ma Newsletter, 21, Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition

8/9/2019 ma Newsletter, 21, Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition

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

ISSUE 21 SPRING 2008

SCBC is organizing inspiring, fun,

community-building activities to mark

National Bike Month. Here are a few of them:

Thursday, May 15 marks the 14 annual

Bike to Work Day. If youre a recreationalcyclist, but dont usually use your bike to get towork, make sure you do it on this day. If youre

a regular bike commuter, urge your friends

and co-workers to join you! Energizer stationsthroughout the county (check our website for

locations) will provide encouragement, snacks,

and gift bags to cyclists during morning

commute hours (6-9 a.m.). And, if you visitwww.BikeSonoma.org and register for Bike to

Work, youll automatically be entered to win

some awesome prizes, including a new bike!

Sunday, May 18 is SCBCs annual Bike

Swap Meet. Come to the swap for bikes,

bike parts, bike gear, and other bike stuff, or

flea market items. Its a fun event, there arealways great finds, and its a benefit for SCBC.

The swap is from 9am 2pm, Santa Rosa

Veterans Memorial Building, 1591 MapleStreet. SCBC is taking donations of bikes and

bike-related items and other flea market items

to sell at the swap. Or, register for your ownbooth and sell it yourself. Your booth rental fee

(contact us for details) benefits SCBC.

Saturday, May 24 join us for the SCBC

AVelodrome in Sonoma County?Dandy. What about a BMX park?Not to mention more cycling friendly

corporations and facilities, city-sponsoredrecreational cycling programs and summercamps for kids, new bike paths utilizing theSonoma Countys most common commodity vineyards or turning Santa Rosa into aDavis-esque Platinum Level Bike FriendlyCommunity? Fabulous.

Five months ago a committee met inSanta Rosa to discuss the possibility ofbringing a velodrome to Sonoma Countyand proposals for a BMX park somewhere in

Sonoma County havealso popped up over theyears.

Within the SonomaCounty cyclingcommunity, its hardto find someone whodoesnt support ideaslike these as a way todevelop the countysdraw as a cycling haven, as well as educateand develop the skills of local and futureriders. Facilities such as a Velodrome orbike park would not only pull revenue into

Velotopia: Sonoma County bike industry leaders join forces

continued on page 13

Sarah Campbell writes forBike Monkey magazine. Formore go to bikemonkey.net.

Photo by Jon Richards

Sarah Ca mp bell

Get Ready To Bik e to WorkW in Th i s Gr ea t Commu te B ik e !

Raff le Tick ets ar e now avai lab le a tS an t a Rosa Comm un i ty Mark e t

1899 Mend ocino Avenue

continued on page 5


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Photos from left: The inaugural WomensCrit burns up the streets; hungry

cycling fans cook breakfast on Trinity.Photos by Carl Burchfiel and Veronika Lenzi.

A huge thank you to all our volunteers!

This was a super fun weekend for

cycling in Sonoma County. None

of it would have happened with

out the effort and caring by you

amazing volunteers!

It all started Friday with MarySchindler and Fabio Mendes

story about their trip: San Paulo to

Petaluma by bicycle at Aqus

Cafe; I heard it was fantastic

and sold out. Maybe we can do

another showing in Healdsburg,

Sebastopol or Sonoma? Anyone

interested?

Saturday brought (the

amazing) Carlos Perez

BikeMonkey Cross Race. Thiswas absolute fun

for the whole

family! Along

with the Cross

racing was a kids

race, a live band,

coffee from

Taylormaid,

beer from

New Belgium,

raffles and valet

bicycle parking

by the SCBC (staffed by

Janice Eunice and her crew of

amazing volunteers). Thanks to

all who helped out.

The local Norlund Construction criterium

was Sunday at the Cooperate Center Parkway,

I didnt get to go and check it out, but I knew if

Lars was organizing it, it was going to be great.

The Bike Monkey Magazine Release Party

was Sunday evening and had almost 200 party

goers, great music, food from the Rivera, beer

from New Belgium and Lagunitas. It was tons

of fun with silent auctions, raffle sales and

hanging out with all the cool bike folks in the

county. Over $1600 was raised to help support

the SCBCs and Tom Ritcheys Sister Shops

program in Rwanda.

Monday brought the excitement of live bike

racing into Santa Rosas Courthouse Square. The

morning started with kids helmet decorating

and bike skills and the kids bike race. These

events were organized by the City of Santa Rosa

Street Smarts program, the Santa Rosa Police

Department, Santa Rosa Recreation and Parks

and the SCBC. At noon was the first annual

Amgen Tour of California Womens Criteriumwhere we saw a number of

our local girls out there racing

with international hot shots.

The racing finished with

my watching the mens race

from the top of the Cantina

where New Belgium held

a VIP party for SCBC

members. It was a great

place to see all the racers go

ripping by.

Thanks again to Janice

Eunice and Doug Simon for

setting up and organizing the

much-needed valet bicycle

parking. There were more than 500 bikes in the bike

corral. We had folks out there gathering surveys

and signatures. It was amazing to see all the SCBC

volunteer effort that went into making this a

fantastic event. I sure hope we can bring it back.

