January 2021 - CalBike

6 Reasons Why We Love Quick-Build Projects

January 26, 2021/by Kevin Claxton

At CalBike, we have long been fans of quick-build projects. Early in the pandemic, we realized that quick-build projects are more crucial than ever. The pandemic temporarily reduced traffic, creating a demonstration of the way people-centered streets can look and feel. This created an opportunity for change. But we have to move fast.

The urgency of the situation spurred CalBike to action. We secured grants from the SEED Fund and the SRAM Cycling Foundation and collaborated with Alta Planning + Design to create a Quick-Build Guide that planners can use to develop quick-build projects.

If you feel resistant to quick-build, we’d like to change your mind — quickly.

What is quick-build design?

Quick-build is a method for reconfiguring streets without costly changes to the existing hardscape. Planners make intersection improvements and buffered bikeways using low-cost materials like paint, moveable planters, and bollards. The pre-implementation planning process is shorter. But, unlike traditional infrastructure projects, planning doesn’t stop once the design is on the ground. Because the elements of quick-build projects can be moved or altered without much effort or expense, the designs can easily evolve in response to community input.

Here are just six of the many reasons we love quick-build design.

Quick-build helps communities respond to the climate crisis with appropriate speed

In 2018, the IPCC warned that we have just 12 years to turn around our carbon consumption or face a planetwide catastrophe. To meet that deadline, we have to take bold action now, not in 2030.

Unfortunately, the planning process for a new bike lane or enhanced intersection in California can take years or even decades. A county-sponsored project to redesign a central transportation corridor in the East Bay for more active transit chose two initial projects to build quickly. The quick timeline: five years. The rest of the project will probably take ten years or more. With quick-build, these projects can be on the ground in five months at a fraction of the budget.

The climate crisis is already here. California has suffered through droughts and fires with increasing frequency as the Earth has warmed by 1℃. We can’t afford to double that

It’s more equitable to vet a design on the ground than on paper

With quick-build, we aren’t asking the public to spend their precious time studying drawings and imagining what their street could be like. Instead, we change the streets temporarily in real-time, so community members can get a feel for how the new designs work on the ground.

People with lots of time still get to see what it will look like and can still give input. Quick-build leads to more accessible and equitable outreach. Because commenters aren’t limited to people who are used to and comfortable with the “normal” outreach process, people who don’t usually get to weigh in on bike infrastructure have a voice.

Lower costs allow communities to build more for less

California cities don’t need one shiny, new bike project or a few protected intersections. We need safe, connected networks that allow riders of all ages to choose active transportation. Communities can put quick-build projects on the ground for a fraction of the price of traditional infrastructure. Not only are the materials less expensive, but communities can also save on staff time because the planning process is shorter and more practical. If we are to have any hope of making the transportation shift we need in time to mitigate climate change, quick-build is our best and perhaps our only hope.

Quick-build overcomes NIMBY resistance

If you’ve ever been to a public meeting about a bike project, you’ve probably heard statements like these:

“Why build a bike lane when so few people ride bikes here?”

“We need those parking spaces.”

“What about elderly people or parents with kids? They NEED to drive.”

Proposals to add infrastructure that will make biking safer strike terror in the hearts of motorists. They have visions of a helmeted mob dragging them out of their car and forcing them into the fresh air (or something equally horrific).

Quick-build bypasses the irrational fear stage of the public planning process. Car owners find that they can still drive, often more easily than before. People ride bikes and walk more, eliminating the “no one will use it” argument. Then streets become safer for kids to use, and the argument is won.

It’s easy to change flexible designs in response to changing conditions

When you pour concrete, you’re stuck with the street design, at least for a few years. But quick-build lends itself to iteration. Many quick-build features end up becoming permanent, but they can easily be altered in response to community feedback or changing community needs.

Quick-build projects save lives

With quick-build, there’s no excuse not to build protected bike lanes. Quick-build makes it cheap and easy to safe bike facilities that are protected from traffic. Buffers can be made from bollards, planters, or rubber car stoppers.

Separated bikeways benefit everyone. A recent study found that streets with protected bike lanes saw fewer traffic fatalities for all users – bike riders, pedestrians, and car drivers.

