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Local E-Bike Incentives Provide More Options for Californians

January 17, 2023/by Laura McCamy

The rollout of California’s statewide e-bike incentive program is getting closer, but it’s still a few months away. If you’d like to buy an e-bike and need help to make your purchase, many local programs currently provide incentives, and new ones may come online soon.

We spoke with managers from two Bay Area agencies about the programs they administer. Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE) and 511 Contra Costa (511CC) have very different programs, and both have done follow-up surveys with participants, providing valuable insights about the successes and challenges of e-bike incentives.

Peninsula Clean Energy: Income-qualified e-bike vouchers

PCE started its E-Bikes for Everyone program in 2021 because “our end goal is zero transportation emissions by 2035,” according to Programs Manager Phillip Kobernick. Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, so he says PCE saw “potentially a lot of VMT reduction potential” in its e-bike voucher program.

In 2021, PCE offered $800 vouchers to residents in its service area (San Mateo County) with income at or below 400% of the federal poverty level. “It’s the most popular program we ever launched,” Kobernick says. The program had a $250,000 budget to provide 300 vouchers, and they were all claimed within four days after launch.

In 2022, PCE increased the rebate amount to $1,000, did more targeted outreach to slow the process, and gave out 239 vouchers.

Like the upcoming statewide incentive program, the PCE incentive is a point-of-sale voucher. It contracts with bike shops and sends qualified customers to buy bikes there. The buyer gets a discount in the amount of the voucher, and PCE pays the difference to the shop. Participants can also buy elsewhere (about half of the people in the program chose to do that) and get reimbursed after the purchase. The incentives cover up to 80% of the purchase price, so participants must pay for the remaining 20%.

There have been some glitches in the rollout. For example, about half the people awarded vouchers didn’t use them; follow-up surveys found that the main reasons were price, availability of the desired model, and inability to do a test ride. PCE offered unused vouchers to people on the waitlist, and funds that don’t get used roll into the program budget for the following year. And they discovered a couple of instances where a grantee tried to sell their voucher rather than use it themselves.

Despite the challenges, the program is meeting its goals. “It looks like, through our surveys, we are seeing a noticeable reduction in VMTs (vehicle miles traveled),” Kobernick says. About one-third of participants now say that an e-bike is their primary mode of transportation, and he estimates that they have reduced their VMT by 10% on average. He noted that most cities would jump at a chance to implement a program delivering a VMT reduction.

The PCE program has had a budget of $547,000 over two years and will offer another round of vouchers in 2023. In 2022, El Concilio provided support for completing applications, and PCE worked with the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition to provide group rides and classes to help people feel comfortable on their bikes.

How to apply for an E-Bikes for Everyone Voucher: The program is only open for a short period each year. Check their website for 2023 program information.

511 Contra Costa: E-bike rebates without income caps

The Electric Bicycle Rebate Program 511CC offers to Contra Costa County residents differs from both the PCE and statewide incentives in several ways:

It’s an after-purchase rebate rather than an up-front incentive.
All county residents are eligible for a rebate with no income caps.
The rebate amounts are much lower: $150 standard rebate; $300 rebate for people living at or below 400% of the federal poverty level.
The funds are available throughout the year on a rolling basis rather than during a short application window.

“Part of our overall goal of 511 Contra Costa is to reduce vehicle trips,” says Kirsten Riker, Project Manager for Advanced Mobility Group, which manages transportation demand management programs for 511CC. “It’s not designed for social equity. It’s designed to get people into other modes. This is a little extra carrot.”

Riker also manages a second program, Charge Up, that offers $500 rebates. Funded by a half-cent sales tax through the Contra Costa Transportation Authority, that incentive has income caps, and only residents of specific communities within the county can qualify. If someone applies for the 511CC rebate and could qualify for the higher incentive, their application is automatically forwarded to this program.

However, the primary goal of Riker’s work is reducing VMT and carbon emissions. “When we developed the program, we knew that you could go with a much higher amount and help fewer people,” Riker says. “We took the approach that less means more.”

Since it rolled out in 2020, the 511CC program has given out $162,000 for 888 rebates, with 23% going to low-income residents. The Charge Up program has given 64 rebates since it started in 2022.

The programs do extensive surveying to determine their effectiveness, and 90% of participants have responded. That data helps ensure that the e-bike rebates are achieving their goals. It will help local and statewide agencies deliver more effective e-bike programs in the future, with a report coming soon from a UC Davis researcher. For example, the 511CC initially had a price cap of $5,000 for eligible bikes, but now every e-bike qualifies for a rebate as long as it has pedals.

“$150 isn’t going to change the world,” Riker says, but she feels it creates “e-bike ambassadors” — people excited about riding who want to tell their friends and neighbors how stoked they are about their bikes. She adds, “For a lot of people, their e-bike has changed their life.”

“I feel like there’s a tipping point. At some point, everybody’s going to buy an EV because you’re going to have to,” she says. She notes that over half the bikes at Bike to Work Day in Contra Costa County in 2022 were e-bikes. She feels like getting people to experience the joy of biking on an electric bike is a great way to get people who have never biked to ride. “We’re not going after bicyclists. We’re going after drivers,” she says.

How to get a 511CC or Charge Up e-bike rebate: Any Contra Costa County resident can get a $150 after-purchase rebate. If you live in an equity priority community within the county and meet the income qualifications, you can apply for a $500 Charge Up rebate.

Of course, there are other local e-bike purchase incentives available. If you have a qualifying car to trade in, you could get up to $7,500 from your local air quality management district. And stay tuned for more information about California’s statewide e-bike purchase incentive program.

E-Bike Incentives Report: November 30, 2022, CARB Work Group Meeting

January 9, 2023/by Laura McCamy

The California Air Resources Board held a work group meeting to continue its discussion of the parameters of the Electric Bicycle Incentives Project on November 30, 2022. Around 150 people attended the Zoom workshop, including representatives from the e-bike industry, bicycle shop owners, nonprofits who work with potential voucher recipients, bicycle coalition leaders, and members of the public interested in the program.

