounty Bicycle Coalition.

Martin Clinton

The little green bicycleand the red hand co-exist

at Dutton Ave. and the JoeRodota Trail

Photo:DavidAbbott

Handy Buttons locatedless than an arms length

from the trail.

Photo:DavidAbbott

The City of Santa Rosa has hiredMoore, Iacofano, & Goltsman, Inc. (MIG)to provide planning and consultant servicesfor a Bicycle Pedestrian Master Plan

(BPMP) update.The BPMP will include a morecomprehensive pedestrian plan than theprevious plan. According to the city, thebicycle component of the plan will, Onlyneed to be updated and modified so thatit continues to be a progressive planningdocument.

The BPMP update process will includedevelopment of a Planning ReviewTool. This tool is a development review/transportation checklist intended to aid

City planners in addressing bicycle and

pedestrian facilities in future developmentand transportation projects. Staff training inuse of the BPMP is also part of this process.

A series of public workshops tentatively

planned for the first and second weeks inOctober will be held in all four quadrants ofSanta Rosa. There will further workshopsin February and June 2008 and the BPMPis estimated to be completed in September2008 and sent to the city council for itsapproval and inclusion in the General Plan.SCBC members should feel free to contactthe coalition with their concerns. The citycontact person concerning the BPMP isFabian Favila with the Department of Transit& Parking whose email is FFavila@srcity.

org, and phone number is 707-543-3334.

Santa Rosa Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Update


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The 2007 Bicycle Santa Rosa (BSR)marked the fourth year the Sonoma CountyBicycle Coalition has partnered with the Cityof Santa Rosa to organize the Fourth of Julycelebration in Juilliard Park.

The event kicked off with the annual CityCouncil Ride led by Martin Clinton. Rubbinghandlebars rather than kissing babies andpressing palms proved to be a great way toconnect with bicycle-happy constituents.

Eighty citizen riders joined nine local electedofficials Healdsburg CouncilmemberJim Wood, Rohnert Park Vice-MayorJake Mackenzie & Councilmember TimSmith, Santa Rosa Vice-Mayor Lee Pierce

& Councilmembers Susan Gorin, MikeMartini and Veronica Jacobi, SebastopolCouncilmember Sarah Gurney & WindsorCouncilmembers Debora Fudge and RobinGoble on a 14 mile trek through easternSanta Rosa. The route was altered thisyear from the usual ride along the PrinceMemorial Greenway and Santa Rosa Creek.

A large contingent of riders interestedin more arduous spin took off at about thesame time on a route devised and led by BillOetinger of the Santa Rosa Cycling Club.

Both rides returned shortly after the startof the main festivities to join the estimated300-400 people in attendance. Many arrivedon foot this year, including those involved inthe YMCA Family Walking Program, whichtook a special route just to attend BSR. Thenumber of bikes taking advantage of freebike valet parking swelled to 178.

The NorCal Velo Womens racing teamwas on hand for bicycle decorating earlyin the day. The parade of children on theirpatriotically festooned bicycles heralded the

official start ofthe party, and theCelebrity SlowRace followedshortly thereafter.SCBCs ownChris Culver wasthe master ofceremonies, doingher best imitationof Natalie Woodin the film classicRebel Without a Cause. The race took placeon a short course and the winner had to bethe last to cross the finish line. Sounds easy,just stop right? Wrong, you had to maintainforward momentum, you could not put your

foot on the ground, and you couldnt swerveinto your competitors lane. The master ofthis bike handling skill was Scott Wilkinsonof the SRJC Neighborhood Group.

Throughout the day, attendees wereinvited to speak with people from like-minded organizations in booths around thepark, while St. Peterbilt played rockabillysongs in the background. Kids of all agesparticipated in water balloon tosses, facepainting, a jump house, and poster drawing.They were also invited to join Rose Mello

for a tourof the JoeCool SnoopyStatues placedaround town.A new featureat BSR thisyear was themister tent,which was thebrainchild ofDoug Simon.

It offered acool escapefrom the heatand with temperatures soaring into the upper90s was a welcome addition.

