Open Letter to All Arizona Bicyclists from the CAzB

What is the Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists? What do we do?

Why a membership drive? Why now? Why is it important to you?

The Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists (CAzB) is the leading bicycling advocacy and education resource for bicyclists in Arizona. We are affiliated with the League of American Bicyclists and the Alliance for Biking and Walking.

Here are just a few of the activities we have participated in recent months and continue to do:

  • We advocate for safer conditions for bicyclists on the road, including bike lanes and other bicycle-friendly infrastructure.
  • We educate bicyclists in techniques of safe cycling and participate in the Safe Routes to School program to get more children on bicycles going to/from school.
  • We participate in governmental and public venues where bicyclist input is needed in order to secure, defend and/or appropriate transportation funding (e.g. Maricopa Association of Governments Bicycle/Pedestrian Committee, which recommends millions of dollars of projects for funding each year).
  • We monitor local and state government entities (e.g. ADOT) and push for bicycle friendly policies, laws and our fair share of infrastructure spending.
  • We participate in roadway and bike path design projects (e.g. Highway 179 reconstruction from Village of Oak Creek into Sedona, adding bike lanes and an off road path to a very scenic road that was previously unsafe for riding).
  • We provide outreach to families of injured/killed cyclists, including educating them, if needed, on AZ law and connecting them with knowledgeable attorneys.
  • We participate in media opportunities where we have a chance to explain AZ laws related to cycling (e.g. Clear Channel radio, AZ Republic, Ahwatukee Foothills news, City of Chandler TV…so far in 2010).

The mission of the CAzB includes the above and so much more, which is why we have raised funds to hire a full time Executive Director to lead our volunteer staff for at least one year. We are conducting a membership drive through August 31 to raise additional funds, grow our member base and locate additional volunteers who can take on either specific advocacy projects or provide general input as individuals or as representatives of a community, club or team.

Please visit our web site (www.cazbike.org) for more information, and please become a member to add your voice and support to bicycling advocacy in Arizona. Thanks!

Bob Beane, President (bobb@cazbike.org)

CCFA Team Challenge Cycle will kicks off

Train in the Summer, Cycle in the Fall!  This fall, Team Challenge Cycle will kick off its inaugural season with a beautiful 50-mile race in Ontario, hosted by Centurion Cycling on September 19, 2010. Raise funds for Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis while riding with our national team in the picturesque Blue Mountains, just two hours North of Toronto and right at the base of the Niagara Escarpment. More at ccteamchallenge.org

Memorial fund for Fretz family

Jay Fretz was killed in a collision with an automobile at the intersection of McClintock and Alameda Drive, in Tempe on 5/17/2010, some more details…

A memorial fund to benefit Anika, the daugther of Jay Fretz, the cyclist commuter who was killed recently in Tempe has been set up, donations can be sent to:

Desert Schools Federal Credit Union
P.O. Box 2945, Phoenix AZ
85062-9876
Directed to John Fretz for the benefit of Anika Fretz 

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CAzBike 2010 Membership drive is on!

Win a new Trek or Gary Fisher bike!

Join or renew your membership with the Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists between May 1st and August 31st 2010 and you will be registered to win $500 MSRP credit towards any Trek or Gary Fisher bike valued at $500 or more at any authorized Trek or Gary Fisher dealer in AZ as well as Tour de France and Livestrong prizes.

Help us make our voice in the fight for bicycling rights a little stronger!

Visit cazbike.org/join where you can join or renew instantly, or get the form to mail in.

Letter: Bicyclists should ride facing traffic

The following letter to the editor was published in the Arizona Republic Jun. 1, 2010, under the heading “Bicyclists should ride facing traffic“:

Once again, it has happened – another bicyclist run down. This time an 8-year-old girl is in serious condition.

I want to know why the law hasn’t been changed to have bicyclists ride facing traffic so at least they can see if the car is being driven erratically, giving them a chance to avoid being hit. This type of accident will surely increase as warm weather approaches. I have lived here since 1959 and come from a state where this has always been the law – and I don’t remember any bicyclist being hit there.

This letter, of course, shows a profound misunderstanding of traffic safety, so Gene Holmerud, our VP of education, penned a short response letter that was published June 7:

Regarding Ms. Hilliard’s letter “Bicyclists should ride facing traffic”.

I am glad for the writer’s concern for the safety of cyclists and desire for cycling to be a legitimate mode of transportation in our state. The latest comprehensive study of bicycle crash and injury incidents shows only one-third involve a motor vehicle. Of those incidents that do involve a motor vehicle, the largest single category of causes is the error of riding against traffic, nearly five times the motorists’ error of being hit from behind.

The League of American Bicyclists and the Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists present fact-based classes for cyclists and motorists on how to “Share the Road” safely and effectively. State laws are an important part of the program, none of which condone riding against traffic. We encourage participation in these classes.

Gene Holmerud
Educational Vice-President
Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists
League Cycling Instructor #1193

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Reports from 2010 Ride of Silence

Reports from the 2010, along with many media links, and loads of pics can be accessed at the rideofsilence.org site.

The Green Valley – Sahuarita area Ride of Silence was held on May 19 and the report to the national Ride of Silence organization has been submitted and can be viewed along with sevaral other Arizona rides at the above link. (enter year, state and click on ‘view by state’. Since it is organized alphabetically Green Valley happens to pop up first on the AZ list! 🙂

You will find links to the various publicity releases that we were able to arrange this year. We did have great publicity this year and surely that helped increase the participation by about fifty percent to our record high of 110 riders!

You can find identical information on the website of the Santa Cruz Bicycle Advocacy Committee,  scvbac.org.

Many thanks to those who were able to attend or support us in some way. We appreciate you! This has grown to be significant event for the community.

ADOT seeks public input on Bicycle Safety Action Plan

The ADOT is developing a Bicycle Safety Action Plan to reduce the number of bicycle-related crashes, injuries, and fatalities on state highways.(Note: State Highways are roads that are maintained by ADOT and are numbered as SR-89, US 60, etc.)

One of the most important steps toward creating the Bicycle Safety Action Plan is to document the perspectives, concerns, and input, as it relates to bicycle safety, of residents from throughout the State of Arizona.

All residents of Arizona are invited to participate and complete a Public Input Survey for bicycle safety. The results of the survey will serve as input to identifying important bicycle safety issues and will help to establish goals and objectives for the Bicycle Safety Action Plan.

A link to the survey can be found on ADOT’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Program website www.azbikeped.org. The results of the on-line survey are collected automatically so respondents do not have to email or print the completed survey.

For assistance completing the survey or for more information on the Bicycle Safety Action Plan, please contact:

Michael N. Sanders, Senior Transportation Planner
Bicycle and Pedestrian Program, Multimodal Planning Division, ADOT
MSanders@azdot.gov
(602) 712-8141
Fax (602) 712-3046