Life in the Green Lane

#26, October 26, 1999

 

"Be prepared!

That's the cyclist's motto.

Don't be scared

of that speeding auto.

Oh, the day is near

When the air will clear

'cause our bike travel

won't be so impaired…

so be prepared!"

 

Preparation is the key to bicycling success, before you even mount the saddle. I have to start off in the morning down a long hill. The first 3 minutes produce a high chill factor, before I'm warmed up. But if I add an extra layer for this stretch, I'm shedding it (or sweating in it) by the time I reach the D Street bridge. Solution: warm up in the house with some upper body exercises (which also balance the leg workout on the bike.)

 

Uh-oh… rain! Used to be that it drove me to drive, until I discovered the $100 day-glow yellow rain suit in the Land's End catalogue. I wear (sort-of) matching yellow rubber dishwashing gloves to cut the evaporative chill on the pinkies. I carry a towel in my pack (shielded under a white garbage bag) to dry my face when I get on the bus. I keep several fresh changes of clothes at work.

 

Can I do this? These behaviors seemed embarrassingly extreme until I thought objectively about all the benefits, to me and my community and my planet, of leaving the car at home. In that context, it wasn't a big deal to appear a little geeky. Plus, when I exchange a holler and a wave other cyclists on the road during rush hour, I am rewarded with a feeling of proud kinship with my fellow transportation pioneers.

 

Once you're rolling, preparation takes on a different meaning, especially if you are a cross town bicycle commuter in Petaluma. You must confront challenges not unlike those faced last century by the cross-continental pioneers, in that you can never be sure what the trail will dish up. Until you learn your routes, you can't take bikeways for granted. Sometimes they narrow suddenly, or become cloaked in tree branches, or covered by gravel. Sometimes they just disappear into nothing.

 

But don't be scared. It will get better, and soon. The Petaluma Bicycle Advisory Committee is putting the finishing touches on its Bicycle Plan, and will soon be sending it to the Planning Commission and City Council for approval. Many years in the making, the Plan covers every aspect of improving the bicycling environment for Petalumans. It designates a comprehensive system of bikeways (what I propose we call "Green Lanes")  throughout the town, including off-street paths along Petaluma's many waterways and the railroad corridor. For example, construction will soon begin on a the Plan's cross town bike trail under Highway 101 at Lynch Creek.

 

The Bike Plan sets standards for new developments and reconstruction, to ensure that bicycle and pedestrian access are included in designs from the beginning. Applying these standards. the Bicycle Committee already has already recommended significant improvements to the design of several projects, including the new shopping center on Sonoma Mountain Parkway.

 

The Plan specifies programs for safety improvements and education, including joint projects with the City's schools. It calls for a Spot Improvement Program, whereby a City crew can quickly repair hazards reported by cyclists (like that big asphalt hump in front of the police station!) It spells out steps employers can take to encourage bicycle commuting, like providing showers, and kitchenettes for onsite lunches (thank you, AFC!)

 

Perhaps most important, by adopting the Plan as a component of the City's General Plan, the City becomes eligible for significant State and Federal funding for bicycle facilities. To learn more about the Bike Plan, contact the City Planning Department and watch this paper for news of public hearings.

 

There's danger ahead on the old road. We are fast burning the fossil fuel legacy of the dinosaur era. But thanks in part to the Bike Plan, Petaluma will be prepared for life in the green lane.