Heads up, youth: June 15th deadline for summer youth internship applications for Ciclovía Salinas! Details and ap below.*

And heads up, everyone!

Maybe you missed other amazing events in Monterey County history that are still talked about, such as Monterey Pop Festival. Don’t miss Ciclovía Salinas, when visitors and locals will gather and celebrate in beautiful Monterey County on streets open only to biking, walking, skating, dancing, and the like–no motor vehicles.

This vibrant, fun urban scene plays in the City of Salinas, against a backdrop of the Gabilan Mountains–the mountain range of Nobel-winning author John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men,  East of Eden, and The Red Pony.

When?

It is planned that the first Ciclovía Salinas event will be August 25, 2013 (tentative date). It will be a very special day for Monterey County, its residents and its tourists, so pencil it in on your calendars now.

Although you’ll likely want to be part of this historic first event, you’ll surely want to come back for more! Ciclovía Salinas is anticipated not to be a one-day event but to become a monthly event in the Monterey County seat.

Why Salinas?

Salinas is not only the county seat, it is also Monterey County’s largest city. Widely known as the the Salad Bowl of America, you’ve likely eaten many a meal that began as fresh produce from the fertile Salinas Valley.

Savvy literary lovers, including musician Marcus Mumford (“Timshel“)–whose favorite American author is John Steinbeck–know: If you’re looking for Steinbeck, you don’t stop with Cannery Row. You also go to the heart of Steinbeck Country, Salinas! You visit Steinbeck’s birthplace and boyhood home, the Steinbeck House; his gravesite at Garden of Memories; you explore the National Steinbeck Center.

And you can discover, as Steinbeck did, the pleasures found in the diverse neighborhoods of Salinas–from the Alisal to Creekbridge to Oldtown to Santa Rita, and more.

Salinas is one of Monterey County’s best-kept tourism secrets when it comes to bicycling! Few people know there are 95 miles of connected bikeways for travel throughout the City of Salinas. Patrick Brady alluded to the joys and ease of biking Salinas in “Red Kite Prayer: The Soul of Cycling.” In his report after riding the Sea Otter Classic Gran Fondo’s 96-mile Carmel Valley Route ( which includes many miles of the Salinas Valley),  Brady wrote, “It boasts one of the prettiest Gran Fondo courses I’ve ridden….. The opening 40 miles [primarily Salinas Valley] were countertop flat…all the beauty with only 1/3 the suffering.”

Yes, many Salinas streets are flat, and wide. That’s great for biking, and on Ciclovía Salinas dates, you’ll be reminded that the local terrain is wonderful too for walking, running, rollerskating, zumba, yoga, and more. On these special dates, you’ll get to experience the joy and ease of doing these activities in Salinas with thousands of others in Open Streets/car-free style.

Open Streets? You mean no car traffic?

That’s right, “Where the Streets are Yours - ¡Donde las Calles son Suyas!” 

Do you bike or walk with children or unsteady elders who aren’t at an age to be sharing streets with cars?  Ciclovía Salinas allows these and others to claim the streets!

On Ciclovía Salinas dates, selected streets will temporarily be closed to motorized vehicles and opened to the public for recreational uses.

Why? To promote physical activity and active transportation/alternative forms of transportation, to strengthen community interactions, and to stimulate economic development, among many other benefits. Want more reasons? Most of the “Why bike Monterey County” benefits are likewise found in a Ciclovia experience too, whether you’re there on your bike or experiencing it another way. Not least of all, Ciclovía Salinas is happening because it will be great fun!

Having a Ciclovía experience means more people are inspired to bike, walk, and use various alternate forms of transportation on other days as well, with increasing benefits to personal and planetary health.

“Did you hear what Mom and Dad said? There’s gonna be something called Ciclovía here in Salinas, where kids and grandparents and everybody can bike and walk and visit and rollerskate and play together without any cars in the road!” (Photo below is from 5/19/13 Burrito Bike Ride in Salinas.)

