Mayor Filner Announces First Ever Open Streets Event in San Diego

This morning, Mayor Filner and the City of San Diego made a very exciting announcement. San Diego will host its first ever open streets event in August 2013! Called CicloSDias, this free, open street event encourages people to walk, ride, stroll and enjoy San Diego in a way they never have. CicloSDias San Diego celebrates our communities coming together for an unforgettable day of physical activity and fun! 

We at SDCBC could not be more excited and are happy to be partnering with the City on this event! 

To learn more:

  Visit www.CicloSDias.com 

Like CicloSDias on Facebook

Follow CicloSDias on Twitter

 

Coast Highway 101 Update

If you have not ridden Coastal Highway 101 recently through Encinitas, please do!  You're in for a treat!  Most of it is now marked with sharrows and "Bikes May Use Full Lane" signs.  That means traffic engineers have determined the outside lane is "too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane", per CVC 21202(a)(3), and so bicyclists have the right to control the lane.  Controlling the lane, rather than riding near the right edge, makes it easier for motorists to realize sooner that they need to change lanes to pass safely.   

Further, northbound, just north of Leucadia Blvd, there has been "lane diet", reducing the number of travel lanes from two to one, to make room for an eight foot wide bike lane.  And the pavement is all smooth now - goodbye Vulcan Ave detour!  Check it out!

Serge  Issakov

SDBC/SDCBC liaison


See full release below:

­February 20, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  Andy Hanshaw, San Diego Bicycle Coalition, 858-487-6063

New Bike Lane, Sharrows Welcomed by North County Bicyclists

New roadway markings remind cyclists, motorists to share the road

SAN DIEGO, February 20, 2013 – Drivers and bicyclists traveling through Encinitas along Coast Hi­ghway 101 have seen a change to the roadway in recent weeks. In an effort to better accommodate the growing number of bicyclists in the area, the City of Encinitas added a new bike lane to northbound Coast Highway 101 from Leucadia Boulevard to La Costa Avenue. Crews also added a total of 140 sharrows and 28 “Bicycles May Use Full Lane” signage in both directions from K Street to La Costa Avenue to remind motorists that cyclists may ride in the center of the lane for increased safety and visibility.

San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, an organization that advocates for and protects the rights of all people who ride bicycles, reminds cyclists and motorists to follow guidelines for the new bike lane and sharrows, which now adorn streets across the county.

“For the thousands of people who ride Coast Highway 101 every week for recreation and transportation, the bike lane and sharrows are a welcome sight,” said Andy Hanshaw, executive director of the Bicycle Coalition. “They’re also markings of a more bike-friendly community, which we’re seeing in mass across San Diego County.” 

Supported by the Bicycle Coalition, sharrows are a newer tool in the bike-friendly community toolbox. Adopted by Caltrans in 2005 as a statewide universal marking for sharing the road, sharrows mark travel lanes that bicyclists and motorists share. When a lane is too narrow for a dedicated bike lane, a sharrow has been proven to be an effective tool in increasing safety and awareness for all road users. These four-foot wide bicycles with two arrows on top are painted on streets in neighborhoods and along thoroughfares in San Diego County that agencies have already designated as bicycle routes. Road users can see sharrowns in Oceanside in North County as well as the communities of Ocean Beach, Point Loma, Normal Heights and downtown San Diego.

Sharrows help bicyclists position themselves away from parked cars, to avoid being struck by suddenly opened car doors, and to alert other road users that bicyclists may occupy travel lanes. To aid the effectiveness of the sharrows, the City of Encinitas also installed several “Bicycles May Use Full Lane” signs to reinforce that cyclists have the right to be in the travel lane.

To celebrate the new bicycle lane and roadway markings, the Encinitas Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee, along with Leucadia 101 Main Street Association and Downtown Encinitas Main Street Association have organized a casual ride on the new and improved Coast Highway 101. The “Joyride” will take place on March 23. The organizers encourage all community members to save the date and join them for a cruise up and down the coast with stops at local bike shops and restaurants. Please visit www.bikewalkencinitas.org for more details.

For additional information on sharrows and other bike-friendly infrastructure projects, contact the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition at execdir@sdcbc.org or 858-487-6063.

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San Diego County Bicycle Coalition (SDCBC) is a nonprofit organization that advocates for and protects the rights of all people who ride bicycles. They promote bicycling as a mainstream, safe and enjoyable form of transportation and recreation.  For more information, go to www.sdcbc.org.  