The winner of the grand prize in the rafflethis year was local bicycle enthusiast andcommunity activist Jenny Bard, who tookhome a Trek Cruiser provided by NorCalBike Sport.

Rickshaw Rudys provided rickshawrides around downtown and the park. Pony

Despite heat, Bicycle Santa Rosa draws large crowdDeanna McKenzie

Bicycle Santa Rosa festivities kicked off with the kids parade.The fourth annual event drew 300-400 people.

Photo:DougMcKenzie

SCBC Boardmember Deanna McKenziepulls double duty at the smoothie booth.

Photo:DougMcKenzie

Scott Wilkinson (left) faces off with MichaelTeller in the final heat of the slow race. Wilkinsoneventually won.

Photo:DougMcKenzie

continued on page 10


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Tens of thousands of cyclists across the Bay Area took tothe streets for a zero emission commute on Bike to Work Day.Over 190 Energizer Stations were strategically placed aroundthe Bay to support the event including twenty in SonomaCounty. Encouragement, complimentary food, free tote bagsand bike related informationwere provided by thousands ofvolunteers hosting these stations.Many Sonoma County electedofficials put the pedal to thepavement as well.

Regional Bike to WorkDay organizers estimate thatparticipation in this 13th annualevent reached the 100,000s.

Sonoma County wrappedup with a reception to honor theTeam Bike Challenge winners,Wheels of Change, and BikeCommuter of the Year, ChristineByrne.

Bike to Work Day organizerswould like to give special thanksto the presenting sponsors, 511.org and Webcor Builders, localSonoma County sponsors for their support as well as all ofour station hosts in making this important community event

possible.

T hir t e ent h annu al B ike t o W o r k b r ingscommut e rs o u t o f t he wo o d wo rk

Thanks to all our Bike to Work sponsors:

C it y o f San t a R os a , B i c i Spo r t , F us ion F it nes s , PG&ESo n o ma Co u n t y Tr a n spo r t a t io n A u t h o r it y

Bike Commuter of the Year honors wentto Christine Byrne (far left). Other

nominees from left; Andy Howard, TeresaMcCollen, Santa Rosa CouncilmemberVeronica Jacobi, Tom Kuhn, GenevieveNavar. Not pictured; Greg Fisher, David

DiSanto, Bob Shebest.

The Wheels of Fortune bike team from theCity of Rohnert Park accepts their award

from Bike to Work Coordinator Dave Ruggles(kneeling). From left; Barbara Denlis, Dana

Throckmorton, Jake MacKenzie, & BrianGoodman. Carol Mendenhall not pictured.

Photo:Ch

ristineCulver

A ir po r t C l u bAg il en t Techno l og iesCamel BakCasa Gr ande HSC it y o f C ot a t iC it y o f Sant a RosaCommunit y Mar ketCount y o f Sonoma

East s ide Cycl esK en il w o r t h J HSLandpa t hsN o r C al B ik e Spo r tand t he B ike Pedd l e rPet a l uma Wheel manREIReif

Rohne r t Pa r k BPACRincon Cyc l er ySant a Rosa JuniorCo l l eg eSonoma Coun t y BPACSono ma Ci t y Counc i lSpoke Fo l kSu t t er M ed ica l Cen t er

And station hosts:

Photo:DaveRuggles

One of the two stations that AgilentTechnologies hosted


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Bike lanes are for everyoneMike Eunice

Some people criticize bike lanes becausethey take away a travel lane and results inmore congested traffic. Others criticize bikelanes because they take away parking in frontof homes or businesses.

Still others criticize bike lanes becausethey seldom see bicycles on them. Hopefully,these critics will see the big picture andrealize that everyone benefits from bikelanes, and not just a few cyclists.

