Bikesonoma
Newsletter of the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition
promoting bicycling for transportation and recreation
Bicycle Santa Rosa - A Fun Ride For The Whole Family
Bicycle Santa Rosa is a very
different type of bicycle event.
The simple concept is to
persuade folks to leave their cars
at home and discover their town
by bike. We are encouraging
everyone in Santa Rosa who
has a bike to ride from home
or a local park to enjoy a free
Festival of Bicycling in Juilliard
Park, near downtown!
Meet at our designated parks
for Check-In between 10-11am
and ride to the festival. We
will even supply ride leaders
to get you there! Enjoy festival
events and free activities at
Juilliard Park from 11 am to 3
pm including live music, fun
activities for kids, and bicycle
demonstrations. Food vendors
will be on site.
The event is a fund-raiser for
the Sonoma County Bicycle
Coalition, while donations and
pledges are encouraged, there
is no charge to participate.
Participants in the pledge
drive are eligible to win prizes. All
money raised will help support coalition encouragement to less-experienced riders.
activities.
• Raise $25 minimum: receive a free
lunch at the festival
• Raise $100 or more: receive a free
lunch & event T-shirt
• Raise $200 or more: receive a free lunch,
event T-shirt, and be entered in the drawing • Lead a ride back to a park 2-3:30 pm
for the Grand Prize: a Breezer bike!
We hope that as many SCBC members
as possible participate in this event,
setting an example of safe and confident
Issue 12 Summer/Fall 2004
SCBC
CALENDAR
� � � � �� �� ���� � � � �� � � � �� � ���� � ��� � � � � � ��� �
SCBC Board Meetings:
Wednesday, October 20
SCBC Board Meeting
Memorial Hospital, 1165
Montgomery Ave., Santa
Rosa, room B. at 6:30 pm
�� Wednesday, November 17
SCBC Board Meeting
Memorial Hospital, 1165
�
��
Montgomery Ave., Santa
�� Rosa, room D at 6:30 pm
� � � � ��
For information call:
�������������������������������� (707) 545-0153
���������������������������������������������������� Wednesday, October 6
Walk & Roll to School Day
Volunteers needed! Call
������������������������������� our office for more info.
�������������������������������� Saturday, October 9
Free valet bike parking Bicycle Santa Rosa
����������������������������
������������������ Saturday, October 23
SCBC Volunteer Picnic
Doyle Park-Large Picnic
Live Music by the Poyntlyss Sistars
Area A, 11am-3pm
Please bring a side dish
to share, we will supply
the burgers & veggie
burgers (and fixin’s) coals,
beverages plates & plastic
ware. There will be fun,
friends, volleyball & a free
raffle for SCBC volunteers!
������������������������������������������������������
����������������������������������
riding on city streets and offering
We will also need lots of volunteers to
make this a wonderful event and lunch
will be provided to volunteers.
How you can help:
h a nk !!
T !
you
• Come enjoy the festival, encourage others
• Lead a ride from a park 10 -11 am
• Staff a check-in table at a park 9:30-11 am REI has awarded
the SCBC a
• Setup at Juilliard Park 8 - 11 am $3,000 grant to
• Event staffing at Juilliard 10:30 am - 3 pm support the Valet
• Clean-up at Juilliard Park 3 - 4:30 pm Bicycle Parking
• Distribute posters/flyers and Volunteer
Continued on pg 10 training program!
2
Bikesonoma
Easing Down the Road, Trail or Path
EDITOR:
Christine Culver
Riding a bicycle is an act of total freedom for Rodota trail, we are sharing these wonderful
COPY EDITOR: me. It lets me get out of my head when I need to. places with many other users. And as a bike
Loretta Esparza It helps me get back into my head when I need rider you know the scary feeling of a car
CONTRIBUTORS: to. My bicycles each have amazing two-wheeled whooshing by too close, leaving you wondering
David Abbott
Martin Clinton souls that keep me anchored to the world. if the driver even saw you. It is a frightening
Janice Oakley experience that can often leave you feeling
Ken Wells My mountain bike is a spunky buckskinned
angry. This is the same feeling pedestrians
PHOTOS:
pony that tugs at the reins and shakes its head
Christine Culver and other trail users have when a bicyclist
in frustration as I keep my speed under control
Joan Moulthorp
goes whooshing by.
around a blind corner; it has been known to
SCBC Board of Directors: buck me off, especially when I start thinking I’m Please remember as you enjoy your bicycle,
Bernie Album
Gordon Burns pretty dang good on a tricky singletrack. that we can seem like cars on the road to
Mike Eunice (Secretary) pedestrians on trails and paths. We may not
Janice Oakley My town bike is a jokester, dressed in streamers,
feel like we are going fast or out of control, but
Misty Mesel
stickers and a striped seatcover with fringe. It
Lou Salz (Vice President)
it can be a pretty scary experience for other
Steven Schmitz keeps me from getting too serious about my work.
Sean Walling trail users. We need to remember the lasting
Warren Watkins (Treasurer)
Ken Wells (President) My road bike was born from the love of the dirt, impression we leave and slow down, or even
Gary Wysocky and occasionally it will haul me over Annadel come to a complete stop if necessary and say
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: to remind me how riding off-road used to be “hello.” It’s not just about sharing the road it’s
Christine Culver
MEMBERSHIP before shock technology. about sharing all public space.
COORDINATOR:
Melanie Lenat But it is important to remember as we whoosh See you on the road!
along a trail, whether it is Lawndale or the Joe
Christine Culver, Executive Director
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
We welcome your comments.
Send letters to:
SCBC
National Bike Month: A Blast in Sonoma County!
P.O.Box 3088 National Bike Month started off great with the Santa Rosa Community Market’s Bike
Santa Rosa, CA 95402-3088
e-mail comments:
Raffle. Community Market organized and managed the raffle of a Breezer Town Bike and
scbc@att.net donated $615 to the SCBC. A big thank you to Community Market and employee Amber
Manfree for organizing the raffle and for arranging the purchase of the Breezer Bike from
NorCal Bike Sport and the Bike Peddler. Congratulations to
winner Vicki Duggan and a huge thanks to everyone who
bought tickets and made this a great success!
As a reward to Sonoma County bike riders for using their
bikes for transportation and recreation, SCBC, the City of
Santa Rosa, and the Rialto Theater hosted the first ever
FREE Bike-In Movie! Over 165 riders rode their bicycles
to the theater for a free showing of the two time Academy
Award nominee, Triplets of Belleville. It was a huge success
and fun event, a
big thanks to Joan
Moulthrop, the
City of Santa Rosa,
Ky Boyd and the
Rialto Theaters.
Vicki Duggan with her new Breezer The SCBC also
partnered with the City of Santa Rosa, REI and
the Santa Rosa Downtown Market to provide
free removable bike baskets during our Shop
By Bike promotion. We installed 70 baskets on
market attendees’ bicycles! Moviegoers park their bicycles at the Rialto
Continued on pg 11
photo by Joan Moulthorp

