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Women’s Night Moves to Wednesday

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Women’s Night at Bike Kitchen Makes a Move

Our weekly Women’s Night @ Bike Kitchen has moved! Women’s Night now takes place on the 3rd Wednesday of every month from 5 – 8:30 PM.

What about the 1st Wednesday? The first Wednesday of every month is now WTF (Women, Trans, Femme) Night @ Bike Kitchen, with the same hours as Women’s Night, 5 – 8:30 PM.

Why Women’s Night and WTF Night?

Bicycle maintenance has traditionally been an overwhelmingly male-dominated area. It is our goal to help teach individuals who have been intimidated or marginalized in this setting to be knowledgeable and confident working on their bikes.

On a daily basis, Bike SLO County strives to ensure a safe and comfortable environment for all, while also recognizing the benefits of offering women, trans & femme-specific evening hours as a stepping stone to achieving greater confidence working in our space at any time.

Women’s Night and WTF Night are for:

Women: A person who identifies as a woman.

Trans: Transgender, genderqueer, gender non-conforming, gender creative, anyone whose gender identity is fluid, transgressive, and/or transitioning.

Femme: A gender identity in which a person of any gender embodies a feminine appearance, expression, or identity.

If you are not WTF identified, please BECOME AN ALLY:

  • Respect the space: Come during our regular hours, don’t ask for an exception, and don’t hang around the entrance during Women’s Night or WTF hours.
  • Respect People: During Bike Kitchen’s regular hours, treat all female & trans mechanics and patrons as you would any other person (don’t assume they’re less knowledgeable, don’t call them “sweetie,” and NEVER take a wrench out of their hand!)
  • Get Educated: Learn about the issues facing women and trans communities.
  • Educate others: About why and how to be an ally!

(Big thanks to DIY bike cooperative, BICAS in Tuscon, AR and Sacramento Bike Kitchen in Sacramento, CA from whom much of our Women’s Night/WTF Night language was cribbed.)

 

Advocacy Alert

San Luis Obispo Advocacy Alert

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Stand up for the Broad St. Bike Boulevard and Safe Routes to School

The San Luis Obispo City Council will be meeting on Tuesday, August 15 to discuss three proposed concept plans for making the Broad/Chorro/Lincoln Street corridor safer for bicyclists. This project ties into the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) connections that will make our children safer. Your help is needed to help make sure that the streets of our community are safe for people who ride bikes, people who walk and people who drive cars – everyone.

How can you support Safe Routes to School and the Broad St. Bike Boulevard project?

1. Write a letter of support (see template below for a sample – please add your own personalization).
2. Attend the city council meeting (Tuesday, August 15. Items 15 and 17 on the agenda) — your simple attendance at the meeting and indication of your support will send a needed message to the City Council.
There are some residents of the neighborhood that want no change. The City Council is listening – let’s make sure we voice our support for safe riding for cyclists of all ages.
Sample  Letter Template (you can email it to the Mayor and City Council Members by clicking this email address:  emailcouncil@slocity.org )
Dear Mayor Harmon and City Council Members

On August 15, you will be asked to consider plans for a Broad Street Bike Blvd and other Safe Routes to Schools Plan improvements proposed for the Bishops Peak/Pacheco Elementary School area of town.  These plans are important to the long term residents and homeowners of the immediate area surrounding the two schools, Broad and Chorro Streets, as well as to people throughout SLO seeking to access the Foothill area from downtown and beyond. The Broad Street area and the SRTS Plan (which includes safe crossing options for Foothill Blvd. at Ferrini) should accommodate cyclists and pedestrians safely.

Through your leadership, this area can become safer for residents, cyclists, and pedestrians and help meet many City goals, including Vision Zero and those in the Climate Action Plan.  The planning has continued long enough and staff have done a great job of creating a thoughtful and participatory process. Now is the time to act on their work. If the City is serious about increasing multi-modal transportation and reducing car trips by 20%, we must connect downtown and the Foothill area with more pedestrian and bicycle-friendly routes.

