October 2016


WHEEL PEOPLE            Vol. 35  No.  4             October 2016

Newsletter of the Humboldt Bay Bicycle Commuters Association

P.O. Box 9054 Eureka CA  95502                                                                                                                                                                           

Website: www.humbike.org
Email: info@humbike.org

New and Renewed Members of the HBBCA
 
The following new and renewed members have become members for 2016.
 
New Members
 
Zeke Smith, Eureka
 
Renewed Members
 
Kristi Wrigley, Eureka**
Robert Shultze & Sonja Schultze-Huff
Beth Abels, Arcata***
Jennifer Johnson, Arcata**
Michael Shapiro & Wendy Ring, Bayside
Bob Berg, Eureka**
 
How about this?   Beth Abels sent a check for $200 to pay in advance for the next 20 years!   She said it was too hard to remember to pay each year.   So, she’s got a lot of confidence in the HBBCA, expecting us to be up and running another 20 years!!
 
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.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                   October 2016
 
Get on board now for all the benefits, including discounts at all the bike shops.                                                
 
If you haven’t already renewed for calendar year 2016, renew now and you will get the rest of 2016 free along with calendar year 2017.  See application on the last page.
 
The Next Regular Meeting will be Held on October 24th in Arcata
 
The next regular HBBCA meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m., Monday, October 24th, at Carmela’s
Restaurant, 13th and G Streets in Arcata.  Dinner is optional. Agenda items may be suggested by emailing  info@humbike.org.   
 
City of Arcata’s Foster Avenue Extension  “Project of the Year”
 
Arcata’s Foster Avenue Extension was awarded the Bikeways and Trails Project of the Year by the American Society of Civil Engineers in San Francisco recently.
 
The project was considered a high priority for many years according to the City and the Humboldt County Association of Governments, which stated that the extension created a designated east-west commuter bicycle and pedestrian route in central Arcata.
 
The route also provided a more direct connection between the City’s main entrances and exits to Route 101 and Alliance Road.
 

 
The project was first designed in 2009, and its plans were prepared in 2014 by GHD Engineering.  Funding for the project, over $2 million was provided through the California State Transportation Improvements Program and Arcata’s Measure G Program.  The project was completed in 2016.
 
Arcata Looking to Make Old Arcata Road Safer
 
The City of Arcata is looking to make Old Arcata Road through Bayside and Sunny Brae safer for walkers, bicyclists and drivers, and has been conducting a series of workshops to get public feedback.
 
The City held workshops in September on “walkability” to design new access and safety features for the roadway between Buttermilk Lane and Jacoby Creek Road.  City engineers say “It’s a blank slate,” encouraging community members to fully shape the outcome.
 
Based on community input, residents can check out the possible design alternatives at an open house at the Bayside Grange on Wednesday, October 19th, from 6 to 8 p.m.
 
Arcata to Start Bay Trail Next Spring
 
The City of Arcata has announced that it will award bids by December 2016 for the 3-mile section of Bay Trail between Samoa Boulevard, near K Street to Route 101 near Bracut.   The City expects the project to be completed by December 2017.  The estimate for this section is $4.6 million.  This will be the first step toward completing a Class I Bike Path between Arcata and Eureka.
 
Letters
 
Hi, I'm writing to contact Rick Knapp. 
 
Last Wednesday, August 17th, I attended the Safe Routes to School County-wide task force
meeting.  During the meeting, we asked how to approach pedestrian and cycling safety for kids, when infrastructure lacks.  Jenny Weiss suggested that Rick Knapp might be available to ride/walk some of the routes to our public
charter school Fuente Nueva near the intersection of Janes Road and Foster Avenue.  We are hoping to have a monthly walk/bike to school day, but want to develop safety guidelines first.  Please contact me,  if you think you might be available to check out routes with me. Thanks!
 
Maureen Jules, Arcata
 
[Note from Rick: On September 1st, Maureen and I talked about bike safety and rode alternative routes to assess safety and ways to make the treks safer.   I thoroughly enjoyed working with her and appreciated her strong interest in providing the absolute safest opportunity for kids to get to school by bike.]
 
 
Hi.
I moved to Eureka from San Jose in May. One of the things that drew me to this town is its compact layout, which makes it relatively easy to bike (and walk) around. I like to get places by bike (or foot) as much as I can. I'm not a mountain biker or much of an athlete, just someone who enjoys the fresh air, scenery, ecological consciousness and exercise that comes with cycling. I joined HBBCA in support of this.

