Alan Kalin (Speech): Celebrating 67 Bike Turnouts on Mount Diablo (August 24, 2024)

WE DID IT!! YOU DID IT! CONGRATULATIONS! Over 400 people and organizations Donated: $753, 922.28 for 22 New Bike Turnouts. THANK YOU!! There are NOW 67 Bike Turnouts in California. ALL of those 67 Bike Turnouts are on Mount Diablo. That’s Right, Bike Turnouts ONLY exist on Mount Diablo. No other State – or Park in the Nation has Bike Turnouts!

I have three questions for you, please respond loudly and clearly.

1. Have you ever had a vehicle pass you on a blind curve while you were riding a bicycle up the mountain?

What did you say? I can’t hear you! Let’s try that again.

2. Have you ever had a vehicle in your lane as you were riding your bicycle down the mountain?
3. Have you ever been hit by a vehicle while riding a bicycle?

YOU are why Bike Turnouts were created!

It’s been a privilege leading the effort to improve the safety for cyclists and motorists on the roads of Mount Diablo. This has truly been a Team Effort by thousands of people throughout the Bay Area! I would ask everyone here today to pause and reflect upon your contribution to the Historic accomplishment: 67 Bike Turnouts!

Every Team has some Rock Stars, and I would like to recognize a few very special people, who have been instrumental to our success: Mark Dedon, Ted Trambley, Jeff Eorio, Bruce Bilodeau, Nicola Place, Rick Edmondson, Linda Kwong, Bruce Erickson, Dan Borenstein, Karen Stepper, Mayor of Danville, Senator Steve Glazer, Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, Contra Costa County Supervisor Candice Anderson, Clint Elsholz, Randy Widera, California State Parks Foundation and my wife - Jan.

Sadly, there  is one very special person who is NOT with us today: Joe Shami. For those of you who did not know Joe, he was a cyclist known as “The Legend of Mount Diablo.”  Joe rode his bike up Mount Diablo 615 consecutive weeks for over eleven years.  Let me say that again, slowly: Joe rode his bike up Mount Diablo 615 consecutive weeks for over eleven years.  And the last time he rode up he was 86 years young. 

Along the way, Joe always tried to inspire people to help improve safety for cyclists and motorists on Mount Diablo.  He motivated elected leaders, the media and countless Park visitors to install Bike Turnouts. 

Tragically, on April 14, 2021, Joe was struck and killed by a vehicle while riding his bicycle.

Joe was my friend, Joe was your friend. Joe was 86 years young and never accepted “No” when lives were at stake.  In honor of Joe’s efforts, his spirit, and his inspiring demonstration of life fully lived. Today is Joe Shami Day on Mount Diablo, we are dedicating All 67 Bike Turnouts to Joe.

So how did this all begin?

The birth of Bike Turnouts traces back to 2010 when I retired. When I was a kid, Mount Diablo was just a hill, but, over the years it’s gotten a little taller. As I began riding up Mount Diablo again. I experienced and heard from other cyclists their stories of Near Misses and Actual Bike vs Vehicle Collisions on the roads of Mount Diablo. It became painfully evident that impatient motorists were recklessly overtaking ascending cyclists, crossing over to the wrong side of the road on Blind Curves, often hitting and seriously injuring descending cyclists. The San Ramon Valley & Contra Costa Fire Departments became increasingly frequent visitors to Mount Diablo, responding to medical emergencies almost weekly. Ambulance and Helicopters were frequent sights, transporting seriously injured cyclists’ to local Hospitals.

We discovered that very little was being done to understand why and nothing was being done to implement safety measures to prevent them and reduce injuries. And I don’t accept NO when lives are at stake.

As a result in 2014, Mount Diablo Cyclists was established. With ONLY one Mission to Improve the Safety for Cyclists and Motorists on the Roads of Mount Diablo. And our efforts have paid off! Bike Turnouts have reduced Bike vs Vehicle Collisions by over 80%! Every Bike Turnout has the Potential to Prevent a Collision and Save a Life!

Not only are we saving lives here, but we are also impacting public policy in other states.

In 2023, I was contacted by a PHD student, Helena Breuer, at Oregon State University. Oregon State University had been commissioned by the Oregon State Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration to research Bike Turnouts and she was the leading field researcher. She was intrigued by our Bike Turnouts and said they don’t exist anywhere else and wanted to include them in the research report. On April 1, 2024, Oregon State University and the State of Oregon Department of Transportation Published the Research Report (141 Pages; recognizing Mount Diablo Cyclists and using much of our research). Their findings, “Collectively, 97.8% of drivers and cyclists believe that the implementation of auxiliary bike lanes would effectively reduce potential crashes on 2-lane roadways (no shoulder or bike lane) with limited visibility.”(page#64) The Oregon State University Report validated our efforts and confirmed that Bike Turnouts Prevent Collisions, Reduce Injuries and Save Lives.

In closing, I would Like to Thank everyone here today for allowing me to lead this effort to make Mount Diablo Safer for ALL PARK VISITORS. It’s been an Honor and a Privilege.

THANK YOU