On March 6, 2024, from 9:00 am to 10:30 am, CalBike will host a panel discussion on Zoom: Complete Streets on Caltrans Corridors. The webinar, an advance session for April’s California Bicycle Summit, is free, but advance registration is required.
State Senator Scott Wiener will join the conversation, along with Jeanie Ward-Waller (Fearless Advocacy), Kendra Ramsey (CalBike), Laura Tolkoff (SPUR), and Sandhya Laddha (Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition). The discussion will center on Wiener’s 2024 Complete Streets Bill, SB 960, and the campaign to make Caltrans-controlled roads safer for people biking, walking, and taking public transit.
Why Caltrans Complete Streets matter
Complete Streets is the term for streets that meet the needs of people using all modes of transportation, not just those driving in cars. Too many of our roadways were designed with moving vehicles quickly as the only consideration, making them unfriendly and dangerous for people walking and biking.
To turn a street into a Complete Street, upgrades need to include more than a crosswalk here or some green paint there: a Complete Street is one that includes all the elements required to allow people who aren’t inside cars to travel safely and comfortably along the corridor. That could include bus boarding islands, protected bikeways, bulb-outs to reduce crossing distances, protected intersections, traffic calming measures like chicanes or speed humps, and more. In addition, Complete Streets are inviting to people of all ages, abilities, and races.
Local governments across California have adopted Complete Streets policies and begun creating corridors that invite people to get out of their cars and use active transportation. But state routes that serve as local thoroughfares through many cities have remained an obstacle to local progress.
Caltrans-controlled roads are often among the most dangerous in an area — high-injury corridors with fast-moving traffic. The agency has been reluctant to devote resources to redesigning these routes, despite local desires for safer streets and the agency’s own Complete Streets policies.
Senator Wiener’s Complete Streets Bill will require Caltrans to consider the needs of all users when it repaves a section of roadway. It will also bring much-needed transparency to an agency whose operations are in desperate need of some sunshine.
CalBike’s allies in the Complete Streets Campaign
The Complete Streets Bill is CalBike’s top legislative priority in 2024. We have retained Jeanie Ward-Waller, a powerful advocate with experience in and out of Caltrans, to help pass this critical measure.
Many other organizations have committed to help win Caltrans Complete Streets, including bill co-sponsors SPUR and Streets For All. Our allies include environmental and social justice organizations that recognize the central role of safe streets in achieving climate and transportation justice. And we have many local partners, including the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, which is waging its own campaign to add safe bikeways as Caltrans repaves El Camino Real (State Route 82).
We need your help to win passage of the Complete Streets Bill. A strong movement in support of safe passage for all Californians will help sway legislators and the governor. We hope you can join us on March 6 to jumpstart the Complete Streets Campaign.
More than 100 people attended CalBike’s first Summit Advance Session on November 29, 2023. The webinar featured a panel of advocates and planners from San Diego, where the in-person California Bicycle Summit will be held on April 18-19, 2024.
The Summit will be jam-packed with panels and keynotes, advancing the latest thinking on active transportation advocacy and planning. The webinar highlighted another reason to go to San Diego: a chance to tour the city’s growing miles of separated bikeways.
The session included advocacy strategies from Chloé Lauer, San Diego County Bicycle Coalition executive director, and Anar Salayev, executive director of BikeSD. Josh Clark, a senior regional planner for the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), detailed the agency’s progress in building 77 miles of bikeways and dramatic increases in ridership after the opening of protected and separated bikeways.
The COO and CDO of Circulate San Diego, Jeremy Bloom, talked about strategies to advance Vision Zero, including identifying the Fatal 15: the most dangerous intersections in the city. Everett Hauser, the City of San Diego Transportation Department’s bicycle program manager, outlined improvements, especially since the Summit was last held in San Diego in 2015. Randy Torres-Van Vleck, CEO of Tocayo Engagement and organizer of Los Cruzadores, spoke about San Diego’s role as a crossroads between the U.S. and Mexico and his hopes to organize a repeat of a 2015 cross-border ride for April’s Summit attendees.
https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/San-Diego-River-Bikeway.jpg540960Kevin Claxtonhttps://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.pngKevin Claxton2023-11-30 12:32:042023-11-30 12:37:19California Bicycle Summit Advance Session Generates Excitement About San Diego Bikeways
CalBike will hold its next biennial California Bicycle Summit in San Diego on April 18 to 19, 2024. The Summit is an inspiring gathering of advocates, planners, transportation agency staffers, and elected officials who care about creating a more bikeable, walkable California. Sessions will include presentations and workshops from some of the most influential thought leaders in active transportation and transportation justice, leading discussions on how we transition to a more just, sustainable transportation system. And no Summit would be complete without bike tours, networking opportunities, movie screenings, and more.
