For anyone wondering, yes, there are #MontereyCounty, California #HandsOff events April 5:
Salinas Valley https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/767861/
Monterey https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/764540/
If you’re going and are able, please bike, walk, skate, scoot, take #MontereySalinasTransit #bus (or bike-and-ride MST https://bikemonterey.org/monterey-salinas-transit-tips-for-people-who-bike.html), or carpool there.
We normally avoid biking California State Route 68 aka Monterey-Salinas Highway at peak rush hour. And likewise, this side road, which has become busy too. Why’d we bike it at that time today? To be home in time for a bike-ped mtg by 6 pm, to hear a presentation about #VisionZero! https://sfba.social/@bikemonterey/114259219410542577
Yes, we managed to keep our thoughts beautiful—especially when we paused to chat, in French, with some visitors stuck in that traffic, as well as because we could (being in a bike lane) zip past the traffic!
April 2, 2025, 6 p.m. Transportation Agency for Monterey County Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) meeting in Salinas. Public welcome to attend, in person or via Zoom or phone.
We are grateful to John McCarthy, Esq of McCarthy Law firm in Monterey for his generous contribution today https://bikemonterey.org/about/financial-donations/donors. John asked that his contribution help support Bicycling Monterey’s Education Projects, e.g., Alternatives to Fines for Traffic Citations: https://bikemonterey.org/youth-bike-and-sometimes-receive-citations.html. (All donors are welcome to specify how they'd like their donation used—i.e., for Website and Public Outreach; Education Projects; Advocacy Projects; or General Operating Expenses.)
We appreciate donations in any amount, by check, credit card, debit card, or PP balance. To donate to the Bicycling Monterey work—a grassroots volunteer effort since 2009—go to https://bikemonterey.org/about/financial-donations.
On this evening’s ride, recalling Vaclav Havel’s "The Quiver of a Shrub in California."
“This is go time for #democracy,” said Erim Foster, age 56, of Carmel Valley, who organized the first (to our knowledge) protest at a Tesla site in Monterey County, per Sara Rubin’s #MontereyCountyNow 3/5/25 story: https://www.montereycountynow.com/blogs/opinion_blog/a-local-protest-movement-is-getting-organized-to-take-on-trump-2-0/article_ded5092a-fa27-11ef-8f98-3b239120276a.html
For people wondering if there are any #MontereyCounty #TeslaTakedown events, there are, per https://www.teslatakedown.com/ (where you can also locate events elsewhere):
SALINAS TESLA SHOWROOM - TESLA TAKEDOWN
Saturday, March 29, 2025 11:00 AM • Tesla Showroom •796 Northridge Drive, Salinas , CA 93906
PROTEST ELON MUSK'S ILLEGAL GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER
Saturday, March 29, 2025 12:00 PM • Tesla Dealership•1901 Del Monte Blvd, Seaside, CA 93955
If you’re going and are able, please bike, walk, skate, scoot, take #MontereySalinasTransit #bus (or bike-and-ride MST https://bikemonterey.org/monterey-salinas-transit-tips-for-people-who-bike.html), or carpool there.
"The Vistra fire in Moss Landing caught everyone by surprise. What we can learn from it?” —David Schmalz, #MontereyCountyWeekly cover story
"On Feb. 13, 2022, a similar incident occurred at Vistra’s Moss 100 facility, and this time, both #Vistra facilities were taken offline.
"Meanwhile, PG&E’s 182.5-megawatt Elkhorn facility came online in April 2022. Unlike both Vistra facilities, the Elkhorn’s batteries were not in buildings – they were in an array of 256 Tesla Megapacks on 33 concrete slabs.
In the early morning of Sept. 20 of that year, just over five months later, a fire broke out in one of #Tesla Megapacks at the facility, prompting the closure of Highway 1 and a shelter-in-place order for nearby residents. Though the fire only burned for six hours, the orders remained in effect until just before 7pm due to the risk of toxic smoke inhalation.”
While biking the coastal trail Sunday eve, we met Salinas residents David, a teacher, and his daughter, Priscilla, home on spring break from her CalPoly classes.
