July 2006
| WHEEL PEOPLE | VOL. 25 NO. 4 | JULY 2006 |
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Newsletter of the Humboldt Bay Bicycle Commuters Association P. O. Box 9054 Eureka CA 95502
A special thanks to those who sent donations to the HBBCA, noted by **. NEXT REGULAR MEETING JULY 24TH IN ARCATA The next regular HBBCA meeting will be held at Luzmilla's Mexican Restaurant at 13th and G Streets in Arcata on Monday, July 24th. Those interested in joining us for dinner can order at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will begin at 6:30. The meeting is open to the public. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend. For more information, check the HBBCA website at www.humbike.org . BIKE TO WORK DAY RALLY IN EUREKA WAS A BIG SUCCESS On May 18 th , a very successful rally was held in Eureka at the Gazebo at 2 nd and F Street . Approximately 60 bike commuters signed in. Prizes were awarded for the organizations with the greatest participation; the cyclist with the longest commute; and to the commuter with the best commuter bike. As usual, Caltrans had the biggest turnout, with nearly 20 participants. Second place went to the Blue Ox Community School. Tim Windbigler won for the longest commute—a 50-mile roundtrip from Myrtle Creek. Tim was featured in a Times-Standard story for his commute in conjunction with another article about the community of Myrtle Creek. Julie Courtney-Williams won ‘best commuter bike', which included a “fine” steel handlebar basket. HSU's Campus Center for Appropriate Technology participated with their Human Powered Generator, which was used to power the load speaker for the event. Zach Mermel represented CCAT at the event. The Arcata rally was sparsely attended. Next year, the HBBCA will attempt to generate some friendly competition between cities. Check out rally photos at: www.humbike.org. BikeSmart TRAINING BEGINNING ITS 13 TH ANNUAL PROGRAM If you have a child who you'd like to see ride BikeSmart, contact Rick Knapp at 445-1097. Children 7-14 can participate in free weekend training, which includes one hour of verbal training, helmet fitting, and one hour of on-street training to learn to be responsible and defensive bicyclists. HAMMOND TRAIL GAP TO BE FILLEDDuring June, a number of events occurred toward the completion of the ‘hole' in the Hammond Trail between Murray Road and Letz Avenue , just southwest of the Arcata Airport . County Public Works and Redwood Community Action Agency's Natural Resources Services (NRS) are cooperating to design, permit, seek funding for and construct two trail alternatives to complete the ‘hole' in the trail: a paved trail and Class I bicycle path adjacent to US 101 and an interpretive footpath along Widow White Creek. At a County hearing in McKinleyville on Wednesday, June 7, several HBBCA members testified about the importance of completing the ‘hole' in the trail. Most public testimony was in support of trail completion. A number of adjacent landowners had concerns about removal of vegetation that screens highway noise; others were concerned about potential Widow White Creek impacts. On Tuesday, June 27, the Board of Supervisors approved of the County's environmental study of the project. On Thursday, June 29, the State Coastal Conservancy awarded NRS $700,000 to complete a major portion of the ‘hole' project. By mid-July, the state's River Parkways Program will determine if matching funds will be awarded for the ‘hole' trail completion project, trailside interpretive signage, roadside directional signs and trail improvements to the McKinleyville Land Trust's ‘Mad River Bluffs' area as ‘Phase I' of the proposed ‘Mad River Parkway', envisioned to stretch from Little River to Blue Lake. WHO TO CALL WHEN YOU SEE A SAFETY CONCERN (Revised 6/06) The HBBCA checked with agencies in the Humboldt Bay region to determine whom to contact if you see a condition that needs to be corrected in order to improve safety or convenience for cyclists. This might include a pothole in the bike lane, accumulated debris on a roadway shoulder, the need to re-stripe a bike lane, or the need to clear vegetation encroaching on the shoulder. Of course, if you see a condition that requires immediate emergency action, Caltrans County of Humboldt City of Arcata City of Eureka HBBCA BOARD OF DIRECTORS (click here for contact info) President------------------------Scott KellyVice-President/Treasurer----Rick Knapp Director of Publicity-----------Will Dvorak Director of Planning-----------Jennifer Rice JOIN THE HBBCA TODAY OR RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP FOR 2006 |
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