NPB City Council Meeting Tonight

Whether or not you bike in Newport Beach, come to the meeting tonight to voice your support for the NPB MEMORIAL BIKE RIDE & FUNDRAISERBike Safety Improvement Fund and the offer of a 3:1 match to the fundraising efforts of the Newport Beach Memorial Ride.

If approved, funds raised will be matched, thus leveraging your contribution by a multiple of 3!

Benefits realized through this action will be quick response to identified safety issues throughout the city – and there are plenty of them! With your support through this dedicated fund, issues will not linger and fester due to other funding priorities. This in turn, limits the City from potential liability by acting quickly to remedy serious safety concerns, which provides you, rider or not, the fiscal safety of your City’s budget remaining intact and not at the mercy of the next bicycle rider killed or injured.

The meeting starts at 7:00 p.m.  (or 19:00 if you prefer), in the Council Chambers at 3300 Newport Blvd. and the agenda item is last on the list of current business.

Stand up for Safety! Newport Beach is the 3rd deadliest, and 5th most injurious city to ride a bike in Orange County.  With the right leadership and community support, it can blossom into a city that’s fiscally stable, and able to handle increased density growth, while at the same time becoming a cycling destination area.

We note and commend the Newport Friends of the Library for raising $187,000 to go along with the Library’s $500,000 expansion and improvements. While we hope innovative and cheerful cycle racks are included, we have to ask, “Can you ride to the Library safely”?

Thanks for your support.

CicLAvia October 2012

Title: CicLAvia
Location: Los Angeles
Link out: Click here
Description: Celebrate 10 miles of car free streets in the heart of the city.
Start Time: 10:00
Date: 2012-10-7
End Time: 15:00

10/7/12 – CicLAviaIf you ever wanted to ride your bike sans traffic of the four wheel variety on the streets of the City of Angels, this event is for you! (because nobody walks in LA..!)

10 miles of roadways will temporarily close to car traffic and open for recreational purposes.

For the first time, we’re going to Exposition Park, Chinatown, Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights, and the newly completed Grand Park downtown, where CicLAvia will converge with the inaugural celebration of the park’s performance lawn.

Metrolink and Amtrack are two ways to get to Union Station which is about 5 blocks away.
To bike from Union Station to CicLAvia: turn left/south on Alameda, then right on First Street, and you can’t miss it!

If you want to rent a bike, Bike Nation is offering bike rentals with a suggested donation, all of the proceeds will go to CicLAvia. The bikes will be available at the Mariachi Plaza Hub and the Grand Park Hub. Click the link to learn more and reserve a rental.

Of course, groups could form feeder rides to and from the event!
Directions and a map (pdf) to look over might give you some ideas.

Could be a great model for something similar here in the OC, a CiclOCia if you will.

Which city will be first; Santa Ana, Anaheim, Irvine, HB, Orange?

Rideshare Week 2012

From 10/1 to 10/5 Rideshare Week encourages commuters to take the bus, train, vanpool, carpool, bike or work instead of driving alone for their daily excursions.

Commuters can win a variety of prizes by pledging to participate in Rideshare Week including iPads, gift cards to the Irvine Spectrum, movie tickets and bike gear.

Rideshare Week is a part of OCTA’s Share the Ride program, which is aimed at helping commuters find efficient, environmentally friendly and cost effective ways to commute to work.

The program, sponsored by the Orange County Transportation Authority, helps commuters find a vanpool, plan a trip by bus or train, and find a carpool partner.

Rideshare week is sponsored by OCTA, Anaheim Resort Transit, Enterprise Rideshare, VPSI Inc., Spectrumotion, Kaiser Permanente and Jax Bicycle Center.

For cyclo-commuters, engage your coworkers to join a commuter train as there is safety in numbers