iCommuteSD interactive bicycle map of San Diego County

iCommuteSD's website hosts a great resource of information regarding bicycling and commuting. They also have an interactive map of San Diego County, introduced this spring,  outlining bicycle friendly routes and paths.  The map shows San Diego's 1,340-mile bikeway network, that stretches across of the county, north to San Onofre, south to the Mexican border, and east to Ramona and El Cajon. SANDAG's plan encourages commuters to ride their bikes to work or use public transportation and then pedal that "last mile" from a bus or trolley stop to their job.

There will also be a printed version of the new map available late this summer. From the website -This free publication is produced by SANDAG and includes the latest updates to bikeways in the San Diego region, transit station locations, and bicycle parking facilities.

View the iCommute bike map HERE

below is are screenshots of the interactive map. You can zoom in to see areas in detail.

 

(Del Mar in detail)

Carlsbad Park update

Carlsbad will be updating their master plans for 3 parks over the next few weeks. Aviara Park has a 1 acre site which will be a great pump/jump park. Please take a moment to make a positive change for cycling in the county. Please call to reserve a spot in the focus groups, attend the public meetings and provide input through the web. Carlsbad has the space and money to build a bike park. They need you to tell them you want it. This is the time for your to make a difference!
See below for more information.

You are invited to attend one or more park specific focus group meetings for the Parks & Recreation Department master plan updates for Poinsettia, Aviara, and Pine Avenue Community Parks.

To schedule a park specific meeting time, please call 760-434-2826 to make a reservation. If you’re unable to attend one of the focus group meetings, please join us for one of our park specific community meetings.

Key Events

• Wed, Aug. 27 (5:30 p.m - 8:45 p.m)

  Community Meetings
  Aviara and Poinsettia Community Parks.
  

• Wednesday, Sept. 3 (5:30 p.m - 7:00 p.m)

  Community Meetings
  Pine Avenue Community Park.
  

• Monday, Sept. 15 (3:00 p.m)

  Progress report presentation
  Senior and Parks & Recreation Commissions.
  

For more information, or to provide online feedback, please visit the project website.
http://www.carlsbadparksplan.com/index.html 

State of the Art Bike Parking in Sabre Springs

by Isabella Furth

North County commuters can check out the latest in bicycle parking facilities at the recently opened Sabre Springs/Peñasquitos Transit Station.

Unlike the bike lockers offered in other parts of the city, the new kiosk is a walk-in facility offering secure rack space for up to 20 bikes, plus a pump and a repair station. Windows and extensive lighting make it easy to see who is inside, and the kiosk is also protected by interior and exterior security cameras.

The facility makes it easy for multi-modal commuters to take advantage of the new all-day express bus service between Downtown and Escondido (express bus service will expand to include Sorrento Valley and UC San Diego this October). The LEED-certified transit center also offers a 630-space parking garage for automobiles, including electric car charging stations.

The bike parking station can be opened with a specially registered Compass card. These cards cost only $2.00 and can be purchased at most Albertson’s grocery stores, as well as the MTS Transit Store downtown. There is no need to purchase a monthly bus pass.

Danny Avita, coordinator of iCommute’s Bike Locker program, says that people have registered for about half of the available spots at the Sabre Springs location; in the coming months, SANDAG plans to track usage and may issue more access cards to accommodate occasional users as well as commuters.

Usage has been modest but steady: on a recent weekday there were several bikes hanging on the vertical racks.

Avita says the feedback on the bike parking has been very positive. “People like that it has so many spaces and is so visible to users,” he said. “I hear a lot from folks who would like to see these facilities in their neighborhoods around the city.” There are currently no fixed plans to build more. “I tell them we’d love to do that if we had the money,” Avita said, “but it may take a while.”

To sign up for access to the bike lockers, visit http://icommutesd.com and create an account, or log into your existing iCommute account. Once you are logged in, click on “Commute Services” to see the list of bike locker locations and submit your request. Once the request is processed, you will be asked to submit a copy of your driver’s license or California ID along with a copy of your Compass card. (Bike lockers in other locations require a $25 key deposit; this fee does not apply to the Sabre Springs location.) The whole process takes 3-4 business days. 

Kiosk and friend, Bike to Work Day 2014.  (photo I. Furth)