Thank you, Sacramento!

Tuesday, May 5, 2015, was the BIG Day of Giving, the region’s annual 24-hour online fundraising challenge involving some 500 local nonprofits, including exactly one bicycle advocacy organization.
We’re happy to report that we raised $10,929 thanks to the generosity of 165 donors. This amount exceeds our goal of $8,000, which we surpassed at 6:30 PM that day.
We received our first donation at 12:02 AM and our last one at 11:59:52 PM, with 8 seconds to spare! Wow!
We even received a donation through PayPal from a man who explained that he couldn’t afford the $25 minimum BIG DoG donation but still wanted to be part of the event. Do you know how good it feels to come to work knowing you have that kind of support?
Thank you to everyone who donated and to everyone who liked our many (many) social media posts throughout the day! And huge thanks to the Sacramento Region Community Foundation for making the day possible and for providing
1. The law requires a driver passing a bike to give at least 3 feet of clearance between any part of the vehicle and any part of the bike or the person riding it.
2. Where 3 feet of clearance isn’t available due to road or traffic conditions, the driver must slow down and pass only when it’s safe to do so. The new law doesn’t change the prohibition against crossing a double yellow centerline in order to pass another vehicle or bike on a two-lane road.
3. State law previously required drivers to pass at a “safe distance” but didn’t specify what that distance should be.

Napa County is the first place in the state to post warning signs

4. The law applies where a driver is passing a bike from behind, in the same lane and the same direction of travel. It may also apply to a driver passing a bike traveling in an adjacent bike lane. The CA Vehicle Code section about “overtaking” (the part revised by the new 3-foot passing law) isn’t that specific, so there may need to be a court ruling about this in the future.
5. The law was signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2013 and took effect on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2014.
6. The law is enforced just like the speed limit is enforced: drivers who are observed passing unsafely could be cited.
7. The fine for a violation is $235 for passing too closely ($35 base fine + court fees) and $959 for causing an injury to a bicyclist while passing too closely ($220 base fine + court fees). Judges have discretion to adjust fine amounts, so the actual amount could vary from case to case.
8. A violation constitutes an infraction (like a speeding ticket) and adds a point to the driver’s record.
9. The DMV Driver’s Handbook has recommended giving bikes at least three feet of clearance when passing for many years. Since 2007 California’s Move Over law has required drivers to slow down and move over when passing highway work crews.
10. 23 other states have similar laws. In Pennsylvania, the minimum distance is 4 feet. It took four tries to get California’s law enacted.

Charges in Yolo Co. hit-and-runs

We’re relieved and pleased with the news that West Sacramento police will bring charges of attempted murder against the driver who hit and injured three road cyclists on a training ride on June 29 along South River Road in Yolo County. The driver fled the scene of the collisions and was later captured in downtown Sacramento.
Two of the three victims are 17 years old, one of whom remains gravely injured in intensive care. Witnesses reported via social media that the driver appeared to target each victim individually, as they were spread out over a half-mile along South River Road. This route is a local instruction where dozens of road cyclists – including nationally ranked competitors – regularly train and compete.
Our hearts go out to the injured cyclists and their loved ones with wishes for a smooth and full recovery. We’re extremely grateful to the West Sacramento Police Department, whose quick action in capturing the driver undoubtedly saved lives.
This incident is the fifth hit-and-run collision involving people on bikes in the greater Sacramento area in the past three months. In the four previous collisions, drivers killed two people and injured two others. None of these drivers has been captured.
People on bikes are particularly vulnerable to hit-and-run collisions, due to the obvious physical differences between cars and bikes. In most collisions with a car, the bike is damaged and the bicyclist is injured, which make it easier for a driver to choose to flee without fear of being identified or chased.
Earlier on June 29, SABA Executive Director Jim Brown joined others to testify before the Senate Transportation & Housing Committee in support of Assembly Bill 8, which would extend the AMBER Alert system to include alerts about hit-and-run collisions. Despite opposition from the California Highway Patrol – the bill’s only formal opponent – the committee voted unanimously to approve AB 8. Prior to the hearing, SABA rallied hundreds of local bicyclists to contact committee members on behalf of the bill.
The key to preventing hit-and-runs is to prevent collisions that injure or kill people on bikes. In addition to supporting valuable new enforcement strategies like those proposed in AB 8, we’re calling for vigorous enforcement of existing laws against speeding, running red lights, distracted driving and drunk driving.
Meanwhile, drivers must be made to understand that leaving the scene of a collision is a crime punishable by a heavy fine, a jail or prison sentence and, potentially, restitution payments to victims and the loss of one’s driver’s license.
On Monday, July 13, the SABA Board of Directors will discuss strategies for responding to fatal collisions involving bicyclists, including hit-and-runs, at its regular monthly meetin

