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SAN CARLOS BIKES NEWSLETTER

April 19, 2021 Biking News

National Bike Month Coming ~ Edgewood Rd Hazard ~ New SVBC San Carlos team forming, Mt Diablo Bike Safety ~ Cedar/Arroyo Construction Update ~ Holly St/101 Bike Bridge Project Delayed ~ Caltrain Discounts Available ~ Transportation Commission to Discuss Laurel St & more…


Topics in this issue:

  1. Survey Due: Safe Routes to School Parent Survey due asap

  2. Next Transportation Commission: Tues, 4/20 -- Agenda includes Laurel St & Sidewalk Parking

  3. Construction Update: Cedar-Arroyo Intersection

  4. Safety Concern: Narrow Bike Lane Concern on San Carlos Ave

  5. Safety Hazard: Weekends on Edgewood Rd -- Cars parking in Bike Lane

  6. Advocacy Opportunity: SVBC’s Monthly “Biketivist” Meeting 2nd Wednesdays at 5pm

  7. Exciting News: We have a San Carlos Chapter of SVBC!

  8. ‘Pledge to Ride’ for National Bike Month of May / May 21 Bike to Wherever Day

  9. Opportunity to win bike prizes-- at the Sunday’s Farmers Market

  10. Project Update: Bike/Ped Bridge over 101 near Holly St DELAYED

  11. Hopeful news for Bicycle ‘Pump Track’ Enthusiasts

  12. Opportunity: Get up to $100 for Commuting in San Mateo County

  13. Event: Lessons from Mt Diablo--A Conversation with Advocates

  14. Legislative Update: Bike Stop-as-Yield Bill (AB122) Passes Hurdle

  15. Good News for Bike-Train Commuters-- Passes Discounted

  16. Bike Touring Enthusiasts -- New 2021 WheelTales Destinations



1.) San Carlos Safe Routes to School Survey due April 30


-- Parents of School-age children in San Carlos please fill out the annual Safe Routes to School Survey here:

Spanish: https://es.surveymonkey.com/r/21_SRTS_Spanish


-- It’s our annual opportunity (no matter how many times you already have) to:

-- Raise specific safety concerns-- Request bike lanes, bike lanes, bike lanes

-- Make suggestions about SamTrans school bus service

-- Thank our hardworking crossing guards & Safe Routes staff

-- Advocate for amenities like pump tracks, skate parks, etc at our schools, parks and youth centers



2.) San Carlos Transportation Commission meets April 20, 7pm


-- On this month’s Agenda are:

  1. Laurel Street Closure

  2. Update on Parking on Sidewalks Brochure

-- The Agenda Packet (Transportation Commission Agenda Packet for 4/20) summarizes the decision of City Council at last Monday’s 4/12 meeting to NOT end the wildly popular pedestrian zone on Laurel early. See excellent summary article in SM Daily Journal article: San Carlos Continues Street Closure Program.


-- Also included in the Agenda Packet is a copy of the brochure Public Works put together requesting residents please not to park on sidewalks. If you have time, please review and send any suggestions to sancarlosbikes@gmail.com for Sonia to pass on at Tuesday’s meeting.


-- To attend the monthly Transportation Commission meeting, join through Zoom at the following web address: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83225226476 or listen-in via telephone by calling 1-669-900-9128, Meeting ID: 832 2522 6476.



3.) Cedar/Arroyo Ave Construction Update Was Presented at the ‘City /School 2+2 Meeting’ on 4/9


-- This intersection rebuild project is temporarily delayed because of unexpected issues with a sewer pipe. Not city’s fault, CalWater is expected to fix problem and then city will proceed with curbs and shaving down level of street after that.


-- City Councilmembers, school board members and the public continue to express concerns about bicyclist safety at this new intersection, and Public Works was asked to assist with educating the public (drivers and cyclists) on safe riding and biking through that area.


--San Carlos Bikes offered to collaborate with Public Works and plans to reach out to San Carlos Youth Leadership Council to suggest collaboration on a city-sponsored bike/driving safety video. Email sancarlosbikes@gmail.com if you’d like to assist.


-- San Carlos Bikes reiterated to Public Works the need to make it clear that the primary way for bicyclists to cross through any intersection should always be in the regular lane of traffic. The ‘dismount area’ that was suggested and Public Works agreed to (which allows bikers to dismount and cross in the crosswalk on foot) is for busy traffic times when parked cars have already stacked up at the intersection, to give students a safe short-cut to cross the intersection on their way to school, and for any less-confident riders who aren’t comfortable merging into the main lane of traffic as they approach the new bulb-out. San Carlos Bikes also reiterated concern about the most recent plan to mark the dismount area with a rubber curb, that it seems to create an additional hazard.



