February 22, 2012 - Bicycle Happenings in the Bay Area

Upcoming Events in the Silicon Valley

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

San Jose Bike Party - Irish Ride
Friday, March 16, 2012 8:00

Route will be posted on Thursday, the day before the ride.

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Test Rides
Test Ride #1
Monday, Februrary 27, 2012 7:00 to 10:00 PM
Location: TBD
Tis the month we celebrate the Irish and St Patrick and Shamrocks and Guiness, etc So join us on our 1st quest to map out the March ride and maybe we'll dicover a pot of gold... or at least a tall frosty mug of gold

Test Ride #2 SLOW RIDE
Saturday, March 3, 2012  12:00 3:30 PM
Location: TBD
Tis lots of laid back fun if you join us for our monthly SLOW test ride.
Everyone will be going at at 10-12 mph or so pace. No one will be dropped.
Perfect if you like bike party's pace but prefer less people or want to help out!
Test Ride #3
Thursday, March 8, 2012 7:00 - 10 PM
Route: TBD
Tis our final chance to improve the March Ride...
or if it's already perfected...
this ride will let everyone become more familiar with the route.

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Save the Date----*****------Save the Date

Sunday March 11, 2012
10am - Noon 

Downtown San Jose

The Mayors Ride

Bike Party has now gone worldwide. Even the Mayor of Dublin, Ireland has heard about it and he and his girlfriend want to ride with us. Due to his tight schedule in the United States this March we are having a special ride for the Mayors of San Jose and Dublin highlighting all the greaty bikie things going on in SJ. Check out the Lord Mayor's Facebook page.

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Last Sunday of the Month Bike Ride

San Jose, Saratoga, Campbell
February 26, 2012

3:00 - 7:00 PM
Meet up at

Marijane Hamann Park, Westfield Avenue and South Daniel Way, San Jose, CA Ride info

San Jose Fixed  SJF
15-25 mile Bike Ride
Every Tuesday 6:45 @
Meets @ IMinusD Fixed Gear Boutique
112 Paseo de San Antonio (See Map Below)

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San Francisco Bike Party
Friday March 2, 2012
http://sfbikeparty.wordpress.com/

East Bay Bike Party
Friday, March 9, 2011 7:30 PM

http://eastbaybikeparty.wordpress.com/

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Bike Soiree

March Madness Downtown Soiree
Saturday, March 3, 2012 6:00 -10:30 pm 

And in the Distant future
May 12, 2012 - Bike the Limits Ride
May 15, 2012 - Amgen Tour of California San Jose to Livermore
July 14, 2012 - Ladies Ride

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Also note the Guadalupe River Trail will be closed for paving construction soon. The closed protion will extend north of 880 all the way to Gold Street in Alviso. check Twitter for more details.

Too see all rides on the map click the link just below the map. Thanks.

View Upcomming Bay Area Bike Events in a larger map

San Jose Trails Manager Yves Zsutty speaks to Save Our Trails Group

Monday evening, Yves Zsutty spoke to a packed room in Willow Glen about the status of the Three Creeks Trail as well as other trails within the city's growing network of multi-use trails. Yves was brought into the position when the city's trail system was just getting started and admittedly his own growth and expertise has grown right along with the the city's trail system.

He started out by updating the audience with several announcements;

• The recent awards given to the "Reach 6" extension of the Guadalupe Trail just south of the Children's Discovery Museum.
• A new iPhone app titled Transit and Trails.
• A new trail signage and mileage marker system to help emergency personnel locate those needing assistance.
• The planned improvements to the current bicycle under crossing under the San Carlos overpass near Bird Ave. and
• The latest survey showing that Bicycle communing has increased dramatically along the Guadalupe Trail system.

The trail extension noted as Reach six of the Guadalupe River was recently completed after many years of hard work between the City of San Jose, Caltrans, and the Santa Clara Valley Water District.  Not only is the trail much more scenic, but the new trail eliminates an unsafe steep portion that was right next to the creek.

