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SBBIKE's Spring issue of Quick Release focuses on the partners of SBBIKE in all out endeavors!TRANSCRIPT
SPRING 2016 • Volume 26 / No. 1
SANTA BARBARA BICYCLE COALITION
SBSANTA BARBARA BICYCLE COALITION
BIKE
Partnership
QuickRelease
2 Quick Release Spring 2016
BOARDDavid Hodges, Chair
Courtney Dietz, Vice ChairDavid Bourgeois, Treasurer
Byron BeckRobert Caiza
David CampbellSue Carmody
Hector GonzalezJohn HygelundTracey StrobelMike Vergeer
STAFFEd France, Executive Director
Christine Bourgeois, Education [email protected]
Lynneal Williams and Rafaell Rozendo, Shop Supervisors
Howard Booth, Membership Coordinator
Joey Juhasz-Lukomski, Operations Manager [email protected]
Eve Sanford, Advocacy Associate [email protected]
GOVT. LIAISONS & ADVISORSMatt Dobberteen, AdvisorCounty of Santa Barbara
Kent Epperson, AdvisorTraffic Solutions
Teresa Lopes, AdvisorCity of Goleta
Amy Steinfeld Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
ART DIRECTORCynthia Stahl, [email protected]
MANAGING EDITORHolly Starley, [email protected]
CONTACT US506 E. Haley St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93103
PO Box 92047Santa Barbara, CA 93190
www.sbbike.orgSBBIKE: 805-845-8955
Bici Centro: 805-617-3225
CONTRIBUTEYour time:
www.sbbike.org/volunteerFinancially:
www.sbbike.org/donate
Letter from the Editor
Cycling is a hot topic these days. In our nation’s capital, people
on bikes are riding en masse to cut back on traffic, thanks to
well-planned infrastructure and a thriving bike share program. DC
is teaching all second graders how to ride. Baltimore is about to
launch a citywide bike share program. LA’s City Council approved
a 20-year strategy to get people onto buses and bikes, rather than build bigger, faster
roads. Hot too these days—the planet.
It’s heartening that dedicated organizations and individuals in Santa Barbara are
working on real solutions to our own traffic congestion and pollution issues. This QR
issue highlights how impactful people and groups are when they come together.
We, the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition, our advocacy team, our education and
outreach arms, and our members, joined in solidarity with other likeminded groups
and partners—Traffic Solutions, the Coalition for Sustainable Transportation (COAST),
the Community Environmental Council, to name a few. We asked the city to build the
network that will enable Santa Barbarans to safely choose their bicycles as vehicles for
transportation. Heartening too is the Santa Barbara City Council’s willingness to hear
those voices and lead the way to changes. Council voted for (but did not adopt; see pg.
4) a plan for that infrastructure.
SBBIKE and its collaborators are looking to the future. And so is the next generation
of Santa Barbarans. Another of our partners is the Dons Net Cafe and SBici, Santa
Barbara High’s bike club. SBici members spoke at the February council session. And like
one student promised of the youth, “They’ll be here in fifteen years.” (He was remarking
on the slowness of the long-promised completion of a cycling network.) Here’s what
the comment underscored for me: Today’s young people know the importance of
facilitating change. Tomorrow’s advocates are learning the skills to ride and to lead.
Want to be part of these changes? Let Traffic Solutions help your business
accommodate alternative transportation. Work with COAST to ensure young people
have Safe Routes to School. Join and volunteer with SBBIKE. Take classes at Bici Centro
to become skilled, confident riders. Bike when you can. Share the roads with everyone
on them safely and responsibly. We’re grateful to be your partners.
Taking heart,
Holly Starley
Our Vision
The Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition (SBBIKE) vision is that Santa Barbara will be a leader
in creating a bicycle-friendly community and transportation system. Extensive on-road
and separated bikeways, a coordinated transit system, parking, and amenities allow us
to enjoy a culture where the majority of daily trips include a bicycle. As a result, our
community is healthier and encourages balanced living within our resources. Universal
cycling education for all ages supports the development of safe and respectful road
behaviors from both motorists and cyclists. Widespread community and political support
for bicycling is in place. By 2040, because it is a cycling-centered county, Santa Barbara
is both a great place to live and work and a nationally acclaimed cycling destination,
boasting a year-round calendar of successful, fun, and inclusive events.