4.) Narrow Bike Lane Safety Concern on San Carlos Ave


-- Bicyclists report safety concern at a narrow spot on San Carlos Ave between Phelps and Wellington, on the north side of the road. The student cyclist safety issue is further exacerbated by the school

drop-off situation where cars are queuing up on San Carlos Ave for

about 15 minutes morning and afternoon, blocking the bike lane and

half the lane of traffic completely.


-- Anyone having problems with this (or any other) area, please consider giving public comment between 7-7:15pm at the Tuesday Transportation Commission meeting (see details above), or email sancarlosbikes@gmail.com so we can read your comment for you.



5.) Problem with Cars Parked in Bike Lane near Edgewood Park


-- When parking at Edgewood Park stacks up, some drivers park in the bike lane, creating dangerous conditions for bicyclists coming down the blind curve near the bottom of the hill on the south side of Edgewood, just before Crestview.


-- A request for clear ‘No Parking in Bike Lane’ signage will be requested at the next Transportation Commission Meeting


-- Report urgent dangers to bicyclists to the Sheriff’s Dept using

their non-emergency/after-hours line: 650.363-4911.

-- Report Public Works matters in San Carlos (i.e. for requesting sweeping a bike lane) using the Inform San Carlos App or the city’s website: https://www.cityofsancarlos.org/services/report-a-problem

-- Report Public Works matters in Redwood City to: https://www.redwoodcity.org/departments/public-works/report-problems;

-- Report Public Works matters in Belmont to: Belmont, report online at: https://www.belmont.gov/i-want-to/report



6.) Want to Be a Bike Advocate? Become a “Bike-tivist!”

Next meeting: Wed, April 21, 2021, 5-7pm


-- The best way to advocate is to attend ‘Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition’s monthly “Bike-tivist” meetings, which take place every 3rd Wednesday of the month at 5pm. The first hour is a presentation on a biking-related topic of interest to the entire group, the second hour is for local teams to break and discuss local bike advocacy goals and issues.



7.) The San Carlos Chapter of Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition officially launched!


First meeting: Wed, May 19, 2021, 5-7pm


-- Everyone who cares about biking in San Carlos is invited to meet during SVBC’s monthly “Bike-tivist Forum”, which takes place every 3rd Wed of the month. The first hour is a presentation on a relevant bike-related topic, the second hour is for local bike enthusiasts and activists to meet and discuss our local advocacy goals and objectives.


-- The first official SVBC San Carlos chapter meeting will be at next month’s Biketivist meeting, Wed, May 19, 2021. We’ll meet at 6pm, right after the group presentation.


-- Please consider joining the ‘SVBC San Carlos’ Google Group, which allows you to:

  • Get your bike news directly from Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition

(more promptly than San Carlos Bikes newsletters go out)


-- This San Carlos Chapter of SVBC will be co-led by SVBC Board Member Andrew Hsu and San Carlos Bikes Founder, Sonia Elkes.



8.) Pledge to Ride in May for National Bike Month and Win Prizes


-- While most of us continue to work from home because of the persistent COVID-19 pandemic, we will once again be 'Biking to Wherever' during the month of May, Bike Month. There’s plenty of reason to get out and ride your bike to run errands, get exercise, visit friends and family (safely of course) and more.


-- This year, join Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition for the month of May and pedal to Wherever you need to go! Friday May 21st has been designated as BIKE TO WHEREVER DAY 2021 with select special festivities when possible.


-- San Mateo County will NOT be coordinating public face-to-face Energizer Stations again this year. San Mateo’s second annual Bike to Your Library day is being planned. Stay tuned for more information


-- Sign up here to Pledge to Ride in May, to get a 2021 BTWD Messenger bag, to watch this year’s Virtual Bicycle Film Festival, and sign up for virtual swag: https://bikesiliconvalley.org/btwd/



9.) New! Raffle Drawings at the Bike Parking Booth at the Farmer’s Market


-- This Sunday at the at the San Carlos Farmers Market you can enter to win a raffle drawing

-- Prizes this week are a kid’s riding jersey (Garneau brand, size junior 6, donated by Chain Reaction Bicycles) and a Crankbrother’s multi-19 bike tool kit

-- The Farmers Market happens on Sundays, 9am-1pm, in the Industrial Arts District of San Carlos, on Varian St @ Bayport Ave. Across from Devil’s Canyon Brewing Company. To join the fun as a volunteer, sign up here: Farmers Market Valet Bike Parking Volunteer Sign Up



10) Bike/Ped Bridge over 101 at Holly Street DELAYED:


-- According to San Carlos City Engineer Grace Le, the Bike/Ped Bridge part of the Holly St/101 Interchange project did NOT get funded through the most recent ATP (Active Transportation Funding) that San Carlos applied for, but the good news is they will be re-applying in the upcoming funding cycles.


-- Somehow we all thought funding for this was already a done deal, but apparently not. :( So we wait... unless perhaps this is a project that could be funded by the new development coming to the East Side Life Sciences Campus?


-- Meanwhile, here are the specs for the planned bike/ped bridge:

  • The Pedestrian Overcrossing is a 10 feet multi-use path, combined bike and pedestrian path. Due to the need for cost reduction, the LED-lite arches shown below will be deleted. It will connect from E. San Carlos Ave, cross 101, and parallel Skyway Road




11.) Hopeful news for 'pump track' biking enthusiasts


-- San Mateo County Board of Supervisors (!) approved a Pump Track for Quarry Park in Half Moon Bay, scheduled to be installed by the end of this year. Hooray for the precedent! Now to getting pump track(s) into our San Carlos parks and schoolyards...


-- “San Mateo County Parks Director Nicholas Calderon presented the final design of a new bike pump track at the February 10th MCC meeting. The project was approved by the SMC Board of Supervisors and is scheduled for installation by the end of this year. The pump track is part of the County of San Mateo Parks Department Master Plan for Quarry Park and will be located in a portion of the meadow within walking distance to the children's playground and the one bathroom. A big push for this amenity came from a crowd of hundreds of bicycle enthusiasts who showed up to advocate for a bike pump track at the January 2020 Midcoast Community Council meeting after San Mateo County Parks shut down an unauthorized pump track, built over the 2019 holidays on the Mirada East section of Quarry Park, due to safety concerns.”




12.) Get up to $100 for commuting to work in San Mateo County!


-- If you live or work in San Mateo County, you can get up to $100 from Commute.org for biking to work and logging those trips!



13.) Lessons from Mt Diablo--A Conversation with Cycling Advocates


-- Between 2010 and 2014, there were an average of 23 Collisions per year on the roads of Mount Diablo State Park. By 2015, the number of collisions was reduced to five. In the past three years combined, there was only one.These safety improvements were no accident. How did that happen? What did it take? How do you keep up momentum when it takes a decade to get traction? Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition is hosting an informal conversation over zoom with the lead advocate who organized, and fought for years to achieve this end result. Learn how you can advocate in your own community for safer streets.


Date: Thursday, April 15th

Time: 5pm – 6pm

Who: Alan Kalin, President Mount Diablo Cyclists and Chairman Bike Danville in conversation with Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition Board member, Andrew Hsu

Where: Zoom, of course!



14.) Legislative Update: Bike Stop-as-Yield Bill (AB122) Passes First Hurdle

-- The bill passed out of committee with 10 votes! It's headed to the whole Assembly next, an even bigger hurdle. Here's an article on it.



15.) Good news for Bike-Train Commuters--New Monthly Pass Discount and Clipper Card Available at Redwood City Platform


-- Caltrain is offering 20% Off Caltrain Monthly Pass beginning with April (goes on sale March 21). The discount is available through September (pass goes on sale August 21). Learn more at www.caltrain.com/monthlydiscount.


-- Customers can now purchase an adult Clipper card, add cash value or add Caltrain, Muni, SamTrans, AC Transit or VTA passes to their card at these Caltrain stations – San Jose, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Redwood City, Millbrae and San Francisco. The ticket machines will accept Apple Pay and Google Pay, and can be operated with an easy-to-use touchscreen. When an adult card is purchased with value, a cost of $3 for the card will be added to the total. Clipper customers still need to tag on and off at the card reader at Caltrain stations before boarding. Learn more at https://www.caltrain.com/Fares/howtobuy/Ticket_Machine.html.



16.) Local/Domestic Bike Touring--2021 Wheeltales destinations posted!


-- These are relatively low cost trips that are usually camping, with gear hauling, breakfast and dinner provided. More info at: www.wheeltales.com


2021 Routes include:

GOLD COUNTRY

APRIL 16-19

Angel's Camp. Cabin accommodations. Staying at one location for 4 days of riding.


SF PENINSULA TOUR

MAY 7-10

Redwood City. Renting house for entirety of tour.


NORTHERN UTAH

JUNE 13-19

Provo, Park City and more. 7 days of camping with a couple of loop days.


SANTIAM MOUNTAINS-OREGON

JULY 4-10

Start in Salem and head west into the stunning Cascades. Long loop tour


OREGON COAST

AUGUST 8-14

Starting in Salem. A 7 day loop tour out to the coast.


OREGON MTB ADVENTURE

AUGUST 15-21

Explore the many incredible dirty areas of Oregon. Including Oakridge McKenzie River, Alsea Creek, more


COLORADO ADVENTURE

SEPTEMBER 12-18

Take the adventure of the eastern slope of the Rockies.



Thanks everyone for helping make biking better in San Carlos!

Sonia Elkes, Founder San Carlos Bikes

(415) 806-4632


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