Kristine Schindler – Encinitas Bike Walk https://encinitasbikewalk.org Enhancing walking and biking throughout Encinitas Mon, 09 Jun 2025 03:48:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://encinitasbikewalk.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/EBW_bike_walk_signal_flav-150x150.png Kristine Schindler – Encinitas Bike Walk https://encinitasbikewalk.org 32 32 City of Encinitas Age-Friendly Community Survey https://encinitasbikewalk.org/2025/06/08/city-of-encinitas-age-friendly-community-survey/ Mon, 09 Jun 2025 03:47:13 +0000 https://encinitasbikewalk.org/?p=2694

You Can Shape the Future of Encinitas for All Ages! 

The City of Encinitas is excited to announce Age-Friendly Encinitas, a vital project generously funded by the San Diego Foundation and supported by the expertise of the San Diego State University Center for Excellence in Aging & Longevity. Together, we’re embarking on a journey to create an action plan that will make our community an even better place to live, thrive, and participate for residents of all ages and abilities.

Your voice is crucial in this process! We’re committed to building this plan through community participation and your valuable feedback. This will shape policies and programs designed to enhance the quality of life for everyone in Encinitas. We strongly encourage you to take a few moments follow the link below share your insights on this survey. You will be helping us build a brighter future for Encinitas. Printed surveys are available at the Encinitas Community & Senior Center and City Hall. – Jesse Hanwit, Village Encinitas

Direct link to survey:  

Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management

The survey will take about 15 minutes to complete. Watch for another email in a few days where you can choose the listening session you want to attend. Thanks for participating. Your opinion counts!

Statement from the City of Encinitas

The City of Encinitas is developing the Age-Friendly Encinitas Plan to build a more inclusive, supportive, and livable community for people of all ages and abilities. To guide this effort, we are conducting a community survey to better understand the experiences, needs, and priorities of older adults, individuals living with disabilities, and their caregivers. We want to hear directly from you about what is working well and where there is room for improvement. Your input will help shape the Age-Friendly Encinitas Plan and ensure our city remains a great place to live, age, and thrive.

In this survey, you will be asked about what it’s like to live in your community. “Community” means the place where you spend most of your time. This could be your neighborhood, your city, or both. Your idea of community might change depending on the question. For example, when we ask about parks, you might think about the park near your home. When we ask about social activities, you might think about the whole city.

The survey has six sections in addition to eligibility questions:

  • Housing
  • Outdoor Spaces & Buildings
  • Mobility
  • Community Engagement
  • Health & Wellness
  • Demographics (e.g., age, gender identity)

This survey is anonymous and voluntary. While there are some questions about your basic demographics, your answers will stay private and will not be linked to you. We’ll only share combined data that doesn’t identify anyone individually. You may discontinue the survey at any time. This survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email SDSU’s Center for Excellence in Aging & Longevity at ceal@sdsu.edu.

]]> 12 Reminders for MOTORISTS to Keep Kids Safe in School Areas and Beyond https://encinitasbikewalk.org/2025/02/12/12-reminders-for-motorists-to-keep-kids-safe-in-school-areas-and-beyond/ Wed, 12 Feb 2025 21:33:43 +0000 https://encinitasbikewalk.org/?p=1065
  1. Having more students (and parents) walk, bike, and roll to school helps to reduce car traffic congestion. REMEMBER, it takes everyone to improve safety in school areas during busy morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up times. 
  2. Be aware (not distracted!) and courteous to other drivers, crossing guards, and those using active transportation in the school areas and beyond. 
  3. Make eye contact with those walking, biking, and rolling and communicate with them – windows down is helpful too. Let’s look out for each other and BE PATIENT. 
  4. Follow the basic rules of the road – stop at stop signs and follow the directional cues in the school area. We teach bike riders to be predictable, though young riders sometimes do not make the best decisions and/or may bend to peer pressure. Be alert to their sudden decisions. 
  5. Know that bike riders should be riding in the direction of traffic and should avoid sidewalk riding. Younger riders should ride on sidewalks until their parents say OK. Realize that each driveway is a potential intersection with a car. Bike riders are more visible and expected when they ride on the road. 
  6. Bicyclists are part of traffic, and there are times when a bike may use the full lane. Where there are bike lanes, the riders should be in the bike lane. 
  7. Riders are cautioned to stay out of the ‘door zone,’ but please be aware when opening a car door. 
  8. We ask all bike riders to wear helmets and buckle the straps (it is law!). It takes a village, so if you see a student not wearing a helmet or engaging in unsafe behavior, speak up. If you know the student’s parents, follow up by calling them. 
  9. Please know that passengers are allowed only on ebikes expressly set up for 1 passenger (look for foot pegs near the rear wheel). 
  10. Many of the ebikes are Class 2 – meaning they have a throttle and do not necessarily have to be pedaled. Proceed with caution, realizing that many of these ebikes will start up and go quickly. 
  11. Be PREDICTABLE. Your position on the roadway should communicate your intentions, and you should use your turn and directional signals. At an intersection, use the left lane when turning left, drive in the through lane when going straight and drive in the right turn lane if you turn right. 
  12. Bike riders should be using hand signals – pointing to tell others when & in what direction they are turning. They should signal when they are changing lanes, like moving left for a left turn, pointing with their hand and arm in the direction they are going – left arm for a left turn, right arm for a right turn, and pointing forward if they are going straight.