I haven't been disappointed with Eureka as a cyclist. It's certainly an improvement over trying to navigate the vast sprawl of San Jose by bike. Or the hills and heavily-trafficked, narrow streets of San Francisco, where I lived before that. I've still got a lot to learn about the local scene, including how I'll feel once it really starts to rain, but so far so good. Congrats on your advocacy toward making Eureka a nice place to ride.

The one issue that has stood out to me so far is the bike parking situation. I often have to get creative about where to park or lock my bike when I'm running errands or out and about. In the most extreme example, there appears to be NO bike parking around the Humboldt Transit Authority office on V Street. I confirmed with the guy at the front desk yesterday when I went to get a transit pass that there was no bike parking. This is an industrial neighborhood and not one where I'm comfortable leaving my Bianchi hybrid unlocked. But more fundamentally, it seems like a huge oversight to not send a message of gracious accommodation to cyclists who want to use the local bus system. My experience with other public transit systems is that bike-friendliness is a stated and strived-for goal, even where the reality on the ground is more hazy. Installing a bike rack on their own property has got to be a lot easier than many other things transit operators manage to pull off.

Before I make a written suggestion/complaint to the Humboldt Transit Authority about this oversight, I wanted to check in with you good people and ask whether there has been any advocacy on this front. Do you have any recommendations about who I can contact? Is there a history with HTA that might be useful to know about before I proceed?

As a secondary question, I'd like to start using the bus system where I don't cycle. But I'm a little intimidated by the bike racks on buses, especially as someone without a ton of upper-body strength and a heavy lock on my bike frame. Do you have experience with this? Do the racks work out pretty well? Can I expect understanding bus drivers as I fumble my way through the first few times? Is this something where there has been good education, especially toward those of us who don't feel burly?

I am surprised more people don't get around by bike here. I mean, the town is only three miles in diameter, and almost flat, for crying out loud. During beautiful weather like what we've been having, and with the environmental consciousness shared by much of Humboldt, it seems like a no-brainer that bikes should be a first choice for a huge portion of the population. Am I missing something?

Final question: I try to avoid riding on sidewalks for safety reasons, but occasionally I will, briefly, to get to the next intersection. Am I breaking any local rules when I do this?

Thanks in advance.

Brenna S. Silbory, Eureka
[Rick wrote back to Brenna, offered assistance and addressed the various issues that she had identified during her short residency in Eureka.   Brenna wrote back to say, “Thanks for the speedy and thorough reply,”…….. and more.”]
 
 
Dear HBBCA,
 
Please find an enclosed check as a donation.   Please cancel my membership with HBBCA.  Due to health reasons, I can no longer ride my bicycle so I donated it in a church raffle.  I enjoyed being a member in a worthwhile cause.
 
Eve Carroll, McKinleyville
 
 
Who to Call When You See a Safety Concern (Rev. 4/2016)  
                                                                                                    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
Mark Suchanek, Deputy District Director
445-6393 Mark.Suchanek@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, 268-2509
 
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
441-4203 publicworks@ci.eureka.ca.gov
Abandoned Vehicles:
eureka-policeabatement@ci.eureka.ca.gov; phone 268-5232
 
HBBCA Board of Directors (Rev. 1/2016)
 
President---------------------- Rick Knapp
445-1097(h) email: info@humbike.org
Vice-President---------------- Brett Gronemeyer
845-2117(h); 445-6397(w)
Secretary/Treasurer---Gail Popham,
445-5204(w)
Director of Publicity ----open/available
Director of Planning-----open/available
 
Contact Rick Knapp if you are interested in filing a vacant Board position.
 
Please Join or Renew Your Membership for 2016/17  
 
The HBBCA is working to improve and encourage bicycle commuting.  Help make it happen by joining now or renewing your membership for 2016.  Your renewal now will include membership for 2017.
 
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% 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.
 
Enclosed: $_____dues    $_____donation
 
Name_______________________________________________
 
Address_____________________________________________
 
______________________________________________________
 
Phone__________________(h)______________________(w)
 
____I’d rather receive my newsletter by email.   This is my neatly printed email address:
 
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Mail to HBBCA, P.O. Box 9054 Eureka CA 95502-9054