Say You Want a Velorution? Community Events

Join in an evening bike ride to bicycle  film and discussion,

departing from Custom House Plaza (pictured above). 

Details below.

Tues, Sept 6th, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Sustainable Pacific Grove is presenting a free showing of the popular 28-minute film “Velorution: One City’s Solution to the Automobile” at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History,  Central and Forest Avenues.

This film is about the major transformation  of Havana and neighboring towns after Cuba lost 80% of its oil supply from the USSR.  Come see why many  bike advocates want their locales to be, in some ways, like Cuba.

The Sept 6th Sustainable PG meeting is bicycle-themed, and the film will be followed by a discussion facilitated by Mari Lynch.  Mari will also share info on:

1. The HER Helmet Thursdays Project and why this long-term project to encourage bicycling is important to our county’s economy and environment.
2. Sept 16th deadline for free bike racks/lockers. Know a PG or other Monterey County spot needing one? Team up with a friend and help the property owner get an application in.
3. The need for outreach to Spanish speakers in the Monterey County bike community.

• Hispanic or Latino residents make up 7.7% of the population in Pacific Grove; and  countywide, they comprise nearly 54% of the population.  Here are the last census figures.
• 55% of students speak Spanish as their primary language at home.
• Due to limited supply of Spanish-language bike resources–and lack of awareness about what is available–many local cyclists who speak Spanish only are missing out on knowledge of California bicycle laws, bike safety info, tips on biking with children, and other helpful information.

Group rides: Sept 6, 6:20 and 8:30 p.m.

Group rides

Get inspired for night riding—and avoid a possible ticket on that return trip after nightfall.  Charge up your bike’s headlight. For the rear of your bike, a reflector is required, at minimum.  See 21201 (d), items 1-4 for further night riding requirements.

To bike with others, meet up at the Custom House Plaza fountain (pictured above), alongside the Museum of Monterey (MOM), a HER Helmet Thursdays spot.  The ride is only 2.5 miles, flat, and takes about 15 minutes to bike directly there. RSVP to Mari welcome but not required.

Bikers will leave the fountain by 6:20 p.m., allowing plenty of time to enjoy the views along the way, lock up bikes in PG, chat with Sustainable PG folks as Mari sets up, and be settled in for the 7 o’clock film.  Return trip? Depart PG approximately 8:30 p.m.

Visit MOM? Have supper with others?

MOM has extended Flows to Bay through October 16.  Consider going early to see this exhibit about consumerism (including perils of plastic) and the ocean.  Then eat a picnic supper or snack you brought along, or dine at a nearby HER Helmet Thursdays spot before biking to PG for the 7 p.m. meeting.  (Even though it’s not a Thursday–so no discounts for cyclists–it’s nice to support these extra-bike friendly spots.)

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Read updates about past events below

MIIS Info Fair, National Night Out-reach, Monterey Green Action’s Enviro Film Cafe

Wed, August 24, noon – 1 p.m.

Monterey Institute of International Studies.  Second Annual Information Fair welcomed new MIIS students.  A warm, sunshiny day for the nearly 800 MIIS graduate students from over 68 countries, where many came to learn about some local businesses and  resources–including bicycling!

Frank Pinto of Joselyns Bicycles was there, along with Mari Lynch of  Bicycling Monterey and the HER Helmet Thursdays project.  Questions about the fair? Contact Megan Joyce, 831-647-4128.

You may also wish to refer to “Back to the Books–and Bikes–in Monterey County” on this site.

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Tues, Aug 2, 5-8 p.m.

8/3/11 update.  For an especially well received outreach to cyclists at this fun community gathering on 8/2, gratitude goes to the following:

• Erik Esborg, Bikes Belong, for the cool People for Bikes buttons!
• Jeanne LePage, Ecology Action of Santa Cruz, for brochures on bike safety, in both English and Spanish.  (Couldn’t attend?  Download printable PDFs under the “Ecology Action” section on the “en espanol” page of this site.)
• Patricia Perez, Executive Director, and Tina Rosa, Leader of Seaside Police Activities League (PAL) for preparing materials for outreach to cyclists.
• Zoe Shoats and Monterey Salinas Transit for red flashing clip-on lights to help increase cyclists’ visibility at night.  (Want to take your bike on an MST bus?  See MST tips in bike-and-ride section on this site.)

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In addition to the Seaside event highlighted below, some other Monterey County Police Departments, e.g., Soledad, will also host a “National Night Out” event on 8/2.  Hours may vary, e.g., Castroville’s event will be 5:30-8:30 p.m.  If you’d like to share bike safety information at one of these other events, please contact Mari.

