Bicycle Advocacy: What you can do

Please read over the three sections of this page.

Contact me with your ideas and questions.

I.  Help improve bike infrastructure

Be part of the solution. 
If you aren’t already, consider taking an active role in making better bikeways.  If you are already active, perhaps you’re up for doing a little more.
  1. See the Local Bike News section of this site for a sampling of what’s happening locally and ways to be involved. (Infrastructure contacts are on the Bicycle Shops, Services, Clubs, and Resources page.)
  2. Be a VIV–a Very Important Volunteer!  Commit to doing the necessary research and staying informed about one or more local bike infrastructure needs, then  volunteer to keep the local bike community informed via guest posts for Local Bike News section, and other outreach.  (This prevents people later saying, “I didn’t know there were $18,000 available for free bike racks and lockers locally!” or “I didn’t know our state senator voted for three-foot passing and the governor vetoed it!”).
  3. Subscribe to the Bicycling Monterey website, or its RSS feed, so you can catch some bike community news.
  4. Respond to requests for public input.
  5. Attend the Transportation Agency’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Board meetings, and considering serving on that Board.  Attend related TAMC Board of Directors meetings too.
  6. Attend City Council and other public meetings, Board of Supervisors meetings, traffic advisory committee meetings, regional trail network meetings, and related  events (e.g., transportation and parking charrette) to voice your support for better bikeways.
  7. Express your gratitude to municipal and other leaders for the improvements that are made to local bikeways. And celebrate successes!
  8. Federal, state, and local budget cuts have resulted in cuts to city and county staff hours in most places.  When making a request or posing a question to a municipal employee, please be mindful of that.  If  your circumstances permit, ask how you can help.   Whether by serving on a city board or committee, a countywide committee, see how you can share the burden of improving bicycle infrastructure needs.
  9. Contact state and federal legislators regarding related legislation.  Support the work of state and national bike advocacy groups, such as:

II.  More ways to be an effective bike advocate

Create a more bicycling friendly county, and world
Build stronger relationships in the bike community
  1. Volunteer with Bicycling Monterey. (Why? See Section III below.)
  2. Volunteer with the HER Helmet Thursdays project.  Have a favorite Monterey County business or organization you’d like to see in the H-E-R Helmet Thursdays project?  Invite them.
  3. Make a donation to the Bicycling Monterey work. Even small amounts help maintain and expand these resources and projects.
  4. Ask me about other local bike-related volunteer opportunities, such as PAL bike fairs and other ways to help get more youth on bikes.
  5. Contact local bike clubs, listed on the Bicycle Shops, Services, Clubs, and Resources page, and offer to help with trail work, community outreach events, education, and more.
  6. Do you love a parade?  The larger community has asked that the bike community have a presence in local parades.  To make this happen requires someone to volunteer to be the coordinator for the bike community.  Is that you? Contact me for more info.
  7. Look over that Bicycle Shops, Services, Clubs, and Resources page to become aware of the many resources available in Monterey County, then…
  8. Spread the word!

III.  Why support the Bicycling Monterey work?

Along with the local bike community leaders found on the “Bicycle Shops, Services, Clubs, and Resources” page, Bicycling Monterey is helping to make Monterey County an even more bicycling friendly place for visitors and residents.  The Transportation Agency for Monterey County recognized the value of the Bicycling Monterey resources and projects with a Transportation Excellence Award on January 25, 2012.

Don’t know what Bicycling Monterey is about?  Here’s a summary:

The Bicycling Monterey website and projects, including the HER Helmet Thursdays project, were established as a community service of Mari Lynch and Fine Wordworking. The site is recognized by the City of Monterey, City of Seaside, Monterey County Health Department, Transportation Agency for Monterey County, Monterey-Salinas Transit, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, National Steinbeck Center, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey Institute of International Studies,  California State University Monterey Bay, Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Sea Otter Classic, California Bicycle Coalition, and many others, and recommended and featured by media including KUSP Central Coast Public Radio, KSBW, the Monterey County Weekly, the Salinas Californian, and the Monterey County Herald.

Bicycling Monterey serves as an information hub for bicycling in Monterey County, with over 250 posts and 70 web pages of local biking info.  Who is the site for?

It is for locals and visitors, from Carmel to Castroville, those whose presence expands our perspectives and those in our community who require help at this time.  It includes serious cycling and cycle chic fun.  It is for teen girls and boys, children starting out, and elders too–like the man at the end of this post. 

Below, teens in Castroville helping to get the word out about the availability of local bicycling resources.

Below, Kaki Cheung of the Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC), using the Cycle Tracks app in Salinas.  Learn more about Kaki and TAMC in “Section 11: Infrastructure” on the Bicycle Shops, Services, Clubs, and Resources page.

 


Here’s the question:  

Will today’s children–and future generations–find this a wonderful place to bike?

It’s up to us.

Is there anything at all happening for local Safe Routes to School efforts? Yes, there is a start.  Click here.