SVBC News
Walk It before Planning It! - A New Take on the Safe Routes To School Planning Meeting.
What a great experience! On Tuesday, October 24, 2017, a slew of stakeholders (parents, school trustee’s, school representatives, Gilroy Engineering department, SVBC, and etc.) woke up early (arrived by 7:20am) for a beautiful and brisk walk around the school’s wider block. Usually a walk audit is undertaken by SCCPH and the school staff as part of organizing a SRTS Planning Meeting, but asking all stakeholders of the planning meeting to also be involved in a walk audit before the Planning Meeting was definitely a treat!Participants were able to watch firsthand some crosswalks where Crossing Guards were already assisting children to cross busy intersections, but we heard that there still remained some serious safety concerns. It was more than that; physically observing parents U-Turn randomnly around a corner or just rolling through yet another crosswalk – it made me (a parent, Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition (SVBC) employee, and someone from outside the community), stand up and be concerned!
Silicon Valley Bike Summit Highlight: Safe Routes Champions
The Silicon Valley Bike Summit is less than one month away and we are excited to share some of the program with you. One of our sessions will be focused on Safe Routes to School (SR2S) Planning and Implementation. We interviewed two of the panelists to find out what they hope to share and learn at the Bike Summit: Karen Briones, Safe Routes to School Coordinator for Los Gatos Union School District and Matthew Reeves, Safe Routes to School Coordinator and General Program Associate for Redwood City 2020.
SVBC Helps Good Karma Kick Off Summer Camp
Like kids waiting for the last bell on the last day of school, SVBC and Good Karma Bikes couldn’t wait to enjoy the warm summer days! SVBC happily accepted Good Karma Bikes’ invitation to kick off its Summer Camp for Teens with a biking skills workshop.
Youth - Join the YES Conference Advisory Council
Bay Area Youth - Want to step up and use your leadership skills to make a positive impact for youth throughout the SF Bay Area? We would love for you to join the Student Advisory Council and help us plan for the upcoming Youth for the Environment and Sustainability (YES) Conference in February 2018.
Get a Job: Wheel Kids Instructor
Wheel Kids is looking for paid, part-time, summer assistant instructors to team-teach Palo Alto's Middle School Bike Skills (MSBS) classes for several Saturdays and one Sunday between June and August 2017.
SVBC Education Team Heads to Mayfair
The first-ever “Mayferia,” a celebration of San Jose’s Mayfair community, was held on Sunday, March 19, at the School of Arts and Culture in the Mexican Heritage Plaza. SVBC was honored to be part of the event, which turned out to be a wonderful way to connect with local families.
Affordable Housing Meets the Bicycle
Before landing my dream job running SVBC, I worked for 14 years as an advocate for affordable housing. In that role, I collaborated with affordable housing developers, an interesting and somewhat masochistic group of people. When I moved over to SVBC, many of these do-gooder developers followed me. At the same time, a new grant program came down from the State called the Affordable Housing Sustainable Communities (AHSC) grant program. This program was one more way of implementing the State’s landmark greenhouse gas reductions legislation, Assembly Bill 32, and its companion land use legislation, Senate Bill 375, by linking dollars for affordable housing with sustainability. What better way to create greener housing than to put the infrastructure and programs in place to encourage bicycling over driving?