Anjali Tapadia, a bicycle enthusiast and Fullerton Councilmember Dr. Ahmad Zahra held a Bicycle Forum on June 13, 2024. Ms. Tapadia gave a presentation along with OC Power Authority, the Fullerton Police Department, and David Roseman, the Fullerton City Traffic Engineer. Over thirty people attended the meeting held at the Fullerton Community Center. The content of this presentation belongs solely to the presenter and does not represent the City of Fullerton or the Fullerton Active Transportation Committee.
WHY SHOULD I GET INVOLVED?
The decisions made in city hall or county offices influence the condition of our roads, the quality of our children’s education, and the safety of our neighborhoods. Engaging in and understanding local politics is a way to fulfill our civic duty and make the changes that affect our lives and livelihoods.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED?
- Read the agendas for Meetings & Agendas.
- Email your elected representatives!
- Come to City Council meetings or Zoom the meeting and call to make comments. Your voice is CRITICAL for progress!
- Come to Active Transportation Committee meetings!
- Come to Transportation & Circulation Commission meetings!
- If you want better bicycle infrastructure, you MUST get involved
IDEAS FOR THE FUTURE!
- More & better bike racks
- Better bike detection at intersections
- Buffering & widening of Class II bike lanes
- Continuation of infrastructure through intersections
- Official recognition of Fullerton Loop + safety measures
- Safer detours for bikes + peds through construction zones
- Protected & off-street bike paths
- Wayfinding signs
- A more cohesive bike network
- Collaboration with neighboring cities for seamless infrastructure
- Completion of the next phases of the Union Pacific Trail
- Initiation of Malvern/Brea Creek bike path
WHY BIKE?
WHY BUILD BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE?
In an article by Darren Flusche, the Policy Director of the League of American Bicyclists, called Bicycling Means Business: The Economic Benefits of Bicycle Infrastructure, he wrote, “Each year several new studies come out that help make the case that investments in safe and attractive bicycling pay economic dividends. We’ve added dozens of sources (and about 10 pages) to this report since it was originally released in 2009.
“The research can get technical, but the principles are simple:
- People who ride bikes buy bikes. This puts people to work in bicycle shops and apparel stores.
- People who ride bikes buy other things, too. Bike-accessible business districts benefit by catering to these customers.
- People on bikes are also more likely to make repeat trips to their local stores.
- People who ride bikes on vacation buy food, incur travel costs and pay for lodging. Bicycling tourists bring millions of dollars to cities and towns across the country that wouldn’t otherwise end up there.
“All that spending means jobs — and tax revenue — for communities. But people who ride bikes also save money.
- With the money saved from lower travel costs, people who ride bikes have more of their money to spend on local businesses.
- People who ride bikes can save their companies money on health insurance costs.
- Developers, cities, and individuals can save money on parking costs by providing space-efficient, low-cost bike parking instead of expensive car parking.
“The best way to attract people who ride bikes and accrue all of these benefits is by building infrastructure that makes it more attractive for people to ride. Building that infrastructure creates jobs, and it does so extremely cost-effectively. In fact, there’s no better job-creating bang for your transportation buck.”
In another article by BCU Labs called, If you build it, they will bike! “How big of an effect does a small section of a high-quality bike lane have? It turns out a lot! Some cities have more than double bike ridership throughout a whole neighborhood just by improving a single street. This result is promising for how safe streets and bicycle advocates and cities can install projects that have outsized benefits to the neighborhoods around them.
“Today we are going to explore a specific project recently completed in Cambridge. We will see how much biking increased within (at least) a half-mile of this project and how it started to change how people travel within their neighborhood.
“Garden St, Cambridge
“In November 2022, Cambridge made a significant change to a half-mile section of Garden St. As a project of the Cycling Safety Ordinance (CSO), a law that requires the city to build 25 miles of separated bike lanes by 2026, the city significantly upgraded Garden Street. From having door-zone bike lanes and sharrows, Garden St. was given fully separated bike lanes in both directions. To achieve this change, the city initially proposed removing street parking from one side of the street, but at public meetings, residents proposed an alternative: keep most of the parking but convert the street to be one-way for cars. As this was a significant change, the city performed numerous traffic counts before and after the project was installed, both on the modified section and throughout the neighborhood surrounding Garden Street. Luckily for us, this means we can take a look at how many more people bike when the city builds safe bike lanes for them to ride in.
