Roberson to represent local cyclists

Following Wednesday night’s City Council meeting, Sonoma cycling enthusiast Chip Roberson could soon take his bicycle advocacy to a higher level,
At presstime, the council was expected to appoint Roberson as Sonoma’s representative to the Countywide Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. The committee advises the Sonoma County Transportation Authority and is currently updating the county’s bike and pedestrian trail plan.
Roberson, a consultant and engineer, founded the Sonoma Valley Cyclists shortly after moving from Petaluma in 2000.
“I started trying to find other people to ride with,” he said Tuesday. “Sonoma didn’t have a bicycle club, so I decided to start one. After having lived in Petaluma where cycling is very easy, in the Sonoma Valley it seemed more challenging.”
Asked about those challenges, Roberson laughed. “Getting out of town,” he said. “Think about trying to get up the Valley, up Arnold Drive or Highway 12, over to Petaluma … getting to Napa. Things like that appeal to the sports cyclist or tourist.”
But it also appeals to those who use bikes for commuting. Roberson’s stated goal on his commission application is to “link Sonoma’s paths, lanes routes and trails with the county’s plan to make a coherent network” and “promote general awareness and safety.”
“I’m just trying to figure out what’s the current agenda, what’s in process, and then try to assess what people’s perceived needs are,” Roberson said Tuesday. “When I started looking at [the county bike plan], it seemed we had made some good progress on setting up some bike paths, but the overall connectivity isn’t great.”