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Bicycle commuting benefits
                  
 Sacramento Transportation Management Association
The Sacramento
TMA is an independent, non-profit membership association.
Contact the TMA at (916) 737-1513
sactma@surewest.net
back to main newsletter
Bicycle Commuting
Bike path maps
City adds two miles of bike lanes on
streets
Find a route - bikely.com
City approves bicycling on K
Street Mall during I-5 Fix
Commuter Cycling
Benefits to the Individual
Four Keys to
Commuting
Benefits to the Employer
Ten Steps to Riding Your
Bike to Work
Bike storage essential features
Checklist for Cycling to Work
Guide to Starting a Bicycle Users Group
DMV guide to safe cycling on
streets
Tips
for Hosting a Bicycle Pit Stop
Bicyclists Concerns and Solutions
Safe Cycling Courses
Characteristics of a Bicycle Commuter
Bike Commute Guide online
Bicycle Parking in City
Garages
Million Mile May
When can you "take a lane"
Bikes on
buses and Light Rail
 Bicycling can be one of most pleasant ways to commute to work.
Rather than creating stress while driving to work, the exercise actually relieves
stress. Many commute trips are short and bicycling is an ideal commute mode
for short trips.
While relatively few people envision themselves bicycling to work,
people who do it are enthusiastic about their commute mode.
10 Steps to Riding Your
Bike to Work
1.
Gear up. Get your bike checked out and tuned up if it's been
awhile since you've ridden it.
2.
Select a route. Try the
bike
map online or consult a detailed map or Thomas Guide.
3.
Take a short cut. Pedal as far as the bus or rail stop, then
store your bike or take it on board.
4.
Consider a bike buddy. It can often be safer to ride as a
pair, and it's more fun.
Apply
online for a list of cyclists that live and work near you.
5.
Do a test run. In your car, drive the bike route and look for
things like wide lanes, bike lanes and traffic flow.
6.
Learn the rules of the road. A bicycle is a vehicle and you
should follow the rules.
7.
Put safety first. Buy a helmet approved for bicycling and wear
it.
8.
Assess your fitness level. If you haven't had much exercise
lately, you might want to check with your physician before you ride.
9. Talk to your employer. Your company may offer
benefits, showers, changing facilities, bike storage for cyclists.
10.
Bike to work! Bicycling takes about the same amount of time as
driving a car to work if you live within 10 miles of work.
CHECKLIST for Cycling to Work
The Week Before
 I. Determine your route to work.
The route you drive to work may not be the same one to bike to work. First,
choose roads that have wide outside lanes or paved shoulders.
Collector streets
(those that are at the half mile mark between major streets) are often a good
choice. Second, drive the route during your normal commuting time to determine
potential traffic problems. Third, bicycle the route on a weekend to examine the
road surface for potential problem intersections and the approximate time it
will take you.
II. Talk to your employer.
Inform your supervisor that you will be commuting by bicycle. Ask where the
bicycle can be parked during working hours, and what, if any, advance
arrangements need to be made.
III. Check out your bike.
Make sure your bicycle is in proper working order. Not only should all the
mechanical parts be in good repair (e.g. brakes, tire, gears) but the bicycle
should be adjusted properly for seat height, handlebars, etc. If you do not have
a helmet, borrow one or buy one. If you will be riding at night, you need and
must have a light.
The Day Before
I. Dress for the Occasion.
Wear a helmet. It's also a good idea to bike in comfortable cycling clothes;
either pack a bag with your work clothes, or bring your attire the day before
you cycle (so they won't get wrinkled). Also make sure you have a place to
change and freshen up, and keep a "kit" of toilet articles and a towel at work.
II. Pump Up.
Make sure your tires are properly inflated. If they are low, it will make riding
more difficult.
The Day of the Ride
 I. Don't cycle on an empty stomach
You will need energy for your ride, so eat a good breakfast and take along
something to eat along your way.
II. Get an early start.
The first time you bike to work, allow yourself a little more time than you
think you will need. If you tested the route on the weekend as suggested you
will know the approximate time it takes. BUT remember, rush hour traffic may
slow you down.