“And the numbers are incredible! After just four months, even into the heart of winter, bike mode share on residential streets within a half-mile of the project increased by 300%, and bike volumes increased by over 500%. And it’s not just on Garden St., but all the streets around it. Having just one major safe biking link added to the network opened up the possibility for local residents to feel safe and comfortable biking. It’s clear that residents are excited to have these lanes installed based on their actions.”
BIKEWAY CLASSIFICATIONS
Class I – Off-street, fully separated (often recreational)
Example: Santa Ana River Trail
Class II – Painted on-street bike lanes
- Pros: Inexpensive; easier to establish on existing roadways
- Cons: Cars park in them; no protection from cars; often too narrow; dooring
Class III – Sharrows (Roadshared by bicyclists and vehicles)
- Pros: Same as Class II
- Cons: Roadway shared with cars; inappropriate/unsafe on higher-speed roads
Class IV – Protected on-street
None in Fullerton…yet
STAYING SAFE & PROTECTING YOUR BIKE
- Be visible: Use front + rear bicycle lights after sunset
- You are INVISIBLE without them
- Reflectors alone are NOT enough
- Never “salmon” (ride on the road against traffic)
- Make eye contact with car drivers before proceeding
- Be predictable: stop at stop signs and respect right-of-way
- Signal with your hands
- Plan safe routes ahead of time (Strava, MapMyRide, Komoot, etc)
- Take the lane to prevent close passes
- Riding on the sidewalk is legal but unsafe
PROTECTING YOUR BICYCLE
Cable locks are NOT adequate and are EASILY cut- U-locks and heavy chains are best (Kryptonite, Abus)
- • Look for security ratings
- Add your bike to your home insurance policy
- • Keep photos, receipt, serial number
- • Project 529
- Frame + rear wheel (with cassette) are the most valuable parts of your bike, especially if you have quick releases
- 2-lock method:
- • Frame + rear wheel to rack
- • Front wheel to the frame
- Choose a rack in a high-traffic, well-lit, visible area (theft deterrent)
- Never lock the bike to the bus stop sign – impedes the mobility-impaired
THINGS BICYCLISTS SHOULD KNOW
- Cars MUST change lanes when passing bicyclists whenever possible
(supersedes previous 3-foot law) - Cars are NOT permitted to park in bike lanes
- • California Vehicle Code § 21209 VC
- • Penalty: 1 point on DMV driving record and $238.00 fine
CURRENT STATE OF FULLERTON BICYCLE INFRASTRUCTURE
- 2012 Bicycle Master Plan
- Mostly Class II and III bike lanes
- Recent setbacks
- • Associated Road project
- • Hart Place closure
- Improving over time!
- • Wilshire Bike Boulevard
- Future projects:
- • Nutwood,
- • Harbor,
- • Union Pacific Trail
RECENT PROJECTS: ASSOCIATED ROAD
CLEAN CALIFORNIA TRANSIT PROGRAM GRANT
https://www.transportation.gov/grants/SS4A
RESOURCES
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Categories: Health, Local Government, Local News, Uncategorized
There is a need to fix the Fullerton loop, it has too many street crossings.
We need bridges to eliminate crossing streets.
Not to mention more clearly identifying the path so as to not confuse those new to the trails…
The Fullerton Loop is not an official city trail. It is an informal route cobbled together by a pioneering cyclist from existing official trails through, as noted in comments, street connections. Acknowledging the Loop in any official way could open the city to untold liability for informal crossings and other hazards inherent to the course.
Elevated cycling bridges are a pipe dream, in my opinion, given the City Council’s general unwillingness to prioritize safe cycling in specific project decisions in recent years.
I believe it is better to leave the loop alone and rely on cyclists to ride responsibly on official trails and ride on and cross streets safely and legally.
I completely agree. People have died on the Fullerton Loop, partly due to lack of safety measures, high-quality crossings, and wayfinding signs. If the city cares about the safety of its residents and those who visit our city from all over the state to use the Loop, it will take ownership. Liability risk seems higher now that the city knows of the risks and refuses to do anything.
There is no practical way the city can make the Fullerton Loop safe. All it can do is maintain the official trails that constitute parts of the course and post signs appropriate for trail use. Wayfinding signs for riders would be convenient, but posting them would open the city to liability for the Loop’s entire use. There is no shortage of maps and guides online available to anyone wanting to learn the route. Or, better yet, ask another rider to show the way.