Dave Snyder Announcing my departure and an exciting moment of transition for CalBike

[John Cinatl]

Greeting All

Anybody else get this notice?? If yes, no one has posted it to this forum so I thought I'd do it.

John

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

----- Forwarded Message -----

From: Dave Snyder, California Bicycle Coalition <daves...@calbike.org>

To: John Cinatl <j.f.c...@sbcglobal.net>

Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2022 at 07:01:13 AM PDT

Subject: Announcing my departure and an exciting moment of transition for CalBike

Big changes are on the horizon! Be sure to read this important update. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Dear John, I’m writing to you with an important announcement about an exciting new chapter at CalBike. In August, I’ll be stepping down as Executive Director of CalBike to take on a new role as Senior Director of Local Innovation at People for Bikes, a national organization dedicated to getting more people riding bikes more often. I’m thrilled about what this means for CalBike. We have a strong team of advocates who will benefit from fresh leadership. Our Board of Directors is working hard to ensure that our advocacy for more equitable communities, where bicycling enables joy, health, and prosperity, will not only survive but thrive.  Our team is looking forward to beginning the search for a new executive director to guide CalBike through its next chapter. I’m delighted that Kevin Claxton, CalBike’s Operations Manager, will serve as Interim Executive Director.  I’m proud of the impressive agenda the CalBike team has developed and now is the greatest opportunity to implement it. Thank you very much for everything you do to support this movement. I look forward to continuing to work on California issues in my new role and collaborating with CalBike. I'll see you in the bike lane! Dave Snyder Executive Director P.S. CalBike continues to rely on the support of people like you, who understand the vital importance of bike advocacy. Please make a special donation to help CalBike start off its next chapter strong. Your gift will be doubled thanks to a generous ongoing summer match up to $50,000. Support CalBike CalBike 1017 L Street #288 | Sacramento, California 95814 916-258-5189 | c...@calbike.org Follow CalBike Having trouble viewing this email? View it in your web browser Unsubscribe or Manage Your Preferences

[Jim Baross]

Thanks John. I got three or more of the notices addressed to me.

Good luck to Dave! He should fit right in.

Jim Baross

Board Member, League of American Bicyclists

President, Calif. Assoc. of Bicycling Organizations

Board Member, San Diego County Bicycle Coalition

Sender notified by Mailtrack

07/19/22, 02:19:03 PM

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CABOforum" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to caboforum+...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/caboforum/810770299.2035414.1658265412784%40mail.yahoo.com.

[Serge Issakov]

With few exceptions (just CABO?),  bike advocacy organizations from national to local levels have become nothing but shills for the bike infrastructure industrial complex, if not blatant lobbyists for them. 

Follow the money. 

Serge

On Tue, Jul 19, 2022 at 2:17 PM John Cinatl <j.f.c...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

--

[Gary Cziko]

To follow up on Serge’s comment, I wonder if there are any other bike organizations like CABO anywhere else in the country.

If so, maybe they could be organized (even if only loosely) into NABO.

—Gary

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/caboforum/CAEy9bH5LPdq7Hm64QYH_vyLefK7Tj1joS8vRt1NUMzF8we5yGw%40mail.gmail.com.

--

Gary Cziko ("ZEE-ko"), Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Board of Directors, California Association of Bicycle Organizations (CABObike.org)

CyclingSavvy Instructor (CSI)

Board of Directors, American Bicycling Education Association (March 2015 - August 2021)

Expert Witness for Cyclists' Rights

Author:

Without Miracles: Universal Selection Theory and the Second Darwinian Revolution (MIT Press, 1995)

The Things We Do: Using the Lessons of Bernard and Darwin to Understand the What, How, and Why of Our Behavior (MIT Press, 2000).

[Serge Issakov]

The challenge is, as Seth often noted, cyclists are cheapskates. 

Funding these organizations on memberships and donations is tough. 

Serge

[Mike Lasché]

I agree with Serge’s comment that too many bike organizations, including LAB, have become shills for the  “bike infrastructure industrial complex”.    

