Causes to Consider Supporting: CicloSDias, Messy Jessie's Bicycle Academy and the Challenged Athletes Foundation
Tomorrow (Friday) is probably a day when you're a bit flush with cash and thinking hard about where to put those well earned dollars to good use. We've got some ideas for you.
The city's first open streets event, CicloSDias, is scheduled to happen on August 11th, 2013 - a mere ten days away.
CicloSDias Crowd-funding Campaign 2013 from Media Arts Center San Diego on Vimeo.
With this first event, San Diego will join the ranks of 90 other cities around the U.S. in an attempt to showcase an apparently wary San Diego that no disaster will befall our fine city if she opens her street to people and closes it off to multi-ton motor vehicles for a few hours on a Sunday.
This idea to introduce the city's residents to the notion of reclaiming the public commons and experiencing it without fear of bodily harm that may come in the form of an automobile barreling toward them at high speed unfortunately costs money. Specifically this effort is going to cost $15,000. The San Diego County Bicycle Coalition has been put charge of raising the funds and putting on the event. According to Brittany Statt at the SDCBC, the funds will be used to pay for expenses "like getting traffic controllers, equipment needed to close intersections and supplies for the hubs, permitting fees, and marketing."
Cities as large as New York City and as small as Fargo have managed to successfully put on an open streets event. We'd like to see the first CicloSDias succeed and ideally become a regularly held event simultaneously occurring in all council districts around the city. Closing public space for the public to enjoy the space shouldn't cost money when the benefits far outweigh any perceived downsides. We want to see businesses open their doors, and residents get outside their homes and cars and enjoy our city and, well, our enviable weather.
In the words of our local placeshaker, "dare to live outdoors". Let's start on August 11th.
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Jess Stephens is a familiar and friendly face that many of you have met either at the local farmers' market or at your local bike shop. You probably learned some valuable lesson or came away simply inspired. She has launched a campaign to bring a long held dream of opening a bicycle academy to life.
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The city's Bicycle Initatives Program Manager, Ed Clancy, District 2 Councilmember Kevin Faulconer, and Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman are all raising money for the Challenges Athletes Foundation by committing to a 620 mile bicycle journey down the California coast. The challenge is called the "Million Dollar Challenge" and riders ride from San Francisco to San Diego to raise $1 million for challenged athletes.
On why the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) is important to Clancy, "as a military veteran, and knowing that I have this in common with CAF athletes, this project hits close to home."
Hope you consider donating to all these very worthy causes.
First Mini CicloSDias: May 19th in Balboa Park's Marston Loop
Let do what we do really well in San Diego on May 19th - enjoy our beautiful weather. The first of the many "mini" CicloSDias will happen on May 19th in the Marston Loop on the west side of Balboa Park along Balboa Drive. Below is a map of the route that will be open to everything but motor vehicles:
Below is the front of the flyer that the city is using to promote the event. To RSVP and invite everyone you know to the mini CicloSDias, visit our event page.
El Alcalde Filner Invita a San Diego a Participar en CicloSDias
Traducción del artículo publicado originalmente el 25 de febrero, de 2013
Artículo escrito por Bike San Diego y traducido por Tyler Bergin
La mañana del 25 de febrero, el Alcalde Bob Filner y el Presidente del Consejo Todd Gloria convocaron una conferencia de prensa para anunciar la inauguración del cuarto corral de bicicletas de la ciudad y para invitar a la ciudad a participar en CicloSDias, el primer evento de calles abiertas en San Diego que tomará lugar el 18 de agosto de 2013. En esta fecha también cae el cumpleaños del coordinador de ciclismo de nuestra ciudad, Tom Landre.
