Bike Buzz: June-August 2016 News from Bicycling Monterey

This post is a summary of Bicycling Monterey

news for the period of June 18 – August 27, 2016.

In addition, here’s the latest update to the list of places giving 10-50% discounts to people who bike: HER Helmet Thursdays – Quick Reference Guide – as of 1 Sept 2016.

New posts

1. Lighthouse Avenue, Monterey: New bike parking – Plus sidewalk riding and other tips for bicycling Monterey County This post first highlights the realization of a seven-year dream: improved bike infrastructure—bike racks—on Lighthouse, Monterey. As locals know, this area of Monterey has much to offer in addition to the Aquarium and Cannery Row destinations; there are also many fine businesses to patronize above the bike/multiuse trail, up on Lighthouse. Parking there is now much easier for people who bike, including to the HER Helmet Thursdays spots also highlighted in the post. Other topics covered include sidewalk riding, since there are no bike lanes on busy Lighthouse Avenue, which means some people will prefer to pedal on the sidewalks.
2. Local ordinances on sidewalk riding and more: Monterey County cities and unincorporated areas This post was inspired by a Greenfield rider being ticketed for biking on a sidewalk in the business district; see the post for details about why that was not an incorrect citation. Then share with your friends what the sidewalk rules (and other bike ordinances) are around Monterey County, since they differ throughout the county as well as throughout the state of California.
3. Soberanes Fire: Reliable information resources on park closures and more Note that Andrew Molera Park, which allows mountain biking on authorized trails, is among the places that have been closed due to the fire.
4. Oct 9: Ciclovía Salinas – Monterey County’s Open Streets Ciclovia Salinas remains just an annual event; spread the word! Ciclovia Salinas is unique among North American Open Streets because it is a youth-led initiative. In this post, grab the local Open Streets etiquette, provided in English and Spanish.
5. Audio: Radio Bilingüe – Alza Tu Voz / Speak Out – Youth as Community Leaders Interviewed by two local youth, this is a one-hour interview in English with some Spanish. It features the youngest member of the Transportation Agency for Monterey County’s bike-ped committee, and me.

Contributions to the Bicycling Monterey work are appreciated. You may give by check, debit, credit, or from a PayPal balance. See how to give and FAQs. 

Questions or comments? Phone calls welcome.

Updated posts and pages

(a sampling, not a comprehensive list)

1. 3. Bicycle Riding Skills, Bike Safety, and CA Bicycle Laws–for Children, Teens, and Adults Among updates to section 3 are the following: unincorporated Monterey County sidewalk ordinances; Greenfield sidewalk ordinances; and a new reference to filtering/lane-splitting. [Note: The 20-section Tips for Bicycling Monterey County guide is for both tourists/visitors and local residents. To prevent broken links, I haven’t changed the root URL since 2009, so links to the guide still include “tips-for-tourists” in their URL, since the guide was initially written to help visitors.]
2. Sept 10, 24 Bike Safety Training; Oct 21-23 Instructor Training This includes Monterey County’s first League of American Bicyclists Licensed Cycling Instructor / LCI training, which had been postponed by TAMC/CSUMB from their intended date last spring.
3. Trucks, buses, and other big vehicles sharing the road with bicycles: Tips for commercial drivers and people who bike The brochures provided are in English and Spanish.
4. Roundabouts! And the Holman Highway 68 Roundabout Project As noted in this post, while construction is happening, it will be faster to bike than drive in some areas.
5. Children and Teens Growing Up Bikewise This long post with safety tips and much more includes some favorite places to ride and some updates on what local cities and others are doing to support youth in biking.
6. Aussies and others: What people say about Bicycling Monterey
7. Aug 31 – Sept 5: Monterey County Fair The fair CEO confirmed there will be bike valet parking during some fair hours; for any updates or changes to that, refer to contacts provided in the post.
8. Oct 9: Barricade volunteers for Ciclovía Salinas People age 18 and up are needed in these essential barricade volunteer roles. Shifts of 1-1/2 hrs are available so volunteers can also enjoy playing in the Open Streets of this 4-hour event.
9. Posters, etc. page – Among page updates, some new mini fliers: Bicycling Monterey mini fliers, incl HER Helmet Thursdays
10. The HER Helmet Thursdays Listings/FAQs page, as usual, was updated with the most recent Quick Reference Guide: HER Helmet Thursdays – Quick Reference Guide – as of 1 Sept 2016
11. Some rewards remain available as an option for contributors to the Bicycling Monterey work. Bicycling Monterey was founded May 2009 and remains an entirely volunteer effort for the founder. Even if you don’t want a reward, pitch in what you can. Any amount, from $5 on up, will make a difference in allowing this work to continue.

Want to report a bicycle infrastructure need, such as the need for sweeping of the bike lanes below (spotted on Garden Road, Monterey and subsequently reported and swept)? One option, as mentioned in the infrastructure section of Bicycling Monterey’s 32-section main resources / bike community leaders page, is to report it to the Transportation Agency for Monterey County; click here to learn more and to make a report.

The “musical socks” photo at the top of this post was taken in our neighboring Santa Cruz County, on Pacific Avenue at Water Street, downtown Santa Cruz.

These photos were shot by Mari Lynch—as with all photos on the Bicycling Monterey website, unless otherwise indicated. Respect copyright.