March 2023

The benefits to body and mind for physical activity are well documented.  With the longer days, there’s more opportunity to go out and ride your bike to get that physical activity.  A 30 minute brisk bike ride can burn 300 to 500 calories.

In this month’s Newsletter:

 

• Bike Café is on Tuesday, March 14 at 7:00 pm with the Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates (SABA) to discuss their organization, including their Bike Doc bike repair program.

• The next Bike Station Fix Your Own Bike Event is on Saturday, March 25 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm in the Tower District.

• FCBC is supporting an LCI (League Cycling Instructor) Seminar in Visalia, tentatively scheduled for June.

• The State Legislature is back at work in Sacramento, with several bills related to bicycling.

• The next FCBC Board meeting is on Thursday, March 16 at 7:30 pm.

FCBC Bike Café

The monthly virtual Bike Café allows FCBC members and others to socialize and discuss bike-related topics of interest.

On Tuesday, March 14 at 7:00 pm, Executive Director Deb Banks and Bike Doc Mike Price of the Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates (SABA) will tell us about SABA and their Bike Doc bike repair program.  They will share their ideas on what makes bicycle advocacy and bicycle kitchen organizations like SABA and the Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen successful, and how these ideas can be implemented locally.

Register here to get the Zoom link.  If you have questions about using Zoom, registration for the event, or any other questions, email us events@fresnobike.org.

Fresno Bike Station

At the last Fix Your Own Bike event on February 11, refurbished bikes were distributed to kids in need of a bike.

The next FYOB event is scheduled for Saturday, March 25 between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm at the Van Ness Village Vendor Fair, located at 1440 N. Van Ness Avenue.  The BikeStation is sponsored by FCBC and allows bike owners to learn how to repair their own bikes with help from experienced mechanics, including FCBC member Julie Congi and Tower Velo owner Chris Eacock.

Upcoming League Cycling Seminar and Smart Cycling Classes

The League of American Bicyclists (LAB) calls League Cycling Instructors (LCIs) ambassadors for better biking through education.  LCIs teach Smart Cycling classes to adults and children, and the LCI Seminar provides the prospective instructors with the necessary tools and knowledge.  The LCI Seminar includes 23 hours of instruction and practice in the classroom and on the road over a weekend, beginning Friday night and concluding Sunday afternoon.  The Tulare County Association of Governments (TCAG) has tentatively scheduled a LCI Seminar in Visalia on June 23-25, and LCIs from FCBC will be supporting the effort.  Registration will be posted on the LAB website when the details are finalized, and the registration fee is $500.  More information on becoming an LCI can be found on the LAB website.

A prerequisite for the LCI Seminar is completing a Smart Cycling class and passing an exam.  In April, FCBC is planning to offer a Smart Cycling class consisting of a virtual classroom session and on-bike session in Visalia.  If there is sufficient interest, an on-bike session will also be offered in Fresno.

Legislative Update

February 17 was the last day for bills to be introduced in the California Assembly or Senate.  There are several bicycle-related bills working their way through the legislative process, as highlighted below:

• Assembly Bill (AB) 73 brings back the proposed “safety stop,” commonly known as the Idaho stop.  Last year Governor Newsom vetoed the similar AB 1713.

• AB 251 would require the formation of a task force to study the relationship of vehicle size to injuries and fatalities to vulnerable road users and the degradation of roads.

• AB 361 would allow the pilot usage of video enforcement for parking violations in bicycle lanes.

• AB 413 would prohibit parking for 20 feet on either side of a marked or unmarked crosswalk for sight distance.

• AB 1188 would require the California Transportation Agency, which is over the DMV, CHP, Office of Traffic Safety, and Caltrans, to develop a Bicycle Safety Handbook by September 1, 2024.

• Senate Bill (SB) 381 would require the Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University to conduct a study of the safety of e-bikes by January 1, 2026.

• SB 538 would require Caltrans to appoint a Bicycle Czar to serve as the department’s chief advisor on all issues related to bicycle transportation, safety, and infrastructure.

March Next Board Meeting

The next Board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 16 at 7:30 pm via Zoom.  Everyone is welcome to join the virtual meeting.

If you are not yet a member of FCBC or need to renew, please visit https://fresnobike.org/join to become a member or renew your membership.