Here are some highlights from the meeting, plus information CalBike learned about e-bike purchase incentives after following up with CARB staff.

More funding for implementation

At the work group, CARB announced that it has another $3 million for the program in addition to the $10 million allocated by the legislature. Program staffers anticipate that the extra funding will help augment their outreach. Hopefully, the extra money will free up more of the $10 million for incentives rather than administrative expenses. CalBike applauds CARB for finding the extra funding and demonstrating that the agency understands the value of the e-bike incentive program.

Lowered income eligibility limits, more discussion of eligible bikes

CARB staff confirmed to CalBike that two parameters for the program have been finalized: the income eligibility limits and which classes of e-bikes will be eligible for incentives.

In prior presentations, CARB proposed 400% of the federal poverty limit as the income cap for e-bike incentives. However, at the last work group, staff announced that the income limit will be lower: 300% of FPL to align the eligibility requirements for the e-bike program with those of other CARB clean vehicle programs, which will be lowered to 300% FPL in 2023.

In response to overwhelming support for allowing Class 3 e-bike models to be eligible for incentives, CARB will include all three classes of e-bikes in the program. However, manufacturers will have to apply for their models to be eligible for purchase with the vouchers.

In response to concerns about maintenance, to ensure that people who receive the vouchers have support to keep their bikes in good repair, CARB proposed requiring a manufacturer’s warranty of at least two years. That would eliminate Rad Power Bikes, which makes some of the most affordable e-bikes on the market because it only offers a one-year warranty. Commenters noted that more expensive bikes tend to have longer warranties, which might put this requirement at odds with the equity goals of the program.

A quick internet search found that many e-bike manufacturers offer a five-year warranty on the frame and fork and one year on other parts. Provisions to ensure bike quality and repairability will undoubtedly get further discussion at future work group meetings.

Next steps for California’s e-bike incentive program

CARB plans to hold another work group meeting in January to continue receiving input on program parameters. If you’re not already on CARB’s list and want to be notified about this and future e-bike meetings, sign up for CARB’s e-bike list. In the past, they sent meeting notifications to everyone interested in transportation electrification, but future notices will be sent only to the e-bike-specific list.

Of course, CalBike will also let you know about future e-bike meetings. You can sign up for our list at the bottom of this post.

Meeting presentation

Video of the 11/30/2022 meeting

CalBike’s Best and Worst of 2022

December 23, 2022/by Laura McCamy

The past few years have been disappointing in so many ways (because, you know — pandemic, war, climate catastrophes). But 2022 had a lot of bright spots, and for active transportation in California, more highs than lows. And we think that momentum will carry us into even bigger and bolder achievements in 2023 (because we’re optimists!).

Here’s a brief and wholly non-comprehensive compendium of the best and worst developments for biking in California and beyond in 2022.

Best new California law that’s changing the conversation across the nation: AB 2147, the Freedom to Walk Act

The governor’s signature on Assemblymember Phil Ting’s Freedom to Walk Act was a huge step forward for equity on California streets. The victory was the result of a two-year campaign by CalBike and our allies with outstanding leadership from Asm. Ting.

California wasn’t the first to pass a law decriminalizing jaywalking: Virginia passed similar legislation a year earlier and a Kansas City law goes even further than California or Virginia in legalizing safe street crossings. But the passage of this landmark law in the most populous state in the U.S. has sparked a national conversation that may be poised to accelerate the end of outmoded jaywalking laws.

Best law adding bikes to the California Vehicle Code: AB 1909, the OmniBike Bill

Assemblymember Laura Friedman’s OmniBike Bill makes several critical changes to the California Vehicle Code that make people on bikes safer. The most vital is requiring people in cars to change lanes to pass someone on a bike, which will reduce stressful near misses and dangerous collisions. This critical legislation is a big step towards recognizing that riding a bike isn’t the same as driving a car, and we need road rules tailored to smart biking to help everyone share the road more safely.

Most consequential transportation design fail: The Mad Maxification of American trucks and SUVs

We don’t have the statistics for 2022 yet, but the last few years have shown a disturbing increase in bike and pedestrian road deaths. The reasons for the rise are complex, but if you wanted to design a motor vehicle to maximize injury to the human body, you’d build trucks and SUVs with huge front grills and blind spots in the front as well as the rear. Bad for aerodynamics and fuel efficiency, but excellent at increasing severe injuries and deaths in even low-speed collisions. What’s next, car manufacturers? Fenders with metal spikes? Front-mounted swords? Mario Kart-style shell launchers?

Most forward-thinking law that will change the way communities approach traffic planning: SB 932, the Plan for the Future Bill

Streets for All cited Senator Anthony Portantino as a bike champion on the rise in its 2021-2022 Mobility Report Card, and the Plan for the Future Bill is one big reason. This is a bold new law that requires cities and counties to not only update their circulation plans to improve safety for people biking and walking but to implement those changes. It will take several years to start seeing the effects of this measure, but we believe they will be profound, and CalBike is proud to have been a cosponsor on Senator Portantino’s legislation.

Best way to destroy the climate: California’s freeway addiction

According to a recent study, the transportation sector contributes 60% of greenhouse gases in California, yet Caltrans can’t kick its freeway-building habit. Even though study after study proves that adding lanes increases congestion and escalates greenhouse emissions, Caltrans continues to spend millions on freeway widening projects. Caltrans—it’s time to be part of the solution, not the problem.

Best fairytale ending for car-free streets: San Francisco’s JFK Promenade

During the pandemic, San Francisco expanded car-free days from just weekends to 24/7 on the main artery through Golden Gate Park, JFK Drive. The people loved it and organized to turn the road from a “drive” to a “promenade.” They won! The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to make the car-free state permanent. There was much rejoicing on the promenade!