Four Keys to Commuting
1.
Even if there's a shower at work, stow baby wipes in your desk because
you want to wait 15 minutes after riding before taking a shower so you
stop perspiring - otherwise you just replace the sweat you wiped off
with a new coating.
3.
Remind supervisors that 80 percent of bicycle commuters improve their
heart and lungs in eight weeks, resulting in less sick time and lost
work, according to a study by the advocacy group, Transportation
Alternatives.
2.
Rolling clothes to carry them in a bag doesn't prevent wrinkles.
If it's important, drive Mondays with clothes for the week.
4.
To handle a long commute, try driving half way and then riding, or drive
to work with your bike and then ride home one day, then ride to work the
next day and drive home.
Commuter Dude says:
No more
sweaty back. When it's 95 degrees, you don't want a messenger
bag on your back. Try quick-release saddlebags that attach easily.
Tape your
frame for visibility. Apply
easy-to-remove electrical tape to your frame, then stick reflector tape to the
electrical tape.
Use your ears.
You can often tell if a car driver sees you by the pitch of the tires and
engine.
Avoid burnout.
Don't feel guilty. Take a day off from bike
commuting once in a while.
Join clubs.
You never know what a bike club might be doing that
will benefit your riding, even if you don't bike commute.
City approves
bicycling on K Street Mall during Fix I-5
The
City of Sacramento Mayor and City Council approved an emergency ordinance to
permit bicycling on the downtown pedestrian K Street Mall during Caltrans’
Fix I-5 project.
The
ordinance allows for an alternative to J Street for bicyclists during the
highway closures scheduled through July 15. The approval also provides
bicyclists with a direct connection between downtown and Old Sacramento and
the bike trails along the Sacramento River.
The
Department of Transportation proposed the emergency ordinance after
receiving the suggestion from a downtown bicyclist. The City and Caltrans
have encouraged people to use alternate modes, such as bicycling during the
closures to reduce traffic.
The
ordinance specifically allows bicycle riding on 4th Street
between J and L streets and K Street between 2nd and 4th
streets and on K between 7th and 13th streets.
 Benefits to the Individual
Employees
realize the benefits of bicycling and having a healthy lifestyle:
Research shows
that regular cycling can cut the chances of heart disease in half.
It is often
faster to bicycle to work than to drive if your commute is through streets clogged with
traffic congestion.
It is usually
easier to park a bike than it is a car, and it is certainly less expensive.
Cycling may
save money by reducing the wear on your automobile.
 Characteristics of the
Bicycle Commuter
• Usually commutes five miles; ten miles is possible.
• Requires no schedule coordination.
• Owns a bike. Knows how to ride.
• Money or health-conscious.
• Evenly divided between male and female.
• Many management level, state employees and blue collar
worker are open to the idea.
 Bicyclists Concerns --
Solutions
Sweat
Showers in building or joint use agreement with a
building that has showers
Alcohol
Wrinkled clothes
Locker with clothes for a week
Garment bag over the back of the office door
Garment bag panniers on the bike
Personal safety
Buddy Bicyclist program
Safe route planning. Talk to other cyclists. Go a block or a mile around a bad
area.
Traffic
Bicycle to a carpool or park & ride lot.
Use the bike trail
CHP has a pamphlet on safe riding
Take a safe cycling course
City adds two more miles
of bike lanes to streets:
Thirteen miles added in last year
Beginning on Monday, June 23, 2008, on-street
bike lanes and bikeway signage will be installed on the following streets. At
least one lane of traffic in each direction will be open at all times:
J Street from 55th Street to Carlson Drive �
Approximately 0.78 lane miles San Juan Road from Northgate Boulevard to 650 feet
east of Zenobia Way � Approximately 0.95 lane miles 43rd Avenue from Riverside
Drive to 14th Street � Approximately 0.38 lane miles
These bike lanes are part of the 2010 Sacramento
City / County Bikeway master plan implementation, which seeks to construct 400
miles of bike lanes as part of Sacramento roadways. The three projects will add
approximately 2.11 miles of bike lanes to the City, bringing the total number of
current bike lane miles to 233.
