We just got a press release with some great news about the progress the City of San Jose has made towards becoming a bike friendly community.
The text of the press release is included below.
San Jose Ranks First in Nation for Teaching Bike Safety to Kids
San Jose, California – San Jose ranks first in the nation for providing bicycle education to children, according to a recent survey of the 50 largest U.S.cities. The Alliance for Biking and Walking reported in their “Bicycling & Walking in the U.S. – 2010 Benchmarking Report” that one in eight San Jose youth receive bike safety education.
“San Jose is building a strong reputation as a city where bicycling is safe, common and convenient,” said San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed. “Promoting bike safety is a critical element of our drive to encourage cycling as a way to protect the environment, ease traffic congestion and build a healthier community.”
The City’s Street Smarts School Safety Education Program, run by San Jose’s Transportation Department, reaches more than 23,000 elementary and middle school students annually with bicycle and pedestrian safety assemblies, helmet events and bike “roadeos.”
“Teaching kids bike safety and the proper way to wear a helmet builds a foundation of safety for our community as we head in this direction,” said Hans Larsen, the City’s Transportation Director.
Bicycling Magazine, in its May, 2008 issue, ranked San Jose one of the three most-improved cities for bicycling. San Jose’s bicycling rate tripled in the last two years, from 0.4% of commute trips in 2006, to 1.2% in 2008, according to the U.S. Census American Community Survey. This survey also found that San Jose has the second highest bicycling rate among the ten largest U.S. cities. In a survey of the 50 largest cities, San Jose ranks in the top 10 nationally for bicycle advocacy.
“San Jose is making great strides to become one of the best bicycling cities in the country,” according to Corinne Winter, Executive Director of Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition. “A great example: San Jose is the first city to receive a platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Workplace award from the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition,” stated Winter.
Future plans to support bicycling in San Jose include completing 20 bikeway projects and installing 300 bike racks in 2010, and San Jose, together with the Valley Transportation Agency (VTA), will launch the Bay Area’s first public Bike Share System, also in 2010. This year, a pilot public bike share program will allow bikes to be checked out at San Jose Diridon Transit Station and downtown locations.
“I’ve seen the City make great progress in creating a bike-friendly community. San Jose’s new Bike Plan 2020 sets some great goals, including completion of a 500-mile bikeway network,” stated Jim Bell, Chair of San Jose’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. “Every year I’ve personally seen the bike network expanding – new trails, roadway bike lanes & signage – making it safer and more convenient for myself, my family and visitors to get to around by bike.”
The recently adopted Bike Plan sets goals to: Complete a 500-mile bikeway network; add 5,000 bike parking spaces; reduce the bike collision rate by 50 percent; achieve a mode shift such that 5 percent of all trips are by bike; and achieve a designation from the League of American Bicyclists as a gold-level Bike Friendly Community (San Jose is currently a bronze-level Bike Friendly Community).
Larsen encourages residents to do something good for their heart this coming Valentine’s Day by riding their bikes, “Take your kids, take your sweetheart, bring the whole family, or enjoy a ride in solitude along San Jose’s 50 miles of trails and over 200 miles of on-street bikeways. Bicycling just 30 minutes at an easy pace burns 300 calories and is an easy and fun way to stay healthy. And for those looking to reduce their carbon footprint, keep in mind that 40 percent of errands are generally within two miles of home – a perfect distance for bicycling.”
For information about how kids and adults can be bike smart, visit the City of San Jose Street Smarts Program website at: www.GetStreetSmarts.org.
Upcoming Bicycling Events to be held in San Jose
- Third Annual San Jose Cycling Classic, a week of bicycling events and activities that will include rides, races, and Bike to Work Day activities from May 14-20, 2010.
- 2010 Amgen Tour of California professional bike race, the city’s fifth consecutive year to host a stage, which will be held on May 19, 2010.
- 2010 Lance Armstrong Foundation LiveStrong Challenge, San Jose’s third consecutive year to host the event, which will be held on July 10-11, 2010.