But some didn’t like all the fun that people of all ages had biking, walking, running, and rollerskating and they said, Not so fast, happy people. The road was theirs! To drive their big, fancy cars, not for people to breathe fresh air and enjoy the park! So they put an initiative on the ballot to take the promenade away.

But the people didn’t give up. They put their own initiative on the ballot to keep JFK Promenade car-free all the time. And the persistent pedestrians prevailed! Voters defeated the ballot initiative that killed joy and passed the one that preserved the car-free street. There was much rejoicing on the promenade!

And, seriously, this was a massive win that showed the popularity of slow streets. Congratulations to all involved.

Most unusual bicycle road hazard: Bull attacks off-road bike racers

When the organizers of an off-road bike race in Bakersfield called their challenge “stupidly hard,” they didn’t realize what an understatement that would prove to be. In the middle of the race, a bull decided it didn’t like where this was going and charged riders. Fortunately, the three riders who connected with the bull’s horns weren’t seriously injured, but perhaps next year’s course will be less bullish on animal interactions.

Best way to spend $1.1 billion: California’s Active Transportation Program

California’s ATP provides a dedicated funding source for projects that improve bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. It’s a fabulous program that has benefited many California communities, and CalBike is proud to have advocated for its creation, but as demand for complete streets projects increases, the amount of funding hasn’t kept up.

In 2022, lawmakers increased funding for the ATP by more than 4X with a $1.1 billion infusion of cash. In the most recent funding round, fewer than one-quarter of the projects vying for money will get funded, still falling far short of what we need but much more than would have been possible without the extra cash.

Worst anticipated veto of a bill that should have passed: AB 1713, the Bicycle Safety Stop

In a year when Governor Newsom signed 15 excellent bike-friendly bills into law, Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath pulled the Bicycle Safety Stop Bill ahead of a promised veto. Many states have enacted similar laws with no negative (and many positive) consequences, so the governor’s intractable opposition to legalizing commonsense biking is hard to explain.

Boerner Horvath continues to champion the safety stop for people riding bikes, and she has already introduced AB 73 to create a pilot program to test it in the next legislative session, and CalBike continues to work toward a California safety stop law.

Most unexpected support for the bicycle safety stop: NHTSA says evidence shows “bicyclist stop-as-yield laws to enhance safety and protect cyclists”

If you need proof of the mainstream acceptance of the bicycle safety stop, look no further than a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration bulletin released in March that endorses laws legalizing the practice: “Bicyclist stop-as-yield laws allow cyclists to mitigate risk to their advantage, increase their visibility to drivers and reduce exposure.” The fact sheet cites multiple studies showing the benefits of the safety stop and ends with, “Based upon the current research and data available, these laws showed added safety benefits for bicyclists in States where they were evaluated, and may positively affect the environment, traffic, and transportation.” Thank you, NHTSA!

What were your best and worst of 2022? Tweet at us, tell us on Facebook or Instagram, or go old school and send us an email.

California’s Big Bike Year: 2022 in Review

December 14, 2022/by Kevin Claxton

What can we say about 2022? We didn’t get everything we wanted, but thanks to advocacy from CalBike and our supporters and allies, it was a fantastic year for biking and walking in California. Here’s a short stroll down victory lane.

More money for biking and walking

California shows its values where it spends its money. Today, active transportation projects represent just a tiny fraction of the state’s transportation spending, but in 2022, that fraction got a little less tiny.

A diverse constituency advocated for $2 billion for bikes in the budget passed in 2022, and unfortunately, we came up short of that ambitious goal. However, we did secure the most funding ever for active transportation projects: $1.1 billion, a more than fourfold increase from prior years.

As communities across California scramble to fund projects to create Complete Streets and increase safety for people biking and walking, this extra money is crucial. It meant there was $1.6 billion available for the most recent funding round (Cycle 6) of the Active Transportation Program. As Streetsblog reported, this led to many more projects receiving funding and in a few years, we’ll see more protected bikeways and intersections as a result.

Of course, it’s still not enough. Every cycle, the ATP receives more excellent proposals than it can fund and has to turn away a higher number of worthy projects. Cities and towns understand that safe streets for all modes are essential for creating livable, sustainable communities. It’s time for the state to understand that too, and devote more money to bikeways and less to freeways.

Big wins for biking and walking

Our legislative recap provides in-depth coverage of all the bills that passed in 2022, so we won’t go into all the detail. Let’s just look at the effect of a few of those bills:

The OmniBike Bill changes the vehicle code to make people on bikes safer both from collisions with motor vehicles and from police harassment.
The Freedom to Walk Act prevents police from issuing jaywalking tickets unless the person was endangering themselves or others. That will eliminate unnecessary and often biased ticketing that impacts disadvantaged communities the most.
The Plan for the Future Bill gives cities and counties a deadline to update their general plans to make biking and walking safer — and provides funding to implement those plans rather than letting them gather dust.
Legislation on pedestrian crossings will bring Leading Pedestrian Intervals to Caltrans-controlled streets. LPIs give pedestrians (and people on bikes) a head start of 3 to 7 seconds before cars get a green light, reducing collisions and near misses.

The successes of 2022 give us excellent momentum heading into 2023, and we’re working on an even bigger and more ambitious agenda for next year.

Bike champions elected

Eight of the 11 candidates CalBike endorsed this year won election or reelection. Every bike champion elected to the state legislature means one more vote for bike-friendly legislation. Our big legislative wins in 2022 reflect the power of those votes. A big shoutout to all of you who biked the vote this year to help bring more progressive leaders to the California legislature.

Coming soon: Statewide e-bike rebates

We won funding for a statewide Electric Bicycle Incentives Program in 2021, and the program won’t launch until 2023, but CalBike has been hard at work on e-bike incentives this year. We’ve provided input to CARB on the details of the program, gathered and disseminated information to keep people up to date on the latest, and shared details about how to access other bicycle purchase programs. Stay tuned for more exciting developments in the new year.

To support CalBike’s vision for sustainable, healthy communities and to power our work in 2023, make a gift of any amount today.

