Category: Outreach

BikeMotherlode

I’d like to introduce you to the Motherlode Bicycle Coalition (MLBC) and invite you to BikeMotherlode.

Springtime in the Motherlode

The MLBC is an association sponsored by the California Bicycle Coalition Education Fund, a project of CalBike. We represent Mariposa, Tuolumne, Calaveras, and Amador counties. We have 23 members, with a five member volunteer board and a volunteer executive director.

Our mission is to increase safe roads for cycling, host bike rides and cycling events, and promote the Motherlode as a premiere bike-riding destination. We offer monthly group rides of varying degrees of difficulty, as well as bike-safety courses and family-oriented events.  

MLBC also provides another important resource for bike advocacy at the MLBC Bike Valley to Sierra website, https://www.bikevalleytosierra.com

This website features the Caltrans and CalBike Bike Riding Tourism Report and Signature Bike Projects in San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Calaveras and Alpine counties.

With miles of rural roads, beautiful scenery, and back-country trails, the Motherlode has always been a hidden gem for bicycle riding.  

2018 Tour of California At Pardee Dam Bridge

Pre-pandemic, there were seven bike events that occurred in Caltrans District 10. While many of those events have been put on hold, three of these events are scheduled in 2022. We hope to see you there! 

Upcoming Bike Events in the Motherlode

March 20, 2022 https://www.rideandwalk4art.com/

April 2, 2022 https://bikehikers.clubexpress.com/content.aspx?page_id=0&club_id=216251

May 2022 (Date to be Announced) https://www.gocalaveras.com/business/festivals-events/mr-frogs-wild-ride/

Best Wishes for Safe Bike Riding in 2022,

Rob Williams 

MLBC Chairperson

CalBike Outreach Manager 

Caltrans District 10 Member

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FROGTOWN BIKE RODEO FOR KIDS

Saturday, October 23, 2021

Inside Fairgrounds at Upper Stage Area

Got a kid who wants to ride a bicycle?

The Motherlode Bicycle Coalition and San Andreas CHP invite kids, ages 4-12 to learn how to ride a bicycle. Kids will learn basic riding skills: stop, turning, listening and watching for safe travel.

The Bike Rodeo location is inside the Fairgrounds at the upper stage area. The Fairgrounds Lawn will be available for learning how to balance and ride.Adult volunteers will assist kids with bike fit and helmet fit as well as bike handling. Bike sessions will be held at 9am-11am. No Reservation Required.

A parking fee is required to participate because the Bike Rodeo is being held during the first annual FROGTOWN BMX CLASSIC FESTIVAL. Parents, kids and families are invited to stay and watch BMX Bike Racing throughout the day!

Event Info

For more Bike Rodeo information call MLBC Chairperson, Rob Williams 209-273-8009or email at mlbcrob@gmail.com

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Mokelumne River Bridge Widening and Bridge Rail Replacement Workshop

Caltrans District 10 is hosting a virtual public workshop to provide informations about a project to improve the State Route 49 Mokelumne River Bridge. The workshop is Wednesday February 24 from 5:00 to 6:30 pm.

To join the workshop, visit https://bit.ly/3pzXG2N or call (408) 418-9388 (access code: 146 532 9118).
Project information and workshop presentation materals are available at https://bit.ly/3pzXG2N or click for PDF files for the press release and workshop PowerPoint presentation.

 

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MLBC February 2021 Newsletter

Dear Motherlode Bicycle Coalition Members,

The MLBC Board recently met to discuss bike advocacy plans and bike sponsored activities in 2021. We agreed that our top priorities are to advocate to improve conditions for biking for transportation and recreation, encourage all residents, kids and adults to ride a bicycle, and to promote our region for road and mountain biking.

During the last several months we have all been out riding in the Motherlode and sharing our bike destinations on social media. Carl, Jack, Nikki, Holly, Rob and Carol are posting pictures and routes on Instagram, Facebook, and Strava.

In January, Caltrans District 10 Bike Advocates: MLBC, Merced Bike Coalition, Stanislaus County Bike Club, Modesto Bike Advisory, Lodi Bike, and California Alps Cycling met by Zoom with the new Caltrans District 10 Director of Planning and his staff.

At this meeting we discussed forming a Caltrans District 10 Bike Advisory Committee, our counties’ road safety issues and poorly planned rumble strips. (Photo above)

Our request to form a Bike Advisory is under review by the Caltrans District 10 Executive Managers. (*Purpose for formation of a District 10 Bicycle Advisory Committee is below) We also discussed our collective disdain for Rumble Strips! The good news is that CalBike has hired a transportation planner to draft general guidance to rumble strip application. These guidelines will be published in the final Cycling Tourism Plan and part of any road improvements application from Caltrans.

The Calaveras Arts Council annual bike event, RideandWalk4Art is scheduled for March 21, 2021. MLBC members are encouraged to participate. See https://www.rideandwalk4art.com/

We are proud to share that the Groveland Trail Heads Mountain Bike Destination Trail System in the Stanislaus National Forest was one of eight projects selected for International Mountain Bicycling Association’s Dig In Program founded by Shimano-MTB!

