Category Archives: Press

Silver Level Bike Friendly Community designation!

16 Replies

Santa Monica moves up to Silver Level in Bike Friendly Communities
and named 5th Most Bikeable City in U.S

During all the celebrations of National Bike Month and to kick off Bike to Work Week, the League of American Bicyclists announced its latest round of Bicycle Friendly Communities (BFC). The City of Santa Monica has been awarded national recognition of our local efforts by raising our ranking from Bronze to Silver level. At the same time Walk Score, a national organization devoted to promoting walkable neighborhoods, ranked Santa Monica at #5 on its Bike Score list of Top 100 most bikeable cities.

The Bicycle Friendly Community “Silver” award will be presented to Mayor Pam O’Connor by our own Jennifer Klausner, Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition on Wednesday, May 15th at 5pm in the courtyard behind Santa Monica City Hall, 1685 Main Street, Santa Monica.  Before the award presentation you are invited to join us and SM City staff on a bicycle tour highlighting new bicycle facilities during Bike Week. Cyclists are invited to gather for the ride at 3:30pm in the courtyard behind City Hall.  We roll out at 4pm to return by 5pm for the award ceremony. After the ceremony you are in invited to join us for a Handlebar Happy Hour Celebration at West 4th & Jane.

“The Bicycle Friendly Community Silver award is presented only to communities with remarkable commitments to bicycling. You should be very proud of this accomplishment,” wrote Nicole Wynands, Program Manager for the League of American Bicyclists.

The City earned an impressive 83 Bike Score from Walk Score. This rating is derived from a data set that includes infrastructure, hilly terrain, numbers of bikers on streets and more.

“Santa Monica has embraced bicycling as one of the most important strategies to help achieve its environmental, economic and quality of life goals and adopted an award-winning Bike Action Plan in November 2011.  Since then, the City has invested heavily in bicycling, in both programs: education, events, awareness, enforcement, –and facilities: parking, lanes, sharrows, and signal detection” quoted the press release by Lucy Dyke, Planning & Community Development.

For more information on Bike Week Events and bicycling in Santa Monica:
Bike Month Santa Monica, SM Spoke
Bike Santa Monica, SM City

For more information on Bicycle Friendly Communities:
http://www.bikeleague.org/

For more information on Bike Score:
http://blog.walkscore.com/2013/05/bike-score-expands-to-100-cities/

 

Save the date: June 1st Santa Monica Festival

1 Reply

Santa Monica Spoke’s 3rd Annual Bike Exhibition at the
Santa Monica Festival

Plus lots more – stay tuned for more info on our events at the festival.
Don’t miss the 22nd annual Santa Monica Festival! Experience an eclectic mix of live music and dance, DIY art workshops with recycled and repurposed materials, guilt-free shopping featuring earth-friendly artistic wares and local services offered by City, environmental and local non-profit organizations. The Festival is a celebration with a purpose, highlighting the dynamic connection between the City’s communities, businesses, art, culture and the environment while offering ideas and options for a greener, healthier and more sustainable lifestyle.

Supporting the Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy in Santa Monica.
SM Festival

Wednesday Events: Guided Ride and Special Recognition Ceremony :)

4 Replies

Come see why bicycling is on the rise in Santa Monica since the City Council adopted its Bike IMG_0491-SQAction Plan in 2011. Enjoy a group ride on new facilities — green bike lanes, buffered bike lanes, signal detection and sharrows. Then participate in recognition ceremony as we receive our new BFC designation, Santa Monica is now Silver Level

Our ride will begin and end in the courtyard behind Santa Monica City Hall, 1685 Main Street. The event is co-hosted by Santa Monica Spoke and the City of Santa Monica.

Courtyard behind SM City Hall at 3:30 pm roll out at 4:00 pm.
Press event follows in front of City Hall
5:00pm

As if that was not enough after the ceremony you can take a tour of the Santa Monica Bike Center after which:
We invite you to join us for a Celebratory Handlebar Happy Hour Event

image
Location :    West 4th and Jane
Address:      1432A 4th Street (between Broadway & Santa Monica Blvd)
Time:           6:00 pm till ……when ever
Date:           May 15th

As always, please enjoy the event and ride responsibly

Tuesday Events: Morning Lady’s Choice, Sunset Ride of Silence

5 Replies

Take your bike to the 10th Annual Blessing of the Bicycles.

