As I am doing research for my internship, I cannot really say how much my project relates to sustainability and carbon emissions. I am working on bicycling and social justice, and also empowering and educating the youths about the significance of bicycling. I do not know to what extent that I would have to rely on data and calculations, because my project does not really deal with those types of information. Either way, I understand that riding a bicycle or walking does not release any amount of greenhouse gases, mostly carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere. This makes those two forms of transportation have a carbon footprint of zero. Whether or not I am going to have to rely on data and calculations for my project, it is obviously important for us to know the amount of carbon emissions of our modes of transportation, due to the fact that the carbon footprint contributes to the demise of our planet via global climate change and global warming. Therefore, knowing the carbon emissions of our transportation choices obviously matters, because it makes people make second choices when they travel. That knowledge empowers us to make more sustainable choices by making us realizing how we are impacted our environment via transportation. When one person makes changes in their transportation choices, they influence other people, and make other people consider making changes also. According to the latest readings, most trips are very near and do not take a long time. Still many people choose to drive because it is less time consuming, and is the most convenient way to travel. Those people usually do not think that just an innocent routine drive to the neighborhood grocery store would make much of a difference, but little do they realize that when millions of people worldwide, not just nationwide, do the same thing and it all adds up at the end. When people realize the significance, they would then be empowered to make more sustainable choices.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Monday, February 17, 2014
"George Koenig is a bicycle roll model" (Santa Cruz Sentinel)
I just read this article about George Koenig, a local 78-year-old bike rider who was on the USA Olympic road racing team for the Summer Games in Rome in 1960, and I thought you'd all enjoy it. It's by Karen Kefauver, who writes a column about bikes called "Spin City" in the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
"I've always liked bikes and I am glad that I discovered how wonderful they are. Now bicycles are cult items that you can buy for $15,000. Where I came from, the kids don't want yachts or airplanes as their toys, they want bicycles. They are young and want to go out and go hard. But I was the first guy out there beating myself up and I am glad I got to ride with many very accomplished riders in the area."
People Power of Santa Cruz County Offering Free Bike Commuting Workshops to Local Businesses and the Community
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – February 17, 2014
PRESS CONTACT - Amelia Conlen, (831) 425-0665, director@peoplepowersc.org
People Power of Santa Cruz County Offering Free Bike Commuting Workshops to Local Businesses and the Community
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, February 17, 2014 – People Power of Santa Cruz County is partnering with two interns from the UC Santa Cruz Impact Designs: Engineering and Sustainability through Student Service (IDEASS) program to create and host bicycle commuting workshops throughout Santa Cruz County. They seek ten local businesses that would like to provide lunchtime workshops to their employees, available between March and July of 2014. There will also be free community workshops offered monthly, starting March 17th from 6-7PM at the People Power office, 703 Pacific Avenue in Santa Cruz.
Making your daily commute by bicycle can be a daunting prospect – what do you wear? How do you transport kids, laptop or a change of clothes? What about when it rains? The workshops are designed to answer all those questions and more, including rules of the road, basic skills and maintenance and how to choose the best route. By offering workshops at local businesses, employees can ask questions and get feedback specific to their daily commute, such as the best nearby routes and where to safely park and lock their bike.
People Power is seeking businesses that are willing to host a workshop, with a goal of having at least 10 employees at each one. Smaller businesses are encouraged to participate and reach out to businesses nearby to invite others to fill the workshop. In the coming weeks, the team will be reaching out to local businesses, but interested employers are encouraged to contact People Power directly.
If you are an employer looking to host a bike commuting workshop at your business, please contact Amelia Conlen, Director of People Power, at (831) 425-0665 or send her an email at director [at] peoplepowersc.org
Community workshops will take place monthly from 6-7PM on the 3rd Monday of the month, starting March 17th. Workshops will be held at the People Power office, 703 Pacific Avenue in Santa Cruz. To register for a workshop, visit http://www.peoplepowersc.org/
Funding for the workshops is provided by the UC Santa Cruz Carbon Fund, which awards grants to local projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, research methods for doing so, or educate the community through behavior change programs. For more information about the Carbon Fund, visit http://sustainability.ucsc.edu/get-involved/funding/carbon-fund/index.html
About People Power
Since its inception in 1991, People Power has been improving the quality of life in Santa Cruz County by promoting bicycling and other forms of sustainable transportation. More information about the organization’s work can be found online at http://www.peoplepowersc.org/
About UC Santa Cruz IDEASS Program
UC Santa Cruz Impact Designs: Engineering and Sustainability through Student Service (IDEASS) is a service-learning program designed to empower students as change agents to face the challenges of the 21st century. In this yearlong upper-division course, students work together in teams with professional mentors to design and implement a project related to sustainability. For more information, visit the website at http://sustainability.ucsc.edu/get-involved/jobsinternships/ideass/index.html
PRESS CONTACT - Amelia Conlen, (831) 425-0665, director@peoplepowersc.org
People Power of Santa Cruz County Offering Free Bike Commuting Workshops to Local Businesses and the Community
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, February 17, 2014 – People Power of Santa Cruz County is partnering with two interns from the UC Santa Cruz Impact Designs: Engineering and Sustainability through Student Service (IDEASS) program to create and host bicycle commuting workshops throughout Santa Cruz County. They seek ten local businesses that would like to provide lunchtime workshops to their employees, available between March and July of 2014. There will also be free community workshops offered monthly, starting March 17th from 6-7PM at the People Power office, 703 Pacific Avenue in Santa Cruz.
Making your daily commute by bicycle can be a daunting prospect – what do you wear? How do you transport kids, laptop or a change of clothes? What about when it rains? The workshops are designed to answer all those questions and more, including rules of the road, basic skills and maintenance and how to choose the best route. By offering workshops at local businesses, employees can ask questions and get feedback specific to their daily commute, such as the best nearby routes and where to safely park and lock their bike.
