Just got this letter from the "leader" of my bike club... Thought we could all do something about it.
Jeff
Hi gang,
*
This is a letter that I just received through the mill.. Please respond to the e-mails listed below, send FAX's and make your position known. Please don't take the "I don't want to get involved" path. This affects not only OCRR, but all of the clubs and riders that ride in this area.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hi all--
There's a really bad problem imminent on PCH at Bolsa Chica.* Caltrans plans to detour bikes from PCH to the beach trail--speed limit, HBPD enforcement and all--for at least a year.* It's partly in place already, but worse is coming.* Letters, e-mails and phone calls are needed ASAP, preferably today or tomorrow, as follows:
1.* Say or write more or less the following: "At Bolsa Chica, don't let Caltrans detour bikes off PCH onto the beach trail."* For more detail, phone me, Don Harvey, 714/288-9130, but don't wait to send stuff.* And please forward this as appropriate.
2.* Addressees:* Both
Assembly Member Tom Harman's Huntington Beach District Office
17011 Beach Blvd., Suite 570
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
Phone: (714) 843-4966
Fax: (714) 843-6375
e-mail: assemblymember.harman@assembly.ca.gov.
and
State Senator John Campbell's Costa Mesa Office 950 South Coast Drive, Suite 240 Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Phone: 714-957-4555
Fax: 714-957-4560
e-mail: senator.campbell@sen.ca.gov
rivertrail
02-02-05, 05:20 PM
Why is Cal Trans proposing the detour? What is the proposed distance of the detour? Is the detour proposed for all 24 hours of the day or only a portion of the day? Is there any other reasonable alternative to a detour that still allows Cal Trans to do what it wants?
It would help to know a bit more before we start contacting legislators. We want to at least sound like an educated constituency. :)
SipperPhoto
02-02-05, 05:25 PM
Good points... I will see what I can find out... I know they are doing something with the sand dunes near the wetlands.
I just don't like the idea of being re-routed out to the dangerous and slow bike path with little kids, runners, clueless beach goers and the like.
I'll see what I can find out, and keep us posted.
jeff
SipperPhoto
02-02-05, 05:33 PM
Why is Cal Trans proposing the detour? What is the proposed distance of the detour? Is the detour proposed for all 24 hours of the day or only a portion of the day? Is there any other reasonable alternative to a detour that still allows Cal Trans to do what it wants?
It would help to know a bit more before we start contacting legislators. We want to at least sound like an educated constituency. :)
It looks like they are raising PCH to allow tidal flow into the wetlands.
I could not find a distance anywhere, but I know that stretch runs about 2 miles from PCH and Warner to the end of the wetlands area.
I don't think there is much of a choice in detours thru there... it is either PCH, or the bike path, or going inland and back around.
Jeff
rivertrail
02-02-05, 05:57 PM
Wetlands restoration in the Bolsa Chica have been sought after for a long time. Many people have worked very hard to get to the point we're at now. Establishing the tidal flow is an integral part of a very big plan that will greatly benefit Orange County. I ride my bike along PCH regularly. A detour would be a pain. But, the long term benefits to the Bolsa Chica outweigh the inconvenience I'll suffer in the short run.
I only commute on a MUP because I don't like riding on streets during rush hour. I'd really rather not be detoured onto an MUP while I'm training. If there's another alternative to putting all bicycle traffic onto the MUP I'd certainly want to support it. What are they doing with vehicular traffic during construction?
John E
02-02-05, 08:19 PM
Although I lived in HH when I attended Marina High School in the 1960s, I probably would not recognize my old stomping ground today. (I'm an aerospace brat, and my father is a retired MacDonnel-Douglas lifer.)
I suspect CalTrans plans to rebuild PCH one half at a time, keeping perhaps one (narrow) lane open in each direction. They cannot legally ban bicycles from the road, although they can recommend alternate routes. (We recently went through the same thing on PCH near the Del Mar racetrack, when they rebuilt a small bridge. They banned pedestrians and wanted to ban bicycles, but soon discovered they couldn't.)
Your best shot is to agitate for a very low speed limit, such as 25mph, through the construction zone, with "share the road" signs. We have something like that right now at the Del Mar - San Diego border, where another PCH bridge is being rebuilt. I have had no problem either bicycling or driving through that area, although traffic does back up a bit more than normal.
