Charles Witham Memorial Website

Charles K. Witham, Bike Advocacy

Details on Chuck's Bicycle Advocacy

Pasadena Foothill Bicycle Initiative

Most cities in Los Angeles County have not adequately planned for bicyclists. Chuck spearheaded an effort to get the City of Pasadena to develop and pass a Bicycle Master Plan. The plan provides a road map for Pasadena to become a better place to ride a bike, more bike lanes, more bike paths, places to park your bike, etc. Implementing portions of the plan was one of the few projects funded in the 2001 MTA Call for Projects.

MTA Call for Projects Campaign

Every two years, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority distributes state and federal money for transportation projects. Bicycle facilities are one of the funded categories. This category has traditionally been underfunded about 7 million dollars per year. Chuck co-led our campaign to increase bicycle funding in L.A. County. He helped develop our Blueprint for a Bike-Friendly Los Angeles County, the Bike Coalition’s vision of what needs to happen to make Los Angeles County a better place to ride a bike. Chuck also organized a well-attended meeting on the Cal Tech campus to discuss local projects in the Pasadena area. Chuck did extensive research on what local cities in the Foothill region have planned and implemented regarding bicycle projects.

L.A. River Ride

The Los Angeles River Ride aims to raise public awareness of bicycling along the River. Last year, over 1,000 people participated in the rides (a 2K kids ride, a 40K family ride, and a 100K century ride) raising $18,000 for the Bike Coalition, and

gaining substantial media attention. Chuck volunteered both years for the ride, sweeping the ride on bike in 2001 (riding over 80 miles!), and as a team captain for a pit stop in 2002.

Arroyofest Steering Committee Member

The Arroyo Seco runs by JPL, through Pasadena, South Pasadena, and L.A. eventually connecting to the L.A. River. Arroyofest is a planned event designed to raise awareness about the arroyo, and help revitalize it into a thriving creek connecting the community. Part of the event includes closing the Pasadena freeway for a bike ride and walk. Chuck was the Bike Coalition representative on the Arroyofest Steering Committee.

Email Announcement Guru

Every week, an email is sent out to Bike Coalition members listing upcoming events and ways in which members can get involved. Chuck managed the email list, adding on new members as people joined the Coalition. Chuck also managed Pasadena area email list.

Newsletter Distribution

Every quarter, the Bike Coalition publishes a newsletter covering important cycling issues in L.A. County. Roughly 5,000 are printed, with a 1,000 going to members and another 2,000 distributed at bike shops. Chuck oversaw the distribution of the newsletter; keeping track of what Bike Coalition members distributed newsletters to various shops across the county. Chuck created an online list for folks to keep.