COVER PHOTOS: From left outer wheel. Bici Familia participants in Santa Maria (CHRISTINE BOURGEOIS). Young cyclist learns safety skills (JOHN ROUSSEAU). Traffic Solution’s Kent Epperson at CycleMAYnia 2015. COAST’s Nancy Eckert leads a ride. (FILE PHOTOS) Cycling friendly business reps meet (CHRISTINE BOURGEOIS). SBBIKE’s Ed France and Assembly Member Das Williams ride. (DANIEL GIRARD) Community members give input on the BMP. (MICHAEL MONTENEGRO) One of three roomfuls during February’s City Council session. (SHELDON BACHSTEIN) Decision makers view a cycling infrastructure map (DANIEL GIRARD). SBBIKE, COAST, and TS volunteers at a Carpinteria Bici Familia (JAN SILK).
www.SBBIKE.org 3
Thank you, Business Members and Supporters
PLATINUM MEMBERS
DIAMOND MEMBERS
Marcia Burtt Gallery
GOLD & CARBON FIBER MEMBERS
Rincon Cycle CapCranks Cory Motors
SILVER & ALUMINUM MEMBERS
ceramics
TITANIUM MEMBERS
BRONZE AND STEEL MEMBERS
Bildsten Architecture and Planning Dean Axelrod, Financial Advisor The Dirt Club Fastrack BicyclesHelloHarvest
Hoffman ArchitectureHorny ToadIsla Vista Food Coop Mesa ArchitectsMesa Business AssociationRevolution Coaching LLC
Premier Business MarketingREITailwinds Bicycle Club of Santa Maria True Nature Landscape Architecture
Waynes Pro Bike
4 Quick Release Spring 2016
Cade Harris, 17
I n February, after an intense, six-hour
session, Santa Barbara City Council
voted for (but did not formally adopt)
the Bike Master Plan, including a lane
on Micheltorena.
A historic night
SBBIKE Executive Director Ed France
notes, “The bicycling community set a
historic precedence with the highest
attendance at a
council hearing in
recent history.” Adds
SBBIKE Advocacy
Associate Eve
Sanford, “It was
a monumental
occasion.” Council
“made a thoughtful
decision for the
future of this city”
and “showed great
leadership”—enabled
by the support
of many people
throughout the
process. Forty-five
speakers backed the plan.
The decision recognizes our city
faces big-city problems. “Parking’s not
getting easier. Traffic’s not going away,”
Sanford notes. “If we’re serious about
people being safe on bikes, we need to
act on that.”
The Mich glitch
Dishearteningly, a lawsuit without legal
basis filed by a not-yet-formalized
neighborhood organization (so it’s not
clear who the individuals funding it are)
means the process isn’t over. The issue
will have been discussed at the PCC
meeting on March 24. But no action will
be taken until May.
Says France, “We have no desire
to negatively impact the Micheltorena
corridor. But we also can’t give up
on this important connection.” The
neighborhood faces two separate
issues—multiple parking problems and
“a major problem for cyclists that has
not been remedied for 40 years, despite
consistently being on formally adopted
city plans to do so”—that should not be
presented in conflict.
France is disappointed that a
community group
would pursue litigation
that could temporarily
halt all 38 projects.
He acknowledges fear
and confusion about a
Westside connection
but notes shifts in
on-street parking
(spots will be freed up
elsewhere) are a small
fraction of the overall
parking on the corridor.
SBBIKE is working
with Micheltorena
stakeholders toward
creative solutions
everybody can support.
Sanford points to past parking
shifts, noting, “Only by completing the
bike network will we reap the benefits.”
Going forward
The 38 projects will transform Santa
Barbara bicycling, says France. The
solution is twofold—infrastructure and
education. The next step—increase safe
bicycling for transportation.
Sanford notes the goal of finding
two new funding sources is crucial.