Transit and Trails a new iPhone app by Bay Area Open Space Council was also highlighted which details campgrounds, trails, and trail heads based on your current location. (I plan to review it within the next week or two).

Also Yves highlighted new mile markers which will allow for quick deployment in the expansive Guadalupe Trail system. Trail markers are located at quarter-mile increments, labeled with a unique icon and color defining the trail system. The combination of icons, colors and mileage figures makes the system more accessible to children and non-English speakers as they seek to communicate their location to 911 operators. With over 35 different trail systems within the city this will help to inform users who may be confused about their whereabouts.

The existing San Carlos (roadway) Overpass will undergo improvements and widening in the future. The city has plans to connect the bicycle path under the roadway to Diridon Station, but given the planned improvements on San Carlos, possible high speed rail construction, and a possible ballpark these complications could delay planning and construction.

Each spring the city conducts a trail usage survey along the Guadalupe Trail and the last survey noted that 52% of the cyclists using the trails were commuters. With the planned paving of 6.4 miles of the trail north of 880 to Gold Street in Alviso it is expected that this number will climb even more. Mr. Zsutty compared the trail to a spine linking with other trails in the form of ribs to connect with this important north/south connector; given that San Jose's industrial geography puts housing in the southern part of the city and industrial land in the north portion of the city.

After listing off recent accomplishments Yves, quickly switched to updating attendees on the status of the Three Creeks Trail which was recently purchased from Union Pacific Railroad. The section also referred to as the Western Alignment spans from Lonus St. in the north to Minnesota Ave. on the southern portion. The city recently finished a large soil remediation project along the western alignment, ans the city will seek to provide an interim solution for the trail while putting together a master plan for the whole trail.

Could the Three Creeks Trail be as popular as
New York City's High Line Park someday?

The interim plan is to lay down some temporary solutions for the trail until funding for complete trail construction will take place. This will include a fence at grade crossings (intersection with the streets) to deter vehicles from driving onto the trail. Yves took a hand counted vote to see what type of fence would be appropriate in both aesthetics and cost.

During this interim period the trestle over the creek just south of Lonus St. will be fenced off to prevent access while an engineering study is performed by CH2M Hill, a global transportation engineering company.

Save Our Trails was instrumental in obtaining funding for the acquisition of the western alignment of the Three Creeks Trail and continues to work on the future acquisition of of the eastern alignment as well.

To find out more about what is happening on the San Jose City Trail system you can follow status updates on the department's Twitter account.

February 15, 2012 - Bicycle Happenings in the Bay Area

Upcoming Events in the Silicon Valley

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

San Jose Bike Party - Mardi Gras

Friday, February 17, 2012 8:00
This Month's Theme:

Route will be posted on Thursday.

Last Sunday of the Month Bike Ride

San Jose, Saratoga, Campbell

3:00 - 7:00 PM
Meet up at

Marijane Hamann Park, Westfield Avenue and South Daniel Way, San Jose, CA Ride info

San Jose Fixed  SJF
15-25 mile Bike Ride
Every Tuesday 6:45 @
Meets @ IMinusD Fixed Gear Boutique
112 Paseo de San Antonio (See Map Below)

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San Francisco Bike Party
Friday March 2, 2012
http://sfbikeparty.wordpress.com/

East Bay Bike Party
Friday, March 9, 2011 7:30 PM

http://eastbaybikeparty.wordpress.com/

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Bike Soiree
Just what is Bike Soiree? Bike Soiree are smaller advocacy themed rides in the Silicon Valley Area and are held twice a month.

March Madness Downtown Soiree

Saturday, March 3, 2012 6:00 -10:30 pm 
Food will be hosted by the great folks at Bicycle Express.  (FB)

Ride route, pace and distance TBD

Apex Pilates Sports Basement Party & Ride
Saturday, March 10, 2012 5:30 -10:30 pm 
main event ~ 5:30-6:30pm: Sports Basement Party - munchies, drinks & discount
optional: 6:45-10:30pm: Ride - pace and distance to be determined (15-20mi.)