Urban streets have to satisfy many needs.Various modes of transportation use them,and they provide local access to a communityand mobility for through traffic. Some streetenhancements, such as trees, bike lanes,and crosswalks cannot be measured withnumbers alone, as they offer values that

simply make a community better. Bike lanescan provide the following benefits to thecommunity:

For Pedestrians:Greater separation from traffic, especiallywithout on-street parking or a planterstrip, increasing comfort and safety. Thisis important to young children walking,playing or riding their bikes on curbsidesidewalks.Reduced splash from vehicles passing

through puddles, and a total eliminationof splash where puddles are completelycontained within the bike lane).An area for people in wheelchairs to walkwhere there are no sidewalks, or wheresidewalks are in poor repair or do not meetADA standards.A space for wheelchair users to turn on andoff curb cut ramps away from moving traffic.The opportunity to use tighter cornerradii, which reduces intersection crossingdistance and tends to slow turning vehicles.

In dry climates, a reduction in dust raisedby passing vehicles, as they drive furtherfrom unpaved surfaces.

For Motorists:Greater ease and more opportunities toexit from driveways thanks to improvedsight distance.Greater effective turning radius at cornersand driveways, allowing large vehicles toturn into side streets without off-trackingonto a curb.A buffer for parked cars, making it

easier for motorists to park, enter, and

exit vehicles safely and efficiently. Thisrequires a wide enough bike lane sobicyclists arent doored.Less wear and tear of the pavement if bikelanes are restriped by moving travel lanes

so that heavier motor vehicles no longertravel in the same well-worn ruts.

For Other Modes:Transit: A place to pull over next to thecurb out of the traffic stream.

Delivery vehicles (including postal service):A place to stop out of the traffic stream.Emergency vehicles: Room to maneuveraround stopped traffic, decreasing

response time.Bicyclists: Greater acceptance of peoplebicycling on the road, as they remindmotorists that they are not the onlyroadway users.Non-motorized modes: An increase in use,by increasing comfort to both pedestriansand bicyclists (this could leave more spacefor motorists driving and parking).For the Community:

A traffic-calming effect when bike lanesare striped, by narrowing travel lanes.Better definition of travel lanes wherethe road is wide and reduces the sea ofasphalt look as well.An improved buffer to trees, allowinggreater plantings of green canopies, whichalso has a traffic calming effect.

More specific to Santa Rosa, residents onCalistoga Road petitioned the City of SantaRosa for traffic calming. Members of thepublic shouted down the proposed traffic-calming bike lanes. Subsequently, motorists

continued on page 8

P

hoto:ChristineCulver

Bike lanes make crossing streets easier for all users.


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Once again the SCBC entered the annualRose Parade, held on May 19 in downtownSanta Rosa. We had another great turnoutwith 30 riders 8 children and 22 adults.The 1.5 hour wait at the start was a bit rough,

but once we got going, we were greeted withlots of cheers. People were impressed withour clockwise and counter-clockwise single-file, high-speed riding skills. There were nospills this year, despite two riders with trainingwheels who did a great job negotiating aroundthe behemoth triple bike in the center of theentry that was once again hard to balancegoing that slow. Thanks to all the paradeparticipants for encouraging our spectators to ride their bikes often and safely andwhen they cant get on their bike, to share the road with us.

SCBC Rose parade entry gets word out about cyclingChris Jones

Chris Jones and his son Trevor on thier triple bicyle.

CourtesyofChrisJones

killed two pedestrians on that street. Thetraffic engineers in Santa Rosa eventuallyinstalled bike lanes on Calistoga road andreduced the speeds by ten miles per hour.

Later, the residents on Hoen Avenuepetitioned the city of Santa Rosa to calmthe traffic on their street because they wereweary of motorists crashing into property.

So, when people see the absence of bikes inbike lanes, they should also see the absenceof crashed vehicles on residents property.

More recently, as the Santa Rosa trafficengineers are in the process of installingbike lanes on Sonoma Avenue, the criticsare at it again.

In addition to all of the above reasons forbike lanes, the traffic engineers are trying toreduce rear-end collisions on the sections ofSonoma Avenue that have four travel lanes.For example, motorists stopping to make left

turns in the left travel lane often get hit frombehind. Also, motorists changing lanes toavoid the stopped vehicle get hit from behind.