Additionally, funding has been secured for an
I-80 Bicycle/Pedestrian Bridge project. The project will cost an estimated $4.8
million and is scheduled to begin in 2009.
In October of 2006, Sacramento was awarded the
bronze level Bicycle Friendly Community Award from the League of American
Bicyclists, based on its extensive record in improving conditions for bicyclists
and bicycling. Additionally, Sacramento has been being recognized for its
construction of many new bike trails and lanes in newly developing areas of the
City. The Bicycle Friendly Community award recognizes communities which have
provided safe accommodations for bicycling and encouragement to residents to use
bicycles for transportation, recreation and improving public health and air
quality.
Bicycle with Class!
Learn the best ways to bicycle safely and with confidence. Take an
Effective Cycling course
To offer one of
the following courses, call the Sacramento TMA -
916-737-1513
Cycling in Traffic-Level
1. 8-hour course designed to teach the core
principles of urban cycling to both novice and experienced
cyclists. Class includes in-depth discussions of
cycling laws and statistical information about the most
common types of collisions and how to prevent them. The
course concludes with a written exam.
You will learn to:
Feel safe by creating
space around yourself in traffic
Position your bike to
control the flow of traffic around you
Communicate with other
road users clearly, using several different methods
Anticipate and resolve
potential conflicts
Perform bike
maintenance and safety checks
Understand bicycle laws
and bicycle crash types
-------
Cycling in Traffic-Level 2
Advanced 8-hour class for cyclists who would like to use
their bicycle as one of their primary modes of
transportation. Course involves both classroom and on-road
instruction.
------
Bike Commuting Seminar
One-hour lunchtime presentation summarizes the basics of
bike commuting, including communicating with other road
users, clothing, tools for the road and route selection.
------
Bike Commuting Basics -
Class is designed to increase your
safety while riding in traffic through predictability,
visibility, and preparedness. Course involves both classroom
and on-road instruction.
When can you "take the lane"
When may a bicyclist use the
full lane? And who decides? The California Bicycle Advisory
Committee found itself trying to sort out the answers at its
June 4, 2008 meeting in Sacramento. CBAC, whose vice-chair
is CBC board member Jim Baross, advises Caltrans on
bicycling issues.
Earlier this spring a
bicyclist was killed by a passing cement truck on a narrow
stretch of Highway 1 that runs through Santa Cruz as Mission
Street. It was the second bicyclist fatality on the street
in the past year.
On May 14 the Santa Cruz City
Council recommended installing a "(BIKE) IN LANE" (BIL)
warning sign on Mission Street in response to the accident,
rejecting a Caltrans District 5 proposal to install a "(BIKE
) MAY USE FULL LANE" (BMUFL) regulatory sign. The council
acted on legal advice that said the BMUFL sign was
inappropriate, as the size of a passing vehicle, not a
lane's width, determines when a bicycle and passing vehicle
cannot safely travel side-by-side. The California Vehicle
Code defines a "substandard lane" as one that "is too narrow
for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safety side by side
within the lane," and makes no reference to vehicle width.
The California Traffic
Control Devices Committee approved District 5's subsequent
request to install the BIL sign on a trial basis, pending
concurrence by CBAC. CBAC approved the sign's installation
as the most expeditious - if not optimal - response to
conditions on Mission Street. CBAC also asked Caltrans to
add the BMUFL sign to the California Manual on Uniform
Traffic Control Devices.
Additionally, CBAC asked
Caltrans to seek a legal opinion - ideally from the
California Attorney General - about whether and when
California law supports the use of the BMUFL sign. The
answer is crucial for CBC, California Association of
Bicycling Organizations and League of American Bicyclists,
which teach bicyclists how and when to "take the lane" when
conditions make it unsafe to travel side-by-side with a
passing vehicle.
Tips
for Hosting a Bicycle Pit Stop
Greet cyclists as they
arrive with a big sign, banner and if possible, cheering co-workers.
Provide beverages such
as water, electrolyte drinks, juice, coffee and snacks such as energy bars,
bagels or fruit.
Create a festive
atmosphere with music or give-away prizes.