CalBike is working on getting our Quick-Build Guide into the hands of every California planner, administrator, and elected official who has input on street design. Your donation will help us make safe biking an option for more Californians. Do you want your planners to see the guide? Let us send them the executive summary. Give us the contact info and we’ll do the rest.

Biden Administration Taps Californians for Progressive USDOT

January 26, 2021/by Kevin Claxton

The change of administration in Washington D.C. is providing some specific reasons for joy for active transportation advocates. Pete Buttigieg promises to bring a fresh perspective to USDOT. Also, some of the initial appointees who will run USDOT from day one are friends of biking. And that group includes some high-profile Californians.

Nuria Fernandez, who will be the deputy administrator for the Federal Transit Administration, was the GM and CEO of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. Ann E. Carlson is a professor of environmental law at UCLA and an expert on climate change law. She becomes the chief counsel of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

A friend of bikes heads to DC

At CalBike, the USDOT appointment we are most excited about is Steve Cliff, who will be the NHTSA deputy administrator. Cliff comes from the California Air Resources Board (CARB). He is a strong advocate for biking who understands the importance of reducing transportation emissions to address climate change. Streetsblog did a thorough analysis of Cliff’s record (including a photo of him with CalBike alum Jeannie Ward Waller).

The California choices aren’t the only promising picks for the incoming team. Author and planner Angie Schmidt summed it up on Twitter: “People were disappointed Pete isn’t a big enough nerd. These are the big nerds with a lot of experience as well.” Check out this thread for a rundown of all the planning nerds joining USDOT and the official press release announcing the appointments.

The Biden USDOT is going to kick ass.

I have seen enough. They are putting together a dream team.
— Angie Schmitt🚶‍♀️ (@schmangee) January 21, 2021

As mayor of South Bend, IN, Buttigieg embraced Complete Streets. He oversaw the transformation of wide, downtown streets from car deserts to multimodal transportation corridors. Under his leadership, with a strong team to support him, we hope to see USDOT finally address the lack of transportation choice that plagues so many US communities and the transportation policies that are killing our planet. That could translate into more federal funding to support active transportation in California. When that happens, your CalBike will be pushing hard for projects that support safer streets, healthier communities, and cleaner air.

The Central Valley Passage: CalBike’s Visionary Long-Distance Bike Route

January 14, 2021/by Jared Sanchez

Imagine getting on your bike in Bakersfield and riding all the way to Merced. You follow mostly separated and low-stress routes. Along the way, you pass through large and small Central Valley cities like Wasco, Porterville, and Madera.

Maybe you visit some rose gardens in Wasco, whose farmers grow a majority of all the roses grown in the United States. Or you detour for a few miles to check out some wineries on the Madera Wine Trail. You connect with High-Speed Rail (HSR) stations in Bakersfield, Fresno, and Merced. That’s the vision of the Central Valley Passage, a long-distance bicycle route proposed by CalBike’s Central Valley Project Team.

For much of 2020, CalBike, in partnership with the Kern Council of Governments, worked to plan active transportation connections to the planned HSR stations in Bakersfield, Fresno, and Merced. The project gets funding from a Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning grant.

The team’s most ambitious plan is a proposal for a long-distance bike route from Bakersfield to Merced, the Central Valley Passage. Once built, this bikeway will be an essential car-free connection in the Central Valley and an economic engine.

Bringing bicycle tourism to the Central Valley

The Central Valley Passage, once all segments are complete, will include about 265 miles of connected, low-stress bikeways. The route will attract bike riders who want the fun and challenge of a multi-day ride. Bicycle tourism can bring an influx of revenue for businesses in cities and towns along the route.

The Central Valley Passage isn’t only an asset to the cities in the valley. It is a much-needed amenity in California, where long-distance routes often involve segments along the shoulders of busy roads. A long-distance route that’s gentle enough for riders of all levels, with many places to stop along the way, will help more people experience the joy of traveling by bike.

Since the route will connect to the High-Speed Rail stations, visitors can reach the route by train. It’s a perfect recipe for a low-carbon vacation.

Vital connections for Central Valley residents

This long-distance route has even more significant benefits for the local community. The team designed the segments to connect suburbs to urban centers, so residents can use the routes to commute to work or travel between cities.

