New Bike Lanes, Climate Action 350 Ride - News from Montpelier Bikes

[Going Green]

Montpelier Bikes Project • Fall 2009

News, Announcements, & Ways to Get Involved

• • • • •  Montpelier's First Bike Lanes - Thanks to many of you!   • • • • •  

Ongoing support for a bicycle network still needed.

Thanks to many of you for your support at June's City Council meeting, bicycle lanes were included in the Route 2/302 paving project over the summer.  While the lanes aren't completely continuous (and we're still awaiting the arrival of the bicycle pavement markings), these bicycle lanes are a step in the right direction!  Many thanks to all of you for your input and turn out, as well as to Mayor Mary Hooper for her support, Tom McArdle at Montpelier DPW for his technical assistance and putting in the change order, City Manager Bill Fraser for getting us on the agenda, and the Montpelier Bikes steering committee for their guidance.  

In slightly discouraging news, the other item for which we received City Council support in June -- a Transportation Enhancements grant to do a bicycle network retrofit throughout the city on existing city streets -- has not been moved forward by the city staff.  Some staffers may need to hear from you, especially DPW Director Todd Law, tl...@montpelier-vt.org or 223-9508, and City Manager Bill Fraser, wfr...@montpelier-vt.org 223-9502.  If you are riding down the street and encounter a place you'd like to have a bike lane, a shared lane marking, or a bike box -- feel free to call up or email our city staff or your city council member and let them know.  A list of city councilors is available here: http://www.montpelier-vt.org/council/index.cfm#members

Sidewalks get a lot of attention in Montpelier, because citizens are vocal about their interest in having sidewalks.  While we bicyclists had nice success in turning out around 50-60 bicyclists at City Council last June, and we have consistently had good support through the Envision Montpelier process -- we still need to be more vocal in an ongoing way.  When a car cuts you off at an intersection, or if you feel like you're being forced off the road - maybe that can be your trigger that it's time for a friendly mention to our city officials that bicycle accommodation on the roadway would do a lot to remind drivers that bikes have a right to be on the road.

• • • • •  Climate Action 350 Bicycle Ride   • • • • •  

Saturday, October 24 • meet at 1 pm

This local action for the International Day of Climate Action will call attention to the need to reduce our CO2 levels to 350 ppm, and support the development of the Montpelier-Barre Bicycle Path. All-ages, family-friendly, no-lycra-required 10-mile bike ride along the Barre-Montpelier Road to a midpoint where we will meet a group bicycling from Barre.  The route will include the new bike lanes on Route 2 and the Barre-Montpelier Road!  At the midpoint, celebrate bicycles as sustainable transportation, and hear an update from local officials about the progress on the path.  Ages 8+ with parent, younger kids on tandems, trail-a-bikes, or trailers.  Helmets recommended for all.  All cyclists are encouraged to donate $3.50 toward the bike path.  Meet at 1 pm at Montpelier High School, rain or shine.  For more information, see www.montpelierbikes.org or www.350.org/Montpelier

Please join us for the ride!  

Volunteers are also needed for the following tasks related to the ride: 

1. Tabling at the Farmers' Market (10/17 and 10/24) - contact Carolyn Grodinsky cgrod...@yahoo.com  
2. Being "ride marshals" to help keep everyone riding smoothly and safely during the ride - contact Becka Roolf in...@goinggreenvt.com
3. Other miscellaneous tasks - contact George Plumb gpl...@pshift.com

• • • • •  Bike Parking at Hunger Mountain Coop • • • • •  

Hunger Mountain Co-op, due to budget constraints, will not construct a bike shelter as we had hoped.  However, 6 new bicycle racks - parking for 12 bikes - will soon appear in an improved location right by the Co-op entrance.  There will also be sufficient space for bicycle trailers. If you would like to encourage the Co-op to move ahead with building a bike shelter to cover the new racks, please fill out a comment card or talk to Co-op manager Kari Bradley. 

• • • • •  Montpelier Safe Routes to School - Walk to School Day - October 14 • • • • •  

This upcoming Wednesday, October 14th is Union Elementary School's celebration of October as International Walk/Bike to School Month.  The day will feature walking school buses (walking groups) from several neighborhoods in town.  Regular walking groups roll from the Terrace St. neighborhood and George St. (off Berlin St.) area.  Additional walking groups will be added on this one day from College St. / VT College green and the Meadow neighborhood.   For more information, contact Barry at 229-5120 or bmcph...@yahoo.ie  -- or look for a flyer coming home with your child early next week!

• • • • •  Montpelier Energy Team Reconvening • • • • •  

Our parent team, the Montpelier Energy Team, has been fairly inactive for the past year.  A "reconvening" of the Energy Team is in the works for early November, to seek active volunteers for a list of ready-to-go projects, and jointly deciding on others the team will pursue.  An ongoing connection with the Montpelier Bikes project will be part of the revival. The date is still being set; contact Energy Team Coordinator Barry McPhee at at 229-5120 or bmcph...@yahoo.ie if you would like to be informed of the meeting date, or otherwise involved.

• • • • •  Could You Host a Bicycle Sign in Your Yard? • • • • •  

We have some spiffy new yellow signs, and 9 of these are available to be adopted!  Montpelier Bikes is looking for sign "hosts" who live along main streets in town - especially Northfield St., Towne Hill Rd.,Berlin St., and State St. near the creemee stand.  If you live along one of these streets, please let us know if you would be willing to put a sign in your yard for another month, and then store it somewhere safely for the winter to put back up next spring.  Want to see what the sign looks like?  See: http://montpelierbikes.blogspot.com/2008/06/could-you-host-bicycle-sign-in-your.html

If you can host a sign, please email in...@goinggreenvt.com

Montpelier Bikes formed in 2007 as a subcommittee of the Montpelier Energy Team.  Our steering committee includes representatives from Onion River Sports, the Montpelier Downtown Community Association, consulting firm Going Green, Community Connections / Montpelier Safe Routes to School, FreeRide, and local citizens.  The Montpelier Bikes Project is funded with a grant from the Mazur Foundation, and with the support of the City of Montpelier. 

More info: http://montpelierbikes.org  To be added or removed from the list, please email: pe...@montpelierbikes.org

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