Among the topics we touched on was April 10-13 Sea Otter Classic, which we think of as one big bike party! Who it’s for, how to get free admission, and history of #SeaOtterClassic: https://bikemonterey.org/april-10-13-sea-otter-classic-2025.html
https://www.europesays.com/1934865/ Finding Sanctuary | Whalefest celebrates our ocean economy – Santa Cruz Sentinel #business #California #Economy #Environment #LatestHeadlines #Monterey #MontereyCounty #News #newsletter #opinion #OpinionColumnists #Uncategorized
From #MontereyCountyNow / #MontereyCountyWeekly cover story, "As leaders in Washington take a sledgehammer to federal funding, here’s a look at local expenditures,” an excerpt on transportation:
“Funding for #transportation projects in #Monterey County are a mixture of local, state and federal funds,” says Theresa Wright, a Transportation Agency for Monterey County spokesperson. “Federal funding is critical for implementing major regional #infrastructure projects. Without federal funding it will likely take longer to get projects fully funded and construction started.
“We are not optimistic that once the projects are eligible that federal funding will be available or that there would be federal employees in place to process and implement the application process.”
This Monterey County resident graciously waited for us to snap a photo before she hustled on to continue to her next destination. We met her while she was shopping by bike today.
We referred her to the Bicycling Monterey site, which includes riding skills, bike laws, and safety tips (including some in Spanish) https://bikemonterey.org/resources/resources-on-riding-skills-bike-laws-and-safety; California bike law summaries https://bikemonterey.org/wp-content/uploads/Leyes-de-ciclismo-de-CA-Laws-for-bicyclists-in-CA-Spanish-English-Summary-2.pdf; additional cycling-related resources in Spanish https://bikemonterey.org/resources/en-espanol; e-bike safety and training tips https://bikemonterey.org/e-bike-safety-and-training.html; shopping by bike tips https://bikemonterey.org/tips-for-tourists/unique-attractions; and much more.
Proyecto de Mejoras de la Ruta Estatal 183 de Castroville Merritt reunión de información comunitaria – Jueves, 17 de abril de 2025.
Thursday, April 17, 2025
Community Information Meeting
California State Route 183 / Merritt Street, Castroville Improvement Project
https://bikemonterey.org/castroville-ca-sr-183-merritt-street-improvements-project-update.html
Sand City Police responded to a bicycle theft report from a bike-to-work commuter employed at Costco. She'd chained her bike to a bicycle rack outside Costco, and after work, found her bike missing and chain cut. https://www.kron4.com/news/california/pacific-grove-man-gets-nearly-3-years-in-prison-for-stealing-bike/
Bicycle security / bike theft-prevention tips: https://bikemonterey.org/tips-for-tourists/bicycle-safety
#BikeToWork #commuters may also want to urge their employers to provide more secure bike lockers. In Monterey County, private businesses are among those who can apply for free lockers, racks, repair stations, support kits: https://bikemonterey.org/free-bike-racks-lockers-repair-stations-or-skateboardscooter-racks.html
April 10-13, 2025 Sea Otter Classic, Monterey County’s world-renowned 4-day Celebration of Cycling.
Details on that (including how to get free admission): https://bikemonterey.org/april-10-13-sea-otter-classic-2025.html
Our 17-yr-old ride companion tonight was in full agreement: We are fortunate to have this excellent car-free coastal trail—AND we need such infrastructure in neighborhoods all over our county!
The Salinas Valley Safe Routes to School Program has been officially adopted by the Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) board of directors and the #Gonzales, #Soledad, #Greenfield, and #KingCity city councils. We were especially interested today in the Soledad section, because we’re currently assisting a Soledad teen who received a traffic citation for riding outside a bicycle lane. Details: https://bikemonterey.org/bike-buzz-winter-2025.html
"Ultimately it’s a film that poses a question fundamental to #democracy: if we can’t understand a system that governs us, how much power do we actually have?"
https://www.countedoutfilm.com/#about
List of screenings throughout USA: https://www.countedoutfilm.com/screenings
On #PiDay, March 14, #Monterey Public Library is hosting a free screening, for teens and adults, of #CountedOut, 4-6PM. Registration required. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/monterey-public-library-counted-out-film-screening-tickets-1200335207919?aff=oddtdtcreator BTW, we won’t be surprised if @Schlining ("Turning the beauty, complexity, and wonder of the deep-sea into long strings of ones and zeros”) is among those present.
Other #MontereyCounty screenings include March 13 at #CSUMB.
From trailer: “How is it that we can use math to understand the world, and also change the world?” …“Did you know that if you insert a single statistic into an assertion, people are 92% more likely to accept it without question?”
Counted Out, from filmmaker Vicki Abeles of #RaceToNowhere.
Artist Joy Colangelo, who "worked for the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula for 21 years, riding her bike to work every day. “ — @pammarino, #MontereyCountyNow
