2008 Program Summary/Annual Report

Program Summary

The Bike to Work/School Day (BTW/S) program continues to generate the most extensive publicity, outreach, projects and public education for bicycle transportation in Santa Cruz County. This twenty-one year old community program provides local employers, employees, residents, and students with quality education, incentives, and services. BTW achieved a 4.5% increase in participation from the previous year and a 28% increase from 2006. BTW also collected important data quantifying the program’s impact in reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Bike to Work continued to generate a significant amount of good press for bicycle transportation.

Last year 10,050 residents, a 4.5% increase from 2007 and a 28% increase from 2006 and the highest total to-date, participated in our spring and fall Bike to Work/School Day events. The Bike to School program had the highest participation with 6,929 kids, teenagers, teachers and parents biking to school. The Bike to Work/School Day cyclists rode 49,189 miles for the spring and fall events. This significant mileage helped reduce CO2 emissions by some 49,000 pounds.

It’s a viable program

BTW has successfully demonstrated, through careful measurement and evaluation, to be a viable and progressive program. School participation, which is the major subset of BTW participants– with 6,929 school students biking last year – helps reduce unnecessary and dangerous automobile congestion and provides daily exercise to school students. BTW activities contribute to a healthier community: less air, noise, run-off pollution, less traffic congestion, safer streets and healthier individuals.

BTW uses a multi-faceted program approach to target and change the behavior of non-bike commuters, novice bike commuters and experienced bike commuters. We use positive, fun and interactive methods to encourage commuters to try bicycling, to commute by bicycle more frequently and to bicycle safely and responsibly.

Broad-base Support

BTW leveraged a considerable amount of private and public money to extend SCCRTC's funding. We generated over $22,000 in cash from local businesses, individuals and public agencies, plus some $75,000 of in-kind services and product donations in 2007. Over 75 businesses and public agencies, plus 100 individuals volunteered time and contributed to this community effort.

Major Accomplishments

Combined figures for 2008

• 10,050 residents rode their bikes during the spring & fall Bike to Work/School Days – 6,929 kids/parents/teachers participated in BTS and 3,121 adults biked on the spring and fall BTW Days.
• 630 (20% increase from the previous year) beginning bicycle commuters participated in the spring and fall BTW Day events.
• 911 (40% increase from the previous year) cyclists were first time Bike to Work Day participants.
• 49,189 miles biked on Bike to Work/School Day by participants.
• 49,000 pounds of CO2 emissions were prevented from being released into the atmosphere as a result of miles biked by BTW/S Day participants.
• 116,278 miles biked by participants during Spring Bike Week and during the week of Fall Bike to Work/School Day.
• 8 places of worships participated in Bike to Worship event that had 97 cyclists who filled out a survey documenting their mileage and number of bike trips.

Spring Bike Week Event Highlights

Rail and Trail Day
This event generates a lot of excitement as it provides a unique opportunity for families to bike down Highway 9, with its towering redwood trees, in relative safety provided by a CHP escort. This ride inspires many to ride more as they experience the thrill of biking on such a beautiful road. This third annual event was successful again with over 350 kids, teenagers and adults riding the Roaring Camp Train up to Felton from Depot Park in Santa Cruz for a discounted price of $3.00 each way. About 250 of the participants placed their bikes on the train and joined in the group bike ride down Highway 9.

Bike Festival
The Bicycle Trip Bike Fest was a great success with over 250 children and adults attending this family style event. The event mixed entertainment with hands on education and information booths. The event featured a Kid’s Bicycle Safety Obstacle Course run by Bike Smart! Youth Bicycle Safety program, bicycle resource booths by Bike to Work and the Santa Cruz County Cycling Club, an Air and BMX stunt show, and a Pro Skateboard stunt show by Skateworks. The Bike Smart! safety course was filled to capacity with eager children practicing bike safety on a simulated street with cut-out cars, railroad crossings, stop signs, and driveways. Besides fully sponsoring the stunt show, the Bicycle Trip Bicycle Shop also paid for a free barbeque, raffle, and live music. Santa Cruz X broadcasted live via radio remote.

Annual Promotion

• Newspaper articles: 4 articles in the Sentinel including several front page placements with captivating photographs (see attachments for full articles and photographs).
• More newspaper articles: 1 guest column in the Good Times, 1 photo and mention in the Metro Santa Cruz, 1 article and front page program art in the Connection Magazine, 1 article in the Santa Cruz Cycling Club Newsletter, and 1 article in the People Power Newsletter.
• Newsprint Ads: 6 ads in the Sentinel, 1 ad in the Good Times, 1 ad in the Connection Magazine, 1 ad in the UCSC Rec Guide, and 1 ad in La Ganga.
• Radio PSA’s: one week’s worth of PSA’s on KUSP, KZSC, and KPIG.
• Radio interviews: 1 KUSP and 1 KPIG interview.
• TV ads: 2 weeks of ads (200 ads total) on Comcast Cable TV and Community TV.
• Email: UCSC Chancellor email to the entire campus, Seagate email to employees, Cabrillo email from Student Services, email to past participants and Ecology Action email to members.
• Website: Several thousand visitors to www.bike2work.com.
• Community events: UCSC Health Fair 5/8, opening of the Santa Cruz Bike Park 5/4, Santa Cruz Downtown Farmers Market 5/9 and 5/16 and the UCSC Fall Festival, Cabrillo Health Fair, and Plantronics Wellness Fair.
• Posters: over 800 posters placed in shop windows throughout the county and over 100 posters mailed to sponsors and large employers. All event posters were published in English and Spanish.
• T-shirts: distributed 325 event T-shirts to volunteers and program participants.
• Brochures: Distributed over 5,000 event brochures at events, in mailings, and at shops.
• Banners: Large format banners placed in high visibility locations in Scotts Valley, Watsonville, and Capitola. 10 street signs attached to lampposts posted in Santa Cruz.
• Event site banners: placed at most of the public breakfast stops one week prior to the event.
• AMBAG Clean Air Month: promotions for Bike Week.
• Share the Road signs: 28 Share the Road signs posted at Bike to School sites.