Ask a local bike shop to
do on-site tune-ups and safety checks.
Benefits to the Employer
when Employees Cycle to Work
Employers are
now recognizing the benefits of encouraging their employees to be healthy and bicycling is
part of a healthy lifestyle. There are other benefits to the employer:
People that
cycle to work regularly are more productive and take less time off for sickness.
When they don't have to fight traffic jams, cyclists arrive at work less
frustrated and the morning exercise makes them more alert.
With less
staff driving cars to work, less parking space is required.
Organizations
that encourage bicycling are perceived as environmentally aware and concerned employers.
Census data show that 1.8 percent of commute trips in the four county
Sacramento area are made by bicycle. This is the highest in the nation (followed by
the Phoenix area at 1.4 percent). A bicycle friendly worksite can increase
this to three or even five percent.
The Sacramento TMA encourages
employers
to make their buildings bicycle friendly. There are
a number of ways to do this, from major facility improvements such as showers, lockers and
secured bicycle lockers, to simple changes such as adjusting access gates into the parking
garage so cyclists can enter without encountering obstacles that may cause them to fall.
One of the best ways to encourage bicycle commuting and improve the
facilities for bicyclists at your worksite is to meet with your cyclists as a group.
One or two enthusiastic cyclists can be the foundation for a Bicycle Users Group
(BUG). With minor coordination, the group can meet monthly for brown bag lunch
training sessions or interesting speakers. Several TMA members have very active
Bicycle User Groups and are happy to share their ideas with other TMA members.
Contact the TMA via e-mail at the bottom of this page.
A Step by Step Guide to Starting a Bicycle Users Group
A Bicycle Users
Group may meet for lunch once a month to exchange information on equipment, safety, and
safe commute routes. The meetings may have guest speakers about a variety of topics, or they may just be an informal
opportunity to meet other employees interested in cycling. The group can also
identify the need for facilities to support bicycle commuting. Here's a guide on how
to organize a group.
1.
Identify interested cyclists. Contact them by e-mail, company
newsletter, or leaving a note on parked bicycles. Try to identify people who might
bicycle as well as those that already do.
2.
Hold a short meeting. Find out why people may not be bicycling to
work. These reasons may involve the cost, safety, security, uncertainty about
routes, concern about physical fitness, or lack of worksite facilities. Set
your goals and develop an action plan. Keep your goals simple and realistic.
You may receive suggestions on a number of ideas:
Showers,
changing facilities or lockers for a change of clothing
Secure
bicycle parking
A newsletter
or contributions to an employee newsletter. Dedicated space on a bulletin board for
cycling posters or announcements.
Policies that
encourage cycling, including casual dress on Fridays, use of a company car if needed
during the work day for company business, or ride arrangements if a cyclist has an
emergency and doesn't have a car at work.
On-site
amenities such as an ATM or food services.
Allocate the
tasks in your Action Plan among the group. Then decide how you are going to present
your ideas to management.
You may want to
split this step into several meetings so the meetings don't last too long. Some
people will attend because they want to support the concept rather than actually spend
time on projects. Those people will help you in other areas within the organization.
3.
Gain support from management. Find a hero, someone that bicycles
or recognizes the benefits of cycling and can represent your group or advise you on the
best approach for presenting your ideas and suggestions.
4.
Present your ideas to management.
Remember not
to present a problem without proposing a solution (and perhaps a way to pay for it).
Book an
appointment.
Have your
Action Plan prepared to distribute.
Be prepared to
answer questions on problems including financial and space requirements. It may be
possible to demonstrate that some improvements may save the organization money.
Be positive
when selling the benefits of commuter cycling.
Stress the
cost-effectiveness of your proposals.
Present
information on support for bicycling within the organization and the health and
environmental benefits of cycling. Collect favorable articles from the local press.
(The Sacramento Bee did a great article on SMUD bicycle commuters on the front page
of the Metro section on May 20, 1998.)
Leave with a
date set for a future meeting.
5.
Keep the Bicycle Users Group interested by arranging activities for
them.
Arrange social
events and encourage new and potential cyclists to attend. Sponsor group rides
during lunch or before or after work.