EDITOR

Christine Culver

COPY EDITOR/

LAYOUT

David Abbott

CONTRIBUTORS

Timothy Bacon

Sarah Campbell

Martin Clinton

Christine Culver

Vicki Duggan

PHOTOS

Carl Burchfiel

Christine Culver

Veronkia Lenzi

Jon Richards

SCBC BOARD OF DIRECTORSTom BahningVicki Duggan (President)Mike Eunice(Secretary)Tim GonzalesTom MaunderDeanna McKenzieMisty Mesel (Treasurer)Richard PeacockLou SalzKen Wells (Vice President)Fritz Wisor

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Christine Culver

MEMBERSHIP

COORDINATOR/

OFFICE MANAGERTimothy Bacon

SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL

DIRECTOR

Christina Panza

BIKE TO WORK

COORDINATOR

Sandra Lupien

STREET SKILLS INSTRUCTOR

Martin Clinton

VALET BIKE PARKING

COORDINATOR

Janice E unice

e-mail comments:[email protected]

Another successful AMGEN Tour of California

Sean Kallaway is smiling because he wonthis cruiser in the SCBC raffle at the

2008 ATOC. Thanks to New BelgiumBrewery for providing the prize.

Christine Culver

Executive Director


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SCBC CALENDAR

Bee-Packs not waxy buildup

Have you heard any localbicyclists talking about the newcamel-back style water carryingsystems made out of biodegradablebee pollen? Yes its the new

Bee-Pack! Well, not really.Although, many such rumors haveroamed the bike lanes about thevarious bicycle and pedestrianadvisory committees, also knownas BPACs and often pronouncedbee-packs.

Actually, the real BPACs aremade up of local resident bicyclistsand pedestrians appointed byCity Councilsand the Sonoma

County Board ofSupervisors toadvise them on howto make SonomaCounty a safe andconvenient place tobicycle and walk.One of the BPACsprimary tasks isto help developa bicycle andpedestrian master

plan, which includes a prioritizedlist of improvement projects for allof the cities of Sonoma County aswell as the unincorporated areas.

So, now that Ive uncoveredthe mystery behind the BPACs, Idlike to guide you through the mazeof which BPACs do what.

First of all, not all cities inSonoma County have their ownBPACs. Some cities that havesmaller populations are notcurrently required to have theirown BPACs.

This includes the cities ofCloverdale, Healdsburg, Windsor,Cotati, Sebastopol and Sonoma.The cities with larger populationsand the unincorporated areas ofSonoma County do have their ownBPACs. This includes the BPACsknown as the Santa Rosa Bicycleand Pedestrian Advisory Board,the Rohnert Park Bicycle andPedestrian Advisory Committee,

the Petaluma Pedestrian andBicycle Advisory Committee,and the Sonoma County(Unincorporated) Bicycle andPedestrian Advisory Committee.

For the cities with smallerpopulations that do not currentlyhave their own BPACs, theSonoma County TransportationAuthoritys (SCTA) CountywideBicycle and Pedestrian AdvisoryCommittee serves as their BPAC.

In case any of you dontalready know, Sonoma Countyis made up of nine cities that

are governed bytheir own City

Councils. Therespective CityCouncils for eachof the nine citiesare responsiblefor the facilities(including bicyclelanes, pathwaysand sidewalks)located withineach of their citysofficial boundaries,

also known as city limits.All land that is locatedoutside of the city limits ofthe nine cities is referredto as Sonoma Countysunincorporated areas. Theunincorporated areas aregoverned by the Sonoma CountyBoard of Supervisors. So, theexact location of a bicycle and/or pedestrian issue determineswhich BPAC youll need tocontact. For example, if younotice a bicycle and/or pedestrianissue located in downtownGraton, then youll need tocontact the Sonoma County(Unincorporated) Bicycle andPedestrian Advisory Committeebecause the community of Gratonis located in the unincorporatedareas. However, if you notice abicycle and pedestrian issue

Steven Sc hmitz

BPACs are madeup of local residentbicyclists and pe-destrians appoint-ed by City Councils

and the SonomaCounty Board of

Supervisors.

continued on page 11

SCBC Board Meetings

Regularly held meetings on the thirdMonday of the month at 6:30 p.m.716 College Suit e A, Santa Rosa

BIKE TO W ORK DAY!THURSDAY MAY 15

Energizer stations open from 6 AM - 9 AMwww.bikesonoma.org

SCBC BIKE SWAPSUNDAY MAY 18

Donations NeededThird Annual SCBC Swap MeetFundraiser 9 AM to 2 PMVeterans Memorial Building, 1531Maple Street, Santa [email protected]

BIKE-TO MOVI ESATU RDAY MAY 24

Return of the Scorcher and We areTraffic. Orchard Performance Space,

515 Orchard Street, Santa [email protected]

PETALUMA MAYORS BIKERIDESATURDAY MAY 10

Come ride with the Mayor! Ribboncutting to commemorate the new trailbehind the Petaluma, Santa Rosa JuniorCollege at 9:45AM. Meet at the bridgeon the north side of campus for theceremony followed by an easy groupbike ride. Bernie Album [email protected]

NO RCAL VELOS FREEWO MENS CLINICSEVERY TH URSDAY TH ROUGHMAY 29

NorCal Velo is dedicated toencouraging women to race a bikeand is offering a series of free on-the-bike skills clinics. [email protected]

ROSS EPIC HILL CLIMBSATU RDAY, JUN E 7

A Benefit Race For Ross Dillon andThe Sonoma County Bicycle Coalit ion.9 AM, Post-event ceremony, food, andLIVE MUSIC. Geyservi lle High School.http://tinyurl.com/3oqp3vCarlos Perez [email protected]

STREET SKILLS CLASSESSATURDAY JUNE 7

[email protected]

FIX-A-FLAT CLI NIC FIRSTTHURSDAY EACH MONTH

6:15 PM-8 PM Free Clinic at NorcalBike Spor t teaches you to change aflattire! 425 College Avenue, Santa Rosa.

707-573-0112


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Bike-to Movie night. We will be showing

Return of the Scorcher and We Are Traffic!

by Ted White.Youre going to want tickets early because

we can only accommodate 75 viewers at this

special screening at Santa Rosas 515 Orchard

Performance Space. Bike parking, beer, and yes popcorn will be available. Doors open at

7:00pm, show at 7:30.

Organize your own event

Have a great idea about how to celebrate

Bike to Work Month in your neighborhood?

