January 25, 2017Leave a Comment
January 23, 20174 Comments on California bike update January 2017
Good morning, all. I anticipate a busy year on the legislative and political advocacy front so let’s get under it and lift while we can.
January 23, 20172 Comments on Montana proposal to ban bikes from most roads
Update: the bill has been changed to completely remove the proposed bans listed below.
Montana legislator Barry Usher (R-Roundup) has drafted a bill proposal to prohibit bikes, pedestrians, other non-motorized vehicles, and wheelchairs from all two-lane roads in Montana outside of municipalities where no paved shoulder is provided.
This bill, obviously, maroons anyone who lives outside of town and doesn’t have access to a motor vehicle or (as the bill is written) a horse. Approximately 50% of Montanans live outside of municipalities. At Montana’s Indian reservations, about 7% of Native Americans have no access to a car or truck. While only miniscule numbers bike, about 10% of American Indians living in Montana reservations walk to work.
In a state where a whopping 13% of traffic fatalities involve a driver with no license or suspended license, a law that forces more unlicensed drivers to hit the road will result in exact opposition of Usher’s state goal of “safety.” What does he expect these folks to do? Call Uber?
The image below shows Route 200 in eastern Montana. You can see how a driver might have zero room to maneuver on this shoulderless two lane road when a cyclist pops up suddenly in front of him.
Both Bike Walk Montana and Billings TrailNet are on it and have talked with Usher personally about how ridiculously counterproductive his proposal is, but Usher remains steadfast in his belief that the only safe way to travel is by car, truck or a motorcycle bought from his Harley Davidson dealership. Adventure Cycling Association, which is headquartered in Missoula, MT, would also be hit hard if this bill becomes law.
Paradoxically, when Usher ran for state office last year, he claimed to “oppose any and all government interference and regulations that go beyond the scope of constitutionally defined powers.”
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January 17, 2017Leave a Comment
I’m cancelling the San Jose Bike Train ride for tomorrow, Wednesday, January 18, 2017. Sorry!
The city of Burlingame, CA in San Mateo County will host its second community meeting to discuss a Complete Streets redesign of California Drive. The aim of the project is to improve bicycle, pedestrian and motor vehicle access on California Drive from Murchison Drive to south of Broadway. This 1.4 mile segment of California Drive is an important connector for cyclists in the city of Burlingame bicycle network and the San Mateo County North-South bike route. The meeting takes place 6 P.M. to 8 P.M. on Tuesday, January, 24, 2017 at the Burlingame Main Library in the Lane Room, 480 Primrose Road, Burlingame, CA.
Opponents are already spreading Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt to derail this project, so you should make plans to attend if you’d like to see good improvements here.
East Bay bike riders want a bike-ped bridge from Oakland to Alameda Island to avoid riding through the Posey Tunnel; the US Coast Guard (which has a station on Alameda), says any bridge must allow passage of tall vessels. In spite of strong support for a moveable bridge, City of Alameda officials say such a bridge is unfeasible.
The city of Belmont, CA in San Mateo County is currently recruiting members for its Parks & Rec Commission, which serves as the city’s Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. The deadline to apply is 5:00 P.M. Friday, January 20, 2017, and the application is available on the City’s website: www.belmont.gov under “City Council and Commissions,” by calling (650) 595-7408 or 595-7413, or in person at the City Manager’s Office or the City Clerk’s Office, City Hall, One Twin Pines Lane. There are four openings for adult seats on the Parks and Recreation Commission for two-year terms, and one opening for a term that expires in 2018 (one current commissioner will be resigning to relocate out of the area). The Parks and Recreation Commission meets the first Wednesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. and makes recommendations to the City Council on matters pertaining to Belmont’s Park and Recreation programs, as well as on capital improvements to the City’s various parks and open space areas. They’re also recruiting for the Planning Commission, which advises City Council on zoning and land use issues.
Redwood City, CA El Camino Real Corridor Plan Citizens’ Advisory Group public meeting begins 7 P.M. on Wednesday, January 18, 2017 in council chambers at the RWC City Council Building on 1017 Middlefield Road. They’ll discuss bike lanes, parking, sidewalks, transit, small business retention and community benefits.
The SMART (Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit) Train will offer free introductory rides through July 4, 2017 when it opens later this Spring. Since SMART will have bikes-on-board service, this sounds like a good opportunity for a train ride out to Santa Rosa for biking in Sonoma wine country. Details in the press release [PDF].
[ Ad, kind of: ] My best-selling item for January from my Amazon Affiliate account is this water-based Albedo 100 reflective spray-paint, infamously promoted by Volvo.
Thank you to SVBC’s Emma Shlaes for many of these event notifications Thank you also to Manito Velasco, who provided the FUD on California Drive photo and wryly notes: “It’s not an official Complete Streets project until the first complaints about taking parking away or other inflammatory ‘scare’ language surfaces.”
January 17, 20171 Comment on New trails on Santa Clara County trail flooding page: Penitencia and Stevens Creek
Our recent drought-busting rains in the San Francisco Bay Area gave me enough good data to enable two additional trail segments on the Santa Clara County trail flooding information page.
I added Penitencia Creek under I-680 in the city of San Jose, and Stevens Creek Trail in Mountain View underneath Highway 101. I also tweaked the predictive flooding algorithm for Los Gatos Creek Trail.
Thank you to Joey Rozier, who gave me information on Stevens Creek flooding and even posted video of a suggested detour. Stevens Creek doesn’t flood often, but when it does the detour can be substantial, so I hope knowing flood status ahead of time helps with planning.
Thank you also to my colleague Matt Murphy, who gave me flood information for Penitencia Creek.
*** Santa Clara County trail flooding information.
January 14, 2017Leave a Comment