A crossroads for climate and livability
This is a crucial time for the active transportation movement. As the pace of climate change accelerates and damage from severe weather accumulates, our window to decarbonize our transportation system shrinks. Our Summit theme for 2024 is Crossroads, because our state and our society stand at a crossroads.
We can choose the path of adaptation and mitigation, or keep building freeways as the planet heats. We can walk toward more just and sustainable systems for bringing safety to our streets, or we can continue down the path that leaves many Californians unsafe when they bike and walk. As we gather together at the Summit, we’ll strategize how to move California toward a more equitable and sustainable future.
2024 Summit Advance Session: Success Stories from San Diego
In the months leading up to the 2024 California Bicycle Summit, we will host a series of free online webinars to preview topics to be discussed at the in-person event. The first webinar focuses on our host city and the challenges that advocates and local agencies have overcome to win some important victories. These success stories will offer suggestions for accelerating change in your community.
The California Bicycle Summit took place April 6 to 9 in Uptown Oakland, with sold-out attendance and rave reviews for fantastic sessions and events.
The Summit began on Wednesday night with a fantastic night of movies at the New Parkway Theater. The rich and inspiring program of bicycle shorts included Spokespeople, a documentary exploring bicycle communities and safety in Los Angeles. There was also a short video of San Francisco activists blocking car traffic when cars park in the bike lane, holding up signs that said, “We’ll just be a minute,” a short feature about the Scraper Bike Team, and Biking While Black, a powerful documentary by CalBike’s own Yolanda Davis-Overstreet. Many of the filmmakers and the people featured in the films were in the audience and the night included lively Q&As between films.
Photos by Jorge Cáñez
The opening plenary makes history
On Thursday, the California Bicycle Summit started with a plenary that included a welcome from Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, Bike East Bay Executive Director Ginger Jui, and CalBike Board President Cynthia Rose. The owner of Oakstop, the venue that hosted all Summit sessions except the movie night, Trevor Parham, gave a moving speech about growing his Black-owned business in Oakland and using his locations to create a sense of place and community. Oakstop made a terrific partner, with a wonderful venue where every meeting room was enlivened by walls covered with paintings by local artists.
Assemblymember Laura Friedman, Chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee and a champion of bicycling, spoke at the plenary by video. California Secretary of Transportation Toks Omishakin appeared via videolink and also took questions from attendees. The session ended with a panel discussion about why it’s taking so long to create the world biking advocates want to see and what we can do to speed the timeline.
Photos by Evan Dudley
My first Summit – too much! great information, friendly, helpful atmosphere was infectious, supporting the theme of “Connecting”- made connections with people, with intersection of many issues presented. Bravo! Look forward to the next one, hoping it’ll be public transitable.
MaryAnn Furda, 350 Bay Area
The opening plenary session was notable not just because it demonstrated the growing support for biking among elected officials and agency heads, but also because we were able to share some good news. State officials present confirmed that the $500 million announced by Governor Newsom as part of the gas tax relief package was not the same $500 million boost to the Active Transportation Program included in his January budget proposal. It was in addition to that. With the $100 million from that January proposal for HSIP, the Governor has announced a total of $1.1 billion toward better biking and walking in California, so CalBike and our allies are halfway to our goal of getting $2 billion for bikes in the state’s next budget.
Breakout sessions and second plenary inform and inspire
There isn’t room here to go into detail about all the fantastic breakout sessions on topics including a new paradigm for safe streets among state leadership, next steps in mobility justice, connecting housing policy with biking, and so much more. Videos of most of the sessions will be available on CalBike’s website in a few weeks, and we’ll be covering some of the exciting takeaways from the breakouts in upcoming blog posts.
Photos by Evan Dudley
“Last year was both inspiring and bruising, as two of our bills, the Safety Stop and a bill to legalize safe mid-block street crossings, got vetoed by the governor. Both those bills are back for a second try and it was great to reunite with our allies from last year, including Assemblymember Phil Ting. The Summit energized me and gave me hope for the year ahead.”
