East Bay Bicycle Coalition
Encyclopedia
The East Bay Bicycle Coalition, also known as EBBC, is an Californian
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 non-profit organization that worked since 1972 toward "promoting bicycling as an everyday means of transportation and recreation" in Alameda
Alameda, California
Alameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on Alameda Island and Bay Farm Island, and is adjacent to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. The Bay Farm Island portion of the city is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. At the 2010 census, the city had a...

 and Contra Costa
Contra Costa County, California
Contra Costa County is a primarily suburban county in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 1,049,025...

 counties. As a tax-exempt 501(c)3 grassroots bicycle advocacy organization, EBBC endeavors to broaden awareness of bicycling with local, regional, and state government agencies and their staff, as well as elected officials, and the general public they represent.

History

The coalition was founded in 1972 Alexander Zuckermann, who was among the first to persuade BART
Bay Area Rapid Transit
Bay Area Rapid Transit is a rapid transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area. The heavy-rail public transit and subway system connects San Francisco with cities in the East Bay and suburbs in northern San Mateo County. BART operates five lines on of track with 44 stations in four counties...

 to allow bicycles aboard its trains. Zuckerman also lobbied successfully for bike access on the Richmond-San Rafael, Benicia and Carquinez bridges, among other accomplishments. The bike and pedestrian path on the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge will be named for him.

Membership

The coalition now counts over 2000 dues-paying members, plus several thousand members of nineteen affiliated clubs and organizations that are part of the coalition.

Current campaigns

EBBC is developing community liaisons for all 33 cities that EBBC represents, to include promoting the efforts of bicycle advisory committees in those municipalities; coordinating the annual Bike-to-Work Day in the East Bay; promoting bicycle access on all roads, at all facilities, and on all transit for both sides of the hills; improving BART access and parking; obtaining safe and convenient bicycle parking in downtown areas and other key destinations. EBBC also watchdogs the spending of millions of dollars in transportation and strategic planning funds it has succeeded in allocating for bicycle facilities.

EBBC is also currently engaged in joint efforts in Oakland with the East Bay's Cycles of Change organization to establish two Neighborhood Bicycle Centers (NBC's) to serve low income cyclists, one in East Oakland, and another in West Oakland.

Bike to Work Day

In 1994, following joints efforts with the City of Oakland's Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC), the coalition began celebrating Bike to Work Day with a free pancake breakfast at Oakland's City Hall Plaza. Today the event has become an annual celebration on a regional and national scale.

Education

EBBC strives to inform both bicyclists and motorists with its Bicycle Safety Quiz, which it has made available online, and in Chinese and Spanish. The coalition also supports traffic safety classes in the East Bay which endeavor to educate cyclists on how to drive a bicycle safely and more effectively. The coalition offers bike commuting workshops to employers and other groups that wish to foster bicycle commuting to work, errands, and play.

Maps and newsletters

The coalition publishes two East Bay Bicycle Transportation Maps, one covering areas "East of the Hills" and another covering areas "West of the Hills," which planners and activists have used as templates for municipal bike plans in the East Bay.

Members are kept informed of advocacy issues with eleven issues of "rideOn," the coalition newsletter, each year. The mailing label on the back of the newsletter can be clipped and presented at 49 supporting bike shops for a 10-15% discount.

Member meetings

The coalition holds General Membership Meetings at a variety of public venues in both counties to engage the energy and talents of its grassroots base.

Pedestrian and transit-oriented planning advocacy

EBBC has a long history of advocating for broad-based and sustainable transportation and land use planning solutions that also enhance the built environment for pedestrians and transit riders. The EBBC website links to educational material and activists working toward Bus Rapid Transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...

,, better pedestrian safety and facilities, and smart growth
Smart growth
Smart growth is an urban planning and transportation theory that concentrates growth in compact walkable urban centers to avoid sprawl and advocates compact, transit-oriented, walkable, bicycle-friendly land use, including neighborhood schools, complete streets, and mixed-use development with a...


Valet bicycle parking

The coalition, and its vast volunteer network across two counties, frequently offers free, secure, valet bicycle parking at cultural and civic events throughout the East Bay.

Bicycle accommodation

The coalition, and its diverse constituencies, have achieved numerous public policy accomplishments over the years in areas of state and local legislation and administrative regulation to include: helping secure $1 billion in funding for the Regional Bicycle Network included in MTC's
MTC
MTC may stand for:*Magnetic Torquer Coil, an interface used in satellite to control its finer movements*Management and Training Corporation, a contractor known for its private prisons*Mandarin Training Center at National Taiwan Normal University...

 T2035 Plan; bicycle access on BART trains, all Bay Area ferry services, all East Bay bus systems, as well as bicycle access on Golden Gate Transit buses across the Richmond-San Rafael bridge. The coalition helped implement the Caltrans Bay Area Bridge Bicycle Shuttle and worked to pass Prop 116 funding for Amtrak's Bike-Friendly California Cars on Capitol and San Joaquin trains by 1990. EBBC's calls for "Routine Accommodation" of bicyclists in all transportation projects were adopted by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission
Metropolitan Transportation Commission (San Francisco Bay Area)
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission is a regional planning, financing, and funding government agency in the San Francisco Bay Area. It was created in 1970 to coordinate the transit systems in the area's nine counties...

 a regional planning, financing, and funding government agency in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...

 which coordinates the transit systems in the area's nine counties.

Transportation projects funding

In 2000, EBBC worked to pass Alameda County Measure B which implemented Alameda County's twenty-year Transportation Expenditure Plan which included a 5% set-aside to fund implementation of the Countywide Bicycle Plan. In 2004, EBBC also supported Contra Costa County Measure J, a 1.5% set-aside to fund implementation of Contra Costa County's bike plan. In 2004, EBBC worked to pass the Safe Routes to Transit program as part of the Regional Measure 2 toll increase, to include $20 million in ongoing funding for the program, and later helping to secure an additional $10 million per year for the program in MTC's T2035 Plan.

Citizen advisory committees

The coalition has established citizen-driven Bicycle Advisory Committees in several East Bay cities to review plans and prioritize funding.

Staff

The Coalition's staff consists of an Executive Director who coordinates the day-to-day responsibilities of the coalition, an Outreach Coordinator who works on building membership and engaging volunteers in year-round advocacy and social activities, and an executive board, and hundreds of volunteer members.
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