Motherlode Bicycle Coalition 

2018 End of Year Newsletter 

Dear Cycling Friends,

Facebook has sent me several notifications to post a newsletter to keep friends updated on the Motherlode Bike Coalition. Frankly, I have been in a Bike Advocacy Slump. Instead of writing monthly newsletters I built a River Water Park for my family and grandchildren. And, naturally out riding my bike.

However, there are so many important cycling related events occurring in the Motherlode!

A small group of like minded bike advocates from Lodi and Sonora are helping each other to address issues related to bike riding, tourism and safe roads in the California Foothills. This small group includes former District 10 Cal Trans Supervisors, Carl Baker and Kent Kibble, Former Executive Director of the Bakersfield Bike Coalition and Certified Bicycle Educator, Jack Becker, and myself. Kent has been addressing Rumble Strips at Clements and Highway 88! And, Carl helped keep cyclists involved in all road work construction plans in District 10 for several years before retirement.

Two Calaveras County Foothill Communities, Murphy’s and Valley Springs are now engaged in public meetings to develop Complete Street Plans. The plans are a necessary step to apply for road improvement projects from Cal Trans. At the first Valley Springs meeting on Monday December 3, 92% of all persons attending voted yes, to prioritize bike lanes in the Valley Springs Transportation Plan. Also, cyclists attending this meeting placed priority stickers on the bike lanes taking cyclists to two main recreational roads leading to Lake Hogan and Lake Pardee. The Murphy’s Plan is Complete and lending County Supervisor Review and approval.

Five District 10 Counties received Cal Trans Active Transportation Sustainable “Cycling Tourism” Grants: Calaveras, Alpine, Tuolumne, Stanislaus and San Joaquin. The grant supports making bike routes safer and to promote cycling tourism that creates economic benefits for local communities.

The Motherlode Bicycle Coalition is hosting Tuesday Bike Rides in Valley Springs in December and next year in 2019.  The rides are designed to promote the Three Lakes surrounding Valley Springs as well as Foothill Communities above Highway 49. The rides are designed for experienced cyclists comfortable riding on County Rural Roads. Lisa Boulton, Executive Director of Calaveras Visitors Bureau & Film Commission is featuring the Tuesday Series in Spring 2019. Over 50,000 people belong to this Facebook website and call Lisa asking where to ride bikes or hike in Calaveras County.

A Tuesday Ride Route

I have ridden from Valley Springs to Jackson, Campo Seco Turnpike near Mokelumne Hill four times in December and simply love this 35 mile ride. In one hour the ride climbs 1,800 elevation feet up Stoney Creek, out of Lake Pardee and then another 1,500 elevation feet up Highway 49 to Mokelumne Hill. And there are no Rumble Strips on Highway 49.

At the Campo Seco Turnpike I spoke to several Cal Trans workers about installing Rumble Strips on Highway 49 and they shared…We heard you! And, we want you to ride safely, No More Rumble Strips.

As expected with the increase in bike riding on rural roads and in Foothill towns cyclists are being confronted by people upset about sharing the road. Cyclists have been flipped off, yelled at and cars/trucks driving too close for comfort. Last year, several cyclists met with the San Andreas CHP to talk about cycling in Motherlode. This meeting is being planned for mid-December 2018.

I have received many calls about how to find a local bike club or informal cycling group that rides in the California Foothills and Sierras. The following is a current list and way to learn more details.

Stockton Bike Club  SBC http://stocktonbikeclub.org/

Erma’s Diner jrovaneandkrovane@volcano.net Ride Coordinator or see Yahoo Group

Golden Chain Summer Tuesday Evening TIme Trials Series.See Facebook page

Foothill Group See Facebook Page for Amador County. No Ride Calendar 

Project Hero San Joaquin Group trekkiedad@comcast.net

Motherlode Bicycle Coalition rbwilliams72@gmail.com and Meetup Valley Springs 

Alpine Alta www.altaalpina.org

Bear Valley Bike Club /www.bearvalleybike.com/

Sonora Bikes for Tykes work day held in early December to repair approximately 60 donated bikes to be given to local youth at the Sonora Community Holiday Party at the Motherlode Fairgrounds on Saturday December 8. This is a long-standing tradition in Sonora. The used bikes are supplemented with new bikes and helmets purchased with donated funds.

Sonora High School and Sonora Bike Store are sponsoring a Mountain Bike Race Team

Sonora High School is holding a club fun ride on First ride December 15.

For more information contact:

Ben Howell bhowell@sonoras.k12,ca,us (209)591-8236

2019 Cal Bike Legislation Agenda 

Topping Cal Bikes 2019 Legislation agenda is the Complete Streets Bill, which will require all projects using the State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP) funding to include bicycle and pedestrian safety facilities if reasonable. If successful, this bill will tap into this over $17 billion dollar funding source for bike lanes, crosswalks, safe transit stops, and other enhancements on some of our communities’ most dangerous streets. This will be the strongest requirement in the nation and a game changer in improving safety for people biking, walking, and using transit on state-owned surface streets that cut through our communities. 

For more Cal Bike Legislation https://www.calbike.org

2019 Local Organized Ride Events To Calendar 

Peddling Paths to Independence Linden and Calaveras County

February 23, 2019 https://www.pedalingpaths.com/

RideandWalk4Art Calaveras and Amador Counties

March 17, 2019 https://www.rideandwalk4art.com/

Pardee Party Amador and Calaveras Counties 

April 6, 2019 http://www.bikehikers.com

Mr. Frogs Ride Calaveras County

April 13, 2019 https://www.mrfrogswildride.org/

The Motherlode Bicycle Coalition is a fiscally sponsored project of the California Bicycle Education Fund.

Rob Williams

CoFounder of the Motherlode Bicycle Coalition 

209-531-5844

Rbwilliams72@gmail.com