People Power is seeking businesses that are willing to host a workshop, with a goal of having at least 10 employees at each one. Smaller businesses are encouraged to participate and reach out to businesses nearby to invite others to fill the workshop. In the coming weeks, the team will be reaching out to local businesses, but interested employers are encouraged to contact People Power directly.
If you are an employer looking to host a bike commuting workshop at your business, please contact Amelia Conlen, Director of People Power, at (831) 425-0665 or send her an email at director [at] peoplepowersc.org
Community workshops will take place monthly from 6-7PM on the 3rd Monday of the month, starting March 17th. Workshops will be held at the People Power office, 703 Pacific Avenue in Santa Cruz. To register for a workshop, visit http://www.peoplepowersc.org/
Funding for the workshops is provided by the UC Santa Cruz Carbon Fund, which awards grants to local projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, research methods for doing so, or educate the community through behavior change programs. For more information about the Carbon Fund, visit http://sustainability.ucsc.edu/get-involved/funding/carbon-fund/index.html
About People Power
Since its inception in 1991, People Power has been improving the quality of life in Santa Cruz County by promoting bicycling and other forms of sustainable transportation. More information about the organization’s work can be found online at http://www.peoplepowersc.org/
About UC Santa Cruz IDEASS Program
UC Santa Cruz Impact Designs: Engineering and Sustainability through Student Service (IDEASS) is a service-learning program designed to empower students as change agents to face the challenges of the 21st century. In this yearlong upper-division course, students work together in teams with professional mentors to design and implement a project related to sustainability. For more information, visit the website at http://sustainability.ucsc.edu/get-involved/jobsinternships/ideass/index.html
Sunday, February 16, 2014
A Woman's Perspective on Walking and Taking Public Transportation in the USA and Iran
I am an Iranian-American woman born and raised in Northern California. After more than a decade, I finally had the chance to travel to Iran again last Summer. I have used various modes of transportation to travel throughout the United States as well as Iran. This post focuses on some of my experiences and observations walking and using public transportation in California and Tehran.
Tehran is the urban capital of Iran, home to over 12 million people, and can get very congested so public transportation is allocated differently. In an extremely conservative society where it is unacceptable for a random man to stand so close to a woman, Iran has dealt with crowded cars on the metro by segregating them. Some buses have different entrances for men and women, where men use the front door and women use the back door. This often separates men and women who are traveling together. When the buses get crowded during rush hour here in Santa Cruz, California, it is somewhat acceptable when other people get in your personal space because of the circumstances. You don't particularly like it but you deal with it.
Tehran is the urban capital of Iran, home to over 12 million people, and can get very congested so public transportation is allocated differently. In an extremely conservative society where it is unacceptable for a random man to stand so close to a woman, Iran has dealt with crowded cars on the metro by segregating them. Some buses have different entrances for men and women, where men use the front door and women use the back door. This often separates men and women who are traveling together. When the buses get crowded during rush hour here in Santa Cruz, California, it is somewhat acceptable when other people get in your personal space because of the circumstances. You don't particularly like it but you deal with it.
A sign on a segregated metro in Tehran, Iran
In Iran women must wear loose fitting clothes covering all their body as well as a scarf to cover their hair. A recent YouTube video of a young woman walking around the streets of Tehran with jeans and a t-shit without her hair or arms covered went viral. This is considered controversial because there could be serious consequences. She could be arrested, taken to jail, fined, interrogated... you never know. When extreme regimes get challenged they may fight back more viciously to make examples of challengers.
In Tehran, it is more convenient to walk to local shops. When I would get dressed to go out in Iran, I planned to wear long flow-y clothes that hid my curves because I didn't want to attract attention when I walked down the street. In the US women can wear whatever they want when they walk through the streets. All around the world, some women feel more comfortable dressing conservatively and some women prefer to show more skin but a major part of how comfortable a woman feels walking in public is how much freedom they have to wear certain clothes.
My typical outfit traveling around Iran: simple and conservative
In Tehran, it is more convenient to walk to local shops. When I would get dressed to go out in Iran, I planned to wear long flow-y clothes that hid my curves because I didn't want to attract attention when I walked down the street. In the US women can wear whatever they want when they walk through the streets. All around the world, some women feel more comfortable dressing conservatively and some women prefer to show more skin but a major part of how comfortable a woman feels walking in public is how much freedom they have to wear certain clothes.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Cycling from different perspectives
I think the economy is one of the links between social justice, feminism and transportation. For many people, the car is their only way to get around. This is due to the infrastructure in America. Bicycles are seen as a way to get around for people who don't have enough money to buy their own car, like homeless people or struggling students, etc. There are bicycles for recreation, but they are only used in certain places for specific purposes. These are the views of many Americans who do not use bicycles everyday.
Some people who ride for transportation would not if they had the means for their own car. Most of the few that choose to ride are members of the recent movement for bicycle use. Bicycles can give people independence, but traditionally in America, at least for the last few decades, this role has been overwhelmingly filled by the car.
I know that in my experiences, people my age got cars to fulfill social obligations. As their lives in high school got to be about going places and doing things with their friends more, they were expected to be able to get there and this meant driving a car. But these people very rarely own the cars they drive. Their parents are paying for all or most of the expenses.
I bought a bike so that I could try and do things under my own power. I wanted to use a bike for all the usual benefits, but I also wanted to be independent as everyone does at that age, and I couldn't see how one could be independent with a car without that defining your existence. I didn't like the idea of working so much just to pay for it. It seemed like the right option for my place in the economy. I have watched several people get cars and regret doing so with hindsight, and it was difficult for me a lot of the time to do some things without being able to drive places, but my bike has helped me learn a lot and taught me to appreciate some things.
I guess this is my point. People have to decide how they are going to get where they need to go and some of us don't have very many options. Women are no exception. They seem to choose the car typically, as Elly Blue states. The place of women in the economy affects them like everyone else and this means that their place in cycling is another symptom of their place in society.
This is a problem for people in low-income neighborhoods too, because they might live in a "food desert" and they might not be able to drive all the way across town to go shopping somewhere with healthy food. It is all interconnected with the economy and people's choices and options.
