Building a bike-friendly Santa Maria

The following article was posted on December 2nd, 2009, in the Santa Maria Sun - Volume 10, Issue 38

 

Building a bike-friendly Santa Maria
 
Cyclists say the city's pedaling in the right direction
 
BY JEREMY THOMAS
 
Situated in the heart of one of America’s most beloved cycling destinations, Santa Maria is home to more than its share of biking enthusiasts.
 
However, in those circles, the city doesn’t have a reputation for being accommodating to bicyclists—as opposed to nearby cities like Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo.
Local enthusiast Scott Clark owns two area bike stores, Main Street Cycles and Cycle Store.
“The consensus from all my friends, both commuters and enthusiasts, is that Santa Maria is not that friendly of a town,” Clark said. “It’s all about the vehicles. People drive big vehicles, play loud music, and they drive way too fast.
“You’ve got to be really heads up when you’re on a bike in this town,” he added.
The City Council is taking steps to shed that reputation, however, approving an update to its Bikeway Master Plan that looks to add 139 miles of bike paths, lanes, and routes and fill in gaps in the city’s existing bike path network.
The plan has the support of the Santa Barbara Community Action Network, a group that held workshops addressing the issue of making the city more appealing to cyclists.
“We like just about everything in it,” said the group’s executive director, Deborah Brasket. “In all, we’re very happy it was passed.”
Brasket said Santa Maria has been considered one of the least friendly cities for bike riders in the county. At the heart of the problem, she said, is the view among some city leaders that bicycling doesn’t fit the city’s agricultural character.
“That’s just looking backward instead of forward, as far as we’re concerned, in what is needed to create a sustainable community,” Brasket said. “You need to have healthy, greener transportation choices, especially since Santa Maria has become the largest city in the county.
“We haven’t done that as yet,” she added.
In the past, the city has mulled over designs that would have added bike routes along the Santa Maria Valley Railroad line and extended a path to Guadalupe along the levee. Those projects are included in the latest master plan.
According to Dave Contrero, president of a local nonprofit cycling club, farmers and vineyard owners have objected to bike routes that run alongside agricultural land, and railroad companies continue to raise safety concerns over paths on the rail right-of-way. Though he said he would like to see a cross-town bike route stretching from the airport to the levee, Contrero said something is better than nothing.
“I’m happy that they voted this in,” he said. “It’s a start.”
Because the plan was approved before the end of the year, it qualifies the city to receive state and federal grants to fund the projects. Contrero said traditionally, the North County is neglected when it comes to getting funding for bikeways, especially compared to its coastal neighbors.
“We’re like the stepchildren over here,” Contrero said. “We don’t make enough noise as bike riders up here to get the recognition of the City Council or the supervisors. We just take what they give us. We ride the streets. We’re careful.”
Contrero’s club, Tailwinds, holds the annual Windmill Century Race that runs through the Santa Maria Valley and raises funds to give away bicycles, locks, and helmets to local elementary school children. He said club members enjoy mountain biking east of town and along Highway 1 to keep in shape.
“We are so fortunate up here to have some of the best biking areas around,” Contreras said. “Without the stop-and-goes and the traffic, it’s just really beautiful here. It’s just a biking paradise.”
   And with few hills, Santa Maria is a city that lends itself to bicycling, according to Ralph Fertig, president of the countywide Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition.  He called the bike plan a “change for the best.”
   “Bicycling is so beneficial all the way around,” Fertig said. “By not having cars on the road, if people bike instead, it’s healthier. It’s a lot cheaper to put a bike lane in than a road for cars. It doesn’t require the parking.”
   In addition to an ample supply of recreational cyclists, a growing segment of the city’s population is using bicycles to commute. According to Fertig, the number of Santa Marians who bike to work doubled from 1 percent to 2 percent from 2000 to 2008. Though it might not seem like much, the rate is four times the national average.
   Fertig said he’s certain the plan will further increase the amount of bicyclists in the city. Adding more bike racks and facilities will cause riders to feel more welcomed on city streets, he said, and well-marked bike lanes will improve rider safety.
   Safety is the biggest problem facing bicyclists on the roadways, according to Main Street Cycles’ Clark—especially on the open road, he said, where cars often buzz too close to cyclists, driving them off the shoulder or causing them to crash.
   “People in cars have the attitude that bicyclists are second-class citizens that are inconveniencing them,” Clark said. “They need to understand that that’s a human being on a bicycle, not just an object that’s preventing them from getting where they want to go. By doing what they’re doing, they’re playing a very dangerous game.”
Clark said the bike plan is a step toward improving safety and encouraging more bicyclists on city streets.
“I think it’s great,” he said. “There’s no question that we’re making strides and going in a better direction. There’s no doubt about it. Cycling is never going to improve in this area until there’s an infrastructure to support it.”
Beyond the benefits to the cycling community, Clark said, a solid biking infrastructure could have a positive impact on the overall health of the city moving forward.
“I believe that when you get communities that focus on health and activity and culture, it starts bringing other things,” he said. “Pretty soon, then you get in more creative people in the community, and better economic balance, and you give the community more reasons to thrive.”
Staff Writer Jeremy Thomas likes sharrows. Contact him at jthomas@santamariasun.com.