And, of course, this is being led by various groups, such as the “bike consultants” of Alta and Toole, who make big bucks out of bike infrastructure.   In earlier years, road design for bicycle transportation was straightforward, rarely requiring pricey consultants.    But, with complexities introduced by physically segregated facilities, bicycle consultants are much more in demand.

It also includes the planning profession, whose major goal is to erase standards in favor of requiring all projects to be decided by planners……..read Speck’s Rules for Walkable Cities.   It also includes the intruders into the bicycle domain, including the “health” lobby who see themselves using the bicycle world to fatten their pockets…………and the racial groups who also want to use bicycling as a tool to further their agenda,

I expect that this is already recognized but all of these elaborate bicycle facilities send the message that bicycles are not vehicles and that we con’t belong on the road.     As the lobbyist who led the repeal of a 2010 Florida law that required all cyclists to use bike lanes, regardless of circumstances, I predict that the introduction of these facilities, along with the weakening of the “real cyclist lobby” by the influence of the racial/health/consultant alliance in the bicycle policy world, will lead to cyclists losing their status and rights as vehicle users, which will include cyclists being forced off of the roads they are currently allowed to use.

In the long run, the answer is for “real cyclists”, people who actually ride and who are free from ulterior motives on behalf of other agendas, to reclaim dominance in the bicycle policy field.

Mike Lasche

Florida Walks and Bikes

On Jul 19, 2022, at 6:05 PM, Serge Issakov <serge....@gmail.com> wrote:

The challenge is, as Seth often noted, cyclists are cheapskates. 

Funding these organizations on memberships and donations is tough. 

Serge

On Tue, Jul 19, 2022 at 2:59 PM Gary Cziko <gcz...@gmail.com> wrote:

To follow up on Serge’s comment, I wonder if there are any other bike organizations like CABO anywhere else in the country.

If so, maybe they could be organized (even if only loosely) into NABO.

—Gary

On Tue, Jul 19, 2022 at 14:43 Serge Issakov <serge....@gmail.com> wrote:

With few exceptions (just CABO?),  bike advocacy organizations from national to local levels have become nothing but shills for the bike infrastructure industrial complex, if not blatant lobbyists for them. 

Follow the money. 

Serge

On Tue, Jul 19, 2022 at 2:17 PM John Cinatl <j.f.c...@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

Greeting All

Anybody else get this notice?? If yes, no one has posted it to this forum so I thought I'd do it.

John

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

----- Forwarded Message -----

From: Dave Snyder, California Bicycle Coalition <daves...@calbike.org>

To: John Cinatl <j.f.c...@sbcglobal.net>

Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2022 at 07:01:13 AM PDT

Subject: Announcing my departure and an exciting moment of transition for CalBike

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/caboforum/CAEy9bH7oR9%2BwwrPrV9-rSSUYY%2BCFjGHt2mOZMumEO4RfKjxW5Q%40mail.gmail.com.

[John Eldon]

I could not have expressed it better myself -- thank you, Mike and Serge. On-road cycling accommodations should be designed only by people who can spell and define "right hook," "left cross," "right cross," "door prize," "cycle trap," etc. and use each term in a full and logical sentence. 

John A. Eldon, D.Env.

http://www.LinkedIn.com/in/JohnEldon
Digital Design Engineering Consultant
Environmental Engineering Consultant

Instructor, UCSD & UCSD Extension

Life Senior Member, IEEE

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/caboforum/6ADEE9DF-3C7A-40BA-8552-C56A7139812F%40floridawalksandbikes.org.

[Mike Lasché]

On an “organizational behavior” or maybe just “political” level, what has happened is that the bicycle policy community, due to some fundamental mistakes by its leaders, as well as its weak position by virtue of being a minority in transportation, and by virtue of not being well-moneyed, was weak……….and a good target for other interests to occupy.