Great! Put on an event organize a communityride, have a bike-to barbeque at your pad,

convince your city council representative to

give a bike tour of her district. Whatever your

event, let SCBC know about it, and well helpyou get the word out by posting it on our website.

Keep your eyes on SCBCs website for

updated information about all Bike to WorkMonth events throughout May.

Team Bike Challenge. Put together a

team of 2 5 cyclists (novice to fanatic) andearn points for each day its members ride to

work, the store, school anywhere youd

normally take a car or transit. Each memberof the Sonoma County team with the most

points wins great prizes, including a Camelbak

pack to make your commute easier, a basket of

Traditional Medicinals teas to soothe you, andmore! Get your team ready, and sign up now

www.bayareabikes.org/btwd

BTW volunteers needed. SCBC needs youin order to make BTW 2008 a huge success.

From distributing flyers, to tabling events, from

helping with mailings to representing SCBC atenergizer stations on BTWD, theres plenty to

do. Contact us to get involved. Call us to find

out when the next volunteer meeting is.

To sign up to volunteer, and to ask aboutanything related to Bike to Work Day, contact

Sandra Lupien at [email protected]

or 707-545-0153.

continued from page 1

Get Ready! May isNational Bike Month

Tom Robinson is the 2008Bike Commuter of the year

Robinson is a Conservation GIS Analystat the Sonoma County AgriculturalPreservation and Open Space District.In an interview with SCBC, Robinsonsaid he rides his bike to work everyda y.Some d ay s, he say s, he has an ad d itionalpassenger, Two days a week, I takemy one year-old son to day care. Hesits in a seat on my bike just in front

of me, facing out, and hes got a littlewindshield. I drop him off at day care,and I continue on to work. At work, if Ihave a meeting or an event in town, I

just b ike I can get there in the sameamount of time. Because I have anXtracycle (an extension that attaches tothe back of a bike) I can carry up to15 0 p ounds and la rge items like ourdisplay boa rd a nd event box on thebike... At the end of the day, I go pick

up my son, and well go by the storeto go grocery shopping, which is nextdoor to day care. We try to build onthat one trip. Tom dons rain gear andrides to work on wet days, and helpshis co-workers overcome barriers toriding their bikes to work by providingbicycle tune-ups and helping them findthe safest routes to and from work.

Read Toms interview on page 14


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511.org and Kaiser Permanente present

Enter to win prizes & join the Team Bike Challenge at 511.org

Regional Sponsors


6/16

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Iknow what youre thinking. You thinkI am going to tell you to go to meetingsabout bicycling facilities, and write to the

city council, the newspaper editor, and ... ?Well, I do want you to do all those things, butthis column is about something else.

Stop frightening your friends.Now that the weather is getting warmer

we can expect a lot more people to beusing the splendid multi-use trails we havein Sonoma County, thebike paths, and the pathsthrough the parks. Weshould be able to think ofall those trail users aspro-environment folks whoare friendly towards bicycleriders and bike facilities, butthats not always the case.

Unfortunately manydog-walkers, joggers,and moms-with-strollershave told me that theyhave become fearful ofbicyclists and resentfulwhen they have been takenby surprise by a silent, fast-moving bikerider who passed very close to them with nowarning.

Think what it is like when a motorvehicle overtakes you on the road, roaringpast and feeling too close for comfort.When you pass a pedestrian on the trail theeffect can be very similar, without even thewarning of engine noise (unless you makebrumm, brumm noises when you ride?).

So, please warn people you are aboutto pass: a bicycle bell is the most effectivedevice to do that. There are some cutesqueeze toy squeakers that fasten to bikebars, but the sound is not automatically

recognized as a bicycle is coming. Inaddition, a couple of friends tell me thosesqueakers actually attract wild turkeys, so becareful if you use one.

If you have not yet fitted a bell to yourbike, youre going to have to call out topeople, giving them time to react. I like tosay, Good morning (pause) Bicycle orGood afternoon, Bicycles or whatever.That gets their attention before they hear thekey Bike word. Should you say, On yourleft, or Passing on your left? Its your

choice, but remember that a few people will

step to the left when they hear that word be ready for it!

If the trail user steps to the side, orholds their dog securely while you pass,remember to say, Thank you just like yourGrandmother told you, right? If Im at the

back of a group of riders, I like to add, Imthe last one so they can relax for a whileafter I pass.

Just like on the road, the best bike ridersfollow the Rules: yield topedestrians. Bike ridersand walkers should yield tohorses, giving them plentyof room and if necessarystopping to let the horsespass. Watch your speedthrough the park and on thetrail: in Sonoma Countythere is a limit offifteenmiles an hour. If you wantto go much faster than thatyou should be in the street.Whatever the signssay, the maximum safespeed is one which lets you

stop within the distance you can see. Thatsparticularly true when descending a narrowtrail with a loose surface.

Think for a moment of all the nastythings youve said or thought aboutinconsiderate motor-vehicle drivers: pleasedont let those people on the trail say thesame thing about bicyclists, and particularlynot about you? Thank you. Now get out thereand Ride with Confidence.

Martin Clinton is certified as a Cycling Instructorby the League of American Bicyclists. He teachesthe class: Street Skills for Cyclists. Call theCoalition office for the next available date.

Be vocal about your bicycle: Make yourself heardMa rtin Clinton

Cyclists should be aware of those on the trailwho might have their attention elsewhere.


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The Fifth Annual Bicycle Santa Rosa Fourthof July Festival is on its way so dont forget tomark your calendars.

The SCBC has partnered with the City ofSanta Rosa Recreation and Parks Department tobring back a fun family event on the Fourth of

July at Juilliard Park in Santa Rosa.Bicycle Santa Rosa Fourth of July

Festival is a celebration of cycling andgood family fun. There will be freelive music, free valet bike parkingby the Sonoma County BicycleCoalition and vendors will beon hand with a variety of foodand beverages to purchase.There will be games andcontests and bike decoratingfor kids, a Bike Raffle, and

many local organizations will

have information booths to explore. Take a self-guided bike or walking tour of the downtownarea or relax and enjoy this wonderful parkwhile perusing collections of classic and unusualbikes.