SBBIKE will help city planners continue
to get ATP grants. (Highly sought-after
Active Transportation Program grants
are the largest pool of state funding for
walking and biking.) Plus, the coalition
will work with the California Bike
It took two overflow rooms to accommodate the attendees at the Feb. 23 City Council Session. (SHELDON BACHSTEIN)
Coalition to grow the grant pool.
SBBIKE will help educate the
community. “People don’t necessarily
know the positive benefits of bike
infrastructure,” says Sanford. She looks
forward to an ongoing conversation
and to using the new infrastructure.
Members, says France, “Stay tuned
for upcoming public hearings. And
support the advocacy work of the
bicycle coalition, who attend meetings
with planners, community stakeholders,
council members, and formal public
hearings on your behalf.” Watch the City
Council session online.
S tudents from SBici, Santa Barbara
High’s bike club, attended the
session and two spoke. “I felt like I was
not only speaking for myself but for all
the other youth,” says Cade Harris, 17.
Sustainability is at the forefront of his
peers’ conversation topics.
A proponent of the bike plan’s
education component, Harris talks to
his peers about obeying the rules of
the road.
The meeting was Harris’s first City
Council session, and he’ll be back. It
was a lesson in civic engagement. “I
can get my voice heard,” he says. “We
were acknowledged that night. And that
was empowering.”
Harris’s message: “Vote locally
and bike.”
BMP Update:
If You Build the Lanes, They’ll Ride
Youth Speak
www.SBBIKE.org 5
Barbara Bike Coalition—out of which
was born CycleMAYnia. Epperson
smiles, recalling the initiation of the
team bike challenge. “We were the first
region to do anything like it,” he says.
Soon, many communities adopted
team-based, competitive challenges.
“SBBIKE has built a community
of volunteers that never could have
been manifested by Traffic Solutions,”
says Epperson. “That enabled us to
expand the one-day Bike to Work
Day, organized solely by paid staff, to
thirty-five events over the course of
a month put on by members of the
community.” CycleMAYnia was initially
a 50-50 collaboration between the
two organizations. TS then took over
the leadership role.
The partnership gelled in 2007
when Bici Centro was formed and
under the guidance of SBBIKE
Executive Director Ed France. SBBIKE
became more than just an advocacy
organization. It was “a community
service that interfaced daily with the
public,” says Epperson. He became an
adviser to SBBIKE’s board.
The organizations complement
each other. Along with its volunteer fleet, SBBIKE is able to be creative, quick
to respond, and adapt, says Epperson. TS has staff, able to dedicate time. Plus,
an expert in marketing, TS has inspired SBBIKE. “TS has been a perfect partner
for the bike coalition as we’ve grown,” says France. He says TS’s professionalism
has helped SBBIKE publicize its offerings throughout the county, noting, “The
partnership has been invaluable.”
TS will continue to look for new opportunities for collaboration and be at the
heart of successful initiatives, says Epperson. Learn more about Traffic Solutions.
I n 1995, Traffic Solutions
(TS) became a volunteer
rideshare organization and
a consultant for businesses
hoping to enable employees
to choose alternative
transportation. (It had
previously enforced state
ordinances regulating
traffic by establishing
requirements for businesses
of 200 plus employees.)
For Director Kent
Epperson, TS is about
“building community and
human relationships.” The
organization’s mission is
twofold—to reduce traffic
congestion and improve air
quality through commuter
programs and rideshares.
“When you can tap into
the tendency for us to be
social beings and bring
that to changing travel
behavior,” he says, “it’s a really
successful equation.”
TS accomplishments
include the Clean Air Express,
a commuter bus service from the north
coast to the south coast and the most
efficiently run transit system in the area,
and the Green Shorts Film Festival, an
annual video contest focused on saving
the planet.
Part of the equation is collaboration,
like that between TS and the Santa
SBBIKE’s Joey Juhasz-Lukomski and Traffic Solution’s Lori LaRiva set up a booth in preparation for a Bici Familia event at Adams Elementary School. (PAUL KINGSLEY)
Collaboration + Community + Creativity = Traffic Solutions
Good clean fun.
