Community Ride Next Week (Oct. 5)!!

 

Community Ride Oct 5 

The city's second annual Community Ride will take place on Saturday Oct. 5, at 8:00 AM (not 10AM as I said last week). The city decided an earlier time was preferable in case of a hot day. No problem! We ride at 8:00! Please register using the QR Code on the event flyer (above) or on the City Website.

The ride will be a casual, 4-mi loop around town that starts and ends at Memorial Park. A limited number of GoSGV e-bikes will be available to use on the ride on a first-come, first-served basis.  It is recommended that you show up early (i.e., 7AM) if you want to borrow one. Active SGV will provide Ride Marshals and SMPD will be joining the ride for support and traffic control. Unchained Bicycle Garage will be there to provide minor services like tire inflation, brake adjustment, etc. Again, it is recommended to show up early if you need that. 

Route Map: 

Community Ride Oct 5!

 

 

Community Ride October 5! 

Join friends and neighbors for the second annual community ride, Saturday October 5, 10:00AM, for a casual-paced, family-friendly 4 mi loop around beautiful Sierra Madre! Ride starts and ends at Memorial Park. 

Sign up using the QR Code on the flyer, or the city website. There will also be a sign up sheet before the start of the ride for late registration. 

Check out the Wellness Fair in the park afterwards!

Community Ride Cancelled

 

Last Year's Community Ride!

News: 

• Community Ride Cancelled. Unfortunately the city has decided to cancel Saturday's planned Community Ride and Wellness Fair due to the threat of rain. I will be working with city staff to reschedule the ride. The plan is to hold it in early October. Stay tuned! 
• Metro Bus Service Returns! As many of you know, Metro suspended regular bus service to Sierra Madre in 2020 as part of their NextGen service reorganization plan. The Transportation Subcommittee has been working with Metro staff to bring bus service back to Sierra Madre and as a result of these efforts, Metro will be returning one of our old bus lines (Line 268) in late June! Line 268 will run along Sierra Madre Blvd between Baldwin and Sierra Madre Villa. It will connect residents to the Westfield Santa Anita Mall, El Monte Metrolink and bus stations, and Sierra Madre Villa Metro station. Let the Transportation Subcommittee know what improvements you'd like to see: transportation@cityofsierramadre.com 

Hot Links: 

• California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) is hosting a free webinar with local traffic safety champions to talk about how communities can improve traffic safety for all road users. If you're interested, register here. 
• Metro announces rollout of improved bike lockers at Metro stations. This is great news for anyone who wants to be able to securely store their bikes while they ride the Metro!
  

Community Ride and Wellness Fair 4/13

 

News: 

• Saturday April 13: Be sure to join Sierra Madre's 2nd Annual Community Ride and Wellness Fair! 4 mi. family-friendly, kid-friendly, everybody-friendly bike ride around lovely Sierra Madre! Ride starts at Memorial Park, 10 AM! Return as a group to Memorial Park. It's an easy paced loop ride. Ride Marshals will lead and SMPD will provide support.
  
• You can sign-up online here, or at the ride! (If you sign up at the ride, you'll need to get there a little early.)
  

February Active Transportation News

SMPD Bulletin

News: 

• Hit and Run: According to SMPD, a cyclist hit an elderly pedestrian near the intersection of Baldwin and Highland last Saturday (2/3) around 10:00AM, and fled the scene without rendering aid. There's very little additional information, and SMPD issued a bulletin (above). If you witnessed the incident, please contact SMPD. My heartfelt sympathies to the victim and fervent wishes for a speedy and full recovery from her injuries. This group works for safer streets for ALL road users, and fleeing the scene of a collision, especially when injuries are involved, is a crime. Rendering aid is basic human decency. Fellow cyclists, let's remember to obey traffic laws and use caution, especially when there are pedestrians around. 
• Local Transit: The city has issued a call for proposals for local transit services to replace or improve the current Gateway Coach. 
• State Assembly Candidates: The March 5 primary features an election for the open state Assembly seat for our district. State funding for transit and active transportation programs is critical to meet California's climate goals and transportation needs. At a recent candidate forum at PCC, 3 of the 4 candidates provided their views on a variety of subjects, including housing, education, and safer streets. Former Sierra Madre Mayor John Harabedian was the only Assembly candidate absent. One of the candidates, Claremont Councilmember Jed Leano, who has championed transit and safer streets in that city, has received the endorsement of the California Bicycle Coalition.
  

Hot Links: 

• Sierra Madre's Max Romero, a member of the Transportation Subcommittee, calls for bus lanes on Colorado Blvd in Pasadena. (Pasadena Now)  
• Five better ways to do traffic safety education (Streetsblog USA).
  

January Transportation News

 

New bike racks on Sierra Madre Bl. next to OPIT outdoor dining. (📷: J. Lloyd)

News: 

• Transit Proposals: Sierra Madre Transportation Subcommittee met Jan 10 after a holiday hiatus and got an update on the city's request for proposals for upgraded transit service in town. The city hopes to have some proposals this spring, and will be doing public outreach when we have proposals to evaluate. As always, I will keep you posted. (another reason you don't want to miss our newsletter!) 
• New Bike Racks: The city has installed some new bike racks on Sierra Madre Blvd next to the OPIT outdoor dining area (see photo). We will be working with city staff on getting more bike racks in the downtown business district and proper placement. Secure bike parking is essential to encouraging more folks to bike for local trips and making sure the racks are placed to they don't interfere with pedestrians and ADA access. 
• Community Ride Planning: Mark your calendars for our 2nd annual Community Ride and Wellness Fair, Saturday April 13! More details to follow! 

Hot Links: 

• Walkable neighborhoods and transit are part of the clean energy transition. (Union of Concerned Scientists). 
• SF resident estimates she has saved $50,000 by getting rid of her car. (SF Gate) 
• Small but mighty: E-bikes can bridge the gap in access to transportation (NREL)
  

2023: A Big Start for Us

Active Sierra Madre members visit the snowman at Kersting Court on Holiday Ride

Holiday riders light up the night in front of SME

News: 

• Holiday Ride: Our 1st annual Holiday Ride was a lot of fun! Participants lit up their bikes and meandered around town spreading holiday cheer and enjoying the decorations along the way. Our bikes got lots of smiles and waves from townfolk along the way and a great time was had by all. We hope more of you can join us next year! 
• Year-in-review: 2023 was a year of "firsts" for Active Sierra Madre. When the city removed the bike lanes in front of the library you brought attention to the need for safer bike infrastructure and spurred the city to create a Transportation Subcommittee to address the lack of transit and provide input to the city as it embarks on a much-needed update to its mobility plan. Those efforts will undoubtedly continue in 2024. We had a successful Community Ride in April, attended by an estimated 70 riders! Members organized a "walk, bike, and roll" to school day at SMES, and we hope those efforts will continue in 2024, too! We hosted state Assembly candidate Jed Leano, who has been a leader in making the city of Claremont more bike-friendly. Our group is now up to 56 members, and hope to grow that number in 2024. I hope to find someone who might be willing to spearhead a social media presence for our group, so if you think you might be that person, please let me know. Looking forward to great things in 2024! 

Hot Links: 

• SUVs' global CO2 emissions near 1 billion tons annually (IEA) 
• "It feels very fun and freeing": US sees e-bike boom (Guardian)