A lot of trips in America that are currently and unnecessarily done by car could be done with bikes or public transit. People need to be given these options to be able to make different decisions than the car and this could mean a change in their place in the economy and our society.
Some people who ride for transportation would not if they had the means for their own car. Most of the few that choose to ride are members of the recent movement for bicycle use. Bicycles can give people independence, but traditionally in America, at least for the last few decades, this role has been overwhelmingly filled by the car.
I know that in my experiences, people my age got cars to fulfill social obligations. As their lives in high school got to be about going places and doing things with their friends more, they were expected to be able to get there and this meant driving a car. But these people very rarely own the cars they drive. Their parents are paying for all or most of the expenses.
I bought a bike so that I could try and do things under my own power. I wanted to use a bike for all the usual benefits, but I also wanted to be independent as everyone does at that age, and I couldn't see how one could be independent with a car without that defining your existence. I didn't like the idea of working so much just to pay for it. It seemed like the right option for my place in the economy. I have watched several people get cars and regret doing so with hindsight, and it was difficult for me a lot of the time to do some things without being able to drive places, but my bike has helped me learn a lot and taught me to appreciate some things.
I guess this is my point. People have to decide how they are going to get where they need to go and some of us don't have very many options. Women are no exception. They seem to choose the car typically, as Elly Blue states. The place of women in the economy affects them like everyone else and this means that their place in cycling is another symptom of their place in society.
This is a problem for people in low-income neighborhoods too, because they might live in a "food desert" and they might not be able to drive all the way across town to go shopping somewhere with healthy food. It is all interconnected with the economy and people's choices and options.
A lot of trips in America that are currently and unnecessarily done by car could be done with bikes or public transit. People need to be given these options to be able to make different decisions than the car and this could mean a change in their place in the economy and our society.
Social Justice, Feminism and Sustainable Transportation
This week a friend told me about a guest speaker that came to her community studies class and spoke to the class about a group that she'd started in LA called Ovarian Psycos. It's a cycling group for women of color that provides a safe space for these women to form a community and to be open about their race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. The only requirement to being a part of the group is being a woman of color. Apparently the group organizes group rides that allow these women to harness their love for their bodies, their power as strong women, their power as cyclists, etc. My friend and I spoke about the exclusions that a group like this has on women of color who might not be able to afford a bicycle, might not have time to go on a "Luna Ride" in their busy day-to-day lives, and might not have the resources to "rise" to power within their larger community through a simple bike ride with other women of color.
As a white, somewhat tomboyish young woman, I find myself in a very good position to find a niche in Santa Cruz's cycling community. I wear practical clothing, don't feel silly wearing a helmet, actually feel cool wearing biking gloves, and generally see myself as a natural figure on a bicycle. However, I am also privileged in that I was given a bicycle by my grandfather, could afford to buy a helmet, and can perform basic bike maintenance and afford the tools necessary to do so. In this way, I am a privileged member of Santa Cruz's bicycle community. I would imagine that many lower-income women do not have the time to bike to work, might not want to drop another expense on the purchasing of a helmet, don't have the space to accommodate groceries on their bicycles while running errands, and certainly cannot pick their children up from school while riding a bicycle. The public reception of bicycle riders, as Elly Blue points out in her blog post, can be negative and even hostile, with harassment toward bikers of all backgrounds: male or female, low income or high income, etc. Women of color, as Blue says, are in something like a triple bind, where harassment can become staggering. I also found notable that areas that Blue points out to adopt bicycle friendly infrastructures are the privileged, often gentrified areas that don't link with cyclists of low income communities.
As a white, somewhat tomboyish young woman, I find myself in a very good position to find a niche in Santa Cruz's cycling community. I wear practical clothing, don't feel silly wearing a helmet, actually feel cool wearing biking gloves, and generally see myself as a natural figure on a bicycle. However, I am also privileged in that I was given a bicycle by my grandfather, could afford to buy a helmet, and can perform basic bike maintenance and afford the tools necessary to do so. In this way, I am a privileged member of Santa Cruz's bicycle community. I would imagine that many lower-income women do not have the time to bike to work, might not want to drop another expense on the purchasing of a helmet, don't have the space to accommodate groceries on their bicycles while running errands, and certainly cannot pick their children up from school while riding a bicycle. The public reception of bicycle riders, as Elly Blue points out in her blog post, can be negative and even hostile, with harassment toward bikers of all backgrounds: male or female, low income or high income, etc. Women of color, as Blue says, are in something like a triple bind, where harassment can become staggering. I also found notable that areas that Blue points out to adopt bicycle friendly infrastructures are the privileged, often gentrified areas that don't link with cyclists of low income communities.
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Critically Examining Epicenter Cycling "Ladies Night 2014" Poster
In class on Friday, Maryam mentioned being upset by the image that Epicenter Cycling used for its posters about its Ladies Night 2014. I think she was referring to this image, which I came across through the Facebook event page.
Maryam mentioned that all the women in this image are thin, bouncing around with purses and dresses. This is not what I think of when I think of bicycling women. I think of women of all shapes and sizes with panniers or practical bags and helmets. Heels and skirts are great, but not all women who bike wear them. Certainly this image of women who bike does reflect some women who bike... but by making all of the women in the image fit this reflection, are others excluded?
I think it's awesome that Epicenter Cycling's having this free ladies night event, but perhaps this caters to a particular type of woman bicyclist that is not reflective of the entire women's bike culture/community in Santa Cruz. How does that inhibit women from participating in bicycling as a means of transportation? Does this poster reflect a particular socioeconomic status that might exclude people in our community? Is it realistic that women who bike all be expected to have Barbie-sized waists? If a woman does not fit this description/image, would she feel less likely to attend the event?
Post your thoughts in the comments!
Saturday, February 8, 2014
It's not enough to ride your bike
I just read this incredible article by Derrick Jensen called "Forget Shorter Showers," and I feel that it's particularly relevant to our class and our emphasis on active solutions that engage the community, not just our own individual selves. Certainly we've discussed multiple times the political power that you wield when you ride a bike or choose the bus or walk when others might drive because of what you're representing and demonstrating to others... but that alone is not enough to solve the enormous environmental problems we face. There has to be more.