I n 2016, the bike challenge will evolve. Host Traffic Solutions is challenging
participants to try new things. Challengees will receive points for some 30
activities, like biking for groceries, riding with family, or cycling 25+ miles.
CycleMAYnia is going more grassroots, promises TS Director Kent Epperson.
Rather than one large, staged, highly produced event, look for smaller events.
And—drumroll, please—for the first time ever, TS has set a goal of supporting
all events car free. To that end, Epperson donated his bright orange Yuba cargo
bike. “And we are electrifying it,” he says. An SB Pedicab trailer hitched to the back
will haul gear and equipment.
Learn more at cyclemaynia.ning.com.
SBBIKE Executive Director Ed France and Traffic Solutions Director Kent Epperson at CycleMAYnia 2014 tandem ride, where decision makers and advocates rode tandem bikes and reviewed cycling infrastructure. (DANIEL GIRARD)
Sneak Preview
6 Quick Release Spring 2016
W hat do you
remember from
high school? Helping
a single mother get a
return on her taxes so
she and her kids can
stop living in their car?
Running a business whose profits help
villages in Africa get clean water? Falling in
love with community and volunteerism by accident? Aw, high
school, right?
These will be the memories of a group of Santa Barbara
High students thanks to the Dons Net Cafe, a group of
fourteen (going on fifteen) student-run businesses, each
working with a corporate partner. Partners visit the vibrant,
interactive classroom/shop daily.
In 2010, the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition’s Bici Centro
partnered with the school to form SBici, a student bike club,
and DNC soon joined the partnership. (For more on SBici, see
“Local Programs in DC”, page 7.)
Mrs. B, DNC’s beloved leader, is thrilled about the
mentors students get as a result of such collaborations—
relationships that extend far beyond high school.
“We are so intertwined with the community,” she
says. “It’s a village. And it changes lives.”
So does teaching the value of hard work. “Kids need jobs,”
explains Mrs. B. “It’s tough out there.” So when students park
bicycles at community events or do beach cleanups, she pays
them. “And this amazing thing happens. They like it. We hang
out together. They meet groovy people. And they become
accidental environmentalists.”
Conversely, when students have opportunities—traveling
to the National Youth Bike Summit in New York or to England
Chickens, Taxes, and Bikes, Oh My!
D NC student Cade Harris is starting a new business. Bikes
for the Homies will reward high school students with
bicycles in exchange for community service.
Participants will fill out a brief survey to determine what
they’re passionate about. “There are so many movements in
Santa Barbara,” notes Harris.
Bikes for the Homies’ goals are twofold—first to promote
“getting around sustainably.” Students can pick out bikes like
single speeds and features like roadster handlebars; Harris
believes making bikes more appealing will counteract the
tendency for teens to get caught up in owning a car. Second,
students will, hopefully, continue to volunteer. “That’s what
keeps the community strong,” says Harris.
Bikes for the Homies And Harris is biking the bike. “I’ve lived in
Santa Barbara my whole life, and I ride a bike
everywhere I go,” he says. He loves biking and
wants to share the joy: “I want them to feel
that energy, that happiness, and to realize
what a great choice biking is.”
The budding entrepreneur sees
bicycles and community service as a
good fit. “Biking,” he explains, “in a way,
is community service.”
Harris is grateful for Dons Net Cafe:
“Not only did it propel me into professionalizing what I’m
trying to accomplish, it connected me with SBici.” Bici Centro
will be Bikes for the Homies’ first source of bikes. Get involved
with Bikes for the Homies .
with Jane Goodall, to name a couple—they work off half of the
expenses. Mrs. B says it’s important not to hand kids money.
DNC businesses include a growing T-shirt
business, Green Star Coffee, and Vita tax preparation—
recognized as the number one free tax service in
the United States. In March, five students traveled
with Mrs. B to the Washington, DC, ceremony.
Bags of coffee go for $10, and the profits benefit a
nonprofit of your choice. (E-mail Mrs. B at miss_bk@hotmail.
com to order.)
Why the chicken? A rubber chicken hall pass was once
kidnapped and held for ransom—free computer games days
or the chicken would return piece by piece. Mrs. B gave a daily
test until its return. The student behind the plot made the first
chicken suit, a costume that has become DNC’s mascot. Mrs.
