CycleMAYnia's Mayors' Ride shows off Santa Claus Lane bike path

On Bike to Work Day, community members met up with public officials for CycleMAYnia’s Mayors' Ride, enjoying the new bike path connecting Carpinteria Avenue to Santa Claus Lane.

"Love the bike path. Get on the bikes!" one rider exclaimed.

Along the route, Carpinteria city leaders showed off future project points and stressed the importance of prioritizing non-motorized transportation to alleviate traffic congestion and for other benefits.

"There’s a lot of benefits to being outside — physical benefits, mental health benefits. These are also Safe Routes to School projects. They do create safe, connected facilities for kids who are walking or biking to school," explained Erin Maker, Environmental Program Manager for the City of Carpinteria.

Benefits you can enjoy no matter your age or abilities, thanks to a little help from Cycling Without Age.

"Just giving people that joy of coasting through space," said Jon Seigel Boettner of Cycling Without Age.

Boettner says the program has 11 trishaws that allow people to enjoy the outdoors and ride in style.

"I feel like I’m in the lap of luxury!" said one Cycling Without Age rider.

Creating accessible bike and walking paths is a passion of Carpinteria’s Environmental Program Manager, Erin Maker, who shared some updates about the Franklin Creek project, which will connect 7th Street to Carpinteria Ave.

"We are really excited about this because it connects a community that has sometimes been overlooked in Carpinteria," Maker said.

The Franklin Creek path is currently just a dirt path, but plans show improved lighting and paved walkways with construction slated to begin in July.

"By providing facilities like this that are safe and well-lit and that are available to people of all abilities, we have now had ways to really highlight that there is a reason to get out of their vehicle," Maker said.

Funding for the Franklin Creek project has come from two sources — $570,000 from the community development block grant and $275,000 from SBCAG measure A, according to Maker.