Iron Horse Trail Connection
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Volume 47 No. 4 • FALL 2017 PLEASANTON IRON HORSE TRAIL CONNECTION Bike Lane Boom — Bicycle Spoken Here — Take a Mini-Tour BIKE EAST BAY STAFF LETTER FROM THE SADDLE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR René Rivera Over the past months, I have seen how incred- ibly effective our local communities are as AdvocACY director advocates. With thousands of bright blue Ford Dave Campbell GoBikes popping up in Oakland, Berkeley, and COMMUNITY ORGANIZER Emeryville, Bike East Bay has been working on Susie Hufstader the ground with our Bike Share for All coali- EDUCATION director tion to ensure an equitable roll out of the bike Robert Prinz share system. Together with Cycles of Change, commuNICATIONS director Rich City Rides, and the Oakland Scraper Bike Ginger Jui Team — all local, people of color led organi- zations — we’re working to remove as many EVENTS MANAGER Hyeran Lee barriers as possible to bike sharing for people of color and in low-income communities. MEMBERSHIP MANAGER Rachel Jacobson Before the launch, Bike East Bay had already secured significant wins for low- OUTREACH coordiNAtor ering barriers to bike share: a low-income discount membership, plus extended Francisco Grajales trip times and a cash payment option. Now we and our partners are hitting the ground to promote bicycling at local events and bike rides this fall (page 10). ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER Hansa Jacob-Martin It makes a difference to have Black and Brown community organizers at the GRAPHIC DESIGNER table. By hearing directly from impacted communities, I have seen the bike share Kyle Smith operators act more quickly. Even the small things we have won together as a HAZARD ELIMINATION coalition—like being able to give out free Clipper cards for people without credit Ian McDonald cards—make a huge difference for people who otherwise would not be able to OFFICE use bike share. 466 Water Street Jack London Square Bike share will get more people on bikes, but it will only have a limited impact Oakland, CA 94607 until the East Bay is connected with a network of people-friendly streets. We know that concern about riding with cars in traffic is the number one barrier MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box 1736 keeping people from biking. After years of strategic focus, Bike East Bay is finally Oakland, CA 94604 gaining momentum for building dedicated and separated bicycle infrastructure. (510) 845-7433 This year alone, we expect to more than double the number of protected bikeways on the ground in the East Bay, growing from seven to sixteen projects BOARD OF directors during 2017. This fall, Pleasanton built its first protected intersection in the Tri- Alden Mudge (President), Valley region (page 3) and Berkeley completed the first connected protected bike Frank Castro (Vice President), lanes in the East Bay (page 4). Next year, we expect to double the number of Rolland Jurgens (Treasurer), protected bikeways again. Tom Willging (Secretary), Curtis Buckley, Jessica de Jesus, I invite you to celebrate these big accomplishments—and to kick off our big Sandra Hamlat, Morgan Kanninen, campaigns to come—at Biketopia, your annual member party and silent auction Kristi Marleau, Rick Rickard, Sahar Shirazi, Nancy Warren, and fundraiser (page 11). Thanks to your support of strong, grassroots bike advocacy, Corinne Winter our streets are transforming before our eyes. Safer, people-friendly streets are rolling out from Fremont to Hercules, from the Tri-Valley to San Francisco Bay. Cover: Bike Pleasanton member When more people ride, we all benefit from the improvements to our public John Houston with his kids, Joanne health, air quality, and our local environment. And that’s good news for everyone and Euan, on the Iron Horse Trail. in the East Bay. Ride on, Facebook.com/BikeEastBay Twitter.com/BikeEastBay René Rivera, Executive Director Instagram.com/BikeEastBay 2 BIKE EAST BAY • FAll 2017 Euan and Joanne Houston ride the new protected intersection on Stanley Boulevard. advocates from Bike Pleasanton and members of the Pleasanton Pedalers, IT TAKES A VILLAGE the club Gail Turner rode with, in How Pleasanton Residents Came Together to making impassioned pleas for the city Build a Protected Intersection to fix the street. By Susie Hufstader, Community Organizer protected intersection, which pro- “My goal this year was to ride my bike vides shorter crossing distances and to school every day, but it is not safe Just one week after I started work as improved visibility for people walking enough yet,” one student said. Bike East Bay’s Community Organizer and biking, would be an great solution. last summer, we received news of But at the time, there was not a single “My daughter wants to ride her bike to a