Also, many of the staff people who ended up in bicycle policy positions, which tended to be have marginal power in their organizations, tended to be young, idealistic, not-so-accomplished, and over-eager for allies.    Thus, they fell in with the “health/safety” crowd whose major focus when looking at bicycling is “FEAR" of crashes, with little regard for cyclist issues such as convenience, freedom, equal status, and ability to cycle.   Similarly, the “race” crowd was eagerly accepted as an ally.    And, the FHWA livability crowd, the Public Places crowd, and the New Urbanists,  were accepted as allies who it was thought would bring strength.   Along with these came the consultants, whose monetary interest gave them the energy and resources to join, and perhaps dominate, the takeover.   

Unfortunately, groups with names like “Bicycles Belong”, Bicycle Federation of America, and the National Center for Biking and Walking, were shifted aside for groups like “People for Bikes”.    Sadly, LAB has abandoned its former role as a defender of our status as vehicles, bought into the Beltway non-profit roller coaster, hired many people from outside bicycling, and supports segregation of cyclists from traffic..   

I remember trying to deal with the Alliance for Biking and Walking.   I discovered that the only cyclist advocate on staff was the Executive Director.   The rest were females from un-related non-profit organizations.   There was one malign the organization whose hiring was justified to me because he was handicapped.     The grant director came from the labor movement.     Later on, they would have a staff person whose big experience had been at a Berkeley Food Co-op.    At one point in their struggles, they hired a new XD who came from the world of volleyball.

But, there is a price that a movement pays when it seeks to strengthen itself by alliance.    Inevitably, in order to maintain the alliance, it has to compromise its position and agenda.    Myself, I have seen this play out in several bicycle organizations in Florida, some of whom I have founded.

As I stated earlier, the bicycle movement needs to re-establish itself as a force, independent from all the forces with ulterior motives.

Mike Lasche

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/caboforum/775752333.817623.1658678194019%40mail.yahoo.com.

[Jim Baross]

High jacking with a purpose...

Thank you to Mike Lasche! Enlightening.

Now take an action - register today/before the last day, July 25 to side with keeping Bicyclists interests on the forefront in a - grudgingly - CABO supporting organization; the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition.

Vote against the bylaw change.

Ask me why directly?

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/caboforum/642BECDC-67AB-4000-9082-F279570E2887%40floridawalksandbikes.org.

[F Lehnerz]

Sounds as if these organizations are now largely occupied by savvy activist bullies, charlatans, and rent-seekers. 

The defense of one’s right to safely travel the public roadways via bicycle has been placed on the back-burner and instead been replaced by emotionally hijacking platitudes. The biggest losers of all of this are the actual bicyclists. These organizations use us as political pawns just like every other political parasitic organization when they see a certain group fit for continued growth of their organization. 

Frank

On Jul 24, 2022, at 10:52, Mike Lasché <mi...@floridawalksandbikes.org> wrote:

On an “organizational behavior” or maybe just “political” level, what has happened is that the bicycle policy community, due to some fundamental mistakes by its leaders, as well as its weak position by virtue of being a minority in transportation, and by virtue of not being well-moneyed, was weak……….and a good target for other interests to occupy.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/caboforum/642BECDC-67AB-4000-9082-F279570E2887%40floridawalksandbikes.org.

[Jim Baross]

Thanks Mike. The microcosmic example of this is what I think is happening with the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition; a bicycling advocacy organization where Cyclists interests are about to be subsumed/overrun by others' interests, important as they are - climate change, safer traffic with separation or with users responsibility assigned. personal and community health, ... (profit?) 

So register and vote NO.

How to vote, do all three.

1. If you’re not already a Coalition member, join (there is no fee to join, this is not secretly a membership drive!) TODAY or very soon, here:
• https://sdbikecoalition.org/join/
2. Register on Zoom by 7/25 in order to be able to VOTE  on 7/27
• https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5_lr3QtGSaK2IKe1A2lhIA
3. Attend a short 7/27 Zoom meeting to VOTE NO online at approximately 6:30PM

And, Mike, I want to hear how the LAW organizations could do better at "...  as a defender of our status as [drivers of] vehicles, ..etc." 

