Ride "80 for Haiti" On February 13
From the website of AdventureCORPS:
In response to the horrific situation in Haiti, AdventureCORPS will organize a cycling event called "80 For Haiti" on February 13, 2010 (NOT Feb 6, as originally announced). It will be an 80-mile ride, on Old Hwy 80 in southeastern San Diego County, with an $80 entry fee. 100% of the entry fees will go directly to Mercy Corps, one of the most respected relief organizations worldwide. The "80 for Haiti" start / finish will be in Pine Valley, CA. The route is spectacular, on absolutely quiet roads through rolling terrain. AdventureCORPS will absorb all costs, but food, drink, and support sponsors are being sought.
Entry, route, and other information at the AdventureCORPS website.
Make your voices heard on Jan 21st for long overdue improvements
Jim Baross, spokesperson for the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition sent out this message to the San Diego bicycle community which we are reposting here.
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There are four bicycling issues to be heard at this special San Diego meeting of the California Traffic Control Devices Committee (CTCDC). This committee is the officially accepted body to provide direction/recommendations to Caltrans about all roadway signs, signals, pavement markings, etc. Yes, there will be a bunch of "suits" but come as you are; looking like bicyclists who support our issues would be good.
Item 10-1, Traffic signals and timing for bicycists - Have you ever had trouble getting a traffic signal to change for you or been caught when a traffic light that changed from green to yellow to red before you could make it across the intersection?
The State passed a requirement two years ago (AB 1581) to require that on-demand/traffic-actuated traffic signals work for bicyclists (and motorcyclists) and that the signal phasing/timing should allow for our safe passage. The requirement applies to all new or major-modified signals BUT ONLY after specifications and guidance was developed by Caltrans. After two
years of work, study and discussions Caltrans has adopted the required specifications BUT a lot of Traffic Engineers are objecting - allowing time for bicyclists will make motorists wait longer; oh no. Show up to make it clear to them that the safety of bicyclists is more important than the convenience of motorists! Just being there as a bicyclist will help. You
could speak up too, especially if you have or know someone affected by non-reacting traffic signals - there have been several crashes, traffic tickets and fatalities in SD County related to signals that didn't work for bicyclists. Help protect the requirement to have them work for us. We have no problem with some tweaking and further study, but the requirements for these things to work for us should stay in effect!
Item 10-2 Accommodating bicyclists in roadway construction zones - approval of this would add drawings and specifications where no adequate directions have existed before in official Caltrans documents for more safely accommodating bicyclists through construction zones.
Item 10-4 request to experiment with a Bicycle Box at a signalized intersection in San Luis Obispo. The question is whether a special area just for bicyclists at the front of the lane at an intersection should be allowed to be tested. Whether it's a good idea or not, we think it should be tested, right?
10-6 Proposal to have bicycling represented on CTCDC - We are requesting that bicycling interests and concerns be fairly and officially represented on this committee. Right now there are 8 members; 2 from the Auto Club (AAA), 1 each from CHP and Caltrans, and 2 each representing cities and counties. We want bicyclists represented on an equal basis as motorists.
For more information or for advice to organize presentations, singing or signs - 619-280-6908.
Please attend this event. Numbers count.
Having bicyclists and supporters of bicycling at this important meeting will help get four improvements - long overdue -approved for us. Please plan to come. Tell your friends. The room seats 100.
Jan. 21st beginning at 9 AM at the Old Town offices of Caltrans, near the Old Town Trolley station.
4050 Taylor Street, 92110 in the large Garcia meeting room
Bike parking is only allowed outside on a limited number of racks; bring a lock.
Pedal Power Screening on January 23, 2010
After a ride down the Pacific Coast Highway, you are invited to attend the first San Diego screening of Pedal Power.
What is Pedal power about? I include an excerpt from the makers' website:
The bicycle, a humble nineteenth century invention, is challenging the fossil-fuel automobile as the conveyance of the future. It’s the ideal city machine, light, portable, and cheap. Non-polluting. Good exercise too. Urban dwellers around the world are turning to bikes as the car turns them off.
But with bicycles coming of age as a serious mode of transportation there are a few problems. Bicycles and automobiles have to share the same roads, a recipe for conflict, and many potential cyclists just won’t ride in the city because they see it as too dangerous. Add in the plague of bike theft and a lot of cyclists are simply leaving their bikes at home.
Watch the trailer below:
Thanks to Velo Cult Bike Shop for hosting the screening.
SDBikeCommuter Pacific Coast Hwy Ride 1/23/10
The members over at SDBikeCommuter will do another Pacific Coast Highway casual ride next Saturday, January 23rd: Coaster to Oceanside, leave Oceanside Transit Center at 11:00. About 45 miles, conversational speeds.
The route will go on and off PCH, up Torrey Pines inside the park, UCSD, Rose Canyon, Mission Bay and back to central San Diego.
For more info and preparatory discussions, go here.
Weekend Rides
Mid City Bike Blast
The next Mid City Bike Blast Ride is this Saturday (January 9th). The theme this month is: cupcakes. The ride is open to all noise makers and cupcake eaters.
The ride begins at the City Heights Farmers’ Market which is open from 9am to 1pm at the City Heights Farmers’ Market, located on Wightman Street, between Fairmount and 43rd.
The riders will ride around listening to James Brown and hand out cupcakes to celebrate the one year anniversary of the Mid City Bike Blast rides.
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January 10th Bay and Beach Ride
It's time to get rid of some of that excess turkey, gravy and cookies...
On Sunday, January 10th, the SDBikeCommuters will ride from South Park to La Jolla and back (weather permitting!) . Everyone is invited. The length of the ride will be some 40-45 miles, but with organized alternative start and end points for those that are looking for a shorter (and quicker!) ride.
09:00 for 09:15 sharp departure - South Park: Velo Cult Bike Shop, 2220 Fern St. (Round Trip approx. 45 miles)
Optional starts:
10:00 - Old Town: Tall flagpole in Old Town (scheduled stop) (R/T approx. 34 miles)
10:20 - Mission Bay: Parking lot at the entrance to Fiesta Island (R/T approx. 30 miles)
11:00 - Pacific Beach: Law St. Beach (grassy area at the end of Law Street) (R/T approx. 10 miles)
All the meetup points are marked accurately here
We will NOT make formal stops at the two latter meeting points (but will at Old Town), so look for us to join as we ride by: Most of us tend to wear street clothes and ride commuter-style bikes, so there is no mistaking us for the roadies that race around Fiesta Island.
Please note that we will not depart earlier than the above times: If you get to your desired meeting point on time and do not see us, rest assured that we have not yet arrived, and just wait for us there.
We will not go the shortest route - we will take a meandering course and take our time. The route will roughly go as follows:
South Park
Old Town
Mission Bay
Pacific Beach
Bird Rock
La Jolla
To the La Jolla Farmer's Market (30 min. stop - this will be our destination of sorts, as well as roughly our half-way mark)
Return a different route for variety, but we will ride by the three above optional meeting points for those that need to get back to where they started, for example, to a parked car. Finish where we started, at Velo Cult in South Park (shop will be open).
Please go to sdbikecommuter.com for questions, comments, more detail and more uptodate information as we are getting closer to the event.