Advocacy Alert

Morro Creek Multi-Use Path and Bridge Moves Forward

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On Tuesday January 14, 2014 the Morro Bay City Council approved (4-1 with Nancy Johnson dissenting) conditional use and construction permits for the Morro Creek Multi-Use Path and Bridge. The resolution, 7-14, accepts the negative declaration for an EIR and NEPA documents allowing for and approving the conditional use and construction permits.

The project will now move forward for final approval by the Coastal Commission before construction. There are no dates for the Coastal Commission meeting yet, but we’ll be sure to keep you posted!

MorroCreekBridge

Bicycle Corral Demonstration Friday at Kreuzberg in SLO

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BikeCorralsWe’re happy to announce the installation of a temporary bicycle corral (on-street bicycle parking) at Kreuzberg Coffee Company in SLO. These corrals are popping up all over the country, and serve to encourage the use of bicycles for short trips, reduce traffic congestion and improve the overall quality of life.

Bicycle corrals are specifically established for bicycle parking. They are identified by roadway striping, bollards or other protective barriers and signage. A corral can be as simple as a series of bike racks surrounded by painted lines or a unique, artistic creation that enhances a vibrant commercial area. Existing bicycle racks in San Luis Obispo use part of the sidewalk.

When: Friday, January 17th  9:00 am – 1:00 pm

Where: Kreuzberg Cafe, 685 Higuera St, SLO (map)

Why: The Bicycle Coalition and Bicycle Club invite the public and local business owners to see how a bicycle corral can make our downtown more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly.

  • Bicycle Corrals provide a 10-to-1 customer-to-parking space ratio, generating greater business patronage. Corrals keep sidewalks and walkways free of bicycles and for better pedestrian mobility and business access.
  • Corrals improve restaurant and outdoor seating environments by removing parked bicycles from sidewalk areas.
  • The city of San Luis Obispo’s recently updated Bicycle Transportation Plan calls for increased bicycle parking throughout the city. Bicycle corrals will meet the need for convenient and safe bicycle parking downtown.

Kreuzberg co-owner Chris Tarcon noted that he and partner James Whitaker explored cafés in Berlin’s Kreuzberg neighborhood by bicycle in early 2010 for ideas for the coffee shop they opened in San Luis Obispo. Although customers often lock their bicycles to the railing in front of their downtown business, adding to the décor, Tarcon said a designated parking area for bicycles makes a lot of sense.

“A bicycle corral will be more inviting for those who ride bicycles,” Tarcon said. “We have no designated parking area for cars, so more and more people are turning to bicycles because they are convenient and a great way to get around. If the bicycle corral demonstration is successful, we will follow up by submitting a request to the city for a permanent corral.”

We invite you to come down and park at the corral to show your support for better bicycle parking in downtown!

Building a Bicycle Advocacy Force

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Your Bicycle Coalition has big plans for our expanded advocacy efforts in 2014 and needs your help to make it happen! We ask you to make a year-end donation to help the Bicycle Coalition build this stronger advocacy force. 

Advocacy makes it happen, if we don’t show up and ask, bicycle projects will not get built. Thanks to our dedicated advocates we completed major victories this year:

  • Achieved adoption of a new Bicycle Plan in San Luis Obispo including $64 million in projects.
  • Maintained that future Bob Jones trail segments be removed from roadway traffic.
  • Rallied community support for new bike lanes on Grand Avenue in Grover Beach.
  • Secured 4x funding for bicycle projects in San Luis Obispo.
  • Supported installation of new bike lanes on Rambouillet Road in Paso Robles.
  • And even more!

LeadingTheCharge

In 2014 we will inspire decision makers to lead the charge for better bikeways or otherwise be replaced. Our plan for next year is to focus on advocacy, directing our energy to move more projects from concept to completion. We will:

  • Cultivate an army of families advocating for young riders and safe routes to school.
  • Influence elections to achieve a bicycle friendly majority serving in elected bodies countywide.
  • Innovate our advocacy efforts through unique online tools and communications.