Thinking Through Transportation and Parking By David Abbott
Parking is one of the biggest issues
facing Santa Rosa Junior College;
anyone involved with the school
is familiar with it. Thanks to the
largesse of Sonoma County voters,
and a 2002 bond issue known
as Measure A, a five-and-one-
half story sumptuously designed
parking structure is on the horizon.
It is hoped to bring much needed
relief to staff and students alike, but
the project has had its share
of controversy.
The debate surrounding the SRJC
parking structure is not just about
the shortage of parking on campus.
It is an ideological battle involving
the choices we make about civic
design and the direction in which
we want to take our country. For
50 years, with few exceptions,
Americans have designed cities
with the single-minded purpose of
accommodating automobiles. We
are obsessed with these machines
to the point of distraction and
poor judgment.
Automotive addiction has
stultified our culture, turned our
freeways into parking lots and
dehumanized us, as a fellow
human being driving 50 miles
per hour in the fast lane becomes
merely an obstacle in the pursuit
of our frenetic, acquisitive lives.
The existing plan has been viewed
as short-sighted because of its focus
on parking without addressing
traffic problems. Many students
will continue to park for free in the
surrounding neighborhoods and at
a whopping $30,000 per space for a
structure that will reach maximum
capacity only 16 weeks of the year,
the garage is an outrageous use of
our tax dollars.
Parking relief is important, but we
also need traffic abatement in the
SRJC area. Improved access from
the west side of Santa Rosa would
help to ease congestion by giving
easier access to the empty lots at
Coddingtown mall and by making
the walk or bicycle ride to the east
side less treacherous.
In spite of the pessimism presented
3
in editorials such as the one in the
July 15, 2004 edition of The Press
Democrat titled “SRJC Parking:
New Lot Bows to Reality of How
People get Around,” we do have
choices. The article states that
“people can wish things were
different,” as if it is a foregone
conclusion that there is nothing at
all we can do to fix our problems,
and no alternative approach to the
mess that we’re in. The implication
of the article is that it is okay to
address 21st century problems with
19th century solutions.
Another recent editorial in the Press
Democrat written by the President
of SRJC, Dr. Robert Agrella,
assured the public of the college’s
commitment to working towards
other improvements. “SRJC has not
rejected this idea (the pedestrian
bridge over 101)… but the college
cannot act alone. If such a bridge
is to be built, it will take the
cooperation and planning of SRJC
as well as numerous local, state
Continued on page 11
4
Annadel Hires New Ranger to Patrol SUPPORT THE
Unauthorized Trails By Christine Culver BUSINESSES
THAT SUPPORT
SCBC!