Jared Sanchez, Senior Policy Advocate, CalBike
A lunch plenary on Friday brought members of diverse and subversive bike communities onstage to talk about the ways that riding together builds community and enhances safety in the RideOut panel.
The California Bike Summit always brings together the widest range of speakers, private and public entities to discuss and challenge our thinking of all things related to cycling. I always find the summit to be a the best couple of days to learn, challenge my thinking and engage with thought leaders. Lee Jones @ BCycle
Lee Jones @ BCycle
Photos by Evan Dudley
Summit attendees came from a wide spectrum of backgrounds, including students, Caltrans employees, community leaders, and local bike advocates. This conference broke the mold of a typical bike advocacy gathering with an engaged crowd that was diverse in race, ethnicity, and gender.
Rides and wrap up
The Summit also included several well-attended biking and walking tours, and summit-goers could visit the parking-protected Telegraph Avenue bike lane project by just traveling a few blocks from Oakstop.
And, on Friday night, many attendees, including CalBike’s Executive Director, Dave Snyder, joined East Bay Bike Party for a joyous ride through the streets of Oakland.
“The Summit was everything we wanted it to be as a catalyst for our movement. People made powerful connections in sessions and in the street that we closed to cars and took over for socializing. And, as always, we had a dance party but this time it was connected to the East Bay Bike Party. What a great cap to the Summit: hundreds of people taking the streets and riding together with joy!”
Dave Snyder, Executive Director, CalBike
A huge thank you from the CalBike staff to everyone who attended, presented, volunteered, sponsored, or otherwise supported the 2022 California Bicycle Summit. It is a big undertaking and we couldn’t do it without our fabulous communities.
The Summit is held every two years and this year’s event was off-schedule because of the pandemic. So we’ll see you again in fall 2023 for the next California Bicycle Summit!
Photos by Evan Dudley except Bike Party (Dave Snyder)
https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Closed-Telegraph-w-mural-Summit-22-scaled.jpg17082560Laura McCamyhttps://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.pngLaura McCamy2022-04-15 17:50:082022-04-18 17:44:31Recap of the 2022 California Bicycle Summit
We are excited to bring the California Bicycle Summit back to Oakland for many reasons. Oakland is a diverse city with a thriving bike culture, a vibrant arts scene, and rich history. Plus, we found a venue that embodies the art and aspiration that is the heart of Oakland. But mostly, we’re thrilled to introduce Oakland to more of you.
Oakland has a robust bike program, some terrific protected bike lanes, and one of the most vital bike advocacy groups in California (Bike East Bay). It also borders Berkeley, which has storied bicycle boulevards and one of the highest bike mode shares in California, and it’s an easy BART or ferry ride from San Francisco, which has its own rich bicycle culture.
Here is a sampling of trivia, history, and culture to savor on a visit to Oakland.
The art of biking
Oakland is home to many visual artists, including painters, muralists, Burning Man sculptors and builders, and a diverse music scene that includes homegrown genres (like hyphy). So it’s no surprise that the art and whimsy of the city found their way into Oakland bike culture.
The best-known Oakland bicycle icons are the Original Scraper Bike Team. The team uses colorful duct tape wrapped around bicycle spokes to create “art in motion,” and the group’s mission has expanded from creating homegrown bike culture to serving Oakland youth. And it all started with an irresistible music video.
Bike Party started in San Jose before spreading around the Bay, and the East Bay version is an explosion of music, lights, costumes, and — manners. Bike Party stops at all lights and makes sure no one is left behind. It’s a joyous parade of elaborately-lit bikes and speakers booming on bike trailers that’s both kid-friendly and a fun Friday night out.
San Francisco political party, the Wigg Party, is named after one of the city’s most popular bike routes, The Wiggle.
You can experience North America’s first wildlife refuge in the heart of Oakland at Lake Merritt via a gorgeous protected bikeway that encircles the lake.
Bike East Bay advocates for better biking in 33 cities in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, working in communities that range from super bike-friendly to very car-centric.
The Town
Oakland is fondly called The Town or Oaktown, in contrast to San Francisco, often referred to as The City. Look for depictions of the iconic cranes that dominate the skyline at the Port of Oakland, visible from the freeway or nearby Jack London Square. Visit the Oaklandish flagship store at 1444 Broadway, just a few blocks from the Summit venue, for graphic tees and other locally made goodies that express the pride that locals feel in their community.
