Napa County Bicycle Coalition Executive Director Kara Vernor is flanked by board members Mario Valdez and Joel King at Bikefest in May of 2024. [All photos for this story courtesy the Napa, Marin and Sonoma county bicycle coalitions.]
As society grapples with the impacts of climate change and extreme weather, a growing number of locals are letting their cars sit, pulling bikes back out of the garage and going for a spin. Repeating that small act can help mitigate the large carbon footprint left by gas-powered vehicles. Nonprofit North Bay bicycling groups are increasingly pointing to the many benefits cycling provides and why safer streets for both cyclists and pedestrians makes perfect sense.
When Gov. Gavin Newsom signed state Sen. Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) so-called Complete Streets bill (SB 960) into law this past September he helped move the state closer to friendlier, safer streets for everyone. The legislation will require Caltrans to consider the needs of those who bike, walk and take public transit, as well as people driving, on the state roads it maintains—a design and operational approach known as “complete streets” in transportation planning.
The California Bicycle Coalition, or CalBike, was a big proponent of the legislation. The organization is adept at bringing together advocacy groups to work toward safer streets for cyclists and pedestrians. In Marin, Sonoma and Napa counties, local bicycle coalitions work with CalBike to promote cycling and work toward creating bike-friendly streets.
All three encouraged members to contact local legislators in support of the Complete Streets legislation. We spoke with the executive directors of the three bicycle coalitions about their work, their support of the legislation and the joys of cycling.
Marin County Bicycle Coalition
Tarrell Kullaway is the executive director of the Marin County Bicycle Coalition. She’s been with MCBC for five years and in that time has noticed a shift in the community’s understanding of the benefits of cycling.
“People are increasingly understanding that transportation is the largest chunk of climate emissions and that if we want to address our climate emergency, getting people out of cars is going to be crucial,” Kullaway says.
When she started with MCBC Kullaway says it felt as though they were a fringe group. With the growing awareness around the effects of vehicle emissions, that’s changed too.
“Whenever there was an agency meeting or elected officials were talking, we always were kind of on the sidelines making noise,” she says. “Now the agencies and elected officials really are understanding the importance of our work and understanding the importance of getting people out of their cars. They’re prioritizing it more.”
Kullaway says they still have a lot of work to do, but she’s encouraged that there’s more awareness. Meanwhile, MCBC hosts fun cycling events like the Family Biking program, held four or five times a year, often during local festivals. They help families understand how to ride safely with kids on their bikes or riding alongside them.
They have a program geared specifically for teens called E-Bike Smart Marin. The program’s league-certified instructors help educate teens on things like how fast e-bikes go and how to ride them safely.
“E-bikes have the opportunity to really revolutionize the way that people get around, especially in Marin County where we have a lot of hills,” Kullaway says. “I have an e-bike and I replace at least 10 car trips a week with my bike. My car has like cobwebs growing all over it, and I rarely have to get in my car because the e-bike is so convenient.”
Kullaway believes that a lot of the bad press around e-bikes and their possible dangers are focusing on what are essentially e-motorcycles. She says that it’s best to avoid e-bikes that you don’t have to pedal and that can go more than 20 miles an hour.
Safety is important to MCBC and they work with the Transportation Authority of Marin on its Safe Routes to Schools program. Kullaway says they oversee the education and encouragement component of the program. They work in the schools to educate kids on how to ride safely and encourage them to get to school in green ways.
“Third to fifth graders in every single public school in Marin County get a learn-to-ride curriculum provided by us,” Kullaway says. “Most of the kids come to that already knowing how to ride but there are a handful that we teach to ride as well.
“There’s nothing like seeing a kid learn to ride. They get this look in their eyes when they realize they can do it and the freedom it offers them.”
“That’s especially true for the kids who are in fifth and sixth grade who can go off to practice on their own or are old enough to navigate to their friend’s house down the street on their bike,” Kullaway says. “It’s like a whole new world opens up for them.”
MCBC hosts a lot of community building rides and fundraising rides for the organization. They recently helped organize a ride celebrating the fifth anniversary of the bike path crossing the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge.
MCBC is also helping bring cycling to the broader community with programs like Cory’s Ride, an initiative to bring cycling to local youth of all household-income levels. Kullaway says they’re very proud of the impact it’s having on the equity issues in the cycling movement in Marin County.
She says they realized there were plenty of people who could benefit from bicycling who maybe couldn’t afford a bike or maybe didn’t have access to lessons. “We conducted strategic planning when I first started here,” Kullaway says. “And it became clear that a lot of our programs and activities were really geared toward people of means.”
Cory’s Ride was created in collaboration with the Leonoudakis family who had lost their son Cory unexpectedly. He was an avid bike rider, and they wanted to do something in his memory.
The program supports a six-month school curriculum where students learn about safe cycling and get a brand new bike from REI with racks, lights, helmets and locks.
“We don’t just give them a bike,” Kullaway says. “It’s an earn-a-bike program and we work with them to learn how to maintain it themselves, like how to fix a flat, and then we lead rides with them.”
Cory’s Ride also has paid internships for students who have completed the program, to help organize and lead rides and recruit people to the program.