Annadel State Park has been many
things before it became a state park in
1971, including Southern Pomo trading
grounds, a sheep and cattle ranch, and a
cobblestone quarry that helped rebuild
San Francisco after the 1906 earth
quake. Now as a state park, Annadel
is a treasure in its urban setting and
cherished by the public.
Sonoma County residents and visitors
are very lucky to have a gem like
Annadel in our backyard. Annadel is
an amazing piece of land with over
40 miles of trails. This park is an
island of wilderness in the middle of a
large populated area and serves many
different user groups seeking to get
away from the rat race of everyday life.
Unfortunately, Annadel suffers from
being too loved and well used and this
is creating negative impacts on the
natural resources of the park.
Frequent users of the park may
have noticed recent work to remove
unauthorized trails in the park system.
State Park staff has spent hundreds of Cambria Bicycle Outfitter
(707) 206-9500
hours to remove these trails to protect
Community Market
the existing park resources, and has (707) 546-1806
recently hired another ranger, Vince
Anibale, to manage these user-created Orthopedic & Sports
trails. This work is being done to help Physical Therapy
(707) 571-7615
protect Annadel, yet many users don’t
understand the reasons why these Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant
Santa Rosa (707) 571-7478
unauthorized trails hurt the park and
continue to use them or create more. The Middle Way &
Community Bikes
But what’s so bad about using these (707) 823-8755
trails you ask? Unauthorized trails The Bike Peddler
increase the erosion and sedimentation (707) 571-2428
into our streams and this negatively
NorCal Bike Sport
affects the steelhead and salmon’s (707) 573-0112
ability to reproduce. These trails are
built with no knowledge of the parks REI
(707) 540-9025
sensitive or endangered species or
habitats and they often disturb the native Rincon Cyclery
(707) 538-0868
and historic sites that are truly precious.
Spoke Folk Cyclery
The SCBC is working with State (707) 433-7171
Parks to provide more opportunities Soulcraft Bikes
to create appropriate trails in Annadel (707) 775-2453
and other public lands. Please help
SyCip Designs, Inc
protect our natural resources and use (707) 542-6359
only designated open trails. If you are Winzler & Kelly
interested in trail building opportunities (707) 523-1010
throughout the county, please contact us
Wooden Spoon Technologies
for more information. (707) 523-2222