Really.

Jim Baross

Board Member, League of American Bicyclists

President, Calif. Assoc. of Bicycling Organizations

Board Member, San Diego County Bicycle Coalition

Florida Walks and Bikes

Dear John,  I’m writing to you with an important announcement about an exciting new chapter at CalBike. In August, I’ll be stepping down as Executive Director of CalBike to take on a new role as Senior Director of Local Innovation at People for Bikes, a national organization dedicated to getting more people riding bikes more often. I’m thrilled about what this means for CalBike. We have a strong team of advocates who will benefit from fresh leadership. Our Board of Directors is working hard to ensure that our advocacy for more equitable communities, where bicycling enables joy, health, and prosperity, will not only survive but thrive.  Our team is looking forward to beginning the search for a new executive director to guide CalBike through its next chapter. I’m delighted that Kevin Claxton, CalBike’s Operations Manager, will serve as Interim Executive Director.  I’m proud of the impressive agenda the CalBike team has developed and now is the greatest opportunity to implement it. Thank you very much for everything you do to support this movement. I look forward to continuing to work on California issues in my new role and collaborating with CalBike. I'll see you in the bike lane!

Dave Snyder Executive Director

P.S. CalBike continues to rely on the support of people like you, who understand the vital importance of bike advocacy. Please make a special donation to help CalBike start off its next chapter strong. Your gift will be doubled thanks to a generous ongoing summer match up to $50,000.

Support CalBike CalBike 1017 L Street #288 | Sacramento, California 95814 916-258-5189 | c...@calbike.org

Follow CalBike

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/caboforum/642BECDC-67AB-4000-9082-F279570E2887%40floridawalksandbikes.org.

Sender notified by Mailtrack

07/24/22, 12:36:05 PM

[Jim Baross]

I think that is not that simple; personal motivations and perceptions vary and can improve, but money, as in providing a livelihood, does talk loudly.

Jim Baross

Board Member, League of American Bicyclists

President, Calif. Assoc. of Bicycling Organizations

Board Member, San Diego County Bicycle Coalition

Sender notified by Mailtrack

07/24/22, 12:42:05 PM

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/caboforum/E4CB4865-AE00-44F2-B138-4D6D2C898B42%40gmail.com.

[F Lehnerz]

Details on what Jim said about what’s going on in SD over at this link:

https://groups.google.com/g/San-Diego-Bicyclist-Forum/c/uUm8DnSJPuU

On Jul 24, 2022, at 12:40, Jim Baross <jimb...@cox.net> wrote:



To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/caboforum/CAG28zXevp6sQcMK4QpLwEpBfziLdz4A8BN-m%2BL%3Dc8UtH89AweQ%40mail.gmail.com.

[Gary Cziko]

Mike wrote:

I expect that this is already recognized but all of these elaborate bicycle facilities send the message that bicycles are not vehicles and that we con’t belong on the road.     As the lobbyist who led the repeal of a 2010 Florida law that required all cyclists to use bike lanes, regardless of circumstances, I predict that the introduction of these facilities, along with the weakening of the “real cyclist lobby” by the influence of the racial/health/consultant alliance in the bicycle policy world, will lead to cyclists losing their status and rights as vehicle users, which will include cyclists being forced off of the roads they are currently allowed to use.

Fortunately, here in California our FTR (CVC 21202) and MBL (CVC 21208) bike laws have so many exceptions they rarely apply, thereby maintaining cyclists’ rights to use the roadway and almost always the full lane. Plus our Class 4 cycle tracks are not legally considered bike lanes so they are never mandatory and some cycle tracks (perhaps only in San Diego County?) even have lane-centered sharrows and BMUFL signs along the roadway.

But I have to wonder what the situation is like in other states that are installing cycle tracks. Are they often mandatory perhaps because they are considered bike lanes? If that is usually the case, then Mike’s comment about this infrastructure resulting in the loss of cyclists’ rights to use the roads would appear to be a real concern.

