Report bikeway maintenance needs, e.g., North Fremont, Monterey

471 words, 2 minutes read time.

Scenes in this post were photographed on North Fremont in the city of Monterey on September 8, 2024.

What do you do when you come upon bikeway hazards and maintenance needs?

Some people only grumble. But you can be part of the solution! Please submit a report.

WHERE TO REPORT BIKEWAY MAINTENANCE NEEDS

See “Where to report a bikeway maintenance need in Monterey County, or maintenance needs for California State Highways.”

About these North Fremont, Monterey hazards / maintenance needs (which we did report, on 8 Sept 2024):

Our photos show there is potentially hazardous (i.e., tire-puncturing) debris in the bike lane, beginning at North Fremont and Casanova—where it appears that yet another motor vehicle had crashed through the bike-lane fence. Small, sharp pieces of debris apparently flew nearly all the way to Ramona Street, much of it landing smack in the bike lane.

Later along the North Fremont bike lane, between Dela Vina and Casa Verde, wires from the fence are missing or bent in several spots. At least one wire was sticking out into the bike lane, which could easily be overlooked by a child, a night rider, or anyone biking, skating, or scooting there.

Why would anyone intentionally bend it? While we definitely don’t approve of vandalism, clues as to why someone was apparently frustrated about access can be found in our 2019 post “Why get involved in infrastructure planning: North Fremont, Monterey— and other projects.”

At the end of this post, see our Mastodon post on how San Francisco followed Monterey’s lead, on SF’s Valencia Street—then regretted it. Included are related resources for advocates elsewhere.

Don’t just dream about your community having the safest and most convenient bikeway designs. Become an active, persistent advocate!

HOW TO ADVOCATE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS

Refer to “Bicycling Advocacy: What you can do” and—for Monterey County—also see “Speak up for bicycling and other active transportation: Transportation Agency for Monterey County’s Bike-Ped Committee.”

North Fremont Street, Casanova (debris continues nearly to Ramona), 8 Sept 2024

North Fremont, Dela Vina to Casa Verde, 8 Sept 2024

On this Sunday afternoon in September, we saw just one other person biking the North Fremont lanes. But we did see a second person rolling along them, on a scooter. He’s an active transportation role model we see frequently.

We appreciate all who are able for each time they make the choice to bike, walk, scoot, or skate to get about. They reduce transportation’s carbon emissions, reduce traffic congestion, and are a visible reminder that encourages others to enjoy the multiple benefits of biking and other active transportation. If your schedule, strength, stamina, or available infrastructure don’t allow reaching your destination via active transportation, remember it need not be all or nothing; make use of bike-and-ride options too!