California Assembly member Das Williams, representing portions of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, introduced ACR 58 to honor long-time bike advocate Ralph Fertig by naming a bike path after him.
Fertig was well-known among bike activists throughout California for his persistent and consistent advocacy work. Those of you stuck on 101 as you drive along the coast between L.A. and the Bay Area can thank Fertig for prioritizing local transportation needs over inter-regional highway plans. As a co-founder of Grassroots 101 in the early 1990s, for example, he successfully stopped a Highway 101 widening project in Santa Barbara. The funds for that project were instead used for local transportation improvements: a widened North Jameson Lane in Montecito, specifically for bike lanes, and and a Class I bike path over Ortega Hill.
He attended Caltrans planning meetings for a Highway 101 widening project in Ventura County, lobbying successfully for the bike path between Rincon and Mussel Shoals.
Fertig passed away on July 18, 2014. ACR 58 will designate the Highway 101 bike path in Ventura County the “Ralph Fertig Memorial Bicycle-Pedestrian Path.” ACR 58 will also name a pedestrian crossing under Highway 101 in La Conchita the Peter Douglas Coastal Access Way, after the former Executive Director of the California Coastal Commission who passed in April 2012. The author of this Concurrent Resolution, Assembly Member Williams, is himself a fixture among Santa Barbara cyclists and regularly shows up at bikey events along the Central Coast.
Sadly at the time of his death, the bike path that will be named for him was nearly complete. It would have need nice if he could hqve seen what his hard work had accomplish.
My wife and I rode the path a couple of months ago and it is really nice.
I am thankful for Ralph Fertig’s hard work to bring safe non motorized travel between Ventura and Santa Barbara.
Hey Richard
Ralph was one of the few California bike advocates who I had regular contact with over a bunch of years. Finally got to meet him in the spring of 2013 when I was doing a bit of a tour up the coast. Seemed like a dedicated and classy guy.
Ron Richings
Vancouver, BC
My husband Phil and I went to the old A&D school at Michigan with Ralph. We saw him a couple of times after he moved to lovely Santa Barbara and knew of his bike passion! So love the naming of the bike trail in his honor. Is there an active friends of trail or maintenance group to contribute to? As architect and landscape architects we know how important aftercare and advocacy are. Phil Loheed, AIA and Pat Loheed FASLA
Hi Pat, I don’t know the answer but forwarded your question to those who might know.
Great! Thanks for the email TLC follow-through. Our kids and some relatives live in Los Angeles and Santa Barb. We always meant to piggy back more contact with Ralph. Am learning lesson not to defer such contacts; life is uncertain. Pat