Bicycling Monterey PROJECTS
Why contribute to Bicycling Monterey? Check out the projects below.
For our longstanding philosophies, scroll down a bit to “Change Agent.”
Scroll this page for details about
12 Bicycling Monterey projects.
Kindly note: We believe our time is better spent actually working on the projects, rather than using available time trying to keep up this Summary of Projects page! Projects are continually evolving. We welcome you to phone us with any questions about current Bicycling Monterey projects.
- Project #1: Advocacy and Education regarding infrastructure and other local, state, and national bike-related issues, including serving on CalBike’s Policy Advisory Council.
- Project #2: Public Outreach to increase awareness of the multiple benefits of more people bicycling.
- Project #3: Website—create original, carefully researched content, with frequent updates.
- Project #4: Bicycling Equity efforts, including education of court-referred youth who received bike-related citations; outreach to people with very low income; outreach to other people often marginalized; and outreach to Spanish speakers.
- Project #5: Foster Positive Relationships with Law Enforcement professionals—pro-active relationship building between law enforcement agencies and people who bike.
- Project #6: Founded a Bike Tech Program for incarcerated youth, including Monterey County’s first high school bike tech class.
- Project #7: Provide Bike Education for other incarcerated youth, on bike laws, resources, and more.
- Project #8: Serve as Information Resource and Support for people anywhere, as well as for Monterey County’s tourists/visitors and local residents—by phone and in person, as well as online.
- Project #9: Build Community / foster relationships within and apart from the “bike community.”
- Project #10: Boost Monterey County biking or bike-related activities, events, meetings, and more.
- Project #11: Created a Discounts for People Who Bike project— HER Helmet Thursdays, a project active in Monterey County for more than a decade.
- Project #12: Open Streets support for Ciclovía events in the city of Salinas and other Salinas Valley locations.
As noted by neighboring Santa Cruz County bike advocates about Bicycling Monterey, the founder’s work on all Bicycling Monterey projects, including this website, is done as an unpaid volunteer. To make a financial contribution in any amount, and for FAQs, click here.
Bicycling Monterey is a grassroots community collaboration. To join those who contribute project supplies or volunteer time, please phone Bicycling Monterey.
Change Agent / Empowered for Social Good
- Writing in the Monterey County Weekly’s first special bike issue, Kera Abraham described Bicycling Monterey’s founder as “The Change Agent“— with a DIY ethic: “If there’s something in your community that needs doing, you don’t wait until all the pieces are in place. You just jump in and do it.”
- Maybe you’ve noticed this site’s footer, “Empowered for Social Good by Atawe Design / Raatior Design,” or saw Vid Raatior on the acknowledgements page. Vid recognized that Bicycling Monterey’s founder shares his dedication to “building partnerships to empower social good for a more equitable world.” He described Bicycling Monterey as the work of a social entrepreneur. What’s that? As defined by the Ashoka Foundation (“Everyone a Changemaker“):
“Rather than leaving societal needs to the government or business sectors, social entrepreneurs find what is not working and solve the problem by changing the system, spreading the solution, and persuading entire societies to move in different directions.”
Bicycling Monterey is among bike advocates worldwide encouraging societies to move in the direction of more people biking.
Why?
Because of the multiple benefits of bicycling—for individuals, communities, and the planet!
Below, learn about the Bicycling Monterey Projects.
PROJECT #1
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EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY REGARDING INFRASTRUCTURE AND OTHER LOCAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL ISSUES AFFECTING PEOPLE WHO BIKE. A wide range of bike advocacy actions are an ongoing part of the Bicycling Monterey work since 2009.
