In January, we started a community conversation about encouraging biking and walking.  Many, many ideas have been generated and I will summarize these in this blog post.  Most exciting to me is the way someone’s eyes light up and I can very nearly see the gears of their brain turning as they start to consider how to make our towns bike and pedestrian friendly.  The enthusiasm is infectious.  What we now need are two major things:  1) help in naming our initiative and 2) help implementing some of these programs.  Please read on and put your naming ideas in the comment box below or send them to bike@greentownlosaltos.org. The ideas for the bike/walk initiative generally fall into one of the following four categories: Fun/Participatory  Bike Events Awareness / Promotion /Incentives Educational Events City Infrastructure and Support In the Fun Events category, ideas include: scavenger hunts on bicycles, bike parties or soirees (like the San Jose Bike Party) a troop of lighted bikes in the Festival of Lights parade ciclovias or weekly closures of certain streets to vehicle traffic (as in Cambridge, Massachusetts) making a bid to earn the “Longest Bike Parade” title in the Guinness Book of World Records (the U.S. record is currently held by the City of Davis, California) supporting Bike to Work Day on 5/12/11 participating in the Drive Less Challenge (a 2-week “get out of the car” challenge that starts on Earth Day, 4/22/11) buddy rides program for seniors Residents have proposed many ideas to generate awareness of and incentivize biking and walking as an alternative to driving in cars.  These include: Drive Less Challenge, mentioned above merchant incentives for bicycle riders “Think Globally, Bike Locally” bike “bumper stickers” “One Trip a Week” promotional campaign art/essay contest pedi-cab service downtown during special shopping days or holiday events Suggested educational events might include: safety talks and bike training bike maintenance workshops inspirational speakers a community forum (World Café format) “Bike the Creek” docent-led bike tour screening of bike-related films senior-focused programs – to help our senior citizens continue to ride bikes and walk or to get back to biking and walking again And, lastly, many residents have suggested that we request support from our cities to provide services such as: more bike racks safer sidewalks and bike routes through town becoming an official “Bicycle Friendly Community” following the 08-80 city guidelines to make our towns safe for people to walk and ride whether they are 8 or 80 years old These are just some of the ideas that have been generated since we started this conversation.  What other ideas do you have?  What should we call this initiative?  Can you help us get it moving?  Comment below or contact us at bike@greentownlosaltos.org. KJ

The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee will hold a public discussion of the Bicycle Transportation Plan on Wednesday, February 16, 2011, starting at 7pm at Hillview Community Center, Room 18, 97 Hillview Avenue, Los Altos. View a copy of the plan here. Facilitating more biking and walking in Los Altos is GreenTown’s main focus for the next few years, so please consider attending and giving your input on the plan. Comments and concerns can be directed toward Forrest Linebarger, GreenTown’s policy chair or BPAC committee members.

We are blessed in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills with terrain and weather that are extraordinarily friendly to bicycling.  The flat streets of Los Altos favor bike trips by casual riders or those who are new to riding a two-wheeler.  Cyclists who want more of a challenge can spin through Los Altos Hills for a rollercoaster-thrill ride that gets their hearts and quads pumping.   From behind the handlebars of your bike, you can easily appreciate the charm of our neighborhoods, the friendly, small-town atmosphere of the flatlands, and the scenic beauty of the hills. Pull up at an intersection next to someone on a bike, and you might engage in a conversation.  Ride past a family of bike riders or cycle by a dog-walker or front-yard gardener and you might just smile or say hello.  Bicycling is much more sociable than driving solo in a car. When I hop on my bike to run a quick errand, I get a momentary boost of good cheer and I feel thankful for the physical ability to actually ride a bike.  On longer bike trips, I’m not distracted by the radio or telephone calls and can use my brain to generate ideas, work over problems, or just clear my mind.  The mental and physical health benefits abound! In addition to all these terrific benefits, biking is much better for our local environment.  According to the 2010 Silicon Valley Environmental Index published by Sustainable Silicon Valley, 60% of the energy used in Santa Clara County was from gasoline and diesel.  The average resident annually burned 448 gallons of gasoline (in 2008).  The other striking bit of info from this report is that 40% of the trips we take are less than 2 miles.  What an opportunity for improvement!  If we could each just substitute one car trip per week with a bike trip or a walk to our nearby destination, imagine what we could do collectively. These are some of the reasons why GreenTown Los Altos has decided to focus much of our resources on encouraging our residents to bike and walk more in 2011.  As Keith Turner, our Executive Director, reported in his blog post about our January community meeting, we had a lively discussion of ways to encourage biking and walking.  Look for a summary of some of these ideas in upcoming posts.  What are your ideas for how we can encourage biking and walking? Karen “KJ” Janowski Chair, GreenTown Education Programs

The City of Los Altos will consider repealing an ordinance which, in 1991, banned gas leaf blowers. According to the California Air Resources Board, gas leaf blowers produce excessive noise, dangerous combustion products (including hydrocarbons that can form ground level ozone; carbon monoxide; particulate matter; and other toxic by-products), and fugitive dust (such as pollen; animal feces; pesticides; and molds). Read their report.  As a result, more than 100 cities have banned gas leaf blowers in residential areas. Gas leaf blowers are unhealthy for walkers, cyclists, children playing, and people enjoying their yards. Come out and make your voice heard at tonight’s City Council Meeting, Feb. 8, 2011 at 7pm in the City Council Chambers at 1 No. San Antonio Rd. Or email City Council with your opinion today. For more information, please contact Myra Orta at mee-maa@sbcglobal.net or by phone at 650 968 8476.

