“Discover how the California Bike Coalition is forging innovative partnerships with local hostels to promote sustainable travel and enhance biking infrastructure.
Get ready to pedal into a new era of adventure as the California Bike Coalition gears up to join forces with iTH Hostels! In this exciting partnership, two dynamic forces are coming together to revolutionize how we explore the Golden State. From scenic rides to eco-friendly initiatives, hop on and discover the thrilling journey ahead.
Are you looking for more information on the partnership? Need clarification as to what the California Bike Coalition even is in the first place? No worries, keep scrolling to learn all about it!
The California Bike Coalition
Mission Statement: CalBike advocates for equitable, inclusive, and prosperous communities where bicycling helps to enable all Californians to lead healthy and joyful lives.
CalBike collaborates with local bicycle coalitions, environmental groups, social and environmental justice groups, and many other allies to build strength for action at the state level. CalBike’s work to change state laws has opened the door to safer streets at the local level, including legalizing protected bikeways, helping Safe Routes to Schools get started, funding for statewide e-bike incentives, funding for the Active Transportation Program (a dedicated funding source for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure), decriminalizing jaywalking, intersection daylighting, and many other changes to make the streets safer for all Californians.
CalBike’s commitment to safer streets includes freedom from police harassment, which is primarily targeted at Black and Brown people biking or walking. Their biggest campaign this year is the Complete Streets Bill, SB 960, which will require improvements for people biking and walking on state routes that double as local streets.
Mission and Origin of California Bike Coalition
CalBike was founded in 1994 with the mission to take action at the state level to make biking better across California. At CalBike, they advocate for bicycling not only because they love the bike as a machine but also because of how bicycling can make communities better: more equitable, prosperous, healthy, connected, and inclusive.
A collective of cyclists established the California Bicycle Coalition with the aim of championing communities that are conducive to cycling. Backed by the Bicycle Federation of America, they collaborated with both political figures and local communities to secure increased funding for bicycle-related infrastructure and educational initiatives.
Following initial endeavors, CalBike’s relentless pursuit for increased funding to bolster secure bicycle infrastructure commenced in 1997. During this pivotal year, they successfully spearheaded a significant increase in the budget allotted to the Bicycle Lane Account, which stood as the solitary Caltrans account exclusively designated for bicycle projects at that time. Moreover, this role extended to the establishment of the Active Transportation Program, a dedicated funding avenue aimed at supporting projects aimed at enhancing the safety of California streets for all pedestrians and cyclists alike.
Some of their best accomplishments include a co-sponsored legislation to create the first statewide Safe Routes to School program in 1999, they helped create the “Bicycle Blueprint,” California’s first master plan for bicycling in 2003, working in coalition to win $100 million for biking and walking infrastructure and billions more for safer roads in 2017, and sponsored the Freedom to Walk Act, which decriminalized mid-block crossings and was signed into law in 2022.
More on CalBike history; more accomplishments here.
Partnership with ITH Hostels
Every two years, CalBike hosts the California Bicycle Summit, which brings together people involved in all aspects of active transportation, from advocacy to planning. To make the event as accessible as possible, they look for ways to keep costs down, including providing scholarships and partnering with local residents to offer homestays.
The Summit is in San Diego at the Wydham San Diego Bayside.
This year, they have decided to partner with us at ITH Hostels because it offers an affordable alternative for people coming to the Summit from out of town. Also, the hostel environment is a perfect complement to the Summit, as it is very closeby, and seeks to foster connections and networking. The hostel will be a fun place for attendees to stay where they can continue conversations after the day’s sessions and forge the kind of personal connections that strengthen working relationships.
For more information about the summit, click this link: https://www.calbike.org/events/california_bicycle_summit/
ITH Locations in California
During your bike journey through California, be sure to check out all of the ITH locations scattered up and down the coast to make your trip even more memorable and save on accommodation!
- San Francisco: ITH Pacific Tradewinds Hostel
- Santa Barbara: ITH Beach Hostel
- Los Angeles: ITH Surf City Los Angeles
- Big Bear: ITH Mountain Adventure Hostel
- Joshua Tree: ITH Coyote Ranch
- San Diego: ITH Downtown Adventure Hostel, ITH Beach Bungalow Pacific Beach, ITH Mission Beach Backpacker Hostel
We want to give a huge shoutout to the California Bike Coalition for their continued support and partnership with ITH. We welcome all cyclists to stop by our locations to make the most out of your California biking experience and maybe even some new friends along the way. Look both ways, don’t forget your helmet, and see you on the streets!
