January 2015
WHEEL PEOPLE Vol. 34 No. 1 January 2015
Newsletter of the Humboldt Bay Bicycle Commuters Association
P.O. Box 9054 Eureka CA 95502
Website: www.humbike.orgEmail: info@humbike.org
New and Renewed Members of the HBBCA
The following new and renewed members have become members for 2015.
New Members
Tricia & Drew Redden, Eureka**
Michael Shapiro & Wendy Ring, Bayside**
Renewed Members
Mike & Bonnie Wahlund, Eureka**
Will Dvorak and Carole Beaton, Eureka***
Kristi Wrigley, Eureka***
Ralph Martinelli, Eureka**
Those with a ** next to their name gave an additional donation. Those with *** have given a $25 or greater donation. Thanks to all those who have joined or renewed their commitment and those who have given additional donations to support our many causes.
New members joining from September through December of 2014 received a membership for the rest of 2014 and for 2015. Get on board now for all the benefits, including discounts at all the bike shops.
***PLEASE JOIN NOW FOR 2015!! It’s only $5 a year
The Next Regular Meeting will be Held on January 26th in Eureka
The next regular HBBCA meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m., Monday, January 26th, at Chapala’s Café, 2nd and C Street in Eureka. Dinner is optional.
Agenda items may be suggested by emailing info@humbike.org.
New Eureka Council member, Kimberly Bergel has been invited to attend. Tentatively, we expect her to be there. We’d like to see a good turnout.
City of Eureka Now has a Council of Five Women
The City of Eureka has become the first City in the State with a city council made up entirely of women. In this case, two new women, Kimberly Bergel and Natalie Arroyo can both be expected to offer a bicycle and pedestrian friendly focus. This could be a time for very positive strides to be made to support the needs of cyclists. It will be incumbent on the HBBCA to make those needs known and work with the council to make good things happen.
TV ad campaign for 3-Foot Law has Begun
The HBBCA has begun a television campaign on News Channel 3 to help educate motorists on the “3-foot law” that went into effect in September. The HBBCA took advantage of a nifty and funny ad created by the Orange County Transportation Authority(OCTA). Thankfully, OCTA was happy to allow the HBBCA to use the ad. They were credited at the end of the ad for creating it. We have committed $1,200 of our funding for the ads, which included a $150 donation from longtime members Will Dvorak and Carole Beaton. The ads will be airing through January, mostly during local newscasts. Those are more expensive but get the greatest viewership. If anyone else out there would like to donate to extend advertising, that would be great.
HBBCA has free “Give Me 3 Feet” Stickers
To help promote recent legislation that requires motorists to give cyclists a minimum of 3 feet when passing, the HBBCA has purchased three different types of stickers from the California Bicycle Coalition—ones for your bike, for your car, your helmet, or wherever. To get one or more, attend the next meeting where they will be made available.
New Bike Lanes Going in on Park Street in Eureka
The County of Humboldt is in the process of adding bike lanes to Park Street, east of Myrtle Avenue. The lanes extend for about ½ mile to Quaker. At last look, the street had been recipient of a new slurry seal with skeletal striping for bike lanes.
All 50 States Now Represented in League’s Bicycle Friendly Designations
In November, the League of American Bicyclists announced that all 50 states are now represented in its program that designates Bicycle Friendly Communities. Locally, Arcata is designated “Silver,” and Eureka “Bronze.”
Letters
Mr. Knapp:
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your letter suggesting that bicyclist information contained in the 2014 California Driver Handbook include language that bicyclists may be prohibited on freeways. Your correspondence will be forwarded to our Driver Licensing Policy Section for review. Thanks you for taking the time to offer your observation to ensure clarity of the information presented….. Individuals like you help us improve our products, which enhances driver safety in California.
Michele Ames, Chief
Publishing and Online Information Branch
CA Department of Motor Vehicles
[Note: The current Driver Handbook states ”Bicycles are lawfully permitted to ride on certain sections of roadway in rural areas where there is no alternate route.” It should have said freeways, as bicyclists are permitted to ride on all streets, roads and highways, except certain sections of freeway where they may be prohibited, especially in urban areas.]
************************************************
Hi,
Wendy and I have been bicycle commuters & touring cyclists for about 10 years. We have also been “Warm Showers” hosts for about 7 years. We are interested in doing a workshop on “making plastic bucket panniers from recycled materials.
Michael Shapiro, Bayside
Editor’s note: Arrangements will be made to have a workshop presented at the Bicycle Kitchen in Eureka, probably in January. We will notify email members when a date is set. You may also call Rick Knapp at 445-1097 to request to be notified.
Who to Call When You See a Safety Concern (Rev. 1/2015))
The HBBCA checked with agencies in the Humboldt Bay region to determine appropriate contact personnel to respond to bike-related issues. If you see a condition that needs to be corrected in order to improve safety or convenience for cyclists such as a pothole in a bike lane, accumulated debris on a roadway shoulder, the need to re-stripe a bike lane, the need to clear vegetation encroaching on a shoulder, or a street light that is out, call the responsible agency/person listed below.
Of course, if you see a condition that requires immediate attention, like a stop sign knocked down, call 9-1-1. For non-emergency conditions, the following contact information is provided:
Caltrans
Matt Brady, Deputy District Director
445-6393 Matt.Brady@dot.ca.gov
Dan Ramirez, Maintenance Manager
(for maintenance-related concerns)
445-5327 daniel.r.ramirez@dot.ca.gov
County of Humboldt
Wendy Meeks, Dispatcher
445-7421 wmeeks@co.humboldt.ca.us
Abandoned Vehicles: Wally Williams,
County Sheriff’s Office, 268-3629
City of Arcata
Alynn Zdawczynski,
Public Works Administrative Assistant
822-5957 azdawczynski@cityofarcata.org
Abandoned Vehicles:
Arcata Police Dept. at 822-2424
City of Eureka
Kristen Ireland
Public Works Administrative Assistant
441-4203 kireland@ci.eureka.ca.gov
with cc: shutchison@ci.eureka.ca.gov
Abandoned Vehicles: Mary Kirby
mkirby@eurekapd.org, 268-5232
HBBCA Board of Directors (Rev. 1/2012)
President---------------------- Rick Knapp
445-1097(h) email: info@humbike.org
Vice-President---------------- Brett Gronemeyer
845-2117(h); 445-5390(w)
Secretary/Treasurer---Gail Popham,
445-5204(w)
Director of Publicity………… vacant
Director of Planning----- vacant
Please Join or Renew Your Membership for 2015
The HBBCA is working to improve and encourage bicycle commuting. Help make it happen by joining now or renewing your membership for 2015.
Your $5.00 annual dues, paid on a calendar year basis, will help pay for youth helmets, bike racks, this newsletter, the website, BikeSmart promotions, “Bike Month” activities, prizes, postage, etc. And, it will help demonstrate your commitment to our goal.
With your membership card, you may request the following discounts on bike parts and accessories: 10% (or more) at Henderson Center Bicycles; 10% at Revolution Bicycle Repair; 15% at Adventure’s Edge; 10% at Pacific Outfitters, and 15% at Sport and Cycle. Membership cards include stickers on the back showing discounts offered by the various bike shops.
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Mail to HBBCA, P.O. Box 9054 Eureka CA 95502-9054