Where in Salinas?

As of 5/31/13, the proposed route for the first Ciclovía Salinas would extend about 3.8 miles from the Hartnell College main campus to its East Alisal campus.

The children of Monterey Park Cycling of South Salinas can tell you: Experiencing the neighborhoods of Salinas from outside a motor vehicle is a wonderful way to really get to know the neighborhoods, and to love them! The Salinas City Manager and many others are thinking it could be cool to have Ciclovía Salinas rotate to different parts of the City of Salinas in subsequent months, so people would have this special way to get acquainted with the many varied neighborhoods of Salinas. Like that idea? Participate in decision-making by getting involved with the Ciclovía Salinas Committee.

So, when again? And how are we sure where to go?

To confirm, the When, exactly Where, and more, stay in touch with Ciclovía Salinas, so you’re all set to join Bicycling Monterey and others who plan to be out enjoying Monterey County’s Open Streets!

How to connect with Ciclovía Salinas

The Ciclovía Salinas committee is on Twitter @cicloviasalinas and on Facebook ciclovia.salinas. (No website, as of 5/31/13.) Email Ciclovía Salinas for more details and to learn how you can help:  cicloviasalinas@gmail.com – Or phone committee volunteers at 831-676-5082 or 831-262-1110.

Go, Salinas!

Ciclovía Salinas will not only be Monterey County’s 1st Ciclovía /Open Streets, it is also anticipated to be the 9th Ciclovía /Open Streets location in all of California, according to the California Bicycle Coalition.

*Summer youth internships

Ciclovía Salinas is a youth-led project, and Salinas high school age youth are invited to apply for summer internships. Aps are due June 15.  (Deadline has been extended from the earlier due date of June 1.) 

Download a PDF of the summer youth internship application here:

Ciclovia Salinas – Summer Youth Interns Application – Revised 6-4-13

Contact Natalie Oliver, youth and volunteer coordinator, with any questions; 831-262-1110 or email Natalie: noliver@csumb.edu

Thinking about applying for a summer youth internship?

• In addition to high school students, the spring 2013 graduates of Salinas high schools are welcome to apply.
• The planning meetings referred to on the application are held every other Wednesday, 7-9 p.m. at Hartnell College. For meeting dates and specific locations, check with Ciclovía Salinas.
• The first question on the application asks what you know about Ciclovía or other Open Streets events. Here are two examples from other cities:  Sunday Streets in San Francisco and Open Streets Minneapolis.

Other volunteers welcome and appreciated

It is because of a citizens committee of the Salinas Neighborhood Council that Ciclovía Salinas is on its way! (Background below.)

People of all ages can join those and other citizen volunteers, and summer youth interns, by helping out too. Contact the Ciclovía Salinas committee to see where your help is most needed.

Ciclovía Salinas planning meetings are every other Wednesday, 7-9 p.m. For meeting dates and specific locations, check with Ciclovía Salinas.

Business sponsors and other financial support needed

In so many, many ways, Ciclovía Salinas can be tremendously beneficial to Salinas and all of Monterey County, as well as benefiting our visitors.

Business sponsors, individual donors, and other financial supporters are essential to the success of Ciclovía Salinas. Whether you can help in a large way or small, please consider being part of this effort.

Hartnell College Foundation is already a fiscal sponsor of Ciclovía Salinas, and funds have also been received from Building Healthy Communities, a California Endowment project. Follow their lead!

Click on images to enlarge

The California Bicycle Coalition–”Creating safe, healthy, livable communities through bicycling”–tweeted its congratulations on 5/3/13. Cal Bike indicated it hopes to see 20 Ciclovías statewide by 2017.

Scroll down for some background on Ciclovia Salinas.

Photos: The young woman below, along with Glenn (giving a thumbs-up) and others above, and Alex and friends gathered below, are all hot on active transportation–the joys of two wheels. They were all attending the first Salinas Bike Party, a courteous social bike run, in August 2012.