B still has that first chicken, super-glued and bandaged, along
with many she’s received as gifts from all over the world. Learn
more about Dons Net Cafe.
SBici President Laura Almengor, the DNC chicken, and SBici mentor Sergio Garcia valet bikes at Open Streets 2015. (COURTESY MRS. B)
www.SBBIKE.org 7
E ducation was a hot topic at the 2016 National
Bike Summit in Washington,
DC. Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition
(SBBIKE) Education Director
Christine Bourgeois is thrilled. Says
SBBIKE Education Director Christine Bourgeois, “By
educating people, you empower them,” she says.
Three local education programs were highlighted in DC.
It’s elementary – When Bourgeois heard the League of American Cyclists
would showcase education success
stories, Adams Elementary came to mind. PE
teacher Churchman started a first- through
sixth-grade cycling education program at the
school when she realized many kids hadn’t
learned to ride. “I wanted change that,” she
told summit attendees. She remembered
learning herself and her own kids learning—
an experience everyone should have. She
now leads annual rides, hosts an after-school
club, and teaches basic bike mechanics.
As the only PE teacher presenting in
DC, Churchman got a lot of attention.
Says Bourgeois, Churchman’s program
exemplifies cycling educators’ dreams for
PE teachers to incorporate bike education
at schools.
High school – Bourgeois had a few
programs to choose from, but she knew she
wanted to feature SBici, Santa Barbara High’s
bike club. “It’s unique,” she says, explaining
that with the focus on driver’s licenses and
cars, “Getting a group from a high school to
dedicate time to biking weekly is impressive.
SBici formed in 2010. In six years, SBici
has hosted a huge annual Bike to School Day,
raised funds to help SBBIKE purchase a trailer
and fleet for youth programs, and repaired many bicycles for younger kids.
This year, the club participated in local advocacy. Two students, including
SBici President Laura Almengor, talked at the BMP City Council session
in February. “I was blown away,” says Bourgeois. “I wanted them to be
recognized. I’m very proud of them.”
College too – To Bourgeois’s pleasant surprise, at a Bike Friendly
Universities session, a photo of UCSB’s campus appeared on the screen.
Serendipitously, Bourgeois has been coordinating to help the school up
its cycling education. UCSB holds a league gold ranking for bike friendly
campuses and, by adding education, will score a platinum ranking.
Bourgeois was able to represent UCSB ad hoc at a discussion table
of 20 from around the country. And she brought home ideas, including a
poster on educating students at the university level.
“T his is the beginning!” Bourgeois’s
excitement is contagious. “This has been
my vision—to bring universal bike access to all
the kids,” she says, “to everybody.”
A new bicycle education program, modeled
after a DC program teaching all second graders
how to ride, is about to launch. The goal is equity,
says Bourgeois, “for all children to have the
same opportunity.”
An anonymous donor is sponsoring the
program. Second graders at seven schools—three
SB public schools, Adams (home of Churchman’s
pioneering program), Franklin, and McKinley,
and four private schools, Notre Dame and San
Raphael in Santa Barbara and San Mary and San
Luis in Santa Maria—will pilot the program.
Cycling instructors from
SBBIKE and the Coalition for
Sustainable Transportation
(COAST) will help train PE
teachers. The donor will
provide a fleet of 20 bikes for
each public school and a fleet
of 20 for SBBIKE and COAST
to rotate for the private
schools (which have less storage space).
The program will last four weeks,
culminating in a ride to a local park. “The
idea is to show the kids the bicycle is a mode
of transportation,” says Bourgeois, who is
already excited about expanding the program
to more schools and more grades. This, she
says, is preparing students for the future.
Biking the Future
F o r Bourgeois, DC exemplifies how a bike
friendly city operates and what Santa Barbara
can strive for. The capitol is extremely busy. “But
without a bike share,” she says, “it would be a
nightmare.” The program is well used and easy.