South Bay Becomes More Bike-Friendly

Chula Vista has become the third city in San Diego County to install sharrows!  The City of CV's first sharrows were installed on East J St., a popular bike corridor over the I-805 which connects commuters and residents to schools, adjacent parks, and canyons while connecting "old" and "new Chula Vista."  Congrats to City staff Tom Adler and Frank Rivera and to the Chula Vista Ad-Hoc Bike Committee.  If you're interested in making CV a better place to ride and live, get involved with the new Ad-Hoc Bike Committee which meets monthly.  The next meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 5 from 6:30pm to 8pm and will meet on historic Third Avenue at D' Volada Cafe (320 Third Ave, 91910).  Please join us.  For more info, contact Tom Adler, tadler@ci.chula-vista.ca.us

-Randy Van Vleck

Volunteers Needed for Amgen Tour of California

The Amgen Tour of California is coming back to San Diego County! I’ve been tasked with helping on volunteer support. 

Stage 1 will start AND finish in Escondido on Sunday, May 12th, and we will need over 600 volunteers that day. We are especially in need of Course Marshals who will be assisting with the tasks below. If you would like to help, please share the sign up link and information below. Just a note also that the Course Marshal responsibility is best suited for adults who will be able to help maintain a safe course.

Here is the link for volunteering: http://www.escondido.org/amgen-tour.aspx

Course Marshal - Assigned a designated area along the race course to assist with the coordination and safety of the field of play for all race venues; keep the course clear of pedestrians, spectators, cars, etc. 

• Assist police officers with road closures
• keep vehicles from entering the course when the race is passing
• Keep spectators, children, pets or any number of other hazards off the course

-Andy Hanshaw, SDCBC Executive Director

Member Spotlight: Debbie Chaddock

Reasons I Cycle:

Inexpensive Transportation: 

I live where almost everything I need is within walking and cycling distance (half mile to 3 miles).  

When I don't telecommute, I usually cycle to work (depending on project/assignment, 7-14 miles each way).  

My hybrid is equipped with fenders and I have rain gear, so weather rarely prevents me from riding.  

My spouse and I share one economy car between us, and it usually takes 2-3 weeks to go through a tank of gas.

Healthful, Inexpensive Recreation:  

I usually do a long-ish pleasure ride on the weekend (35-75 miles), on my own or with a group.  

On a good week, I squeeze in a midweek pleasure ride (25-30 miles).

Sport:

I occasionally participate in organized centuries and other rides.

Defiant Age Denial:

I used to run competitively, and cycling is part of my cross-training lifestyle that allows me to maintain the level of fitness I desire as I get older. 

North Park-Mid City Regional Bike Corridor

On Wednesday, January 30th, SANDAG kicked off their North Park-Mid City Regional Bike Corridor community advisory group and there was lots of excitement about making the area more bike-friendly. There more than two dozen community members in attendance. SDCBC is one of many community organizations represented on the committee, along with community planning groups, business improvement associations, and town councils. The purpose of the group is to advise SANDAG on the design of bikeways identified in the Regional Bike Plan including Meade Ave, Orange/Howard Ave, and Landis/ Wightman.

District 9 Councilmember Marti Emerald kicked of the meeting by urging out of the box thinking in terms of project design. She said that now was the time to reshape our streets to the serve all people, and pledge her support to make that happen. She encouraged the community to hold SANDAG to the three year schedule to get something built as many in the room have experience with plans that are gathering dust on a shelf somewhere.

There were lots of great “out of the box” ideas, but the biggest request was to make sure that cyclists had access to the business districts along University Avenue and El Cajon Boulevard. SDCBC has been working with these business districts to become more bike-friendly, and the community recognized the need for safe and convenient access as well as a place to park.

Long Beach provides a great example of bike facilities that have improve cyclist safety, maintained traffic flow and help businesses thrive as reported in a recent article. I was happy to hear the SANDAG planners reference the Long Beach case.

While SANDAG's planning efforts are focused on the corridors that were identified in the regional bike plan, 

they pledged to make sure the proposed improvements compliment projects in the City of San Diego Bicycle Master plan as well, including much needed improvements on Fairmount Ave and Texas Street.

SDCBC will continue to be engaged to make sure that this project is the best it can be and can be an example of innovative bike design for the entire region. 

-Kevin Wood, San Diego County Bicycle Coalition Board Chair

Member Spotlight: Tracey McNeel

"The days of my childhood bicycling carried over eventually to also my adulthood. There is a web page which lists, as for starters, the 60+ reasons why biking is good for a person. After the days of my childhood, I started again at the age of 17 into Mountain Biking. I was inspired by the late night TV showings I used to watch of Mountain bikers- I had to try it!. Though my years of  this type of personally chosen physical activity have also given me my share amount of bruises, scabs, and scars, Mountain biking (as also being only one small part of the cycling world) IMO, is the most exhilarating and challenging both mentally and physically for a physical activity. 