Nuestro alcalde, a diferencia del alcalde de Los Angeles, no tuvo que experimentar una herida relacionada con el ciclismo para empatizar con nuestros ciclistas que se enfrentan a una cultura arraigada en el uso de los carros. El Alcalde entiende precisamente por qué San Diego necesita aumentar sus esfuerzos para transformarse en una ciudad apta para el ciclismo y verdaderamente habitable. Sus comentarios de la conferencia de prensa esta mañana demostraron que entendió no solamente los asuntos a los que se enfrentan los ciclistas existentes, sino la naturaleza transformadora que vendrá al invitar a los residentes de nuestra ciudad a experimentar las calles libre de carros (énfasis por el alcalde):
“Esto es sólo el principio de nuestros esfuerzos en convertir nuestra ciudad en una habitable y apta para peatones y ciclistas. Esta ciudad entera... tenemos el liderazgo en el Distrito Tres con Todd Gloria pero tenemos que hacer que toda la ciudad sea apta para el ciclismo. Otra vez, esto es el primer paso. Los corrales se necesitan y son necesarios y hermosos. El programa de bicicletas compartidas que elevará esto aún más empieza en un par de meses así que estamos felices de hacer eso.”
[...]
Uno de los primeros empleados que contraté fue... yo le digo el zar de las bicis, él se llama a sí mismo el hombre de las bicis. Ed Clancy está trabajando como parte del programa de bicis de la ciudad. Y les digo, este es sólo un paso. Construir una infraestructura entera de ciclismo para esta ciudad. Saben, otras ciudades han tenido éxito como Portland. La mujer que hizo eso, Mia Birk, escribió un libro que se llama Joyride que yo he leído. La vamos a traer aquí para determinar la infraestructura ciclista para San Diego y realmente vamos a tener saltos espectaculares en esa área.”
[...]
Para [conseguir la] infraestructura ciclista para [la ciudad entera] tenemos que tomar el entusiasmo y la emoción y la dedicación que Uds., los aficionados del ciclismo, han tenido. Y han tenido dificultades enormes en sólo moverse. He ido en bici con algunos de Uds. y he visto como abren las puertas enfrente de Uds. y como desaparecen los carriles de las bicicletas sin avisar, carreteras que cruzar...es increíblemente difícil. Entonces tenemos que lograr que toda la comunidad se emocione no sólo sobre los asuntos positivos de la calidad de vida, los asuntos del ejercicio, [sino] la belleza de San Diego experimentada en bici y a pie. Así que vamos a hacer unos eventos que intentan enfatizar esa emoción.
[...]
Estamos empezando el programa CicloSDias en San Diego. Vamos a tomar rutas o secciones de la ciudad por unas horas durante el [fin de semana], cerrarlas a los carros y tener la gente caminando, andando en bicicleta, patinando y simplemente hablando.
[...]
Vamos a tener una ruta empezando en Barrio Logan a lo largo de 30th Street y llegando a Cherokee Park. [...] A excepción de los residentes que tienen que estacionarse, vamos a quitar todos los carros. Vamos a mostrar que la belleza de esta ciudad experimentada a pie y en bicicleta es increíble. Y vamos a intentar incrementar el apoyo de la comunidad para el total de la infraestructura ciclista que necesitamos para que se pueda ir por bicicleta desde cualquier punto A hasta cualquier punto B en esta ciudad. Será un tipo de ciudad increíblemente diferente cuando hayamos hecho esto.
[...]
La gente dice, bueno eres de alguna manera subversivo si andas en bicicleta que estás intentando hundir a todo el país. No, esta es una manera de desarrollarnos. Así es como podemos desarrollar nuestras comunidades: tener programas de ciclismo y caminar en toda la comunidad. Entonces, vamos a tener el programa de bicicletas compartidas, tenemos al hombre de las bicis, vamos a tener CicloSDias y vamos a tener toda una infraestructura que une toda esta ciudad desde el sur hasta el norte, desde el este hasta el oeste con ciclismo adecuado. Es excelente para nuestra psique, para nuestros cuerpos, para nuestras almas y para nuestra ciudad.
Como mencionó el Alcalde, esto es el primer paso - pero un excelente primer paso y estamos emocionados por colaborar en este esfuerzo. Para más detalles visite la página web de CicloSDias y lea otro excelente reportaje en San Diego Gay & Lesbian News.
Mayor Filner Invites San Diegans to Experience CicloSDias
This morning, Mayor Bob Filner and Council President Todd Gloria held a press conference to announce the opening of the city's fourth bike corral and to invite the city to participate in CicloSDias, San Diego's first open streets event to be held on August 18 11, 2013. This date also happens to be the birthday of our City's bike coordinator, Tom Landre.