Bike Champions 2022 Elections Recap

December 13, 2022/by Jared Sanchez

CalBike endorsed 11 candidates for the California State Senate and Assembly, and the results are finally in: Eight won their races, and three lost, including two very close matches. The four incumbents we endorsed, all bike champions, won. And we’re happy to see four new faces in Sacramento who will be great supporters of active transportation.

Most importantly, thank you for biking the vote in 2022!

Streets for All Mobility Report Card gives high marks to CalBike-endorsed candidates

Elections matter. The 2022 legislative session was outstanding for active transportation because of strong leadership from many members of the Assembly and Senate. Not only did we get 15 excellent bills signed into law, but we also secured an extra $1.1 billion in funding for active transportation. That meant that Cycle 6 of the ATP had $1.6 billion to allocate to projects that make biking and walking safer.

Read Streetsblog’s breakdown of Cycle 6 Active Transportation Program funding.

CalBike ally Streets for All recently published a Mobility Report Card that scored state legislators on their support for biking, walking, and transit. Here’s how CalBike’s endorsed candidates ranked (Note: All these legislators had very high scores for bike-friendly voting):

Laura Friedman (AD 43), Ranking: #1: Friedman, a longtime bicycle champion, authored several excellent bills in 2022, including the OmniBike Bill, which requires car drivers to change lanes to pass bike riders. Redistricting shifted her from AD 44 to AD 43; we’re thrilled that voters in her new district returned her to Sacramento.
Phil Ting (AD 19), Ranking: #2: Ting has been a consistent and savvy champion for active transportation. We are proud to have worked with him for the past two years to pass the Freedom to Walk Act, which decriminalizes safe midblock crossings for pedestrians.
Steve Bennett (AD 37), Ranking: #15: CalBike endorsed Bennett on his first run two years ago, and he has proven himself to be a strong ally for people biking and walking.
Tasha Boerner-Horvath (AD 76), Ranking: #35: Boerner-Horvath has championed the Bicycle Safety Stop for the past two legislative sessions, along with other bicycle safety bills. Although the safety stop didn’t pass in 2022, we’re sure she will continue to champion this crucial measure that lets people on bikes treat stop signs as yields.

Four new champions head for Sacramento

We have high hopes for our four endorsed candidates, who have already begun their first terms. Each of these new members of the Assembly or Senate brings a strong background of understanding and supporting the need to expand access to active transportation.

Catherine Blakespear (SD 38): As the mayor of Encinitas, Blakespear has shown leadership in creating protected, safe bicycle facilities in her city. We’re glad to have her leadership at the state level.
Liz Ortega (AD 20): Ortega has been a labor leader for some of California’s most marginalized groups, and she understands that lowering carbon emissions and reducing our footprint is also a social justice issue. She brings a critical perspective to Sacramento.
Gail Pellerin (AD 28): As a lifelong public servant, Pellerin understands the expansion of safe biking and walking to combat climate change, our housing crisis, and healthy and equitable communities.
Dawn Addis (AD 30): As a Morro Bay councilmember, Addis looked to expand biking along the central coast and beyond. We can’t wait to see what she can accomplish at the state level.

Bicycle Advocacy Projects Young People Can Do to Get People Riding in 2023

November 28, 2022/by Kevin Claxton

Growing recognition of bicycling as an effective carbon-free transportation option has led more youth to get involved beyond just hopping on and riding. Bicycle advocacy can be a terrific basis for a community project for school, or just for fun.

We’ve put together some projects that serve as a good entry point to bicycle advocacy for high school students or anyone who wants to get more involved.

What is bicycle advocacy? The basics.

A bicycle advocate is anyone who works to make our streets safer and more inviting for people who ride bikes or someone who helps people feel more comfortable riding.

Successful bike advocates:

Work in coalition. Bike advocacy isn’t a solitary activity. You can work with other bike advocates or collaborate with people working toward related goals, such as pedestrian safety, transportation justice, equitable access to public transportation, etc.
Find the helpers. As Mr. Rogers said, it’s crucial to find your helpers. For bike advocacy, helpers can include local bicycle coalitions, your peers and other community members, local government or agency staff, elected officials, or other bicycle advocacy groups.
Educate yourself about what would make your community more bike-friendly. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel; people are probably already working on solutions to make your neighborhood more bikeable. Find out what others have done in the past and what plans there are for the future. Your efforts will be more successful if you can show how they align with plans that are already in the works.

Here are six bicycle advocacy projects you can do to make a difference in your community.

Form a bicycle school bus

A bicycle bus is a group ride to school. Bike buses are becoming increasingly popular, especially after a large bike bus of elementary school kids in Portland made the news.

Benefits of a bike bus:

There’s safety in numbers, so riding together makes it safer and easier for students to bike to school.
Introducing young people to the joy of biking wherever they need to go is an excellent way to create lifelong riders.
Bike riding promotes health.
It’s much more fun to ride with friends than get dropped off in a car.
Bike buses replace car trips and ease congestion at school drop-offs.
Seeing young people ride will encourage others to join.

Is your school or another in your community easily bikeable for some of the students? You could be the catalyst by starting a bike bus.

Getting started:

Figure out the route. Is there a bike-friendly route that is close to where many students live? Ride the route ahead of time to determine how long it will take and any obstacles along the way.
Work with school and parent groups. It’s critical to get buy-in from parents and your school to make your project successful. Spread the word through parent and school email groups, and attend a PTA or school board meeting.
Where will students park their bikes? Work with the school to ensure that there’s enough secure bike parking on school grounds. Do some research on recommended bike parking and advise your school on best practices.
Do you need more help? Depending on the age of the group riding together, you may need additional adults or responsible youth leaders to ride with you. If the students in your group are high school age, you may be able to ride together with little or no adult supervision. However, if you create a bike bus for elementary school kids, plan to have one adult for every 3-5 children on the ride. That shouldn’t be hard — many parents will want to ride along.
What days will you ride? Set up a regular schedule so people can plan on joining the bike bus. Pro tip: Start with one day and let your bicycle bus grow organically.