PROJECT #1: EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY examples: Most people are unaware that Bicycling Monterey collaborates not only with others locally but also on regional, state, national, and international bike education and advocacy efforts. Activities carried out by Bicycling Monterey’s founder include: Research issues through participation in webinars, phone conferences, public and private meetings, reading, and other research methods. Attend numerous workshops and other events to better understand the ideas and opinions of others, and to be a voice of support for bicycling, e.g., at Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail workshops, Monterey County Board of Supervisors meetings, local cities’ council meetings, and more. Publicize dates of numerous input deadlines, public meetings, etc., to encourage others to participate by completing surveys, attending events, writing letters, and more, including by expressing appreciation to national, state, and local individuals and organizations who make biking better. Serve as a local partner of the statewide bike advocacy organization California Bicycle Coalition. Serve as an ally and local information resource for national organizations, such as League of American Bicyclists. Serve as a guest professor for a North American “Bike School” on social media. Public outreach about resources such as how to report bicycle facility needs on the state and local level, and opportunities, e.g., education about protected bike lanes, bike security /maintenance station equipment program, and much more. Fill in some gaps for municipalities and public agencies, e.g., when there was no Bike Week/Month, and initiation of new activities, e.g., Intergenerational Ride and Dress-Up Challenge, as well as supporting existing activities. As one city official said, “You’re doing as a volunteer what we used to do when we had the money to do it!” Excerpt from Transportation Excellence Award): “Outstanding contribution to improved transportation in Monterey County…a major supporter of annual bike week activities…an advocate for local and regional bicycling issues.”
Below: In January 2024, Bicycling Monterey responded to Transportation Agency for Monterey County’s request for letters supporting a TAMC grant proposal to Caltrans.
Below: Bicycling Monterey is among CalBike’s partners issuing joint statements on topics such as a 2023 statement on road design; i.e., “California Bicycle Advocates Call on Elected Leaders to Address Real Causes of Deadly Collisions: Road Design.”
Bicycling Monterey’s founder serves on CalBike’s Policy Advisory Council.
Below, Bicycling Monterey joined other CalBike partners and allies in a statement about California Senate Bill 127.
Photo directly above, from Watsonville workshop on the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail network, provided courtesy of photographer Ariana Green.
Bicycling Monterey has introduced Monterey County youth on how to advocate for better infrastructure, such as the teen in the Jan 17, 2024 letter below. (Also, for other opportunities for youth referred by court, see Project #4: BICYCLING EQUITY EFFORTS )
Bicycling Monterey has also directly mentored North County and Salinas Valley youth on bike advocacy.
PROJECT #2
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PUBLIC OUTREACH TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF THE MULTIPLE BENEFITS OF BICYCLING. This project helps raise awareness that even people who do not bike benefit from more people bicycling. This outreach also helps people who bike learn about resources and activities that can strengthen their riding skills and safety. It further aims to increase harmony and cooperation among all who are sharing public roads and other areas.
The founder’s activities for this purpose have included: Presentations at meetings and events, e.g., Alliance for Biking & Walking, California State University Monterey Bay’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Carmel Valley Rotary Club, Focus the Region Conference, Greenfield Rotary Club, Monterey Green Action Environmental Film Cafe, Safe Routes to School-Monterey County Health Department, Salinas Lions Club, Sustainable Pacific Grove, Sustainable Salinas, faith groups, and others. Tabling at events, e.g, Castroville Tour Solar y Feria de la Sostenibilidad, Día de los Muertos at City of Salinas Closter Park, Fleet & Family Support Center Family Fun Day, Monterey Institute of International Studies Information Fair, Naval Postgraduate School Earth Day Celebration, Presidio of Monterey’s Porter Youth Center, Seaside Police Activities League (PAL) Bike Fair, Seaside Police National Night Out, South County Health & Safety Fair, Earth Day weekend celebration organized by Wharf Marketplace, and more. Media outreach, including interviewed for television, radio, print and online publications, e.g., with AMP Media’s “Your Town,” Cedar Street Times, CSUMB Otter Radio, KKUP, KRML, KSBW, the Monterey County Herald, Monterey County Weekly, Radio Bilingüe, Salinas Californian, Women’s International Perspective (The WIP), and more. Writing guest commentaries broadcast or published by KSQD, KUSP, the League of American Bicyclists, Monterey County Weekly, Salinas Californian, See Monterey, and others; and serving as resource for reporters at KION, KSBW, Salinas Californian, and other media outlets. Create audios, e.g., about sidewalk riding, Open Streets, and more. Create videos, e.g., about bike dates, elders who bike, and more. Outreach via securing links on other websites, among them California Bicycle Coalition, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Community Alliance for Safety and Peace, Cruz511 – Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, Hartnell College, Stevenson School, and many more (click here, then scroll down, for a list of examples). And more public outreach, such as direct outreach on the bikeways, including youth education about bike laws, safety, and more, assisting tourists, distributing posters and flyers; social media, e.g, @bikemonterey on Twitter; and miscellaneous outreach in public places, e.g., Castroville Library and other public libraries.
