Category Archives: #WeLoveSantaMonica

Happy Bike Month, Join the Celebrating!

  • May is Bike Month 
  • May 12th-18th is Bike Week
  • Thursday, May 16th is Bike to Work Day (BTWD) in LA County!

Santa Monica Spoke, with support from Buy Local Santa Monica is again coordinating our local BTWD Pit Stops, May 16th, plus promotions and bike events anytime during May — listings on our LOCAL MAP and posting that info for you on the regional Map hosted by Metro LA. 
Just sign up below and we will take care of it all for you.  

We had so many great local pitstops on BTWD last year, along with great Bike Month promotions. We have new participants already signing up this year putting us on track to have yet another great Bike Month 2019 in Santa Monica! We invite any local business, individual or organization to join us celebrating by hosting a BTWD Pit Stop or Bike Month Special Promotion!

Sign up to volunteer with Santa Monica Spoke HERE

Sign up HERE to host a Pit Stop (before May 10th to assure any Metro LA swag) or anytime during May to list a Bike Month event or Promotion. — If you are interested in joining forces with another Pit Stop hosted near year please make note in the comments on the form and we will make introductions to any interested pit stops near you to coordinate. 

The maps and Bike Month Specials will be updated regularly to reflect the latest additions – but don’t wait – sign up today! We can’t guarantee availability of Metro BTWD pit stop swag* – specially if you sign up after May 10th. We will provide local materials and will make the trip to Metro LA to pick up any available swag* they are offering for our local registered pit stops so hosts will be able to pick up all of the free materials and any swag* from our office in downtown Santa Monica. Local pick up of our materials and the BTWD Metro swag* will be coordinated during the week of May 13th with registered hosts.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. Email us HERE

Hash tags to use and follow:
#BikeMonthSM #BikeMonth #BikeLocalSM #BikeSM #BTWD #GoSaMo #FriendlyRoad
@SMSpoke @BuyLocalSM 

*Based on availability from Metro LA

Kidical Mass: Earth Day Garden Ride

April 20th, starting at Memorial Park!
KIDICAL MASS The Lorax Earth Day Bike Ride Tour to Park Drive Community Garden with FUN hands-on KIDS Workshops

Free: Please RSVP HERE

DATE:    SATURDAY APRIL 20th, 2019
TIME:    9:00 AM – NOON
START:  MEMORIAL PARK
–  By playground enter on 14th Street.
PIT STOP Activities at Park Drive
– Broadway between 24th & Park Dr

Our Earth Day theme is Dr Seuss’ The Lorax.
We will spend more time at the Park Drive Park and Community Gardens with more fun activities!!

The Lorax was Dr. Seuss‘ personal favorite of his children’s book. It chronicles the plight of the environmentand the Lorax, who speaks for the trees against the Once-ler. As in most Dr. Seuss works, most of the creatures mentioned are original to the book. What costume will you dream up?

The book is commonly recognized as a fable and a story Dr Seuss was able to create addressing economic and environmental issues without it being dull. “The Lorax,” he once explained, “came out of me being angry. In The Lorax I was out to attack what I think are evil things and let the chips fall where they might.”

Join Santa Monica Spoke, the City of Santa Monica and Santa Monica Community Gardeners for Santa Monica’s Kidical Mass: The Lorax Family Ride and Garden Tour 2019. 
We will take a family friendly ride in Santa Monica to visit Park Drive Community Garden for a special kid friendly event. Prizes and giveaways!


SM Community Gardens

Schedule
9::00am – 12:30pm

– Check-in, Morning Snacks (coffee and juice), Bike Safety Checks, Helmet Decorating.
We ride to Park Drive Park and Community Gardens for extended pitstop activities!
– Pitstop host Santa Monica Community Gardeners
– Ride to Pit Stop visit at PARK DRIVE COMMUNITY GARDEN extended activities
– Family Garden tours and Community Garden Workshop for the kids, seed planting, the life of soil!
– Face Painting at Park Drive Park
– Pancakes cooked right at the park, kids can create their own gummy worm dirt cups
– Ride back to Memorial Park by noon,

* Children must be accompanied and are the responsibility of their parents. Bikes should be in good working condition. Free Safety Checks on site for minor adjustments/repairs. Please use good judgement – ride is on city streets – smaller children should be in a child seat, in a trailer or Tag-a-long……


Don’t have a bike –You can #RideBreeze!