For more information on Bike Soiree see their Facebook page.

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Save the Date----*****------Save the Date

Sunday March 11, 2012
10am - Noon 

Downtown San Jose

The Mayors Ride

Bike Party has now gone worldwide. Even the Mayor of Dublin, Ireland has heard about it and he and his girlfriend wants to ride with us. Due to his tight schedule in the United States this March we are having a special ride for the Mayors of San Jose and Dublin highlighting all the greaty bikie things going on in SJ. Check out the Mayor's Facebook page.

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Also note the Guadalupe River Trail will be closed for paving construction soon. The closed protion will extend north of 880 all the way to Gold Street in Alviso. check Twitter for more details.

Too see all rides on the map click the link just below the map. Thanks.

View Upcomming Bay Area Bike Events in a larger map

The Poor Plight of Pedestrians

Having just recently told of my own near encounter with a 2,000 pound automobile. It is sad this morning to read of two pedestrian fatalities in San Jose. the victims, both female were killed in unrelated accidents in San Jose this weekend.

Lien Tran, 77 died after being struck by a 1999 Honda Civic near the intersection of Oakland Road and Rock Avenue in San Jose. She had been walking north on Oakland road when she had been hit. Only four years ago almost to the day (and eerlily within minutes of each other), another pedestrian was killed just a half mile south on Oakland Rd.

This was the brutal description of the scene described in a Mercury News article at the time.:

A pedestrian was killed Thursday evening in a hit-and-run crash, a block from the site of another fatal crash last week, authorities said. Thursday's crash occurred about 6:20 p.m. in the southbound lanes of Oakland Road at Wayne Avenue near the Rincon de Los Esteros Apartments.

San Jose police were searching for the driver of a white pickup truck that had a ladder. Meanwhile, the woman who was killed lay covered with a tarp on the street and appeared to have been dragged about 40 yards. There was no crosswalk or traffic light in that area, which had a posted speed limit of 45 mph. The closest traffic light and crosswalk is at Fox Lane, about 800 feet from the accident.

In a separate incident another woman was struck about 8:35 p.m. while walking along Meridian Avenue near San Carlos St. These two incidents were the first and second pedestrian fatalities (red markers on the map below) of the year and the third and forth traffic fatalities (blue markers) for 2012.

To view previous maps I had built, click below.
2007 (partial year)
2008
2009


View 2012 Fatal Vehicular Accidents in the Silicon Valley in a larger map

Level of Service (LOS) <=> Level of Casualty (LOC)



pic. #1
Santa Clara Street looking west
from City Hall Plaza. Car
turning on left arrow



I spent many hours in meetings last year regarding San Jose's Envision 2040 General Plan, in which participants called for the need to "design for people and not for cars", along with other catchy slogans. But in reality most of those who advocated for people, drove cars.

I really can't blame them because the streets of downtown San Jose were designed with the movement of large volumes of cars at the most effective speed, as top priority. Transit, pedestrians, bicycles, the elderly, and the disabled were all designed into the system as afterthoughts. Yes there are crosswalks and pedestrian signals but the priority on downtown streets is to move cars; pure and simple.



pic 2
With pedestrian signal green
autos are required to yield.
(Electric sign next to signal)

Technically priority is expressed as LOS, or Level of Service.



Current planning tends to evaluate transportation system performance based primarily on motor vehicle traffic speed and delay (tables 1 and 2). There are generally no LOS ratings for other modes or problems. This tends to favor highway expansion over other types of transportation improvements, contributing to Automobile Dependency. (Multi-Modal Level-of-Service Indicators Tools For Evaluating The Quality of Transport Services and Facilities

- Victoria Transportation Institute)

Given this priority, automobiles assert this right whenever possible and this morning was no exception. I had my own encounter with an automobile that although had violated traffic laws, obviously felt that it was in her right to do so.

pic 3
S. 4th Street looking south
towards 280 entrance

In downtown San Jose 3rd and 4th Streets mainly serve as arterial collectors for autos entering and exiting Interstate 280 to the south. These serve as 3 lane thoroughfares on the eastern end of downtown adjacent to dense areas such as San Jose City Hall and San Jose State University.

