In the Lane

The Newsletter of Bike Santa Cruz County - March 2026 - Issue #13

In this Issue:

Upcoming Events: Santa Cruz Cycle Fair & Watsonville Community Bike Ride
Santa Cruz Mid-County Active Transportation Network
Napa Shows How Eco Sweeper Can Make Cycling Safer
Community Partner Spotlight: The Bike Church

Happy March! Read on for the latest Santa Cruz County bike advocacy updates, upcoming events, and ways you can help support our mission to make our streets safer and more bike-friendly.

Upcoming Events: Santa Cruz Cycle Fair

& Watsonville Community Bike Ride!

Santa Cruz Mid-County Active Transportation Network

Bike Santa Cruz County has been working on an exciting and bold idea for the heart of our county. From Midtown Santa Cruz through Live Oak, Capitola, Soquel, and into Aptos, we are developing a simple but powerful goal: to create a low stress, connected network that strengthens our county's existing investments in biking and walking.

We’re calling it the Santa Cruz Mid-County Active Transportation Network.

Think of Soquel Drive and the soon to be built Coastal Rail Trail through mid county as the “spines” of this corridor, along with a few other key streets. These spines without ribs don’t support a body. This effort focuses on building out those ribs (key connector streets that link neighborhoods to the spines) and creating a complete network that puts most mid-county residents within a half-mile of a truly safe route, good for All Ages and Abilities.

The goal is a connected system of neighborhood greenways, slow streets, and protected bike-priority roads that allow people to safely reach schools, parks, shops, jobs, medical facilities, and beaches, all without needing a car.

By defining the full network, we move away from one-off projects and toward a cohesive goal. Individual improvements become part of a bigger, intentional system.

We’re still refining details and building partnerships, but the concept is gaining momentum and we wanted to share. This will be a long-term initiative; data-driven, neighborhood grounded, and drawing from many existing Safe Routes to School and regional transportation plans.

Over the coming months, you’ll hear more from us – about specific corridors and ways to get involved. You all, our members, supporters, advocates, will play a key role in shaping it and making it happen. We are looking forward to your involvement and contributions.

If we get this right, Mid-County Santa Cruz would have one of the most complete, connected active transportation networks in the region that would serve nearly a third of our county’s residents and strengthen active transportation for everyone in our county.

More to come.

Napa Shows How Eco Sweeper Can Make Cycling Safer

Ever get frustrated by debris-filled bike lanes that create hazards and ugliness along our roadways? Our friends at the Napa County Bicycle Coalition came up with a brilliant solution: the Eco Sweeper.

“Regular cleaning is the Achilles heel of protected bike lanes, as its budget is rarely factored in when the lanes are installed,” says Eco Sweeper inventor Pierre Lermant.

“The Napa County initiative demonstrates how the Eco Sweeper devices can bridge budget shortcomings and leverage the community to help clean up bike lanes and promote bicycling, our ultimate goal.”

The Eco Sweeper is a battery-powered device that attaches to the rear wheel of a bicycle with a trailer-style hitch. And, at just $4,500, the cost is a fraction of a traditional $200,000 street sweeper machine. And it is carbon-free.

NCBC launched a GoFundMe campaign in May 2024, to raise the money to buy the sweeper, and met its goal in just one day. During its first run on June 17, 2024, the sweeper collected nearly 36 gallons of debris, a hefty load for a bicycle-pulled device.

The tow-behind bike lane sweeper is not just a solution for Napa; it represents an approach to bicycle infrastructure planning that other communities can learn from. Napa has set a precedent for a safer, more bike-friendly future - powered by bikes and cyclists!

What do you think, should Bike Santa Cruz County follow Napa’s example?

Community Partner Spotlight: The Bike Church

We’d like to take a moment and introduce one of our special community partners The Bike Church!

The Bike Church Santa Cruz is a nonprofit community bicycle workshop located Downtown Santa Cruz. Its primary mission is to make bicycling accessible and affordable by providing tools, workspace, and education to the public.

The organization operates through open shop hours where community members can repair and maintain their own bikes with guidance from experienced mechanics. The Bike Church relies largely on donated bicycles and parts, which are refurbished, reused, or made available at low cost. In addition to repair access, the organization offers classes and skill-building opportunities focused on basic bike maintenance and safety. By promoting reuse, hands-on learning, and self-sufficiency, the Bike Church supports sustainable transportation and reduces waste while serving a broad cross-section of the local community.

To learn more about their current workshops and community offerings, follow the link below:

The Bike Church