Thank you

(Your Name)
(City of Residence)

SLO City Council Meeting
Tuesday August 15th Meeting begins at 6 PM
City Council Chamber, City Hall, 990 Palm Street, SLO (map)

Bike Kitchen Hours Expand

Keep the Bike Kitchen Cooking

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This week we’re highlighting 5 different Bike SLO County programs and efforts that need your support. Our 2017 Annual Fundraising Campaign is scheduled to conclude at midnight tonight, Friday June 16th and we still have a long way to go to reach our fundraising goal of $30,000.

Women's Program

Day 5: The Bike Kitchen

Support the Bike Kitchen

Earlier this week we featured Women’s Night @ Bike Kitchen and RideWell, two great programs made possible in part by the Bike Kitchen. 

The Bike Kitchen opened seven years ago in 2010. Since then more than 6000 people have visited the Kitchen and learned how to fix their bike. From day one, Bike SLO County committed to creating the Bike Kitchen as a safe space for everyone, where there are no stupid questions and all are welcome. As we always say “Come fix your bike! Don’t know how? We’ll teach you!”

Every day that the Bike Kitchen is open, people are empowered to learn and empowered to use what they learn with the tools we share. Currently we’re open Thursday through Sunday, and we’re exploring the possibility of expanding our hours to provide more access to even more SLO County residents. 

Finally, the Bike Kitchen accepts donations of used bikes which are refurbished for the RideWell program or sold to the public to help cover operating costs and partially fund other Bike SLO County programs.

Please support the Bike Kitchen – your one time donation of $100 or more will help the Kitchen thrive and grow. Donations of any amount are greatly appreciated as we strive to reach our goal to raise $30,000 by midnight tonight, Friday, June 16th.

Click here to make a one time donation.

Prefer to make a recurring monthly donation? Click here to make a monthly donation.

Already support Bike SLO County? Thank You!

Support Bike SLO County’s Women’s Program

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This week we’re highlighting 5 different Bike SLO County programs and efforts that need your support. Our 2017 Annual Fundraising Campaign concludes on Friday June 16th and we still have a long way to go to reach our fundraising goal of $30,000.

Women's Program

Day 4: Women’s Program

In 2016 Bike SLO County received a request to host a weekly Women’s Night in our Bike Kitchen. Although we didn’t have the capacity to staff Women’s Night, we worked with a team of dedicated volunteers who cared enough to donate their time and energy to take Women’s Night @ Bike Kitchen from a great idea to an even better reality.

Fast forward to 2017. In response to a continuing need, Bike SLO County created a part-time staff position to coordinate and run Women’s Night, hiring Women’s Night superstar volunteer Audrey Surprenant. In April Audrey and a team of 3 Women’s Night volunteer mechanics wrenched at two different stops on this year’s Eroica California, the first women to ever provide mechanical assistance at any Eroica ride.

The successes of Women’s Night led to the creation of our new Women’s Program. In July Audrey will take over running the Bike Kitchen from departing Operations Director Tyler Jamieson (farewell Tyler!) and move ahead with our Women’s Program, working to build a strong, safe caring community for women who bike.

Please support our Women’s Program – your one time donation of $100 or more will significantly help the Women’s Program grow and reach more SLO County women. Donations of any amount a greatly appreciated as we strive to reach our goal to raise $30,000 by Friday, June 16th.

Click here to make a one time donation.

Prefer to make a recurring monthly donation? Click here to make a monthly donation.

Already support Bike SLO County? Thank You!

Help us Connect SLO County

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Our 2017 Annual Fundraising Campaign concludes on Friday June 16th and we still have a long way to go to reach our fundraising goal of $30,000.