A rich history
As a majority BIPOC city, Oakland’s history includes booms and busts, decades of development followed by neglect and reinvention. For example, the Uptown Oakland neighborhood, where the Summit is centered, includes many glorious examples of art deco architecture that survived being torn down because of lack of investment and have now come to life again as art, music, and entertainment venues. The OakStop complex, where the breakout sessions will take place, is a great example of this: it’s in a historic building with an ornate facade that speaks to Oakland’s history while inside the coworking and event space walls are is filled with work by today’s local artists.
The Fox Theater is a thriving music venue across the street from Oakstop and the Paramount Theater, a few blocks up Broadway, hosts concerts and classic movies.
Uptown’s commercial spaces are being reimagined by local artists and entrepreneurs, leading to an eclectic mix of retail, art galleries, and eateries. That includes the Oakstop venue, where you can view the work of local artists in every meeting room. The art deco California Ballroom, where we’ll host the Summit plenary sessions, first opened in 1926 and joined a vibrant entertainment scene in Oakland, a prime tour stop for top Black performers because of The Town’s sizeable Black community. Explore the roots of that community at the African American Museum and Library, a short walk from the Summit venue.
Unlike San Francisco’s Chinatown, Oakland’s Chinatown is oriented toward the people who live there, not tourists. This vibrant neighborhood, just a short walk or bus ride from the Summit, once stretched to Jack London Square and the San Francisco Bay before it was cut in half by a freeway, a fate it shares with many Chinese communities in California. Of particular interest to active transit nerds: the beautifully decorated intersections where pedestrian scrambles serve the bustling, walkable community.
Oakland has also been an incubator for revolutionary political movements from the Black Panthers to Occupy Oakland. You can learn more about local and California history at the Oakland Museum of California, which offers a mix of art, history, science, and fascinating special exhibitions.
A foodie paradise
The Bay Area is known for its fabulous restaurants, and Oakland is no exception. A flourishing vegan community means that you can find vegan options on most menus, in addition to fantastic vegan restaurants. Meat lovers, don’t despair — Oakland has terrific dining options to please every palate. The Town is home to excellent Mexican, Thai, Burmese, Chinese, Japanese, and soul food eateries, just to name a few. Restaurants of almost every cuisine are a short walk, bike ride, or transit trip from the Summit. Here are a few of our favorites.
Wise and Sons Jewish Deli, 1700 Franklin: If you’re missing the old country (i.e. New York), this fantastic deli is a must.
The Punchdown, 1737 Broadway: You can enjoy the natural, sulfate-free wine selection in-house or buy bottles to go. The food is yummy too.
Drakes Dealership, 2325 Broadway: Enjoy covid-safe dining in this lovely outdoor beer garden. Drakes has The. Best. Fries.
Solely Vegan, 301 Broadway: You haven’t lived until you’ve had the red beans and rice at this Black- and woman-owned vegan soul food restaurant. It’s worth the walk.
Agave Uptown, 2135 Franklin: The menu at this upscale Mexican restaurant has something for everyone. And don’t miss the Mescal.
Shandong, 328 10th Street: This Chinatown fave is famous for its dumplings, but the extensive menu has something for everyone.
Swan’s Market, 510 9th Street: Once a famous department store in Old Oakland, Swan’s Market is now home to a food court that is an incubator for innovative local chefs. Plus, there’s a farmer’s market on the street outside on Friday from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm.
This is just a tiny (and somewhat biased) sampling of the many fantastic restaurants within a short walk or bike ride of the Summit.
So much to love about Oakland
On first look, Oakland’s center can look rundown, a bit rough around the edges. But what you’re seeing is a city that’s in a constant process of reinventing itself. Today’s empty storefront will be tomorrow’s happening art gallery. When you scratch below the surface, you find a wellspring of energy and creativity, a community trying to figure out how to preserve diversity and embrace modernity without forgetting its roots.
And we haven’t even touched on many of The Town’s attractions: Lake Merritt, with its glorious separated bike path (join us on the bike tour to visit it); the Grand Lake Theater, famous for the political messages on its marquee; Jack London Square, home to fantastic restaurants and delightful bay views; and so much more.