California has a poverty rate of 13%. Kern, Fresno, and Merced counties have poverty rates of 20% or more. Access to more affordable transportation options will promote social equity, particularly in areas that are poorly served by transit.

In addition, increased bicycle mode share will improve the health of all Central Valley residents. Air quality in the San Joaquin Valley doesn’t meet EPA standards. Half the region’s toxic pollution is caused by burning fossil fuels for transportation. Low-stress bike connections will give residents more choices to get around without adding to the region’s air pollution problem. Also, the physical activity of bicycling improves the health of people who are able to ride.

This ambitious plan is just one of the proposals that CalBike’s team has created to make the Central Valley more bikeable. For more on the project, visit our Central Valley Project pages.

What to Expect from Federal Support for Biking in 2021

January 13, 2021/by Kevin Claxton

Next week, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be president and vice president. Control of the Senate will flip to the Democrats. This change in power could make a big difference in funding and support for biking and walking this year and beyond. With thanks to our national partners, the League of American Bicyclists, here’s what we’re looking forward to under the new administration.

Amtrak Joe

Joe Biden is famous for being a train commuter. We’ve seen him ride a bike. Those facts alone are a massive improvement over a golf cart president who gets driven everywhere.

But we have high hopes that a Biden administration will do much more to promote active transportation. Biden’s cabinet appointments have delivered on his promise to prioritize climate change. He has created a new cabinet-level position of U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate and appointed John Kerry to the role. In addition, the new administration promises that every executive branch department will address climate change.

Department of Transportation

The most critical appointment for active transportation is the head of the US Department of Transportation. We are heartened by Biden’s choice of Pete Buttigieg for Transportation Secretary. Among the presidential candidates, Buttigieg was one of only two candidates whose transportation platform earned a perfect score from Transportation for America. As mayor of South Bend, he helped the city get Silver Level status from the League, making it among the most bike-friendly cities in the midwest. Plus, as a former mayor, he should have a good grasp of the crucial role of safe biking and walking infrastructure in building resilient communities.

The USDOT can do a lot for biking and walking. Buttigieg will appoint his own deputies to oversee the agency’s $86 billion budget. These officials will be responsible for enforcing safety, equity, and efficiency in federal transportation spending.

For example, for the last four years, new safety regulations at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have been gathering dust. That’s thanks to an executive order forcing agencies to get rid of two regulations for every new one they implement. We expect Biden to revoke this order. Under a Biden administration, expect to see more safety regulations that benefit people biking and walking.

A Democratic Congress

The new Democratic majority in both houses of Congress comes at a fortuitous time for transportation policy. Every five to six years, Congress writes a long-term transportation funding bill. In 2020, CalBike and many of you supported a new federal transportation funding bill called the INVEST In America Act to set national priorities for the next six years. The bill had many bike-friendly provisions, but Congress didn’t pass the bill before the 2020 elections.

With Democratic control of the Senate, Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) will become Chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee responsible for writing the transportation bill. Politico reports that he is scrapping the old version to write a new version that will implement President Biden’s “Build Back Better” agenda.

Two newly elected Senators will be champions of bicycling. Mark Kelly of Arizona is a bike commuter. Colorado’s John Hickenlooper invested heavily in bicycling when he was governor. These changes make significant improvements on the provisions in the INVEST In America Act a real possibility.

What to look for in the 2021 transportation bill

We hope to see some of CalBike’s key priorities added to the new transportation funding bill. For example, we hope to see a bikeway network grant program that will reward cities that build safe, low-stress bikeways. Our communities need bike networks that connect destinations, even when those routes are politically challenging to develop because of parking or traffic impacts. The current bill creates this vital program, thanks to lobbying from our national partners. However, the 2020 version funds the program with a measly one-time $250 million allocation. CalBike is pressing for $500 million in annual funding over the five-year lifespan of the bill. Other national priorities now on the table include a “complete streets” requirement for all federally-funded projects and generous tax credits to businesses and individuals for bike-related expenses.

Of course, our most important work remains at the state level. But having a supportive national government will push our Governor and legislature to do even better. We will keep you posted on the progress of the 2021 transportation funding bill.