Read this article, and please let me know what you think. If there's enough interest, we can talk about this on Friday. It's hard to accept what he's saying, but he's right. It's not enough to just ride your bike or encourage others to be more sustainable and ride their bikes. Further action to challenge the system head on is required. Let that fuel your project's momentum forward and seek ways to charge your project with this spirit of engaging and battling the system, not just advocating for carbon emissions reductions per mile.
Read this article, and please let me know what you think. If there's enough interest, we can talk about this on Friday. It's hard to accept what he's saying, but he's right. It's not enough to just ride your bike or encourage others to be more sustainable and ride their bikes. Further action to challenge the system head on is required. Let that fuel your project's momentum forward and seek ways to charge your project with this spirit of engaging and battling the system, not just advocating for carbon emissions reductions per mile.
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| "More than 1,000 London Cyclists Stage Die-In to Call for Greater Road Safety" (Inhabitat) |
Santa Cruz entrepreneurs plot disruption with DNA and bicycles (Santa Cruz Tech Beat)
Check out this article in Santa Cruz Tech Beat about the Santa Cruz New Tech Meetup--and e-bikes! Next month, my IDEASS bike transit internship project may be presenting along with a number of other projects from the internship class. You should all come check it out!
"'I look for transitions in markets', said Neal Saiki, the founder of NTS Works as he explained why he’s designing and building high tech, electric bicycles. The market for traditional human powered bicycles is stagnant, but e-bike sales are rocketing. He plans to match his patented e-bike technology with existing bicycle industry distribution channels to ride that transition to success. His new products include a solar cargo bicycle that he says can run at 10 miles per hour on level ground powered just by sunlight. Any faster or steeper, and you have to pedal.
"Saiki was speaking at the Santa Cruz New Tech Meetup last night, one of several entrepreneurs who pitched new companies and technologies to an audience of more than 250 people. The gathering, at CruzioWorks, marked the sixth anniversary of the New Tech Meetup and celebrated the people and organisations who have transformed Santa Cruz into a high tech hotspot."Read the full article here.
Planning Department Takes a Serious Look at Highway 280 Teardown (SF Streets Blog)
Remember when we spoke about the economic and societal benefits of removing freeways? Here's a present-day example of a freeway that should probably be removed. Take a look, and be sure to peruse the comments to hear what others are saying!
Read the full story by Aaron Bialick here on SF.StreetsBlog.org.
"The idea of tearing down a section of highway 280, north of 16th Street, is taking a firm step forward with the launch of a new study by the Planning Department. Although the department has already released a study of the option in December 2012, the new initiative would take a deeper, more comprehensive look at the ”spiderweb” of interconnected transportation infrastructure plans in the area, said the Planning Department’s Susan Gygi."
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| Photo: Michael Patrick/Flickr |
Read the full story by Aaron Bialick here on SF.StreetsBlog.org.
Friday, February 7, 2014
Hasti's Project Update
I am developing both digital and physical methods of portraying information about bicycle safety and etiquette. I've been working on designs in Adobe Illustrator with practical bicycling tips.
- ABC bike checklist
- Turning signals
- How to put a bike on a bus
- Accident statistics (some examples: in 2008, 2 killed, 18 severe injuries, 112 sustained visible injuries, 57 complained of pain; 79% of the crashes involved a car; of these: 43% cyclist was found at fault 37% driver was found at fault)
- Safety gear
- Bike Routes
- Night riding
In addition to the promotional campaign, I am also working on community outreach for People Power. We are planning to reach out to local groups to build a bicycle network. This will involve contacting community members and attending events.
I am meeting with Amelia Conlen, The Director of People Power, this Friday afternoon to discuss several upcoming local bike-related events that would be prime communities to reach out to about the workshops and events People Power offers.
Chima's Project Update
I have started my project by proposing that I would do research on the issue of bicycling and social justice, by analyzing and reading about issues of urban biking. This week was a rough week for me. I just took my Conservation Biology midterm a few hours ago, and it did not go well for me. I am going through a very rough time right now, which is due to a variety of factors.What I want to do is focus on cities in the Bay Area and the Central Coast and learn and analyze how bicycling relates to everybody based on socioeconomic and racial/ethnic factors. Before I started my research, I thought that one of the main reasons that inner cities are not suitable for bicycling is due to unsafe environments, urban decay, and lack of funding to fix broken infrastructure, roads, and sidewalks. This is obviously prior to any formal research, so I hope that in the next couple of days I would be able to dig deeper in in this subject to be able to understand more. I also think about the young individuals that live in inner-cities that are deprived from the opportunity of being able to enjoy bike rides in their respective neighborhoods due to the fact that they live in unsafe neighborhoods plagued with violence, crime, drugs, prostitution, etc, which there suburban and/or rural counterparts do not have to experience. I also plan on meeting with Tawn Kennedy in order to be able to meet him and learn more about the importance of youth empowerment and what it means. The first thing I must accomplish is to complete my independent research first, prior to meeting with Tawn Kennedy to discuss bicycles, social justice, and youth empowerment. I hope to get a lot done this quarter because I have to complete 20 hours of internship work. Next week, I plan on probably uploading a Youtube video which shows what I am doing regarding bicycling and social justice.