We hope you can join us at the California Bicycle Summit, April 6-9, in Oakland. And we hope that, while you are here, you can take some time to appreciate some of Oakland’s fantastic architecture, culture, and cuisine.
https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/East-Bay-Bike-Party.jpeg13652048Laura McCamyhttps://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.pngLaura McCamy2022-03-21 17:49:282023-11-28 12:10:53Explore Oakland at the California Bicycle Summit
The 2022 California Bicycle Summit opens on Wednesday, April 6, from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m., with an Opening Night Mixer at the New Parkway Theater. The mixer will be a miniature film festival with a twist. And you can order food and drinks (and fabulous popcorn) from the New Parkway’s full kitchen to enjoy while you watch.
Bike Shorts
The producers and actors in the documentaries Spokespeople and Biking While Black will be on hand to discuss their movies. Old and new bike-themed music videos will entertain us between the short films.
Pecha Kuchas
A handful of special PechaKucha presentations will showcase quirky and visionary themes ranging from the anthropology of bike-friendly cities to a nearly religious bicycle philosophy.
PechaKucha is a Japanese word that translates as “chit chat.” The term has come to denote a specific type of presentation: 20 slides, each displayed for 20 seconds, giving presenters 6 minutes and 40 seconds to convey their ideas. The constraints of this concise format lead to face-paced, fun, and creative presentations. You won’t want to miss it!
Do you have a revolutionary idea about biking that you’d like to share? Apply for a PechaKucha spot by filling out this form. We will accept applications through March 26, 2022.
Notes for PechaKucha presenters: Presentations must be inspiring, visually enticing, and have some connection to the Summit’s theme: Connecting (feel free to interpret the theme broadly). At the theater, the PechaKucha presentations won’t be controlled by the speaker; they must automatically play.
About the New Parkway Theater
The New Parkway Theater is an intimate venue with comfortable couches and chairs for seating and eating and drinking while you watch the movie. The venue’s restaurant and bar serve delicious food and beverages, including popcorn with a toppings station that is the best in the Bay Area. The event will feature several opportunities for eating, drinking, and mingling, as well as enjoying the entertainment.
If you’re already registered for the full Summit, you’ll have an opportunity to claim a free ticket to the opening night mixer. If you’re not registered yet, reserve your spot today.
A limited number of tickets for the opening night celebration will be available to the general public. Check this space for information on how to buy tickets, coming soon.
https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/New-Parkway-Theater-2.jpeg720960Kevin Claxtonhttps://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.pngKevin Claxton2022-03-14 14:48:202023-11-28 12:11:56California Bicycle Summit Opening Night Mixer Celebrates the Vital Work of California Bicycle Advocates and Planners
Oakland, CA – The California Bicycle Summit (one of the nation’s leading bicycle-advocacy conferences) returns this year as an in-person and on-wheels event. The 3-day Summit will be held in Uptown Oakland, April 6-9, 2022.
The California Bicycle Summit draws advocates, city officials, planners, and everyday Californians who want to strengthen and grow the movement for sustainable transportation.
“For 2022, we have prepared a fantastic program in a gorgeous venue, with a jam-packed schedule of expert presentations, plenary sessions, parties, demos, bike tours, and plenty of space and time to connect, make new friends, and catch up with old ones,” said Dave Snyder, executive director of CalBike.
The California Bicycle Summit is a can’t-miss event for people who care about biking. It connects people who are passionate about creating sustainable transportation options for all Californians to share ideas, inspiration, and practical solutions to create safer streets.
Speakers at the 2022 California Bicycle Summit will include community activists, California decision-makers, bicycle advocates, industry leaders, and planners designing the next generation of safer streets. They will present more than 30 exciting breakout sessions on a wide range of topics, including:
The promise and reality of Caltrans shift to support active transportation
Success stories of intersectional bike advocacy
Access to biking for people with disabilities
Two design symposia where engineers and planners will share cutting edge street designs
Accounts from the leaders of ride-outs, the grassroots biking events spreading across the country
The importance of community bike shops: how to make them excellent, how to support them
Black and POC-rooted solutions for mobility and empowerment
The still-growing impact of e-bikes
The intersections of active transportation with housing policy and climate action
Reports from Finland, Latin America, and across California about how to improve bicycle mode share
The Summit will also include bike rides and social events:
Tours of infrastructure in the East Bay and San Francisco, including visiting the state’s only edge lane road
Visits to outstanding community bike shops
Recreational rides on the Bay Area’s beautiful backroads
A chance to join the famous and fabulous East Bay Bike Party, a rolling celebration of biking, music, and dancing that takes place every second Friday
A movie night featuring California’s best bike-themed short films
The Summit will be held in beautiful Uptown Oakland. Plenary sessions will be in the gorgeous 1926 art deco California Ballroom; the breakout sessions venue is the OakStop, a top-notch locally- and Black-owned event center. Telegraph Avenue, in front of the venue, will be closed to cars and open for socializing during the Summit.
