A Pivot from BTWD, Celebrating Some Progress – Streetsblog California

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Bay Space advocates refused to surrender on Bike to Work Day, which normally takes place in Might yearly and usually involves a rousing day celebrating everyone on bikes with free coffee, snacks, and goodies and post-work parties. However that was in a unique period. In 2020, the occasion was postponed till September, hoping issues can be extra “regular” by now. Then it was redubbed Bike to Wherever Day, as a result of so many individuals are nonetheless working from residence.

Yesterday’s occasion , hosted by the assorted bike coalitions in San Francisco, Marin, East Bay, and San Jose, was a lot quieter than common.

There have been nonetheless pop-up cubicles alongside common bike routes to distribute free luggage (pre-printed final December, when life was comparatively harmless) and to enroll new members, however no morning Energizer Stations with snacks and cowbells, no gatherings, no Bike Away from Work Events.

One among Bike East Bay’s pop-ups was at Tip-High Bicycle Store on Telegraph Avenue, the place the model new parking-protected bike lanes are lined by a rising variety of new parklets for close by eating places and bars to create a full of life scene. A few of the individuals who stopped by to select up luggage had been model new to driving – one stated he had began driving when he noticed the brand new street weight loss plan and bike lanes. Some had been native residents who deliver their kids on bikes by the quiet close by streets and on to the brand new Telegraph bike lane, now not fearful that the world is simply too harmful for the little ones to trip in.

The parklets stuffed up because the day progressed, which meant driving the bike lane was a gradual meander by the gang, passing busy waiters and even fingers holding telephones reaching method out into the lane to take selfies of the folks having fun with yesterday’s beautiful Bay Space climate.

One other pop-up was arrange on the Crucible alongside Seventh in West Oakland, the place some riders stopped by to select up BTWD luggage in addition to free meals from a neighborhood mutual assist station. That route out of downtown, whereas well-used now by bike riders, is tough, with unhealthy pavement, light lane markings, and no area marked for bikes. However the metropolis plans will make it higher, in response to Bike East Bay’s Robert Prinz, who ran that station, if town can get the funding. Finally, Seventh will probably be repaved with protected bike lanes and guarded intersections.

Bike to Wherever Day will probably be much more enjoyable in W Oakland as soon as we get some actual infrastructure on seventh Road & calm this gnarly stroad. Be taught extra in regards to the @OakDOT’s plans right here: https://t.co/I9JZrqycgc pic.twitter.com/hKpAVdkCUs

— Robert Prinz (@prinzrob) September 24, 2020

For some, Bike to Wherever meant a trip to the seaside, or the park, or with their canine, simply to get away from work, possibly, and benefit from the climate.

Doggos of #btwd 🥰🥰🥰🥰 pic.twitter.com/m55qMFRrVW

— SF Bicycle Coalition (@sfbike) September 25, 2020

Silicon Valley Bike Coalition is celebrating Bike to Wherever days, which incorporates an ongoing problem for residents to log their bike miles and compete for prizes.

They’re additionally internet hosting a sales space tomorrow alongside the Guadalupe River bike path to go out luggage.

We’ll see you tomorrow, Sept. 26, from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. on the River Oaks Bridge in San Jose! Bike by on your #BTWD bag, snacks, and goodies! Remember to log your trip on https://t.co/IS4BG8G2p0. pic.twitter.com/e6WW1tS3dY

— SV Bike Coalition (@bikesv) September 25, 2020

As a long-time bike rider in California – principally however not solely within the Bay Space and L.A. and S.F Bay areas – I’m generally amazed when taking inventory of how these occasions have modified through the years. Additionally, of how driving has modified. I used to stay carefully to sure routes that I knew would deliver me shortly, comparatively safely, and with comparatively little stress to the place ever I used to be going. Often that meant learning a map just like the early East Bay Bike Coalition’s painstaking efforts to map out the least demanding, least car-traffic-heavy routes attainable. It meant sticking to quiet facet streets, and generally taking circuitous routes to avoid the primary roads the place most locations are. The final piece, arriving the place I needed to be, may imply taking a sidewalk, or going the unsuitable method down a road, or strolling the final bit.

However that’s altering in lots of areas. Now extra principal streets have bike lanes on them, extra routes are marked, extra alerts can detect bikes, extra drivers count on to see folks on bikes. If you get a facility like the brand new, much-fought-over street weight loss plan with parking-protected bike lanes alongside Telegraph Avenue – pictured under – a motorbike rider feels downright welcome, on a street that was a nightmare to be averted (and meant possibly going elsewhere to buy).

I’m not saying it’s good. Too many locations nonetheless serve solely vehicles, and the protection issues of a white woman like me will not be the identical issues Black and brown riders are fearful about – highlighted by the timing of this BTWD, approaching the day after the announcement that Breonna Taylor’s killers wouldn’t be charged.

A lot, way more stays to be completed.

However occasions like these are a superb method of each celebrating the hard-fought modifications now we have seen and of reminding everybody why higher services are vital and crucial. The advocates who work to make Bike to Work Day, and CicLAvia, and San Gabriel Golden Streets, and the Modesto Bike Rollouts profitable are doing fabulous work that all of us profit from. It’s nicely value everybody’s whereas to hitch and help their native bike advocacy group, so we are able to have extra of this.

BTWD is tomorrow! Numerous socially distant actions are taking place all day lengthy. Discover out the place to select up your goodie bag right here: https://t.co/A1WpRy08YD #OAKBTWD #BTWD2020 pic.twitter.com/wa7ndiTGXd

— WOBO (@walkoakbikeoak) September 23, 2020