Meet Ed Beighe

Ed Beighe

Ed is the Coalition’s Webmaster. 
Ed has been riding primarily for transportation, and to enjoy the health benefits, from his home in the Ahwatukee area of Phoenix on a daily basis for over 10 years. Ed also enjoys recreational MTB riding on the many trails of nearby South Mountain Park, the “largest urban park in the United States”.
A twenty-year computer industry veteran, Ed handles the Coalition’s website and technology needs, and also writes a personal blog at azbikelaw.org, covering transportation safety, justice, engineering and other issues, as well as monitoring legal issues of particular interest to Arizona’s bicyclists.
Ed was named the Coalition’s “Volunteer of the year” in 2009, and currently is serving on the Board of Directors.
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Meet Sheila Foraker

Sheila Foraker

Sheila is the Coalition’s Southern Arizona Representative. 
I love bicycles. If it has at least two wheels, I’ll ride it (two wheel minimum, since I haven’t figured out unicycles). Knobby, skinny, 20″ – 29,” fixed, single or geared, its all good. I love to race, but I’m cool with taking it easy on the bike path.
My first bike was a blue and white girl’s 24″ Murray Missile. When my friends were getting bikes with banana seats I wanted one, too. My parents said there was nothing wrong with my bike. Sorry mom and dad-wrong answer! I bought a can of gray spray paint, a banana seat and high rise handle bars. Off with the fenders and chain guard and on with paint, seat and new bars. Soon I was crashing with the best of them and loving every minute.
Many bikes have taken me many miles since that Murray Missile, but I’ve never forgotten the freedom it offered. As a League of American Bicyclst’s Certified Instructor, I work to revive that feeling in people I teach. Whether working with kids or adults, road bikes or mountain bikes, its all the same. Getting people on bikes is always a good thing.

Traffic Skills 101: Dec 3 THIS SATURDAY

THIS SATURDAY!
This is our Nation’s premiere street bicycling program taught by instructors certified by the League of American Bicyclists. Learn the basics of bicycle and helmet fit. Learn state bicycle laws. Learn how to predict and prevent crashes, and how to bail out as a last resort! Learn how to operate your bicycle in a skillful and confident manner, in any traffic — any time!
This class is designed to be of value to new and veteran cyclists. Class begins at 9am and finishes at 5pm. Global Bikes, 835 N. Gilbert Rd. #111 Gilbert, AZ 85234
Please visit www.meetup.com/Global-Bikes-Meetup/events/41668692/ for full information.

Meet Randy Victory

Randy Victory serves as CAzBike’s Northern Arizona Representative.

Chip & Karen Davis discussing
bicycling with Randy 

Known as “Ranger Randy,” Victory works at Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood. He often patrols the park on his bicycle, offering his own special brand of friendly assistance to the public. Born in San Francisco, he grew up near Dallas, Texas, not far from six-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong’s childhood home. After graduating from Redwood High School in Marin County, California –the birthplace of the mountain bike, Victory began cycling in the Rocky Mountains near Denver, logging 10,000 miles a year on his bike.
In fact, he lived an entirely car-free lifestyle, handling everything from commuting to shopping, “Although I really don’t miss riding through the snow in sub-zero temperatures!”