CalBike advocates for equitable, inclusive, and prosperous communities where bicycling helps to enable all Californians to lead healthy and joyful lives.
https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Summit_Logo_2022_White.png17281728Jared Sanchezhttps://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.pngJared Sanchez2022-03-01 14:15:312022-03-01 14:53:25CONNECTING: California Bicycle Summit
The 2022 California Bicycle Summit will include an exciting breakout session featuring bicycle activists from Bogotá and scholars of Latin American urban studies. Presenters will include:
Daniel Rodriguez, professor of city and regional planning and the interim director of the Institute for Transportation Studies at UC Berkeley.
Lorena Romero Fontecha, director and project manager for the BiciActiva Foundation based in Bogotá. BiciActiva is a Bogotá-based organization that sponsors BiciActiva Radio, which runs a station for and by bicyclists.
Additional presenters will be announced later.
Rodriguez is one of the coauthors of the chapter on cycling trends in Latin America in the indispensable reference, Cycling for Sustainable Cities. He and Romero Fontecha, along with Carlos Felipe Pardo and Raphael Navarro joined CalBike for an Advance Symposium in December 2021; if you want a preview of this session, you can view the recording.
The value of Latin American experience for California bicycle advocates
Bike advocates in the U.S. often look to the cycling cities of Europe such as Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and now Paris, when we want examples of what might be possible here. However, California, with its diverse population and relatively new cities, may have more in common with our neighbors in Latin America.
For example, the movement for Open Streets began in Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, and the city’s Ciclovía program remains a model that U.S. cities can only dream of. Founded in 1976, Ciclovía happens every single Sunday, from 7 am to 2 pm, and covers 75 miles of city streets. And Bogotá has a bicycling mode share of 6.6% that only a few California cities can top.
Engaging across borders
Part of the mission of BiciActiva and BiciActiva Radio is to connect the Bogotá bicycling community with people who ride bikes around the world. At the December Symposium, we were joined from the Netherlands by BiciActiva member Raphael Navarro, who was spending time there to report about cycling in Holland for the organization. The organization has invited three CalBike staffers to experience bicycling in Bogotá this March, continuing the cross-border exchange.
We’re excited to welcome these bicycle activists and scholars to share success stories, aspirations, and inspiration from Latin America. It’s a session you won’t want to miss.
Join us at the 2022 California Bicycle Summit for 32 breakout sessions, 5 bike tours, 3 parties, and much more.
https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BiciActiva-Slide.jpg431766Jared Sanchezhttps://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.pngJared Sanchez2022-02-11 15:37:362022-02-11 16:04:53Summit Preview: What It’s Like to Bike in Latin America
On April 6-9, 2022, we hope you will join us in Oakland to strengthen and grow the movement for sustainable transportation. The California Bicycle Summit, held every two years, always feels like a momentous occasion, but gathering in person after the past two years is even more compelling. The theme for this year’s Summit is CONNECTING.
We didn’t pick the theme just because we are thrilled to get together with all of you (though we are!). CONNECTING is about many different types of connections:
Creating connected neighborhoods where people of all ages can get to school, to work, or to the store without being forced to get in a car
Connecting to our bodies through the joyful movement of riding a bike
Connecting to the planet and creating a transportation system that aligns with the needs of Earth’s natural systems
Connecting the varied issues that we must address together: racism, lack of housing, and streets that are unsafe for many reasons, to name just a few
Connecting across communities and cultures to better understand and support each other
Connecting to create equitable communities where the joy of bicycling is an easy choice
The 2022 California Bicycle Summit is a can’t-miss event for people who care about biking
Speakers at the 2022 California Bicycle Summit will include community activists, California decision-makers, bicycle advocates, industry leaders, and planners designing the next generation of safer streets. They will present 32 exciting breakout sessions on a wide range of topics, including:
The promise and reality of Caltrans shift to support active transportation
Success stories of intersectional bike advocacy
Access to biking for people with disabilities
Two design symposia where engineers and planners will share cutting edge street designs
Accounts from the leaders of ride-outs, the grassroots biking events spreading across the country
The importance of community bike shops: how to make them excellent, how to support them
Black and POC-rooted solutions for mobility and empowerment
The still-growing impact of e-bikes
The intersections of active transportation with housing policy and climate action
Reports from Finland, Latin America, and across California about how to improve bicycle mode share
And much more
The event will also host fun and informational bike rides and social events:
Tours of infrastructure in the East Bay and San Francisco, including visiting the state’s only edge lane road
Visits to outstanding community bike shops
Recreational rides on the Bay Area’s beautiful backroads
A chance to join the famous and fabulous East Bay Bike Party, a rolling celebration of biking, music, and dancing that takes place every second Friday
A movie night featuring California’s best bike-themed short films
We’re delighted to bring the Summit to beautiful Uptown Oakland. Plenary sessions will be in the gorgeous 1926 art deco California Ballroom; breakout sessions will be held at the OakStop, a top-notch locally- and Black-owned event center. Telegraph Avenue in front of the venue will be closed to cars and open for socializing during the Summit.