Tune in today to KUSP 88.9 FM at 4:58 PM (pacific) for broadcast, “We’re All Heroes“ – 2-min. bike blurb by Mari Lynch – www.kusp.org/live
— Bike Music Festival (@bikemusicfest) September 6, 2009
PROJECT #3
3. WEBSITE: Create and provide over 800 posts and pages of original, carefully researched content.
Is creating and maintaining this website that much work? Scroll down to “Need for an assistant” and see what our Monterey Bay region neighbors say.
PROJECT #4
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BICYCLING EQUITY EFFORTS—INCLUDING YOUTH REFERRED BY COURT, AND OUTREACH TO PEOPLE WITH VERY LOW INCOME, SPANISH SPEAKERS, AND A VARIETY OF PEOPLE OFTEN MARGINALIZED
Dr. Adonia Lugo, manager of the Bike Equity Network, said about Bicycling Monterey: “You put your region’s diversity front and center in your work.”
Below are just a few examples of Bicycling Monterey’s equity efforts. For a longer summary, please refer to our post “Bike Equity.”
Example: Bike Equity Project: Alternative to Fine for Traffic Citations (click here for a post providing details and examples)
Example: Outreach to Spanish speakers, including research, writing, translation, recording, and distribution of educational materials on bicycle laws, and more.
ANDAR EN BICICLETA EN LAS ACERAS además de ejemplos de ordenanzas del Condado de Monterey, California https://bikemonterey.org/andar-en-bicicleta-en-las-aceras-ademas-de-ejemplos-de-ordenanzas-del-condado-de-monterey-california.html
Example: Outreach to people whose income is very low. “Thanks go to Mari of Bicycling Monterey for connecting me with him.” Photo and text below by Steve Benes, Gears4Good.org – http://instagram.com/gears4good
PROJECT #5
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FOSTER POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSIONALS: Pro-active relationship building between law enforcement agencies and people who bike.
Among these, outreach to various cities’ police departments, Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol, and others, such as the safety director for Pebble Beach (a private community). Research and educate about specific bike-related law enforcement issues, such as local ordinances on sidewalk riding; highlighting concerns of the general public that are most often brought to the PDs’ attention, such as ride-outs (and educate people organizing such rides, e.g., Social Ride Guidelines for Monterey County California), brakes on fixies and other bikes; and broader issues and how they could possibly affect people who bike, e.g., U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
In addition, when people who bike are cited, or are in collisions including their injuries or death, sometimes investigate and advocate on their behalf.
PROJECT #6
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FOUNDED A BICYCLE EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR INCARCERATED YOUTH, INCLUDING MONTEREY COUNTY’S FIRST HIGH SCHOOL BIKE TECH CLASS.
In 2024 it is thanks to the dedication of two volunteer instructors since 2012, Frank Henderson and Luciano Rodriguez, that the bike tech / bicycle repair and safety classes keep rolling! How did the Youth Center bike education programs begin? Founder Mari Lynch’s groundwork for a Bicycle Repair and Safety Class began in October 2011. She launched the class in April 2012, with the help of four other community volunteers, including Henderson, along with contributors of project supplies.
Below, read a summary of Bicycling Monterey’s work on this project.
In 2024 Bicycling Monterey continues to provide public relations, communications, and other support for the Youth Center’s bike education program as needed. Mari also served as class coordinator through July 2014, doing the following tasks and more (as an unpaid volunteer): recruit and interview volunteers and shepherd them through the application and orientation process; coordinate with the Youth Center and available instructors to schedule each class series; adjust class dates and instructor schedules as needed, in event of Youth Center lockdown or unexpected absence of students (e.g., due to early release, illness, or other factors); communications with Youth Center staff and bike class volunteers by email, phone, and in-person meetings; keep track of students’ anticipated release dates to ensure completion of course work; check with students and instructors and ensure that, by the end of the series, all bikes labeled for pick-up are street legal (e.g., brakes, reflectors) and in good operating condition; keep track of any follow-up that may be needed with individual students; inventory parts, supplies, and graduation gifts, and obtain additional items as needed; coach new instructors and students about organization of tools, parts, and supplies in the bike sheds, and oversee orderly maintenance of the sheds; maintain checklists of class set-up and class guidelines for referral by new instructors and students; write thank you letters and acknowledgements; public relations outreach, including acknowledgements of volunteer instructors and other class supporters through social or other media; obtain and photocopy instructional materials; prepare welcome packets for new students; distribute graduation gifts to students; ensure necessary documents are signed for Youth Center records (e.g., attendance sheets, certificates of completion); maintain sufficient awareness of available used bikes on hand, as well as current students’ interests and needs, and put in requests with the Youth Center or others for additional used bikes when needed; and various other tasks. In August 2014, she changed to the role of Bicycle Repair & Safety class adviser and on-call resources/riding skills instructor.