This week we’re highlighting 5 different Bike SLO County programs and efforts that need your help:

DAY 3: Advocacy

Connect SLO CountyA large part of Bike SLO County’s core mission is to advocate to connect the entire county with safe paths and roads for everyone. Whether you ride a bike, walk or use a wheelchair, safe paths raise quality of life, encourage a healthy lifestyle and create opportunities countywide.

Since 2001, Bike SLO County has advocated and will continue to advocate for the completion of the Bob Jones Trail.  We’re excited by recent progress on the next phase of the Bob Jones trail, and are equally excited to advocate for the Templeton Connector, a multi-use pathway that will provide a much needed one mile non-motorized connection between northern Atascadero to southern Templeton between the Salinas River and Highway 101.

Additionally, Bike SLO County is focused on making sure that the youngest bike riders and pedestrians have the opportunity to safely ride or walk to school. To that end we advocate for sidewalks, bicycle paths & pedestrian-friendly infrastructure to create Safe Routes to School countywide.  

Connecting SLO County is not an overnight endeavor and we need your help to make sure the job gets done. Please give what you can – your donation today is an investment in a more bike and pedestrian friendly future. 

A one time donation of $100 or more will significantly help drive our Advocacy efforts forward. Donations of any amount a greatly appreciated as we strive to reach our goal to raise $30,000 by Friday, June 16th.

Click here to make a one time donation.

Prefer to make a recurring monthly donation? Click here to make a monthly donation.

Already support Bike SLO County? Thank You!

Bike Month 2017: Week 3

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Bike Month 2017 continues with a fun filled week, including Bike to Work Day, the Bike Month Blow Out, a special guest at Women’s Night @ Bike Kitchen, the AMGEN Tour of California and the Downtown SLO Bock Party.

Tuesday May 16th: AMGEN Tour of California, Downtown SLO Block Party

Our Bike Valet will be at the start of the AMGEN race in Pismo Beach and in San Luis Obispo for the Downtown SLO Block Party. We’ll be in Pismo Beach from 9 AM – 12:30 PM near the intersection of Cypress & Pomeroy, then we’ll run Bike Valet from 2 – 6 PM in front of Sanctuary Tobacco on Chorro St in SLO (map). Ride your bike to the Downtown SLO Block Party and leave it with us! More info on the block party: https://www.facebook.com/events/1208757802567645/

Thursday May 18th: Women’s Night @ Bike Kitchen presents: An Evening with Karen Aydelott

Join Coeur Sports Ambassador Karen Aydelott for a special evening in the Bike Kitchen. Karen, a San Luis Obispo resident, is an avid cyclist having completed 60 double centuries and the Paris-Brest-Paris event. In addition she is an experienced triathlete and has completed 31 Ironman distance races; 5 since her amputation on 2008.  More info here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1901656286790237/

Friday May 19th: Bike to Work Day, followed by the Bike Month Blow Out/Bikes & Beauty Fashion Show

Bike to Work Day starts early with Commuter Stations galore and ends with the Bike Month Blow Out/Bikes & Beauty Fashion Show at the Guild Hall in SLO. Visit any of the Commuter Stations around the county to get your raffle ticket, then bring your ticket to the Bike Month Blow Out for your chance to win a 7-speed Linus Commuter bike.  Tickets for other bike raffles and giveaways will be available for purchase at the Bike Month Blow Out.

Find Commuter Stations here: https://rideshare.org/events/bike-to-work-day/

More info on the Bike Month Blow Out/Bikes & Beauty Fashion Show here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1185750391548494/

Saturday May 20th: Street Skills 101 

Bike Month is a fantastic time to brush up on your street skills. Our fun, informative course gives you in-class and on-the-road experience to make sure you know how to bike safe and bike smart. Noon – 4 PM on Saturday May 20th in SLO. Reserve your place here: http://bikeslocounty.org/events/#!event/2017/5/20/street-skills-101

Get the full Bike Month calendar of events over at Rideshare: https://rideshare.org/bike-month-events/

Advocacy Alert

SLO City Alert! ACT TODAY!