Volunteerism comes naturally to Victory, who was a Boy Scout and later volunteered as a National Mountain Bike Patroller, a program sponsored by the International Mountain Bicycling Association. Besides trail building, he learned a lot about working with the public. “Volunteering really helped the Forest Service and the sense of fulfillment, accomplishment and service was phenomenal,” Victory says. “It also ended up leading to my current career!”
“Transportation is incredibly important to human beings. We even have a special symbol for people with mobility limitations. I’ve always believed that I should be able to freely choose my mode of transportation. If you look at our Federal budget, transportation is second only to defense. At the State level, transportation is the biggest budget item. According to the latest statistics, transportation costs for the average American household are second only to housing costs. So as you can see, we place a high regard on mobility. I’d like to help create a community where individuals actually have realistic choices about how to get to school, or work, or to the park – where they don’t just climb into a car because they’re afraid to get there any other way, or feel compelled to act as full-time chauffeurs to their kids because they feel the streets are unsafe,” Victory says.
Victory was the founder of the Verde Valley Cyclists Coalition, a bicycle advocacy group whose membership promotes “share the road” principles, education, and bicycle infrastructure integration on behalf of the local community. Learn more by logging on to the VVCC Web site, www.vvcc.us. The Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists asked him to serve on their board for a time, after Victory made three trips to the National Bike Summit in Washington, D.C. as part of the Arizona delegation. He also serves on the ADOT Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee and the Cottonwood Bicycle Advisory Committee. “We don’t accomplish anything without the people around us,” Victory emphasizes.
In the coming years Arizona will probably be a lot bigger, and one of Victory’s goals is to work toward creating complete streets – streets that address the needs of pedestrians, bikes, cars, commercial traffic, kids, people who have had DUI or other license trouble or for some reason can’t drive, the disabled and adults – not just adults in cars.
The biggest challenge for cycling is compensating for the past 50 years of no education or bad education, Victory believes. “Education is a big part of the answer to so many of the world’s problems, and cycling is no exception. We need to help non-cyclists understand that infrastructure improvements and bicycle facilities benefit the entire community, not just bicyclists, and the time to put these improvements in place is now, while the cost is still low. Retrofits can often be a burden to the taxpayer.”
Promoting the bicycle as a preferred mode of transportation, Victory advises, “Just do it! Riding a bike is patriotic! And, if you’re going to do it, remember cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as operators of vehicles. Some folks ride their bikes in a manner driven by fear. So, they ride illegally and unpredictably.”  A League of American Bicyclists Cycling Instructor, Victory advises bicyclists not to do anything on bicycles that they wouldn’t do in cars, like riding on the sidewalk or against traffic.
There’s never a dull moment in Victory’s life. “After so many years acting as a full-time bicycle advocate, it’s nice to be able to branch out.” he says. He is still active as a cycling advocate, a National Mountain Bike Patrol Instructor,  teaches beginner mountain bike classes, spends a fair amount of time riding & wrenching on bikes, and even gets to hang out at the local bike shop!
It’s not surprising that Victory’s favorite quote is Albert Einstein recalling conceptualizing the Theory of Relativity, “I thought of that while riding my bike.”

Phoenix Political Pedal Power (P4) endorses greg Stanton

During the November 1, 2011 meeting of Phoenix Political Pedal Power (P4), the responses from the Candidates for Mayor of Phoenix were evaluated. P4 sincerely appreciates the time and effort given by each candidate.

The objectives of P4 are to influence the elections and decisions of City policy makers towards the betterment of Phoenix so that our favorite mode of transportation and recreation is encouraged, education is provided on safe and effective use of a bicycle, facilities are engineered in the same way, rules of the road are enforced for all users of the roadways, and how these efforts are progressing is evaluated regularly. Some of the questions included aspects of sustainable living. Cycling and sustainability, particularly the public transit aspects, have a strong synergy. Each benefits from the other, hence this topic was included in our questions.

The members found that a few of the answers were equally in line with our objectives. At the same time each candidate’s approach to the role of City Government became apparent. We found that the preponderance of answers by Mr. Stanton were substantially more in line with our objectives. Further, Mr. Stanton’s track record of cycling considerations vis a vis question number six was clearly ahead in our judgement.

Therefore, Phoenix Political Pedal Power endorses Mr. Greg Stanton for Mayor of Phoenix and encourages anyone eligible to vote in this November 8 election to vote for him.

CAzbike Officers

The (new) Board of Directors elected the following slate of officers at their first meeting which was held October 17, 2010:

  • Bob Beane – President 
  • Bob Jenson – Vice President 
  • Kathy Mills – Vice President of Education 
  • Gail Hildebrandt – Treasurer 
  • Sheila Foraker – Secretary

Results of elections for Board of Director seats at the 2011 Annual meeting held Oct 10:


Gene Holmerud, and Alison Van Uum will be stepping down as board members — the Coalition would like to thank them for all their hard work over the years. Alison will stay on as Membership Chair, and Gene will continue to monitor Rail safety issues relating to bicyclists.

The following board members will retain their seats:

  • Sterling Baer, 
  • Bob Beane, 
  • Sheila Foraker, 
  • Bob Jenson, 
  • Mike Kitchen, 
  • Kathy Mills.

