Bike Buzz: May 2020 news from Bicycling Monterey

In a hurry? For the collective good, please read items 1 and 2 below. Those important items are also highlighted on the https://bikemonterey.org home page.

1. Effective April 30 at 12:01 a.m., Monterey County has a facial coverings (a.k.a. masks) order, which we appreciate. The order was accompanied by FAQs, and among those is: “Should people who walk, run and cycle cover their faces?” We urge people who bike, and others, to read the FAQs: https://www.co.monterey.ca.us/home/showdocument?id=90138. For FAQs in Spanish, and the full order in English and Spanish, go to https://www.co.monterey.ca.us/government/departments-a-h/health/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19/health-officer-shelter-in-place-order/health-officer-order-face-coverings
   
2. Thanks to our fellow California Bicycle Coalition local partners (http://www.calbike.org/local_partners) at Bike Santa Cruz County for updating their “Bicycling during a pandemic” infographic on April 6th. In case you missed it, see it on the home page at bikemonterey.org, or view it on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BikeMonterey/status/1248293697805926400?s=20.  (To read the infographic’s entire text, be sure to click the smaller portion of the infographic that is initially visible.)
3. More COVID-19 info has been provided—and updated repeatedly—in our post “Coronavirus / COVID-19 info for Monterey County, California and elsewhere—including bicycling-related info”: https://bikemonterey.org/covid19-info-for-monterey-county-california-including-biking-info.html.
4. May 2020 begins the 12th year of the Bicycling Monterey website and projects, provided as an unpaid public service for 11 years. Please consider celebrating Bike Month by asking five friends to join you in making a contribution of $5 or more to help support the continuation of the Bicycling Monterey work. How to contribute and FAQs: https://bikemonterey.org/about/financial-donations. Thank you.
5. Many of our other Cal Bike partners are responding to the pandemic and stay home / shelter-in-place orders https://covid19.ca.gov/stay-home-except-for-essential-needs/ in similarly helpful ways, e.g., with online webinars. Some are currently highlighted in Bicycling Monterey’s sidebar, as was a similar webinar in Spanish from Active San Gabriel Valley (ICYMI, https://bikemonterey.org/april-25-gratis-clase-ciclismo-101-clase-de-video-en-linea.html).
6. May 5: Deadline for residents, and visitors, to respond to City of Monterey survey about the Del Monte Avenue–Lighthouse Tunnel–Washington Street intersection: https://twitter.com/BikeMonterey/status/1254879221748396032?s=20. Why take time for that? Consider “Why get involved in infrastructure planning”: https://bikemonterey.org/why-get-involved-in-infrastructure-planning-north-fremont-monterey-and-other-projects.html
7. May 6: Monterey County people who bike, walk, and skate are encouraged to participate in the Transportation Agency for Monterey County’s bike-ped meeting, which will take place online. This is a great opportunity for more people from throughout the 3,771 square mile county to participate. Learn more, including about lack of representation: https://bikemonterey.org/monthly-meetings-tamc-bicycle-pedestrian-facilities-advisory-committee-public-welcome.html 
   
   

We grieve with those who have lost loved ones or are struggling through serious health conditions due to coronavirus disease / COVID-19. And of course, many other impacts of this disease, including the economic ones, are horrific too.

Yet we are also looking for the silver linings in this dark cloud. We hope you are enjoying bike rides for exercise (in your local neighborhood) or biking for transportation (to an essential job or essential activity)—see state order for what’s allowed: https://covid19.ca.gov/stay-home-except-for-essential-needs/.

If you are biking, you’ve surely noticed the ecological renewals due to reduced motor vehicle traffic: reduced noise pollution, reduced air pollution (as announced by Monterey Bay Air Resources District and others), and other environmental benefits. Our hope is that our U.S. counties and states, as well as other nations worldwide, find new ways to build on and continue the positive aspects of this extraordinary time.

As mentioned in 2019 in our Climate Change post, “The transportation sector remains California’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for about 40% of the state’s total.” Thank you to all who are supporting bicycling as a transportation option. Bicycling is part of the mix in climate hope!

And if you are among the youth and adults participating in weekly global climate strikes / Fridays for Future, remember that those actions continue, now online. Thanks to Salinas youth (i.e., https://www.instagram.com/sunrisemvmtsalinas/) and others who remind people to #StayHomeSaveLives, and at this time, to #ClimateStrikeOnline.

Here’s to
renewed health,
of people
and planet!

https://twitter.com/BikeMonterey/status/1253027944089305088?s=20