Seaside’s National Night Out

Seaside Police Department will be a local host for National Night Out, “America’s Night Out Against Crime.”

Bicycling Monterey will be one of the many community service/community interest groups present.  Come chat with Bicycling Monterey about bike routes, safety tips–including for night riding–and more.

Creating safer communities is the focus of the community-building events taking place around the county on Aug 2.  Come get to know your neighbors–including the fire fighters and police officers serving you.  Event details below.

A community-building event:  National Night Out is about getting to know your neighbors and your community, along with your Police and Fire Departments.  Getting to know each other is a great way to work together against crime.

The event will run from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. and will be held on the Seaside City Hall lawn, corner of Canyon del Rey and Harcourt Avenue.

Questions?  Contact Tina Rosa, Seaside Police Department, 831.899.6855.

Bike-there tips for Seaside’s National Night Out

You are encouraged to ride your bike (or bike-and-ride) to this event! Remember to charge up your bike lights (or make sure they have fresh batteries).

Location is two minutes/0.2 miles from the bike/multi-use path.

Bike-there tips coming from the bike/multi-use path are cinchy!  Canyon del Rey Blvd is a wide boulevard and it’s a straight shot from the bike path up to Seaside City Hall.  However….

If biking with children, you may prefer to use this alternate route instead, biking through residential neighborhoods:

1. Hop off the bike path at Del Monte and Canyon Del Rey (at the Embassy Suites intersection).  Walk your bikes across that intersection, and walk them up the sidewalk parallel to Canyon Del Rey (heading south–NOT in the direction of McDonald’s).  Walk your bikes the short distance to the first street, Amador.
2. Hop back on your bikes and take a LEFT onto Amador.  Bike up Amador until you come to Imperial.
3. Turn RIGHT on Imperial.
4. Turn RIGHT on Sonoma.
5. Turn LEFT  on Trinity.
6. Turn RIGHT on Allston.
7. You’ll immediately come to Harcourt, and just across the street, you’ll see the Seaside City Hall lawn.  You’ve arrived!

Thurs, July 28, 7 – 9 p.m.

 7/29 update.  Thanks to Mandalyn Knapic, Manager, and the East Village staff for providing a very welcoming setting for this event, and to Jenn Gerard for organizing it. Many who attended commented on how much they got out of the film.  All who attended introduced themselves and contributed to a lively and informative discussion about biking in Monterey County.

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Environmental Film Cafe at East Village Coffee Lounge, hosted by Jenn Gerard and Megan Tolbert of Monterey Green Action.  This month’s Film Cafe is bicycle-themed and features a 28-minute film, “Velorution: One City’s Solution to the Automobile,” about the major transformation  of Havana and neighboring towns after Cuba lost 80% of its oil supply from the USSR.  MGA states the film is great for bike enthusiasts, transportation junkies, city planners or anyone interested in the resiliency of a developing country forced to change their way of living.

Outreach to Latinos who bike

The film will be followed by a brief talk, then community discussion.  Topics will include outreach to Spanish speakers in the Monterey County bike community, a discussion facilitated by Mari Lynch.  Why is such outreach needed?  As Kera Abraham reported in the Monterey County Weekly, “The county’s substantial Latino demographic speaks for itself.”  Check these figures.

Other topics

MGA activists Jenn and Megan are avid cyclists themselves.  Additional subjects on 7/28 may include bike routes, resources for maintenance, and impacts of biking, e.g., on energy use, community building, and personal health and happiness.

Wondering how to bring more positive attention to bicycling transportation needs in the county?  Bring your questions.  Haven’t been biking much lately?  Come away with a thirst for biking!  With a sensitivity to stamina and schedules, tips will be shared to help make this  transportation choice fit more easily into your life.

East Village is a HER Helmet Thursdays spot!

East Village is a HER Helmet Thursdays participant. (They provide discounts on Thursdays  if you bike or bike-and-ride there, then walk in with bike helmet in hand as evidence and mention HER Helmet Thursdays.)  Their Thursday discount is 20% on food and beverages.  See the East Village HHT listing for bike-there tips and other info.

The visitor above, from Germany, was happy to learn about HER Helmet Thursdays discounts.

Biking Monterey to Seaside–Seaside has the highest number of bike commuters in Monterey County.

Biking Seaside to Monterey….see Personal Safety section re cargo carrying–

information not yet available in Spanish.

In a Seaside residential neighborhood

In a Seaside park. Got bikes, now for helmets!

On a Seaside sidewalk, a little guy learning to bike.

Biking Monterey to Seaside. Just wondering:

  Bicycle detection at traffic signals–how does it work?

Biking Oldtown Salinas

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