New board members include:

  • Ed Beighe; Ed is currently the Coalition’s webmaster.
  • Mary Kaye Black; Mary Kaye is the Coalitions Eastern Arizona Representative.
  • Wayne Churchman; Wayne is also PBAA’s event director for El Tour de Mesa.
  • Gail Hildebrandt; Gail formerly served as Coalition president.
  • Sheryl Keeme; Sheryl is the founder of Girls Gone Riding., and organization to help and encourage women to participate in bicycling.

Officers will be elected at the next board meeting.
For those of you who plan in advance: the Coalition’s 2012 Annual Membership Meeting will be held Monday September 10, 2012.

Coalition Board of Directors changes

Thanks to those who came out for our 2011 Annual meeting. An election was held for board of directors positions.
Gene Holmerud, and Alison Van Uum will be stepping down as board members — the Coalition would like to thank them for all their hard work over the years. Alison will stay on as Membership Chair.

The following board members will retain their seats:

  • Sterling Baer, 
  • Bob Beane, 
  • Sheila Foraker, 
  • Bob Jenson, 
  • Mike Kitchen, 
  • Kathy Mills.

New board members include:

  • Ed Beighe; Ed is currently the Coalition’s webmaster.
  • Mary Kaye Black; Mary Kaye is the Coalitions Eastern Arizona Representative.
  • Wayne Churchman; Wayne is also PBAA’s event director for El Tour de Mesa.
  • Gail Hildebrandt; Gail formerly served as Coalition president.
  • Sheryl Keeme; Sheryl is the founder of Girls Gone Riding., and organization to help and encourage women to participate in bicycling.

Officers will be elected at the next board meeting.
For those of you who plan in advance: the Coalition’s 2012 Annual Membership Meeting will be held Monday September 10, 2012.

President’s Report – 2011 Annual Meeting

CAzB President’s Report – 2011 Annual Membership Meeting

  • Meeting/Committee Participation – e.g. MAG Bicycle Pedestrian Committee, Glendale Bicycle Advisory Committee
  • Phoenix Bicycle Summit participation
  • Cover Article for League of American Bicyclists Mar/Apr Magazine – Red Rock Road Extreme Road Makeover (Sedona/VOC Hwy 179 Project)
  • Executive Director Hired 
  • Clear Channel radio interviews – safe cycling, 3-foot safe passing distance, etc. 
  •  Meeting with Verde Valley advocates and Yavapai County transportation staff to improve plans for paved shoulders on Cornville Road 
  • LAB “Bicycle Friendly State” evaluation LAB “Bicycle Friendly Community” evaluations – Scottsdale, Tempe, Phoenix 
  • Alliance for Biking & Walking Workshop – Tucson (participated and connected with Tucson advocates, ADOT representatives, Tucson Transportation staff and public officials) 
  • ADOT Bicycle Safety Action Plan (input) and Statewide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Update Committee (participation and input) – ongoing 
  • Submitting programs to MAG for funding: (1) Law Enforcement Officer Training, (2) Adult/Teen “Ready to Ride” program – in progress 
  • Active Lifestyle Vehicle competition/fund-raising event (October 22) 

Robert A. Beane  President
Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists

CA 3-foot passing bill vetoed

The Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists supports the passage of California’s Senate Bill 910

Mr. Jim Brown
Communications Director
California Bicycle Coalition
1017 L Street, #288, Sacramento, CA 95814

Re: 3 Foot Safe Passing Distance Law

Dear Mr. Brown:

The Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists would like to express our support for enactment of a three foot safe passing distance law (requiring motorists to allow a safe passing distance when coming upon and passing bicyclists from the rear) in California.
With respect to any assertion that this type of law may cause some major difficulties or “mayhem”, we simply have not found that to be the case in Arizona where the law has been in effect for over ten years.
This law has been added to the driver’s manual, and a related question is in the driver test rotation. Our organization provides periodic media messages (primarily radio) and ADOT has some safety messaging and has a created a video on Sharing the Road that includes this concept.
Enforcement is generally confined to collision incidents where it is clear that a violation has occurred.