Have questions and want to talk to someone with Active Transportation/Safe Routes to School experience? Contact Kristine Schindler at kristineschindler7@gmail.com. She is a League Cycling Instructor (LCI) working with the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, City of Encinitas, City of Solana Beach and North County schools > Let’s Keep our Streets Safer Together.

]]> 14 Safety Tips for Kids Riding in School Areas https://encinitasbikewalk.org/2025/02/06/12-reminders-for-young-riders-to-be-safe-in-school-areas-and-beyond/ Thu, 06 Feb 2025 19:28:07 +0000 https://encinitasbikewalk.org/?p=1052
  1. Follow the rules of the road, ride in the direction of traffic and avoid sidewalk riding. Younger riders should ride on sidewalks until their parents say OK. Realize each driveway is a potential intersection with a car, so being on the road, you are more visible and expected. Plus, bike/ebike riders have a right to be on the road. 
  2. Bicyclists are part of traffic; sometimes, a bike may use the full lane when it is too narrow to share. 
  3. Keep 3 C’s in mind – Courtesy, Communication, and Common Sense 
  4. Wear a helmet and buckle the strap – your brain matters! Ask a friend, parent, or local bike shop staff to check that it is adjusted properly for a snug fit. Do not leave your helmet out in the sun; if you crash or the helmet is damaged, REPLACE IT !!! 
  5. If you have a passenger on your bike, that person is your friend, and you are responsible for them. Make sure your ebike is one that is set up for a passenger. More than 1 passenger is not a good idea or appropriate unless you are an adult with a cargo bike set up for multiple young passengers. 
  6. Keep your tires pumped up to avoid flats, and for ebikes, keep your battery charged so you do not run out of juice. 
  7. Use both brakes when slowing and stopping, not just the right (rear) brake. Maintain your bike and support our local bike shops. 
  8. Be PREDICTABLE. Your position on the roadway should communicate your intentions, and you should always strive to be visible. At an intersection, ride in the left lane when turning left. Position yourself in the through lane when going straight. And ride in the right turn lane if you are turning right. 
  9. Use hand signals. Point to tell others when and in what direction you are turning. Signal when changing lanes, like moving left for a left turn. 
  10. Awareness is everything, so please stay off your phone, no earbuds, and look around to assess what is happening. 
  11. Make eye contact with other riders, pedestrians, and motorists > let’s look out for each other. 
  12. Be Bright, Be Seen > Wear something brightly colored (shirt, backpack, etc), add a brightly colored bag/basket to your bike, and more. Please don’t be a ninja dressed in black from head to toe and on a black bike. PLEASE!
  13. Lock your bike always. It costs money, and you need to protect your bike so it’s still there when you return to it. 
  14. Talk with your parents about Traffic Laws and Rules of the Road. If you have not completed driver’s education, you do have a lot to learn—like ‘first come, first serve,’ who has the right of way at a four-way stop, and why it is important to take a pause when a red traffic light turns green so that you do not jump out in the intersection and get hit by a red light runner.

One more mention for e-bikes: pedaling is fun and good for your health. It’s best to pedal rather than just use your throttle. Putting your feet on your pedals, pedaling and being engaged as a bike rider makes you smarter, safer and more stable and helps build goodwill with other riders and motorists.

HOMEWORK WITH YOUR PARENTS: Go outside to your family car and talk about blind spots (actually show & tell with your son/daughter in the driver’s seat) and distracted driving. Talk about these Top 14 reminders and why it is important to be alert, make eye contact, look out for yourself, and follow the rules of the road to be predictable and safe.

Have questions and want to talk to someone with Active Transportation/Safe Routes to School experience? Contact Kristine Schindler at kristineschindler7@gmail.com. She is a League Cycling Instructor (LCI) working with the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, City of Encinitas, and North County schools > Let’s Keep our Streets Safer Together.

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