New Multi-Use Trail at Lake Sonoma

By Ken Wells
The Sonoma County Trails
Council (SCTC) has adopted
Lake Sonoma Loop trail in
order for it to become a multi-
use trail with access for hikers,
equestrians and mountain bikes.
The Lake Sonoma Loop trail
is about 24 miles of trail that
circles the Warm Springs arm
of Lake Sonoma. Because of its
length it gets little use and due
SCBC member Deb Haarstad enjoys an
to recent budget reductions, the
open trail in Annadel
lake’s owner, the Army Corps
of Engineers, was looking
for help with trail repairs and
maintenance and contacted the
SCTC. The SCTC will work
with the Northern California
Mountain Bike Association
and the Backcountry Horsemen
to maintain the trail. If you
would like to help with the trail
maintenance, please contact Ken
Wells at jfish@sonic.net
or 538-9385.
 5
Some is better than none:
Traffic Relief Act sales tax goes to the polls in November
Last June, after the Marin new bicycle and pedestrian
contingent of Sonoma Marin Area routes that will increase overall
Rail Transit (SMART) board voted safety, close gaps in existing
against placing a sales tax on routes and provide safe routes
the November ballot to fund the to schools and to transit. Bike
SMART train, the Sonoma County safety programs focused on
Transportation Authority (SCTA) educating the public and, in
scrambled to throw together a local particular, school children,
transportation 1⁄4 cent sales tax for will be eligible to receive sales
20 years. The hope for this tax, tax funds. In addition, there
called Measure M, was to create will be numerous local road
a lifeline for the future improvement projects
SMART passenger that will include
train until it can bicycle lanes.
be put on The SCBC was Director Linda Kelley, Cotati’s
the involved in the Director Janet Orchard, but was
discussions of how voted down by Sonoma County’s
the percentages were Director Paul Kelley, Santa
divvied up and Rosa’s Director Bob Blanchard,
2006 ballot requested, without Petaluma’s Director Mike Healy,
for both counties. success, that the Windsor’s Director Steve Allen,
The proposed suggested 4 percent Cloverdale’s Bob Jehn, Sonoma
sales tax will not only keep the allocated to bicycle and County’s Directors Mike Kerns
SMART project on life support pedestrian projects be raised to 7.5 and Tim Smith with Healdsburg’s
until 2006, it will also help widen percent and include bicycle safety Director Lisa Schaffner absent.
Highway 101 from Petaluma to education programs. At the final If this tax passes, it will bring
Windsor with a carpool lane in meeting on July 28 to approve the much needed funding to Sonoma
each direction, improve local Traffic Relief Act For Sonoma County’s bicycle and pedestrian
streets and put much needed funds County, Director Costello from infrastructure and help
toward transit and bikeways. The the city of Sonoma championed link up many of our
final percentages work out as this: the need for better transit, bikeways into a more
bicycle and pedestrian facilities. comprehensive system.
• Fix potholes, maintain streets
He requested that the portion It will also make
and keep traffic moving – 40%
of funding for bikes, rail, Sonoma County into
• Highway 101 Improvements – 40% pedestrians, and public a “self-help” county
• Bus, rail and bicycle & transit be raised from 19 making us eligible for
pedestrian – 19% percent to 29 percent with more state and federal
According to the text from the 5 percent being reduced matching funds.
Traffic Relief Act For Sonoma proportionately from
County Expenditure Plan: Highway 101 and public
roads. Costello’s proposal
Approximately $19 million (or
was supported by Rohnert
four percent of the sales tax
Park’s Director Jake
revenue) will be used to build
Mackenzie, Sebastopol’s
6
BICYCLE WITH CONFIDENCE by Martin Clinton
Secrets of the bike lane: Part One
A bike lane seems like a very
simple idea, but many motorists
and even experienced bicycle riders
are often mistaken about the rules
controlling this part of the road.
Let’s play a game of True or False!
1. Any white line at the edge of the
road creates a bike lane - False
A bike lane must have those words
painted in the lane, or a painted
bike logo, or signs posted at
the edge of the street. Without
that marking the paint is just
an edge line or marks the road
shoulder (which has a different
set of rules!).
2. No autos can park in a bike
lane - False
Unless there is a “No Parking”
sign it’s OK to park, and in
some cities the bike lanes are
often blocked by parked cars.
A better layout for a street
where parking is permitted is
to have a parking lane against
the curb and a bike lane
clearly positioned to the left
of the parking area. Be careful
riding past parked cars.
3. An auto is not permitted to drive
in the bike lane - False
A car can cross the bike lane to
enter a driveway or parking lot.
Any motor vehicle turning right
is required to do so from the right
hand edge of the road, and this
often involves merging into the
bike lane. Like any merge action,
traffic moving into a lane must
yield to a motor vehicle or bicycle
already in the lane.
4. The Bike Lane line is dashed
in some places to save the cost of
paint - False
Near an intersection the line is
dashed to encourage turning
vehicles to merge into the bike lane.
5. A turning auto must not enter
the bike lane before the dashed line
starts - False
The dashed section is typically
about 50 feet in length. Merging into
the bike lane is permitted 200 feet
before the intersection!
6. If motor traffic is slow or stopped,
a bike can pass in the bike lane on
the drivers’ right side - True
Just as highway lanes move at
different speeds when traffic is
heavy, sometimes the bike lane is
faster. But be careful! Remember
that a driver may suddenly
decide to merge into the bike
lane to make a right turn at the
next intersection, or even to turn
around in a parking lot. When
traffic is stopped an impatient
passenger might decide to open a
door and step out. You have to be
ready for these surprises!
7. If the bike lane disappears
before an intersection, it’s because
the engineer doesn’t care about
bicyclists - False
Well, I certainly hope the engineer
cares about bicyclists! The truth is
that regular lanes and a bike lane
mainly act to separate vehicles
moving at different speeds, between
intersections. At an intersection or
traffic signal all vehicles, including
bikes, position themselves in a lane
according to the direction they want
to travel, whether turning or going
straight ahead.
8. If there is a bike lane at an
intersection, bikes must stay
in it - False
Usually the bike lane at a