Here is an excerpt about Ciclovía Salinas from the Transportation Agency for Monterey County’s minutes of the April 3, 2013 Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee meeting. Download PDF here:  TAMC 4-3-13 Bike-Ped minutes excerpt on Ciclovía Salinas rpt (To read the full 4/3/13 minutes on the TAMC website, click here.) Presenters from Ciclovía Salinas were Ana Gabriela Ibarra and Maritza Cárdenas, with support from CS committee member Eduardo Huerta as well.

On May 22,  Ciclovía Salinas volunteers Manuel Guadalupe Ontiveros and Maritza Cárdenas were interviewed on AMPMedia.org‘s “Your Town,” hosted by Sharon Gavin, Community Outreach Coordinator, Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC). Check with AMP Media or contact TAMC’s Andy Cook, Bicycle/Pedestrian coordinator with any questions.

* * * * *

Info below was previously published 8/5/12.

Like biking Salinas? I sure do.  And many more people will discover the joys of biking Salinas when this proposal moves forward!

Salinas Neighborhood Council has a Ciclovia /Open Streets proposal.  Ciclovia is the temporary closing of the street to allow public recreational use of the roads.

At the 7/24/12 Salinas City Council meeting, Council member Steve McShane, an enthusiastic supporter of Ciclovia, requested a presentation from Building Healthy Communities about the proposed Ciclovia for Salinas.

Stay informed and lend your support.  See pages 5-7 of the Salinas Ciclovia proposal for some of the early leaders [and see contact in in 4/3/13 update above].  Find out how you can help Building Healthy Communities and others in bringing the dream to life.

To learn more, download PDF.  Or start by reading this excerpt from the proposal:

According to Gil Peñalosa, Executive Director of 8-80 Cities, “People
traffic replaces car traffic, and the streets become ‘paved parks’ where people of all ages, abilities, and social, economic, or ethnic backgrounds can come out and improve their mental, physical, and emotional health.”
Ciclovia or “Open Streets” have become one of the most exciting advancements in the livable cities movement. Ciclovia provides new and fun ways to achieve environmental, social, economic, and public health goals for participants of these events in a community.

The avid East Salinas cyclist above knows there are many benefits to bicycling, walking, and other active transportation more easily enjoyed in an Open Streets setting.

In my dreams, I have seen Salinas as the crown jewel of Monterey County bicycling, with beautifully landscaped bicycle and pedestrian boulevards, and more. Picture that! And volunteer to help Building Healthy Communities and others in making Salinas a better city for people who bike, walk, and use public transportation.

* * * * *

• Click here for more about bicycling in Salinas.
• For info on another Monterey Bay area Open Streets event–in Santa Cruz, read on.
• Note that the Santa Cruz Open Streets event is (as of 5/31/13) is an annual, event, with the second scheduled for October 13, 2013. 
• The vision is to have Ciclovía Salinas a monthly Open Streets event.
  

Santa Cruz

Our neighbors in Santa Cruz had their first Open Streets event on Sunday, October 7, 2012 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on West Cliff Drive.

For details, visit www.scopenstreets.org.

Congratulations to Santa Cruz on creating the Monterey Bay Tri-County region’s first Open Streets day.   Santa Cruz is my former hometown and it remains a favorite regional getaway.  Hooray for celebrating the beauty of West Cliff with Open Streets!

More about Santa Cruz

• Biking West Cliff: Falling in Love with Bicycling
• Monterey Bay Region Celebrates Tannery Arts Center and Bike-Powered Taxi, Santa Cruz Pedicab
• Let’s Get Connected: Watsonville Workshop on Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail
• Santa Cruzans–Many Faces of Bicycling on the Monterey Bay
• Type “Santa Cruz” in this site’s search window for more.

Thanks!

Thank you to Saskia Lucas, coordinator of the first Santa Cruz Open Streets event for the heads-up, and to Theresia Rogerson of the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency for directing Saskia to Bicycling Monterey.