More resources:

Host a bike and helmet decorating event

Riding is more fun when your bike and helmet are personalized. And you don’t need expensive materials: colored duct tape, markers, glitter, and stickers are all great for decorating bikes and helmets.

Benefits of a bike decorating party:

A decorating party lets people show off their creativity and could get them to ride more.
A decorated helmet is more fun to wear, especially for younger kids, and turns safety equipment into a fun accessory.
This event boosts equity, allowing kids whose families might not be able to afford a fancy helmet or bike to make their gear unique and colorful.

Getting started:

Who will you invite? Figure out your target audience. Is this for students in your grade or some younger classmates or neighbors? That will determine the materials you need and how you spread the word.
Get materials. You can buy materials for decorating at a local art supply store, or a big box store such as Target. Thrift stores can also be a great source for fabric and other decorative items and, if your community has a resource like SCRAP in San Francisco that sells recycled materials, you can save money and find cool stuff for your art party.
Find a venue. An outdoor space such as a park, parking lot, or schoolyard will work well for your decorating party. Get permission (if needed) and make sure attendees will have access to bathrooms and water for washing up.

More resources:

Check out the Scraper Bike Team and follow these instructions for creating a Scraper bike.
How to yarn-bomb a bike.
More bike decorating ideas.
Decorate a bike helmet with markers, turn it into a bug, use spray paint — or come up with your own crafty idea!

Lead a community or fundraising ride

School isn’t the only destination for a group ride. You could organize people to ride together to a farmers market, performance, community event, or other destination. It could be a one-time event or a regular outing.

You can also do a ride to fundraise for or bring attention to a cause that’s meaningful to you. For example, the Ride for a Reason started out with just four people whose children went to Oakland public schools. They rode to Sacramento to bring attention to the lack of funding for public schools in 2008. By 2022, the ride had grown to 250 people and also raised money for local public schools.

Benefits of a community ride:

Riding with a group is a great way for new riders to learn the ropes and gain confidence. When you create a community ride, you help grow the bicycling community.
There’s safety in numbers.
Your visibility on the streets increases awareness that bike riding is popular and fun for people in your neighborhood.
Riding together builds community and strengthens relationships.
Community rides can bring attention to places lacking bicycle infrastructure and build pressure to fix the problem.

If there’s somewhere you would like to take a group by bike, organizing a ride is a terrific project.

Getting started:

Figure out start and endpoints. Find a good meeting place to start the ride, such as a park or public plaza.
Scope out the route. Ride from the starting point to the destination beforehand and determine the timing and route for your group ride.
Where is the bike parking? Find out where people can park at the destination, so you can let your riders know.
Get help. Depending on the size of your community ride, it’s likely you’ll need help before and during the ride. Having several riders familiar with the route assigned to ensure that no one gets left behind will make the event safer and more enjoyable for everyone.
Spread the word. How will you organize the ride and let people know about it? You could create an event on social media and ask people to RSVP, post flyers, spread the word through your local networks, or get the ride listed on the calendar of your local bicycle coalition.

More resources:

Create a traffic-calming street mural

A new study has confirmed that artwork painted on the roadway helps slow down cars and make the streets safer for people biking and walking. And a street mural can be a fun and collaborative community project that enhances the neighborhood. You could paint a circle in the middle of an intersection or add a colorful design to a bike lane to set it apart from the rest of the roadway.

Benefits of painted streets:

Calms traffic
Adds color and art to the neighborhood
Provides a fun, creative project where people of all ages can participate

Getting started:

Get permission. You’ll need to go to your local public works department to get permission to paint on a municipal street. That could involve going to committee meetings, lobbying your city council, and meeting with other local officials. Be patient — the process of getting approvals, especially if it’s something your community has never done before, can take a while.
Connect with artists. Who will design your mural? Do you want to hire a professional muralist to do the design or lead a youth group to make the artwork?
Find funding. You’ll need money for paint and, possibly, to pay an artist for a design. Make sure you use a type of paint that your city approves for street painting and that will last through rain and being driven over.
Get a group of painters. The painters don’t have to be experienced artists. Your muralist can draw the outline and give instructions, and people of all ages can play a part in putting paint on the pavement. You’ll need to work quickly, particularly if you need to block traffic while painting, so a big group is recommended.

Pro tip: If the steps to create a permanent mural are too much, use chalk to draw on the pavement and create temporary artwork. You won’t need the permits and you can still bring the community together for a day of fun that reclaims common space for people who walk and bike.

More resources:

YouTube video about painting on asphalt

Community bike shops provide low-cost or free bikes

Bring a bicycle education class to your school

Giving people the knowledge and skills they need to ride safely is a terrific way to get people biking. A bicycle education program is the best way to gain skills, but most people don’t have the time or inclination to seek out a bike riding class (or think they already know it all).

Benefits of a bike education class:

Educates people on how to ride more safely
Encourages people to ride more
Creates confident, safe bike riders who understand the rules of the road

Getting started:

Find bike instructors. The League of American Bicyclists has a certification program for bicycling instructors, and you can find one near you on their website. But first, contact your local bicycle coalition. Many bicycle advocacy groups offer biking classes with certified instructors, and they may be able to help you arrange bike riding classes at your school.
Coordinate with school administrators. Work with school personnel to get the required permissions and find an appropriate space. You might need outdoor space if your class includes on-bike training.
Find funding. You’ll need money to pay for the instructor’s time and materials, if any. Find out the costs and ask your bicycle coalition and your school for financial support. You could do a fundraising ride for bicycle education!

More resources:

Advocate for a bikeway that will make your community safer

Is there a street you’d like to ride but it doesn’t have a safe bikeway? Join with your local bicycle coalition and other local safe streets advocates to ask your community to prioritize this route for improvements or to build a specific bikeway.