—Gary

[Sand Geo]

Gary wrote: "Are they often mandatory perhaps because they are considered bike lanes?"

I remember seeing and sharing a few years ago about some new laws possibly in Maryland and elsewhere, where bike lanes were mandatory when new street projects were planned/implemented and I believe that was part of their Vision zero program, but am struggling to find links at the moment. Will dig through this later and see what I can find. 
Sandrine.

--

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CABOforum" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to caboforum+...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/caboforum/CABUB_Yxxw20haLZG9H56t5JD3i0RKZquej_7auhMKAGk9byM6Q%40mail.gmail.com.

--

How to develop perfect pitch

[Sand Geo]

Oops, Massachusetts, not Maryland...  And D.C followed, of course...
Sandrine.

[Gary Cziko]

Sandrine,

Lots of states have mandatory bike lane (MBL) laws, but there are usually some exceptions such as when passing a slower cyclist, preparing for a left turn, or avoiding an obstacle or unsafe condition. California has the very useful exception of anywhere a right turn is authorized which makes the bike lane optional when approaching driveways and intersections. And even if a state doesn't have an MBL law, a FTR (far-to-the-right) law will often make the bike lane is mandatory.

But what I'm interested in here is the impact of cycle tracks on cyclists' right to use the road across the U.S.

-- Gary

[Frank J. Lehnerz]

Hi Gary,

Colorado has a law that if a bicycle facility is built a certain distance away, then bicycle travel on a parallel road can be banned. This is the case with College Avenue, the main N-S street in Fort Collins, CO. The bike facility is something similar to a Class I - a rail trail. Except it's behind the businesses and residences on College, and also behind a set of railroad tracks and a BRT system. Okay if you're going from one end of town to the other without the need to stop but it was a burden to visit all the shops and services along College which when I lived there, had FOUR bicycle shops. 

This ban is mentioned under the Bicycle Blunders page over at LAB Reform too. 

To add insult to injury, this particular intersection, Pitkin and College has a bike box installed in the EB direction, except cyclists are prohibited from turning left onto College because this is a section where the ban takes place. There's a "no bikes" sign inside the red square. 

It might be reasonable that it's to encourage cyclists to get a head start going straight but there's a receiving bike lane on the other side (red arrow), and the bike lane on this side (covered by the leaves unfortunately) lines up. 

 

Frank

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/caboforum/CABUB_YzKVzJJDeHoaLCofPLa4x_U%3DHCNY8cPa4%2BqJZxjkSQpbA%40mail.gmail.com.

[Gary Cziko]

Frank,

Yes, I've heard about that. But I can't find any signage on College Avenue prohibiting bikes on Google Street View. Where can I find one?

Interesting and unfortunate case, but not related to the installation of cycle tracks and whether their expansion is limiting cyclists' right to use the road.

-- Gary

[Frank J. Lehnerz]



Gary,

In this case though it was the installation of parallel dedicated bike facilties (although not a cycletrack) that are the legal justification for banning bicycle use on College. 

If I do recall correctly, although it's been years since I last skimmed the Colorado Revised Statutes and their DOT's manuals, they made no distinction between what CA considers a Class II and Class IV facility. 

Fortunately CO isn't a MBL state though. 

Back to signs. 

If a bicyclist were to actually use that turn box for a left turn at Pitkin, they'd encounter the no-bikes sign right away as it's installed on the traffic signal post.

Going Southbound on College (aka US Hwy 287) the ban starts at the intersection of Laurel. They typically only place one sign after the end of each intersection. 

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.578092,-105.0771674,3a,75y,182.75h,93.32t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sBat5mp2WmPjnKpzw_2vAmg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Going Northbound the first sign can be seen just after the intersection with Kensington.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.525378,-105.0769821,3a,75y,356.78h,91.57t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s35HIjEVH_9OvMjFQpOzoew!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

From Laurel to Kensington is just shy of 4 miles. It's a traffic sewer the whole way but would be a great road for teaching some of the Cycling Savy or Smart Cycling skills. 