Make a donation of $25, $50 or $100 today; invest in the Bicycle Coalition and our ambitious vision for incredible bikeways in SLO County. Your generous support will make you an integral part of this shared vision. We are committed to making you a proud supporter again in 2014.

Read more about our Advocacy Force plan for 2014.

Advocacy Alert

Help Approve the SLO Bike Plan on Nov 5!

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Join the Bicycle Coalition to pack the San Luis Obispo City Council chambers and get the latest SLO City Bike Plan approved! The plan is a blueprint for future bikeways including 26 miles of new paths, 17 miles of bike lanes, and 6 miles of bike boulevards all aimed at getting more people riding bicycles. Bicycle Coalition advocates will stand together to show the City Council how important bikeways are to our community.

2013_SLOBikePlanUpdate

We will be gathering from 5:00 – 5:45 pm for some snacks and socializing in our downtown SLO headquarters (860 Pacific St, Suite 105, SLO – map) before riding to the meeting together!

What: San Luis Obispo City Council Meeting
When: Tuesday November 5, 2013, 6:00 – 7:00 pm
Where: City Council Chambers, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 (map)
Why: Ask City Council to approve the Bike Plan Update

Advocacy Alert

Advocacy Mini-Summit This Sunday

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The advocacy efforts of the SLO County Bicycle Coalition have gotten more sophisticated over the past year, with a special team of behind the scenes advocates representing all corners of San Luis Obispo County. Join our expanded advocacy team by attending our 2nd annual Advocacy Mini-Summit on Sunday, October 20th, 2013, from 1:00 to 4:00pm.

Ongoing conversations with passionate advocates, families and local leaders have led to numerous victories in 2013 and help set the stage for a great Advocacy Mini-Summit!

2013AdvocacyMiniSummit

Our annual Mini-Summit is designed to help you become a better bicycle advocate and learn how to help make bicycle friendly improvements in your community. The program for the afternoon includes:

  • Q&A with an expert panel of local leaders
  • A copy of our custom advocacy toolkit
  • Interactive brainstorming session for future projects
  • Light refreshments
  • …and more!

With more people on the ground advocating to complete planned bicycle projects, the easier it is for all of us to create a bicycle-friendly SLO County! Sign up below, it’s free, and invaluable in helping us complete our bike paths. Our expert panelists include:

  • Bruce Gibson, Board of Supervisors
  • Jessica Berry, Planner, SLOCOG
  • Jamie Irons, Mayor, Morro Bay
  • Derek Johnson, Community Development Director, San Luis Obispo

If you are having trouble with the form below, you can use this link to sign up online.

Fill out my online form.

Update: Highway One Chip Seal Treatment

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Last year, Caltrans used a larger than normal aggregate to resurface a portion of the world renowned Highway One route north of Cambria. As part of this resurfacing, the roadway became incredibly rough for bicycles and kicked up small rocks into the path of both bicycle riders and motorists. This safety issue has made its way from local to state to national news through popular bicycle groups.

Soon, thanks to the efforts of numerous advocacy groups, this 20 mile section of roadway will be remedied to provide sufficient smoothing! After a series of test treatments as part of a study by the UC Davis Pavement Research Center, a sand seal will be applied to a portion of the roadway before moving forward with the remaining roadway. The test sand seal is set to be applied in 3-4 weeks.

From an official Caltrans statement:

“I am happy to announce through our association with the UC Davis Pavement Research Center and input from the cycling community, Caltrans is preparing to begin work on Hwy. 1. With this fact based decision we are now moving forward with finding a solution for resurfacing Highway 1.  While the full report continues to undergo review, enough information is available to begin work on Highway 1,” said Caltrans District 5 Director Tim Gubbins.

The results of this study indicate a sand seal treatment is expected to be effective in smoothing the surface of Highway 1.  Caltrans will apply a sand treatment to a short test section of Highway 1.  A sand seal is a sprayed application of asphalt emulsion followed by a covering of clean sand or fine aggregate.