Benefits of advocating for a new bikeway:

If you’re successful, you’ll create a new biking route or make a current route safer.
You’ll learn valuable lessons about how local government works that you can use to advocate for other causes.
You’ll connect with your local bicycling community.
In the process of pushing for a new bikeway, you’ll learn more about safe bike infrastructure design and implementation.
It’s an excellent way to learn more about how your local government works.

Getting started:

Connect with your local bike advocacy group. Find out if they already have a campaign on your street that you can join. If not, ask them to add your bike route to their list of campaigns.
Learn the repaving schedule. Your city probably has a public works department that’s in charge of road repairs. Find out when the street that needs a bikeway is scheduled for repaving; that’s the best (least expensive) time to add a better bikeway.
Connect with the agency in charge of this route. If your city has a person or a department in charge of bike infrastructure, let them know where you see a need. Some communities have citizen-led bicycle advisory committees; go to a meeting and ask to get your bikeway on the agenda.
Conduct a public comment training. Meet with others who support your cause and brainstorm the most effective messages for upcoming meetings about it. Write down ideas and practice making public comments so you’ll make a big impact when you get to speak.
Go to city meetings. Brink your issue to your city council’s transportation committee. Don’t give up — infrastructure changes can take time.

More resources:

For more ideas: join your local bicycle coalition

Here are two more ideas you might want to consider:

Bring bicycle repair resources to your school. One of the biggest reasons people don’t ride is that their bike breaks down, and they don’t know how to fix it. See if there’s a traveling bike repair van that could come to your school. Or partner with a community bike shop to host a bike repair class for youth.
Create a bike donation drive. Ask people in your community to donate bikes they don’t need anymore to a community bike shop. You can also connect people who need a bike with a low-cost or free donated bike.

One of the best ways to jumpstart your bicycle advocacy is to team up with experienced and passionate advocates. You’ll find them at your local bicycle coalition or other safe streets advocacy group. They can connect you with bike advocacy projects and a community of people who care about biking, like you.

San Francisco Voters Lead Surge in Car-Free California Streets

November 14, 2022/by Laura McCamy

Photo courtesy of Kid Safe SF.

The Slow Streets movement, spawned during the lockdown phase of the pandemic, has largely faded as communities remove barriers and erase safe spaces. But the experience of streets centered on community and placemaking seems to have given a boost to the movement for car-free spaces. Bike activists, including CalBike and many local bicycle coalitions, have worked for years to create more space for people biking and walking in California, and combined with a growing awareness of the need for change, those efforts have borne fruit.

Cities across California have removed vehicular traffic to create safe spaces for people to walk and bike. One particularly notable example is JFK Drive in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, because of the deep-pocketed opposition to the project and the people-power that overcame that opposition at the ballot box, but there are many exciting new car-free spaces around the state.

Car-free spaces open across California

Business districts that would have once fought to keep car traffic now celebrate car-free space that attracts shoppers and diners. Over the past year, we’ve seen some exciting new open streets in California cities, including:

Gaslamp Promenade, San Diego. A section of Fifth Avenue in San Diego’s historic Gaslamp district has been converted to pedestrianized plazas for much of the day, while allowing vehicular traffic for deliveries for a window of time in the morning.
State Street Promenade, Santa Barbara. Ten blocks in the heart of Santa Barbara’s retail and dining district are now safe space for people biking and walking, with plenty of room for outdoor dining and markets.
San Francisco Shared Spaces. San Francisco has created a program for regular, permitted, open streets in neighborhoods across the city. The spaces are sponsored by local businesses, merchant associations, or community organizations and include weekend outdoor dining and shopping experiences, space for farmer’s markets, plazas for outdoor socializing, and more.
Griffith Park, Los Angeles. The park that’s home to LA’s Hollywood sign is also a popular spot for recreational rides in a city that isn’t always bike-friendly. After years of conflicts between people on bikes and people in cars, and a deadly collision earlier this year, the city closed a section of roadway to cars, with a promise to study more road closures in the future.

This isn’t a comprehensive list; we probably missed some fabulous car-free spaces around California. Please let us know if we left your local reclaimed street off the list.

San Francisco voters choose car-free JFK Promenade

JFK Drive is a main thoroughfare through San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Though the park is designed as a place for recreation and respite from city life, motorists often used the park’s roads as a cut-through to get to the ocean or travel between neighborhoods, creating dangerous conditions for people on bikes.

JFK promenade KId Safe SF — *Photo courtesy of Kid Safe SF*

Over the years, San Francisco has slowly expanded car-free space on JFK Drive, first to every Saturday, then to Sundays as well. Each expansion of the beloved space for people to bike, walk, skate, and dance was met with loud protests, and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition fought hard to make it happen.

Then came 2020, and San Francisco temporarily made a large section of the street car-free 24/7, giving residents safe outdoor space for exercise and recreation. As the pandemic waned (will it ever really end?), advocates came together to campa i gn for a permanent closure and, in April 2022, the San Francisco City Council voted to make the JFK Promenade permanent.

That seemed like the end of the story, until a wealthy board member of the de Young Museum, which sits off of, and can be accessed by, JFK Drive, put Measure I on the ballot to restore car traffic on weekdays. Proposition I also included allowing cars on the Great Highway (a coastal road that had become the Great Walkway during the pandemic, with plans to study weekend open streets) as a bonus, though almost all the backing for the measure came from people and organizations with interests in Golden Gate Park.

Car-free advocates countered with Measure J, to keep the roadway open to people. “Throughout the campaign, hundreds of volunteers spent thousands of hours talking to voters across San Francisco about the value of safe, protected open space, and more than a dozen local advocacy organizations came together to support the car-free JFK Promenade,” Robin Pam from Kid Safe SF told CalBike. “The force of passionate volunteers and partner organizations powered the campaign from start to finish, and ultimately made the difference on election day.”

On November 8, that hard work paid off with a resounding victory for open space. Prop I lost by 25 points, with almost 63% of San Franciscans voting no, and Prop J passed by 22 points, with 61% in favor.