Project Update
My project has yet to take its complete form, but I hope to really get it into full swing in the coming week. I plan on doing some volunteering with Tawn at some events that he talked about when he came to class. But I also plan on compiling a sort of record of information that I gather from people I talk to at the Bike Coop. I have some questions prepared, but I'm not trying to make it a formal survey. I have had a few opportunities to begin doing this, but will proceed more with it this week and will include some pictures as a part of the process.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Maryam's Project/Update
So far, my project is undeveloped to say the least. After a busy week I am off to a late start, but I know I would like to concentrate my efforts in outreach. I have done a bit of brainstorming about ways to connect with students without flyers or paper waste. Some rough ideas:
- Announcements! On buses, in dining halls, in class, in passing, downtown, etc. This is something I have already experimented with. I have made several announcements in the Porter dining hall and in my classes encouraging people to attend the city council meeting which addressed the bicycle youth distribution program. This arena of advertising is so open! There are countless ways to present material to people in a way that will stand out and get people excited, be it what you say, how you say it, what you wear, what have you. It has been fun carefully selecting the words for announcements - not to mention an easy thrill! I would like to work with Amelia to develop an effective way to make announcements that represents People Power appropriately.
- Sidewalk Chalk! At bus stops and all over campus. Like announcements, this option has a lot of creative leeway. I think of it as a wonderful way to reach students via lyrical and artistic expression. I'll be hitting all of spots that student wait around and look for something to read without using flyers.
- Parades and Megaphones! I think this outreach method would make a significant impact with a minimal amount of effort and coordination. A combination of costumes, friends, and a megaphone parading around campus for fifteen minutes during the busy hours would really catch people's attention. We have also discussed starting a "Slug Bike Party" on campus to get students to connect over their bicycles and spread word about the bike parties downtown.
I am scheduled to meet with Amelia Conlen from People Power tomorrow with Hasti. Hopefully we can get some concrete project set in motion. Ideally, I could incorporate some outreach for the Bike Church as well.
- Announcements! On buses, in dining halls, in class, in passing, downtown, etc. This is something I have already experimented with. I have made several announcements in the Porter dining hall and in my classes encouraging people to attend the city council meeting which addressed the bicycle youth distribution program. This arena of advertising is so open! There are countless ways to present material to people in a way that will stand out and get people excited, be it what you say, how you say it, what you wear, what have you. It has been fun carefully selecting the words for announcements - not to mention an easy thrill! I would like to work with Amelia to develop an effective way to make announcements that represents People Power appropriately.
- Sidewalk Chalk! At bus stops and all over campus. Like announcements, this option has a lot of creative leeway. I think of it as a wonderful way to reach students via lyrical and artistic expression. I'll be hitting all of spots that student wait around and look for something to read without using flyers.
- Parades and Megaphones! I think this outreach method would make a significant impact with a minimal amount of effort and coordination. A combination of costumes, friends, and a megaphone parading around campus for fifteen minutes during the busy hours would really catch people's attention. We have also discussed starting a "Slug Bike Party" on campus to get students to connect over their bicycles and spread word about the bike parties downtown.
I am scheduled to meet with Amelia Conlen from People Power tomorrow with Hasti. Hopefully we can get some concrete project set in motion. Ideally, I could incorporate some outreach for the Bike Church as well.
2 Bike Opportunities: Share Ridership Data & Tell Your Bike Love Story
I just want to briefly share two bike-related opportunities that you all can partake in. I'll mention these in class tomorrow, too:
Share Cycling Data with CycleTracks App to Improve Routes
Excerpted from the original post on the Sustainability Office blog:
The Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments is working to develop a planning tool that will help make the Monterey Bay Area, including Santa Cruz, an even better place to bike. This tool will assist local governments in identifying the best places to plan for new bicycle routes throughout the tri-county region.
The Association will be collecting data from the region’s bicyclists using the CycleTracks mapping applications. To help contribute, you can either log your bike trips on the CycleTracks Monterey website or download the smartphone application and map your routes while you ride. You can also help by getting your friends, family, and colleagues to log their trips. The information collected will be sent to our secure server to be used in helping us better understand what factors influence the routes that area cyclists bike along. No personal information will be released.
For more information visit cycletracksmonterey.org or find them on Facebook.
Share your "Bike Love" story on PedalLove.org
I recently wrote a blog post for Pedal Love, an initiative of the California Bicycle Coalition, and you are all invited to write and submit one, too! Read more about how I got involved here, or you can just read the post I wrote here. To submit your own story, contact Editor and Director Melissa Balmer at melissa [at] pedallove.org
Share Cycling Data with CycleTracks App to Improve Routes
Excerpted from the original post on the Sustainability Office blog:
The Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments is working to develop a planning tool that will help make the Monterey Bay Area, including Santa Cruz, an even better place to bike. This tool will assist local governments in identifying the best places to plan for new bicycle routes throughout the tri-county region.
For more information visit cycletracksmonterey.org or find them on Facebook.
Share your "Bike Love" story on PedalLove.org
I recently wrote a blog post for Pedal Love, an initiative of the California Bicycle Coalition, and you are all invited to write and submit one, too! Read more about how I got involved here, or you can just read the post I wrote here. To submit your own story, contact Editor and Director Melissa Balmer at melissa [at] pedallove.org
Recap of the Last Couple Weeks
We're overdue for a recap of class! Between reading for class and preparing the lesson plans and learning about the awesome projects everyone's doing, Alex and I haven't had a chance to write about what we've been doing in class--which is important so that people who aren't there can learn about the cool stuff we're doing.
Two weeks ago, Amelia Conlen, Director of People Power of Santa Cruz County, and Tawn Kennedy, Director of Green Ways to School, visited our class to talk about the work that they do in the community and how students in the class can get involved. It was awesome to learn about the projects they're currently working on. Both of them spoke about transportation issues in general, as well, which framed their work within the larger issues of transportation that we're facing. Tawn spoke about climate change and the importance of encouraging young people to bike. Thank you both for attending and sharing with us!
After hearing from Tawn and Amelia, Alex presented about bikes, which is evidently our class's favorite topics since we talk about it every week even when we aren't focusing on bikes. The presentation that Alex showed is here if you want to review it.
Last week, we focused on public transportation. We started class by going around and sharing the funniest, best, or most interesting experiences we've had on public transportation. The stories ranged from drunk, boisterous men on buses in the Central Valley to silent connections made by eye contact on buses to realizations about socioeconomic inequalities and why we feel how we feel when we take public transportation. (If anyone from class wants to share what their story was, please do so in the comments!)