Oakland, home of the Original Scraper Bike Team, enjoys a vibrant, diverse culture where powerful bike advocates collaborate with bike-friendly leadership in city government. We are proud to showcase The Town’s active and creative bike scene and fabulous art and architecture.
We invite anyone passionate about bicycling to join us—whether you’re a bike advocate, city official, planner, or a CalBike member who simply cares about making the world healthier, more just, and more sustainable and wants to learn more. See you in April!
https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Oakstop-overview.jpg360640Kevin Claxtonhttps://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.pngKevin Claxton2022-01-26 15:10:032023-11-28 12:11:14Announcing the Theme of the 2022 California Bicycle Summit: CONNECTING
On December 7, 2021, CalBike held its second Advance Symposium for the California Bicycle Summit: Lessons from Latin America. It was a powerful and fascinating deep dive into both success stories and challenges for biking in Latin American cities, with a deep dive into the home of the Cicolvia, Bogotá, Columbia. Scroll to the bottom to watch the full session.
The presenters included the coauthors of the chapter on Latin American in Cycling for Sustainable Cities. Daniel Rodriguez is a professor of city and regional planning and the interim director of the Institute for Transportation Studies at UC Berkeley. Carlos Felipe Pardo is a senior advisor to the New Urban Mobility Alliance and also founded Despacio, a Bogota-based sustainable transportation organization. We were also joined by two advocates from BiciActiva, a Bogotá-based organization that sponsors BiciActiva Radio, which runs a station for and by bicyclists. Lorena Romero is the BiciActiva Foundation director and project manager who created the Bicinema project to bring movies to public places in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Raphael Navarro joined us from the Netherlands, where he is reporting on the Dutch cycling experience for BiciActiva Radio.
Ciclovias make cities more bike-friendly
Bogotá is famous in bicycling circles as the home of the first Open Streets, the Ciclovia, founded in 1974, and it has the second-highest bicycle mode share. The highest is in Guadalajara, another city with a robust, weekly Ciclovia—and Rodriguez doesn’t think that’s a coincidence. He presented figures on miles of bike lanes built in recent years and, though Guadalajara has many fewer miles than Bogotá and some other cities, the percentage increase in bikeways in that city has been huge.
Photo of new Bogotá bike lanes courtesy of Carlos F Pardo
Pardo pointed out Bogotá’s long experience with quickly transforming streets for Ciclovias was useful during the pandemic. The city quickly created many miles of temporary bike routes and has begun to make some of those permanent with quick-build infrastructure.
Building community on two wheels
Romero and Navarro spoke about the power of shared information to improve safety and win better bikeways. They invited bike advocates from anywhere in the world to contribute to BiciActiva Radio, which has the mission of sharing information to support the bike riding community. One of Romero’s inspiring recent projects is Bicinema, which projected outdoor movies that people could bike to watch, creating community even during COVID.
These are just a few of the highlights from Lessons from Latin America. Watch the full session to get ideas and inspiration from these fantastic bicycle advocates. But, before you do, register for our next free, online Symposium: California Advocacy Success Stories. The session will be held on February 22, 2022. And don’t forget to reserve your spot for the in-person California Bicycle Summit, held in Oakland April 6-9, 2022.
Watch the full Symposium: Lessons from Latin America:
https://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Rodriguez-image1-scaled.jpg14402560Laura McCamyhttps://www.calbike.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/calbike-logo.pngLaura McCamy2021-12-15 18:44:492022-02-10 16:18:21What California Can Learn from Latin American Bike Advocates