While crossing S. 4th Street heading east towards City Hall Plaza this morning I was almost hit by a driver that did something which is becoming more common on our streets these days. When a vehicle approaches another from behind at a stop sign, signal, or intersection it is assumed many times that if the car is stopped in the intersection it is because the driver is incompetent or confused. The driver behind many times will not see the pedestrian or cyclist that the first vehicle is yielding to. Horn honking and hand gestures are the usual result.

However this morning the impatient driver didn't even wait but continued into opposing traffic to and narrowly escaped from hitting me (see map below).

This morning's incident brings up to important questions:

1. Does a struggling downtown still need to give automobiles top priority or should it encourage shoppers, residents, students, and employees to the area by making the streets safer and more comfortable. Should we revert 3rd and 4th Streets back to two-way streets?
2. Given that 4th Street is a high speed connector to the Interstate, if the driver had hit me would she have continued at high speed to the freeway without stopping? Hit and run incidents are becoming more common.
3. This intersections is only two blocks from a large downtown elementary school which is in conflict to a move traffic at high speeds at all cost policy.

So more than just provide a two minute public comment at planning meetings let your elected officials (and your newspaper's auto columnist) know how dangerous your streets are. In fact encourage them to try walking, cycling, or taking transit for at least one month to experience the status of our streets. Until then, Level of Service might as just as well be an indicator for Level of Casualties.

View San Jose City Hall in a larger map

Is There any There There?

Grand Central Terminal
New York City

Play this game for me. Ask your friend to name a city and then say what first pops into your mind visually. If the city is Seattle; is it the Space Needle, evergreen trees or Pikes Place Market? If its New York is it one of the many place icons within the five boroughs ; the Statue of Liberty, the Chysler Building, or Grand Central Terminal?
One of the easiest and most lasting ways we remember cities is their iconic buildings, structures, artwork, topography, or natural features. Name a city and we instantly recall these images. When we talk about placemaking today, these images play a huge role in a city's identity. City's work hard to keep those images in your mind to get you to keep coming back, to locate a business, or to buy a home.

Featauared in Women's Health
In a recent issue of Women's Health (January/February 2012), the magazine featured an article "The Healthiest Cities for Women", highlighting the top ten as well as the bottom ten of their list of the 100 largest cities in America. The article also described just what makes them the healthiest.

Women's Health Magazine
January / February 2012
from my iPhone

The first page is a stunning visual of 3 of the top cities; Austin, Texas, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and my current city, San Jose, California. The photo of Minneapolis soon caught my eye. I had seen pictures of this Midwestern skyline, and the iconic Stone Arch Bridge built over 100 years ago in 1883. The bottom picture shows part of the beautiful Lady Bird Lake Trail in Austin, Texas.

However, as I glanced at the top photo, showing two young women taken at close range, I hesitated. This photo looked different. The visual of the two runners with big smiles on their faces almost seemed posed. The background was blurred and referenced no visual clues. It almost; shall I say look staged.

But then I got to thinking. What would the photo show anyway? Do we have a vista point in the city to show off a skyline. Do we have a trail system that rivals Austin's Lady Bird Lake Trail, or New York's High Line. Well we don't, and that's a sad thing.

When a national magazine can insert some generic photograph using staged models to represent your city, that's the collective collective American databank telling you that there may be nothing memorable about your city. That it falls into the many generic backdrops of similar post-World War Two "drive-bys" such as Phoenix, Dallas, Anaheim, and sadly in many cases San Jose.

Cities are defined by their ability to evoke a sense of place. No generic photo would ever take the place of a Manhattan skyline, a Diamond Head, or the US Capitol. The miles upon miles of beautiful orchards which used to evoke the phrase "The Valley of Hearts Delight" are gone. What image will now take their place.