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Tell SLO City Council

Keep bike projects moving forward

Tonight SLO City Council will be reviewing staff budget recommendations that put the brakes on bike projects which were deemed high priorities in the budget priority process two years ago. It is important to reach out to City Council before 11 a.m. TODAY, or to attend the second part of the SLO City Council meeting this evening starting at 8 p.m. to comment directly to City Council to make sure that these projects don’t stall.

Whether you are sending email or commenting in person, please always remember to be respectful and to thank the City Council for the previous work to connect and expand the city’s bicycle transportation network.

Talking points:

  • I am part of the 20 percent dedicated to helping the city meet its 20 percent trips-by-bike goal.
  • In the last budget cycle, the City Council funded feasibility studies for three projects: 1) Safe Routes to School for Pacheco and Bishop’s Peak Elementary Schools, 2) a bicycle/pedestrian crossing on Foothill Boulevard at Ferrini Road and 3) the Broad Street Bicycle Boulevard. Please follow through and allocate funding for improvements recommended in the studies. Finish what has been started to provide a more safe and convenient connection for people living on the north side of the city to downtown.
  • Please delay the Penny Lane bridge over the Union Pacific RR tracks project and allocate the funding to the Safe Routes to Schools, Foothill/Ferrini crossing and Broad Street Bicycle Boulevard projects. This project is a temporary fix and the funds are better spent on shovel ready projects.
  • Thank you for securing the grant for the Railroad Safety Trail segment from Taft Street to Pepper Street, including the bridge over the railroad tracks behind California Highway Patrol headquarters. Support staff’s recommendation for a feasibility study for the next segment from Pepper Street to the Amtrak station. Complete the Railroad Safety Trail to provide a complete network for people on bikes and pedestrians between Cal Poly and downtown and eventually Orcutt Road.
  • Support staff’s recommendation to place a higher priority on the Bob Jones Trail segment between Oceanaire and Calle Joaquin over the segment from LOVR to the Octagon Barn because of limited funds. But please insist that the next budget cycle must fund the segment from Los Osos Valley Road to the Octagon Barn in anticipation of the opening of the Octagon Barn for public use, pending approval of the Avila Ranch and San Luis Ranch developments and extension of the county’s segment of the trail from the Octagon Barn to the Ontario Road staging area.
  • Please fund a feasibility study of a Highway 101 at Marsh Street Crossing to determine the best fix to the gap in the bicycle transportation network between downtown San Luis Obispo and the Laguna Lake area. Without this vital connection in the City’s bicycle transportation network, more people will choose to travel between downtown and the Laguna Lake area by personal motor vehicle for safety reasons even though the distance is easily covered by bicycle or on foot. The existing crossing to the Madonna bike path is so perilous that experienced bicyclists avoid it, and Laguna Middle School students rarely consider it as a viable option for safe travel to school. The proposed San Luis Ranch development is only responsible for its fair share of transportation improvements, and fixing this gap is not included.
  • Support continuation of $100,000 annually for miscellaneous bike projects and $60,000 annually for maintenance of bike/pedestrian facilities.

If you cannot attend the hearing, please e-mail the Mayor and City Council at: emailcouncil@slocity.org, preferably before 11 a.m. today. Address your e-mails to Mayor Harmon and City Council Members Christianson, Gomez, Pease and Rivoire.

Or you can send e-mails to each member individually:

Mayor Heidi Harmon: hharmon@slocity.org
Carlyn Christianson: cchristianson@slocity.org
Aaron Gomez: agomez@slocity.org
Andy Pease: apease@slocity.org
Dan Rivoire: drivoire@slocity.org

Remember, public comments on SLO City staff’s recommendations on the 2017-19 budget cycle will not be accepted until approximately 8 p.m. or later. The 4 p.m. session is for the staff presentation only. If you really want to attend and comment in person, a good strategy is to watch the meeting live from home on Charter Cable Government Access Channel 20 or streamed online via the City Council website at: http://www.slocity.org/government/mayor-and-city-council/agendas-and-minutes. Time your appearance on when the discussion on a petition to repeal or replace the rental housing inspection program is coming to a close.