We transitioned into talking about the readings and reviewing a presentation that I put together the night before. You can review it here. We ended that portion of class with a TED Talk by Enrique Peñalosa titled "Why buses represent democracy in action."
After this, we welcomed a guest presentation by Erich Friedrich, Senior Transportation Planner with Santa Cruz METRO. He spoke about the history of METRO, current struggles the transit district faces, and exciting opportunities happening in the future. Students had many questions, and it led to an interesting conversation about Santa Cruz transportation issues and possible solutions. We may have more details on this coming soon in a blog post from Alex!
As always, you can look over our syllabus to see what readings we're doing each week and what the topic and plans are for future weeks. Tomorrow, we're discussing walking, and we have two guest speakers, Jessica Pearson from Transportation & Parking Services and Dr. Paul Lee, founder of the Chadwick Garden and Homeless Garden Project and advocate for trails like Pogonip. You're welcome to join us any Friday from 8 - 10:40 AM in the Kresge Seminar Room 159.
Enjoy this rain!
Two weeks ago, Amelia Conlen, Director of People Power of Santa Cruz County, and Tawn Kennedy, Director of Green Ways to School, visited our class to talk about the work that they do in the community and how students in the class can get involved. It was awesome to learn about the projects they're currently working on. Both of them spoke about transportation issues in general, as well, which framed their work within the larger issues of transportation that we're facing. Tawn spoke about climate change and the importance of encouraging young people to bike. Thank you both for attending and sharing with us!
Tawn speaking about his work with Green Ways to School.
After hearing from Tawn and Amelia, Alex presented about bikes, which is evidently our class's favorite topics since we talk about it every week even when we aren't focusing on bikes. The presentation that Alex showed is here if you want to review it.
Last week, we focused on public transportation. We started class by going around and sharing the funniest, best, or most interesting experiences we've had on public transportation. The stories ranged from drunk, boisterous men on buses in the Central Valley to silent connections made by eye contact on buses to realizations about socioeconomic inequalities and why we feel how we feel when we take public transportation. (If anyone from class wants to share what their story was, please do so in the comments!)
We transitioned into talking about the readings and reviewing a presentation that I put together the night before. You can review it here. We ended that portion of class with a TED Talk by Enrique Peñalosa titled "Why buses represent democracy in action."
After this, we welcomed a guest presentation by Erich Friedrich, Senior Transportation Planner with Santa Cruz METRO. He spoke about the history of METRO, current struggles the transit district faces, and exciting opportunities happening in the future. Students had many questions, and it led to an interesting conversation about Santa Cruz transportation issues and possible solutions. We may have more details on this coming soon in a blog post from Alex!
As always, you can look over our syllabus to see what readings we're doing each week and what the topic and plans are for future weeks. Tomorrow, we're discussing walking, and we have two guest speakers, Jessica Pearson from Transportation & Parking Services and Dr. Paul Lee, founder of the Chadwick Garden and Homeless Garden Project and advocate for trails like Pogonip. You're welcome to join us any Friday from 8 - 10:40 AM in the Kresge Seminar Room 159.
Enjoy this rain!
Project Update
My project in creating a promo video for People Power is moving somewhat slowly but should pick up in the next couple of weeks. I'll be meeting with Tawn at the People Power office tomorrow to get his existing video footage and photos to put into the video. I've also been collecting my own bicycle-related footage to use in the video as well. I'm planning on attending the Santa Cruz Bike Party next Friday and collecting footage from that as well which should be a lot of fun. I think the energy of the bike party will contribute a lot to the momentum of the video. It'll also be my first bike party so I look forward to it!
I've also had a recent development in a new project that I'd like to look into because of an accident that I had this week. I was riding my bike down High Street and crossed into the separated bike lane that goes opposite of traffic after Highland. About two blocks away from the next stop sign I was going pretty fast, probably at least 20 mph down the hill. Suddenly a car that had been coming up High pulled right in front of me into a driveway perpendicular to the bike lane and I t-boned right into her hood and actually smashed her windshield with my face. Amazingly, I was completely fine despite some bruising on my leg and face. I've been in contact with Emily, the girl who was driving, and luckily her insurance company will be paying for the repairs on my bike (bent fork, possibly more) and any medical visits I need to make. Apparently a lot of the residents in that section of High street have either had similar accidents or have had very close calls. I've known people to get hit on their bikes there and Emily's neighbor, who saw the aftermath of the accident said that he'd done a very similar thing when backing out before. She and I are interested in working together in making that section of High safer, even if it just means getting some mirrors in peoples' driveways or something. So, I'm pretty excited about figuring out how to get that started. I'll bring it up in class tomorrow and hope to get some input from Tawn as well.
Photos to follow.
Streets of S.F. a road hazard as pedestrian deaths spike (SF Chronicle)
I came across this article in the SF Chronicle yesterday while eating at the 9/10 Dining Hall, and I thought it was particularly relevant to our class. The issue of bureaucratic sluggishness on moving projects ahead and the desire (and inability) to get everyone to agree on transportation projects is a huge problem for places like San Francisco. It becomes not only annoying but actually dangerous when the places that are supposed to be seeing these improvements are the site of numerous fatalities for people walking and biking.
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| Source here. |
Perhaps this article could prompt some questions for us to explore on Feb 28 when we have a speaker panel of folks who have directly dealt with processing and implementing transportation changes like the ones discussed in this article… We can also discuss the pedestrian issues addressed in this article tomorrow, since this week's topic is walking.
Here's a snippet of the article, but you should check out the full story on the SF Chronicle website here.
"San Francisco has put together a lot of plans and budgeted a lot of money to reduce pedestrian and bike accidents and generally make its streets safer.
"But people keep getting maimed and killed by cars - and some city officials and residents think part of the reason is that the city has been slow to follow through with its proposals to improve street designs and crack down on drivers who break traffic laws.
