Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition

The crowds brought downtown to life on a Saturday afternoon.

The Mattson Technology ViaVelo was a fun day in the sun for everyone. An estimated 3-5 thousand people came out to downtown San José on Saturday to enjoy the thrill of car-free streets.

SVBC keeps making the news lately. It's always great to get our name in the news - the increased visibility brings more attention to our cause and our programs. Click through to these latest features and be sure to share the links with friends.

• Executive Director Corinne Winter wrote to the San Mateo Daily Journal to drum up Bike to Work Day participation: http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?type=opinions&title=Bi...

As many of you know, following Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood's appearance at the National Bike Summit, he announced on his blog that "People across America who value bicycling should have a voice when it comes to transportation planning. This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized." This announcement came alongside a policy revision that puts the interests of bicyclists and pedestrians on equal footing with the concerns of motorists.

The Alliance for Biking and Walking has ranked the City of San Jose as the #1 city in the nation for providing bicycle safety education to children. The Alliance's "“Bicycling & Walking in the U.S. – 2010 Benchmarking Report" surveyed the 50 largest U.S. cities and found that one in eight San Jose children receive bicycle safety education.

The Quarterly Report is back! Take a look and enjoy a thorough review of all that SVBC accomplished in the last few months of 2009. All the events, advocacy, and community participation are included.

If you are new to SVBC, the Quarterly Report is a great way to familiarize yourself with the work of our volunteers, Board of Directors, and staff. If you're a long-time member who keeps trying to recruit your friends as members, give them a copy of the Quarterly Report so they can see for themselves all that we do to promote the bicycle in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.

A cyclist was struck by a car and killed on December 18 while crossing Hwy. 101 on Hillsdale Blvd. in San Mateo. The victim was an as yet unidentified 68 year old man. He was hit by a Caltrans vehicle.

Yahoo! has announced the launch of its very own corporate cycling team. The team, to be led by former pro racer Kevin Klein, was created as a result of the high level of popularity enjoyed by cyclists in Silicon Valley. Cycling News cites an online survey that suggests 50% of Silicon Valley professionals are fans of the sport.

Today, November 17, the San Jose City Council is expected to adopt an ambitious new bike plan. The plan sets several admirable benchmarks for San Jose cycling, including a doubling of bike lanes from 250 miles to 500 and an increase in ridership from 1.2 percent to 5.0 percent – all by 2020.

Some of the more distinguishing elements of the plan include a Caltrain bike share program and a cycle track on 4th St. Ultimately, the city is hoping to garner a Gold-level Bicycle Friendly City ranking from the League of American Cyclists.