Sincerely,
Robert A. Beane
President, Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists
(501 c 3 bicycling advocacy and education organization directly representing over 3,000 individual and club member bicyclists in Arizona)
(623)252-0931

Two ADOT Planning Projects

…that Arizona Bicyclists Should Follow
By Bob Beane, President, Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists

Until about two years ago, when I became president of the Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists, the portions of ADOT activity that affected bicyclists were a mystery to me. Well, at times, they are still a mystery. But, I can honestly say that the CAzB has been invited to the table to provide input in several meaningful efforts in the last few years. And, that participation has lifted the curtain on some aspects of how things happen in our state. What I have found is that, if we stay engaged and active, we can make a difference.

But, there are only so many of us with so much time to review, discuss and comment. And, we only live in certain places and are aware of a certain basket of issues as a result. So, I am reaching out to the AZ bicycling community asking some of you to become more involved…represent your club, your community, your riding buddies or just yourself as a commuting or touring bicyclist. Get a bit more involved. Get up to speed on a few active programs that are in progress, think about the issues and concerns you have and provide some ideas and constructive input.
There are two planning projects currently in progress that Arizona Bicyclists should follow. Via these projects, every AZ bicyclist has some potential opportunity to affect access and safety on state roads and highways in Arizona. So, if you have contributions to make, your first step is to know about these programs, what they are trying to accomplish, who is working on them and how to register your input.
·         First, the ADOT Bicycle Safety Action Plan (Recommendations and Next Steps to Improve Bicycle Safety in Arizona) – This plan is partly in response to the fact that in 2008 Arizona ranked 9th highest in the nation for bicyclist fatalities per million residents. Also, between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2008, there were 1,089 recorded bicycle-motor vehicle crashes. This plan is very data-driven in that it will emphasize addressing locations and causes identified from the above statistics/incidents. Potential improvements are expected to come from the following: (1) engineering solutions, (2) education of bicyclists and motorists, (3) improving enforcement of laws and regulations. The goal is to reduce the number of crashes by 12% by 2018. How ambitious this goal is depends on what happens with population, development and numbers of bicyclists riding on state roads in that period, but it is never-the-less a goal of reducing crashes by 26 per year. As background information, a location analysis indicates that most of the high-frequency spot locations are freeway ramp intersections or frontage roads. However, three of four segment locations (stretches of road) where crash frequencies are high are in Flagstaff. Only 2 of the top 15 segments (rated by crashes per mile per year) are in Maricopa County, and only 5 of the top 15 are Maricopa or Pima County…most are in the mid-sized communities around the state. The plan seeks to strengthen accommodation requirements when engineering projects, recommends a Complete Streets policy and more bike-friendly freeway interchange designs and stresses both education and enforcement improvements with respect to both motorists and bicyclists. People working on this plan include ADOT staff, a consulting firm (Kimley-Horn and Associates), FHWA staff and a few selected advocates (CAzB being one) around the state.
·         Second, the ADOT Statewide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Update – This plan review and update is intended to continue guidance for the ADOT Bicycle and Pedestrian program. The current update is likely to set a tone for more equal footing for bicyclists and pedestrians in roadway design and construction. It will approach that goal, in part, by seeking input from bicyclists and pedestrians as to wants, desires and unmet needs related to use of those modes instead of motor vehicles. There may be specific recommendations regarding changes to AZ laws, ADOT policies, design guidelines and other challenges to the “status quo”. And, education and enforcement recommendations will almost certainly be included. People working on this plan include ADOT staff, a consulting firm (Kimley-Horn and Associates), FHWA staff and a number of bicycling, walking, health, livable community, law enforcement, transportation and other advocates (including the CAzB).
As opportunities for public input are scheduled, ADOT will be communicating those to a variety of constituent representatives, one of which is the Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists. The CAzB will, in turn, make a best effort to inform the Arizona bicycling community of those times and means of providing input.
But, you don’t have to wait.
For more information on these programs, as it becomes available, you may visit ADOT’s Bicycle and Pedestrian program web site at www.azbikeped.org and/or contact Michael Sanders atMSanders@azdot.gov.
If you want to support the ongoing efforts, but don’t feel that you have the time or expertise to comment, rest assured that the CAzB will be deeply involved in both of these projects. Your memberships and donations help us maintain our overall ongoing efforts (note that we are a non-profit 501 c 3…board members and officers are unpaid volunteers…but, we do have a paid Executive Director who works 30+ hours per week and we have other expenses to support our advocacy and education efforts on your behalf).