BikeVentura is committed to making Ventura County streets safer for everyone in 2020.
How will you get involved?
Join our first Advocacy Meeting, January 15th, at 6:30pm, at the Ventura Bike HUB to choose priorities on this agenda, develop a strategy, and identify community leaders to organize for a louder voice!
As we continue to teach thousands of youth bike safety, empower riders to fix their own bikes, and build a community of cyclists through community rides, we need to keep pushing for streets that are actually safe for those groups.
Policy & Planning
Set a Modeshare Goal in the City of Ventura’s General Plan – Currently the City of Ventura is undergoing its General Plan update, and asking for public input around their stated goals. One of them is, “OUR ACCESSIBLE COMMUNITY – Our goal is to provide residents with more transportation choices by strengthening and balancing bicycle, pedestrian and transit connections in the City and surrounding region.” This sounds good on paper, but we need a Modeshare Goal in the General Plan Update that we can hold the city accountable toward. A current estimate is that 2% of Venturans walk, bike, or take transit to work. A goal of 10% by 2025 is ambitious, but we should feel a sense of urgency around C02 emissions from auto exhaust, and for the safety of everyone on our streets.
Push the City of Ventura to write an Ambitious Active Transportation Plan – In 2020, San Buenaventura will seek input for a citywide Active Transportation Plan. This plan will set goals, lay out a networks of transit, bicycling, and walking, and designate projects (think bike lanes) around the city. We’ll be keeping stakeholders informed about public input sessions, and key committee meetings so the adopted plan reflects a truly inclusive outreach process.
Saticoy ATP Plan – Saticoy is putting together an Active Transportation Plan with consultants from ALTA planning, per a grant awarded by Southern California Association of Government. BikeVentura will help with public input sessions with out mobile shop. A key project here is the Santa Paula Branch Line trail, which would connect Santa Paula to Montalvo on a Class 1 bike path.
Oxnard Vision Zero – 15 people have been killed while walking or biking in Oxnard by cars in 2019. This is completely unacceptable, and requires serious action, from Elected Officials, City Staff, police, and the community. Vision Zero sets a policy standard around eliminating traffic deaths. So, safety is prioritized over convenience. Whether or not this is the right policy for Oxnard is debatable but would provide a rallying cry
Projects
Oxnard Bike Lanes – Oxnard is planning to build new bike lanes to connect different ends of the city, but they are inadequate. For example – a painted bike lane on a road with a speed limit of 40mph. We must push for better infrastructure that will not only make riding safer but encourage people to try biking for work, school, or errands.
Santa Clara Loop Trail – This is a huge project that would build a full loop of Class 1 trails on the north and south bank of the Santa Clara River, from the 118 to the 101. This would be an incredible trail, which would provide commuter access from East Ventura to the Collection in Oxnard, and views of the Santa Clara River not accessible to the public today.
Ventura Avenue/Oxnard Needs Assessment – BikeVentura will apply for a grant to fund a Transportation Needs Assessment on West side of Ventura and for the City of Oxnard. This will require outreach to the community to get a better idea of what they see are the biggest needs around mobility. This could be leveraged for a further grant of up to $1M dollars for zero-emission shared vehicles.
We’ll also be supporting legislature at the State and Federal Level!
Other ideas? Flat amount from every car sale on the new auto-center development to go directly to funding bike/ped projects? Ticket Diversion Program? Street Camera speed enforcement? Is there a street you think needs a bike-friendly makeover?
Join our first Advocacy Meeting, January 15th, at 6:30pm to choose priorities on this agenda, develop a strategy, and identify community leaders to organize for a louder voice!