Come ride with mayors and

council members from aroundSonoma County!

The festival is on Wednesday, July4, 2008 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., andthe Council Member Bike Ride will begin

at 9:00 a.m. This event is free to all.The event relies on volunteers

to make it go, so if you would like tohelp out contact the Sonoma CountyBicycle Coalition offices.

www.BikeSonoma.org707-545-0153.

Bicycle Santa Rosa on its way

Bear Valley Inn415-663-1777www.bearvinn.com

Bici Sport Bike Shop707-775-4676www.bicisportusa.com

The Bike Peddler

707-571-2428www.norcalcycling.com

Chelinos Mexican Restaurant707-571-7478www.chelinosrestaurant.com

Community Bikes707-579-5811www.liteinit.org

Community Market707-546-1806www.srcommunitymarket.com

David PeoplesColdwell Banker Realtorwww.PeoplesHomes.net

Dow House Graphics707-494-3900www.dowhouse.com

Eleanor Guerin, Massage Therapist707-322-6540www.east-west-massage.com

Eleven GearRick Pepperwww.elevengear.us

Friendly Feed and Supply707-546-2156

Gary Wysocky CPA707-575-3820

Jeffrey Kahn, PhD.707-546-4349

New Belgium Brewing Companywww.newbelgium.com

Nor Cal Bike Sport707-573-0112www.norcalcycling.com

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

North Bay Commercial Real Estate521-3500 [email protected]

North Santa Rosa Physical Therapy707-523-2848

Orthopedic & Sports PhysicalTherapy707-571-7615www.osptclinic.com

R.G. Window Cleaning707-778-1383

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

Revolution Motowww.revolutionmoto.com

Rickshaw Rudys Pedal Cab Servicewww.rickshawrudys.com

Rincon Cyclery707-538-0868www.rinconcyclery.com

So Co Agricultural Preservation &Open Space707-565 7360www.sonomaopenspace.org

Santa Rosa Cycling Clubwww.SRCC.com

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

Soulcraft Bikes707-775-2453

www.soulcraftbikes.comSpoke Folk Cyclery707-433-7171www.spokefolk.com

SyCip Designs, Inc707-542-6359www.sycip.com

The Un Club707-824-0240www.theunclub.biz

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

West County Revolution

707-829-2192 www.westcountyrevolution.com

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

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

Wordshop Translations707-829-0305www.wordshoptranslations.com

W-Trans 707-542-9500www.w-trans.com

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR BUSIN ESS MEMBERS


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Tom Bahning:Q. Why did you want to be on the SCBC board?A. Ive been helping out at with valet parkingand with setting up at various SCBC events.I ran for the board in order to ratchet up mylevel of participation.

Q. What type of bike rider are you?A. I ride a road bike for fun and exercise and

a commuter bike forerrands around townand meeting my workcarpool.Q. How long haveyou been involved inbicycling advocacy?A. About four or fiveyears.Q. Tell us about yourfavorite bicycle.A. It is a 64 cmroad bike fromSycip. A well fittingbicycle makes all

the difference. I jokingly refer to it as mymid life crisis bike much cheaper (andhealthier and more environmentally friendly)than a red sports car.Q. Do you have a particular interest/projectthat you would like to see SCBC conquer?

A. Id like to continue the push for more bikelanes and paths and increasing the level ofridership in the county. Id also like to workon better signage for bike paths.Q. Anything else youd like to tell our members?A. Use your bike for in town errands asmuch as possible using existing bike lanesand paths. Plan a route that fits your safetycomfort level. Our cause is helped by havingmore cyclists visible on the public roadways.

Richard Peacock:Q. Why did you want to be on the SCBC board?A. To be actively involved in supportingand promoting the rights of cyclists andencourage the use of bicycles as a mode oftransportation. Also, to help shape local,state and national transportation policies toinclude alternatives to the automobile.Q. What type of bike rider are you?A. I started riding bikes for sport andrecreation when I was 14. I joined my

local cycling club in London and loved the

friendship and camaraderie. I also used mybike for getting around the city because itwas the most efficient and quickest way. Ialso saved a lot of money as the tube andtrains were expensive. I now race as amaster 45+, ride a tandem with my wife Liz

and continue to use a commute bike to getaround Healdsburg.Q. How long have you been involved inbicycling advocacy?A. Ive been thinking about getting involvedfor about three years. I have been a memberof the Healdsburg Area Science FairCommittee for about 18 years, promotingscience in the local school district. Havingkids and being involved with the schools, Ibecame aware that virtually no kids ride theirbikes to school anymore. When I boughtthe shop last year Idecided that it wastime to do somethingabout that. I am veryexcited about the SafeRoutes to SchoolProgram.Q. Tell us about yourfavorite bicycle.A. A hand built,lugged steel frame

built by BernieMikkelsen. Mysecond favorite is myBianchi Castro Valleycommuter. Havingsaid all that its hard tonot include all the fixe bikes that Ive builtover the years (ALL equipped with brakes!)Q. Do you have a particular interest/projectthat you would like to see SCBC conquer?A. Its hard for me to say at this point.Anything that encourages more people to get

out on the road is a good thing. Motoristsneed to get used to the idea that bicyclesreally do belong on the road. The more bikesthey see, the easier it will be for the driversto accept them.Q. Anything else youd like to tell our members?A. Im looking forward to an exciting year. Iknow that the Coalition has come a long wayin the last couple of years and I am lookingforward to participating in continuing thatgrowth and success.

Breaking away? NewBoard member Richard

Peacock as Dave Stoller.

Tom Bahning will join hiswife Vicki Duggan on the

2008 board.