In 2015 Mari launched a new bike education effort at the Youth Center: Bike Nights! See that project below.
Image below is an excerpt from the Monterey County Weekly’s August 8, 2013 issue, an editorial by Mary Duan, “Small actions might be the cure…”
© 2013 Monterey County Weekly
PROJECT #7
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PROVIDE GENERAL BICYCLING EDUCATION FOR INCARCERATED YOUTH / Bike Nights at the Youth Center.
Some boys at the Monterey County Probation Department Youth Center cannot be in the bike repair/safety class, either because they do not meet the Youth Center’s criteria for participation or because there aren’t enough volunteer instructors to accommodate them. To help those boys receive some bike education too, in 2015, Mari launched occasional “Bike Nights” / bike ed gatherings at the Youth Center. Bike Nights continued in each subsequent year and continue to roll on in 2020. The gatherings provide information (e.g., oral presentations, videos), opportunity for Q&A, and material such as bike law summaries.
PROJECT #8
8. INFORMATION RESOURCE AND SUPPORT for people anywhere, as well as for Monterey County’s tourists/visitors and local residents—by phone and in person, as well as online.
For over 14 years, help is provided free of charge to individuals and organizations, including those who contact Bicycling Monterey for specific help—e.g., regarding United States Bicycle Route 95 designation for County of Monterey. (This is in addition to info and resources provided by Bicycling Monterey online.)
See Day in the Life of a Bike Advocate to get a sense of the scope—and time involved—in this particular project. 
PROJECT #9
9. BUILD COMMUNITY / FOSTER RELATIONSHIPS within and apart from the “bike community.”
Community outreach to a wide range of organizations, to encourage and support the good work they are doing, and to help those interested to make biking a part of what they do. Some may wish to organize bicycling activities and events, or simply encourage people to bike to other activities and events they organize.
Compiled a 32-section directory of Monterey County’s main bicycling resources and a video highlighting a sampling of the county’s bike community leaders. Facilitate new or renewed relationships in the bike community and among interested others, through connecting activity organizers with bike clubs and other resources, and through supporting the launch of new bike groups and organizing events such as the Intergenerational Rides.
PROJECT #10
10. BOOST/PROMOTE MONTEREY COUNTY BIKING OR BIKE-RELATED ACTIVITIES, EVENTS, MEETINGS, AND MORE
Outreach to increase awareness of Monterey County as a bike-friendly place has included securing links to the Bicycling Monterey website not only on local sites but also on sites outside the county, e.g., Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute (a program of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association), Bike Santa Cruz County’s “Brilliant Ideas” section, Biking in LA, California Bicycle Coalition, Campaign for Sustainable Transportation, Cruz511 – Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, Cyclelicious, Cycling the Pacific Coast, League of American Bicyclists, Pedestrian & Bicycle Information Center, People for Bikes, People’s Climate Movement, Smart Growth America, UC-Berkeley CATSIP, Women’s Bike Blogs by Bikestyle Spokane.
In addition, help visitors and locals find biking and bike-related activities, and promote many of these dates via social media, emails to subscribers, announcements at meetings, and more.
PROJECT #11 DISCOUNTS TO ENCOURAGE BICYCLING, AVAILABLE COUNTYWIDE: The HER Helmet Thursdays Project.
11. HER Helmet Thursdays helps HER / Mother Earth by encouraging bicycling. How? By providing 10-50% discounts on Thursdays year-round, at hundreds of businesses and organizations in Monterey County.
For how this project began, see “Wheel the Earth” in the Monterey County Weekly. Launched November 2009, this is a long-term project with no scheduled end-date. The pandemic that began in 2020 impacted this project, and in addition, beginning summer 2022, database support is needed. If you are among those who think HER Helmet Thursdays is cool, please make a contribution or volunteer to assist. Please phone us with questions about what’s needed and how to help.
(This project is not about helmet promotion! See FAQs on the Listings/FAQs page.)
Above: From the California State Senate, “Clean Air Honoree / Leadership / For developing Bicycling Monterey and HER Helmet Thursdays”
PROJECT #12
12. OPEN STREETS SUPPORT: As recognized by Ciclovia Salinas, Bicycling Monterey was a primary supporter of the launch of Monterey County’s first Open Streets, the youth-led initiative Ciclovia Salinas in 2013. In subsequent years, continued to provide promotional and other support to Ciclovia Salinas.
From 2013 – 2024, promote Salinas Valley Open Streets events to visitors and residents, including by maintaining an Open Streets history and resource page on the Bicycling Monterey website. Examples: Ciclovía Gonzales, 2018; Ciclovía King City, 2019; Ciclovía Soledad, 2021; Ciclovia Greenfield, 2022.
For the 2013 launch of Ciclovia Salinas, provided hundreds of hours of free assistance, e.g., meeting with city officials to encourage support; initiating and developing the Salinas presence on the North American Open Streets Project website; writing or editing some written materials for distribution, e.g., Open Streets etiquette; promoting the event to visitors and locals, outreach to potential barricade volunteers, and more.
How you can help
with Bicycling Monterey projects
For ways to contribute and FAQS, click here. To contribute project supplies or volunteer time, please contact Bicycling Monterey. See who’s already helping:
View financial contributors; click here.
View contributors of project supplies; click here.
See the people who’ve volunteered time.
To contribute by check or via PayPal, and for FAQs, click here.
Need for an assistant
In November 2010, a Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission senior planner, a Santa Cruz Sentinel columnist, and a Santa Cruz bike shop staff person addressed Mari, and their communication included this acknowledgement:
“Mari, we want to launch a site like yours – but we imagine we need 10 people at least to launch what you have done.”
True! And often Mari’s time could be far better used as a project director or advisor rather than also doing all the nuts-and-bolts required for the website and projects. Having a part-time or full-time assistant would make a big difference in what it is possible to accomplish. To discuss what could make the Bicycling Monterey projects more efficient and effective, allowing more to be accomplished with available time, please contact Bicycling Monterey.
Don’t you get paid?
No. Since founded in 2009, through Bicycling Monterey’s first decade, and still the case as 2024 begins, Bicycling Monterey’s founder is an unpaid volunteer. The Bicycling Monterey website and all projects have been provided as a public service, in partnership with the community.
Want to make a contribution?
Great! Thank you. See ways to contribute and FAQS, click here.
Wish list
Here are examples of some of the many things that contributions or volunteers could make possible. Sure, some of these Bicycling Monterey’s founder could accomplish herself—if only there were 48-hour days and unlimited funds. Whether you can contribute money, project supplies, or volunteer time, consider how you might help.
- Internet Technology (IT) assistance. Help from a WordPress.org professional for a variety of website changes.
- IT tools. WordPress premium theme and premium plugins to make Bicycling Monterey’s nearly 800 posts and pages more accessible to site users.
- IT assistance. Professional to maintain the application for the HER Helmet Thursdays database (Ruby on Rails).
- IT assistance. Mobile-friendly access plus search features for the HER Helmet Thursdays listings.
- Software. Software products that make project tasks more efficient.
- Window decals. Decals to identify HER Helmet Thursdays participating locations, so more people are aware of the hundreds of businesses and organizations throughout Monterey County that give 10-50% discounts on Thursdays year-round to males and females who bike.
- Spoke cards. Reflective spoke cards for outreach to youth regarding bike laws, safety, and bicycling resources.
- T-shirts and jerseys. Bicycling Monterey T-shirts and jerseys to help get the word out about bikemonterey.org and other Bicycling Monterey (Monterey County and beyond) projects.
- Translation. Translate or interpret materials to strengthen outreach to monolingual speakers of indigenous languages and Spanish.
- Graphic design. Services of a graphic design professional with time and skills to make eye-catching and effective materials, including posters and more.
- Office support. Office supplies, office equipment maintenance and repair.
- Photocopies. Copies of mini flyers and posters for outreach, e.g., bike law summaries (especially helpful for the many people not online).