City of San Jose's Trail Manager to speak at Save Our Trails Meeting

Save Our Trails Monthly Meeting

Photo: Willow Glen Charm

Save our Trails a local group of trail enthusiasts are hosting Yves Zsutty, Trail Manager for the City of San Jose at their Monthly meeting on Monday February 13, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at the Willow Glen Baptist Church (see map for details).


Save Our Trails (SOT) was created to protect the Willow Glen Spur Rail from development leaving it open to be developed as a community trail. The rail featured prominently in San Jose history connecting the canneries just to the north of Willow Glen with the main rail lines out of the city. Their work establish funding sources for the city to buy the rail right of way for the Western Alignment from Union Pacific Railroad. Mr. Zsutty will also highlight the rail trestle over the Los Gatos Creek between Lonus St. and Coe Avenue which will be closed for safety reasons while performing a retrofit study.

Photo: City of San Josae

He will also make a short presentation on completion of the acquisition of parcels from Lonus Street to Minnesota Avenue and update SOT on current work to define interim trail use of the land, the study, and retrofit of the trestle structure as well as next steps.  A brief overview of other trail development efforts now underway in San Jose will be provided."

Additionally March 12, 2012 will be the date for the group's Annual Meeting. Plans are to have honored speakers, membership opportunities, elections, yummy food, and music.

Save the date and Save Our Trails.


      You can find directions and the meeting agenda at http://www.saveourtrails-scc.org/

State Routes Relinquished to San Jose

This article by Ray Salvano appeared in the January 2012 issue of DOT Way, the City of San Jose's DOT newsletter. Ray is an employee within the Department of Transportation (portions in bold are my own).

On December 28, 2011, after almost six years of negotiations with Caltrans, the City became the official owner of State Routes 82 and 130. Serving primarily as urban arterials within the City of San Jose, these state routes are commonly known as the Alameda and Monterrey Road (SR 82) and Alum Rock Avenue (SR 140).

Over the decades of their existence and with the growth and urbanization of the City, SR 82 and SR 130 have evolved to serve more as local arterial streets than part of the state highway system. However, as these roadways were under the jurisdiction of Caltrans, any changes to the roadway, such as a new traffic signal or crosswalk, resulting from a development project or local or community based improvement would require Caltran's involvement at all levels, e.g., administration, planning, construction and operations. The result of Caltrans' involvement in these types of local projects was typically an increase in the cost and time to deliver the project.

Perhaps more importantly from the City's perspective, a projects development along state routes are required to meet Caltran's rigid, auto-oriented design and operational standards.

These standards are often in conflict with the City's development and multi-modal objectives, as well as community interests. In the case of SR 82 and SR 130, the City's goals for these streets, as recently adopted in the Envision 2040 General Plan Update, are to improve the pedestrian environment, implement multi-modal projects and reconsider the amount of right-of-way previously development to auto-centric standards.

With the relinquishment of the State routes, the City has the opportunity to better manage, integrate and streamline the land use, right-of-way, and decision-making  process along these corridors without having to go through Caltran's project development processes. Currently, there are a number of projects of local and regional significance being development along these corridor that will benefit from the City's ownership of these corridors. A few examples of these projects include: VTA's Bus Rapid Transit projects along Alum Rock and The Alameda, our own "The Alameda - The Beautiful Way' street scape projects, planning activities in the Diridon Station area.

With the relinquishment of the State Routes, approximately 12 centerline miles will be added to the City's street inventory. To offset the generally poor conditions of the facilities, Caltrans has agreed to support the City's request for $12.4 million in federal grant funds toward the rehabilitation of the roadway facilities. These funds, when combined with the local projects previously mentioned, are intended to improve the roadways and related facilities to a good state of repair and not require any substantial invest of maintenance funds for several years.