When the Sonoma County BicycleCoalition advocates for bike lanes, we aretrying to make cycling easier and more funand to get more people out of their cars, whichhelps to reduce congestion. We are also tryingto save lives and reduce injuries and propertydamage. Hopefully, those few who lose theirparking place on the public street will walk alittle farther for the public good.

Bike lanes are for everyone.

For more information go to:http://tinyurl.com/2qzaqk

Dan Burden and Peter LagerweyRoad Diets, Fixing the Big Roads.http://www.walkable.org/download/rdiets.pdfMichael Ronkin, Bicycle and Pedestrian ProgramManager & Members of the Preliminary Design

Unit Oregon Department of Transportation.

continued from page 7

Better roads for Santa Rosa, too

Alexander Zuckermann1921 - 2007

Alex passed away peacefully August 5, 2007 atthe age of 86 in Berkeley, CA. He was born in Berlinin 1921 and came to the United States in 1938. Hereceived a Masters degree in City Planning fromUC Berkeley and worked for the City of Oaklandas a City Planner. Alex was a passionate cyclist,glider pilot and violinist. He loved to ride his bike

recreationally with his friends in the Grizzly PeakCyclists and several other Bay Area bike clubs. Hewas also a tireless advocate for bicycle rights, andhelped get bicycle access on BART, AC Transit,and several Bay Area bridges. He was the founderof the East Bay Bicycle Coalition, ChamberMusicians of Northern California, and the RegionalBicycle Advocacy Coalition. He was awarded theGolden Wheel Award by the San Francisco BicycleCoalition, and was honored by the State of Californiaby having the bike/pedestrian path on the new Eastspan of the Bay Bridge named after him. A Memorialservice for friends, colleagues and family will beheld in mid-late August.


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said. That is one of the many great things

about this program: Funds can be usedfor crosswalks, pedestrian and bicyclepathways, bike lanes, sidewalks and anumber of traffic calming measures.

Our city council and our communityplace a high priority on pedestrian safety,noted Susan Kelly, engineering director/assistant to the city manager for the city ofSebastopol. We are thrilled to receive thisfunding that will allow us to make somemuch-needed improvements, and we arevery excited about collaborating with the

Bicycle Coalition and the school district to

establish an ongoing Safe Routes to School

program in Sebastopol.Santa Rosa Mayor Bob Blancharddescribed the funding from the SRTSprogram as the perfect compliment tothe citys Street Smarts Program. Both ofthese programs promote using our roadsmore safely, Blanchard said. StreetSmarts addresses safety in the greatercommunity and Safe Routes focuses onschool-aged children, teaching them howto walk and bike safely while encouraginga healthier lifestyle.

At the end of the day, we had given theDillons and the Sonoma County BicycleCoalition a little over $23,000 fromdonations, raffle tickets, a silent auction, andregistration fees. With the stated objectivesmet, it seemed time to turn to more importantthings.

Credit for the success goes to the manyvolunteers and supporters of Ross, the race,and its cause. Giampaolo Pesce of RivierraRistaorante donated enough food to feed thetwo hundred racers that came to Geyserville;The Santa Rosa Cycling Club provided manyof the materials we used to make the eventsafe and organized; The Sonoma CountyBicycle Coalition went to huge lengths tohelp provide access to people and resources.

In-kind donations were also made by manylocal businesses.In order for a race to be remembered,

there has to be something to define it. Amoment, or a collection of them if you will.At Ross Epic, those moments came nota second too soon. People had been sittingor standing around for an hour or more justwaiting for their results to be posted, and wewere doing everything we could to keepthem there.

When the results finally came, I took the

papers towards the platform and set themneatly on one of the large speakers. I thengrabbed one gold medal off of the stage andbrought it over to Ross.

More than anything, I wanted to checkin with the Dillons and see how they wereholding up. I imagined it must have been a

long day for Ross. I dont think hes usedto so much attention from so many peopleat once, or to such a long day in the sun. Ilooked to Betsy when I brought Ross hismedal, and before I could ask her if it wouldbe OK for me to put it on him Ross hadreached and grabbed the ribbon that it wasattached to, and started to pull it over hishead. I nearly choked.