"A spate of pedestrian fatalities at the end of 2013 and the beginning of this year - including the death of 6-year-old Sofia Liu on New Year's Eve and a man who was killed by a car in the Parkside neighborhood Tuesday - shows that the city's streets remain dangerous. Yet just 6 percent of San Francisco streets account for 60 percent of incidents in which pedestrians are severely injured or killed. On those streets, high-injury corridors representing 5.2 percent of the city's street miles are the site of more than half of all pedestrian deaths and injuries.
"While the number of hazardous blocks isn't numerous, bringing down the number of deadly collisions hasn't been easy. The city has earmarked tens of millions of dollars for re-engineering dangerous corridors in recent years, but some seemingly simple projects can take years. In the meantime, bicycle and pedestrian fatalities spiked in 2013: 21 people were killed while walking, the most since 2007, and four bicyclists lost their lives, the highest number since 2001."
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Hiking: A Social Cure for a Disconnected World (A re-post from Green Gal)
This was originally posted on Melissa's Green Gal blog here on March 27, 2013. It relates to walking and the power of walking with others, so it ties into this week's theme. It's also a love story!
In addition to being great exercise and a way to get to really awesome places in the world, hiking is also one of my favorite social activities. Since the time I was old enough to hike around Pinecrest Lake, I was making the trek with my family, trying to keep up with uncles and cousins in my little hiking boots and sunhat. I've always been a hiker, and I continue to be one, especially since I live in a hilly forest off the coast of the Pacific Ocean. How can you not be a hiker when you live two minutes from hiking trails and views of the ocean?
Given this interest in hiking and the opportunities for social engagement and community building that it offers, this past fall, a fellow student sustainability leader at UC Santa Cruz and I organized a hike into the Upper Campus trails that meander through forest and meadow above our university home. The goal was to bring together students, staff, faculty, community members interested in sustainability at UC Santa Cruz for a day hike to explore the natural space where we live, learn, and work.
My fellow sustainability hike leader and I had met at the Harvest Festival at the campus farm at the beginning of the quarter, where he served me countless bike-pedal-generated smoothies that he had made himself as I sat tabling for the Sustainability Office in the sweltering September heat.
A few days later, we spoke during dinner at the Student Environmental Center's General Gathering, and we realized we both had an interest in getting students from sustainability orgs on campus to spend more time together outside of org events. We swapped numbers, met in the library a couple times to draft an email, and then sent it out to everyone involved with sustainability work on campus, using the list-servs and email addresses that I have access to as the Education & Outreach Coordinator for the Sustainability Office (not an abuse of power, given that these hikes serve to further the aims of my job, even if I don't count those hours toward work). We even made a Facebook event for the hike. We were stoked.
The day came to meet up in the North Remote Parking Lot. I showed up first with my hiking shorts and hiking boots and reusable water bottle. No sign of anyone.
A few minutes later, I got a text message from my co-leader, who is the Transportation Coordinator for the organzation who hosted the General Gathering. He was on his way, and walked up from his redwood-surrounded apartment a few minutes later.
We waited. And waited.
"Well, it's time to go. Should we just start hiking?" No one else had shown up, and I'd received at least one text message from a friend who wasn't coming after all.
"Yeah, let's go."
We hiked up into the forest, just the two of us, on what would become not only the first of many sustainability inter-organizational hikes, but our first hike together, our first date, and our first chance to get to know each other through awesome conversation on the trail.
Hiking is a great social activity with both people you don't know well and people you do know well. You're moving around, exercising and getting high on endorphins, immersed in wild places that feed your soul, and there aren't really awkward silences. You're hiking outdoors, and silence is never awkward in the outdoors--there is so much to hear and experience and learn from when you are silent in a natural space.
We ended up hiking through Wilder Ranch State Park and all the way to the Highway 1, crossing the asphalt to reach our destination: the coast of the Pacific Ocean. We settled into some cliffs by a little cove, where the water rushed in at every wave and then receded. The sounds were soothing, the sun was warm, and we ate our lunch, enjoying the day, kind of glad that no one else showed up on the hike because of the opportunity it gave us to spend time together.
"I heard that some study found that chocolate is detected in the brain to cause more pleasure than kisses," he said to me. "But I don't really think so. What do you think?" I thought people only said those kinds of things in romantic movies, but I guess I was wrong. We had to test the theory, of course, so he shared an M&M with me, and then we shared a kiss. Like I said, hikes really are the best way to get to know someone.
Since then, he and I have organized a few other hikes, bringing together our friends, coworkers, and people who heard about the hike from Facebook or campus newsletters. I've had interesting conversations on the trail with people I never would have met otherwise, and I've realized how simple and worthwhile organizing hikes can be. People in the sustainability world of UC Santa Cruz now know about the hikes, and many who haven't come before have expressed interest in coming in the future. I cannot wait for spring quarter and the sunlight and flowers, which will hopefully draw even more people out to our hikes.
As for hiking dates with my transportation coordinator friend, who has since become my boyfriend, we definitely continue to hike together, getting to know each other better every time. We just went on a gorgeous hike yesterday at a county park near San Jose, and we had a really good time enjoying the view from the top of a hill.
I believe that in addition to the conditions for conversation that hiking creates, the energies and connections that happen in nature between self and wilderness transform human social interactions into deeper connections when you spend time outdoors with someone one-on-one. Observing natural space, viewing the soil and vegetation and ecosystems, getting to know the environment, talking about where we would choose to live if we had been people living there thousands of years ago, and having moments of connection with nature together--all of this connects us to nature and ourselves.
Ultimately, hiking is a connecting activity, and in this digital age of social and human disconnection through overconnection with technology, hiking is a cure that I cannot get enough of. I encourage you to consider organizing a hike with your friends, significant other, or family. It's easy, fun, really inexpensive, and the opportunities for engagement with yourself, nature, and others are so rewarding!
Thanks for reading!
Green Gal
In addition to being great exercise and a way to get to really awesome places in the world, hiking is also one of my favorite social activities. Since the time I was old enough to hike around Pinecrest Lake, I was making the trek with my family, trying to keep up with uncles and cousins in my little hiking boots and sunhat. I've always been a hiker, and I continue to be one, especially since I live in a hilly forest off the coast of the Pacific Ocean. How can you not be a hiker when you live two minutes from hiking trails and views of the ocean?
