Cycling enthusiasts win bike lanes for Ky. 9

[Garrison Hilliard]

Cycling enthusiasts win bike lanes for Ky. 9


Written by Terry DeMio


A grassroots group in Newport, formed quickly to argue for cycling
lanes on the upcoming relocation of Ky. 9, never had to raise its
collective voice.

The city of Newport partnered with residents, business owners and
community organizations this month to nudge the state highway
department to get bike lanes along the planned new route of Ky. 9 -
and
the state has already given its thumbs-up.

Jason Reser, owner of Reser Bicycle Outfitters shops on Monmouth
Street
in Newport and Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine, inspired about 30
people
to urge for the bike lanes early in February.

"The project was moving forward ... without any (bike) lanes,"
Reser
said.

Reser and his group worried such a plan would cut off cyclists from
the
Licking River Greenway and Trails and prevent eventual connections
from
those paths to other cycling, walking and hiking trails. The paths
are
in Covington but are intended to connect several cities. Wilder has
begun construction of its part of the trails.

The Newport group supports a plan advocated by Vision 2015, the
Northern Kentucky strategic planning group, eventually to tie in
several paths for walking, hiking and cycling in Kentucky and Ohio.

That Ky. 9 might not include bike lanes was a blow to trail-system
advocates, Reser said.

"There's always been some cycling in this area, but definitely
there's
been a huge growth," said Reser, who has had his shop in Newport
for 14
years. "We have folks that ride to Downtown for work. There are
people
who are out for exercise and recreation."

Josh Tunning, community organizer for the Brighton Center, added
that
children ride bikes to Newport schools and need a safe path, and
others
believe economic development in the city is tied to amenities such
as
cycling paths.

Reser's shop has some newer customers, young professionals who are
moving into Monmouth Row apartments and Vue 180 on the south bank
of
the Ohio River.

"One of the first things they want to do is get a bike and look
around
the city," Reser said.

It wasn't hard to get people to attend a Feb. 3 Newport City
Commission
meeting and argue for a bike path or bike lanes along with Ky. 9's
reconstruction.
(Page 2 of 2)

Justin and Emily Carabello, owners of Carabello Coffee on Ninth
Street
near Monmouth who ride a tandem bike for pleasure and sell frozen
"bike
pops" from a big tricycle in the city, were among business owners
advocating for the lanes. So did representatives of the city's
three
neighborhood associations.

Peter Newberry, owner with his wife, Kimberly, of Newberry Bros.
Coffee
in the East Row neighborhood, also joined the advocacy effort.

"Having bike lanes lessens traffic congestion, promotes a healthy
lifestyle, promotes tourism," said Newberry, a cycling enthusiast.
"It'd be a shame if it didn't occur."

City officials agreed.

"We're of the same vision," Newport City Manager Tom Fromme said.
"The
city of Newport is a big advocate of cycling and pedestrians. We
said,
`We're going to go for it.' We asked for assistance to do bike
lanes."

"It's been very positive," said Reser, who learned last week the
state
was redesigning the southern part of the Ky. 9 plan to add the
lanes.

Robert Hans, chief district engineer for the Kentucky Department of
Highways District 6, said the state is reconfiguring the lanes to
allow
enough width to place a 4-foot bicycle lane on each side of Ky. 9.
The
lanes will extend about 4,500 feet, from the southern end of the
project near 12th Street to the first roundabout at Fourth and
Fifth
streets. From there, a Ky. 9 extension will be built.

The relocation will start at about Lowell Street and land at the
foot
of the Fourth Street bridge in Newport, where the state will build
a
roundabout.

The route will continue north to the Newport end of the
Taylor-Southgate Bridge, which will also have a roundabout,
according
to state plans, which have yet to be finalized.

Construction of the first part of the estimated $12 million
project,
starting on the southern end of the planned Ky. 9, could begin this
summer, Hans said.

"We met with the city of Newport and a few residents and discussed
with
them their desires and concerns," Hans said. "We don't see any
issues.
We identified bike lanes on the north- and southbound lanes, on the
outer right side (of the road)."

Residents and business owners were elated last week to learn of the
change in state plans.

Tunning said bike paths and lanes help build a community.

In this case, the community was already in place, joining in the
effort
to get the bike lanes.

"Newport's a cool city for having involved citizens," Tunning said.

http://nky.cincinnati.com/proart/?aid=/ab/20140223/news0103/302230060/&pagerestricted=1

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[cycl...@gmail.com]

On Sunday, February 23, 2014 7:11:13 AM UTC-8, Garrison Hilliard wrote:
> Cycling enthusiasts win bike lanes for Ky. 9
>
>
>

> The city of Newport partnered with residents, business owners and
> community organizations this month to nudge the state highway
> department to get bike lanes along the planned new route of Ky. 9 -
> and the state has already given its thumbs-up.
>

> "Newport's a cool city for having involved citizens," Tunning said.

You have to realize that it's becoming more and more apparent that the road systems are designed to come from somewhere else and go to somewhere else. They are no longer there to serve the communities that are footing the bills.

And as these towns collapse under the load of the interest on state debts or the National Debt which is actually some $70 Trillion in unfunded liabilities, the only one's that will be able to afford cars and gasoline will be the rich and famous.

All of that hatred spread about oil companies is about to make the Liberal dream come true. Many of these companies will fall apart at the seams and make poor out of the presently rich. You know those evil billionaires - those with retirement accounts and stock instead of savings accounts? The plumber next door and the little old lady down the block.

This will mean that those fancy new roads will be for trucks for a short while before it becomes plain even to the stupid that railroads move freight easier, faster and cheaper if cities are built for it - and most of the older cities used to be built for it. All those falling apart buildings next to the railroad tracks will become active again.

Trucks will still be used for local deliveries and those super-highways will have Mercedes and Porches driving down the emptiness at 100 mph because they own the country.

So the common man, and he will then really be common, will be walking or riding a bicycle everywhere. And since the rich and famous can't even picture in their minds anyone riding a bicycle on a road, they aren't worried that a bicycle may get in their way. And if it does why the royalty takes right of way doesn't it?

All over San Francisco pedestrians are being killed and the driver only has to say, "He just jumped right out in front of me" to receive a minor citation. Royalty has it's privileges. Even children are required to give right-of-way to the carriages of the royalty. So teach them early not to chase balls out in front of vehicles that these days are all speeding. Streets that used to have 25 mph speed limits on them are now 40 mph because we have to get someplace now.

Putting in a bike lane is nothing more than a nod to the common man. And a way of putting him in his place at the same time. All you have to do is stray from that lane and it's open season.

I wonder if anyone will ever hear the rantings of John Forester who, while perhaps saying it too loudly, saw long ago what was coming in a country that believed that the government could make everyone rich by spending their money.