Recognize
bicycle commuters with photos and articles in company newsletters. Mention their
accomplishments, ideas and changes.
Set up bicycle
commute partners to help new cyclists.
Take advantage
of events where you can promote cycling, whether an employer-sponsored health fair or a
relocation of employees to a new building. The change to daylight savings time or
the opening of a new stretch of bike paths are also opportunities to attract new bicycle
commuters. An employee at the California Air Resources Board tapes the Tour de
France in July and plays it in a break room at mid-day so other employees, who were eating
lunch at their desk anyway, can come down and watch the event while they eat.
Promote
bicycle commuting during new employee orientations. Provide information to employees
that drive about the importance of sharing the road with bicyclists.
Provide
Sacramento Area bike maps produced with funding from the Sacramento Area Council of
Governments, the Sacramento TMA, and the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management
District.
Get copies of
brochures with cycling information, laws, bicycling tips, common causes of bicycle and
motor vehicle accidents, equipment, safety, etc., from the California Highway Patrol, the
League of American Bicyclists, the California Bicycle Safety Network the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration and the California State Automobile Association.
Support local
bicycle events such as Bike Commute Week in May.
Work with
local and state government officials to develop better bicycle facilities. Develop a
resource list for bicycle commuters with the names and phone numbers of city and county
representatives to call for cycling obstacles and problems such as potholes and debris on
the roads.
Set up monthly
brown bag lunch meetings with guest speakers on interesting topics.
Bicycle Users Group Meeting Topics
Your speaker may
be an expert from outside your organization or you may invite your employees to speak
about their experiences. There is often a wealth of knowledge within your
group. You can thank the employee with a note and a copy to their supervisor.
How to pick a
bike route
Getting ready
for the first ride
Basic bike
maintenance
Fixing a flat
How to choose
a commuter bike
Fitting a bike
and cyclist posture (cyclist ergonomics)
Riding in
traffic
Skills clinics
Defensive
cycling and cycling risks (presented by an attorney or insurance expert)
Proper
clothing and equipment
Helmet
selection
Health and
fitness benefits
Nutrition for
cyclists
Cold weather /
hot weather cycling
Night riding
(lighting)
Recreational
cycling and touring
Setting
cycling goals
Downtown Bicycle
Parking inside City Parking Garages
Downtown Plaza East
Garage—bike rack near exit to L Street by the Parking Garage Office
Capitol Garage—L & 10th
Street (near exit)
Tower Bridge Garage—Front
Street and Tower Bridge
Bikes
on Light Rail any Time
 Regional Transit's Board of Directors has changed its policies on bikes on
light rail to allow them
on light rail anytime. Peak hour restrictions are gone and the maximum number
of bikes allowed on each light rail car, except the first car of a train, is now four.
A two-bike maximum still applies to the first car of a train to allow
space for disabled passengers. Cyclists will need to use either the front or
rear light car doors for boarding.
RT is also examining ways to make light rail accessible to more cyclists
during its single car operations, typically late at night. On many occasions,
cars are not crowded, but cyclists are refused permission to board because two
bikes are already in the car.
The changes in RT's policies will make bicycle commuting practical for many
more people. For those with long distance commutes, it means cyclists can bike
one way and use transit the other. It provides an option for cyclists caught by
bad weather, including rain or excessive heat, unhealthy air and those that have
mechanical problems.
Accommodate
Bicyclists Downtown
 Sacramento's bike routes are not
well integrated into the city's transportation system, indicating to bicycle
commuters that the city views the bicycle as a recreational toy, rather than a
serious transportation alternative.
Once bicyclists reach downtown, they're forced to negotiate city streets with no
bike lanes. Where lanes exist, other vehicles often use them, or they are blocked by parked cars.
Other
cities in this country and Europe are taking a different approach, and the
percent of trips made by bicycle reflects success.
Muenster, Germany (pop. 270,000) has 156 miles of separated bike paths in its
central city and surrounding suburbs. In a 1994 survey, 32 percent
of all trips in Muenster were made by bicycle (compared to the current estimate
of 1.5 percent of all trips in Sacramento). Muenster and other major German
cities have taken other steps to make their urban streets bicycle friendly --
including giving bicycles priority right-of-way on some streets. This is
occurring, mind you, in a country that has, next to the U.S., the second highest
per capita ownership of automobiles in the world.