People in cars are accommodating and
comfortable sharing the road with people on
bikes. And good infrastructure helps. Bourgeois
enjoyed riding along a protected bike lane in the
middle of Pennsylvania Ave. between the Capitol
and the White House. “It was refreshing to see a
big city leading the way,” says Bourgeois. “It gives
me hope Santa Barbara will follow.”
DC Example
Local Programs
in DC
PE teacher Julie Churchman presents Adams Elementary cycling program.
SBBIKE’s Christine Bourgeois presents SBici, Santa Barbara High’s bike club.
Churchman visits DC school cycling education launch.
8 Quick Release Spring 2016
COASTing Safelyby Andie Bridges
COAST’s dedicated Barry Remis rides with students as part of a safety education event at Vieja Valley. JOHN ROUSSEAU
A warm, engaging instructor, Kim Stanley-Zimmerman of COAST captures the attention of students at Carpinteria Family School. JAN SILK
COAST volunteer Sharon Ware helps kids get the right helmet during a Bici Familia event at Santa Barbara’s Adam’s Elementary. PAUL KINGSLEY
“Y ou have to have partners. You can’t do it alone,” says Eva Inbar, vice
president of the Coalition for Sustainable Transportation (COAST). “And
SBBIKE has been our most trusted and our best partner ever.”
SBBIKE agrees. Says Executive Director Ed France, “Bicycling does not
operate in a vacuum, and we need great partners like COAST to help create
the multimodal transportation system that will allow this community to
manage congestion and improve accessibility without needing to build wider
and more roads.”
In 1993, a group of concerned citizens joined together to improve Santa
Barbara’s travel infrastructure. And thus, COAST was born. For over twenty years,
the organization has promoted convenient and safe transportation alternatives.
Since its formation, COAST has partnered with SBBIKE to influence public
policy and provide effective community programs. While there is significant
overlap in the goals of the two organizations, each brings a unique perspective
and skill set, or as Inbar puts it, “Each of us do what we do best.”
COAST coordinates the local Safe Routes to School program, working
together with SBBIKE and many other agencies to help students move between
home and school in a healthy way. The two organizations also collaborate on
Bici Familia (bicycle safety and skills education) events; COAST provides bike
course instructors and low-cost helmets, and SBBIKE brings equipment, a mobile
workshop, and mechanics. “The parents love that,” says Inbar. “They may not
know how to fix a problem, and a bike with a flat tire would otherwise end up
sitting in the garage.”
When SBBIKE and COAST filed a joint application for special training from
the Alliance for Biking and Walking in 2014, their cooperation stood out. “They
liked the idea that we were applying together. We were one of only five cities
picked,” notes Inbar. The Alliance provided resources and information on
effective campaign management.
COAST and SBBIKE continue to use knowledge gleaned from the training.
They will be using the methods they learned to help fuel their next joint
task—Vision Zero.
Adopted by a growing number of cities, Vision Zero is a commitment to the
belief that no one should lose his or her life on the street.
Sometimes, improving transportation can feel like an uphill battle. But as
Inbar says, “Nothing worth doing is ever easy.” She is grateful for a partnership
that helps to lighten the load. Learn more about COAST.
It’s almost here again! The 46th Santa Barbara celebration of our
planet will be held Saturday, April 16, and
Sunday, April 17, at Alameda Park. With its
Daytheme, “One World, One Climate,” Earth Day focuses on sustainability
and finding real solutions to big climate impactors—energy, food, and
transportation. Transport yourself to the park by bicycle if you can.
SBBIKE will be there to park your ride and watch it while you enjoy the
festivities. The bike valet team is hoping to park more bikes than ever.
Also, look for the Bici Centro booth and the return of the advocacy
photo booth. Remember that you can register to volunteer to help at
Earth Day at sbbike.org!
www.SBBIKE.org 9
by Joey Juhasz-Lukomski
A long with local partners, the Santa
Barbara Bicycle Coalition has recently
engaged neighbors to the south, facilitating
bike education, sharing skills, and collaborating
to vamp South Coast bike tourism. The bike
lanes don’t end at the county line, after all.
Strong bike education and advocacy in Ventura
is advantageous. It’s useful to point to nearby
successes when working for new projects locally,
not to mention projects that span the two
counties, like the Fertig Memorial Bikeway.
