Internship

This summer I interned with the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition Advocacy Team exposing me to the important work SVBC does and all that it takes to sustain itself and work toward its mission. This was a particularly opportune time to learn about the organization, as it announced a new strategic plan and filled the summer with programming, forums, and the Bike Summit.

Through this internship, I have contributed to a literature review for the new SVBC East Palo Alto and East San Jose Local Teams. With the guidance of the entire advocacy team and the Mountain View Local Team leader, Bruce England, I also refined my community organizing skills while encouraging action amongst our volunteers in my hometown of Los Altos. Our numerous discussions expanded my knowledge of key perspectives on issues like parking minimums, the connection between affordable housing and safer cycling infrastructure, and what it means to make equitable progress in bike infrastructure. Along the way, I made an effort to explore the work of SVBC beyond the advocacy team by taking the Smart Cycling Course and volunteering for bike parking and Bike to Work Day outreach.

I have had the opportunity to meet and learn from many in the Bay Area active transportation community, gaining a better understanding of the kind of skills necessary to contribute to such an important cause along the way. Thank you to the wonderful staff at SVBC for welcoming me into their workplace and challenging me to grow and learn! While my time working with SVBC in this capacity is coming to an end, this experience has ensured it will not be the last time I contribute to the organization.

Organizing in Los Altos

The local team model places the impetus for change on residents, teaching them how to build people power through community and shared visions of safer infrastructure for all. The priorities of each team are tailored to the issues that press their community the most. For instance, I’m a lifelong resident and commuter cyclist in Los Altos, so I naturally had the pleasure of encouraging other passionate residents to join our new subsection of the Mountain View local team. We are a small number of the overall team, but considering how connected both cities and its residents are, it’s important to coordinate efforts and share information with one another.

Due to the reliance on local volunteers, it takes lots of interest in the community for a local team to thrive and grow. One of the first things I did entering the Los Altos advocacy space is approach the folks at GreenTown Los Altos and Walk Bike Cupertino to better understand their strategy, history, and learn how our small team can play a part in a broader community. Earlier this year, the Los Altos City Council approved CalTrans’ plans to add protected bike lanes along El Camino Real as part of a once-every-30-years resurfacing project. These groups along with SVBC were instrumental in organizing residents and pushing for the council to approve these improvements. The Mountain View Local Team will continue to leverage its relationships with both groups as more Los Altos residents join our team and volunteer for their time.

A Peek Into Advocacy

A great way for advocates to understand how city planners and staff are thinking about future developments is to have conversations with them. Infrastructure rides are a great opportunity to have these discussions and provide feedback.

The Mountain View Local Team organized a ride through Los Altos to educate the group on places that have been improved by cycling infrastructure and the places that still need work. To start our ride, Brandon Whyte, the active transportation planner for the city of Mountain View, gave the 40 participants an overview of the Mountain View Complete Streets plan for El Camino Real and a road diet study (replacing a car lane with a bike lane) for El Monte Ave.

This conversation provided a glimpse into the kind of work advocates can do and the working relationship a local team can build with city staff and representatives. These relationships can help local teams gain a deeper understanding of the intentions, priorities, and capabilities of their city which helps advocates better direct their attention to projects that are more likely to be completed. They are naturally built when advocates consistently show up to meetings and ask questions about current and future projects.

As the party struggled to fit down El Monte Ave, we had some time to ponder Mountain View’s future road diet project and what it could mean for cyclists wishing for more space on that road. The other highlights of the trip were the paseos and cut-throughs - of which Los Altos has many - which allow for quick and safe routes without riding on major roads. It is important to understand the kind of infrastructure a city has before the advocacy begins, and paseos can be difficult to stumble upon as they are often hidden down quiet residential streets. Not only do quiet streets have less traffic allowing for less restricted use of the road, but drivers are also more tolerant of cyclists as it seems natural for them to be there. We passed the Hetch-Hetchy trail (Los Altos-Palo Alto), used some back entrances to schools and parks, and made our way down a little-known cut-through to arrive at the San Antonio Shopping Center.

While most of the ride was peaceful, crossing El Camino Real highlighted the need to intentionally plan intersections during the resurfacing project. One of the advantages of a large bike ride is that safety comes in numbers. So, there’s more work to be done! If you’re interested in joining this work, please join the Mountain View local team, in which the Los Altos team will be operating in the coming months.

This guest blog is written by SVBC Intern Madi Hamilton. Madi is a rising senior at Kenyon College studying Environmental Studies and Economics and has a passion for urban planning and riding her bike!