Almond Elementary School’s Boltage (fomerly Freiker) program, GreenTown’s flagship bike/walk to school program, launched in spring 2009 after founder Jon Simms, parent of a then second grader at the school, spent a few months fundraising for the program. The funds were used to finance the “Zap” (a solar-powered radio-frequency identification reader) which tracks the number of trips children take to school on foot or by bike. In addition the funds were used to get various incentives. Some businesses such as Baskin Robbins and Spot’s Pizza donated ice cream for incentive prizes and pizza for pizza parties. What kid doesn’t enjoy the occassional ice cream or pizza? Freiker at Almond Elementary With a significant number of everyday Almond School children now biking or walking an average distance of half a mile per trip, current program coordinator Tamara Fagin is shifting emphasis from rewarding ridership with incentives to building smarter cyclists and increasing their comfort with rides about town. Though occasionally, you can still find Fagin at the Zap machine giving out thirst quenching gum, tatoos, wrist bands or a pat on the back. “We’re working on getting kids and parents more involved and comfortable with riding not only to school but also to town,” says Fagin. “I want 3rd, 4th and 5th graders to be independent and able to safely ride and park their bikes at the library or shops downtown. This requires teaching kids and parents about bike safety and teaching motorists and pedestrians how to share the road.” Fagin has proposed a number of measures to make Los Altos more bike friendly: First, she has recommended to the Los Altos City Council that they increase the available bike parking downtown. Second, she submitted a law to State Senator Joe Simitian’s “There Ought To Be a Law” Contest. Her proposal would outlaw parking or stopping in bike lanes within 250 feet of school entrances during the morning or afternoon rush. In March, we’ll find out if we have a winner! Third, she seeded the idea that Los Altos attempt to break the World Record for the Longest Bike Parade, currently held by Davis, CA, offering a fun event for our community that also draws attention to the challenges of safely cycling around town. GreenTown is fully supportive of making Los Altos and Los Altos Hills more pedestrian and bicycle friendly. Stay tuned for more information on upcoming events and programs!

Do you suffer from cold or drafty rooms, moldy or musty smells, or high utility bills? These may be signs that your home is leaking energy or at least not delivering your heating and cooling where they need to go. A new program can help you address these problems. Energy upgrades can make your home more comfortable, improve your health and lower your energy bills 10-40%. Homeowners (or rentors) can choose from two Energy Upgrade packages: The Basic Package offers a rebate of $1,000 for a pre-determined set of retrofit measures, including attic insulation, air sealing and duct sealing. The Advanced Packaged offers up to $4,000 for a customized list of upgrades based on an energy assessment, contractor recommendations and your goals. For the latest information, visit Energy Upgrade California. GreenTown hosted an educational presentation on home energy efficiency in September 2010 featuring Recurve. The  Q&A from that talk can be found on our website and a video of the presentation on GreenTown’s YouTube channel. #CaliforniaBuildingPerformanceContractorsAssociation #EnergyUpgradeCalifornia #Recurve

Here are two upcoming water conservation events and some resources that we hope you find of interest: Friends of Adobe Creek Streamkeeper Walk As you know, Adobe Creek flows from the hills above Hidden Villa through Los Altos and out to the Bay.  But did you know that local residents could fly fish for Steelhead trout on the stream until the 1950’s?  Friends of Adobe Creek is a local group that is focused on restoring Adobe creek and removing barriers to trout passage. On Sunday, Feb. 27 at 12 noon the Friends of Adobe Creek will do a three mile hike (1.5 miles each way) from just north of Highway 101 at 3803 E. Bayshore Road to the tidal gate and back.  The hike will be guided by Adobe Creek Streamkeeper, Jim McCarthy. Bring binoculars as the birding is excellent, including American White pelicans. All are welcome, it is free, and the hike should take about 2.5 hours. Directions to start:  Meet in the parking lot of a commercial building at 3803 East Bayshore Road. Just go north on San Antonio Road, cross Highway 101 then turn left on East Bayshore Road and you’ll see it on your right. BAWSCA’s Landscape Education Classes –  FREE The (Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency) Landscape Education Classes will be offered in March, April and May 2011.  These classes cover native plants, efficient irrigation, and even kid-friendly water-wise gardening.  Spaces are limited. Register today! BAWSCA provides a very good online tool for viewing water-wise garden plants individually and also planted in gardens. To help you use water more efficiently, the City of Palo Alto web site has several pieces of information: Native plant presentation Tips on Lawn Removal Lawn alternatives tips Water saving tips and ideas #BAWSCA #BayAreaWaterSupplyandConservationAgency #FriendsofAdobeCreek