SCBC we lcom es three new b oa rd mem bers


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About 300 people attended the Banff

Film Festival World Tour stop at theSpreckels Event Center in Rohnert Parkon March 10th. This event was hosted byREIs Santa Rosa store and the SCBC willreceive the net box office proceeds. Thefilms ranged from a film about premier rockclimber Chris Sharma, to films showcasingsnowkiting and speedflying. The finalfilm, Inner Balance, featured some topunicyclists taking unicycling to the nextlevel with amazing drops and trail riding. Atintermission there was a drawing for many

prizes donated by the sponsors of the tour

including items from REI, MSR, Outdoor

Research and others. Best prize of all was aShare the Road Tee Shirt and membershipin the SCBC courtesy of the SCBC Wewish to thank Marc Abbruzzese, manager ofthe Santa Rosa REI, and Katherina Haug,Outreach Specialist, for choosing the SCBCas the non-profit beneficiary of this event.Katherina also deserves special thanks fororganizing the event.

Mike Eunice and Janice Eunice providedthe valet bike parking at the event and wegreatly appreciate their efforts.

Banff Film Festival tour event entertains hundredsTim Bac on

Fritz Wisor:Q. Why did you want to be on theSCBC board?A. I wanted to give back to thecycling community and getinvolved more in transportation

issues, and city planning ingeneral.Q. What type of bike rider are you?A. I race mountain bikes, train onroad bikes, commute on a crossbike, and go out to dinners on atownie cruiser. I guess Im a collector.Q. How long have you beeninvolved in bicycling advocacy?A. Officially, this begins my advocacycareer, but I have been involved in theGreen Building Movement in SonomaCounty for about 8 years, and transportationissues are central to living in a sustainablecity. As a cyclist, Ive always approachedtransportation from a human powered

vision first.Q. Tell us about your favoritebicycle.A. My favorite bike is a Seventitanium mountain bike.Q. Do you have a particular

interest/project that you wouldlike to see SCBC conquer?A. I would like to see anincreased membership, andthink the SCBC can look to newavenues to find new members.Q. Anything else youd like totell our members?A. Im excited about doing this

work, and getting involved, and makingSonoma County a safer place to ride bikes.Its so beautiful here, and riding is a yearround sport, making it a tourist destination,but safety needs to be addressed here, justlike everywhere else cars and bikes share thesame roads.

2007 memebers bid farewell, new board ready to go

Fritz Wisor likes to getdown in the dirt. Cityplanners will fear him.

The 2007 Board of Directors were given awards after a hearty meal at the Veterens Hall in Santa Rosa at the AnnualBoard Elections Dinner. Ed Kirsch, Kathy Storin (not pictured), and Gary Wysocky are leaving the board, but dont

expect them to drop completely out of the cycling scene.


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The 2008 National Bike Summit washeld in Washington, D.C. March 4-6,2008. This years Summit was attended

by more than 500 bicycle advocates from allover the U.S., including four from SonomaCounty SCBC Executive Director Christine

Culver, SCBC Board Chair Vicki Duggan,SCBC Safe Route to Schools coordinatorChris Davis, and Jim Keene from The BikePeddler/NorCal Bike Sport.

The Summit is organized by theLeague of American Bicyclists to presenta comprehensive, actionable nationalbicycling agenda to Congress. Thebike summit providesa unique opportunityto inform membersof Congress of theimportance of bicycling,

and to educate them onspecific bicycling issues.

The a t t endees ,including bike advocates,bicycle retailers, IMBArepresentatives andb i c y c l e p r o g r a mcoordinators, participatedi n 2 - 1 / 2 d a y s o f workshops, trainings,meetings with membersof Congress and theirstaff and took pa rt in a

Congressional Bike Ridearound Washington.Keynote speakers for the events includedCongressman Earl Blumenauer fromOregon (a longtime bicycle advocate andD.C. bicycle commuter) and AASHTO(American Association of State Highway andTransportation Officials) Executive DirectorJohn Horsley.

The group from Sonoma County spentMarch 5 on Capitol Hill meeting with staffersfrom Dan Lungrens, Mike Thompsens,

Lynn Woolseys, Barbara Boxers and DianneFeinsteins offices. All of the Summit delegateshad been briefed in the workshops so that weall carried the same message to Congress.

This years issues included:encouraging support for CongressionalResolution. H. Con. Resolution 305 recognizingthat bicycling can play an important rolein meeting transportation, health, energy,recreation and environmental goals and tolend support for a national bicycling strategyto increase levels of cycling.Senate bill S.2686, a recently introduced

bill to create a federal Complete Streets

policy to consider the safety, interest andconvenience of all road users, includingpedestrian, transit users, bicyclists, andmotorists in the design and construction ofall streets.the National Park Services Centennial

Initiative to restore and repair national parksin time for the 2016 National Parks 100year anniversary.The Congressional Bike Caucus which wasformed to promote federal policies toencourage cycling as a valid mode oftransportation.Invite our local Representatives and

Senators to attend localevents tied to our SafeRoutes to Schools andWalk and Roll to Schoolprograms.

It was an interestingday walking the hallsof Congress and seeingbicycle advocates fromall over the U.S. visitingtheir state representatives.

On March 6, delegatesmet in front of theCapitol Dome for a shortbicycle ride around thearea. We rode throughdowntown to UnionStation, and around

past RFK stadium tothe Anacostia bike trail

back to the Capitol building.

Sponsors of the National Bike Summitincluded a wide range of groups interestedin promoting bicycling for many differentreasons: Bikes Belong, IMBA (InternationalMountain Biking Association), AARP(American Association of Retired Persons),the National Bicycle Dealers Association, theAmerican Diabetes Association, the NationalCenter for Safe Routes to School and the

National Multiple Sclerosis Society. It seemsthat in this time of increased discussions onways to limit our negative impacts on theearth and the climate, and of how to reversethe trends towards obesity and its associatedhealth concerns, that improving conditionsfor bicycling for commuting, transportationand recreation is starting to make sense inWashington.