As for alternatives to College: 

Remington Street serves as a useful parallel one block East of College for part of that stretch but crossing at the major streets such as Drake is difficult as there are no signals at that intersection. 

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.5527763,-105.0753263,3a,75y,183.12h,87.21t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s7gMu0IYQvFhPoXmN_-21uw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

The Mason Trail is the Class I equivalent that runs parallel west but behind all the commercial zones and is separated by a railroad track and a BRT line. 

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.5454685,-105.080453,3a,75y,2.03h,86.49t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sL7cA7jAUH9wcv0L2Dq3IpQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Actually accessing some of the properties on College, require a bit of creativity - often sidewalk cycling though. 

I heard Speer Boulevard in Denver also prohibits bicycling because the Cherry Creek path runs between both directions but I've ridden on that road and could never find the 'no bikes' signs. 

In Glendale (right next to Denver) a portion of Cherry Creek Drive also (allegedly) bans bicyclists. The first sign points left and instructs us Road Lepers to use a bike path, which is also Cherry Creek, yet there is no entrance immediately to the left. Instead bicyclists have to turn around and go back a few hundred feet to the closest signalized intersection. I could never find any other signs or ones facing the other direction of travel though. 

Cherry Creek Path is notorious for crashes, flooding in the springtime, and a lot of my friends who've used to daily report security issues at night. 

Plus access in and out of it is quite limited. 

Oh, and here’s that sign. 

Frank 

[Serge Issakov]

[John Cinatl]

Can all of you folk PLEASE start a new e-mail message - you folks are no longer discussing Dave Snyder and several of us original senders/responder (in regard to Dave's departure) now keep getting duplicate messages replies to every new reply.

Please, please.

John Cinatl

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++==

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/caboforum/CAA58Szc0AyL%2BWPjb6qupRZsgC5xNovcRMcB5ff9P2_vDRNbT-w%40mail.gmail.com.

[petevannuys]

I drive through FoCo a couple times a year, and yes there are signs prohibiting cycling on College. I was surprised first time cause we Cali folks are admonished what a great bike haven CO is, etc, etc. I don't know how crappy the bike alternative is cause I ve never had the pleasure.

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

-------- Original message --------

From: Serge Issakov <serge....@gmail.com>

Date: 7/25/22 16:46 (GMT-08:00)

To: Gary Cziko <gcz...@gmail.com>

Cc: CABO Forum <cabo...@googlegroups.com>, "Frank J. Lehnerz" <flehne...@gmail.com>, John Cinatl <j.f.c...@sbcglobal.net>, Mike Lasché <mi...@floridawalksandbikes.org>, Sand Geo <sandrine...@gmail.com>

Subject: Re: [CABOforum] Dave Snyder Announcing my departure and an exciting moment of transition for CalBike

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/caboforum/CAEy9bH4THhTLu%3Da_sgGBQJrJ%3DE8uAJfLtBkxSYN%2BYuPwKbhBzw%40mail.gmail.com.

[Mike Lasché]

One of the first things I learned, as an activist and lobbyist, a lesson which I suspect was already well-known……………is that one of the arts of politics is to make your agenda part of someone else’s.    If you spot someone, or some group, which will pour energy into their cause, then you can achieve success on your agenda by attaching it to theirs.

One common example of this is seen every year in most Legislatures…………where big bills, encompassing many diverse  efforts……….also known as “trains”………….roll through the Legislature because enough people get what they want so as to overcome any opposition.

In bicycling, we have seen this with the health advocates (Anne Lusk, et al) , the race advocates, the place advocates, the New Urbanists, the anti-car advocates, the planners, and others……………attaching their agendas to bicycling.

One recent example in bicycling has been the recent de-emphasis on Enforcement, one of the classic 3 E’s of transportation policy, along with Education and Engineering.   To satisfy the race advocates, Enforcement has become a dirty word, with some localities, such as Kansas City, overtly decreasing it.    