“By passing Prop J and rejecting Prop I, San Francisco voters showed their strong preference for public spaces that prioritize safe access and recreation for kids, seniors, people with disabilities, and all San Franciscans,” Pam said. “We’re proud of this community and the growing movement for safe open space, safe streets, and active transportation in San Francisco and beyond.”

The future of open streets?

There’s no doubt that the pandemic accelerated the movement to reclaim civic space for people, increasing safety, giving people places to connect, and improving the quality of life for residents. And the imperative to find new ways to get around that don’t contribute to climate change adds urgency to the changes we need to see in our communities.

But the seeds of this change were planted years ago with events like Bogotá’s Ciclovia and San Francisco’s Critical Mass.

It’s easy to fall into the mindset that businesses and residents need easy car access to have vibrant neighborhoods, but it’s also easy to change that mindset. For example, when San Francisco held its first Sunday Streets open streets event along the Embarcadero, the ride stopped short of Fisherman’s Wharf, a popular tourist destination. The merchants in the neighborhood were adamant that they didn’t want the street closure by their shops.

However, after they saw how many people came out for Sunday Streets, Fisherman’s Wharf merchants jumped at the chance to be included in the event the following year. The streets were so packed with people during that first Sunday Streets at the wharf that there was barely room to move.

By the same token, San Francisco’s Valencia Street was hopping on a recent Saturday night, with outdoor dining, live music, artist booths, and storefronts bustling with restaurants, bars, taquerias, and shops. A child rode her scooter down the middle of the street in the dark, and one local resident said she felt like she’d stepped onto a street in Europe.

The more people and merchants get to experience open streets, the more we appreciate the power of car-free space to build community and drive economic vitality. CalBike hopes to see more of these spaces created around our state in the months and years ahead.

Announcing the California Mobility Fund

November 14, 2022/by Kevin Claxton

CalBike is pleased to make it official: our tax-deductible arm, the California Bicycle Coalition Education Fund, has now become the California Mobility Fund. It took a while for the paperwork to be finalized, but we’re thrilled to dive into the new opportunities that will open for our rebranded, tax-deductible sister organization.

The new name will better reflect our work to create social change that will protect our planet and build healthy, just communities.

CalBike and the California Mobility Fund, explained

CalBike (aka the California Bicycle Coalition) is a nonprofit organization. However, we have two divisions: a 501(c)3 and a 501(c)4. CalBike is the 501(c)4, and the California Mobility Fund is our 501(c)3. Here are the big differences:

CalBike is allowed to participate in electoral politics, which is why we can endorse candidates and ballot measures.
Donations to CalBike support our hard-hitting advocacy and are not tax-deductible.
The California Mobility Fund cannot endorse candidates.
Donations to the California Mobility Fund are tax-deductible.

Why did we change the name to the California Mobility Fund?

Much of the work CalBike does is about making mobility equitable and sustainable. A bike is a great tool for this — but it also makes sense to look beyond the bike.

We need to cut car emissions drastically (by as much as 45% by 2030) if we want to avert climate disaster. We can’t do this by just switching to EVs — it won’t happen fast enough, and it will leave out disadvantaged communities. And while we will continue our work to make bicycling a safe and appealing transportation option, we know that bikes aren’t the answer for everyone.

Through the California Mobility Fund, we will collaborate with housing, transit, environmental, and justice organizations to fight for a sustainable and just future, fostering communities where residents don’t have to rely on cars. Our new name reflects our commitment to the intersectional work of environmental and social justice.

We look forward to working with you toward these goals!

Leading Pedestrian Interval Puts People Walking First

November 4, 2022/by Andrew Wright

A leading pedestrian interval (LPI) gives pedestrians a 3- to 7-second head start on a walk signal before the parallel car traffic is given a green light. This simple, low-cost adjustment has been demonstrated to lower pedestrian-on-vehicle crashes by 13%. In 2022, CalBike advocated for a measure that will expand the use of LPIs (the recently passed AB 2264).

Expensive, flashy infrastructure projects often attract the most attention, but equally, if not more important, are simple, low-cost solutions that deliver results to everyday road users. The fact that many residents don’t even notice the change to intersections actually speaks to the effectiveness of the measure. State law mandates LPIs at Caltrans-controlled intersections, but local planners should also implement this critical safety measure because it’s a simple step to help combat the rise in pedestrian fatalities.

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation has recently implemented LPI at a limited number of intersections throughout Los Angeles. To get a sense of how LPI informs pedestrian behavior, CalBike recently went to the corner of Normandie and Hollywood to observe crossings and ask people their thoughts on the initiative. We chose this bustling intersection located in East Hollywood with corner stores and businesses on every corner and e-bike share on the northwest corner. It serves a wide array of users during commuting hours on a Wednesday.

Nicole lives a few blocks away and said she recognized the change as soon as it happened: “They put in poles by the turn lanes at the same time.” Nicole indicated that the changes had changed driver behavior making left turns. “I feel safer walking to the coffee shop for sure!” she said.

“They should do that everywhere!” Juan, a retired military serviceman, said. He said he had not noticed the update, though he moved to the neighborhood from Koreatown for its increased walkability. Juan insisted that safety is important and pedestrians should be aware of their surroundings to maximize safety. “You don’t get this old by not being smart!” he said.

Micah lives nearby and was renting a Metro e-bike to take to work in Echo Park, “When you take into account parking, this is the fastest way to get there,” he said. The morning we stopped by was rainy and cold. Micah noticed the early walk signs but was not aware he could cross on his bike. “Good to know,” Micah said before starting his brisk commute down Hollywood Boulevard.

Hollywood and Normandie is situated between two LA Metro stations and serviced by popular bus routes along both cross streets. The flow of pedestrians rises and falls dramatically as buses service the area. Prioritizing pedestrian safety proactively with default LPIs (meaning the walk sign shows on red even without being requested) is a simple and effective measure that increases safety and comfort for people walking in the area.

