Category Archives: #BikeSM

Action Alert: Support Pedestrian Pilot on Main Street

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June 8th Council Meeting 

This Tuesday, Santa Monica City Council is expected to vote on final approval of the pilot program for temporary weekend street closures for vehicular traffic for a few weekends this summer on Main Street. In other cities programs like this have proven to reduce car use, support local businesses, and increase walking and biking. Santa Monica City Council needs to hear from you – share your support for a more sustainable, walkable, and vibrant Santa Monica! We want Santa Monica to be a great place for residents, workers, students and visitors of all ages to safely walk, bike, and scoot. As we emerge out of the pandemic, finding creative ways like this to support healthy active mobility and our local businesses by providing more outdoor experiences is critical for our community wellbeing and our economic recovery. 

We know you may have previously sent an email or submitted a survey but we need you to help demonstrate support to Council this evening with a short note to ensure that Item 7-A is approved. Click and customize the template below.

Santa Monica Spoke enthusiastically supports the Main Street Buisness Improvement District and the Ocean Park Neighborhood Association pilot. Other cities in the US and around the world have long been discovering the economic and safety benefits of slow and shared streets for safer, more equitable and sustainable mobility, for people walking, biking, scooting and driving. We have the data, we know that prioritizing people over cars makes streets safer for everyone, improves gridlock, is better for the environment, and indeed improves the experience of mobility regardless of mode. By providing safer and healthier options that encourage more people to leave their cars behind and explore the city, we improve safety, climate impacts, economic and environmental resilience, and vitality for our future. 

This item will be heard tomorrow at the Tuesday, June 8th council meeting.
Please send a quick note of support on Item 7-A, pilot program for weekend closures on Main Street, to the members of City Council* — template and email addresses listed below.
*preferably by noon on Tuesday June 8th. 

Example from Santa Barbara 

Template: Please personalize as you like

To: councilmtgitems@smgov.net, sue.himmelrich@smgov.net, kristin.mccowan@smgov.net, phil.brock@smgov.net, gleam.davis@smgov.net, oscar.delatorre@smgov.net, Kevin.McKeown@smgov.net, christine.parra@smgov.net

Dear Mayor and Santa Monica City Council,

As a Santa Monica resident, I support the pilot to pedestrianize Main Street for a few weekends this summer and hope you will consider making it permanent. Pedestrianized streets are more vibrant and encourage people to visit by foot, bicycle or scooter and leave their car at home. Pedestrian streets improve the visitor experience, encourage people to stay and bring in more customers to shops and restaurants. Streets that are pedestrianized are much more relaxing and enjoyable to visit and eat outdoors than a street with the noise and pollution of car traffic.

I very much support this program and ask that you vote to approve of the pilot on Main Street!

May is Bike Month

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We are getting ready and gathering Bike Month Promotions and Virtual Activities to share for
Bike Month Santa Monica 2021!
#BikeThere #BikeMonthSM #GoSaMo #BikeLocalSM
#WhyIRide

TheLEAGUE-BikeMonth

May is National Bike Month, sponsored by the  League of American Bicyclists and celebrated in communities from coast to coast. Established in 1956, National Bike Month is a chance to showcase the many benefits of bicycling — and encourage more folks to giving biking a try.

WITH SO MANY REASONS TO RIDE, WHAT’S YOURS? Â»

bike_month_250x250

It’s a celebration of bikes; a reminder to get rolling again; a gateway to riding more often; a time to evangelize the beauty of bikes; and much, much more.

Whether you bike to work or school; ride to save money or time; pump those pedals to preserve your health or the environment; or simply to explore your community, National Bike Month is an opportunity to celebrate the unique power of the bicycle and the many reasons we ride. The momentum is building: With growing cultural awareness around health and wellness, sustainability and economic savings, bicycling is being seen by new and broader audiences as a simple solution to many complex problems, from reducing obesity rates to increasing mobility options. This year, we want to hear from you. What’s your “why?” With so many reasons to ride, what’s yours? Use the hashtags #WhyIRide and #BikeLocalSM #BikeMonthSM on social media and also tag @SMSpoke @BikeLeague!

Each year the number and diversity of Bike Month celebrations continues to grow, accelerating the momentum around bicycling nationwide.

