California's new protected bikeways law could get a boost from new Canadian research
 
As Caltrans implements a new CalBike-sponsored law that will help accelerate the construction of protected bikeways throughout California, new research from Canada shows that bikeways that provide even a little protection from adjacent vehicle traffic can cut bicyclist injuries significantly.
 
Last month Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 819, a bill sponsored by CalBike that requires Caltrans to establish a process to enable communities to conduct pilot projects with bikeway designs not covered by its outdated bikeway standards. Read more... 
OCTOBER 2012
New protected bikeway law
CalBike News
Villaraigosa proposes another 3-foot passing bill
Around the State
CalBike staffer to lead Sacramento coalition
Calendar

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CALBIKE NEWS 
 
Input from bicyclists and allies shapes CalBike's strategic planning process 
 
CalBike heard from hundreds of everyday cyclists and dozens of our key allies and local leaders in the past month, in the "listening and research" phase of the development of the strategic plan that will guide and focus our work for the next three to five years. The feedback was great and we have a new draft.

We'll release a full report later, but for now we can share some interesting early results and comments: "Good lord, you guys are trying to do far too much. Focus on life and keeping us safe." Respondents said "encouraging more people to bicycle" is more important than "Protecting the safety of people who bicycle today" with a 61 to 39 majority. Most people liked but did not love our mission and vision statements and we got some great advice.

The next step is for our local leaders to review the draft and we'll approve it at our retreat in Sacramento Nov. 10-11. For more information email Dave Snyder.

New resources for advocates

The past few months have seen a windfall of releases for books, reports and presentations. Here are some of the best, all available on our website. MIT Press has finally released City Cycling, a scholarly how-to on making cycling easy, safe, and accessible in cities around the world by John Pucher and Ralph Buehler. An entertaining 90-minute presentation the author made at Harvard is archived here

The University of British Columbia produced an excellent study of the relationship between
bicycling injuries and the cycling environment. Bike lanes on a street with no parked cars cut injury rates in half, but even safer are cycle tracks, new (to the U.S.) cycling facility that's part of the roadway but physically separated from car traffic. For a great summary of the article, check out this Atlantic Cities piece.

Do you have the best bicycle parking policies where you live? Find out, by comparing them to this set of model bicycle parking ordinances� prepared by ChangeLab Solutions.

IN THE STATE CAPITAL 

Villaraigosa proposes a third try at 3-foot passing law


Photo by Richard Masoner
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa proved he's ready for a challenge when he declared his intention to back yet another 3-foot passing law at this month's CicLAvia open streets event. 
 
Barely a week earlier Gov. Jerry Brown had vetoed Senate Bill 1464, the CalBike-City of Los Angeles bill to enact a minimum specified passing distance to protect bicyclists. One year earlier Brown vetoed SB 910, the previous 3-foot passing bill CalBike and LA cosponsored.

We're still learning more about the mayor's intentions, but after two vetoes in two years we're not convinced Brown actually cares much about bicycling or the safety of bicyclists. And we'd be delighted to learn that Mayor Villaraigosa knows something we don't about the real odds of getting this law enacted.
AROUND THE STATE 
 
 
ALAMEDA COUNTY: By raising the sales tax by 0.5 percent in Alameda County, Measure B1 on next week's ballot would generate $7.8 billion over 30 years for transportation projects throughout the county, with more than half of the funding used to improve transit and bicycle and pedestrian facilities. It represents an unprecedented commitment to modes of travel other than the private motor vehicle.  
Photo by LA Streetsblog

LOS ANGELES: "Guerilla" bicycle facilities installed around Los Angeles by activists impatient to see safer travel conditions for bicyclists will be featured in the official U.S. entry in the Venice Architecture Biennale in Italy. The American exhibit showcases DIY civic improvements that also include urban gardening and public art.
 
SAN DIEGO: This month the San Diego City Council rescinded the city's bicycle registration ordinance. The often-ignored law was made largely unnecessary by the fact that most bicycles are now imprinted with their own registration number. Los Angeles, San Jose, Long Beach and Santa Monica have all abandoned their bike registration requirements over the past three years, often because the cost of the program far exceeded the registration revenues it generated.  
PEOPLE 
  
CalBike staffer to lead Sacramento coalition

Earlier this month Tricia Hedahl, executive director of the Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates, announced plans to leave her position. Jim Brown, CalBike's communications Director since 2007, will succeed her as interim executive director.

During Hedahl's nearly three years as SABA's director, the organization launched a campaign to fix safety hazards at a busy intersection at the entrance to the Sacramento State University campus, participated in high-level negotiations over a massive development proposal in downtown Sacramento's historic railyards, and professionalized its operations.

Brown joined CalBike in 2007 and has juggled a variety of duties involving public information, media relations, social media and legislative advocacy. Most recently he handled media outreach in California during the U.S. congressional debate over the federal transportation bill, and managed the legislative campaign to enact SB 1464, CalBike's 3-foot passing bill. He brings to SABA a statewide and national perspective on policy issues affecting bicyclists, along with his experience as a car-free longtime Sacramentan.
 
CALENDAR 

Lecture by Dr. John Pucher
Friday, Nov. 16, 2012
Berkeley
 
This talk by the always-entertaining Professor John Pucher will be a highlight reel from his new book, City Cycling, published by MIT Press. It's an international tour of cycling levels and trends and a survey of what makes cycling and walking safe and convenient for daily travel, as it is in Dutch, Danish, and German cities. He also looks at North American cities that have greatly increased cycling and walking levels while improving safety. His conclusion: far more investment is necessary in order to promote safe cycling and walking, since these are the keys to truly livable, sustainable and socially just cities. Read more...

Learn more about upcoming rides and events at calbike.org

 
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