MOVESB™ is a critique of NGO Conglomerates, government policies and officials, and how they have destroyed this once vibrant community of Santa Barbara, California by using us as a testing ground for high-density helotry.
Santa Barbara Bike Coalition (SB Bike), Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG), Coast, MOVE Santa Barbara County, BiciCentro and other anti-car, eMotorcycle promoters and "bike guys", including NGOs inestimably funded by your tax dollars have appropriated inappropriate government funds in strange partnerships and revolving door politics.
The NGO-gov "partner" structure is as plastic as play-dough, and the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition has morphed and merged into a conglomerate NGO which apparently owns real estate property (Non-profit landlord?!?), has ties to Vision Zero developers, foreign eMotorCycle manufacturers, local government and your tax dollars. Government civil servants
become "consultants" paid by their ex-coworkers, many of whom buy rental property outside of California so they do not have to control their rent under the laws they imposed on us. We get stuck with corporate landlords, chain retail, and mom-and-pop restaurants also go out of business.
We explore the history and activities of this apparent pseudo-PAC-like organization which apparently lobbies for incessant, inappropriate government-funded activities,
and the community backlash that is now facing the government officials who have been facilitating this destruction of formerly vibrant City's circulation and commerce into Vision Zero subjugation.
Let's make SB move again!
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The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia is probably one of the original bicycle coalition organizations in the US.
...
Although Philadelphia is not know for having the best weather for biking, now they conduct professional advocacy, consulting and education services.
On their website they state-
'The Bicycle Coalition is still working on some of these same issues today (“comprehensive network of bikeways” “commitment of funds for maintenance”—sounds familiar!)'
The "bike guys" of the 1980s have come a long way from grass-roots advocacy, and now operate commercial real estate with employees and receive taxpayer funding. ... The Santa Barbara bicycle Coalition and "partners" have captured government funding, and now they own rental property and bike shops, which apparently have replaced private bike shops such as Bicycle Bob's and Cycle Star Bicycles, which used to pay taxes instead of being tax-exempt. The tax-payer funded NGO corporation conglomerate also conducts consulting and education services, which were previously done by City Staff and Police Department, which promoted student-police relationship.
In 2014 the University of California at Santa Barbara majorly entered the Anti-Car movement by breaking the previously promised student limit, building student housing in a car parking lot and my old soccer fields. Then UCSB took away transportation choice from thousands of students. ... "First-year students, including those with enough credits to be classified as sophomores, are prohibited from bringing vehicles to campus during their first year." This not only wreaked havoc on the already strained street parking in Isla Vista for residents and the Isla Vista Co-op where I used to shop, but caused more bicycle and pedestrian chaos and accidents on campus. One resident sold his motorcycle and stopped biking there because several of the frantic students searching for parking spaces almost hit him.
Biking in Santa Barbara is a popular recreation activity for locals and tourists, however sales tax and other taxes have been funneled into this recreation way beyond the Parks Dept.
The USDOT E's - Enforcement, Encouragement: ... The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) provided Policy Statement in 2010 encouraging, supporting and fostering increased use by bicyclists and pedestrians. However bicycle use has dwindled in Santa Barbara over the past 30 years, while enforcement is nearly absent for the latest craze in e-Motorcycles and E-scooters.
The Bike League reported that 2022 NHTS showed Bicycle (including bikeshare, ebike, etc.) ridership was 45% "Social/Recreational" while "To/From Work" was 14%. No data shows any significant increase in the prevalence of biking during 2001 to 2022, and walking has dropped sharply per the report data.
In 2022 when COAST and SBBIKE merged, Cars Are Basic, Inc.(TM) notified SBGAG, SB Council and Supervisors that such government funding was double dipping for unproven projects, but no action was taken. ... The merged organization’s mission continues to focus on equitably serving all in our community who wish to safely walk, bicycle and take public transit, but not drive. Their website states, "having a choice in our mode of travel" but specifically excluding automobiles despite receiving Measure A transportation funding.
Cars Are Basic, Inc.(TM) has repeatedly questioned the Santa Barbara City Council and County Board of Supervisors why government funding is going to organizations which purchase rental property and operate retail shops. Such tax-supported retail has competed with 40-year-old Bob's Bike Shop and others, causing revenue and profits to leave the County. BicycleBobs used to sell US-made bikes, but was sold to a chain store, Trek Bicycle Corporation is a bicycle, cycling product and electric motorcycle manufacturer selling 99% foreign-made, as Politifact admited https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2014/jul/28/scott-walker/scott-walker-says-trek-makes-99-its-bicycles-overs/ Trek also promotes eMotorcycles as bikes, and gambling apps as education, The website also stated that, "As more people in Morocco are looking for ways to improve their financial literacy, platforms like 1xBet are becoming essential tools for not only fun but also financial education."
2025 UCSB continues to restrict rights of thousands of students, and admits intentionally designing inconvenience for students: "Generally, parking spaces are not in the immediate vicinity of university housing, but in remote campus locations." Like residential neighborhoods? However hypocritical it may seem, among the options to "Be Car Free in Santa Barbara" is the Airlines at SBA, as shown in this screenshot:
Move Santa Barbara County (the anti-automobile organization) does not have a wikipedia page as of 09/01/2025, but they are on social media. ... They apparently maintain facebook, LinkedIn and other pages.
2025 August - SBCAG OK's $52M in roadway projects this year, but are they really "roadway" projects.
2025 September - the City of Goleta is looking for engineering positions to fill after more engineers left? Perhaps they know that the Hollister Mismanagement and all the recent traffic destruction projects are killing business and heading more of Santa Barbara County toward Vision Zero Developer Heaven.
2025 October - the Bike Coalition in Santa Barbara continues to promote "idiotic street changes in downtown Santa Barbara" and now hired an LA lawyer to try to force dispute resolution to take over this web domain, attempting to brigade us off the internet. Stay tuned to local news like SB Current for updates.
2025 October - the Bike Coalition in Santa Barbara continues to promote "idiotic street changes in downtown Santa Barbara" and now hired an LA lawyer to try to force dispute resolution to take over this web domain, attempting to brigade us off the internet. Stay tuned to local news like SB Current for updates. October 16 - As CAB has been stating for 40 YEARS, the MIG plan for downtown failed. Click to see latest letter to SB Council stating "no proof of concept after years of implemention." Comments are welcomed to send here, or to Cars Are Basic, Inc.TM because they are the hardest working volunteer Non-Profit watchdog organization against local government questionable policies and excessive tax spending.
Another watchdog is Santa Barbara Coalition Against Government Waste and Malfeasance™ (SBCAG™) previously known as Sane Backlash of Community Activist Groups.