A special thanks goes to Betsy Shotwell, Roxanne Miller and Kelly Doyle for their support and guidance through the State's legislative processes, the IM Division for helping develop the condition assessment report, Johnny Phan of the Attorney's Office for his assistance in negotiating the relinquishment agreement and Zahir Gulzadah for manging the relinquishment process on the City side.

City of San Jose to host public meetings on bikeway improvements

Photo: StreetsblogSF

The City of San Jose's Department of Transportation will be holding two neighborhood meetings highlighting exciting changes to downtown streets. Come get the latest and most detailed information and provide input to these long awaited projects.

Please also pass this information along to your bicycling friends as well. (Check map links for detail room locations at City Hall)

10th &11th Street Bike Lane Improvement Project
Neighborhood Meeting

Date: Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Time: 6:00 PM
Location:  City Hall Wing, Room W-119 & 120, 200 E. Santa Clara Street
Description: Class II Bike Lanes on 10th & 11th Streets (between Hedding and Keyes Streets)

Agenda:
  1. Sign In
  2. Project Overview Review 
  3. Project Update and Schedule                    
  4. Question and Answer Portion                        
  5. Adjournment


3rd  Street, 4th Street & Almaden Blvd Bike Lane Improvement Project
Neighborhood Meeting

Date: Monday, February 27, 2012
Time: 6.30 PM
Location: City Hall Wing, Room W-119 & 120, 200 E. Santa Clara Street
Description:  Class II Bike Lanes on 3rd & 4th Streets (between Julian/St. James and Reed Street)
                    Class II Bike Lanes on Almaden Boulevard (between St. John and Grant Street)

Agenda:                
  1. Sign In            
  2. Project Overview Review
  3. Project Update and Schedule 
  4. Question and Answer Portion   
  5. Adjournment

Shopping bags and transit trips

What do shopping bags and transit trips have in common. Well from recent experiences here in the Capitol of the Silicon Valley; plenty.

As of January 1st of this year all retail stores (restaurants excluded) are banned from issuing plastic carryout bags. Stores and pharmacies can provide paper bags but must charge a minimum of 10 cents per bag. From my own experience and also asking others in the retail industry; what is amazing is that just by charging the 10 cent minimum, customers are demanding far less of the paper bags. Just a 10 cent addition to your purchase and demand plummets. On a $50.00 purchase that's 2/10 of one percent or .2% of the total purchase. Freakeconomists would call that freaky elasticity.

Coffee Cups and Transit Stops

Contrast to paper cup usage at your favorite coffee shop and the influence on demand is not that great. How many customers do you see with reusable cups; over half? One of the reasons is that the shops don't charge extra as in the paper bag model.  Coffee shops will only give you a discount if you bring in a cup, and in the Starbuck's case only on certain cups (try bring a Peet's mug into Starbucks and your bucking company policy).

So what does this have to do with transit trips? Look at the photo above that I took at Diridon Station yesterday morning at 8:44. The large transit bus on the left is VTA line 65 bus getting ready to head eastbound (see map) and the small crowd on the right is hiding the "Downtown DASH" shuttle bus that is also heading eastbound. Both lines share exactly the same route for the first mile towards the MLK Library.

Both buses left Diridon at just about the same time. The DASH shuttle left at 8:46 AM and the Route 64 bus eastbound left the station at 8:47 AM. My quick count of the DASH shuttle was about 25 passengers and only 3 on the "64". Actually halfway on the route the "64" passed the shuttle due to a stop to unload passengers at San Fernando and N. San Pedro Streets. So we can assume that the buses left at the same time.

So why does one bus attract over 8 times the passenger as the other? Well the bus on the left has a fare of $2.00 and the one on the right is Free. In comparison to the shopping bag model this is like striking big in the lotto, not free as compared with 10 cents but free compared with $2.00.  The fact that the DASH is free creates excess demand (even the the bus is crowded, it takes longer to board and unboard passengers, and is slower overall that the 64 bus). Free (or not extra costs) greatly influences purchasing habits. I can only assume that maybe the customers on the bus on the left were going beyond the free bus route.