Closer to home, Portland, Ore., experienced a tripling of bicycle trips to its
central city after retrofitting four of its gateway bridges over the Willamette
River with either designated bike lanes or widened sidewalks.
Palo Alto, Berkeley, Portland and Eugene, Ore., have successfully introduced
bicycle-friendly streets. On these "bike boulevards," traffic barriers
at intersections discourage autos from using them as thoroughfares, while
bicycles can pass right through.
Downtown Sacramento has a similar opportunity in its northeast quadrant, where
traffic-calming measures are already in place and where further steps could be
taken to encourage bicycle commuters from East Sacramento. Many of them already
use E Street, which has a few bike-porous traffic barriers in midtown. Why not
make E Street similarly bike-friendly all the way into the heart of downtown?
Downtown's 11th Street, already equipped with bike lanes, attracts bike
commuters from Land Park and other south area neighborhoods, but could be
improved with stop signs or traffic signals regulating the heavy east-west auto
traffic on P, Q, S and T streets. (The Sacramento City Council recently directed
city staff to identify a north-south bike route for downtown commuters; other
candidates, in addition to 11th Street, are 13th, 19th and 21st streets, all of
which could be fitted with bike lanes.)
Admittedly, taking these kinds of steps would require something many
Sacramentans are loath to do: favor any mode of transportation other than the
auto. Our expanding waistlines and narrow sidewalks are testimony to that.
Our fixation on the automobile is also having less obvious but serious health
impacts. According to mounting medical evidence, the fine particulate matter in
auto emissions is causing high rates of asthma in physically active children,
and heart disease and lung cancer in s.
Today's bicyclists are hardy pioneers, willing to risk the hazards of a mode of
transportation distinctly outside the mainstream, that has received only
haphazard support from government.
If we truly want cleaner air and a healthier society, we need to appeal to
marginal auto commuters, the ones who've been thinking about dusting off the old
10-speed. To lure them out of their gas-guzzlers we have to convince them that
bicycle commuting is not just for the bold and the brave, that it is a
relatively safe form of transportation. We can go a long way toward achieving
this with bike lanes on all major arterials and specially designated bike
routes.
A policy shift that treats cycling as a viable, form of transportation
would, if the European model is any indication, mean greater responsibilities
for cyclists, including safety checks and a stricter application of traffic laws
to two-wheeled travel. (The one current advantage to the secondary status of
bicyclists is that police tend to look the other way when they run a red light
or roll through a stop sign.)
Other cities are showing that it is possible to both think and plan
multi-modally. The Germans have relatively astronomical rates of bike use
because they have made conscious, public-policy decisions to promote that mode
of travel. Here in this country we have been making policy decisions in favor of
the automobile for over half a century, with the predictable results. Isn't it
time we broadened our approach and invited cyclists into our cities?
Drive to the Fair,
pay $17. Ride a bike, pay $8
The California State Fair offers free valet bike
parking to those that arrive by bike, and you get a coupon for $2 off the
regular $10 admission price. If you drive, parking at the fair is $7 and
admission is $10.
The valet bike parking is located near the fair's
main entrance gate and is open every day during fair hours. I did it last
weekend and it’s really easy!
Take the bike trail heading west (from, for
example, Sac State). Right before the railroad tracks, the trail splits and the
trail to the right has Tribute Road painted on the path. Go to the right, which
leads to the levee near Tribute Road
Follow the levee a short ride east right into Lot
A of Cal Expo. Then head east across the lot to the attended, valet bike parking
at the Main Gate.
You can see the levee road on the map, and how it
ends at the parking lot. Between the levee and the parking lot entrance is the
only short, (20-foot stretch) that's actually on the street.
    
For more information, call the
Sacramento Transportation Management Association (916) 737-1513
or E-mail Us
Please note the TMA's new
mailing address: P O
Box 19520 Sacramento, CA 95819-0520
Last modified:
06/15/08
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