Action Alert: House of Representatives Committee guts bike/ped funding. Contact Stark and Thompson today!

EBBC Members and Coalition Partners:
This morning the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee eliminated dedicated funding for bike/ped projects in the Federal Transportation Bill. Tomorrow, Friday Feb 3, the House Ways & Means Committee takes up the Bill and they are taking an all out assault on transit and also eliminated bike/ped funding. In an unprecedented move, the Ways and Means Committee is kicking transit funding out of the Highway Trust Fund and into the annual appropriations process, which means that every year transit would have to fight for its full share of funding in Congress. This is the absolute wrong way to go, and we urgently need you to help us stop it! There are two US Congressmen in and around our area who sit on the Ways & Means Committee. Please

Contact Congressman Pete Stark (13th Dist Fremont)
(202) 225-5065

Contact Congressman Mike Thompson (1st Dist Napa County & North)
(202) 225-3311

"I Bike Oakland" Winter Newsletter hits the streets

The City of Oakland's Bicycle & Pedestrian Facilities Program is pleased to share the ninth edition of the "I BIKE OAKLAND" newsletter. This newsletter provides an overview of the City's progress implementing Oakland's Bicycle Master Plan over the last six months (July-December 2011).

Read about all of the new bikeways Oakland striped in the past 7 months and plans for many more bikeways they are working on completing before Bike to Work Day.

"Oakland is proud to invest in better bicycling," said Mayor Jean Quan at our December 16, 2012 press event in Downtown Oakland. "We are seeing cutting edge companies like Sungevity choose to locate in Oakland because their employees value being able to bike to work. These 18 miles of new bikeways help make Oakland a great place to live, work, and shop and are another reason Oakland continues to gain recognition for being a top bike friendly city."

To download the newsletter (.pdf format, 3.7 mb), go to www2.oaklandnet.com/n/OAK033089. The newsletter is currently available in English, and will be available in Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese soon, and posted at www2.oaklandnet.com/Government/o/PWA/o/EC/s/BicycleandPedestrianProgram/OAK024706.

EBBC secures $883 million for bike/ped projects in Measure B Plan

November 2012 election requires 2/3rds support
for final approval

We are delighted to report that the Alameda CTC Board approved on January 26 a total of $883 million for bike/ped projects in the Expenditure Plan for the Measure B transportation sales reauthorization. This is 11.34% of all funds in the $7.8 billion Plan and in today's dollars amounts to approximately $22 million/year for bikes and pedestrians, more than four times what the current Measure B allocates. The Board also committed to a student bus pass and a full alternatives analysis for BART to Livermore.

Measure B will allocate more money for bike/ped projects than highway projects - a first!....Art Dao, Executive Director, Alameda CTC

Art Dao, the Executive Director of the Alameda CTC, emphasized to the Board that Measure B's 11.34% for bike/ped projects is the highest percentage of any transportation sales tax in the region. Mr. Dao also provided a unique perspective on funding priorities: Measure B will allocate more money for bike/ped projects than highway projects - a first! Of course, all this good news requires 2/3rd voter approval come November 2012. You will be hearing a lot more this year about EBBC's "Yes on Measure B" campaign and how you can help make Alameda County one hecka bike-friendly town.

Team EBBC hits the road again for the 2012 Climate Ride

Climate Ride LogoIs your New Year's resolution to do more to help combat climate change? Or maybe to make our cities more bike-friendly sustainable places to live? Or maybe to spend more time on your bike? For any of these resolutions, we have got a great ride and a great adventure for you! Join Team EBBC for the 2012 California Climate Ride.

Climate Ride Team EBBCFor the first time in 2011 the East Bay Bicycle Coalition partnered with Climate Ride, the largest environmental cycling event in the county, for the annual California Climate Ride, raising over $10,000 to directly support our bicycle advocacy work. And this September Team EBBC is hitting the road again! You could be a part of our team this year, enjoying an amazing 5-day ride from Eureka to San Francisco, getting inspired by the advocacy work of your fellow riders, and knowing that you are really making a difference for biking and for climate change.

Planning Commission seeks additional input on the Lake Merritt BART Station Area Plan


January 18 Update:
The Planning Commission directed staff to schedule a public workshop and walking tour of Chinatown in February 2012 to further explore issues around development, streetscapes, security, affordable housing, gateway designs and appropriate scope for new buildings. Look for an upcoming announcement on this public workshop soon.

EBBC and our allies attended the Oakland Planning Commission to voice support for the Lake Merritt BART Station Area Plan and the bike lanes it includes on Oak, Madison, Webster, Franklin, 8th and 9th (east of Harrison), 10th St and 7th St. We also voiced our concerns about the lack of better bike access through the core of Chinatown on 8th and 9th Streets, and the need to study better loading zones in the area and how bikes and trucks can better share the road.

