With the appointment of Clint Elsholz as Superintendent of the Diablo Range District in 2022, the California State Parks' "climate of obfuscation" has begun to change. We look forward to collaborating with Clint to improve safety for cyclists and motorists on the roads of Mount Diablo.
It has taken us 15 years (2010 to 2025) of dogged determination to overcome State Parks Culture of Obfuscation (letter Sept 21, 2021)(PDF). Over the years, we have conducted numerous cyclist and motorist surveys, taken hundreds of videos, engaged in years of research, and created several petitions to compel and pressure California State Parks to install 67 bike turnouts along with numerous safety improvements in Mount Diablo State Park. The following safety improvements were facilitated by the tenacity and persistence of Mount Diablo Cyclists, elected representatives, the voice of the media, and thousands of supporters. Most of the safety improvements listed below were not voluntarily initiated by State Parks. We had to compel and pressure State Parks to implement these safety improvements to reduce collisions and save lives.
2024 (August 24th) Historic Celebration of 67 Bike Turnouts on Mount Diablo (Southgate Rd; 26, Northgate Rd: 25 & Summit Rd 16). BIKE TURNOUTS ONLY EXIST ON MOUNT DIABLO.....Yes, that's true! We created them.
2024 (June to August) 22 Bike Turnouts were installed
2023/22: We Raised $753,922.28. Joe Shami Trust donated $123,415.61 (Sept. 2022) On October 2022, we asked California State Parks to Match Joe (Parks provided $125,000) We raised the rest: $503,922.22 (400 people donated thru California State Parks Foundation website: 2023). WOW WE DID IT!!
2023 (April 29th) Bike Turnouts Recognized by Metropolitan Transportation Commission "Bike Champion of the Year for 2023" (Contra Costa County)
2023 (February 28th) "2023 James L. Oberstar Excellence in Bicycle Advocacy Award" Bike Turnouts Recognized Nationally
2023 (January 21st) "California Outdoors Hall of Fame" Bike Turnouts Recognized
2022 to 2015 Compelled State Parks to Reduce Injuries and Collisions on the Roads of Mount Diablo by 80%. Discovered that all types of Collisions were occurring approximately every two weeks on Mount Diablo. (2010 to 2015 Facilitated the reduction of Bike vs Vehicle Collisions: 2015 (5), 2016 (2), 2017 (1), 2018 (0), 2019 (0), 2020 (1)(CHP Vehicle vs Bike, 4/8/2020))
2022 to 2015 Conducted Cyclist, Motorist, and Radar Traffic Speed Surveys
2022 (October 15th) Historic Celebration of 45 Bike Turnouts on Mount Diablo
2022 (September 20th) Board of Supervisors of Contra Costa County (Resolution No. 2022/323) "Safety Improvements on Mount Diablo for the past decade."
2022 (September) Facilitated the installation of 45 Bike Turnouts. South Gate Road = 17, North Gate Road = 16 and Summit Road = 12. Mount Diablo installed 28 new and 17 old bike turnouts
2022 (February) Facilitated the Relocation of an Electronic Message Sign near the South Gate Road Entrance. Safety Message Updated (May 2023)
2021 (December) Compelled State Parks to change the Completion Date for the Bike Turnout Project Timeline to November 2022 instead of July 2023 (Special Thanks to Senator Glazer & Assemblymember Bauer- Kahan)
FY-2021/2022 Facilitated $1,500,000 in California State Budget to Fund Bike Turnout Project#2019-05: 77 Bike Turnouts (Special Thanks to State Senator Glazer & Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan)
2021 Facilitated 4 Bike Turnouts: $79,055 (Letter by Senator Glazer and Assemblymember Bauer-Kahan to Director of California State Parks)
2019 (March 28th): Facilitated and Compelled State Parks to create and sign the MDSP Bike Turnout Project#2019-05 Plan o Install 77 Bike Turnouts on Mount Diablo; NOT FUNDED (Special Thanks to Senator Glazer & Assemblymember Bauer- Kahan)
2019 Facilitated/created Mount Diablo App, free to all park visitors, volunteers, and staff (Unfortunately, California State Parks refused to accept or even use the "Free App")
2018 Created and Compelled State Parks to accept and implement the Mandatory Verbal Motorists Safety Advisory for all motorists entering the Park (Unfortunately, Park Aides are NOT reading the Advisory to Motorists)
2017 Identified and Compelled State Parks to Install 10 Bike Turnouts: paint only, $5,000 Received the Town of Danville Award of Merit and California Legislature Assembly, Certificate of Recognition
2017 Created a Change.org Petition to Install Bike Turnouts on Mount Diablo: over 3,800 signatures
2017 Created the Mount Diablo Bicycle Descending Technique (Unfortunately, California State Parks has REFUSED to share or post this Life-Saving Descending Technique)
2016 Facilitated and Collaborated with State Parks Celebration of these accomplishments with an Official Ceremony on October 7, 2016, recognizing State Parks officials, local legislators, and Mount Diablo Cyclists
2016 Compelled State Parks to Implement the Road Striping & Signage Project on Mount Diablo ($300,000+), DO NOT PASS BIKES ON BLIND CURVES signs (35), which ONLY exist on Mount Diablo (We created this sign, not in Caltrans) AVOID CRASH SLOW DOWN (35), Sharrows every 1/2 mile in ascending lane. The First Traffic Engineering Survey was conducted on MDSP: Solid Double Yellow lines and several Passing Lanes were installed. Compelled State Parks to include 3 Bike Turnouts as a Pilot Project.
2016 Facilitated and Compelled State Parks to accept Eagle Scout Projects to install 8 Bike Repair Boxes: Junction, Summit, Juniper Campground, South Gate Kiosk, Mitchell Canyon, Burma Rd/North Gate Rd, Macedo Ranch, and Live Oak Campground
2016 Created a Change.org Petition to Improve Safety for Cyclists and Motorists: over 1,200 signatures
2016 Facilitated Cyclist Donated Bike Rack at Summit
2016 Established a Cyclist Volunteer Pot-Hole Repair Team to repair roads and trim vegetation
2015 Established a “Bike Turnout Working Group” to create Bike Turnouts. Apparently, they do not exist anywhere else in California
2015 Created Mount Diablo Cyclists Facebook Group: 1900 supporters
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