News from the California Bicycle Coalition

Villaraigosa hosts LA bike summit

ix weeks after shattering his elbow in a traffic-related fall on his first day of bicycling to work, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa hosted LA's first-ever bike summit, attracting 200 LA bicycling

participants who shared ideas for making LA a friendlier place to bike.

The boldest idea to come out of the meeting -- mandatory helmets for adult bicyclists -- is a nonstarter for most bike advocates.

But the idea of requiring a 3-foot passing distance between motor vehicles and bicycles is already gaining momentum.

This week the mayor's office unveiled a new safe passing campaign as part of its ongoing bike safety partnership with the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, Midnight Ridazz, Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles Department of Transportation.

Meanwhile, the City of Los Angeles continues to release portions of its draft bicycle master plan to the cautious praise of local bike advocates who were sharply critical of the version released last year.

New SF bike projects begin as soon as judge lifts ban

In the three weeks since a San Francisco Superior Court judge lifted a four-year injunction against the city's bicycle master plan, the city has started work on three of the 35 projects contained in the plan. The plan calls for adding more than 30 miles of bike lanes throughout the city.

Workers are painting bike lanes along Townsend St., which connects downtown San Francisco and the Caltrain station; North Point St., which connects the Golden Gate Bridge and downtown via Fisherman's Wharf; and Laguna Honda Blvd. on the back side of Twin Peaks.

The city hopes to finish 15 bike plan projects by the end of the year. The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition is pushing for completion of all projects by the end of 2011. The city's bicycle ridership has grown by 53% since the court put the brakes on the bike plan four years ago pending an environmental review.

Santa Clara County OKs limited regulation of rides

This week the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to require a special permit for recreational bicycle rides with more than 500 riders. But the ordinance exempts rides with fewer riders, in response to pressure from the county's Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee and the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition.

The vote is the happy ending to a controversy that surfaced this spring after residents in the tiny, remote San Antonio Valley east of San Jose complained about group rides through their area. County supervisors originally proposed requiring permits for undefined "special events" that use county roads. Bike advocates feared it would require permits for small, informal group rides in violation of California Vehicle Code provisions that give bicyclists equal access to public roads.

Bike commuters to the rescue?

Could bike commuters along the San Francisco peninsula help solve Caltrain's budget problems?

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition thinks adding more bike racks on the system's commuter trains could attract more bike-riding passengers. The coalition estimates Caltrain loses $1 million a year in fare revenue from bike commuters who cannot use the train due to limited bike capacity. The system recently proposed cutting Saturday service between San Francisco and San Jose.

Redding gets connected

This

fall

Redding residents will finally be able to walk and bike across the Sacramento River over the State Route 44 bridge, Hwy 44 bridge

currently being rebuilt by Caltrans.

A new bike-pedestrian path on the newly widened bridge connects the city's busiest shopping area near I-5 on the river's east side with downtown Redding and the spectacular Sundial Bridge along the city's riverfront bikeway. The new route cuts more than a mile off the ride between the two sides of town.

Bike sharing soon in Long Beach

Next spring

Long Beach could become California's biggest city with a public bike sharing program. This month the city announced plans for a program with 500 bicycles and more than 50 bicycle kiosks. California is already home to seven bike sharing programs, all connected to college campuses. Last week Redwood City, located on the San Francisco peninsula, hosted a one-day bike sharing demonstration.

Wireless technology ultimately could make bike sharing more affordable. This fall New York City will test a new bike sharing system in which smart phones are used to locate available bicycles equipped with GPS tracking devices and phone-activated locks, eliminating the need for bike kiosks.

Rumble strips create new hazards for bicyclists

Those bumpy, noise-making highway

lane markings known as "rumble strips" are effective in keeping drivers from drifting out of their lane and colliding head-on. But drivers reluctant to cross centerline rumble strips also cut it closer than ever when passing bicyclists, who are often forced off the road where lanes are narrow.

Shoulder rumble strips cause problems for bicyclists where paved shoulders are too narrow or non-existent. Rumble strips are also being installed in more urban settings, a deviation from their original purpose of reducing collisons on rural two-lane highways.

This month an alert from the League of American Bicyclists generated some 1,200 complaints to state transportation departments about rumble strips installed on roads without adequate shoulders, in violation of Federal Highway Administration standards.

Have you had a close call on a road with rumble strips and inadequate shoulders? Have you seen rumble strips installed where you don't think they belong? Share you information with CBC at cbc@calbike.org or 916-446-7558. We'll forward it to Caltrans, which enforces federal standards throughout the state.

Photo credits (from top): Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, SFBC, Caltrans