The evolution of this intersection is emblematic of the changing dynamics of this part of Los Angeles. Several high-density apartment buildings have been built within a one-mile radius of Hollywood and Normandie since 2020, increasing the number of pedestrians at an already busy intersection.

For active transportation to be viable, safety is paramount. CalBike applauds LADOT’s embrace of LPI and looks forward to seeing more LA intersections added in the future. And, with the passage of the OmniBike Bill, AB 1909, bikes can proceed on walk signals, including LPIs, so people on bikes will also get the benefit of increased visibility.

Legislative Recap: CalBike and Our Allies Deliver Wins for Bikes in Sacramento

October 11, 2022/by Kevin Claxton

The 2022 California legislative session ended on a high note, with CalBike’s sponsored legislation and many bike-friendly bills we supported becoming law. Breaking it down:

The legislature sent 19 excellent active transportation bills to the governor
The governor signed 15 of these bills into law
The governor vetoed four bills, mostly citing budget concerns
One bill we opposed became law, but with modifications that make it less harmful
An additional five bills died in the legislature

CalBike supporters played a key role in this victory, sending more than 5,500 emails, Tweets, and petition signatures to support active transportation legislation. Here’s a detailed recap.

CalBike-sponsored bills become law

Among the many excellent bills that passed the legislature this year are CalBike’s two sponsored bills.

The Plan for the Future Bill (SB 932, Portantino) will require general plans to include active transportation in their circulation elements and start building safe streets quickly. We co-sponsored this bill with our partners at Streets for All.

CalBike supporters sent over 2,200 emails and Twitter messages to Sacramento in support of the Plan for the Future Bill.

The Freedom to Walk Bill (AB 2147, Ting) doesn’t fully decriminalize jaywalking but prevents police from issuing tickets unless the street crossing is truly dangerous. It is a welcome first step to stop the over-enforcement of an outdated statute invented a century ago by car companies. And we know we’ve touched a nerve in the cultural zeitgeist because, for the second year in a row, this measure made it as a clue on NPR’s Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me!

CalBike supporters sent over 1,000 emails and Twitter messages to Sacramento in support of the Freedom to Walk.

Many more wins for active transportation

CalBike supported a historic slate of active transportation bills this year. Of 25 bills introduced, 15 (including our two sponsored bills) became law. That’s good news for people who get around by bike and for all Californians.

CalBike supporters sent over 500 emails and Twitter messages to Sacramento in support of the active transportation slate.

The OmniBike Bill (AB 1909, Friedman) makes bike-friendly changes to the California Vehicle Code. These small but significant amendments will make biking safer and increase access for e-bikes. The most significant change is that a car driver will be required to move over a full lane to pass a person riding a bike, where possible.

More than 1,800 CalBike supporters sent emails or signed a petition in support of the Omnibike Bill.

Here are the other active transportation bills that passed:

AB 2097 Friedman – No auto parking minimums near transit
SB 922 Wiener – CEQA exemptions for transit and active transportation infrastructure
AB 2264 Bloom – Pedestrian head start at crossing signals
SB 1079 Portantino – Sound-activated enforcement devices
SB 1472 Stern – Speeding and reckless driving
SB 307 McGuire – Great Redwood Trail Agency authorization
SB 1230 Limon – Zero-emission and near-zero emission vehicle incentive programs
SB 1107 Dodd – Protect California Drivers Act of 2022 increases liability insurance
AB 2863 Wilson – Bike parking standards in building codes (research)
AB 2174 Chen – Treat bikes and scooters as vehicles for purposes of towing regulations

AB 371 passes, but bikes spared from insurance requirement

For the past two years, we called AB 371 the Kill Bike-Share Bill because it initially imposed an outsized insurance requirement on bike and scooter sharing system operators that might have put an end to shared micromobility in California. Unfortunately, the bill passed, and the governor signed it. However, CalBike and our allies in the legislature were able to work with the bill’s author to remove the insurance requirement for shared bikes and reduce the coverage amount for scooters.

So the bad news is much less bad than it might have been, and bike-share still thrives in California. We’ll keep an eye on potential bicycle insurance requirements and be prepared to oppose it if it comes back again.

What got vetoed

The governor vetoed four excellent active transportation bills. The reason he gave for three of those vetoes was budgetary concerns because they required expenditures that weren’t in the budget passed in 2022. Those measures may come back, accompanied by budget allocations. And CalBike will work to get money set aside for an annual e-bike incentive program, even though AB 117, the bill codifying the program, got vetoed.

SB 457 Portantino and Wilk – Car-free tax credit
AB 1919 Holden – Free student transit passes
AB 117 Boerner Horvath – E-bike incentives program
AB 2438 Friedman – Align transportation funding with climate goals

What didn’t make it out of the legislature

Our biggest disappointment in 2022 was the Bicycle Safety Stop Bill. The safety stop allows people on bikes to treat stop signs as yields, and it’s been successfully implemented in several other states. It passed the legislature, but the author withdrew it ahead of a threatened veto from Governor Newsom.

Four more bills stalled out during the legislative process:

AB 2336, Friedman – Automated speed enforcement pilot program
AB 1778, C. Garcia – Prohibits any state funds or personnel from funding freeways in high-poverty or polluted areas
AB 1975 Nazarian – California bus shelter funding
AB 2237 Friedman – Regional transportation improvement plans

All five of these bills are excellent measures that would make our streets more welcoming to people on bikes, increase road safety, and make California more resilient to climate change. It sometimes takes more than one try to get a bill through, and we hope these bills come back in future sessions.

We don’t see the momentum for biking, walking, and public transit slowing down, and we’re already planning for a more ambitious agenda in 2023. Our progress this year shows that when we all raise our voices, we can bring about big changes!

Thank you to all of you who sent an email, tweeted, or signed a petition to support better biking, and congratulations on the role you played in moving California in the right direction. If you didn’t, there’s always next year.