Bicycle Master Plan in Santa Monica: Take the Survey

City planning has started work on a new Bicycle Master Plan. It will set priorities for bicycle facilities on the basis of public input. The plan, once adopted by the council, allows the city to apply for funding for bicycle related improvements.

Many think that Santa Monica could become a bicycle perfect community: Take a community keenly interested in sustainability, a council which wants to do the right thing for the environment, and add sunshine most of the year: Really great things can come of this. The Bicycle Friendly Community Award (Bronze) from the League of American Bicyclists is proudly displayed in City Hall. Santa Monica Spoke emphasizes the community benefits of cycling, and there is talk about a bicycle commission for the city council. We are here in the Prius capital of the world: Every gas saving vehicle encountered on our streets bears testimony to a mild sense of guilt many motorists feel.

If you want to give the city the benefit of your comments, please take the survey. As part of the school community we are convinced of the value of education, but it may be important to remind the planning department that this is not only about bike lanes and bike paths, but about a change in transportation culture which needs lots of education and encouragement in order to initiate a process of change. Because we can no longer view the car as the default transportation mode.

I used to be one of those people who hugged the right curb...

The District PTSA offered a very successful bike education and encouragement event on 2 October. Sustainable Streets presented a Bike Safety Skills Workshop to a packed classroom of about 35 SMMUSD middle and high school students and their parents, with an age range of 9 to 40 years old.  The group included lots of kids who have been cycling with their parents in preparation for Bike It! Day October 13. Everyone had great questions on the rules of the road, hair raising bike crash stories, and lots of enthusiasm for cycling to school.  After adjusting helmets and checking bikes, the group headed outside to practice key safe cycling skills to scan, signal, stop and turn left at an intersection. 

Among the kids’ enthusiastic comments on the class evaluation form were “Awesome fun!” and “I loved this class!”  Parents were equally positive, saying “This is so valuable. I used to be one of those people who hugged the right curb; now I know why that’s not a good idea.”  This was the second two Bike Safety Skills Workshops, the precious one was held at Lincoln Middle Schools, taught by League Certified Instructors from Sustainable Streets. Some of the participants raised the idea of setting up a bike club at the school, which would offer more opportunities for advanced training. The complete course (10 hrs) of confident city cycling is usually taught over two weekends and includes an official certificate.

Many thanks to the PTSA, JAMS and Lincoln Middle school staff, and the students and their parents for supporting this workshop to promote safe cycling by our students!  Hope to see you all at Bike IT Walk IT Day on October 13.  We are expecting record participation by every SMMUSD elementary and middle school in Santa Monica and by SAMOHI, whose Solar Alliance Student Group started the Bike IT movement four years ago.

Bike Skills Workshop

On Wednesday 6 October 2010 Santa Monica will wake up to the first city-wide Bike It Day. In previous years each school had its own bike and walk to school day, - but because of the success and popular demand, the event is now conducted city wide, and other local institutions, employers, schools and colleges are encouraged to join in and leave the car at home.

In preparation for the event the district PTSA is sponsoring two bicycle workshops on Saturday 26 September and 2 November. These workshops are conducted by Sustainable Streets and aimed mainly for an adult audience.  Parents are encouraged to bring their children (age 10 -15) and teachers and school staff are especially welcome.

You want to bike more and become a more confident cyclists. You want to help your children to cycle more safely. Join us for a free Bike Skills Workshop for parents, teachers and students in Santa Monica SMMUSD. Free workshops will be held on Saturday, Sep 25 at 1 pm at Lincoln Middle School and again on Saturday, Oct 2 at1 pm at John Adams Middle School in Santa Monica. Please bring bike and helmet. Snacks and bike pins will be provided. To register for the workshop please email michael.cahn@sustainablestreetsla.org

The invitation is here and here (smaller format)