Traffic Harmony On Temecula Streets? Bike Coalition Leads Way

TEMECULA, CA — Like the rest of California, most Temeculans rely on motor vehicles for daily trips like commuting to work, shopping, appointments and other outings. For locals who cycle, getting through that traffic can be risky riding on many streets.

Bike Temecula Valley wants to help ease the danger. The nonprofit bike coalition is working with the city and the school district to make cycling safer for everyone — all ages, all riding levels. In turn, BTV's work could benefit motorists, too.

Founded in 2020, BTV's efforts are timely. There are more cyclists than ever on Temecula roadways. When COVID hit, the demand for bikes skyrocketed. Local bike shops couldn't keep up with demand as residents sought new ways to recreate amid statewide closures. At the same time, electric bike popularity exploded. Ebikes made cycling attainable for all fitness levels.

The pandemic-technology collision was a game-changer, and BTV co-founders Dale Borgeson and Gary Oddi recognized it was as good a time as any to advocate for active transportation in Temecula.

"We're not a Spandex, fancy road-bike group," Borgeson explained. "We welcome everyone. We just want to see more people enjoying Temecula by bike."

I pedaled through the city with Borgeson and Oddi last month. Both are low-key social riders. On the hot July day, Borgeson was "kitted up" in a worn t-shirt, khaki shorts and sneakers. The only evidence of his riding expertise was a properly fitted safety helmet and lights securely mounted to his commuter ebike.

Borgeson typifies the average BTV member (nearly 100 of them): older, retired, rocking an ebike, out for socializing and fun.

Oddi and Borgeson are not alone in their quest for safe bike paths/lanes well traveled. The two retired Temecula Valley Unified School District educators are friends with Temecula Mayor Zak Schwank, who was an original BTV member. Schwank is an O.G. of the Temecula cycling scene. He was the guy toting his kids, his groceries, his stuff, on a cargo bike, according to Oddi and Borgeson.

"It's how he rolled," they said.

As it turns out, there is another bike ally at City Hall: Senior Planner Matt Peters. Anything to do with safer cycling in Temecula has Peters' fingerprints on it, Oddi and Borgeson explained.

I visited Peters in his office last month. He pulled out scads of documents and maps detailing efforts to make Temecula a bike-friendly community. The progress is becoming more evident for riders. A 17-mile bike loop around the city is closer to completion. It includes carless paths and Class II bike lanes. There are some incomplete segments along the loop, but Peters said work is continuing as part of the city's Multi-use Trails and Bikeways Master Plan.

"We're trying to build the network for people of all ages and abilities," Peters explained.

The Temecula Loop, as it's called, follows the Murrieta Creek north through Old Town, then heads east along the Santa Gertrudis Creek Trail, south on wide bike lanes along Butterfield Stage Road, heads west aside Temecula Creek, then over to Ynez and Santiago roads back into Old Town. The loop can be ridden, walked and jogged in either direction.

Oddi and Borgeson see the Temecula Loop as a great starting point, but there are many more wins to be had, including education. BTV is trying to get bike safety incorporated into school lessons, so kids understand the rules of the road — especially when they mount those speedy ebikes.

BTV also looks forward to a seat at the table on future bike plans in the city. It's not unfamiliar territory. The group has served in an advisory capacity and the city is receptive, Peters said.

BTV also holds events to raise awareness and bring the community together. On Oct. 1, it will hold the second annual "Cycle for Hope" to benefit Rancho Damacitas Community Mission of Hope in Temecula. The nonprofit organization serves individuals and families struggling with homelessness and food insecurity.

"Cycle for Hope" features three ride courses: 15 miles, 25 miles and 50 miles. The shortest will cruise the city on carless paths and quieter streets. The longer-distance rides will meander through Wine Country, bypassing highly trafficked areas where possible.

All three courses were planned on the safest routes possible "to showcase the great infrastructure we have in the community and the great rides we have out here," Oddi said.

Registration for "Cycle for Hope" is open, and no one should feel intimidated to sign up, according to the BTV co-founders.

"These rides are meant to be social fun," Oddi offered.

"Fun, social and safety" are constant BTV themes.

To help timid riders feel safer in their neighborhoods, BTV put together a selection of riding routes in the city. The maps are posted on the BTV website. The routes feature a mix of low-traffic streets, wide bike lanes, carless paths, minimal left turns (left turns are a hazard at busy intersections) and lovely scenery. The routes pass through city spots meant for socializing, like the 17-mile "Bikes and Bread" trek that starts and stops at Great Harvest Bread Co., a favorite rest spot for Oddi and Borgeson.

Though the two men are focused on cycling safety, they maintain that more people on bikes can translate into fewer cars on the road, less traffic and cleaner air.

"Anything we can do to get car trips lower will give you a better experience," car or bike, Borgeson said. "We all have to be concerned about climate and what we can do individually, what we can do as a community. By getting more people on bikes is an obvious step in the right direction."

Building active transportation routes does cost money. New development comes with a state mandate to accommodate active transportation. As for existing infrastructure, Temecula, like all cities, looks to federal and state funding opportunities.

Darwin Moosavi, deputy secretary for environmental policy and housing coordination at the California State Transportation Agency, told KQED last month that active transportation in the Golden State is a "new policy paradigm" that's moving beyond just cars.

In 2022, the state invested $1.7 billion in its Active Transportation Program, he said, calling it a "major shift" compared to pre-2020 when funding was sparse.

Is it enough to help cities build the kind of infrastructure needed to get more people onto two wheels and out of their cars?

Ethan Elkind, director of the Climate Program at the Center for Law, Energy and the Environment, UC Berkeley School of Law, told KQED that while the state investment is welcome, "we're making policy choices that are favoring automobiles over people who are walking and biking."

Oddi and Borgeson don't see BTV as a "burn-down-the-cars advocacy group," they said. Instead, they just want safety for all, which makes Temecula a better place to live.

Borgeson, who has struggled with physical health issues, put it this way: "The ebike is exactly what I need to stay part of things. For me, exercise was life-giving. I had to find a way."

For more information about BTV, including how to become more involved, visit tvbikecoalition.com.