Bike to School Promotions

• Bike to School promotional flyers in English/Spanish distributed to all participating schools.
• 4-color posters, in English and Spanish, distributed to all participating schools.
• Educational/informational bicycling materials on safety, helmet guidelines, traffic rules and regulations, etc. in English and Spanish provided to participating schools.
• Worked with Bike Smart and the Community Traffic Safety Coalition (CTSC) to produce school presentations about safety, helmet guidelines, traffic rules and regulations, responsible bicycling, etc.
• Bike Week black and white poster art reproduced for school kids to color in and add their own bike message. These coloring sheets were distributed to elementary schools.
• UCSC TAPS-produced Bike safety DVD and videos distributed to teachers and parents.

Sponsors and Contributions

Bike to Work continues to receive strong support from 75 local businesses and public agencies for spring Bike Week. These sponsors contributed cash, products, and services to the program. Twenty-three private and public sponsors donated $22,000 in cash. In 2007, thre were several new sponsors and many continuing sponsors that increased their contributions despite the current economic downturn.

An estimated $50,000 worth of products (breakfast food and drinks, promotional materials and ads, and event supplies) were donated along with $25,000 in-kind staff and volunteer time. Volunteer services were donated to plan, implement, and promote the various Bike Week activities.

Collaboration

Bike Week's success relies on extensive collaboration with community groups, public agencies and local businesses. This year we strengthened our partnership with these entities to get more people to bike commute more often in a safe and responsible manner. We worked jointly with the host agencies of Bike Week in Monterey and San Benito Counties to increase promotion in the tri-county area. We also continued to work with an increasing number of local schools to boost Bike to School participation, with city and county agencies to improve planning and promotion, and with business sponsors to do better outreach and provide information to their employees. The following is a partial list of our partnerships:

• Ecology Action: The non-profit umbrella organization of the Bike to Work program..
• Regional Bike Week programs: Coordinated with Monterey and San Benito Counties to reduce cost and produce an unified look. The three counties shared artwork, poster and T-shirt production, radio and TV station promotions, website content, highway signs and donations/product giveaways.
• Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission: Provided major cash funding and promotional support of BTW outreach materials. The RTC’s Bike Committee provided input to Bike Week event planning and BTW updated the Committee on our activities. BTW distributed hundreds of the RTC's Bikeway maps, the RTC’s Bike Hazard reporting form and promoted its bike services to BTW participants
• The Community Traffic Safety Coalition (CTSC): BTW distributed CTSC bike safety pamphlets and BTW staff attended CTSC monthly meetings. CTSC staffed a BTW Day breakfast site, attended Bike to Work Steering Committee meetings, and coordinated school bike safety presentations with Bike to School activities.
• Bike Smart! Youth Bicycle Safety Program: Conducted bicycle safety programs including bicycle obstacles courses at several of the highest participating Bike to School Day schools.
• Pajaro Valley Transportation Management Association: Provided funding, promotional support, and staffing for Bike Week in south county.
• The City of Santa Cruz: Provided cash funding, staff support for promotions, facilities and equipment. The City Bike Coordinator is a BTW Advisory Board member.
• County of Santa Cruz Public Works Department: Staff placed “Share the Road” and directional signs on county streets to notify motorists to be careful of cyclists and to direct cyclists to the Bike to Work/School breakfast sites.
• City of Watsonville: Provided cash funding, staff support for internal promotion, facility use and fee waivers.
• City of Scotts Valley: Provided staff support for internal promotions.
• City of Capitola: Provided cash and staff support for promotion, event planning and implementation. Staff helped with placement of street banner.
• HUB for Sustainable Transportation: People Power helped host Rail Trail Day, provided volunteer support and promoted Bike Week. PEDX was hired to coordinate the food donation pick-ups and food deliveries by bicycle to our 40 free breakfast sites.
• Friends of the Rail Trail (FORT): Helped organize Rail and Trail Day.
• Santa Cruz County Cycling Club: Promoted Bike Week and provided volunteers, especially for Rail Trail Day and.
• Seaside Company: Continued to host a company spring Bike to Work breakfast site.
• University of California Santa Cruz: TAPS provided funding and staff support for promotion and provided an unlimited number of free bike safety DVD. The UCSC Bike Coop assisted in setting up and staffing a BTW breakfast site. The UCSC Woman's Center hosted a successful first-time breakfast site on lower campus. The UCSC Cycling Team provided volunteer support.
• Cabrillo College: Provided staff support for internal promotion, and assisted in setting up BTW breakfast sites.