Bicycle in Parade, Count Results, Police Enforcement, Bike Racks

[Becka Roolf - Going Green]

Montpelier Bikes Project • July 2, 2008

News, Announcements, & Ways to Get Involved

••••• BICYCLES IN THE INDEPENDENCE PARADE - Join Us? ••••• 

Please join us on two wheels in the Independence Day Parade on Thursday, July 3rd.  Montpelier Bikes and FreeRide are co-hosting a group of bicyclists to demonstrate the viability of bicycles as transportation -- including carrying children, dogs, groceries, your work /commuter gear, building materials, camping gear, and other practical items of daily living.  Please bring your bicycle, carrying the most impressive thing you can think of to carry on a bicycle (preferably something you do normally carry somewhat regularly).  RSVP to let us know if you will join us.  

The theme is "Bicycles: The original Sport-Utility Vehicle"

You are encouraged to participate, and make your own home-grown sign to inform the crowd what it is that you are demoing, for example:

   "Camping Gear for a Long Weekend"  

   "Week's Worth of Groceries"   (actual contents do not need to include refrigerator/freezer items :-)

  "Linnaea, age 23 mo., regular bicycle commuter to Turtle Island"  

  "16.5' Canoe, Paddles, and Life Jacket"

  "Transport for a family of 4"

  "Mountain Bikers: Please ride to the trails."

Don't have time to make your sign before Thurs eve?  Bring along your sign-making materials and make your sign while we wait to roll.   I will have some materials, too, including zip ties to fasten to our bicycles.  We are asking everyone to subtitle your sign with "Drive Less, Bike More"  or "This is my SUV"

Parade Details: Parade line up is at 5 pm, and we are assigned to the block of Pearl St. nearest Elm St.   LINE UP #59, approximately here: http://tinyurl.com/62ndsq  You can arrive to our spot in the line-up any time between 5 pm - 5:45 pm.   If you arrive after 5:45 pm, you will not be able to get in, so please plan to come by then at the latest!  Bring your bicycle, helmet, sunblock, water / non-alcoholic drinks, food to eat/share, sign, sense of humor, and impressive things to carry.  PICNIC while we wait:  Because we line up at 5 pm, and don't roll until 6:30 -- my own items to be carried (on a bicycle trailer) will be a picnic table and some chairs.  Bring along some food to eat and/or share, and we'll have a little picnic dinner while we wait in line.  :-)

••••• YOUR INPUT NEEDED FOR BIKE RACKS - Send your suggestions by July 15th ••••• 

Where should Montpelier put some new bike racks in town?  

1. Where would you like to see basic bike racks? (inverted u style -- the type that is currently in front of Coffee Corner)

2. Where would you like to see covered bike sheds?  There would probably be only 2-3 locations in town to start.

3. Where would you like to see bike lockers?  There may be a charge for bike lockers by the day, week or month.

My own list includes: Shaws, Hubbard Park, Uncommon Market, Positive Pie 2, North Branch Nature Center, and several locations downtown.  How about your list?  Please respond by July 15th.  Email your suggestions to:  in...@goinggreenvt.com

In September, Montpelier Bikes will host a public meeting to discuss a draft list of locations, and proposed policies for cost-sharing with private businesses/organizations.  Get your preferred bike rack location on that draft list by emailing us now.

••••• BICYCLE COUNT RESULTS ••••• 

Thanks to Zach Brock, Strat Douthat, Carrie Baker-Stahler, Carl Etnier, Mary Hooper, Dan Currier, and Colin Gunn for counting bicycles and pedestrians in mid June.  We counted two mornings and one afternoon.  In summary, we spotted 85 & 103 bicyclists on the two mornings, and 188 bicyclists in the afternoon (some bicyclists may have passed through more than one count location). We saw roughly 10x as many pedestrians!  About half of the bicyclists were wearing helmets.  Many bicyclists were riding on the sidewalk.  There is room for improvement - both in numbers and in riding technique!  We will count again in September, as part of the National Bicycle Count. 

