Accomplishments and Awards
Since its formation in 1991, SABA has helped make many positive changes for cycling regionwide. We are proud of the work we have done, and we are equally proud to have been recognized for it.
Accomplishments
SABA has earned many of these accolades for our work improving bicycling across the region.
Facilities
To help further our mission to get as many bikes safely on the streets as possible, it is only natural that SABA has helped to propose, develop, or support a number of bicycle-specific and multi-modal facilities in the region.
We have been involved with large infrastructure projects like the Sunrise Bikeway, Hornet Crossing at Sacramento State, the Historic Truss Bridge in Folsom, Lake Natoma’s south shore trail, the Highway 50 overcrossing at Hazel/Aerojet Road, the Sacramento Northern Bikeway access to American River Parkway, and Improvements on Watt Avenue Bridge. We have also helped secure funding for a number of bike projects, under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), and California Proposition 116. And we have worked to find funding for maintenance to the American River Parkway ‘s Jedediah Smith Memorial Bicycle Trail and Safe Routes to School projects.
Specific bicycle facilities have also been part of our push for better infrastructure. SABA has developed proposals for new bikeway projects including bike boulevards, bike bridges over the American River, and our regional trail network, streamline installation of bike racks on public rights-of-way in City of Sacramento, helped with the conversion of numerous three-lane one-way streets in Sacramento into two-lane streets with bike lanes, convert some of Sacramento’s other one-way streets to two-way, put up Share the Road signs and pavement markings, improve bicycling at the H Street Bridge undercrossing, put in bike lanes on J Street at Sacramento State and H Street under the Elvas and Union Pacific railroad overcrossings, build the Sacramento River Trail, improve access point markings on the American River Parkway Trail, and build bikable bridges in Folsom. SABA has even donated a landmark trailhead sign to the city of Sacramento for the Sacramento Northern Bikeway.
Plans and Programs
SABA’s technical expertise has made us instrumental in pushing bicycling and raising bicycle issues in numerous plans and programs, like the adoption of the 2010 Sacramento City-County Bikeway Master Plan and the updates of many city and county bicycle master plans, Sacramento Area Council of Government (SACOG) Regional Bikeway and Pedestrian Study, SACOG Funding Working Paper for Bicycle- and Pedestrian-Related Projects, SACOG Mode Split Survey Report, Hwy 50 Corridor Bicycle Demonstration Project.
Additionally, SABA has worked to support Safe Routes to School legislation, increase the funding available from the California Bicycle Transportation Account, develop SACOG’s Bike Buddy program and the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District’s Bike Locker/Rack Rebate Program, and the plans for bike parking, showers and lockers at major state buildings like the state of the art facilities at the CalEPA building. If that is not enough, we also run our own web-based hazard reporting system, giving area bicyclists a single point of contact to easily complain about road hazards and difficult conditions.
Intermodal
Bicycles can work foot and pedal with other transit modes. That is why SABA has been working with Sacramento Regional Transit to drop their permit requirements, eliminate time restrictions for bicyclists to use Light Rail and increasing the number of bikes allowed on trains, install bike racks on RT buses, and even helping with the station planning for the Light Rail extension to Folsom and a bike station at the multi-modal Sacramento Valley Station.
We have also worked on Safe Routes to Transit issues, participating in studies like the Los Rios Community College Bicycle and Pedestrian Access Study and the Southeast Sacramento Bicycle and Pedestrian Access Study.
Institutionalizing Cycling
We have long worked to keep cycling foremost in the minds of city planners and elected officials, but SABA has also managed to institutionalize bicycle planning. Under our watch, the City of Sacramento has hired a full time Alternative Codes Coordinator, the County of Sacramento has hired both a full time Alternative Modes Coordinator and an assistant engineer, and SACOG has created an Alternative Modes Coordinator position of its own. We have also seen the formation of the Sacramento City/County Bicycle Advisory Committee (SacBAC).
Our position as bicycle advocates has even drawn us participation invitations for a number of transportation studies. We have helped SACOG with the Highway 50 and I-80 corridor studies and its Transportation Roundtable advising on a Metropolitan Transportation Master Plan. The City of Sacramento asked us to help with their two-way street reversion study and their new street standards. The Sacramento River Corridor Floodway Planning Form and Sacramento County Transportation and Air Quality Collaborative have invited our participation, and we have even reviewed Environmental Impact Reports for major projects.
