Bicycle Coalition holds State of Cycling workshop highlighting efforts to make San Diego most bike-friendly city

By Dave Schwab | SDUN Reporter

Cyclists heard about the push to mainstream their mode of transportation at a conference held Saturday, April 6 at the Lafayette Hotel. Called the State of Cycling in San Diego County, the day-long event included breakfast, speeches, an interactive workshop and specialty bike “portraits,” and was followed by a bicycle ride through Uptown.

Sponsored by the nonprofit San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, the conference commemorated the one-year anniversary of the Coalition’s strategic plan with a report on progress being made to make San Diego more bike friendly.

“Last year we took 80 stakeholders and formed a new five-year strategic plan with a new mission and new vision,” Bicycle Coalition Executive Director Andy Hanshaw told a packed room of cycling enthusiasts.

The strategic plan included goals to develop a growing Bicycle Coalition membership that would make the organization’s voice stronger and advocacy more effective. They also wanted to help grow the organization in order to better serve their members.

“We’ve got our new plan and mission in place and it’s been nothing but progress since we adopted them. But we still have our foundation, which is education,” Hanshaw said. “Programs like Bike Local Sundays, kicking off in May, are geared towards educating and encouraging our everyday cyclists to ride to their neighborhood shops and services instead of driving.”

Pointing out the Coalition’s mission is to “advocate for and protect the rights of all people who ride bicycles,” Hanshaw said that includes “promoting bicycling as a mainstream, safe and enjoyable form of transportation and recreation.”

After the opening presentation, cyclists broke into separate committees to discuss membership, education, advocacy and building the Coalition’s organizational capacity.

Jim Baross of Normal Heights led a committee discussion on advocacy, taking notes from attendees who approached his table to point out cycling trouble spots. Baross also made note of the cyclists’ thoughts and suggestions on what could – and should – be done to make San Diego County more bike friendly.

At the end, Baross and other committee chairs reported back to the full group on what they learned during committee discussions.

“One of our main efforts is to make our roads safer and more comfortable for people to ride next to, or separate from, motor vehicles,” Baross said, pointing out that cyclists enjoy equal rights along with motorists on the road.

However, Baross said cyclists need to become better educated as to the rules of the road, too. For instance, he said many cyclists are unaware that cycling on sidewalks is not permitted everywhere.

“It’s not illegal to ride a bike on sidewalks in San Diego, except in a business district where they can be a speed hazard to pedestrians,” he said, pointing out that not all business districts are clearly marked with signs.

Baross said that presents a problem. “We know the roadway environment is not comfortable for most people,” he said.

Coalition president Kevin Wood also spoke, and said 2012 was a “record-setting year” for cyclists.

“Our Bike To Work Day was the best ever, and our Bike To Bay event was sold out,” Wood said. “From fundraising records to expansion of community advocacy groups, the Bicycle Coalition continued its influential presence in San Diego this past year … while moving forward with new initiatives.”

Wood credited the Coalition’s five-year strategic plan that was adopted in April 2012 for much of the progress. He said the plan grew from a collaboration of bicycle advocates, bicycle-shop owners, community leaders, bicycle-club representatives, elected officials, educators and transportation professionals.

The Coalition also made strides in regional transportation planning.

“We really increased our efforts, with the help of SANDAG, to quantify the impacts cyclists are having in the region,” Wood said, adding County transportation planners are now urging people to “bike more, drive less.”

He also said that message is getting through.

“Vehicle miles traveled by all Americans has been flat or declining since 2005,” Wood said. “That’s a huge opportunity for us to promote cycling as a mainstream, safe form of transportation.”

With business districts providing more bicycle parking, the Coalition hosting more events and public policy increasingly promoting cycling, Wood said the group is successfully reaching its ultimate goal.

Highlights of the State of Cycling presentation include:

•New partnerships launched the nation’s largest bicycle-friendly business district initiative and Bike Local Sundays to attract everyday bicyclists to ride to local businesses;

•The Coalition’s signature events, Bike The Bay and the annual Tour De Fat, were the most successful to date in 2012, raising more than $83,000 combined;

•Mayor Bob Filner pledged to make the city better for cyclists and launched CicloSDias, the city’s first Open Streets event;

•Advocates developed new bicycle advocacy groups, including BikeSD, BikeWalk Solana Beach, as well as in Oceanside, Encinitas, Coronado and Chula Vista; and

•Bicycle advocates attended public hearings across the county, influencing bike friendly infrastructure decisions in Encinitas and San Diego.

The Uptown bike ride following the presentation was preceded by volunteers photographing people with their bicycles in front of the historic Lafayette Hotel on El Cajon Boulevard. For more information about the Coalition visit sdcbc.org or call 858-487-6063.