Integral to bike education are League
Cycling Instructors (LCIs)—teachers certified
through rigorous League of American Bicyclists’
training to teach people how to ride safely and
confidently. In April, a group of eight Venturans
came to Santa Barbara and took the three-part
prerequisite LCI courses. Among them was Derek
Towers, Ventura’s City Bicycle Coordinator. “It’s
great to have a neighboring city also active in
cycling that has established education models for
Partners to the South
the City of Ventura to look to,” says Towers. “Safety is a front runner when
talking about bicycling, and education is another arm in improving that.”
In April, when the group takes the LCI training, Ventura will have a solid
core of educators to teach novice riders, youth, and also the next round of
LCIs-to-be.
Bici Centro has also had a special guest wrencher every Wednesday
for the last few months—Tobias “Toby” Smith from The Hub in Ventura.
Beyond lending his vast knowledge of bicycle mechanics, Smith has fired
up discussions about DIY shops and bike advocacy. He believes
the interactions have a two-pronged effect. First, it broadens the
perspectives of SB advocates who hear how our advocacy affects
our neighbors. Second, “People get to share their experiences,
their resources, and their knowledge. This makes us all stronger
advocates and helps build bridges between communities. I feel
like the camaraderie that has started between our two shops will
lead to greatness in our area.” Needless to say, Bici is stoked to
have Toby around.
As key projects in California gain momentum, it’s clear
connectivity is dependent not just on Santa Barbara, but also on
Ventura, San Luis, and all up and down the state. More bike tourists
will pass through Santa Barbara, and hopefully they will appreciate
our uniqueness as a place, not as the city with better or worse bike
lanes. Our partnerships and conversations with our neighbors will
move us all toward that vision.Ventura cycling enthusiasts gather at Bici Centro for prerequisite courses en route to becoming certified League of American Cyclist Instructors.
Derek Towers, Ventura City’s Bicycle Coordinator and future LCI (far right), is excited about bike education and connecting with Santa Barbara cyclists.
Do you or does someone you know want to join the throngs using bikes for
transportation—avoiding traffic, getting fit, and not polluting? As Santa Barbara’s
cycling infrastructure improves, do you want to be ready to ride the new connected
routes with skill and safety? Bici Centro has your back! Sign up for a three-part
series, Traffic Skills 101, and take to the roads with confidence. The next series is set
to begin May 10. Sign up and learn more.
You Can
Ride Confidently
10 Quick Release Spring 2016
Bilingual Cycling Classes
Bici Centro’s Sergio Garcia teaches Spanish and bilingual speakers the rights and responsibilities of people using roads on bicycles. (LYNNEAL WILLIAMS) Participants learn to get their bikes ready to ride. (SERGIO GARCIA)
I n February, the SBBIKE teamed up with Immigrant Hope of SB to offer a
two-week bilingual bicycling education series on the Westside. Bici Centro’s
Lynneal Williams reached out to Hope, which offers resources at Shoreline
Community Church to community members, such as ESL courses; “Puente,” a
series of guest speakers on a range of topics; and help studying for civic tests.
Diana La Riva is
SBBIKE’s new Bike Valet
Coordinator, and she’s
pumped! “We live in
a community where
people can bike to
work, shop, and attend
special events, but
sometimes don’t,” says La Riva. “Bike valet
encourages biking to the events because
there is safe and sufficient parking, and it
also keeps the sidewalks and rails clear for
pedestrians.” La Riva happily recalls her
favorite bike, a Huffy Catalina 3-speed she
rode around the Purdue University Campus
and West Lafayette, Indiana, for five years.
Reach her at [email protected].
Valet LeadReplace with: One of the perks
of SBBIKE membership is
access to shows at the Santa
Barbara Bowl. Through a
partnership between SBBIKE
and SB Bowl, free bike valet
is available at every concert.
Valet volunteers see a portion
of the show for free and enjoy
discounts at concession
stands. Check out the Bowl’s
website for scheduled shows.
Sign up to valet on SBBIKE’s
events calendar. And read
the new Bike Valet Volunteer
Manual for details. Members
only. If you’re not already
a member, join today.
