Ojai Valley Green Coalition

Thanks to Kelly Pasco of Project Ride for reminding me of this link.
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bikeped/bp-broch.htm

Bicycle and Pedestrian Provisions of the Federal-aid Program
Section 217 of Title 23 of the U.S. Code calls for the integration of bicycling and walking into the transportation mainstream. More importantly, it enhances the ability of communities to invest in projects that can improve the safety and practicality of bicycling and walking for everyday travel.

Check out the VC Star reader comments on busses and bike lanes in Ventura County!

Two transit agencies plan studies on how to improve county's bus service
http://www.vcstar.com/news/2010/feb/13/two-transit-agencies-plan-studies-on-how-to-bus/

To Comment to the Ventura County Transportation Committee:
http://www.goventura.org/?q=about-vctc/public-review-and-comment/unmet-transit-needs

By Suza Francina, Chair, OVGC Transportation Committee

"The bicycle is the noblest invention of mankind." -- William Saroyan

Seven years ago* I gradually changed my trip to work from a two-hour car commute to a refreshing ten-minute bicycle ride.

After a decade of driving the freeway, my soul had grown weary of watching the sun rise and set from behind the steering wheel. Working closer to home meant a cut in my income, giving up my new Mazda mini van and downsizing to an older Toyota.

Bicycle advocacy groups are expanding, and a "Complete Streets" movement has blossomed in recent years, bringing together a broad coalition of citizen and environmental groups demanding more pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly roads. Six states and more than 50 cities, counties, and metro regions have now enacted some form of Complete Streets legislation.

Pedaling Toward Cleaner Cities
By Alison Raphael, OneWorld US, May 13, 2008

What single silver bullet can simultaneously reduce air pollution and oil dependency, roll back urban congestion, and fight obesity?

It's not a pill, nor a complicated formula concocted by the World Bank. People around the world are turning to bicycles by the millions, as governments rush to create incentives for the low-tech transport alternative to gas-guggling, smog-making, traffic jam-producing automobiles.

I applaud John van Houten’s comments about the lack of support for cycling in the Ojai Valley. I am a long time resident and I have always been engaged by our community’s desire to preserve our quality of life and sustainability. As a cyclist I have been disappointed in our community’s lack of support.

Guest Editorial by John van Houten, M.D.

The city of Ojai has made a concerted effort to become a “green” city in the past few years. However, it has ignored one very effective way to be more environmentally responsible, and that is by promoting cycling as an alternative form of transportation.

Ojai is a haven for recreational cyclists and even pro level cycling teams due in large part to our beautiful terrain and agreeable year round weather. However, there is no support for cycling as a form of daily transportation.

Listing the benefits of bicycling makes it sound like one of those old patent medicines: "guaranteed to cure all your ills." But the simple truth is that bicycling is good for the air, the water, the earth, the quality of life in our community, helps to conserve energy, increases property value, increases business, and makes our streets and highways more efficient and, at the same time is good for our health, makes us more fit, and its fun!

Here is a quick look at the ten top reasons why bicycles are good!

Between now and March 25, residents of the Ojai Valley will be reading a new book: Coming Clean: Breaking America’s Addiction to Oil and Coal. The author, Michael Brune, the Executive Director of the Rainforest Action Network, will come to Ojai on March 25 to discuss the ideas in his book. The event flyer is Here and the event bookmark is available Here for downloading.

For this year’s annual Ojai Day on October 18, the Ojai Valley Green Coalition will offer attendees a free bike valet service. To reduce the number of cars descending on the downtown area as people arrive for the festivities, the OVGC Transportation Committee will set up the bike check service in the library parking lot. The coalition hopes to encourage attendees to benefit the environment by pedaling to the event, rather than driving.

With regular unleaded fuel in Ojai over $4.25 per gallon and a barrel of oil at $135, a record high, peak oil is on many people's mind. Our friends at the Santa Barbara based Community Environmental Council sponsored a half day Tri-County Energy Summit for Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties today in Santa Barbara. The 150 attendees were community activists, non-profit representatives, business leaders, city planners, elected city/county officials, and other governmental employees. I went as a representative of the Ojai Valley Green Coalition. Read the full article with links Here

Check in for regular updates from all of our Action and Organizational committees.