“The idea behind it is not only to give students access to the joy of bicycling, but also get them involved in their community,” Kullaway says. “We pay them to go to community meetings and speak up on behalf of their community and the cycling infrastructure that needs to get safer in the places where they ride.”
Safety may be the biggest challenge that cyclists of all ages are facing. MCBC wrote a letter of support for the Complete Streets bill and let their constituents know why the legislation was important, encouraging them to write letters as well. “We think it’s a great bill and we’re very excited that it passed,” Kullaway says.
Caltrans maintains thousands of miles of state roads throughout California. Kullaway explained that the agency has focused on how many cars can get through an area fast. “And so a lot of these places, even though some of them go right through small towns, they’re some of our deadliest streets for people walking and biking,” she says.
“The Complete Streets bill will mandate that Caltrans do a better job with their state highway operation and protection program and will help provide funding for bikeways, sidewalks and bus boarding islands,” Kullaway says.
Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition
“The safer people feel while cycling on the road, the more likely people are to cycle,” Eris Weaver says.
Weaver is the executive director of the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition. She has been working with SCBC since April of 2017 and says she’s very happy to have seen the implementation of protected bike lanes during that time.
“If you’ve seen them, they’re the ones that have a row of posts, or board, or some vertical element that separates the bike lane from the vehicles,” Weaver says. “The importance of this is the actual physical protection they provide.”
Weaver explained that there are some places in the country that use heftier structures which do provide more of a physical barrier. “But even the plastic bollards or posts are more of a barrier to folks wandering into the bike lane than a line painted on the roadway,” she says.
“People like me, I ride my bike everywhere I go, including in the rain,” Weaver says. “But there’s so many people who would like to ride who aren’t as confident or as skilled and won’t do it because they’re afraid. And so the more we make these protected places for people to ride, then the more people will get on their bikes.”
SCBC began a campaign to encourage community members to ride a bike if they were going two miles or less. “A huge percentage of vehicle trips that people take here in Sonoma County are two miles or less,” Weaver says. “You can ride that in 15 minutes, 20 minutes if you’re really slow. And you don’t have to search for a parking place once you get to your destination.”
SCBC is also encouraging women to join the fun. They host the popular Biker Chicks rides that were started in 2012 by SCBC members and former Sonoma County Supervisor Shirley Zane.
“Here in the U.S., the cycling world is very male dominated,” Weaver says. “That was the impetus for starting that particular ride. It’s a chance for women to go and ride together and not be mansplained to when you’re trying to change a tire. It’s been going on every month except a couple of months in the winter when it’s just too wet.”
Weaver says they’ve had “hundreds if not thousands” of women participate over the years. “It’s a very friendly and welcoming group,” she says. “Each month we’re in a different part of the county. We’ll have multiple routes of different distances and speeds, so you can go with the short, slow group or the long, fast group.”
Weaver says that after the Biker Chicks ride they all go and eat together. “It’s become a big community of women riders,” she says. “We often have people come who’ve not done a whole lot of riding, are unsure, or they don’t have anybody to ride with. They start out with one of our shorter rides and get hooked. It’s been a lot of fun.”
They have a Safe Routes to School program funded by a federal grant. “We’re in about 60 schools this year,” Weaver says. “Our instructors go into elementary classrooms to teach them about pedestrian and cycling safety.”
Their Bike Rodeos for fourth graders are also part of that Safe Routes to School program. “We set up a whole course on the playground with lanes, stop signs and all kinds of stuff,” Weaver says. “The kids get to practice skills on the bike. We’ve got mechanics there to make sure the kids’ bikes actually are rideable, and we fit helmets. If kids don’t have helmets, we have those available.”
Weaver says it’s heartbreaking that each year more and more kids show up who have never ridden a bike. When that happens the SCBC folks teach them how to ride.
The SCBC hosts Walk and Roll to School Day where schools try to get everyone to walk or ride to school. There’s a celebration and prizes. They host family bike workshops where they get together with parents and kids to do a little bit of education and take a ride. “That helps the kids learn, but also makes sure parents know what the rules of the road are and they get to have kind of a family experience together,” Weaver says.
Like MCBC, SCBC partners with CalBike to promote safe cycling and was also encouraged by the passage of the Complete Streets bill.
“Caltrans is a giant—like a dinosaur,” Weaver says. “It’s this giant entity and half of its parts don’t know what the other parts are doing, and it moves very slowly. It’s not like the person at the top can say, “We will do this!” and it filters down and everybody changes how they’ve been doing things. So this was an attempt to get more accountability and more push back on Caltrans.”
Adds Weaver: “For instance, if they’re going to be putting down asphalt, they can put in a bike lane and narrow the other lanes or do something to adhere to this standard.”
Weaver points out that over 60% of the greenhouse gas emissions locally are from transportation. “Most of the county is in the process of updating their active transportation plans, all of which include language about wanting streets that are safe for cyclists of all ages and abilities to be safe on the road.
Napa County Bicycle Coalition
“Our local jurisdiction has begun embracing more modern bike and pedestrian infrastructure and traffic-calming treatments,” Kara Vernor says.