Fareless Squares

Before light rail and streetcars were a part of Portland streets that city had what is known as the Fareless Square where bus rides within the downtown area were free. The first time I visited the city, buses, the MAX (light rail), and the streetcar line were all free in the downtown area and was named the "Fareless Square". Now with rail a big part of downtown the program is now known as the "Free Rail Zone".

What would a Fareless Square do for San Jose?

It would encourage more people to live work and play downtown. Residents would find it easier to shop. Tourists could play and spend money at a wider variety of venues before heading to museums, theaters, and sports venues. Downtown office workers could linger downtown after work to go shopping and dining.

• In the example I gave above, with more options commuters arriving to San Jose could get to their offices sooner with less crowding.
• Tourists who normally park a car next to their destination would now be encourage to explore the city.
• More people out walking and talking transit will enliven the often morbid street scene.
• With greater transit use, there less of a need to build and operate expensive parking garages.
• Safer and cleaner downtown streets with reduced congestion and traffic volumes..

But there are obviously costs involved. In Portland payroll taxes paid for the downtown lines under the assumption that as ridership went up among residents, tourists, and workers commercial activity would increase as well. Also there would need to be an efficient way to price based on zones.

So if we take a tip from the retail bag law (and freeway usage); if its free it will get used. Any comments?


VTA Route 64 vs VTA Downtown DASH Shuttle

View Farless Square Example in a larger map

Two major Trail Construction updates were announced this week by the City of San Jose's Parks and Recreation Dept. Trail Cordinator Yvess Zuetty will release more information on the expected one year closure of the Guadalupe Park Trail within the next week or two.

Highway 237 Bikeway closure
The Highway 237 Bikeway (from Zanker Road to Coyote Creek) will be closed on January 23 for construction. Expect reopening by April 13, 2012. The project will replace the deteriorated maintenance road with a paved asphalt trail (12’ wide, with 2’ gravel shoulders).

Lower Guadalupe River Trail Closure
In a few months, San José will need to close the popular Lower Guadalupe River Trail. The existing gravel trail is 6.4 miles and extends from Highway 880 to Gold Street.



View Silicon Valley Trail System - Status in a larger map

January 26, 2012 - Upcoming Social Cycling Events in the Silicon Valley and Beyond

Upcoming Events in the Silicon Valley

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Bike Soiree
Just what is Bike Soiree? Bike Soiree are smaller advocacy themed rides in the Silicon Valley Area and are held twice a month.

Biccicletta Fiesta
Saturday, February 4th, 2012
Food Hosted by Sal's Pizza - 533 E Campbell Ave (Tread bikes in the same pkg lot)
Ride Starts at 7:00 PM and continue until about 11:00 The route will be about 13 miles.

March Madness Downtown Soiree
Saturday, March 3, 2012 6:00 PM until 10:30 PM
Food will again be hosted by the great staff at Bicycle Express at 6:00 PM
Bicycle Express is located at 131 E. William St:, San Jose, CA.

Apex Pilates Sports Basement Party & Ride
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Sports Basement: 1177 Kern Ave, Sunnyvale
main event ~ 5:30-6:30pm: Sports Basement Party - munchies, drinks & discount
optional: 6:45-10:30pm: Ride - pace and distance to be determined (15-20mi)


For more information see their Facebook page.

San Jose Bike Party Test Ride #1

Saturday, January 28, 2012 7:00 PM
This Month's Theme:
Mardis Gras
Location: Westfield Oakridge

San Jose Bike Party

Friday, February 17, 2012 8:00
This Month's Theme:
Mardis Gras
Location: TBD

Santa Cruz Bike Party
Saturday, January 28, 2012
6:00 - 11:30 PM
In historic surfer slang, a "Hoedad" is a poseur who hangs out at beaches and other surfer hangouts, trying to evoke the image; yet never actually rides waves.