SABA also encourages its members to take similar participatory roles on transportation project advisory committees and other issues. And to date, our members have participated in studies and groups like the Hazel Avenue Citizen’s advisory committee, the South Watt Area Transportation Study, and the Northeast Area Transportation Study.
Promotion
Bicycle advocacy involves promoting cycling as well as working for better cycling infrastructure. To help make cycling more attractive and accessible, SABA has staged successful Bike-To-Work Days since 1991, held Car/Bike Challenges since 1999, distributed revised bike maps, offered secure valet bike parking at special events, promoted bicycles on city and county utility bills, published a bicycle map in the Sacramento Yellow Pages, participated in the American River Parkway and Sacramento Northern Bikeway cleanup programs, published our Squeaky Wheel monthly newsletter, distributed SACOG’s Bicycle Commute Guide, handed out the League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly Community awards to Davis, Folsom, Sacramento, and Roseville, partnered with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Work Release Toy Project, and maintained our own e-mail list and web site to help foster discussion and provide information about cycling, for current and aspiring cyclists.
Education
As more bicyclists take to the streets, education — both of cyclists and of drivers — becomes more critical. That’s why SABA is proud to see so many of its members certified as League of American Bicyclists Instructors. It is also why we have distributed thousands of brochures about bike laws. And it is why we tirelessly write so many letters to the editor of local newspapers about transportation, environmental, and safety issues. The more widely we can spread these ideas, the better off all cyclists are.
Community Involvement
Even with all of the institutional work SABA has been up to, our hands have not been idle. To take on some of the trail maintenance we consider so necessary, SABA has adopted Mile 8 of the American River Parkway and the Sacramento Northern trailhead entrance near C Street. We have also made gifts of bike parking to the YWCA as well as to the year-round Sunday morning farmers’ market under the W-X freeway. In addition, we have rewarded fund contributions to the American River Parkway Safety Coalition, and even given away free bicycle lights to riders caught in the dark as part of our Light On! light giveaway program.
Awards
Our first public recognition came in 1999, when SABA was awarded the American Lung Association of Sacramento-Emigrant Trails’ Clean Air Award. Since then, SABA officers and staff have earned that particular distinction numerous times; by Vice Chair Ed Cox in 2002, President Lea Brooks in 2004, FABA Chair Tony Powers in 2008, and President Owen Howlett in 2009.
We have also earned repeated accolades from Sacramento’s metropolitan planning organization, the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG). First with their Citizen of the Year award won by former Executive Director Walt Seifert in 2001 and shared between former President Lea Brooks and former Executive Director Walt Seifert again in 2005 as well as the Blueprint Excellence award for Collaboration with Community for Complete Streets, which SABA shared with WALKSacramento in 2007.
Transportation and civic organizations have also honored SABA. The California Transportation Foundation awarded Executive Director Walt Seifert its TRANNY Citizen Award in 2002. The League of Women Voters gave us their Civic Contribution Award in 2003. 2005 brought us the Sacramento Environmental Commission’s Environmental Recognition Award, the League of American Bicyclists’ Club of the Year award, and the Save the American River Association’s Recognition for Preserving, Protecting, and Promoting the American River Parkway. FABA even received a Resolution of Commendation from the city of Folsom for its work on the Folsom Trail Bridge. In 2007, President Lea Brooks was May is Bike Month’s Advocate of the Year, and SABA was named the Environmental Council of Sacramento’s Environmentalist of the Year in 2008 and earned the Neighbors Advocating Sustainable Transportation’s Special Award for Outstanding Local Activist Group in 2009.
But that’s not all; even SABA’s bike parking program has earned special distinction. In 2008, it was named one of Sacramento Magazine’s “Best of Sacramento”, as the Best Relief from Parking Grief. And Ed Cox, the principal organizer of our bike parking, received May is Bike Month’s Bicycle Program of the Year in 2009.
Last updated 2011-04-5 01:00:26 PM (EST). Please send corrections and revisions to our Webmaster.