This is great news for coastal riders, upcoming fundraising rides which use this beautiful  route, and motorists who don’t want rocks flung at their windshields.

The selection of this surface treatment follows work by the UC Davis Pavement Research Center and Caltrans that tested eight sections of surface treatment on State Route 198 in Monterey County. 

A sand seal was applied to one of the test sections and resulted in an improvement on the highway, according to feedback from cyclists and specialized equipment used to measure the texture of the highway.

Your Bicycle Coalition will be sure to keep you up to date as the process moves forward. In the meantime more news on the subject is available online for your review:

California By Bike Summit

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We are at an exciting and powerful moment in the history of bicycle advocacy in our state. Governor Brown has provided more money than ever for active transportation infrastructure and he’s given us a blank slate regarding rules on how to spend it. Are we prepared to make the most of this opportunity?

CAbikeSummit2013

Our statewide partners, the California Bicycle Coalition, are hosting an incredible summit in November to address the future of bicycles in the state. Aimed at brining bicycle culture, infrastructure and excitement to all corners of the golden state, the California by Bike Summit is guaranteed to inspire!

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On November 7-10 in Oakland, CA, California by Bike will bring people together so that we can say, “Yes, we can.”  This is a gathering of more than just bike advocates and the bike industry, but leading bike-minded people in transit, urban planning, health, design, technology, and tourism as we share, envision, connect and collaborate on how to best improve biking in California.

Your Bicycle Coalition will be in attendance to learn and share from others, with the central coast having many recent victories for bicycles. We are also excited to hear what other similar parts of the state are doing to make bicycle riding better in their communities. We’d love to see you there as we all continue to work together to making places better for bicycles!

When: November 7-10, 2013
Where:  685 14th St, Oakland, CA (map)

For more information, to register and receive early-bird registration (ends September 30!) visit the California by Bike Summit online here.

SLO City Planning Commission to Address Key Bicycle Projects this Week

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The San Luis Obispo City Planning Commission is set to consider two important bicycle issues at their Wednesday night meeting, and the Bicycle Coalition would love to see your support! There is no speaking required, but you can if you would like. The two issues to be reviewed at the meeting include:
  • The preferred trail alignment of the Bob Jones Trail from Los Osos Valley Road to the Octagon Barn
  • The Draft 2013 Bicycle Transportation Plan

When: Wednesday September 11, 2013 at 6:00 pm
Where: City Council Chambers, 990 Palm St, SLO (map)

SLOCityCouncil_4.10.12

Your Bicycle Coalition has been hard at work with our team of advocates as we continue the positive progress of the Bob Jones Trail for users countywide. In addition to the future of this popular trail, the commission will also be considering the Draft 2013 Bicycle Transportation Plan – the blueprint of future bicycle facilities in the City of SLO. Both issues are key as we work together to make SLO County an incredible place for bicycles!

View the September 11, 2013 Planning Commission agenda.

Bob Jones Trail

There is no need to speak in support of the proposed alignment, just being there to show the bicycle community’s overwhelming support for the alignment along the scenic creek is very helpful.

If you would like to speak:
-Urge commissioners to support the preferred alignment along the creek and creek setback (read more about the preferred alignment).

Draft 2013 Bicycle Transportation Plan

The Bicycle Transportation Plan creates a guiding blueprint for increasing bicycle ridership and future infrastructure improvements to improve connectivity and safety for all road users. Your Bicycle Coalition will be asking commissioners to recommend approval of the draft plan to the SLO City Council.

If you would like to speak: (We encourage you to do so!)
-Urge commissioners to recommend approval of the plan to the SLO City Council.
-You can also view the plan online (planned projects start at page 52, Appendix A, all are sorted by area of SLO City) and take note of the specific projects that are important to you and your family.

If you cannot attend:
-Take a look at the plan online, and send a quick email the Deputy Director of Long Range Planning, Kim Murry (kmurry@slocity.org) the specific projects that are important to you.