Bike Santa Cruz County won a campaign last year to fund the first green lane treatments in the City of Santa Cruz, and this year we're working for more! Funding for green lane treatments is on the agenda at next Tuesday's Santa Cruz City Council meeting, and we need your support. Contact your City Council members by Tuesday, May 12th to ask them to keep funding for green lane treatments in their 2016-2018 transportation budget, and let them know where you would like to see the next green lanes (see sample letter below). We're also looking for folks to speak at the meeting—if you would like to speak, contact Amelia at (831) 425-0665 or director@bikesantacruzcounty.org.
Green lane treatments are a low-cost way to improve conditions for people on bikes. The green is used to highlight “conflict zones”, places where the traffic lane and bike lanes cross, which lets drivers know where to expect people on bikes and makes cyclists more visible on the road. The first green lane treatments in Santa Cruz County were installed last fall in Soquel Village, and more were installed on Laurel Street in Santa Cruz in early 2015.
Tuesday's meeting is the first step in the City of Santa Cruz budget process—the final decisions will be made during budget hearings, May 26-28. We'll keep you posted on the process and let you know if further support is needed.
Sample letter (send to citycouncil@cityofsantacruz.com):
Dear Mayor Lane and Council members,
Please support $150,000 in funding in the Capital Improvement Program for green lane treatments. This is a low-cost way to for us to make our roadways safer and more comfortable for people on bikes. These treatments make me feel safer, whether I'm riding my bike or driving, by clarifying the rules of the road and letting drivers know where to expect people on bikes.
I can't wait to see green lanes at (insert your high-priority road or intersection here). Please approve this funding and make more green lane treatments a reality in Santa Cruz.