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Your business can sponsor Bike to Work Day 2012

Support the Bay Area's biggest bike event of the year and associate your bike-friendly business/agency with the good will of tens of thousands of cyclists who take to the streets every May and celebrate the healthiest of commutes. We have several sponsorship levels, both Bay Area wide and East Bay sponsorships–there is one to fit your budget.

Bike to Work Day continues to grow at incredible rates here in the East Bay and in the entire Bay Area and there has never been a more opportune time for your company to become part of the excitement and satisfaction that comes with greening your commute by bike. If you are interested, please contact Renee Rivera, Executive Director if your business is interested in making the East Bay a more bike-friendly community.

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Caltrans prepares to scope the Niles Canyon Roadway Widening Project

before and after of Niles CanyonJanuary 19, 2012 Update:
Caltrans is moving ahead with its Niles Canyon Roadway Safety Project, to provide 10' wide shoulders along SR 84 thru Niles Canyon. While this is great for bicyclists due to the shoulders and the fact that there is no shoulder along much of the canyon road, many groups are opposing this vast project, including the City of Fremont.

For bikes, Caltrans is also considering adding flashing beacons, in-road detectors and countdown signals at the entrances to the bridges in the canyon, to alert motorists to the presence of bicyclists on the bridges. The details are still being worked out on how to make this work effectively for many levels of different skilled cyclists. Caltrans is not going to lower the speed limits on the bridges, as has been requested by EBBC and Saves Niles Canyon groups, and they also will not place 'transverse' rumble strips in the vehicle lanes, to alert motorists as they approach the bridges, again as EBBC and Saves Niles Canyon groups have requested. EBBC will continue to push Caltrans on these two points as Caltrans moves toward doing a revised Environmental Impact Report on the Project. The timeline is to have the EIR out for public review in Sept-Oct, 2012 and have construction start in 2015.

Capitol Corridor's Bike Storage Educational Period Begins February 1

From Amtrak Operations Website
You may have heard or read public comments about the Capitol Corridor’s Joint Powers Authority’s (CCJPA) new On board bike storage policy. I want to clarify that on February 1, 2012 we will start our “get acquainted period” to help educate riders who bring bikes on board the importance of proper bike storage. We will begin implementing the new policy several months afterwards in order to give riders time to prepare and acclimate to proper bike storage practices that allow for adequate access and safety.
This policy change is an issue we have been wrestling with as a result of our growing ridership and the corresponding increase in bike usage over the past few years. Quite simply put, the increased use of bicycles in correlation with more riders has outpaced our capacity to safely accommodate so many bikes on board the trains. The CCJPA’s top priority is safety, and in this instance it is not just a viewpoint; it is mandated by compliance with basic operations regulated by federal law and enforced by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).
During this educational period, for safety reasons and to acquaint bike riders with the upcoming policy, conductors may “tag” those bikes that aren’t properly secured or stowed in such a way that prevents accessing the aisle ways. We’re giving cyclists several months to learn about how to properly stow their bikes in accordance with the upcoming policy.

Upcoming Bike Policy
Several months from now, when the Capitol Corridor’s new bike policy is in place, passengers who board trains with bikes will be required to:
Secure bicycles to prevent the sudden or uncontrolled movement of bikes in the event of a sudden train stop; and
Store bicycles so that all passengers (including those in wheelchairs) can safely navigate the train aisle-ways.

Tour de Biere 2012: an East Bay bike & brewery crawl benefitting EBBC

Date: 
February 12, 2012 - 9:30am - 6:30pm

Join us for a day of biking and beer in the East Bay!

TICKETS ON SALE HERE

The Grand Cru presents: Tour de Bière 2012, our 2nd annual bike crawl through some of the finest breweries the Bay Area has to offer. Last year’s ride was a great success, so we are excited to bring this event to SF Beer Week once again! We’ll be visiting several East Bay breweries and chatting with the craftsmen/women that are defining the East Bay brewing scene. While you drink great brews, you’ll also be helping raise funds for the East Bay Bicycle Coalition – an organization working to promote bicycling as an everyday means of transportation and recreation in the East Bay. As part of your entrance fee donation, you will receive a wrist band which will get you complimentary tastings, tours, and discounts at the participating breweries.

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Oakland BPAC seeks your input on 2012 bike priorities

At its January 19 meeting, the Oakland Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee took input from many EBBC and WOBO members on how best to spend $275,000 in Transportation Development Act funds for bike/ped projects. The list of potential projects/programs includes:

  • 40th Street bikeway design west of MacArthur BART-a Safe Routes to Transit project that is funded, but could use a bit more
  • CityRacks bike rack program that provides free sidewalk bikes racks in front of businesses
  • Fruitvale Ave sidewalk and bikeway improvements near the estuary. This area lacks a sidewalk and the bike lanes is horrible.
  • Adeline Street bikeway design and implementation