Marin's big wheels:
How county's bicycle lobby amassed so much influence
Mark Prado, Marin Independent Journal
January 29, 2006
From the Marin Civic Center to Sacramento and the halls of Congress, Marin's powerful bicycle lobby has flexed its political muscle, securing millions of dollars for its projects.
When the Marin bicycle lobby talks, people listen. In fact, it has only been the "Terminator," Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has dealt the lobby a defeat during a wave of success in recent months.
From humble origins sown from the failed 1998 transportation sales tax, the local bike lobby has grown to be a force in county and regional politics and has touched virtually every transportation project in Marin.
"We can deliver a big constituency," said Deb Hubsmith, advocacy director of the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, which has more than 1,100 dues-paying members. Marin residents own more than 100,000 bicycles, according to a county study.
The coalition, with a $500,000 annual budget, works with another local advocacy group, Transportation Alternatives for Marin, to push bike issues locally and around the country.
Hubsmith spoke from the Philadelphia International Airport on Thursday as she made her way back from another trip to Washington, D.C., where she spoke about bike issues.
"I've been to Washington 17 times in the last six years," she said.
Those visits helped forge powerful political connections, in particular with U.S. Rep. James Oberstar of Minnesota, the senior Democrat on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
The connection paid off handsomely for Marin. In August, the county was one of four communities nationwide tapped to receive $25 million for bicycle and pedestrian projects. The money was part of a transportation bill passed by Congress as part of the "Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Program," a federal effort to promote biking and walking backed by Oberstar.
"We bring the passion and energy that's hard to say 'no' to," Hubsmith said. "Leaders know this is a positive thing for Marin, California and the country. Its time has come."
In the past 14 months, bicycle advocates have positioned themselves to receive millions of dollars in federal, state and local funds to push the bike agenda in Marin.
"I have seen them in action and have watched them in awe," said Andy Clarke, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based League of American Bicyclists, a national bike advocacy group with 25,000 members. "They can be relentless when they need to be and engaging when they need to be. They are just so effective in so many different ways. It's hard to top their level of success. Money goes to Marin now because people know they will make good use of it."
Two watershed events occurred in 1998 that helped propel the local bike movement. That year, bike interests coalesced to voice preferences for what turned out to be a failed countywide transportation tax effort that also sought money for rail, highway and buses.
Even though the effort failed, bike backers stayed together and began to push for projects.
Also in 1998, the federal government renewed its federal funding transit parameters and included more money for alternative transportation, such as bicycle projects.Today, bike supporters appear at virtually every key transportation meeting in Marin and press their cause.
Bike advocates say ultimately it will be Marin's residents who will benefit from their efforts as people hop on bicycles and traffic is stripped from clogged corridors.
"We want projects that will benefit the most people possible," said Kim Baenisch, executive director of the Bicycle Coalition. "We have very dedicated individuals working on these issues."
Not everyone is happy
But the bike lobby's zeal has turned off some people along the way.
Last year, as the Golden Gate Bridge District was looking to find ways to close its multimillion-dollar deficit, the idea of bike tolls was bandied about.
Marin's bike lobby bristled and sprung into action, getting Assemblywoman Lois Wolk, D-Davis, and Assemblyman Joe Nation, D-San Rafael, to introduce a bill in the state Legislature that would ban bike tolls on the span.
Members of the bridge district board grumbled that the lobby did not approach them on the issue and went over their heads straight to Sacramento.
"I was very upset the way they handled the issue of bike tolls on the bridge," said Dietrich Stroeh, bridge board member and a veteran of Marin politics. "They are a very strong group and a good advocate for the bike community. But I would like to see them work more closely with the bridge district."
Hubsmith knows at times her group can ruffle feathers.
"Any time a movement is creating social change, there will be people who will disagree with you," Hubsmith said. "I do not take it personally, and we do compromise."
The toll bill won approval from the Legislature, but Schwarzenegger vetoed it, saying the legislation "would inappropriately usurp control from the local governing body, the Golden Gate Highway and Transportation District. Since the district has been authorized to operate and maintain the bridge, the state should not tie its hands by foreclosing certain funding options."
The lobby also has been criticized by a Marin disabled advocate who says bicycle advocates do not do enough for pedestrian interests.
"They piggyback on the backs of pedestrians to get a lot of their money, but the problem is pedestrians don't see a lot of benefits," said Craig Thomas Yates, who sits on the elderly and disabled advisory council for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.
"They need to include barriers for their projects, not only for people in wheelchairs, but parents with strollers and the elderly. Bikes can get going pretty fast."
Said Hubsmith: "Our focus is bikes, but we are sure to meet (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements. We make sure the public works departments we work with are aware of that."
Much success
Criticism aside, the bike lobby has enjoyed success, much of it detailed in the Bicycle Coalition's "Pedal Press," a quarterly publication put out for its members and other interested parties.