Investing in a bike-friendly future

This is the time of year for reflecting on important accomplishments. It’s been a big year for SABA:

  Freeport Blvd. near C.K. McClatchy High School

-  We convinced the City of Sacramento to hire a consultant to help complete the first major update of its bicycle master plan in 20 years — a project still unfinished after nearly three years. Meeting Sacramento’s goals for mobility, equity, air quality and economic vitality requires a bold plan for bicycle transportation that reflects modern best practices as well as substantial community input. Robust, modern plans are guiding the boom in bicycling in cities like Boston, Minneapolis, Austin, Seattle, Oakland and San Francisco — a boom that has yet to happen in our region.

  Chuck helped park 1,100 bikes at the 2015 TBD Fest

-  We helped more people than ever choose bicycling for everyday travel. Through our Bike Valet program we parked some 15,000 bikes at more than 140 community events, making bicycling feasible for more people and making it relevant to the businesses and organizations behind those events.
-  We continued to expand and diversify our board of directors demographically, regionally and professionally, so that we can operate with the entire community in mind. We also adopted a strategic plan to focus our efforts over the next several years.
With our region’s big potential come big needs and opportunities. During the coming year we’ll be focusing a lot of our effort in these areas:
Improving conditions for travel by bike in underserved neighborhoods in South Sacramento. We’re working with two South Sacramento schools to set up “bike kitchens” where students can learn to maintain their own bike – this is a part of the region that has no bike shops. We’re also working with residents on a Vision Zero campaign to end collisions that kill bicyclists, pedestrians and drivers. What we’re learning in South Sacramento will guide us in other parts of the region.

Stockton Blvd. at Fruitridge Rd.

  Bike share kiosk in San Francisco

Helping shape the regional bike share program due to launch in 2017. This program will let residents, commuters and visitors check out bikes for short trips in downtown Sacramento, West Sacramento and Davis and will lead to street improvements that benefit everyone traveling by bike in those neighborhoods. It could even reduce regional commute traffic when a trip by public transit + bike share becomes a reasonable alternative to driving. Our perspective and experience will be essential to ensuring that this program delivers on its potential.

   Protected bike lane in Austin, TX

Making sure that proposed projects and policies actually improve conditions for bicycle travel. Public agencies around the region have ambitious plans that include bike improvements. But they’ll succeed only if their plans are actually implemented. We’ll continue to build the community and political support needed for implementing the Sac Grid 2.0 study, the updated Sacramento Bicycle Master Plan, and the Caltrans Cap City Corridor congestion relief project, among other initiatives.
You can help strengthen our capacity to continue creating change by making a tax-deductible, year-end donation to SABA. Consider what bicycling means to you and those you care about, and how you can help make bicycling safer and more convenient for many more people. Your donation to SABA is an investment in the region’s quality of life. Click here to learn more about how to donate.

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Blog

Residents question Bait Bike plan Off-road biking on the Parkway SABA is hiring Bike Valet Leads

Current Projects

Vision Zero Project review Bike Valet Open Streets Carlson Corridor

SABA is hiring Bike Valet Leads

Looking for a job that can help make our region a healthier, cleaner, friendlier and more prosperous place?
We’re currently hiring as many as six Bike Valet Leads to help us make our most visible program an even bigger success.