Santa Monica Local Bike Match Program: Volunteers Needed

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For a few years we’ve worked to get bicycles in the hands of folks that have had their own bicycles stolen or cannot afford to purchase a new bicycle. Until now our donated bicycles have been distributed in our local community in exchange for a pay what you can donation, as gifts to individuals and for free local community raffles.

Early this year in addition to donated bike from individuals we received a number of bicycles from a local business and from Bike Angels. We have been working hard to clean and fix up these bikes to add to our Local Bike Match Program. The goal of the Bike Match program is to get donated bikes matched – for free – to individuals in our local community. As we continue to collect working bike donations (all sizes) we need volunteers to help clean them up and do minor repairs so they can be matched and distributed to new owners – for no cost – or if you have the means for a donation that will be applied to the Bike Match Program. 

If your bike has been stolen or you are in need of a bicycle and cannot afford one please drop us an email. An online application is coming soon.

What can you do? Volunteer!

We are hosting a wash and wrench session at the SMC Sustainability Center this Saturday, October 17th, 12-4pm* with our Bike Match Program partners at Santa Monica College Sustainability Program. Bike mechanics knowledge is very helpful but not required – some bikes just need to be cleaned.  

To donate a bicycle, parts, accessories or equipment please email
Donate@SMSpoke.org 
 

If you can join us this Saturday, or for a future session please email us at
Volunteer@SMSpoke.org 

*All Volunteers are required to take the Covid Health & Safety Survey prior to showing up to volunteer. 

Recent SMC Bike Match recipients!

Protected Bike Lane Amendment Adopted by SM City Council

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On Tuesday, October 13th, Santa Monica City Council unanimously adopted the Bike Action Plan Amendment adding protected bike lanes to the Current 2011 Bike Action Plan. We were humbled and grateful for the youth that spoke so passionately and articulately at the online meeting — despite the late hour — in support of expanding protected bike lanes and safety for our community, workers, students and visitors.

Broadway Protected Bike Lanes

We’d like to thank City Staff for their meticulous work preparing the Draft Plan and the Santa Monica City Council for their continued direction and support to expand healthy active transportation options in Santa Monica along with necessary infrastructure and safety improvements for people walking, biking, scooting or driving cars. Together – with commitments like this – we can and must continue to prioritize improving safety for all, particularly our most vulnerable road users.

You can click these links to:
View the Staff Report
Watch the meeting – scroll to item 8A under the video to jump to the item.
Visit Info page Bike Action Plan Update: Protected Bikeway Network – Project Goal
DRAFT Bike Action Plan Amendment



Also Check this out!
Ocean Avenue Project – Protected Bikeway and Expanding Outside Dining

Want More Protected Bikes Lanes in Santa Monica?

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Well the day has come! The Bike Action Plan Amendment will be brought to City Council the evening of October 13th for adoption.

Newest Protected Bike Lane on Broadway in Santa Monica

This exciting Bike Action Plan Amendment will advance the goals of the original 2011 Bike Plan by officially adding protected bike lanes, a relatively new type of approved bikeway that better meets the needs of our Santa Monica community of residents and visitors. Protected bike lanes add separation between people bicycling/scooting and people driving, which reduces opportunities for conflicts and are proven to create an environment that is more welcoming to a broader spectrum of people including families with children, novice riders, and those who are just nervous about riding on the road.

The Bike Action Plan Amendment will help move our City to improve:
• Safety: Reducing conflicts result in fewer fatal crashes and fewer crashes overall as people on bicycles and scooters move with more protection from motorized car traffic.
• Sustainability and Climate Action: Safer options encourage local trips walking, bicycling or scooting, reduce transportation emissions while increasing safety and equitable access for everyone. 
• Economic Recovery: COVID-19 has re-emphasized the role of living local, supporting community businesses, shops, and eateries. Protected bike lanes help in creating a network of safer and convenient bikeways to enable residents, visitors, and workers to walk, bike and scoot to local businesses, schools, parks, transit stations, and other destinations.

We invite you to join us by provide your input and showing your support for protected bike lanes and the Bike Action Plan Amendment. The Bike Action Plan Amendment will be presented to Santa Monica City Council for consideration on Tuesday October 13, 2020, and further information is available on the project website.

Email Council at: councilmtgitems@smgov.net
Subject Item: 8A

Read our letter of support HERE