Our mayor, unlike L.A.'s mayor, didn't have to experience a bike related injury in order to garner empathy for our current riders dealing with a car-entrenched culture. The Mayor understands precisely why San Diego needs to step up its game in transforming the entire city to a bikeable and truly livable city. His comments from this morning's press conference demonstrated that he understood not just the issues that the existing riders face but the transformative nature that will come from inviting our city's residents to experience our streets free of cars (emphasis by the mayor):
This is just the beginning of our efforts to make our city livable, walkable, bikeable.This whole city...we got leadership in District Three with Todd Gloria but we got to make this whole city bikeable. Again this is the first step. The corrals are needed and necessary and beautiful. The bike share program which will elevate this even more is starting in a few months so we're happy to do that.
[....]
One of my first hires was...I call him the bike czar, he calls himself the bike guy. Ed Clancy is working as part of the city's bike program. And I will tell you, this is just a step. Building a whole infrastructure of biking for this city. You know other cities have had success like Portland. The lady who did that, Mia Birk, wrote a book called Joyride which I've read. We're going to bring her down here to figure out the bike infrastructure for San Diego and we're going to really have quantum leaps in that area.
[...]
To [get the] bike infrastructure for [the whole city] we gotta take the enthusiasm and the excitement and the commitment that, you, the bike enthusiasts have had. And you've had enormous difficulty just in getting around. I've ridden with some of you and seen how the doors open on you and the bike lanes disappear without any warning, freeways to cross...it's incredibly difficult. So we got to get the whole community excited about not only the positive quality of life issues, the exercise issues, [but] the beauty of San Diego as experienced on foot and on bike. So we're going to have some events which try to bring out that excitement.
[...]
We're starting the CicloSDias program in San Diego. We're going to take routes or sections of the city for a few hours during the [weekend], shut them off to cars and have people walking and biking and skateboarding and just talking.
[...]
We're going to have a bike route starting from Barrio Logan along 30th Street and into Cherokee Park. [...] Except for those residents who have to park, we're going to clear out the cars. We're going to show the beauty of this city experienced on foot and on bike is incredible. And we're going to try to build up the community support for the whole bike infrastructure that we need so you can go from any point A to any point B in this city by bicycle. It's going to be an incredibly different kind of city when we have done this.
[...]
People say well you're somehow subversive if you ride a bicycle that you're trying to bring the whole United States down. No, this is a way to build us up. This is how to build up our communities: to have community-wide biking and walking programs. So we're going to have the bike share, we have the bike guy, we're going to have CicloSDia and we're going to have a whole infrastructure that ties together this city from South to North, from East to West with adequate biking. Its great for our psyche, its great for our bodies, its great for our souls, its great for our city.
As the Mayor mentioned, this is the first step - but an excellent first step and we're thrilled to be partners in this effort. For more details, visit the CicloSDias website and read another excellent writeup at San Diego Gay & Lesbian News.
This Monday at 10 AM: Mayor to Announce CicloSDias at Dedication of Fourth Bike Corral
District Three continues to allocate public space to people with the fourth bike corral ready for use and scheduled to be officially dedicated on Monday morning. In conjunction with the new corral being unveiled, there is an announcement that local advocates have been working on for more than three years.
Our new Mayor, Bob Filner, in his State of the City Address last month emphasized the need for linking neighborhoods in this city by making them more bikeable through design excellence:
we need to support those efforts with transportation systems that enhance our quality of life – pedestrian-friendly designs like Bird Rock’s roundabouts, dedicated bike paths linking neighborhoods, and improved options, to meet the rapidly changing needs of our residents.
We must restore urban planning as an independent and leading voice for envisioning our communities’ future.
Land use and development review functions within City government will be reorganized into a Department of Healthy, Safe, and Livable Neighborhoods. This Department will focus on accelerating completion of our community plans; putting proper emphasis on transit-oriented development, walkability and bikeability; economic development; energy sustainability; affordable housing; and elevating our expectations for design excellence in new development.
The big announcement? San Diego will finally (finally!) be opening up her streets to be used by people instead of just automobiles. Below is the official press release:
Thirty years after Bogotá, Colombia opened up her streets to be used by people, its about time San Diego stepped up to the plate to start the conversation about what a more livable city really looks like. CicloSDias will be an absolute game changer with regard to having that meaningful discussion and we're thrilled to see our new mayor lead on this issue.