Given this interest in hiking and the opportunities for social engagement and community building that it offers, this past fall, a fellow student sustainability leader at UC Santa Cruz and I organized a hike into the Upper Campus trails that meander through forest and meadow above our university home. The goal was to bring together students, staff, faculty, community members interested in sustainability at UC Santa Cruz for a day hike to explore the natural space where we live, learn, and work.
My fellow sustainability hike leader and I had met at the Harvest Festival at the campus farm at the beginning of the quarter, where he served me countless bike-pedal-generated smoothies that he had made himself as I sat tabling for the Sustainability Office in the sweltering September heat.
A few days later, we spoke during dinner at the Student Environmental Center's General Gathering, and we realized we both had an interest in getting students from sustainability orgs on campus to spend more time together outside of org events. We swapped numbers, met in the library a couple times to draft an email, and then sent it out to everyone involved with sustainability work on campus, using the list-servs and email addresses that I have access to as the Education & Outreach Coordinator for the Sustainability Office (not an abuse of power, given that these hikes serve to further the aims of my job, even if I don't count those hours toward work). We even made a Facebook event for the hike. We were stoked.
The day came to meet up in the North Remote Parking Lot. I showed up first with my hiking shorts and hiking boots and reusable water bottle. No sign of anyone.
A few minutes later, I got a text message from my co-leader, who is the Transportation Coordinator for the organzation who hosted the General Gathering. He was on his way, and walked up from his redwood-surrounded apartment a few minutes later.
We waited. And waited.
"Well, it's time to go. Should we just start hiking?" No one else had shown up, and I'd received at least one text message from a friend who wasn't coming after all.
"Yeah, let's go."
We hiked up into the forest, just the two of us, on what would become not only the first of many sustainability inter-organizational hikes, but our first hike together, our first date, and our first chance to get to know each other through awesome conversation on the trail.
Hiking is a great social activity with both people you don't know well and people you do know well. You're moving around, exercising and getting high on endorphins, immersed in wild places that feed your soul, and there aren't really awkward silences. You're hiking outdoors, and silence is never awkward in the outdoors--there is so much to hear and experience and learn from when you are silent in a natural space.
We ended up hiking through Wilder Ranch State Park and all the way to the Highway 1, crossing the asphalt to reach our destination: the coast of the Pacific Ocean. We settled into some cliffs by a little cove, where the water rushed in at every wave and then receded. The sounds were soothing, the sun was warm, and we ate our lunch, enjoying the day, kind of glad that no one else showed up on the hike because of the opportunity it gave us to spend time together.
"I heard that some study found that chocolate is detected in the brain to cause more pleasure than kisses," he said to me. "But I don't really think so. What do you think?" I thought people only said those kinds of things in romantic movies, but I guess I was wrong. We had to test the theory, of course, so he shared an M&M with me, and then we shared a kiss. Like I said, hikes really are the best way to get to know someone.
Since then, he and I have organized a few other hikes, bringing together our friends, coworkers, and people who heard about the hike from Facebook or campus newsletters. I've had interesting conversations on the trail with people I never would have met otherwise, and I've realized how simple and worthwhile organizing hikes can be. People in the sustainability world of UC Santa Cruz now know about the hikes, and many who haven't come before have expressed interest in coming in the future. I cannot wait for spring quarter and the sunlight and flowers, which will hopefully draw even more people out to our hikes.
A photo of the fantastic group who came on our second inter-organizational sustainability community hike. I got to know some people on this hike who have brightened my life, and they continue to remain in my life either in person or through the perspectives I gained from talking with them.
As for hiking dates with my transportation coordinator friend, who has since become my boyfriend, we definitely continue to hike together, getting to know each other better every time. We just went on a gorgeous hike yesterday at a county park near San Jose, and we had a really good time enjoying the view from the top of a hill.
I believe that in addition to the conditions for conversation that hiking creates, the energies and connections that happen in nature between self and wilderness transform human social interactions into deeper connections when you spend time outdoors with someone one-on-one. Observing natural space, viewing the soil and vegetation and ecosystems, getting to know the environment, talking about where we would choose to live if we had been people living there thousands of years ago, and having moments of connection with nature together--all of this connects us to nature and ourselves.
Ultimately, hiking is a connecting activity, and in this digital age of social and human disconnection through overconnection with technology, hiking is a cure that I cannot get enough of. I encourage you to consider organizing a hike with your friends, significant other, or family. It's easy, fun, really inexpensive, and the opportunities for engagement with yourself, nature, and others are so rewarding!
Thanks for reading!
Green Gal
Monday, February 3, 2014
Cars of the Future Might be Required to have Car-to-Car Communication Systems
Note: This information was originally reported by The Verge (http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/3/5374124/department-of-transportation-announces-plans-for-connected-car)
The US Department of Transportation recently addressed plans to require and regulate car-to-car communication systems in all cars manufactured in the future in order to reduce the number of accidents. This proposal developed from a pilot program by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The results of the study will be released in the next few weeks.
Car-to-car communication systems have the potential to prevent crashes and minimize congestion. Rather than using brake lights as an indication for a decelerating car, car-to-car systems can recognize changes in surrounding car's miles-per-hour and adjust speeds relative to surrounding conditions.
In order for all automakers to implement car-to-car communication systems, there is a need for industry standards, which is something the government can regulate. It's hopeful to see that in at least some areas, our government is recognizing how technology is increasing integrating into our lives and identifying where regulatory measures are necessary. Now, if only they would adjust copyright laws to enable more innovation.
In order for all automakers to implement car-to-car communication systems, there is a need for industry standards, which is something the government can regulate. It's hopeful to see that in at least some areas, our government is recognizing how technology is increasing integrating into our lives and identifying where regulatory measures are necessary. Now, if only they would adjust copyright laws to enable more innovation.
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