fatal bicycle crash in Pleasanton. protected intersection built anywhere Pleasanton Middle School, but there Seventy-two year old Gail Turner had in the Bay Area, even in our most bike- is no way,” said Rebecca McClaughlin, been struck by a car at the intersection friendly cities. It looked like improving a teacher at the school. “We would where the Iron Horse Regional Trail this trail connection would be an like access. It needs to happen for the crosses Stanley Boulevard. Bike East uphill battle, if even possible. rest of us and not just experienced Bay, Pleasanton Pedalers, and Bike cyclists.” Pleasanton had already been working But Pleasanton proved me wrong. to connect this major gap in the trail Over the next weeks and months, I Together, the community sent a clear system, but any possible solution had came to know the dedicated commu- message to city council that Stanley been delayed for years. After this trag- nity of bicyclists, students, parents, Boulevard and Valley Avenue, along edy we jumped into action to ask for and grandparents who stepped up to with the rest of Pleasanton, need an immediate fix. champion the Tri-Valley’s first pro- bikeways for riders of all ages and tected intersection. When it came abilities. I went to Pleasanton that week and time for an important vote to approve things did not look good. As I rode When city council unanimously the project, they showed up to com- approved the protected intersection toward the site of the crash, the Iron pletely pack the city council cham- Horse Trail ended in a sidewalk at the design, we cheered and shared hugs bers. Half the room was students all around. This was my first big advo- intersection. Standing there facing from Pleasanton Middle School and seven lanes of heavy traffic, I knew the cacy victory in my new job and I was Amador Valley High. They joined local continued on page 10 intersection needed a big change. A BIKE EAST BAY • fAll 2017 3 A bicyclist rides on Fulton Street, Berkeley’s first protected bike lane, which was striped in 2016. BIKE LANE BOOM A Three-Year Plan for Berkeley’s Protected Bike Lane Network By Dave Campbell, Advocacy Director Hearst Avenue: From Pop-Up to removed. Undeterred, we measured Reality the street and redesigned the parking Berkeley is connecting the dots for peo- Thousands of people walk, bike, and ourselves to show it could work. ple bicycling. With two new protected take transit on Hearst Avenue every bike lanes completed on Bancroft Way day to get to the north side of campus After months of back and forth, the and Hearst Avenue this fall, and five or connect to downtown Berkeley. City of Berkeley finally agreed to install additional protected bike lanes in the Lack of bike lanes, heavy bus traffic, protected bike lanes…but stopped one works, a safe and family-friendly bicy- and a steep uphill stretch made this block short of completing the bikeway cling network will soon link downtown street intimidating for people bicy- to Shattuck Avenue, the main street with UC Berkeley campus neighbor- cling. When the City of Berkeley won through downtown Berkeley. At this hoods. Bike East Bay is pushing for our a regional grant in 2015 to rebuild point, Bike East Bay put our grassroots East Bay cities to prioritize protected Hearst Avenue, Bike East Bay saw an power into action. We asked mem- bike lanes, and Berkeley is leading the opportunity to upgrade this important bers and volunteers to help “pop-up” way by adopting protected bike lane campus connection. a demonstration protected bike lane networks as the gold standard for peo- at Berkeley Sunday Streets in October ple-friendly streets. With a large grant in hand, we knew the 2015. By building the temporary city could deliver a world-class proj- protected bike lane on the very block Members like you are key to build- ect for Berkeley bicyclists. While early in question, we showed residents and ing streets that dedicate space for designs called for business-as-usual decision-makers it made sense to fully bicycling. Here is a look at how your bike lanes, Bike East Bay challenged connect Hearst Avenue to downtown. support for grassroots action and the city’s public works department to persistent advocacy laid the ground- upgrade the design to physically pro- The pop-up was a success! After work for Berkeley’s protected bike lane tected bike lanes. The city responded gathering petition signatures in boom. that the street was too narrow and support from most of the neighbors too much parking would have to be on the block, we convinced the city 4 BIKE EAST BAY • FAll 2017 to complete the bikeway from Euclid Avenue all the way to Shattuck Avenue. This five-block protected bike lane completed construction in fall 2017. Partnering with AC Transit on Bancroft Way Meanwhile, on the south side of campus, changes were long overdue for Bancroft Way.