Vernor is executive director of the Napa County Bicycle Coalition. She’s been with NCBC for three years and has appreciated seeing the infrastructure improvements the coalition has advocated for included in local plans and then implemented on the ground. In the past year, Napa County got its first buffered bike lanes and a protected bike lane.
“We’re starting to see folks embrace things like low-stress bike infrastructure and roundabouts that help calm traffic,” Vernor says. “We’ve also seen them embrace ‘quick builds,’ which are changes in the street landscape to increase safety that aren’t necessarily permanent. They can be tried out and then evaluated.”
NCBC offers lots of community engagement around cycling—with education, bike rides, events, a bike valet service and a “Bikefest.” All of it helps encourage riding in Napa County.
“People love when a bike valet is available,” Vernor says. “We park about 330 to 350 bikes each day at Bottle Rock, and around 100 to 150 bikes at events like Earth Day or Fourth of July celebrations.”
In the spring, NCBC hosts its popular all-day Bikefest. Bikefest starts early in the morning with multiple free bike rides, like the cultural heritage ride around Napa. There are rides for kids, a bike-decorating station and a bicycle rodeo. They also have bands, food, beer, wine and a swap meet where people barter or bargain and trade bikes.
“It’s a really nice place to find a bike for an entry level person because there’s a lot of really good quality used bikes that are less expensive than a new bike,” Vernor says.
Vernor says NCBC has been fortunate to receive support from the state Office of Traffic Safety. “That has allowed us to go out and teach fourth and fifth graders about traffic, bike and pedestrian safety,” she says.
They provide 90 minutes of classroom education about how to be safe while walking and riding. There’s another 45 minutes with kids on their bikes, practicing what they’ve learned. “We set up a course that mimics the street,” Vernor says. “They’re able to practice what they learned as well as develop their bike-handling skills.”
Vernor says the coalition spent a few years on an analysis of the barriers to walking and riding to public schools in Napa County. The reports are on its website and include a detailed look at projects that would make riding and walking to school safer.
Vernor has hopes that the newly signed Complete Streets legislation will help make those kinds of advancements commonplace in future Caltrans projects. She pointed out that the majority of the county’s high-injury network were Caltrans roads.
“Caltrans roads need the most change and attention,” she says. “They’re the biggest game changers in being able to increase safety and to decrease fatal and serious collisions.”
“The Complete Streets legislation will increase transparency, so we were thrilled that the bill passed,” Vernor says. “It took some time. I think people wanted to see whether or not changes could happen at Caltrans without legislation forcing those changes. But, with time, it was apparent those changes still weren’t happening.”
Vernor believes the impact of a more walkable, bike-friendly community would be far-reaching. She pointed out that vacationers are often drawn to areas where they can walk or ride to everything. Feeling safe is important for an area to feel walkable and bike friendly.
Locals and vacationers can feel safer going on a group ride with NCBC. They host group rides throughout the year. Vernor says they emphasize visibility when riding in the evening or at night. “We encourage the use of lights, reflective gear and equipment that you can add to your bike,” she says.
“My favorite from this past year was a sunset ride in American Canyon,” Vernor says. “We rode out in the Wetlands Edge Park and through some neighborhoods to get that practice with traffic safety.”
“It was a beautiful ride,” she says. “It’s right on the bay, and the sun sets out over the water to the west. It’s just gorgeous.”
Let’s go ride a bike!
Marin County Bicycle Coalition encourages new riders to check out these beginner-friendly rides.
Hamilton Bay Trail
This flat, unpaved multi-use pathway has some brief exposure to traffic in the loop. It has educational signage about the marsh habitat, its restoration and the birds that frequent the area.
Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District Ponds
There are four loops to choose from on these unpaved service roads. The only vehicles you’ll see are sanitary district vehicles. The bird watching promises to be rewarding.
San Rafael Bay Trail
This trail goes from Pickleweed Park to Starkweather Shoreline Park. It’s 4 miles long if you do the round trip. It has a combination of paved and unpaved multi-use pathways but no cars to contend with, just great views of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge and East Bay.
Tam Valley Junction to Tennessee Valley
This trail is 7 miles round-trip with a gradual, paved climb to Tennessee Valley followed by a gradual descent down to the beach. You could encounter some traffic on Tennessee Valley Road so best to be cautious, ride carefully and use a rear light and reflectors.
China Camp State Park
This trail is just over 4 miles out-and-back with options for more riding along the route. Enjoy the beautiful scenery of the bay as you ride.
Rush Creek Ramble
Enjoy a ride along the 500-acre preserve that borders the Petaluma River Marsh Wildlife Area with its groves of manzanita, black oak and California bay. The 9-mile out-and-back ride is mostly flat fire road and a multi-use trail. It’s a fun trail that the whole family can enjoy.
Napa rides
Napa County Bicycle Coalition encourages beginners and those wanting family-friendly rides to check out the Napa Valley Vine Trail’s Calistoga Segment and the Calistoga Loop. Both are just over 2 miles long and easy enough for kids to enjoy.
All three bicycle coalitions lead group rides that are great for beginners and advanced riders as well. Visit marinbike.org, napabike.org and bikesonoma.org.