traffic signal or stop sign
is for bikes going straight
through the intersection, and
the lane is positioned to the
right of straight-ahead motor
traffic. If you are turning
right, stay in the right-turn
lane. If you are turning left,
the best place to be is in the
left-turn lane. Some years
ago bike lanes were often
painted at the right edge of an
intersection even if there was
a right-turn lane. This was a
mistake, so don’t be fooled
into thinking this is where to stay
when you need to ride straight or
turn left.
Understand bike lanes.
Know the rules. And bicycle
with confidence!
To be Continued
Footnote: Martin Clinton is
certified by the League of
American Bicyclists as a Bicycle
Education Instructor, and teaches
the Street Skills for Cyclists
classes for the Sonoma County
Bicycle Coalition.
Any comments or questions can
be sent to mclinton@in-gate.com.
 7
SCBC Volunteers are the Best!
Dave Abbott Katie Gordon Scot Nicol Rich Robinson Doug Simon
Colleen Abbott Phil Grinton Richard Nosker Jean-Pascal Rouland Omar Sison
Eric Acuna Christian Gunderson Harold Nygaard Jim Royce Briant Smith
Bernie Album Eleanor Gurin Stephanie O’Hearn Adrienne Ruggles Peggy
Tom Anderson Deb Haarstad Janice Oakley Dave Ruggles Songster Sean Walling
Craig Anderson Ole Haarstad Lewis Osborn Gina Marie Brian Staby Warren Watkins
Jake Avery Tricia Haarstad Bill Osburn Rutigliano Lori Stein Chris Wells
Tom Bahning Denice Hall Sarah Payette Lou Salz Gordon Stewart Ken Wells
Chris Baldenhofer Hope Hammond David Peoples Heather Sarno Mary Jane Stimson Josh West
David Ballo Ken Hart Jerry Peters David Sawyer Jeff Stoudt Neil Wheeler
Avi Ballo Tom Helm Paul Peterson Marsha Scanlon Eric Swanson Jessie Whitesides
Jenny Bard Stephen Hesson Lolly Petroni Erik Schidt Mary Ann Swanson Jim Williams
Sharon Bates Susan Hester Linda Picton Steven Schmitz Jeremy Sycip Leslie Williams
David Becker Skyler Hewitt Pam Podger Susie Self John Thompson Rick Williams
Greg Beedon Kimberly Hoffman Linda Regan Ian Sherburne Deanna Todd Scott Willmore
Paul Bernier Wes Hoffschildt Dusty Resneck Martina Shultz Michael Trump Gary Wysocky
Susan Bishop Gavin Holzapfel Ted Richardson Rob Silva Norma Trump Jaime Zamora
Jake Booth Mark Inman Roger Rines David Silzle Lynn Tyree Dustin Zuckerman
Jeff Bowman Ed Jacobson Mary Keith Roberts Bill Simon Adrian Wadley Karyl
Jim Bradley Jen Jenkins
Mark Bramfitt Kay Johnson
Sandy Brown Jan Kahdeman
Martin Brumer Ami Katz
Dave Brummett Jim Keene
Gordon Burns Kathy Kellison
Nate Carroll Bijan Kiazinminimjab
Ted Carter Donn King
Sheryl Chapman Maureen Kirkpatrick
Jeff Chappell Sarah Krempasky
Chris Cleveland Jessie Kroeck
Martin Clinton Steve Kroeck A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL THE GENEROUS BUSINESSES AND INDIVIDUALS
Margaret Clinton Andrew Kroeck WHO DONATED ALL OUR WONDERFUL AUCTION ITEMS, BEVERAGES AND FOOD!
Erik Craft Lisa Leibon
Les Crawford Melanie Lenat BEAR REPUBLIC BREWING CO.,
Miguel Crawford Tim Leonoudakis GLASS MOUNTAIN BY MARKHAM,
Tera Crawford Cindy Lewis
Zander Crawford Marguerite Li NORCAL BIKE SPORT, KENDALL-JACKSON,
Claire Culver LaValle Linn AVALON BED AND BREAKFAST, B.O.B., REI.
Todd Cunningham Kate Lorenzen 360 GEOGRAPHICS, AMY'S KITCHEN, AUSSIE, BILL MATTINSON, BLACKBURN,
Mairin Darby Marie Loustau CAMELBAK, CAROLA INTERSIMOE, CARS R COFFINS, CASTLE VINEYARDS,
Rebecca Davenport Andrew Lowd CHRISTINE CULVER, CLIF BAR, CLOS DU BOIS, COLLINS VINEYARD, DAVID HALSTEAD,
Joanne Davey Fred Lurmann DAVIS FAMILY WINERY, DEBBIE FUDGE, ELANIE PARKER, ELEANOR GUERIN,
Barbara Denlis Tina Maddux GETAWAY ADVENTURES, GIRO, HANS PLADS, JORDON VINEYARD AND WINERY,
Jon Dick Percy Malone KARIN LEASE, KEN WELLS, MANZANITA CREEK, MAUREEN KIRKPATRICK, MIXX,
Rene Doess Amber Manfree PANARACER, PATCHWORKS FARM , PAULINE LAURENT, PEDROS, PEET'S COFFEE
Dennis Dorch Bill Mattinson AND TEA, PERRY LYNCH & PENNY ELLIOT, PETALUMA COFFEE CO., RIVEDELL
Jim Draeger Bev Mauck BICYCLE WORKS, SHOWERS PASS , SOULCRAFT, SPOKE FOLK CYCLERY,
Vicki Duggan Tom Maunder
STONESTREET, SYCIP, TAFT WINERY, TAYLOR MAID,
Carolyn Dwight Bruce Maxwell
Barbara Eastes Phil McCracken TIMBUK2, TOM BAHNING AND VICKI DUGGAN,
Jeanne Eilers Larry McDonald TOPOLOS, VISTALIGHT,
Ed Ellington Valerie Ann Mcguire WOODEN SPOON TECHNOLOGIES.
Loretta Esparza Rich McQueen
Janice Eunice Brian Mealins
Mike Eunice Gabe Meline WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL TO: KIM DOW FOR
Glenn Fant Rose Mello HER GENEROUS DONATION OF HER
ARTISTIC TALENTS TO CREATE OUR
Anita Felton Misty Mesel
POSTCARD AND POSTERS THIS YEAR,
Tami Fenske Zach Mesel
AND SCBC VOLUNTEERS; RENE
Cliff Ferrell John Miklaucic
GONCALVES, DOUG SIMON,
Lawrence Fisher Dianne Miller ADRIENNE RUGGLES, JANICE
Scott Foster Bill Montgomery EUNICE, LORETTA ESPARZA,
Jack France Andrew Morand ROSS SHAFER, AND BILL
Steve Fry Roger Morey SIMON AND THE
Craig Gaevert Joan Mounthrop COUNTLESS OTHER
Kevin Garrison John Muela VOLUNTEERS FOR
Jonathon Glass Pat Munsch PULLING THIS
Rene Goncalves Shelby Munsch EVENT TOGETHER.
Vince Gonzales Melissa Murphy
Tim Gonzalez Alfonzo Navarez
8
News From the Petaluma Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
PPBAC members give away helmets and lights
to bike commuters in need
Petaluma had a successful Bike to Work/School Day
with 437 commuters, an increase of 68 commuters
from 2003! Special recognition goes to Sonoma
Technology for participation from 24 percent of its
employees. Thanks to an aggressive fund-raising
effort by Bernie Album and coordination with the
Petaluma Police Department, the Petaluma Pedestrian
and Bicycle Advisory Committee (PPBAC) and
friends also conducted a Bicycle Safety Campaign in
conjunction with Bike to Work/School Day.
Two stations were set up to distribute free helmets,
front and rear lighting systems, and bike safety
literature to bicyclists. Due to the positive response
and generous donations, a similar safety campaign is
being planned for October.
Active Petaluma bicyclists and PPBAC members have
established a regular all-levels Sunday morning ride
facilitated by a Yahoo group. Individuals interested in
exploring the Petaluma countryside by bike can meet
in front of Aram’s at 8:30 a.m. For more information
or to join the Yahoo group, contact Brian Mealins at
brimeal@hotmail.com.
The debut of the new Petaluma PBAC T-shirts took
place during the Butter and Egg Days parade in April.
All 72 of the “first edition” T- shirts featuring art
work by Lisa Krieshok are gone, so orders are being
taken for the second edition. If you would like a
Petaluma PBAC T-shirt, contact any PPBAC member
or Dusty Resneck at dustr@mindspring.com.