Madame Director (and friends) goes to WashingtonVicki Duggan


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On March 26 and 27 the City of SantaRosa conducted round two of publicworkshops seeking public input on theupdate of its Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan.

The purpose of the workshops was toreport on the two task reports that were

prepared since the first round of workshopsand to get public input on preliminary mapsoutlining present bike and pedestrian facilitiesand needed improvements to these networks.

Fabian Favila who is the City of SantaRosas project manager for the plan updateemphasized that the plan is a blue print forthe next 10 to 20 years and that projects willnot happen overnight.

After a review of the contents of theTask One and Task Two reports, workshopparticipants were invited to review maps with

proposed projects and present conditionsoutlined. Input on hazardous conditions wassought as well as projects and needs notpresently identified.

Eventually projects will be prioritizedand the final portion of the workshop dealtwith a review of the draft criteria for howprojects will be ranked.

The first step will be to determine if theproject is a retrofit to a planned project or

if it is a retrofit that is not part of a plannedproject (typically more expensive).

Step two of the criteria process willapply analysis of community priorities, landuse, traffic volume, collision history, currentbike/ped demand, latent bike/ped demand,

technical ease of implementation andpolitical ease of implementation.

Step Three of the process involves areview of cost and funding sources.

The prioritization criteria as well as thedraft plans are all subject to public input.All documents pertaining to the plan areavailable at www.bikewalksantarosa.orgincluding a list of the bike routes in the planand what changes are being proposed.

Round three workshops will be held inmid-June and will seek public input on the

preliminary draft plan.A questionnaire seeking public input

is available on the project website andshould be filled out by May 16and it is veryimportant that SCBC members make theirvoices heard. Questions concerning the planor the planning process should be directedto Fabian Favila, Project Manager, City ofSanta Rosa: 543-3334, [email protected].

Workshops for Santa Rosa Bike/Ped Plan updateTim Bac on

located in downtown Santa Rosa, thenyoull need to contact the Santa Rosa Bicycleand Pedestrian Advisory Board.

But wait. What if you notice a bicycleand/or pedestrian issue located in the Cityof Cotati? Then, youll need to contact theSCTAs Countywide Bicycle and PedestrianAdvisory Committee because it serves asCotatis BPAC.

The easiest way to figure out whatroads are located within the city limits asopposed to the unincorporated areas is totake a peek at the maps in a recent versionof the Thomas Guide. The white areas onthe Thomas Guides maps represent areasinside city limits while the yellow areas arethe unincorporated areas. The only remainingexception is that all of the State Highwaysin Sonoma County are overseen by the StateDepartment of Transportation (Caltrans).

So, if you notice a bicycle and/or

pedestrian issues on any of the State

Highways in Sonoma County, which includesHighways 1, 12, 37, 101, 116 & 128, youllwant to contact Caltrans directly.

Or you could contact the appropriateBPAC depending on where the issue is locatedand theyd forward the issue on to Caltrans.

Hopefully I havent confused you evenmore with this maze of BPACs. For phonenumbers and contact names for each of theBPACs, youll want to contact the SonomaCounty Transportation Authority at (707)565-5373. Lynne March is the staff personfor the SCTAs Countywide Bicycle andPedestrian Advisory committee and maintainsthe contact list for all of the BPACs.

Otherwise, please feel free to contactme if you should have any other questionsregarding Sonoma Countys BPACs. I staffthe Sonoma County (Unincorporated) BPACand can be reached at 585-7516. Oh andplease let me know if you should hear of anycool new environmentally-friendly water

carrying systems.

Let representatives know about bike issuescontinued from page 3


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12

w w w . B i k e S o n o m a . o r g

For more information

about renting space or

donating items, please

contact us at 707-545-0153or [email protected].

Bicycle items, household items,

clothing, knickknacks, or any type

of flea market item will be acceptedas donations for the SCBC

to sell. Charity gift receipts will be

available for donated items.This is the

excuse you have been waiting for

to clean out that garage and support

a great cause!

SELL, BUY AND DONATE BIKES & STUFF

BIKE SWAP

SELL, BUY OR DONATEALL KINDS OF STUFF ESPECIALLY BIKE STUFF!Fundraiser for the Sonoma County

Bicycle Coalition to support ourefforts in making Sonoma Countya better place to ride bikes. Taxdeductible donations may bemade to SCBC.

MAY18,2008

9AMTO2PMSANTAROSA

VETERANSMEMORIALBUILDING

1531Maple,SantaRosa

Thank you to our 2007 Year End Donors! With your help theSCBC is making Sonoma County a better place to ride bicycles.

$1000-$500Mike & Janice Eunice

Vicki Duggan &Tom Bahning

Barbara Moulton

Duncan Meyers

Lou Salz

Warren & Janis Watkins

$500 - $100Hilary & Roger BartelsMisty & Zach MeselDan & Sarah GurneyEd KirschEllen CruzJane Weiss

Jim & Christine RobertsonJoan WoodhullJohn Russel & Laura DillonKarin & Richard Burger

Kevin HodgeRobert & Jennifer ThilleSteve WarnertTim GonzalezTom Maunder

$100 and belowFrank SarmirCharity Kirk & Bradley SaulChelle McDonellAgatha HoffElizabeth HiebelKen ReidMarcia Barlow

Melissa BlancPhil BeardTodd Soares, P.T.Jessica GilleranAmanda & Ken Eichstaedt

Andrew EberJohn & Karen FlemingBunni ZimberoffDale Roberts &Mary McDonellDave BrummettEmily & Edward WinfieldGail & Carl BurchfielJeanna MenzeGenevieve Navar &Donn SlizeskMelanie DotyNancy MarinsikBernie Album

Stacey Ching


13/16

13

our part of the state, butcould also attract a highernumber of elite ridersand professional teams insearch of training facilitiesto the area, help increase

the citys appeal as a hostto the Tour of California,give kids a remarkablereason to play outside, andeven have the potential toswing the SMART trainvote in our favor. But,as one shop owner putit, in a city with such anenthusiastic (and affluent)cycling community, westill have advocacy groupslike the Sonoma CountyBicycle Coalition thosewho have the potentialto get things like this done singing fortheir supper. Supporting the idea of makingSonoma County a world-class cyclingdestination is one thing. Doing something tomake Sonoma County a world-class cyclingdestination is something else entirely.