Here in front of me was Ross Dillon the same Ross who was laying in a bednearly unable to move the first time wemet. But this moment everything about himseemed so different, and his story cameflooding into plain sight. After all the hardwork that so many people did to make thisday happen, at its pinnacle of exhaustion,

Ross gestured his desire to be a part of it. Itwas a moment not unlike cresting a hill aftera long arduous ride to see home for the firsttime.

Appropriately, it was probably somethinglike cresting Pine Flat, knowing suddenlythat you accomplished what you had comehere to do.

Carlos Perez is a computer technologist,race promoter, California native andresident of Santa Rosa. He has spent

the last several years advocating forimportant cyclists issues in and aroundSonoma County, and is currently workingon publishing a culture-centric cyclingmagazine in Sonoma County. If you wouldlike to contribute, you can reach himthrough www.BikeMonkey.net

Ross Dillon Hill Climbcontinued from page 1

SCBC brings home Safe Routes to School fundscontinued from page 1


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Thanks to cooperative weather andenthusiastic support, Bike to Work/School Week (BTW) in Petaluma was anoverwhelming success. Final tallies at thefour Energizer Stations and four participatingschools indicated that nearly 620 knownbicycle commuters took to the streets onBike to Work/School Day. As has beencustom over the past several years, a prizedrawing was held for registered bicyclists.This year we were able to hand out awhopping 123 prizes thanks to donationsfrom many supportive Petaluma businesses.

Additional BTW festivities included thePetaluma tradition recognizing businessesand schools with the highest percentage ofparticipation. Sonoma Technology weighed

in with 39.5 percent, and Casa Grande HighSchool, Kenilworth Junior High School, andCorona Creek Elementary School all wonin their respective categories. There wasalso a new feature this year in the form ofa trophy to the deliveryservice with the mostparticipation. DHL won theprize with 11 percent of itsemployees biking to workon May 17. All winnerswere awarded unique

trophies manufactured byBernie Album from sparebike parts, and the schoolswere given additional cashawards to be used for bikeclubs and helmets.

Petaluma also discovered the advantageof a bicycling mayor this year. We had theopportunity to hold a cool new communityevent for cyclists. With Bernie Albums

instigating, Lisa Irwins organizing, andMayor Pamela Torliatts enthusiasticsupport, the Petaluma Pedestrian and BicycleAdvisory Committee (PBAC) sponsored thefirst annual Mayors Ride at 10:00 a.m. onSaturday, May 19. Approximately 60 peopletook advantage of good cycling weather tojump at the opportunity to promote bicyclingin Petaluma.

A seven-mile loop from the PetalumaVisitor Center was designed for riders ofall abilities and to showcase some of thegreat bikeways in town. More than half ofthe route followed off-street trails RiverTrail, Lynch Creek Trail, Capri Creek Trail,and the Petaluma Ring Trail and severalriders mentioned that it was their first time

experiencing some of these trails. To preventany lost souls, riders were provided witha map of the route and a trip ticket. Theinside of the handout also contained a briefdescription of various bicycle and pedestrian-

related projects in theworks. And to everyonesdelight, the PetalumaPolice Departmentprovided escortservices to stop trafficat intersections so that

we may parade right onthrough.

The Petaluma PBACwould like to thankall the businesses andvolunteers that supported

Bike to Work/School Week activities thisyear, not to mention all the wonderfulbicyclists that participated to make the weekwell worth the effort.

Petaluma bikes to workBecky Schuerman Choi

Photo

:BeckySchuermanChoi

Returned from the ride with smiling faces,from the left: Petaluma Mayor Pam Torliatt,SCBCs Christine Culver and Rohnert Park

Councilmember Tim Smith.

Espresso, Whole Foods Santa Rosa and BSRHot Dogs supplied food. Smoothies werepedal blended throughout the day at SCBCscrowd-pleasing Bike Blender booth, withmany attendees accepting the challenge tosee how fast they could pedal a smooth,sippable berry smoothie. Piner High KeyClub returned with pies and ice cream, withproceeds going to benefit the Genevieve

Hirsch Memorial Fund.