Thank You!

Advocacy Alert

Finish the Bob Jones Trail Extension

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Ask Parks and Rec to Move the Bob Jones Trail Forward

This Thursday, March 23, 2017, the SLO County Parks and Recreation Commission will consider “strategy for funding the Bob Jones Pathway Construction Documents and Right-of-Way consulting services” for the trail’s 4.4-mile extension from the Octagon Barn to the Ontario Road staging area.

At stake is grant funding for a Request for Proposals (RFP) for consulting services to prepare construction and right-of-way documents for the trail’s long anticipated extension. This work is needed to move the project to “shovel-ready” status and thus eligible for grant funding. Bike SLO County and other groups that support completion of the Bob Jones Trail disagree with the County Parks and Recreation Department staff recommendation to delay bringing any funding requests to the Board of Supervisors.

We take issue with any further delay for this project of regional significance for locals and visitors. The Bob Jones Trail extension is in the final stages of environmental study and review and needs to move forward. While the $775,000 in grant funding earmarked for the RFP are insufficient to cover its estimated $1.1 million cost, the Board of Supervisors can choose to cover the estimated $380,000 shortfall now with Parks Public Facilities Fees or funds from other sources. The important issue is for the SLO County Parks and Recreation Commission to recommend bringing the RFP funding request  to the Board of Supervisors. Failure to move forward endangers work already completed and paid for, adding additional cost and time to a project already years behind schedule.

The Bob Jones Trail extension has been promised for decades. Other pieces of the trail network, including the Octagon Barn and Bob Jones trailhead, are in the works.

The Parks and Recreation Commission meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors’ chambers in the county Government Center, 1055 Monterey St., SLO. Bob Jones Trail is item 9 on the agenda.

What can I do?

  • Attend the meeting and ask the Parks and Recreation Commission to recommend bringing the RFP funding request to the Board of Supervisors.
  • Email the Parks and Recreation Commissioners and let them know that you want the Bob Jones Trail to move forward now. Email addresses for the Commissioners:

Pandora Nash-Karner
pandora@pandoraandcompany.com

Bruce Hilton
bruce.hilton@post.harvard.edu

Connie O’Henley
connie@clarkcenter.org

Kenny Dahlen
kennydahlen@gmail.com

Whether you attend the meeting, email the Commissioners or both, here is some language that might help:

Dear Commission Chair and Members:

Please recommend that the Board of Supervisors allocate Parks Public Facility Fees or other funds to cover the estimated shortfall for the Request for Proposals to provide consulting services for construction and right-of-way documents for the Bob Jones Trail 4.4-mile extension.

This work is needed to move the extension project to “shovel-ready” status and thus eligible for grant funding. The county must fulfill its commitment to complete this stretch of the City to the Sea Trail. Further delays could cause work that has already been completed to expire, adding additional cost and time to a project already years behind schedule.

Sincerely,

(Your Name)

Additional Info:

WHEN:        Thursday, March 23, 2017 6 PM

WHERE:     SLO County Government Center, 1055 Monterey St., SLO (map)

WHAT:       SLO County Parks and Recreation Commission meeting to consider “strategy for funding the Bob Jones Pathway Construction Documents and Right-of-Way consulting services”.

Agenda: http://agenda.slocounty.ca.gov/agenda/sanluisobispo/822/QWdlbmRh/6/n/75506.doc

Staff Report: http://agenda.slocounty.ca.gov/agenda/sanluisobispo/7205/SXRlbSBEb2N1bWVudCAoUHVibGljKSA=/14/n/75504.doc