Park Bikes,
See Concerts
Williams and fellow Bici mechanic
Sergio Garcia were enthusiastic about the
classes, which focused during the first week
on safety skills. In the second week, the pair
taught mechanics.
Participants, eight to ten adults, all
Spanish speaking, were appreciative and
interested, says Williams, who was glad
to introduce Bici Centro as a resource to
Spanish speakers in their native language.
Both she and Garcia mentioned the
value of teaching participants about their
rights and responsibilities as road users.
“A lot of them didn’t know their rights as
cyclists,” says Garcia, noting bicycles are
the primary transportation for at least two
participants. “It was pretty awesome to
watch them finding out.” The woman who
organizes Hope’s resources suggested they
teach the class to prospective drivers, noting
she learned much about responding to
cyclists as a driver.
Williams and Garcia are “super pumped”
about offering more resources to cyclists on
the Westside, where resources for repair and
education are minimal. Their next plan is to
take a mobile shop to the neighborhood.
Williams notes, “It’s something that will be
personal for that community.”
www.SBBIKE.org 11
Because of your sponsorship, memberships, and donations, SBBIKE’s advocacy, outreach, education, and shop programs have made phenomenal strides in Santa Barbara’s community in 2015. Help make SBBIKE's 2016 even stronger!
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(business)
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or donate online: www.sbbike.org
SBSANTA BARBARA BICYCLE COALITION
BIKE
Make check payable to the Santa Barbara Bicycle CoalitionPO Box 92047Santa Barbara, CA 93190-2047
The Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation, so donations are tax deductable as allowed by law.
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Want to help send the president of Santa Barbara High’s
bike club, SBici, to the 2016 National Youth Bike Summit in
Minneapolis? Laura Almengor and mentor Lynneal Williams
(Bici shop supervisor) are raising funds to make the trip. There,
Almengor will interact with youth from around the country,
learn strategies for effective leadership, and focus on the
power of bicycles as a catalyst for positive social change.
Help send Laura and Lynneal
Thank you for leading
Send SB to Youth Bike Summit
Thank you to our many partners who are leading the way to Santa Barbara’s future!
All our Business SponsorsAll our individual membershipsAll our Supporting Foundations
Allen ConstructionBuena Vista Beautifiers – Santa Maria
Carpinteria Unified School DistrictCity of Carpinteria
City of GoletaCity of Santa BarbaraCity of Santa Maria
Coalition for Sustainable TransportationCommunity Environmental Council
County of Santa BarbaraDons Net Cafe – SBici
Franklin Neighborhood CenterGirls Inc.
Goleta Union School DistrictGoleta Valley Community CenterHope Elementary School District
McCune FoundationMayo Newhall Foundation
Measure A – SBCAGMontecito Union School District
Neighborhood Clinics of Santa BarbaraOuthwaite Foundation
Santa Barbara Bowl FoundationSanta Barbara Car Free
Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control DistrictSB 100
SB Arts CommissionSB County Action Network
SB Open StreetsSanta Barbara City College
Santa Barbara Middle School – Bike MonkeysSanta Barbara Unified School District
Santa Maria-Bonita School DistrictShoreline Community Church
So Cal GasStinner FrameworksThe Towbes Group
Traffic SolutionsUniversity of California, Santa Barbara
Williams-Corbett FoundationWWW Foundation
You make us strong!
Santa Barbara Bicycle CoalitionPO Box 92047Santa Barbara, CA 93190-2047
SBSANTA BARBARA BICYCLE COALITION
BIKE
BIKE EVENTS during BIKE MONTH in May!
www.CycleMAYnia.org • 963-SAVE
NEW this year!
• Bike crafts, movies, dress-up rides• Bike maintenance & skills classes• Women’s clinics & rides• Camping, wine & dine excursions• Bike to work & school celebrations
30Your personal adventure will take you on bike quests & challenges
throughout the month.
BIKE EVENTS during BIKE MONTH in May!
A program of:
Visit the website for full event listings
Over $3,000 in prizes!Grab your ADVENTURE GUIDE
to earn points & win.
Sponsors: