Monterey City Council approves $6.6M to encourage biking and walking

Hey! We bike the North Monterey neighborhood they’re talking about too, including that we bike to school. Whazzup?

It can be hard to wait for new bike lanes and other infrastructure improvements to happen. Doing what you can to advocate for bicycling does pay off though, as Susan Ragsdale-Cronin—the Del Rey Oaks bike commuter mom pictured here—knows from firsthand experience.

On June 25, 2011, Susan commented on this post about the need for a dedicated bike lane on Fremont Street. Above, you see her skipping the chance to patronize some North Fremont Street businesses. (One of the many benefits of biking is the economic benefit to businesses.) She is instead taking an alternate route for several blocks—biking Fairgrounds Road, which had less traffic that day, as on most days.
On June 29, 2011, Kaki Cheung, former bike-ped coordinator for the Transportation Agency for Monterey County, along with a consulting engineer and I biked North Monterey. We were taking a bike audit during the City of Monterey’s three-day Transportation and Parking Charrettes (scroll to end of this post for history). I bike that neighborhood regularly, and I wasn’t surprised that the two transportation professionals I was riding with that day agreed with Susan and me: bike lanes are needed on Fremont Street!
On March 19, 2013, the City of Monterey approved a Multimodal Plan. They needed community members to serve on the Multimodal Advisory Committee. Susan had continued commuting without those desired Fremont Street bike lanes, but she also stayed alert for how to help make the changes she wanted happen. So this busy mother volunteered her time in service to the Multimodal committee.

Was it all worthwhile? Oh, yeah!

On August 18, 2015, the Monterey City Council voted “for improvements to promote biking and walking” — $6.6 million in improvements — as Phillip Molnar reported in the Monterey Herald. As Molnar’s story states, “Bicycle lanes will be constructed along both sides of North Fremont, as will bike detection sensors at five intersections.” Read his story for more information about those and the many other wonderful changes ahead for people who bike and walk—and for those eager for Americans with Disabilities Act improvements.

Be patient, as the project’s design phase begins in autumn 2015. It’s anticipated that it will take a couple years before construction is completed. Caitlin Conrad of KSBW interviewed City of Monterey planner Elizabeth Caraker; read KSBW’s 8/19/15 story.

“Monterey to implement greater bike and pedestrian access on North Fremont,” a 2/13/17 story by Carly Mayberry in the Monterey Herald, provides an update on progress.

Below, at right, Elizabeth Caraker at a Velo Club Monterey gathering. Yes, Elizabeth bikes a lot! Gent and Elizabeth Caraker

Molnar also reported on Mayor Clyde Roberson’s comment, “Just look at Car Week. We need to get people to adopt alternative means of transportation.” And Mayor Roberson doesn’t just talk about getting others to use alternatives to personal motor vehicles, he does so himself. Learn more about the mayor’s biking and walking here.

How can you help improve infrastructure (sidewalks, multi-use paths, roads [including bike lanes], bridges, and more)? One way is to attend meetings of TAMC’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Advisory Committee.

You might also want to serve as a committee member. Representatives are especially needed for these areas of Monterey County:

Supervisorial District 3, which includes East Salinas, Spreckels, Chualar, Greenfield, Gonzales, Ft. Hunter Liggett, King City, Soledad, Lake San Antonio, Lockwood, Bradley, San Lucas, San Ardo, Parkfield, Bryson-Hesperia, Mission-Soledad, Arroyo Seco.
Gonzalez
Greenfield
King City
Sand City
Soledad

If interested, contact the current bike-ped coordinator: Ariana Green, Transportation Planner; 831.775.4403; ariana@tamcmonterey.org

Another way to help: give input via web apps, email, phone, postal mail, or in person on such things as TAMC’s Wayfinding signs and Bicycle Map update; where bike racks, lockers, maintenance stations are needed; and other projects. Click here to learn more, including about options for people not online and for those who speak Spanish but not English.

Why bike, anyway?

There are a wide range of personal and public benefits, including for Mother Earth herself!

And bike advocates, let’s remember #bikeequity! Just as residents and visitors to Salinas would like the improvements planned there for West Alisal Street to extend down to East Alisal too, so would Seaside’s residents and visitors like Monterey’s upcoming Fremont Street bike lanes to be extended by the City of Seaside all the way down Fremont Street.

Hey, City of Seaside

Si. I’d like to see bike lanes extend all the way down Fremont Street through Seaside.

Bobbi Kamil of Monterey would chime in: Yes!

Why? Bobbi bikes Fremont Street in Seaside, just as she bikes all over Monterey County—and the world. Check out her folding bike—it’s been to a lot of countries.

That sounds good to us. We bike Seaside too!

Me too! Lots of us are bike commuting Fremont Street through Seaside.

See infrastructure contacts for City of Seaside in the bike Seaside section, or contact Ariana Green at TAMC for guidance.

For bicycle plans for various Monterey County cities and the county—plans that help get those bike paths, lanes, routes, bike parking equipment, and more in place that y’all want—see the infrastructure section of Bicycling Monterey’s main resources / bike community page.

* * *

Below, see more professionals and volunteers who help make infrastructure better.

The information below was last updated on June 28, 2011.

Monterey Planning Commission on Transportation and Parking

Thursday evening’s Planning Commission special meeting concludes the three-day Transportation and Parking Charrette. The meeting includes a public comment period before the Commission makes its Selection of Preferred Transportation and Parking Alternatives.

The meeting, which begins at 6:30 p.m. on 6/30/11, will be in the Ferrante Room of the Monterey Conference Center.

Wednesday’s events included a bicycle audit of the New Monterey Lighthouse District, with ten local cyclists joining the two traffic professionals on the ride. A second bike audit was made of the North Fremont neighborhood. Questions? Contact me.

“Hey, I’m about to pick up precious cargo–my child from day care. Transportation planning for safer bikeways matters a lot!” Tim Meehan (at right) with a bike buddy on the City of Monterey section of the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail network.

The below was previously published on June 16.

* * * * *

Please review, in advance, all Presentation Slides for various neighborhoods of the City of Monterey. Don’t overlook them just because they aren’t listed during the Wed, June 29 8:30-10 am Walking and Bicycling and Audits time slot! There is bicycle info, needing your input, in all Presentation Slides in the City of Monterey Transportation and Parking Charrette presentation. View at the following link:

http://www.monterey.org/en-us/departments/planspublicworks/planning/planningprojects/citywidetransportationparkingstudy.aspx

Want improved conditions for bicycling in the City of Monterey?

Show up and be part of making those improvements happen! Here is a prime time to voice your support for making the City of Monterey an amazingly bike-friendly place.

The City of Monterey Parking and Transportation Charrette is scheduled for June 28-30. Complete agenda is provided in the above link.

Wednesday, June 29

A welcome and introduction is scheduled for 8 a.m., followed by Walking and Bicycling Audits from 8:30-10:00 a.m. Location is the Ferrante Room at the Monterey Conference Center.

Questions? Contact Rich Deal, City Traffic Engineer for the City of Monterey.

Rich Deal

City Traffic Engineer

831.646.3470
deal@ci.monterey.ca.us

Want things to be better for biking? Rich Deal shares your desire.

Join forces; show up on 6/29!

Rich Deal speaking with people who had just joined him on a bike ride from Seaside to Monterey, May 15, to cap off Bike Week.

Support the Traffic Engineer’s Goal

Above, City Traffic Engineer Rich Deal of the City of Monterey listens to Velo Club Monterey’s Answer Man, Jan Valencia, as Jan shares thoughts from his experiences of biking in Monterey. The two, along with others, had just biked to the Custom House Plaza following the Seaside PAL Bike Fair.

Rich told the group: I don’t want Monterey to be bike-friendly, I want it to be amazingly bike-friendly!

Help Rich achieve this goal by participating in this important June 29, 2011 meeting.

Inspiration from European urban areas

The majority of us drive a car into our downtown areas at times, usually for convenience, and infrequently due to actual need. Most such car trips are unnecessary. Bike-and-ride is a great option when you can’t bike all the way! Leave your car on the outskirts of town and use your bike, feet, or the bus.

How can we encourage ourselves and one another to leave our cars out of our urban areas whenever possible? Read Elisabeth Rosenthal’s 6/27/11 story in the New York Times about how some European urban areas are encouraging biking, walking and public transportation.

Access plan materials

Kaki Cheung, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for the Transportation Agency of Monterey County provided this reminder: You can access these and other Waterfront Master Plan related materials, such as the Preliminary Draft Waterfront Master Plan, which contains all the draft Goals, Programs, and Projects, on the project web page at: http://www.monterey.org/en-us/departments/planspublicworks/planning.aspx. Just click on the link to the Waterfront Master Plan in the middle of the page under “Planning Projects.”