Thats where Scott Bowen comes in: aman with a mission. Bowen, a cyclist as well,

has heard the rumblings himself and is actingon the opportunity to employ two yearsworth of knowledge acquired from workingat Bikes Belong, a national advocacy groupfounded by bike industry leaders in Boulder,Colorado. Recently returned to Santa Rosa,Bowen saw that something in SonomaCounty had grown in his absence: the numberof people riding bikes.

Seeing this and the unlimited potentialfor getting more people on bikes, has fueledhis interest in developing Sonoma County

as the destination in which to do just that thereby contributing to healthier humanbeings, a healthier community and, I dontknow, perhaps further on down the line, anall-around healthier universal well-being? Andyou know, a lot of people agree with him.

On Tuesday night, March 18, a groupof 19 local bike industry leaders, advocatesand supporters met in an unassuming theaterin downtown Santa Rosa. The first everSonoma County Bike Leadership Meetingoffered pizza and beer in exchange for ideas,

feedback, and, most important and unique,

momentum. Mediated byScott Bowen and ChristineCulver from the SonomaCounty Bicycle Coalition,a bevy of ideas were tossedaround, hands raised, voices

intermingled and more beerand pizza consumed. Afterthe standard workshoppingand notepad scribbling, bythe show of most supporttwo projects were pickedout of the lineup: bringinga Velodrome/cycling parkto Sonoma County anddeveloping recreationalcycling programs for youth(think mountain bikingand road cycling camps)with the citys support andcollaborative group efforts

through organizations like the YMCA. In thelong run, the two projects have the potential tomerge into one as the Velodrome and cyclingpark become the place to host those programs.

Right now, with the connections andabilities of everyone at the Sonoma CountyBike Leadership Meeting, establishmentof the recreational cycling programs are

potentially only a few months away, whilethe Velodrome and cycling park will be amuch larger undertaking.

Bowen turned to the crowd at the endof the three-hour meeting, after everyonesheart rates were picking up and their headsnodding, and said Im just a tool for you.How do you want to use me? And whenfaced with a question as simple as that,suddenly, things start to happen. By theend of the night, the group had two projectmanagers, a project board and a sea of

hands and email addresses for a committee.Project Velonoma and Bike University arestill young, but they have 19 (and soon to bemore) of Sonoma Countys most influential(and active) members of the cyclingcommunity getting little giddy feelingsin their stomachs. Something is finallyhappening. The rumblings are real this time.Talk is cheap, but when incubated in an oldtheater full of excited cyclistswith pizza and beer, it can produce someamazing momentum.

continued from page 1

Pizza and beer lead to ideas, momentum

With a new bike park in Santa Rosa,

events such as the Bike Monkeycyclocross race might become morecommon. Rider is Shannon Sobeck

Photo by Jon Richards


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Conducted by Sonoma County BicycleCoalition (SCBC) Bike to Work CoordinatorSandra Lupien.

Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition: Tom,when did you become a bike commuter?

Tom Robinson: In college in 1992. My carbroke down a month after I got to college formy first year, and I fixed it a month before theend of my first year. So, that forced me to bea pedestrian,cyclist,hitchhiker andbus rider. And itreally broke myhabit of driving.And, I learnedthat on a bike Ifelt much more

free; the bikeaffords you muchmore freedom.You can get placesmuch more quickly or in the same amount oftime, and youve gotten some exercise. You dontget as hot on a bike as you do in a car becauseyour enot all enclosed.

SCBC: How had you been commuting tothat point?

TR: Mostly by car. I grew up in Quincy, CA,in a rural town. And, bikes were a big part of ourlives growing up. if you had a bike growing up

you could go anywhere. My friends and I wouldgo everywhere on our bikes. I certainly grew upon bikes and riding bikes. Theres a feeling of joyand freedom that comes with riding your bike.But, in my hometown it was cold, and so youdrove cars to get around. And in HS of course itwasnt cool if you rode a bike, which is sort of asad commentary.

SCBC: So you got started as a bikecommuter mainly because your car broke down?

TR: Later I did get another car, but youknow, I realized it was really expensive to driveit. I think that I have to give a little disclaimer...

Ive always -- from boy scouts or camping as achild -- Ive always had a kind of understandingabout our impact on the environment evenbefore I knew about global warming. Well, but,really saving money on gas was a big factor. Iwent to school in San Diego, and I could bike toschool and to work and I wouldnt have to payfor parking. A lot of it was money and savingmoney. Then I ran out of money and I had tosell my new car to pay for tuition. OK, I haveto say that the environmental aspect came aftercollege when I started to really think about myimpact on the world. I started to think about the

impact of individuals, when viewed collectively,made all the difference in the world. We wouldstudy systems as part of our degree (ecology)ecological systems and what you see is thateven the smallest changes in natural systems overtime add up and create large changes.

SCBC: Did you have any mental or logisticalchallenges to overcome in order to make theswitch?