You’ll be a great fit if you’re an organized, confident, mechanically inclined self-starter who loves working with volunteers and delivering excellent customer service. This is definitely a physical job that involves outdoor events in all weather (mostly April into October).
We pay $15 per hour and we offer a flexible schedule with at last 4 to 20 hours a week, depending on your interest and availability.
Download the complete job description for this position
How to apply
Please email saba@sacbike.org with a cover letter that describes your qualifications and interest, three references, and your availability (when you can start work). We’ll start interviews as soon as we hear from qualified, motivated applicants. The positions remain open until all are filled.
About SABA
SABA was founded in 1991 and incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2003 (ID #37-1474544). We currently have a 12-member board of directors, one full-time employee and six part-time employees. We operate from offices in downtown Sacramento. We work in a building shared with other great nonprofits that is located a half-block south of the 12^th Street light rail station, has a secured bike room, and is the first collection site for the nation’s first commercial program to convert food waste into vehicle fuel. You’ll have access to a full kitchen and a shower.

Off-road biking on the Parkway

After years of debate, off-road bicycling could finally be allowed on the American River Parkway near Woodlake and Cal Expo under a 3-year pilot program to be implemented by Sacramento County Parks.
The program would create new recreational bicycling opportunities for residents of North Sacramento, Arden Arcade and nearby neighborhoods.
By bringing more activity into this part of the Parkway, the program could also help discourage the illegal activities that make the area feel dangerous to many recreational and commuter bicyclists and other visitors.
Off-road bicycling would be allowed between Del Paso Blvd. to Ethan Way on the north side of the American River. Off-road riding would be limited to existing unpaved fire roads and maintenance roads in that area, and continue to be prohibited on existing equestrian trails. No new trails would be built as part of the program.

Off-road bicycling is allowed along Lake Natoma. Photo by FATRAC

The pilot will allow Sacramento County Parks to measure impacts as the way determine whether off-road bicycling could be allowed in other areas of the Parkway. Off-road bicycling is already allowed upstream from Hazel Ave., where the Parkway is managed by California State Parks.
A citizen advisory group developed the pilot program in 2008 as part of the American River Parkway Plan, which covers management of the Parkway between Discovery Park and Hazel Ave. Sacramento County and the cities of Sacramento and Rancho Cordova adopted the plan in 2008. Local advocate Bob Horowitz deserves huge credit and thanks for spearheading this project since then.

American River Parkway Advisory Committee workshop. Photo by Brian Asch

On Feb. 19, 2016, Sacramento County’s American River Parkway Advisory Committee hosted the first of several public workshops to gather feedback and ideas for the implementation plan. Dozens of local advocates for off-road bicycling reviewed maps and commented on staff recommendations for managing trails during wet weather, protecting sensitive habitat, and minimizing potential conflicts with other Parkway users.
Sacramento County Parks staff estimates that costs for the program will be minimal and have very little impact on Parkway operations, as ranger patrols, restrooms, trash collection and signage are already provided or budgeted for that area.
After concluding public workshops, County Parks staff will make recommendations for implementing the pilot program to the American River Parkway Advisory Committee (SABA has a seat on this committee), which will vote on the implementation plan. The Sacramento County Parks & Recreation Commission and Board of Supervisors will also be asked to approve the plan.