Mike Lasche

[Mike Lasché]

Dear Jim,

Thanks for your example regarding the San Diego CBC.     As I mentioned earlier, a danger for any successful organization is that their power will be coveted by others, who will attempt to make their agenda part of the organization’s agenda.

You asked about what LAB could be doing better as a defender of our status.   Here is one example.    In Florida, a prominent ambitious organizational climber named Billy Hattaway proposed replacing bike lanes on high-speed, high-volume roads with multi-use paths.   Whatever your feelings about bike lanes, this would have the effect of putting many cyclists on “sidepaths”.    When this occurred, I pointed out that road designs did not need to be “either or”……….we could still have road designs that accommodated road cyclists and sidewalk cyclists……………instead of a policy that only accommodated…………or attempted to accommodate……….sidewalk cyclists.     I contacted LAB to see if they would contact FDOT to say that road design should not replace bike lanes with sidepaths.   One of their higher ups, Bill Nesper, who did not come from a cycling background before beginning at LAB, refused to make that simple statement.

Another thing LAB could be doing better is by refusing to endorse segregated facilities on roadways.    Such facilities send the message to everyone, cyclists and motorists, that bicycles don’t belong on the roads.

And, if you go to the LAB website, the first policy item on their website, underneath “About the League” is “Equity”.

I have not followed the League lately but I wonder if LAB uses the word “Enforcement” any more.

Mike Lasche

Florida Walks and Bikes

<image.gif>

<image.gif> Dear John,  I’m writing to you with an important announcement about an exciting new chapter at CalBike. In August, I’ll be stepping down as Executive Director of CalBike to take on a new role as Senior Director of Local Innovation at People for Bikes, a national organization dedicated to getting more people riding bikes more often. I’m thrilled about what this means for CalBike. We have a strong team of advocates who will benefit from fresh leadership. Our Board of Directors is working hard to ensure that our advocacy for more equitable communities, where bicycling enables joy, health, and prosperity, will not only survive but thrive.  Our team is looking forward to beginning the search for a new executive director to guide CalBike through its next chapter. I’m delighted that Kevin Claxton, CalBike’s Operations Manager, will serve as Interim Executive Director.  I’m proud of the impressive agenda the CalBike team has developed and now is the greatest opportunity to implement it. Thank you very much for everything you do to support this movement. I look forward to continuing to work on California issues in my new role and collaborating with CalBike. I'll see you in the bike lane!

Dave Snyder Executive Director  <image.gif>

P.S. CalBike continues to rely on the support of people like you, who understand the vital importance of bike advocacy. Please make a special donation to help CalBike start off its next chapter strong. Your gift will be doubled thanks to a generous ongoing summer match up to $50,000.

Support CalBike CalBike 1017 L Street #288 | Sacramento, California 95814 916-258-5189 | c...@calbike.org

Follow CalBike  <image.gif> <image.gif> <image.gif> <image.gif> <image.gif>

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/caboforum/CAG28zXevp6sQcMK4QpLwEpBfziLdz4A8BN-m%2BL%3Dc8UtH89AweQ%40mail.gmail.com.

[Mike Lasché]

Dear Gary,

To answer your question, I will resort to history.

If you read Effective Cycling, by the late great John Forester, I believe you will find a history of how America relegated cyclists to sidepaths for many decades.    IMHO, and I think the opinion of Forester, this was “driven” (no pun intended) by the perception that bicycles don’t belong on roads.

From Florida, we had a law until 1978, requiring cyclists to use sidepaths if such a path paralleled a roadway.

From Florida, in 2010, the Legislature passed a bill requiring cyclists to use bike lanes whenever one was available.    This was the law that I, working as the sole lobbyist, helped to repeal in 2012.

And, to quote the great John Allen somewhat loosely………..segregated facilities have a way of becoming mandatory.

You may be fortunate to live in California, where your advocates and culture allow you to ignore segregated facilities and enjoy tolerance from drivers, lawmakers, and the public.    But, attitudes in other parts of the country can be different.