Legend has it this name (preserved in early 1960's beach b-movies) originated in the brussel sprouts fields just north of town, where the surfers had to cross to access the secluded coves up there, sometimes dodging garden-tool-wielding old farmers. One dude made it across the field, only to chicken out of actual surf riding... his buddies taunted him,"You just one of them Hoe-Daddy-O's!"

This theme is easy... dress up like a fake surfer, a farmer, or anything in between.

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Last Sunday of the Month Ride Willow Glen to Los Gatos

Saturday, January 29, 2012

2:30 - 7:00 PM

~20 mile medium pace ride. (No one will be drop from the ride).
Will stop at LeBoulanger in Los Gatos for late afternoon brunch.
THERE IS NO FOOTBALL THIS WEEKEND!

San Francisco Bike Party
Friday February 3, 2012
http://sfbikeparty.wordpress.com/

Bike Soiree
Saturday, February 4, 2012 5:00 - 10:00 PM
See Facebook page for more details
http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/299720246733660/

East Bay Bike Party
Friday, February 10, 2011 7:30 PM

http://eastbaybikeparty.wordpress.com/

Woodside > Pacific Ocean > Woodside

Saturday, February 4, 2012

11:00am until 4:00pm
Wanna see the ocean?
Wanna see the ocean after biking there?
Wanna see the ocean after biking there with cool people?
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/302607
It's actually less steep and shorter to do this route than to go from Los Gatos to Santa Cruz, but the climb up La Honda is steep.

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Too see all rides on the map click the link just below the map. Thanks.

View Upcomming Bay Area Bike Events in a larger map

Caltrain’s Warm Planet Bike Station in Jeopardy

A timely article in this mornings Streetsblog San Francisco. My friend and co-chair, Shirley Johnson of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition's Bikes on Board program is quoted in the article.

The article goes on to state that,

Warm Planet Bikes has provided more and more Caltrain commuters a secure place to park their bikes at the Fourth and King Street Station in downtown San Francisco in recent years. But the shop could soon shut down without continued support from the public transportation agencies it relies on. Though Caltrain is developing an agreement to support the shop, it may not come until it’s too late.



“Caltrain needs to provide interim funding for uninterrupted service of bike parking at Fourth and King,” said Shirley Johnson, vice chair of the Caltrain Bicycle Advisory Committee and head of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition’s Bikes ONBoard Project. “To expect Warm Planet to stay open without paying for it, that’s just not possible.”

When the bike shop opened in January 2008, it had room to provide attended parking for up to 100 bikes. But over the years, demand has grown, and managers have sacrificed more and more retail space to accommodate parking and avoid “bumping” bike commuters the way Caltrain often does.

I'll comment more on the latest at Warm Planet Bikes at a later time.

Plan Bay Area - Santa Clara Valley Version

Last night I had the opportunity to attend Plan Bay Area, the public forum highlighting the new Regional Transportation Plan for the seven counties  surrounding San Francisco Bay. The intent was to introduce the plan and allow for public comment. This was my first time to get involved on a regional basis for transportation issues affecting the Bay Area and did I come away both surprised and shell shocked.



Sheriff removing
protester from podium

Let's just say that there never really was a meeting. From the start it got hijacked by a group intent on disrupting everything. From the very start with MTC Commissioner and San Jose City Council Member Sam Liccardo's opening remarks the group of demonstrators attempted to take control of the meeting. At one point a Santa Clara County Sheriffs officer had to escort one individual who had approached the speakers podium.  Not wanting to wait until the formal comment period angry participants just stood up and attempted to talk over the speaker.
The plan was to intimidate participants who had an opposing view from making their own public comment. Only one brave women spoke in opposition to the group.The meeting was supposed to be an open venue for Santa Clara County residents to share their concerns for their county ended up being just another stop for this group. Many mentioned that this was their fourth meeting that they have attended, going against the spirit of having one forum in each county for local residents.

The sad part is that their voice, their opinions were wasted by their behaviour. Attempting to state your views and then questioning the very venue in which they are voiced doesn't do much for a group's credibility. I sure this will not be the last we hear from this group.