Residents question Bait Bike plan

Could the Bait Bike program already in place in downtown Sacramento be a way to prevent bike theft in South Sacramento?
Or is it an effort by the Sacramento Police Department to entrap at-risk youth in a part of the city where many residents — many of them low-income people of color — feel ignored by the City of Sacramento and highly mistrustful of law enforcement?
These were some of the questions aired at a community meeting hosted on Feb. 29 in South Sacramento by Councilmembers Larry Carr and Rick Jennings in response to plans to implement a Bait Bike program along Mack Road near Hwy 99. More than 50 residents attended the meeting, which attracted local TV news crews.
The Sacramento Police Department works with neighborhood businesses associations to use Bait Bikes — bikes locked in public places and “baited” with special technology that allows them to be tracked if stolen — to capture bike thieves.
Sac PD deployed Bait Bikes 168 times in several downtown Sacramento neighborhoods in 2015 and captured 60 thieves, 59 of them repeat offenders. Most of those arrested were white males ages 30-49. So far no juveniles have been arrested for stealing a Bait Bike. Councilmembers Carr and Jennings both emphasized the importance of getting repeat offenders off the street.
The discussion at the meeting focused not on the benefits of preventing bike theft — there was general agreement about the need to prevent theft of all kinds — but how and why the Bait Bike program was chosen as a priority.
Many residents, including young people, expressed concern about impacts on at-risk youth. Several residents were concerned that juveniles who might be arrested for stealing a Bait Bike could end up in prison. District Attorney representatives explained that youth offenders would face diversion programs, not jail, and also explained why the Bait Bikes program doesn’t constitute illegal entrapment (here’s why: it’s not a form of coercion).
Some residents at the meeting asked why the $1,000 spent on each Bait Bike — a value that makes the theft a felony, not just a misdemeanor — couldn’t be used for programs and services that benefit youth. One resident questioned whether arresting repeat offenders was actually effective, as nearly all Bait Bike offenders have long arrest records for prior thefts.
Several residents criticized the Sac PD for preparing to implement the program without having talked to residents or asked what they needed or wanted. Afterwards, the pastor of the church that hosted the meeting pointed out that Mack Road doesn’t even have bike lanes.
We have our own questions:
- What do we actually know about bike theft in South Sacramento? We already know that very few South Sac destinations have bike racks, which forces people to lock up in places that make their bikes much more vulnerable to theft.
- Are Bait Bikes the best way to prevent bike theft in a neighborhood that has virtually no bike shops and few other places to buy a U-lock?
- What can the Sac PD tell us about whether Bait Bike offenders are being convicted and jailed? Do we know if the rate of bike theft is dropping because of this program?
- Is arresting bike thieves the most valuable way to serve residents in a part of the city with the highest number of serious and fatal bike collisions?
We see an opportunity for the City of Sacramento to look more comprehensively at how it accommodates and serves South Sac residents who travel by bike, and we’re already partnering with neighborhood representatives to see what’s possible.

Donate a Vehicle: Wheels Helping Warriors

Paralyzed Veterans of America is making it easier than ever to give back through Wheels Helping Warriors, a vehicle donation program that raises funds to help provide veterans access to free employment counseling, benefits assistance, advocacy, adaptive sports and recreation programs, and much more.

Every vehicle has value. Regardless of the condition, your donated vehicle will sell at auction and proceeds will fund a lifetime of support for seriously injured veterans and their families. Paralyzed Veterans of America’s Wheels Helping Warriors vehicle donation program will gratefully accept the following vehicles:

• Airplanes
• Motorcycles
• Boats
• RVs/campers
• Cars
• Semi-tractors
• Farm equipment
• SUVs
• Horse trailers
• Trucks

It’s simple to give: Be sure you have vehicle title, fill out the online form below or call a Paralyzed Veterans Wheels Helping Warriors vehicle donation representative at 1-866-841-2023 to schedule a FREE pickup. The average pickup time is 24-48 hours from the time of your request. Even if your vehicle doesn’t run, we will accept your donation. You may even earn a tax break too!

Once your vehicle has been sold, we’ll send you a receipt for your tax records and the sale of the proceeds will be donated to Paralyzed Veterans of America.

We appreciate your support of Paralyzed Veterans of America’s Wheels Helping Warriors vehicle donation program. With your donation, we are able to improve lives and empower veterans - and all Americans - living with disability. So, thank you!  
ATTENTION CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS: Anyone wishing to donate to Paralyzed Veterans of America's Wheels Helping Warriors program must contact Brad Coleman at 336-688-2279 to make donation.