The day could not have happened withoutthe many great volunteers who arrived withenthusiasm and smiles. We would like toextend our thanks to our sponsors, Winzler& Kelly, Sprint Copy Center of Sebastopol,and to Northbay Recycling and Portables fordonating their services and supplies, and KimStufflebeam for all the artwork!A big thankyou to all who pitched in this year.

Mister adds cool edge to hot eventcontinued from page 5


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Sabrina Merlo, BABCs new advocacy director will be taking the lead on two significant

advocacy projects. First, is the Regional Bicycle Plan which is currently undergoing a minorrevision at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). Sabrina is serving on theRegional Bicycle Working Group at MTC, and will be participating in that working groupsoversight of the Regional Bicycle Plan update. Secondly, Sabrina is also taking the lead for theBABC on the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) revision, an 18 month long process wherebyMTC budgets over $120 billion in transportation funding for the next 25 years. Sabrina isworking with California Walks and TALC (Transportation Land Use Coalition), to developbudgeting recommendations (and rationale) for bicycle and pedestrian programs.

BABC staff along with SCBC Executive Director Christine Culver participated in lobbyingefforts nationally at the National Bike Summit in Washington D.C. and locally at Pedal Powerin Sacramento. BABC is pleased to share its recent accomplishments and thanks the local

coalitions for their support and willingness to collaborate.

The County of Sonoma participated this year in CaliforniaBike Commute Week with the County Board of Supervisorsproclaiming May 17, 2007, Bike and Walk to Work Day inSonoma County. The Board recognized Steven Schmitz ofSonoma County Transit as a long-time volunteer and supporterof Bike and Walk to Work in Sonoma County and presented him

with a Gold Resolution. Steven began organizing the energizerstations for the first time in 1995.

The Countys energizer station located at the County Centerin Santa Rosa opened at 6:00 a.m. and offered a hot breakfastto anyone using an alternate form of transportation. On themenu, you had your choice of blueberry pancakes donated bythe Kiwanis Club, hash browns, eggs, sausage, bacon, tea, andcoffee, along with bagels and fruit for those wanting something light. Those who registered

were eligible for the raffle of gift cards from JambaJuice, Coldstone Creamery, Peets Coffee, andStarbucks. This year,there were 2,211registered participantscounty-wide, and 116of whom stopped atthe County energizerstation.

General ServicesFacilities Operationsplayed a big part inpreparing for thisevent. Special thanksgo to Cindy Lewis for

all of her hard work, and to those who helped staff the Countysenergizer station:Ashley Isaacs, Flora Haluzak, Bill Simon, Russ Mortensen,

Alex Guglielmini, Janet Lopez, Sondra Gilbert, Russ Scherf,Kristen Kebler, Silvia Floriano, Vince McCann, Jared Osborn,Lyle Hanssen, Stan Edwards, Jose Paniagua, Doug Braik,Kiwanis Club.

Bike & Walk to Work Day at the County of SonomaSimeon Walton and Cindy Lewis

Photo:AnitaSuyeyoshi

Steven Schmitz recieves the 2007BTWW Gold Resolution award. From

left; Chairwoman Valerie Brown, DougUyehara, Christine Culver, Steves wife and

baby, Steven Schmitz

Volunteers from the County prepared heapin helpinsof carbs for hungry commuters.

Photo:CindyLewis

Regional News from the Bay Area Bicycle Coalition

Big thanks to CommunityMarket, the Bike Peddler

and NorCal Bike Sport. We

received a check for $1000from Community Markets

Bike to Work Raffle!


12/12

NONPROFIT ORG

US POSTAGE

PAID

PERMIT No. 25

SANTA ROSA, CA

SONOMA COUNTY

BICYCLE COALTION

PO BOX 3088

SANTA ROSA CA 954023088

7075450153

WWW.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, 19, sonoma county bicycle coalition

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