CAFFE BELLOMorning event – Lady’s choice – a ride to coffee, tea, networking? We can explore the benefits, challenges and shared experiences as women on bikes. Non-gender specific – all are invited  – but lady’s choice on ride and topics.
Meet up location for morning beverage and conversation at Cafe Bello 7:30am, 1912 Broadway

94_ros_logo

Sunset Memorial Ride of Silence – in honor of the injured and killed cyclist. The ride is conducted in silence. This will be the 10th year of this international event and will be one of multiple Rides of Silence across LA.

Meet in front of Santa Monica City Hall at 6:30pm – roll at 7:00pmSanta Monica City Hall, 1685 Main Street
We’ll conclude the ride at Casa Martin Mexican Restaurant, 1654 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90401. Casa Martin is supporting bike month with 10% off during May when you arrive by bike.

 

CicLAvia: Feeder Rides from Santa Monica & the Westside UPDATED

24 Replies

CicLAvia is THIS SUNDAY, April 21st. 3 Feeder rides

Whether you ride with us or get there on your own – don’t miss it!
CicLAvia celebrates the streets of Los Angeles for everyone!  Temporarily limiting the access of motor vehicles and opening the streets to all users – walking, wheelchairs, skates, bikes, scooters, skate boards, strollers – you name it!
For more info visit CicLAvia’s web site, CicLAvia to the Sea on Facebook

Santa Monica Spoke: Meet at the Colorado Center Park,
Entrance at corner of Broadway & 26th Street
Pre-CicLAvia Kick off party Coffee and breakfast,
8:00am party, roll out 9:15am. 

We are SUPER excited about this CicLAvia to the Sea! Instead of starting our usual feeder ride at the Santa Monica Pier Canon, this time we will start further east at the Colorado Center Park at Broadway and 26th (across from Helen’s Cycles). We will partner with our friends at Helen’s to host a Morning Pre-CicLAvia kick-off party! We’ll serve coffee and snacks, and we will have PRIZES! Helen’s is sponsoring a special CicLAvia prize raffle as a fund raiser for Santa Monica Spoke. YUP! you can have your coffee, snacks, win prizes, enjoy a day of Open Streets at CicLAvia and help Santa Monica Spoke all on the same day! SUPER RIGHT???
Our route will travel west on Broadway and go by the Santa Monica Bike Center, the Canon at the top of the Santa Monica Pier, and the Santa Monica Beach Bike Campus. You can meet us at any of those locations if you miss the kick off party. We would love to have a GREAT BIG GROUP as we travel to the Windward Circle Hub where we join the
CicLAvia Route!
facebook event here
Question? Email us here

Bike it Walk it: Meet at the Santa Monica Beach Bike Campus
9:30am – roll out 9:45am

This group will gather to bike together to CicLAvia at the Santa Monica Bike Campus, 1 Ocean Park Blvd (across from Perry’s). Family/Cyclist can park at Beach lot 5 South (usual fee). They will decide the route based on the skill level of the group. (Beach Path or Main Street bike lane)
This group will also lead a return ride that meets at the Windward Circle Hub at 12:30pm. They will ride back to the Beach Bike Campus together from there.
Please click here to RSVP for this ride

UCLA Bike Coalition: Meet at the Bruin Bear
9:15am roll out 9:30am

The UCLA Bicycle Coalition is collaborating with LACBC to do a feeder ride from UCLA through Westwood to Venice. They meet at the Bruin Bear at 9:15 and roll out at 9:30. They’ll ride down Westwood Blvd to pick up folks from nearby neighborhoods. Everyone is welcome, please spread the word! facebook event here

If you know of other local rides let us know we will post it.
Also CicLAvia has a TRIP PLANNER PAGE with all kinds of info on the many ways to connect to the event. 

Info on light rail & bus routes to or from CicLAvia

Big Blue Bus Rapid 10 takes the frwy downtown LA to Santa Monica FAST!
Metro 720 route DT Santa Monica south, Venice Blvd to downtown & Union Station
Light Rail: Connect to the Expo Line Culver City Station (timetable) then 
Big Blue Bus Rapid 20 to DT SM, Rapid 12 (to Westwood) or Route 12 (Westwood and Palms)
Bike Venice Blvd Bike lane west.  
Metro 733 route to Santa Monica on Wilshire Blvd from downtown LA

Stuff to bring:

  • helmut (for feeder ride or children under 18)
  • sun screen
  • cash
  • spare tube/ patch kit
  • hydration
  • any special tools your bike requires!

042113_map_8.5x11_FINAL-1