Mike Lasche 

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "CABOforum" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to caboforum+...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/caboforum/CABUB_Yxxw20haLZG9H56t5JD3i0RKZquej_7auhMKAGk9byM6Q%40mail.gmail.com.

[Frank J. Lehnerz]

Hi Mike,

All these other advocates attaching their causes to bicycling amounts to nothing other than a parasitic relationship. Despots, charlatans, rent-seekers, and just plain bullies who manipulate the good will of people (see SDCBC by-law elections) to get their way are a dime a dozen. This phenomenon exists in my field too - the energy industry which if things keep going the way they are, we'll be placing all this bike talk on the back burner. If you want a jaw-dropping absurd anecdote there, I read an article yesterday that covered the fact that nearly 40% of the EU's "renewable" and "carbon-free" energy comes from burning wood pellets sourced from clearcutting forests in the US Southeast. 

There's a good quote that's been going around in the energy circle and it's: "It's one thing to not know where stuff comes from but it's another thing to not know where stuff comes from and dictate to the rest of society how things should be run."

The same could be applied to bicycling issues. A lot of the people trying to dictate best policy, designs, and whatnot for cycling but have zero clue on how things work or why. There's almost something Procrustean about it. 

I think something a lot of bicycle "activists" or whatever we're all supposed to be called these days forget is history if we even knew it in the first place. 

Emphasis on "if we even knew it in the first place," because to the younger folks like me, we didn't necessarily get any of this background because we were not there or in the modern internet age, the organizations we looked up to revised their websites or just leave it out. I'm actually starting to write a series on touching on this theme since many of the websites I learned about cycling rights and advocacy over the years have gone offline. 

It seems the later someone jumps into bicycling, the less and less they know about the history and the greater the chances are they get exposed to revisionist history and missing context. Take for example the paper, "A Historical Perspective on the AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities and the Impact of the Vehicular Cycling Movement" written by Bill Schultheiss, Rebecca Sanders, and Jennifer Toole which was popularized on the always truthful, never deceitful, always "following The Science"  Streetsblog. (/s)  It's no coincidence at least two of those authors are heavy hitters in the infrastructure world too and their business is to build expensive sexy infrastructure for bicyclists. Toole Design were the "experts" contracted to revise much of the AASHTO guide. Without their talismans, bicyclists are doomed to suffer from the oppression of drivers and be cast into the eternal victim caste. Speaking of, I'll never forget seeing a photo of Bill Schultheiss, back when I followed him on Twitter a few years ago cycling with his child in a door zone bike lane bragging about how he was making cycling safe for all. But my overall point here is these folks are heavy hitters in the "industry" and are in the position to play Ministry of Truth along with Fiat Academics like Lusk who leech off the taxpayer dollars that fund their salaries, pensions, and grants. 

A lot of people were hysterically repulsed by Forester's personality which made his actual arguments less easy to digest but Peter Norton's book Fighting Traffic covers a lot of the so-called Motordom's activities and how they reframed the telos of public right of way to get non-motorized users out of the way. This short article, The Marginalization of Bicyclists covers a lot of it as does Karen Karabel's "My Bike? Or My 2-ton Land Missile?" presentation. There's a cyclist in North Carolina whose name escapes me who writes or used to write about these topics too. This is all probably preaching to the choir in this group though. 

But much like a lot of other hot-button political issues, there are always people who can't connect the past or think of the second or third order effects of their actions and then find themselves part of the Anointed ones in charge. Our education system is failing at raising children to become critical thinkers as well and at educating people about what rights are and where they come from. It's also to my understanding that the marginalization of cyclists off certain roads and onto side paths or related spaces also occurred in many other countries including 1930's Germany and the 1940's UK but I could be misremembering. 

I'm happy to hear you were the person who helped repeal FL's MBL law as someone who had the fortunate chance a few months ago to cycle around Miami and the unfortunate encounter with the Venetian Way "protected" bike lane between Miami and Miami Beach. 

Frank 

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/caboforum/C8A969CD-F154-4FD6-A197-A6F3E3BFF395%40floridawalksandbikes.org.