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BLOG
Temporarily opening streets promises lasting benefits
Here's some pretty cool trivia: California's first open streets event - Car-Free Sundays in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco - took place in 1967, nine years before Bogota, Colombia, introduced the weekly closure of streets to cars for the enjoyment of the bicycling and walking public, dubbed "ciclovias," that is credited with inspiring many similar events throughout the U.S. Today, San Francisco hosts Sunday Streets, a series of monthly neighborhood events around the city.Albany, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland, Redding and San Mateo have all held similar events. Not surprisingly, California holds more open streets events than any other state. Read more... |
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IN THE STATE CAPITAL
3-foot passing bill keeps rolling
The Assembly Transportation Committee has voted 10-3 to approve Senate Bill 1464, our 3-foot passing bill, having received more than 500 calls, emails and letters from bicycle-friendly Californians urging a yes vote. Read all about the bill here.
The Legislature takes a month-long summer recess through July, so the next step, a hearing in the Assembly Appropriations Committee, happens in August. |
Bill to speed up bikeway projects passes
The Assembly Transportation Committee has approved Senate Bill 1380, authored by Bakerfield Sen. Michael Rubio, which seeks to ease environmental review requirements for proposed bikeway improvements. We're excited to be cosponsoring this bill with the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, whose members include high tech giants like Apple, Intel, Google and Facebook. The California law designed to identify, evaluate and lessen the harmful environmental impacts of proposed development projects often impedes and drives up costs for bike facility improvements such as lane striping and signage that offer real benefits for air quality, noise and traffic congestion. Fortunately, most of the major environmental organizations agree with us and support this bill.
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Assembly debates "self-driving" cars
We've got our eye on Senate Bill 1298, authored by San Fernando Sen. Alex Padilla, would authorize California to allow the operation of self-driving, or "autonomous," cars like those being designed by Google. The Assembly Transportation Committee approved SB 1298 on June 25 after more than an hour of testimony and debate. Nevada enacted similar legislation last year.
Some advocates believe features that automate sensing and braking could make such cars less risky for bicyclists. But we're unlikely to see them on the road anytime soon. SB 1298 would only take effect once the federal government adopts standards for such vehicles, which it is nowhere close to doing.
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NATIONAL SCENE
Federal bill negates decades of progress to make communities more bikeable
Three years since the expiration of the last federal transportation funding law, Congress has finally completed work on a new federal transportation bill that largely but not completely guts existing spending programs used by communities to make their neighborhoods safer for bicycling and walking. Now the fight for adequate funding shifts to the state level.
In recent weeks our allies in Washington, D.C., began hearing rumors that the long-anticipated compromise over the funding bill could be a disaster, despite promises over the past several years from U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, chair of the committee overseeing the negotiations, to protect dedicated funding for bicycling and pedestrian programs and projects. Read more.... |
AROUND THE STATE
 San Francisco Bay Area: During August, the Bay Area Rapid Transit District will temporarily lift the rush-hour ban on bikes on BART trains. The experiment marks a huge win for bike commuters and realizes a goal in place since BART opened in the 1960s.
Bike commuters also have more options now that the San Francisco Bay Ferry system has introduced weekday service between Alameda and Oakland and South San Francisco. All ferries in the system carry bikes at no extra charge. The new route improves bike access to South San Francisco, which is largely disconnected from the regional bikeway network and poorly served by public transit. Los Angeles: Protected bike facilities such as cycletracks and improved pedestrian access are among the features of the South Figueroa Corridor Project that could transform 4.5 miles of Figueroa Street between the University of Southern California campus and downtown Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Department of Transportation recently took over the project, dubbed My Figueroa, from the Community Redevelopment Agency.
 | | San Diego is Pedal Powered! |
San Diego: San Diego is Pedal Powered! is a new video produced by the San Diego Association of Governments to promote bicycling to people of all ages and in all communities throughout the region. Available both in English and in Spanish, the video was produced as part of SANDAG's Healthy Works program. Look closely and you'll see CBC board member and SANDAG planner Stephan Vance enjoying his ride!
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PEOPLE
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Alexis Lantz
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Alexis Lantz, CBC board member and planning & policy director for the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, moves on next month to a new position as policy analyst with the PLACE (Policies for Livable, Active Communities and Environments) program at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. We're excited to know the program will benefit from Alexis's expertise.
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Andy Thornley
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Also making a transition next month is Andy Thornley, policy director for the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, who will join the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency's SFPark program, which seeks to reduce traffic congestion by using new technologies and policies to improve parking. Andy remains a strong ally to the statewide bicycling movement.
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CALENDAR
Bike the Bay
Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012
San Diego
Benefits the San Diego Bicycle Coalition
This 25-mile ride around San Diego Bay supports local bicycling and raises funds for the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition's work to make bicycling better for all in San Diego. Riders of all levels of riding ability will enjoy their only opportunity of the year to ride over the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge. Learn more...
Looking for an interesting ride or other bike-related event? Check out our website to see what's happening throughout California. |
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WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR MAJOR SUPPORT FROM THESE SPONSORS
   
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