Hump Day Santa Cruz

Although I live in Santa Cruz County, I’ve been slacking on my job here. There’s been a ton of bike news out of Santa Cruz this past couple of months,some of which can be of wider interest.

First of all, the Santa Cruz Mountain Bike Festival happens this weekend, April 14 & 15 in Aptos Village. People Power Santa Cruz will provide free, secure bike valet parking at the festival grounds. Car parking is limited and distant. If you ride the bus, take the Santa Cruz Metro 71 bus and get off at either the Soquel Drive & Aptos Creek or the Soquel Drive and Trout Gulch stop. The 71 runs roughly every half hour and takes about a half hour to travel from downtown Santa Cruz to Aptos. One way bus fare is $2.


BMX

For the roadies, the Santa Cruz Classic Criterium (aka the Beach Hill Criterium) happens this Sunday, April 15.

Remember the hit and run fatality of cyclist Noel Hamilton last June on Soquel San Jose Road? The driver of the car that hit Hamilton pled no contest. In the plea agreement, the judge gave her three years of probation, 630 hours of community service, $1000 in fines. Restitution to the victim’s family is TBD.

The Santa Cruz City Council approved the controversial Pogonip Bike Trail in March in spite of heavy opposition from local Sierra Club members. The trail will be built with volunteer labor, and the Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz are looking for your help in this ambitious project. MBoSC also need donations for this project.

Santa Cruz Ecology Action CEO Virginia Johnson resigns her position after 17 years on the job.

Youth ages 11-18: Green Way To School wants your “Why We Ride” art. Submissions due April 22.


Surfboard rack

The Skyline Trail opened to cyclists last week. Ross Finlayson checked things out posted his photos here.

SCCRTC divies out funds for county bike projects, including sidewalks and bike lanes for Vine Hill Elementary School in Scotts Valley, bicycle lanes in Watsonville, and a bike bridge over Highway 1 in Capitola.

Mountain Charlie Challenge is a fun charity ride for the Scotts Valley Educational Foundation. May 5. The serious riders will all be in Los Gatos that day for Cat’s Hill, so this is a good day for old washed up Freds like me 😉

Santa Cruz Green Fondo Sunday, April 29.

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