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Don’t have a Kid Carrying Bike? NOT  A PROBLEM !
Special 20% discount on Rentals at the Santa Monica Bike Center. You can find special Kid carrying cargo bikes, kid seats, trailers, tandems, tag-a-longs!! Anything you could need at a 20% discount for rentals) – Please reserve online and write “Kidical Mass” in the special requirements section of the reservation – 20% discount will be applied at check out! Reserve early and plan to pick up bikes Saturday morning in time to arrive at the event.

April HandleBar Happy Hour: Rusty’s

Every month we gather for great fun, beverages and AWESOME company!
Come join us – all are welcome!

We were rained out in January – but now rescheduled at Rusty’s for April! This month we head to Rusty’s on the Santa Monica Pier for our monthly HandleBar Happy Hour!
They are a Buy Local Business and Voted as the Most Loved Business on the Santa Monica Pier (2015 + 2016) + as a runner-up for Happy Hour + Live Music/Entertainment Venue categories (2016 + 2017)

Day ……… Thursday 
Date …….. April 25th
Time ……. 5:30pm – 7:30pm or ?
Where …. Rusty’s, 256 Santa Monica Pier 

#HBHH #BikeLocalSM #BikeSM #SMSpoke #DrinkLocalSM #EatLocalSM

Our Happy Hours support local businesses and BuyLocalSM like Rusty’s on the Santa Monica Pier.


bike_local_sticker

End of every month we like to get together for fun, support local businesses, and to celebrate all things bike.
Always fun, always family friendly!

Socialize, talk bikes, give input ….

If it’s on your way don’t forget to pass the Bike Counter!


Big thank you to our March #BuyLocalSM #BikeLocalSM #HBHH venue El Cholo â€” WE HAD SO MUCH FUN!

We had a GREAT GROUP – FUN was had by all!

Celebrate #BikeLocalSM, our Buy Local SM businesses, happy hour + new friends at our monthly events!  Learn about upcoming local bike events + find out about and connect with us at SM Spoke… as we visit and introduce you to some of our Buy Local SM businesses.  Eat Local, Drink Local, Buy Local AND Bike Local SM!

Action Alert: Venice Blvd Great Street under attack AGAIN

>>>>>>> JOIN US IN TAKING ACTION >>>>>>>

No matter where you live, we ask you to take action to protect the Vision Zero project in Mar Vista. We can’t let misinformation and impatience stop us from building safer streets and more vibrant communities.

We wanted to reach out to all of you who support the roadway safety project implemented on Venice Blvd in Mar Vista.

Today (02/27), the City Council Transportation Committee will vote on whether to make the project’s changes permanent. Restore Venice will be there in force to oppose the project – AGAIN – and have also filed a lawsuit to try to get the city to reverse it. This small but vocal group of opponents continues to organize to get the project removed. Let the Council know that these improvements are important to you by sending a letter. It can be as simple as a couple of sentences or you can express more of your personal opinions. You may also use the letter template below, please customize this email where you see it highlighted. The important thing is that you include the Council File # and email it to both the City Clerk and Hannah Levien from Mikes Bonin’s office. They need to receive it before the meeting at 2:00 pm – the earlier the better.

Thank you for continuing to support safe streets and livable communities!
The letters help enormously! 


EMAIL INFORMATION:
One Click to send email HERE – please customize text
 

To: councilmember.bonin@lacity.org, paul.koretz@lacity.org, councilmember.martinez@lacity.org, john.white@lacity.org, cityclerk@lacity.org, hannah.levien@lacity.org
bcc: jesi@la-bike.org, Cynthia.Rose@SMSpoke.org


SAMPLE EMAIL: please personalize

RE: Council File 19-0092, Venice Blvd Great Street

Dear Councilmembers Bonin, Koretz, and Martinez,

I am a community member who (lives/bikes/walks/drives/shops) on Venice Blvd, and I am writing to support making the Mar Vista street safety improvements permanent and ask the committee to deny the CEQA appeal.

The Great Streets improvements have made Venice Blvd. a more vibrant corridor by increasing walking, biking, and scooting by 11%. At the same time, it has significantly increased the number of new storefronts and added $3 million in business revenue to the sector. Most importantly, Venice Blvd. is undeniably safer: no fatalities or serious injuries have occurred in its first year of implementation. 

Traffic violence is the number one killer of children aged 14 and younger in America. In 2017 alone, 270 people died walking and biking in the streets of Los Angeles. This is part of why I’m working with an active community of neighbors pushing to make our streets safer.

Thank you for supporting this project and denying the CEQA appeal. The new Venice Blvd. increases our safety, decreases our environmental impacts, and makes Venice Blvd. more easy to travel and a more people-centered place. 

Your neighbor,
[Your name]
[Your address]