TR: Oh mygod, yeah. SanDiego is a seriesof deep mesasand canyons. Iworked 3 mesasaway fromwhere I lived. Itwould take me

50 minutes to getthere, and thena quick 10-minuteshower before my

shift at REI started. And, you know sometimeswhen you ride, and its hot and you take ashower, and youre still sweaty, so Id get out ofthe shower and go out onto the floor with wethair, like, How can i help ya? I was working 3-hour shifts, and my commute was the equivalentof 2/3 of my shift. The other thing was that mygirlfriend lived way south of me it was likean hour to get to her house and the buses never

worked very well. So my whole sphere shrunk it was interesting, and to this day, Ive grown tohave sort of a narrow field. When I was younger if something I wanted to go to something thatwas 3 hours away I would get into my carand go. Now, if its even an hour away I oftenwont. Even the coast is like 30 minutes fromus (in Santa Rosa), but we (his family) rarely goout there because our sphere is so much smaller.Riding a bike has really localized my sphere,and that has turned out by default to be veryenvironmentally-friendly.

SCBC: What is your work?

TR: Im a conservation GIS analyst at theSonoma County Agricultural Preservation andOpen Space District. I use computer systems andeco-data to help the District focus its efforts onits adopted conservation priorities.

SCBC: Tell me about a weekday in the lifeof Tom Robinson, Bicycle Commuter of the Year.

TR: My schedule changes day to day. Twodays a week, I take my one year-old son, Nate, today care. He sits in a seat on my bike just in frontof me, facing out, and hes got a little windshield.I drop him off at day care, and I continue on towork. At work, if I have a meeting or an event in

AN INTERVIEW WITH TOM ROBINSON, SONOMACOUNTY BICYCLE COMMUTER OF THE YEAR 2008

Tom, 6th from the left, with his fellow employees from Sonoma CountyAg ricultural Preservation a nd O pen Space District.


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town, I just bike I can get there in the sameamount of time. Because I have an Xtracycle (amechanism that extends the back of a bike toallow for the rider to carry cargo and passengers),I can carry up to 150 pounds and large items like our display board and event box on thebike. For the Way to Go Expo last year, I carried

everything on the Xtracycle. When I pulled up tothe Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition bike valetparking, ready to flaunt my Xtracyle -- Hey,you guys ever seen one of these? -- this otherguy rolls out this model that was way better thanmine with an electric motor! At the end of theday, I go pick up my son, and well go by thestore to go grocery shopping, which is next doorto day care. We try to build on that one trip. Mycommute is about 4.5 miles each way. Thatsone of the things that makes me bashful aboutgetting this award my piddly little 4 and ahalf-mile commute. We have only one car, andmy wife uses it for work, so I do bike to workin the rain. I just don my raingear. Its made bySierra Designs. Its the most lightweight raingearI could find. I used to wear a much heavier gear,and Id arrive to work covered with sweat, like asweat-box. The gear I have now packs up into alittle pouch.

SCBC: What do you wear on your feet in therain?

TR: Just regular leather shoes. I have myshoes waterproofed by the cobbler on MendocinoAve at 5th Street every autumn I take a whole

bunch of shoes in there. I know I could probablywaterproof my own shoes, but, how manycobblers are out there, you know? And, he does agreat job.

SCBC: Youve done some things in yourworkplace to encourage your co-workers toride their bikes to work; what are some of thosethings?

TR: I have a theory that more people wouldchoose to ride their bikes if:

Their bikes were comfortable and/orrideable. In terms of comfort, you know, like theybought a racing bike, and dont like the posture

or it hurts their neck or wrists. In terms of beingrideable, maybe the gears need to be fixed, or ithas a flat tire. Most people dont know how towork on bikes, and Ive learned because I liketinkering. I want to remove barrier number 1,so I offer to my colleagues that I can help maketheir bikes more comfortable (more appropriatehandlebars, or just raise the handlebars) or Illfill the tires, adjust the gears. Thats important and Ive worked on about half my co-workersbikes. Ive also offered clinics in how to fix a flat.Thats a concern for people what if Im ridingand I get a flat -- people dont know what to do.

From their experience driving cars, most

people probably cant imagine themselvescompeting with car traffic. So, as a geographer Ilove maps and figuring out ways to get around,so I help people find safe routes. Im a big fanof staying off of the main roads the roads thatthey know because they drive on them we findroutes that take them on neighborhood roads.

Last year, we had three-quarters of our staffparticipate in BTWD their bikes were ready,they had routes planned. We all lined up for aphoto, and afterward and we didnt plan this-- everyone got on their bikes and started ridingin circles around the parking lot it was like wewere 8 years old again zipping around all overthe place. It was classic. That really told me mostpeople like riding bikes, and if they were givena bike thats comfortable and a safe route. Herein Santa Rosa we have good weather, and with alittle forethought, Santa Rosa could have wrestedfrom Davis, the title bike capital of the world.

SCBC: Whats your favorite favorite thingabout commuting by bike?

TR: Bike Commuting helps me strike upconversations that I wouldnt have if I wasriding in a car. In part because my bike has theXtracycle, so people ask questions. You get toknow your community better its a cross-section of your town and your community thatyou get to know on a much more intimate level.Since I primarily stick to residential roads, I seepeoples house renovations from start to finish.Ill see in the paper that the City is paying people

to rip out their lawns, and then I see peopledoing it, and 4 mos later Ill see this beautifulnative grass. Also, its a repetitious activity andit allows me to clear my mind, or to think morein-depth about something, especially when Imjust cruising down a residential road. I comehome a much happier person, and I get to worka much happier person. And thats the mostimportant thing. Its a built-in time for me to domy thinking.

SCBC: And, how does it feel being namedBicycle Commuter of the Year?

TR: Its a great honor. I remember last years

awardee was a young woman, a high schoolstudent, who motivated 2 schools to get highschool students to bike to school. That impactis so much bigger than my impact. To makebicycle commuting cool to high schoolers is afeat, and you have to be a high school student tothat. It really says a lot about the caliber of ourcommunity that she was able to motivate herfellow students. So, to be included in the realm offolks who are making that type of impact is just agreat honor.


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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

Documents

ma Newsletter, 21, Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition