A Decade in the Life of a Bike Advocate

Short link to this post: http://bit.ly/DecadeBikeMRY

A 10th year of 

bike advocacy volunteering

has been completed. 

A local partner of the California Bicycle Coalition, Bicycling Monterey—the website and all projects—have been provided as a public service by an unpaid volunteer for a decade, from May 1, 2009 to  May 1, 2019.

To recognize this work with a one-time or automatic monthly contribution, see ways to give and FAQs.

See what Anneke Prins of the U.K., and other people, say about the Bicycling Monterey website and projects.

Bicycling Monterey projects include the following. For project details, click here.

1. Education and Advocacy Regarding Infrastructure and Other Local, State, and National Issues Affecting People Who Bike.
2. Public Outreach to Increase Awareness of the Multiple Benefits of Bicycling.
3. Discounts to Encourage Bicycling: The HER Helmet Thursdays Project.
4. Bicycling Equity Efforts—Including Outreach to Spanish Speakers, to People Not Online, and to Low-Income Individuals.
5. Foster Positive Relationships with Law Enforcement Professionals: Pro-Active Relationship Building between Law Enforcement Agencies and People Who Bike.
6. Founded Bicycle Education Program for Incarcerated Youth, including Monterey County’s First High School Bike Tech Class.
7. Provide General Bicycling Education for Incarcerated Youth / Bike Nights at the Youth Center.
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.
9. Build Community / Foster Relationships within and apart from the “Bike Community.”
10. Website: Create and Provide over 660 Posts and Pages of Original, Carefully Researched Content.
11. Promotion of Monterey County Biking or Bike-Related Activities, Events, Meetings, and More.
12. Open Streets Support.

The story below, “A Day in the Life of a Bike Advocate,” shares an example of one of the many calls, and related research and follow up, that have been part of Bicycling Monterey’s services provided since May 2009. It gives a glimpse into how it is that the founder has given well over 12,000 hours to this work since founding Bicycling Monterey.

Already read the story below? Check out this instead: “If you build it, they will come”: Helping visitors, and residents, use sustainable transportation.

A Day in the Life of a Bike Advocate

(Previously published May 5, 2017)

Among the many Bicycling Monterey projects is providing telephone assistance to Monterey County visitors and residents, as well as to others who call for help. People find it refreshing to be able to avoid long hold times and the layers of “voice jail” so common today. Instead, when they phone Bicycling Monterey, they either get a live person picking up their call immediately, or they are able to leave a message and receive a timely call-back.

There are thousands of visitors to the Bicycling Monterey website every month. People often say that the information found on the site is so comprehensive and clear that it saves the need of calling with questions. Yet it makes sense that some people do have questions—whether about the website’s content or other topics—and wish to call. And that was the case with the following caller.

A gentleman blogger from a California city phoned. He had biked in Monterey County during a visit for the Annual Sea Otter Classic. He said he’s been coming to Sea Otter for about ten years, and he loves to bike while here. He had published his experiences of biking 17-Mile Drive, Pebble Beach—a private local community—then called Bicycling Monterey afterward with a question. He wondered why he’d seen a “No Bicycles Beyond This Point” sign at one of the Pebble Beach entrances on April 17, 2017.

Let me first say that—also as a volunteer—I worked closely for years with the longtime safety director at Pebble Beach Company, who recently retired. I endeavor to increase awareness among people who bike 17-Mile Drive, or other areas in Del Monte Forest, about some of the challenges and concerns there. See my Bicycling Pebble Beach tips for examples. The goal of my effort is happier and safer visitors and residents alike, increased harmony for all, and a more positive feeling about bicycling in general.

Pebble Beach Company, like me, recognizes that bicycling has many benefits, even for people who do not bike. Among those they especially value are the environmental benefits of bicycling, such as reduced carbon emissions. And of course, they care about the peace and safety of both local residents and tourists coming to Pebble Beach Resorts.

Regarding the gentleman blogger’s question, my new resource at Pebble Beach Resorts was stumped, just as I initially was. Then I called another resource at Pebble Beach. That individual was able to shed some light on the subject, saying temporary closures were sometimes necessary due to the Holman Highway 68 Roundabout construction. Why hadn’t I thought of that! But of course, you can’t always think of everything; that’s why you call upon your trusted resources as needed.

I’d already featured the Holman Hwy 68 Roundabout on the Bicycling Monterey website. The roundabout is a public-private partnership between the City of Monterey, Pebble Beach Company, Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District, County of Monterey, City of Pacific Grove, Caltrans, and the Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC). My post includes a link to TAMC’s roundabout construction updates. 

In addition, I feature the Transportation Agency for Monterey County’s Cone Zone Report, which includes references to roundabout construction and much more. See “Cone Zone Report” in Bicycling Monterey’s indexed directory of Monterey County Bicycling Resources. Find the directory anytime in the Resources / Los Recursos section under the Bicycling Monterey banner.

Outcome? Besides phoning the inquirer back with the answer to his question, I added a note to my Bicycling Pebble Beach tips that points readers to the Cone Zone Report.

The above example is one slice from one day, which included many other bike advocacy volunteer hours too. It also shows only a tiny part of just two of the numerous Bicycling Monterey projects—telephone assistance and providing the Bicycling Monterey website content. Providing a website with accurate, reliable content is a lot of work, including providing the updates especially appreciated by residents and visitors, such as Anneke Prins of the U.K. and others.

See what Anneke and other people say about the Bicycling Monterey website and projects.

Consider letting your friends and associates know: “Bicycling Monterey is about to finish its 10th year, and the website and all Bicycling Monterey projects have been provided by an unpaid volunteer. Contributions in any amount are appreciated.”

Thank you to all who have contributed, 2009-2019.

“She must be retired.” Not retired.

“Oh, then she must be tired!” Yes, and chuckles when people say, “She’s a tireless volunteer.”

The photo below is of Bicycling Monterey’s founder, Mari Lynch, in April 2009—the month before founding Bicycling Monterey. Mari is a resident of unincorporated rural Monterey County since 1981. Also known as Mari Lynch Dehmler, Mari is the mother of a son and daughter, both born and raised here. To learn more about the founder, click here.

This post was first published 5 May 5 2017, and was republished 1 March 2019 with a few updates.