January 2018
WHEEL PEOPLE Vol. 37 No. 1 January 2018
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 HBBCAThe following are new and renewed members for 2018. Please consider joining or renewing if you haven’t already.
Renewed Member
Will Dvorak & Carole Beaton, Eureka***
Carl & Judy Cooper, Bayside**
Dick & Lois Wild, Arcata***
Elizabeth Edwards, Eureka
Melanie Williams, Arcata**
Rick Knapp, Eureka***
Gail Popham, 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.
Get on board now for all the benefits, including discounts at all the bike shops. See application at the end of the newsletter.
The Next Regular Meeting will be Held on January 22, 2018 in Eureka
The next regular HBBCA meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m., Monday, January 22, 2018, at Chapala’s Café at 2nd and C Streets in Eureka. Dinner is optional. Agenda items may be suggested by emailing info@humbike.org.
Ribbon Cutting Event Held for the Opening of the “Humboldt Bay Trail-North” in Arcata
On November 19, 2017, the City of Arcata held a ribbon cutting for the recently completed 3.5 mile long multi-use paved trail Samoa Boulevard and Bracut. An estimated 300 people attended the ribbon cutting event. Most of them walked and rolled along the bike path after festivities were complete. It is a very scenic corridor.
Some of the crowd at the ribbon cutting in Arcata
Other Bike-related Projects Completed and Under Construction
Just after the Humboldt Bay Trail-North was completed, another segment of the Waterfront Trail in Eureka was completed, the one between Del Norte Street and C Street (at the Boardwalk). There are now 4 continuous miles of paved trail between Elk River, at Herrick Avenue, and C Street (at the Boardwalk).
While it is great to have more paved trails for use by all forms of non-motorized users, the section between Del Norte and C Street is marginal for bike use, as there are too many street crossings to make it efficient for commuting, and will also make it challenging for family riding.
In November, it looked like construction of the Waterfront Trail between the Samoa Bridge and Tydd Street would go into Winter Suspension, but then winter decided to suspend itself, so construction continued through December. It should be completed by spring/summer 2018.
The HBBCA has a New Director of Planning
We are proud to announce Alexis Kelso is the new Director of Planning for HBBCA! Alexis brings new ideas and a wealth of knowledge to our team. She has been riding bicycles for transportation since age 18, but does not consider herself a “bicyclist.” She considers bicycling as one of several modes of transportation she uses on a regular basis.
Alexis has extensive experience in advocacy, starting as an intern at WALKSacramento and working her way up to Project Manager before leaving to earn her Masters Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Portland State University.
While in Portland pursuing her Masters, she worked for the City of Portland in the Bureau of Transportation, developing community engagement strategies and a work plan to encourage more involvement from underserved populations in the Transportation System Plan update. After earning her Masters Degree, she worked for the County of Del Norte as a Planner, before accepting a Planning position with Caltrans, here in Eureka, about a year ago. Prior to being appointed as our Director of Planning, she served (and continues to serve) as the HBBCA representative to the City of Eureka’s North-South Multimodal Corridor Planning effort.
Alexis is also a League of American Bicyclists Certified Instructor.
Welcome to the team Alexis!
Hatchery Road Community Walk & Observation
Interested in improving walking and biking safety along the Mad River corridor from Blue Lake to the Mad River Fish Hatchery? Want to help Blue Lake connect to our region’s expanding trail system? Good news – Humboldt County Public Works, City of Blue Lake, and RCAA are supporting efforts to make improvements along Hatchery Road. Join community members and friends to share your ideas and concerns at a Community Walk & Observation on Friday, January 26th from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. starting at the Logger Bar (510 Railroad Avenue). Participants will experience firsthand the conditions for walking along Hatchery Road from downtown Blue Lake towards the Fish Hatchery and also get to help shape ideas for improvements. Coffee, tea, and snacks will be provided, and all ages are encouraged to participate. This is your opportunity to support better access to the recreational resources along the Mad River. If you cannot attend the walk, please give your feedback on the survey... https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2DDJGZX
Rick Knapp’s Bike Locking Recommendation Reinforced
Some of you may have read Rick Knapp’s recommendation for more securely locking your bike in April’s newsletter. He said that some of us were now resorting to using a cable lock and a U-Lok to reduce the chance for theft. On December 12th, at 2:30 p.m., Rick found out just how right he was: He locked his back-up bike (as he was doing some work on his regular bike) in front of Michael’s in the Eureka Mall with just a cable lock, and for only 3 – 5 minutes. When he returned, he heard his cable lock hit the pavement. A thief had just successfully cut his cable lock from his bike. Rick chased him on foot and got within a couple of feet when the thief detected the sound of a “speed merchant” rapidly gaining on him. With that, he bolted.
Rick got information to the EPD, including a photo of the bike, its serial number and Eureka bike license. He was lucky, as Officer Swanson took a personal and professional interest in finding the bike. With assistance from Officer Saltow, the bike was found in possession of another person who claimed he bought it. That person was arrested. Officer Swanson called Rick about 7:30 p.m. that night to tell him he could pick up his bike in front of the Furniture Design Center. It had been stripped of all accessories and personal items except the bike computer. That indicated that the bike had gone 10 miles since being stolen. Luckily, it was no worse for wear except for a layer of Palco Marsh mud.
After getting the bike back along with the cut cable, Rick talked with mechanics at Revolution Bicycles about the apparent ease of cutting a ¼” cable. Dave cut it with some quality wire cutters by inching his way through it using just the tip. A pair of Snap-Ons took a mere 20 seconds and made a perfectly clean cut. A pair of cheaper cutters took 60 seconds. Surprisingly, a pair of bolt cutters didn’t do so well, as they tended to mash rather than cut the cable. Maybe a better set would have done the job.
Bike Mileage Calendar Included
Included this month is the annual Bike Mileage Calendar. Use it to enter your daily cycling mileage and help you to be incentivized to ride more.
Who to Call When You See a Safety Concern (Rev. 1/2018)
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
Betsy Totten, Customer Service Liaison
441-5655 www.dot.ca.gov/d1/contactus.html
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. 1/2018)
President---------------------- Rick Knapp
445-1097(h) email: info@humbike.org
Vice-President---------------- Brett Gronemeyer
845-2117(h); 445-6578 (w)
Secretary/Treasurer--------- Gail Popham,
707-502-8030(cell)
Director of Planning--------- Alexis Kelso, 445-6397(w)
Director of Publicity --------- open/available
Contact Rick Knapp if you are interested in filing a vacant Board position.
Please Join or Renew Your Membership for 2018
The HBBCA is working to improve and encourage bicycle commuting. 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, insurance, 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.
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Mail to HBBCA, P.O. Box 9054 Eureka CA 95502-9054