Illustrating the sway of the group, the latest issue carries a picture of Hubsmith, flanked by Marin supervisors Charles McGlashan and Steve Kinsey, as well as officials from the California Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration - all key transportation players.
The group is also wired. Today's Independent Journal articles on the lobby and Hubsmith were promoted on the Bicycle Coalition's weekly e-mail bulletin sent out Friday to members.
One of the bike advocates' key victories has been construction of the $1.3 million Inkwells bridge in West Marin, allowing bicyclists to get off Sir Francis Drake Boulevard - where cars get dangerously close to bikers - cross San Geronimo Creek and join a trail on an old railroad bed.
The bridge - dedicated in November - was first sought in 1999 by bike interests after the deaths of bicyclists Cecelia "Cecy" Krone and Kirk Ross, who were struck and killed by automobiles in separate accidents.
The same incidents helped spur the yellow "Share the Roads" signs that can be seen around the county, another push by the bike lobby.
Important support
The importance of having the bike constituency's stamp was not lost on backers of Measure A, the half-cent sales tax approved by Marin voters in November 2004. County officials who crafted the $331 million, 20-year measure made sure to include bike interests in the package. Of that money, $36.5 million, or 11 percent, will go to Safe Routes to Schools, an offshoot of the Bicycle Coalition. The program aims to get kids out of their parents' cars and on bikes and foot to get to school to relieve traffic and promote health.
Members of the Bicycle Coalition are now being paid through Measure A dollars to administer parts of the Safe Routes program.
More work
Measure A also included $24.9 million to help close the carpool lane gap on Highway 101 through San Rafael and Central Marin. As part of that work, a north-south bikeway along the Northwestern Pacific Railroad right-of-way adjacent to the freeway will be built from Mission Avenue to North San Pedro Road, another concession to bicyclists.
And the architects of the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit Authority, who want to link the two counties by train, also have included bikes as part of their plan. The rail plan's draft environmental impact report includes a bicycle and pedestrian path that would run adjacent to the rail. It is estimated at $70 million, $40 million of which is allocated in SMART's spending plan.
The adjacent bike path would help continue the north-south bikeway along a railroad right-of-way. So far, the bike community - which could provide key votes in a planned Marin/Sonoma November ballot sales tax measure to support the train - has yet to endorse the rail plan via the Bicycle Coalition. The coalition is concerned that SMART would only build about 70 percent of the pathway and rely on local jurisdictions to do the rest, Hubsmith said.
The bike lobby also is banging the drum for a $17 million plan to reopen the Cal Park Hill tunnel for a bike path. The long-closed tunnel could be reopened for a one-mile bike path, connecting San Rafael's Andersen Drive and Larkspur Landing, by 2008. All the money is lined up for the project, which could start next year.
"I think people will really see the difference once we open the tunnel," said Patrick Seidler, president of Transportation Alternatives for Marin. "I grew up in Corte Madera and used to ride my Stingray through the tunnel when I was 10, and it struck me how fast I could get to other parts of the county."
For all the political victories, not a lot has been actually built yet. In terms of large-scale projects, only the Safe Routes to School program has had an impact.
Looking ahead
Despite the $25 million from Congress, bikers acknowledge there is no plan yet on how to spend the money and that several million dollars could be lopped off for administrative costs.
But a county report says Marin's combination of small cities, moderate climate and a health-minded population make it a good candidate to see more bicycle use in the coming years.
"Being patient is key," Hubsmith said. "Things do not get built overnight."
Seidler said he believes Marin's trend-setting environmental movement, steps to save agriculture in West Marin and the vision that helped establish Muir Woods and the Point Reyes National Seashore are indicative of the spirit of the county and a legacy that bicyclists will build on to help make the county a model for bike transit.
"Marin County has a rich history of citizen involvement and history of activism," he said. "Things are going according to plan."
BIKE LOBBY AT WORK
In the past 14 months, Marin's bike lobby has received or has a commitment for money for its projects. Among the money coming:
- November 2004: Measure A passes, a 20-year, $331 million, half-cent sales tax. Of that money, $36.5 million, or 11 percent, goes to Safe Routes to Schools, an offshoot of the Bicycle Coalition. Other monies from the measure help fund a north-south bikeway along the Northwestern Pacific Railroad right-of-way adjacent to the freeway between from Mission Avenue to North San Pedro Road.
- August 2005: Marin County receives $25 million for bicycle and pedestrian projects. The money was part of a transportation bill passed by Congress as part of the "Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Program," a federal effort to promote biking and walking.
- November 2005: The Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit draft environmental impact report includes a bicycle and pedestrian path that would run adjacent to the rail. It is estimated at $70 million, $40 million of which is allocated in SMART's spending plan.
- December 2005: The $17 million plan to reopen Cal Park Hill tunnel for a bike path gets a public hearing and support. The long-closed tunnel would be reopened for a one-mile-long bike path, connecting San Rafael's Andersen Drive and Larkspur Landing. It would open by December 2008