Billed as an invitation and opportunity to help the 3-year-old volunteer organization’s leadership define its program agenda for 2011, GreenTown Los Altos held its first community meeting of 2011 on Jan. 18 at Hillview Community Center. Several dozen residents and neighbors turned out to participate in the lively discussion. Joe Eyre, Chair of GreenTown’s newly-created Water Stewardship program, Reducing per capita water use in our communities Working with our city governments to encourage reduction of municipal and resident water use, and Instilling water awareness and stewardship in our communities I invite you to view the presentation slides and to contact Joe if you are interested in participating on the Water Stewardship committee. GreenTown Programs Chair, Margie Suozzo, shared highlights from 2010, which included establishing partnerships with local schools to encourage biking and walking to school, with restaurants to shift from Styrofoam to compostable take-out containers, and with the City of Los Altos to help bring about the new waste contract with Mission Trail Waste Systems. The evening’s main topic was a lively group discussion of how GreenTown can encourage more people to walk and bike, thus reducing car trips. GreenTown Education Chair, Karen “KJ” Janowski, described an exciting and bold vision for evolving our towns into much more bicycle and pedestrian friendly locales.  KJ then led the participants in a brainstorming session that generated dozens of ideas that could engage and benefit citizens of all ages as well as local merchants. Ideas included everything from fun, participatory bicycling events to awareness-building incentive programs. Encouraging biking and walking in town addresses one of the major work areas of GreenTown – reducing vehicle miles travelled. “What that looks like in practice is evolving and will be limited only by the participation and imagination of community volunteers and participants,” she said. GTLA envisions working with schools, cycling organizations, businesses, community groups and city staff and elected officials in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills to frame activities and invite support. Bottom line, GreenTown is marking 2011 as a year to focus efforts and to grow membership. We’re working to make a sustainable community for today and tomorrow. If you’re interested in the same, join us! Become a member and/or volunteer. The next public meeting is scheduled for March 15, 7pm, at the Hillview Community Center. I look forward to seeing you there.

On January 25th, the Los Altos City Council met to discuss the Permanente Quarry/Lehigh SW Cement Company in the hills south of Los Altos.   The cement company has been in operation since 1939 and provides a large amount of cement used in the Bay Area  (Note: cement makes up about 10% of concrete).  The company mines limestone and then heats it up to very high temperatures to manufacture the cement.  When doing this, various materials are released, including mercury. According to the group NoToxicAir.org, this cement factory releases various chemicals including 1,284 pounds of mercury/year which is the 2nd highest of any cement plant in the US and is over ten times the 90 pounds/year recommended by the EPA.   These chemicals periodically float up over Los Altos and Los Altos Hills when the wind blows from the south.  In addition, the quarry discharges water from one of its settling ponds into Permanente creek which flows past Loyola Corners and eventually into Stevens Creek and the bay.  Los Altos residents last observed such a release back in November, 2010.  The cement factory has scores of federal, state, and county violations against it, some of which have been resolved and some have been outstanding for some time. In addition, the existing quarry is running out of limestone and Lehigh wants to open a new 210 acre quarry above it.  This is further up the hill and would be very visible from the surrounding area and also be above the Permanente Creek watershed. The Los Altos council wants to 1) understand if Lehigh is in fact violating existing standards and 2) if its operations pose a possible health risk to Los Altos residents.   After discussion, the Council voted unanimously to investigate the allegations, to determine what is factual and not, and if the operations pose any risks to the city’s residents.  The Council will also be coordinating its investigation and response with Gary Waldeck of the Los Altos Hill Council.  An ad hoc subcommittee consisting of Mayor Packard and Councilmember David Casas will lead the effort with the help of city staff. GreenTown commends this decision and the Council’s willingness to coordinate with the Los Altos Hills council .  As Mayor Packard said during the meeting, “We say that Los Altos is a great place to live and raise a family.  But air and water quality has impacts on whether we are a great place to live.” The only concern I see is that there was no timetable to the Council’s resolution.  There will be multiple county hearings about the quarry this year, the first being February 8th.  Bill Almon, the leader of QuarryNo.com believes the big decision will be in November when the county supervisors decide whether or not to grant Lehigh a 20 year permit to operate the new 210 acre quarry.  It would be best if Los Altos and Los Altos Hills concludes their investigation and if negative, presents a resolution to the county supervisors before any such long-lasting decision. For additional information: Council discussion item (11) Background memo on the issues View the video of the Council discussion (Item 11) There are two groups focused on the quarry: http://notoxicair.org/ http://www.quarryno.com/ Joe Eyre Chair, GreenTown Los Altos Water Stewardship Committee #LosAltosCityCouncil #AirQuality #Toxins #LehighSWCementCompany #PermanenteQuarry #GreenTownLosAltos #LosAltos #Mercury