Santa Rosa History by Bicycle By Janice Oakley

In June, 30 riders joined SCBC for
a bike tour of Santa Rosa’s historic
sites. Bill Montgomery, former
director of the City of Santa Rosa
Recreation and Parks Department,
shared his amazing wealth of
knowledge about people and
events that shaped Santa Rosa.
First we were introduced to the
Stone Grandfathers, which are
located across from City Hall.
These were a gift from Bujeju,
South Korea, Santa Rosa’s sister
city. Then, at Doyle Park, we
learned about events that led to the
name Matanzas Creek.
At the Carrillo Adobe, we heard
about the Carrillo family and Julio
Carrillo’s idea of a town square
for Santa Rosa. Bill also told us
about the plan to extend the Brush
Creek bike trail along Santa Rosa
Creek to the site.
SCBC Board Member Janice Oakley
Next we cycled to the Rural
Cemetery, where we listened to
stories about interesting Santa
Rosans who are buried there.
In the historic McDonald Avenue
neighborhood, Bill pointed out
famous houses, described their
architecture, and mentioned movies
that had been filmed on-site.
At the Church Built from One
Tree, Bill confirmed that it was
indeed built from a single redwood
tree that had been felled near
Guerneville, formerly called Stump
Town. Over time, the church has
been wheeled to a number of sites
in Santa Rosa. City officials are
again considering moving it, this
time to the park where the Stone
Grandfathers reside.
Special thanks to Bill Montgomery
for presenting a vivid history
of Santa Rosa and to volunteers
Jon Dick and Jeff Chappell
for helping with the riders.
Also to the City of Santa Rosa
Recreation and Parks Department
for co-sponsoring the event.