  Want to see more detail or even check out our spreadsheet data directly?

••••• POLICE ENFORCING BICYCLE LAWS - Remember your lights at night! ••••• 

With our rights to the road come responsibilities!   As the number of bicyclists in Montpelier grows, it becomes more of an issue when bicyclists engage in unsafe behavior.  The state law provides that bicyclists must use a front light and rear reflector at night, and it is not legal to ride on the sidewalk in the Central Business District (essentially, right downtown).  Police Chief Tony Facos, himself a nationally-trained bicycle patrol officer, is working with the Montpelier Bikes Project to produce an educational warning -- in lieu of a ticket -- to hand out to bicyclists who are pulled over (mostly by bicycle patrol officers).   I will post a link for a PDF  to this list as soon as the publication is finalized.  

My understanding is that the police are engaged mostly in an educational effort, which seems positive for bicycling.   If you have had a different experience, please let me know about it.  Even though this is mostly an educational campaign, repeat offenders may be ticketed.  The fine for not having lights at night, or violating other bicycle-specific laws, is $55.  (More coming soon on how to get discounts/ deals on lights & safety gear.)  

••••• SLOW DOWN "Watch for Bikes" SIGNS ARE OUT ••••• 

Hopefully you have seen these around town, and we are getting positive feedback!  We still need a location on Northfield St., and/or out State St. near the creemee stand -- know anyone on these streets?  Please email in...@goinggreenvt.com with proposed hosts.  Thanks to current sign hosts: Phyllis Rubenstein, Suzanne Hechmer, Mary Hooper, Caroline Scribner, Gretchen Elias, Heather Pipino, Ken Jones (and Terrace St. neighbors), Dr. Lanskys (dentists), and Nancy Mears.  We are hoping to get at least ten more signs, as we're getting requests! 

••••• VTRANS TO HOLD PUBLIC TRANSIT FORUM - July 14 - Speak up for bikes! ••••• 

The VT Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition passed along recently that the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans), in conjunction with local public transit providers, in the coming months will host a series of public forums designed to receive comments regarding the future of public transportation.  Come speak up for the bicycle-bus and bicycle-train connection.  Montpelier's forum to be held:  Monday, July 14, 5 p.m. @ Memorial Room, Montpelier City Hall, 39 Main Street.

••••• UPCOMING ••••• 

Saturday, July 26th, 7am. - 5th Annual Onion River Century Ride - Benefits the Kellogg-Hubbard Library!!  113 miles or 100 km (60 miles)

More info at http://www.onionriver.com

Friday, August 8th - Montpelier Art Bike/Walk 

MEET for a "Courteous Mass" ride of downtown at 6:00 pm - meet at the statehouse lawn.   What is "Courteous Mass"?  It's a variation on the controversial "Critical Mass" ride.  Courteous Mass emphasizes riding safely, effectively, and cooperatively with motorized traffic.  Ride with other cyclists for our own safety and enjoyment, but we'll seek to do so in a way that doesn't piss other people off.   (Courteous Mass is also called "Ride Civil" or "Critical Manners".)

Savoy Theater Bicycle Film Series, Saturdays and Sundays, 4 to 6pm

The Savoy Theater will show FREE bicycle-themed films during the month of August, Saturday and Sunday afternoons:

Saturday, August 2: Breaking Away (1979)

Sunday, August 3: Beijing Bicycle (2002)

Saturday, August 9: Bicycle Thief (1948)

Sunday, August 10: Jour de Fete (1949)

Saturday, August 16: The Flying Scotsman (2007)

Sunday, August 17: Still We Ride

Saturday, August 23: Triplets of Belleville (2003)

Sunday, August 24: Filmed By Bike

•••••  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.blogspot.com    To be added or removed from the list, please email: montpel...@gmail.com

Feel free to pass along to interested friends!

GOING GREEN > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

  Bicycle & Pedestrian Planning & Design Expert

  Safety Trainings  •   Bike/Walk Promotion

> > > >  Becka Roolf, Principal  > >  802. 279.4037

http://www.goinggreenvt.com