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07-11-08, 07:22 PM
*** ACTION ALERT ***
Alameda County continues to pursue a ludicrous ordinance that will require riding groups of 50 or more to secure event permits ($339 in fees, which includes mandatory county signage installation) and insurance. A report on the Daily Review (http://www.insidebayarea.com/dailyreview/localnews/ci_9671308) summarizes the implications of the proposed ordinance.
The proposal is still slated for consideration by the county board of supervisors at a hearing scheduled later this month. This not only impacts numerous, long-running cycling events that occur in/through Alameda County, it will affect nearly every East Bay cycling club that has ride groups that, at any time, ride in Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Dublin, Hayward, Livermore, San Leandro, Union City, Sunol, Emeryville -- just to name a few specific venues.
Heck, participants of larger group rides (TNT, ALC, Cinderella training rides come to mind) in these areas may face penalties and CRIMINAL charges (fine up to $1K and/or county jail imprisonment up to 6 months, chrissakes!!!) as a result of this BS if not compliant with the proposed ordinance, which not only requires tedious application through highly uncooperative agencies (e.g. sheriff's department) for an event permit, but secured proof of $1MM minimum liability insurance policies PER OCCURRENCE. Some of the large cycling events that take place in Alameda County (e.g. Cinderella, Grizzly Peak Century, Bike Against the Odds, etc) do secure permits and insurance for their events, but this proposed ordinance creates an unfair, unnecessary restriction and burden on revenue-free cycling group rides. And its a ridiculous waste of county law enforcement resources.
Think about it: a biggish bunch 'o upbeat, active and orderly people who get together and train for a charity event -- deemed prison-worthy criminals cuz they didn't get permission from the sheriff's department? Seriously, :wtf:.
The EBBC and numerous East Bay cycling organizations have fought many attempts to impose such restrictions like this on the cycling community over the years. This particular ordinance proposal is different and more noteworthy as its managed to reach this crucial point of consideration by the board of supervisors in a hearing. Seriously flawed and unfairly biased against cyclists, it needs to be defeated.
A draft of the ordinance (6/10/08) can be viewed here (http://www.ebbc.org/?q=filemanager/active&fid=305).
Actions you can take:
1. Before July 23, write a letter to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, attn: Supervisor Scott Haggerty and eloquently express your disapproval of the proposal. Fax the letter to 925-484-2809. Some background information and rationale used by the California Assoc. of Bicycling Organizations to invalidate this proposal can be found in this letter to the county BoS (http://www.ebbc.org/?q=filemanager/active&fid=304).
2. Attend and express your disapproval at the board hearing at 1:30PM on Thursday, July 24, in the board supervisors chambers at 1221 Oak St, Oakland (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1221+Oak+St.+oakland,+ca&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.176059,60.029297&ie=UTF8&ll=37.801104,-122.263649&spn=0.008325,0.014656&z=16&iwloc=addr). An agenda of this hearing will be available at www.acgov.org (http://www.acgov.org) approx. one week or later prior to the hearing date.
3. Enlist the action of others -- friends who aren't necessarily cyclists, but who can support opposition of this proposal -- to do the same as above. Hearing arguments from motorists, whom this proposal appears biased to "support", could be particularly strong.
Alameda County continues to pursue a ludicrous ordinance that will require riding groups of 50 or more to secure event permits ($339 in fees, which includes mandatory county signage installation) and insurance. A report on the Daily Review (http://www.insidebayarea.com/dailyreview/localnews/ci_9671308) summarizes the implications of the proposed ordinance.
The proposal is still slated for consideration by the county board of supervisors at a hearing scheduled later this month. This not only impacts numerous, long-running cycling events that occur in/through Alameda County, it will affect nearly every East Bay cycling club that has ride groups that, at any time, ride in Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Dublin, Hayward, Livermore, San Leandro, Union City, Sunol, Emeryville -- just to name a few specific venues.
Heck, participants of larger group rides (TNT, ALC, Cinderella training rides come to mind) in these areas may face penalties and CRIMINAL charges (fine up to $1K and/or county jail imprisonment up to 6 months, chrissakes!!!) as a result of this BS if not compliant with the proposed ordinance, which not only requires tedious application through highly uncooperative agencies (e.g. sheriff's department) for an event permit, but secured proof of $1MM minimum liability insurance policies PER OCCURRENCE. Some of the large cycling events that take place in Alameda County (e.g. Cinderella, Grizzly Peak Century, Bike Against the Odds, etc) do secure permits and insurance for their events, but this proposed ordinance creates an unfair, unnecessary restriction and burden on revenue-free cycling group rides. And its a ridiculous waste of county law enforcement resources.
Think about it: a biggish bunch 'o upbeat, active and orderly people who get together and train for a charity event -- deemed prison-worthy criminals cuz they didn't get permission from the sheriff's department? Seriously, :wtf:.
The EBBC and numerous East Bay cycling organizations have fought many attempts to impose such restrictions like this on the cycling community over the years. This particular ordinance proposal is different and more noteworthy as its managed to reach this crucial point of consideration by the board of supervisors in a hearing. Seriously flawed and unfairly biased against cyclists, it needs to be defeated.
A draft of the ordinance (6/10/08) can be viewed here (http://www.ebbc.org/?q=filemanager/active&fid=305).
Actions you can take:
1. Before July 23, write a letter to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, attn: Supervisor Scott Haggerty and eloquently express your disapproval of the proposal. Fax the letter to 925-484-2809. Some background information and rationale used by the California Assoc. of Bicycling Organizations to invalidate this proposal can be found in this letter to the county BoS (http://www.ebbc.org/?q=filemanager/active&fid=304).
2. Attend and express your disapproval at the board hearing at 1:30PM on Thursday, July 24, in the board supervisors chambers at 1221 Oak St, Oakland (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1221+Oak+St.+oakland,+ca&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.176059,60.029297&ie=UTF8&ll=37.801104,-122.263649&spn=0.008325,0.014656&z=16&iwloc=addr). An agenda of this hearing will be available at www.acgov.org (http://www.acgov.org) approx. one week or later prior to the hearing date.
3. Enlist the action of others -- friends who aren't necessarily cyclists, but who can support opposition of this proposal -- to do the same as above. Hearing arguments from motorists, whom this proposal appears biased to "support", could be particularly strong.