The Local Scene
The new bike lanes along Old
Redwood Highway between
the southern Healdsburg city
limits and Eastside Road are now
completed and wonderful!
West County Trail along
Highway 116 is under construction,
this will include bike lanes on
both sides of the road plus a
multi-use path!
Prince Memorial Greenway
construction continues between
A Street and Santa Rosa Avenue
and will create a paved path on
the south side of the creek from A
Street up to a footbridge 200 feet
downstream of
Santa Rosa Avenue.
The NW corner lot
at Santa Rosa and
Sonoma avenues
will be turned into a
park, possibly next
summer.
Changing Our World With Small Steps
October 4-8 is International
Walk and Roll to School Week.
This is a wonderful way to start
changing many behaviors for
the better; for our future, our
children’s future and the future
of the planet. Walk and Roll is
an international event with over
30 countries participating this
year. While it is promoted once
a year during October, many
schools continue to participate
in walk and roll events
throughout the year.
This fun event can be a small
independent one where a family
participates by the simple act
of walking to school. Even
parents who normally drive
their children can participate by
parking a few blocks away from
the school campus and walking
Sonoma County Agricultural
Preservation and Open Space
District, Sonoma County Regional
Parks, Sonoma County Water
Agency, and City of Santa
Rosa have partnered to make
improvements on the Santa Rosa
Greenway as part of the regional
trail system. This summer many
of the yellow step-over gates have
been replaced with bollards that
allow easier access for bicyclists,
strollers and wheelchairs. The gates
at Pierson Street will be replaced
with bollards later this summer
during a drainage construction
project.
the rest of the way. This can
be built upon and expanded to
include a group of friends to a
classroom to an entire school.
Even the small steps each one of
us makes helps make a difference
in the many problems that car
dependence brings.
When the school year begins it
is estimated that Santa Rosa’s
morning traffic increases by
30 percent. Not only does this
bring headaches to all who
have to deal with the traffic,
the idling cars create additional
pollution, the increased traffic
makes for more dangerous roads
and sidewalks for pedestrians
and bicyclists, and getting
chauffeured around everywhere
in the cars is contributing to a
nation of overweight kids.
9
Directional and regulatory
signage is being created for the
Santa Rosa Greenway with mileage
to well-known landmarks and
access points from streets to the
Greenway will be posted. Feeder
trails along Peterson, Forestview,
Piner, Paulin, and College Creeks
will also have directional signs to
the Greenway noting the mileage.
Joe Rodota Trail is now
completed east to Dutton Avenue
with improved crossings at Stony
Point Road to be completed in
the near future. The work will
continue the trail to the rail line
and under Highway 12 where it
will cross Santa
Rosa Creek with
a new pedestrian
bridge to create
access to the
Prince Memorial
Greenway.
But we worry about strangers
harassing our kids. We worry about
all the cars they encounter. There
is an answer for the folks who
would like to walk all or part of
the distance to school; it is called
a “walking school bus’’ or “bike
train.’’ Parents supervise and pick
up kids as they walk or ride to
school. The pick-up spot could be
a home or a bus stop. The idea is
safety in numbers: more people,
more kids, better visibility.
October 6 is International Walk
to School Day and the Sonoma
County Bicycle Coalition is
helping schools throughout
Sonoma County to organize
``Walk and Roll to School’’ events.
For more information please
call us, visit our web site or
www.cawalktoschool.com.
10
Drunk Driver Gets 14 Years For Death Of SCBC Volunteer Danny O’Reilly
On Monday, August 23, Sonoma
County Judge Elaine Rushing
sentenced William Michael
Albertson to the maximum prison
term of 14 years for vehicular
manslaughter in the death of
SCBC volunteer Danny O’Reilly,
a husband and father of two
young girls.
Danny was killed on April 19 as
he rode home from work by drunk
driver William Michael Albertson,
whose blood alcohol level was
almost three times the legal limit.
Danny was an avid cyclist and did
this commute by bike a couple
of times a week and encouraged
his fellow workers at Kendall-
Jackson to join him on Bike to
Work Day. Christine Culver,
SCBC Executive Director, said,
“Danny was a wonderful example
of how to live one’s life, he truly
was one of the good guys and
we miss him terribly.” Members
from the Sonoma County bicycle
community attended all the Jill can attend the hearing. A press
hearings. conference is scheduled to follow
Judge Rushing said she the hearing.
hopes Albertson’s sentence
tells motorists they must
make room for bicyclists.
“Bicycle riders have the
same rights as automobile
drivers,’’ she said. Rushing
said a maximum prison
sentence is ``the only way
to protect society’’ from
such drivers as Albertson.
“I’m so, so, so very sorry,’’
Albertson told the victim’s
family and fellow bicycle
riders who filled that packed
courtroom.
The sentencing hearing
for drunk driver Harry
Hereford, who killed Alan
Liu and severely injured Jill
Mason eight days before
Danny’s death is scheduled
for Sept. 27 in the hopes that
Danny O’Reilly leading the “walking school bus” on
Walk and Roll to School Day 2003

BICYCLE SANTA ROSA, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2004

Continued from page 1

Ride Leaders - Martin Clinton 569-0126, Southwest Santa Rosa;

mclinton@in-gate.com
Event Staffing / Logistics- Doug Simon 577-0113,
desimon@sbcglobal.net
Promotion / Expo. / Pledging info. - Chris Culver,
545-0153, SCBC@att.net
Please call us or visit our web site to obtain a pledge
form or more information.
Check-in Locations:
Please check-in at one of the following locations
between 10-11am.
Ride leaders with route slips will be at these locations
to help you find your way to Juilliard Park.
Northwest Santa Rosa;
Pioneer Park, 2062 Peterson Ln.
Coffey Park, 1524 Amanda Pl.
Northwest Community Park (Marlow Rd. entrance)
SR Creek Bike Path at Fulton Rd.
Finley Community Park (Stony Point Rd. entrance)
J.X. Wilson Park, 246 Brittain Ln.
Southwest Park, 1698 Hearn Ave.
Cook School Park, Lombardi & Gardner
East Santa Rosa;
Steele Lane Rec. Center , 415 Steele Ln.
Franklin Park, 2095 Franklin Ave.
Rinconada Park, 4459 Yukon Dr.
Oaklake Green Park, 429 Garfield Park Ave.
Oakmont Community Center
Howarth Park, 630 Summerfield Dr.
Strawberry Sch. Park, 2311 Horseshoe Dr.
Mesquite Park, 2250 Mesquite Dr.
Doyle Park, 700 Doyle Park Dr.
Colgan Creek Park, 2036 Bedford St.
Or you can ride directly to the Festival at Juilliard
Park and check-in there anytime after 11 am.
Juilliard Park, 227 Santa Rosa Ave.
(just south of Sonoma Avenue)
For a map of the City Parks see the following
City Web page:
http://ci.santa-rosa.ca.us/rp/Parks/2003Map.pdf