Eventually, I also, progressed into Road Cycling. It is known how Sagittarians not only love Nature, full of never ending innovations to other creativity, but also love to travel. Having to be on a tight and restrictive budget for the majority of my life, road cycling was another way for me to TRAVEL, stop and smell the roses, take some really awesome photographs, get out, get some really good air, exercise my limbs, lungs, and keep the blood flowing through my body for practically no cost at all.  At current age 46, I  have over the past two years, also added several other types of physical activities besides my cycling. I cannot even fathom why so many people hate to not only not exercise, but bike, as biking similar to swimming is one of the safer activities toward the wear and tear of one's body when exercising; the key to limiting injuries? The bike fit for your specific body dimensions as well as properly instructed guidance as a cyclist. Though I still can hear many car drivers, etc, even if I am too, obeying the rules of the roads; signs, signaling when turning, to all the rest of legalities that apply to a road cyclist; 

Those who believe cyclists do not belong on the road, I question these persons, then why are you as being in a  much bigger and in an enclosed metal box, are still having  such bad car crashes? I personally think the hatred statements that of "Cyclists have no rights being on the road" should more so be said and applied to all those who heavily rely on driving their fancy metal boxes which also has very big expenses, in a message that screams; Cars and lousy Car drivers don't belong or should have rights on the road. Do I need further explain Why do I bike? Biking has always been one of my passions which I am in no way willing to give up because of anyone else's jealousy or envy to even imply that cyclist have no rights on the road or anywhere else."

Tracey L.McNeel

Avid Creative and Innovative Cyclist and Mountain Biker

of San Diego County.

Advocacy in Action – Local Bicycle/Pedestrian Community Groups Making an Impact!

Two recent victories provided bold bike-friendly moves that will provide safer, more accessible bicycling infrastructure in the cities of Coronado and Encinitas. Over the last 12 months,  both of these cities joined the Cities of Oceanside, Chula Vista, Solana Beach, San Diego City Council District 2 and Bike SD in forming volunteer-based advocacy groups that work to make their respective communities better for all people who ride.  

The proof of the effectiveness of these groups was very evident at two recent City Council meetings. The City of Coronado, who is aiming to become a League of American Bicyclists designated "Bicycle Friendly City" recently approved the installation of 8 new, on-street bicycle parking corrals along their business district on Orange Avenue. Much of the heavy lifting that led to the Councils approval of the corrals came from the work of the Coronado Bicycle Advisory Committee. The group meets monthly to develop and implement programs and strategies that will improve bicycle safety and access in Coronado.

Similarly in Encinitas, the less formal (Coronado’s Committee is city appointed) but just as effective, Bike Walk Encinitas Committee has worked for several months to advocate for more bike-friendly infrastructure in the community of Leucadia. The resulting action from the Encinitas City Council was the approval of a lane reduction and addition of a new dedicated bike lane and Sharrows (bicycle road markings) along North Coast Highway 101 that will dramatically improve the safety for all who ride through Leucadia.

The SDCBC congratulates these groups and thanks them for their work on improving the conditions for bicyclists in their cities. The SDCBC, which recently reorganized its board and committee structure, will convene a new “Council of Community Committees” which will connect representatives from each of the groups to meet quarterly to network and share best practices.  The first meeting is expected to take place in early spring of 2013.

Rose Creek Fest

Join us at the Rose Creek Fest this Saturday! Ride your bike to the event and stop by the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition table to learn more about us and the Rose Creek Bikeway Bridge! 

Event details:

The Rose Creek Fest in San Diego's Mission Bay Park will take place on Saturday, February 9, 2013 from 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM at Campland on the Bay (2211 Pacific Beach Drive). Brought to you by San Diego EarthWorks (the producers of the San Diego Earth Day Fair) with their partners Friends of Rose Creek and Campland on the Bay, this free environmental event will have music, entertainment, barbeque  art, activities and displays that are unique to Rose Creek and its surrounding communities. Bring the whole family to celebrate the natural beauty that Rose Creek and its watershed bring to the communities of Pacific Beach, University City and Clairemont.

The Rose Creek Fest will feature something for everyone. Special features include:

• The "Rose Creek Rubber Duck Derby" presented by Think Blue San Diego
• "Love Your Wetlands Day" service event at the neighboring Kendall Frost Mission Bay Marsh Reserve
• "CreekWalk" led by Friends of Rose Creek
• Activities for children and adults provided by Ocean Discovery Institute, local high school students studying the creek, and community partners
• Music from the Mission Bay High School Preservationists
• Engaging environmental magic with Dr. Wilderness
• A community mural-painting project

Mark your calendar today for this free event. Parking is limited so please consider biking. You can learn more about the event and volunteer opportunities at www.rosecreekfest.org.