Helmet-Head
02-03-05, 10:18 AM
As usual, I agree with John E.
During a major intersection realignment project in La Jolla a couple of years ago, they tried to prohibit cyclists by posting homemade-looking signs that said:
NO BICYCLE
TRAFFIC ALONG
E/B TORREY PINES
BTWN
HIDDEN VALLEY
ARDATHrd
The San Diego County Bicycle Coalition got them removed based on the argument that the signs were illegal.
I don't think anyone can legally prohibit cyclists without also prohibiting drivers of other slow vehicles, and I believe they can do that only freeway, bridge and tunnel roadways.
Serge
rivertrail
02-03-05, 10:53 AM
I agree with John E. . . .
I don't think anyone can legally prohibit cyclists without also prohibiting drivers of other slow vehicles, and I believe they can do that only freeway, bridge and tunnel roadways.
Serge
I was thinking the same thing on both counts. I asked the question regarding what they plan to do with vehicular traffic. The direction I was headed with that is whether accomodation should be made for bicycle traffic along the same route as the vehicular detour.
It would be a good thing to get educated on this so we can write those emails/letters to those with the power to make a difference.
Is there an Orange County Bicycle Coalition?
RocketsRedglare
03-10-05, 06:52 PM
Wetlands restoration in the Bolsa Chica have been sought after for a long time. Many people have worked very hard to get to the point we're at now. Establishing the tidal flow is an integral part of a very big plan that will greatly benefit Orange County. I ride my bike along PCH regularly. A detour would be a pain. But, the long term benefits to the Bolsa Chica outweigh the inconvenience I'll suffer in the short run.
I only commute on a MUP because I don't like riding on streets during rush hour. I'd really rather not be detoured onto an MUP while I'm training. If there's another alternative to putting all bicycle traffic onto the MUP I'd certainly want to support it. What are they doing with vehicular traffic during construction?
I'm with you on this. The Long term benefits will offset any short term inconvenience.
Legally the road cannot be closed to cyclists. So on that point a fight must be put up.
The Beach Trail is fairly pedestrian free, except on Friday evenings, and Weekends after 11 am. I ride the Beach Trail frequently and have never been hassled for excessive speed by the police or lifeguards. Common sense should tell you when to slow down.
Southbound: Get on the trail at Warner (the Jack in the Box), Exit at the last parking lot that puts you back on PCH.
Northbound Get on at Golden West exit at the admission booths back onto PCH. You are only on the trail for about 3 or 4 miles.
Feldman
03-11-05, 11:45 AM
John E's comments prompt me to ask if California, like parts of Oregon and Washington, has a law which doubles traffic infraction fines in construction zones.
It would seem reasonable to do so if the local gov. lacks the guts to do the obvious correct thing which would be to arm construction flaggers.
Helmet-Head
03-11-05, 12:56 PM
I've seens signs in CA that state as much ("fines doubled in construction zones"), so I suspect there is a law.
But I couldn't find anything in the vehicle code that actually said that. Looked under Construction and Fines in the index...
John E
03-11-05, 06:43 PM
Is there an Orange County Bicycle Coalition?
Yes, and they can be pretty vocal at times. There is always strength in numbers.
LCI_Brian
07-25-05, 11:52 AM
I've cycled that part of PCH a couple of times since construction began. The construction area is about 3/4 of a mile long. There are two lanes in each direction with a narrow shoulder. The shoulder is 1-2 feet next to concrete barriers and fills with debris, so the shoulder is clearly not rideable. Riding on the shoulder stripe can encourage close motorist passing. So I ride far enough in the traffic lane to make it clear to approaching traffic that they have to change lanes to pass. The worst thing is the occasional horn honk from overtaking motorists through this section. I believe this is because motorists have been conditioned to believe that bicyclists are prohibited during construction due to the "bike detour" signs detouring cyclists to the path.
lilHinault
07-25-05, 10:30 PM
I used to really dislike riding on PCH along there anyway, and just went on the trail. During weekends etc I had to go slow but a good amount of the time, after work and at times after dark, I could haul ass. Summer weekends are a bummer but if you want to hammer then there are the inland roads to get around.