National Bike Month
Continued from page 2
Record Numbers turn out for Bike
to Work Day
On May 21 Bike to Work Day
stole some of the steam away
from the daily event of “Pollute
to Work Everyday.” The yearly
event, designed to introduce
new bike commuters to riding to
work and thank seasoned bike
commuters, boasted over 1,160
bicyclists. Sonoma County hosted
22 “highly energized” energizer
stations where volunteers handed
out fruit, muffins, coffee and
musette bags full of free goodies
donated by BTWD sponsors As
well as distributed maps and other
useful bicycling information.
The SCBC orchestrated Bike To
Work Day events with help from
the Metropolitan Transportation
Commission (MTC), Petaluma
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory
committee, City of Santa Rosa,
Sonoma County Transit, and
received funding from the MTC
SRJC Parking
Continued from page 3
and federal agencies,” Agrella
writes, “But a multi-agency project
like this takes a great deal of
time to plan and build.”
Those are encouraging words
from Dr. Agrella, although
I wonder why the Board of
Trustees let the controversy
simmer as long as it did before
they set the record straight.
The only people who seem
to be in favor of immediate
construction of the garage are
the people stuck in line waiting
for a place to park, and a school
administration which is tired of
the whole parking problem and
would probably be happier if it Over 60 members of the public showed up at the SRJC special to the campus represents one
magically went away.
and Marin-Sonoma
Air Quality Resource
Team. A huge thanks
to our local businesses
that donated funds,
food, water bottles
or other great items:
Santa Rosa Community
Market, Costco,
Raileys, Oliver’s
Markets, NorCal Bike
Sport and the Bike
Peddler as well as these
great businesses and
community groups that Community Market hosts an excellent energizer station
hosted energizer stations:
REI, Sonoma Mountain Cyclery,
Eastside Cycles, Cambria Bicycle
Outfitters, Town of Windsor, City
of Santa Rosa Transit and Parking
Department, County of Sonoma
Facilities Operations Department,
Santa Rosa Community Market,
Amy’s Kitchen, Sonoma
County Bicycle and Pedestrian
Advisory Committee, Petaluma
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory
With the cost of oil approaching
$50 per barrel, and a limited
number of oil-rich countries
left to invade, Americans
meeting regarding the parking structure, and those who rode
bicycles found that there is no good place to lock up at the JC’s elusive spaces.
Pedroncelli Center.
11
Committee, Rohnert Park Bicycle
Advisory Committee, Sonoma
State University, Basin-Street
Properties, Spokefolk Cyclery,
Santa Rosa Cycling Club, Russian
River Chamber of Commerce,
Sonoma Valley Trails Committee.
Thanks to everyone who rode their
bikes and a big thanks to all who
volunteered at the stations, too!
Now, let’s all get out there and make
everyday Bike to Work Day!
need to seriously rethink local
transportation plans. Building more
roads and bigger parking structures
without considering the true price
we pay for fuel, in lives lost,
expended national treasure and
the damage to our environment,
is not a viable plan for the
future.
A comprehensive plan that
takes alternative transportation
into account makes sense.
There wouldn’t suddenly be a
campus full of conscientious
bike-pedaling, bus-riding
pedestrians, but those who
desire alternatives would be
more inclined to use them.
Every person who doesn’t drive
less car jockeying for those
 Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition
P.O. Box 3088
Santa Rosa, CA 95402-3088
(707) 545-0153
www.BikeSonoma.org

promoting the bicycle for transportation and recreation

The following bicycle stores offer SCBC members a

discount on regular priced parts and accessories:
The Bike Peddler, Santa Rosa (707) 571-2428
Cloverdale Cyclery, Cloverdale (707) 894-2841
NorCal Bike Sport, Santa Rosa (707) 573-0112
Sonoma Mountain Cyclery, Petaluma (707) 773-3164
Windsor Bicycle Center (707) 836-9111

ign SCBC Stickers! Quantity

Front Art:�
ir t Des Membership $
T-sh
3in x 2.55in�

$
New T-shirt $10 Size(s)
$15 for non-members Size(s) $
11 1/2”x 3” Yellow Share the Road bumper sticker $ 1 ea $
Live Free or Drive bike sticker .50 ea $
ack art:�
86 in x 9 in White Share the Road bike sticker .50 ea $
SHARE ROAD Traffic Slayer bike sticker .50 ea $
Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition www.BikeSonoma.org

2” x 2 3/4” 5” x 1 1/2” Total $

Please make checks to SCBC
Sizes: S-XXL