Category: news

Bike news digest for the first of May 2023

Happy USA Bike Month 2023! I intend to re-launch San Jose Bike Train Real Soon Now. This is a casual morning bike commute on the Guadalupe River Trail. We’ll begin in downtown San Jose from San Pedro Square Market for coffee from Voyager Craft Coffee, hit the trail, and ride north on the trail to River Oaks, with people peeling off along the way for their destinations that can include the Santa Clara County buildings, SJC Airport, and VTA HQ. The trail is mostly clear with some minor work still needed underneath Hwy 101. Please comment below for your thoughts on day of the week and start time.

Events and News

  • Early registration is open for the Safe Routes to School Summit 2023, celebrating the People, Places, and Possibility of Safe Routes to School. This three-day virtual summit will be held October 24-26, featuring innovative presentations and networking opportunities for Safe Routes practitioners, partners, and champions. Early Bird registration opens today and continues until September 1. Learn more in this FAQ.
  • The next Viva Calle San Jose takes place Sunday, June 11, 2023. Learn more https://www.vivacallesj.org/
  • Santa Cruz County celebrates Bike Month with a Bike Challenge, encouraging participants to get around on two wheels and win prizes. Santa Cruz County Bike Challenge info.
  • The Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship encourages you to take part in what they hope is their largest trail work day ever on National Trails Day. They’ll team up with over 20 other local organizations to host 19 different events throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains. After a morning of trail work, they’ll host a big after party at DeLaveaga Park. Learn more at their Trails Day event page.
  • What do you think of solar panels as a shade covering over exposed bike paths?
  • Cycle of Influence summit September 12-14, 2023 in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Remember: let me know what day and time works for a casual morning ride from downtown San Jose towards the Bay. And feel free to comment with your bike event and news below.

Pushback on Caltrans proposal to close Skyline in Daly City

Update June 8, 2017: Your emails and phone calls made a difference; Caltrans District 4 had originally planned to install “bikes prohibited” signs on a portion of Skyline Boulevard through Daly City, California, but relented after several people who use this route told Caltrans that the suggested alternate routes on local roads are not acceptable. Although Caltrans does not have a public input process when deciding bike access on state highways, the District quickly created an ad hoc method after meeting with cycling advocates from both local and state advocacy groups.

Caltrans District 4 now seeks input from those who bicycle or are interested in bicycling on the freeway segment of State Route (SR) 35, Skyline Boulevard, across the Highway 1 interchange, or along the SR 35 corridor using local streets between Daly City and Pacifica. Please take a moment to fill out this online survey and share the link with others who may be interested. This targeted survey will help inform Caltrans in developing both short and long term strategies for people bicycling along this corridor. The survey will be available until June 25, 2017.

Find the survey at https://goo.gl/forms/zmUejriBGtBLYJzq1

Read below for the original story and background.

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San Mateo County asks cyclists to avoid OLH

Old La Honda Road west OLH

I know a few people biked this portion of Old La Honda, and you know that sometimes I see “road closed” signs as an invitation to bike or walk the road if it’s not too obviously impassable, but San Mateo County Public works says the western Portion of Old La Honda Road between Skyline and Highway 84 isn’t safe. Per SMC Public Works:

The road is officially closed where it is failing to all modes of traffic. The hillside that supports the road is actively failing and we do not consider it safe for any users. The closure to all was effective last Friday, so while folks may have biked through the area this past weekend, they should not have done so. Thanks for checking.

SMC Public Works doesn’t normally post information online about road closures, but apparently this is enough of an issue that they reached out.

H/T Emma at the the Bike Coalition.

Caltrans releases draft statewide Bicycle and and Pedestrian Plan

California Bicycle Pedestrian Plan

Caltrans announced a draft of “Toward An Active California,” their first ever statewide California State Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan and invite public comment at cabikepedplan.civicomment.org.

A series of public meetings have also been announced.

  • Northern California: Tuesday, February 23 , 10:00am – 12:00pm. Dr. Martin Luther King Library, Room 225, 150 E San Fernando Street, San Jose, CA.
  • Central California: Monday, February 27, 1:00pm – 3:00pm. Caltrans District 6 Fresno Office, Yosemite Room, 2015 E. Shields, Suite A-100, Fresno, CA.
  • Southern California: Monday, March 6, 10:00am – 12:00pm. Caltrans District 12 Office, Room 104, 1750 E. 4th Street, Santa Ana, CA.
  • Statewide Webinar: Wednesday, March 1. 3:00pm – 5:00pm.

Webinar access for all meetings is via https://join.me/CABikeandPed, phone numbers and dial-in codes to be announced later. For the latest info, visit the project website.

Thank you to Andy for catching an error on the Norcal date in an earlier version of this post.

How would you spend $250M in bike funds over 30 years?

Santa Clara County Measure B Transportation Tax

With the passage of Santa Clara County’s Measure B transportation sales tax last year, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) will receive over $6 billion in revenue over the next thirty years beginning in June, 2017. Four percent of those funds, or an estimated $8 million per year in 2017 dollars, will be available for bike and pedestrian programs.

Mayor Sam Liccardo on Park Street San Jose

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