The goal of the Dig In Program is to bridge the gap between local and national fundraising efforts and show a new audience how inspirational and vital trails are to local communities, businesses and youth. This is an online peer-to-peer crowdsourcing opportunity with a $2000 match from IMBA corporate sponsors. Groveland Trailhead Needs our support. Make a donation to support the Ferretti Non-Motorized Trail System.

Tuolumne County has been awarded a $2 million State Active Transportation Program Grant to construct sidewalk improvements in the vicinity of Jamestown Elementary School. MLBC provided a support letter for the project, and we are happy to congratulate Tuolumne County on their first successful ATP application. MLBC also provided a support letter for Mariposa County’s application to the Caltrans Sustainable Communities Planning Grant program for an Active Transportation Plan. We wish them the best of luck in obtaining funding to help plan for walking and biking in Mariposa County.

The foothill counties need to compete with affluent urban areas for these statewide grant programs. Joining MLBC and supporting robust community planning can help our cities and counties demonstrate public support for their plans and projects to better compete for funding.

We hope to resume monthly pop up and weekly bike rides but until then, ride along with us on Facebook, Instagram or the Motherlodebike.org website to stay updated on our latest news.

If you haven’t become a member or would like to renew your membership find the Support MLBC page here.

Rob Williams
MLBC CHAIRPERSON

Important Motherlode Bicycle Resources:

Cycling Tourism Information
Showcase Areas Tuolumne and Calaveras
https://www.bikevalleytosierra.com/post/showcase-area-feedback-2

Caltrans District 10 Survey
https://www.bikevalleytosierra.com/post/caltrans-district-10-active-transportation-survey

My Calaveras County Road Maintenance Request
http://iframe.publicstuff.com/#?client_id=1000177

Caltrans Safety Maintenance Request
https://csr.dot.ca.gov/

Groveland Trailhead Needs our Support
https://www.imba.com/digin-applications-details?diginid=2861435

*Proposed purpose for formation of a District 10 Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC)

  • Provide District 10 with a dedicated outreach channel representing bicyclists throughout the District for planning, project development and delivery, maintenance, and encroachment permits.
  • Bring bicyclist concerns about State Highway conditions to the District in a coordinated way (reduce reliance on individual PIO customer service requests).
  • Improve, not bypass, bicyclist coordination for regional transportation planning agencies (COGs, Transportation Councils and Commissions), cities, and counties.
  • Inform coalition and club alignment with State goals regarding Active Transportation, Complete Streets, and transportation equity/inclusion of underrepresented communities.
  • Increase opportunities for partnership and knowledge sharing between bike advocates in District 10.
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Join Cal Bike and the MLBC for a Holiday Virtual Get Together

We are getting together to celebrate another year of bike advocacy with a presentation from Youth Bike America about their cross country tour! Our special guests include, SFUSD Teacher, Andy Padlo, a Senior Projects Teacher, from the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts and three recent graduates Emmet Forde, Dasha Yurkevich, and Julian Jordan.Our guests will share their San Francisco to New York City bike adventure.

The presentation will be via Zoom. Contact rob@calbike.org, use the “Contact MLBC” page or call 209-273-8009 to request a Zoom invitation.

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The Chasm Between the Sonoras

Mono Way and the East Sonora Bypass are the connecting routes between Sonora and East Sonora. Both were constructed as Caltrans highways without much thought of community or the needs of pedestrians and bikes. But does it have to stay that way? The roads have high bridges spanning the defining natural feature of the area, Sullivan Creek. We don’t see the creek, but we can’t unsee this artifact of the construction of the bypass:

Bergel Road barriers at Mono Way

Bergel Road extends from Phoenix Lake Road to Mono Way behind the back entrance to Sonora Sports & Fitness. You see it on the right traveling on Mono Way from Tuolumne Road to the Peppery. The barricades make the end of the road an attractive dumping spot, and the barricades, weeds, and fencing are an eyesore. How long has it been this way, and why do we put up with this?

If you park on Bergel Road and go for a walk, you’ll see that despite the neglect, the creek is extremely nice.

Sullivan Creek adjacent to Bergel Road

This place is public land that could thrive as a mini park with bike and pedestrian access to Mono Way. With a connection under the Mono Way bridge to a Sierra Railway rails-with-trails path, Bergel Road could provide park and bike/walk access from the Phoenix Lake basin to shopping, jobs, and services in Sonora and East Sonora and to the new Law and Justice Center.

Sierra Railway Rails-with Trails report, 2004

This is just a vision with a great many obstacles prior to implementation. But without vocal constituencies, visions remain dreams. This is one example of how advocacy for active transportation could help transform our communities much more than by just making it easier to bike or walk. There is grant funding readily available from Caltrans to plan solutions to these kinds of problems, but our local leaders need to hear that the public wants these kinds of changes.

Join the MLBC in bringing your problem locations and ideas for bike and pedestrian improvements to the Tuolumne County Active Transportation Plan Community Meeting tomorrow night (Thursday January 9) at 5:30 pm at the Sonora Branch Library. Without public input, we’ll get the same old plan that has accomplished very little for a great many years.Sonora ATP Meeting Flyer

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