Biking and Walking News 6-1-12
Ira Weiss
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Biking & Walking News
Ira S. Weiss, Editor June 1, 2012
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
The bipartisan Senate plan to protect funding that can help make walking and biking safer Is under attack.
As the House and Senate negotiations continue, we need you to help defend a crucial provision in the Senate bill that is under attack.
Known as the Cardin-Cochran amendment, it would help our cities and towns revitalize Main streets, improve public health, and make streets safer for everyone who uses them. It does that by giving them the ability to make choices about how transportation dollars are spent in their communities.
Can you take just a minute to tell your senators and representative to preserve and defend the Cardin-Cochran amendment? http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=%2FyqCi0DZG28h0CrnoeuOop8GLa4Y05IH
Many of you wrote your senators about this amendment back in February, resulting in a huge victory when it won bipartisan support and was included in the Senate bill. But it’s under attack right now and could be scrapped as the House and Senate negotiate a final transportation bill if we don’t fight for it. Today.
If this important provision isn’t included in the final transportation bill, Congress would take transportation choices away from local governments and give the state sole power over them.
Senators already recognized that they should give control and choice back to local governments to invest in the smaller projects in their communities that revitalize their communities while building out a full transportation network that is safe for everyone.
These issues are being decided this week in the conference negotiations. So please tell your Senator and representative to preserve the Cardin-Cochran provision.
Thanks for your support,
Stephen Lee Davis
Deputy Communications Director
Transportation for America
MORPC's Complete Streets Toolkit Now Available
MORPC is pleased to inform you that the Complete Streets Toolkit has been finalized and published in hard-copy format. It is available for download at: http://morpc.org/transportation/complete_streets/toolkit.asp.
In addition to the Toolkit, the MORPC website (www.morpc.org/completestreets) includes a variety of resources related to Complete Streets, including links to local Complete Streets ordinances and policies. More information on Complete Streets is also contained at the end of this message. We welcome any questions or feedback you may have regarding the Complete Streets Toolkit, how we can improve it, and the general topic of Complete Streets.
Information about Complete Streets
The Complete Streets concept has been gaining attention over the last several years. Complete Streets are roadways designed to safely and comfortably accommodate all users, including, but not limited to motorists, cyclists, pedestrians, transit and school bus riders, delivery and service personnel, freight haulers, and emergency responders. Complete Streets allow for a wider range of transportation options compared to conventional roadway designs, resulting in improved safety, mobility, and community health.
It has been found both nationally and through a survey by the Columbus Chamber of Commerce that certain desirable classes of the labor force (young professionals and the creative class, for example) find neighborhoods which accommodate walkers, bicyclists, and transit to be more attractive to live and work. Among other reasons, the idea has become popular as it addresses the significant segment of the population that cannot drive due to health or financial reasons, and provides choices to those who prefer not to drive. As the demographics of communities throughout central Ohio change over the next few decades, this segment of the population will grow, making Complete Streets an even more important part of the transportation system.
MORPC strongly encourages its member agencies to incorporate Complete Streets elements into their projects. Doing so will allow central Ohio to remain competitive with the other cities and regions around the country that are designing and building Complete Streets. To this end, MORPC adopted a Complete Streets Policy in April, 2010, which requires that transportation projects utilizing MORPC-attributable funds accommodate all users of the roadway. In order to better enable our member agencies to implement Complete Streets, MORPC has developed a Complete Streets Toolkit, which is enclosed.
The Toolkit is a wide ranging resource for planning, designing, constructing, and maintaining Complete Streets. Within its pages, you will find guidance and best practices relating to engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement, evaluation, land use, transit, and parking management. Additionally, the document contains “model policies” which can serve as a template for creating a Complete Streets policy in your community.
The Complete Streets Toolkit indicates MORPC’s major commitment to making the streets of central Ohio safe and comfortable for all users. We sincerely hope that you will join us in this commitment by implementing Complete Streets in your community.
New "Biking Ohio's Rail-Trails" paperback guide book for 2012 to be released May 30,2012
Colorful 256 paged guidebook includes maps, photos, trail descriptions on all of Ohio's major bike trails & rail trails. For more information, contact the Wooster Book Company, 330-262-1688. This is Shawn E. Richardson (author of Biking Ohio's Rail-Trails). My new e-mail address is bikingusa...@yahoo.com . This book was printed in USA and the publisher is out of Wooster, OH (The Wooster Book Company). They have a website, although it's due for updating. For now, it's best to reach them at their phone #, 330-262-1688. David Weisbenberg is the best person to speak to.
CEO Challenge 2012!
June 11th--7:30 a.m.
It's time for the 2012 CEO Bike to Work Challenge!
The CEO Challenge isn't just fun, it's also important. It's important because bicycling is important to our community. Bicycling attracts young people to Columbus. Bicycling is good for everybody's health. Bicycling is a great family activity. Bicycling helps us rediscover our unique and wonderful neighborhoods and businesses. Quite simply, bicycling makes Columbus a better place to live and work! So show that you support bicycling by joining us at the 2012 CEO Bike to Work Challenge!
Date, Time and Location
- Monday, June 11
- Please arrive at the Grange Insurance Audubon Center by 7:30 a.m. and be ready to launch about 7:45 a.m.
Grange Insurance Audubon Center
505 W. Whittier Street
Columbus, OH 43215
There is ample parking at the Audubon Center and down the hill by the climbing wall. Thanks to the folks at the Audubon Center and MetroParks for hosting us!
Program
We will ride over to Front Street and then north to City Hall. Mayor "Biking" Mike Coleman and other special guests will say a few words after we arrive at City Hall. Café Brioso will provide coffee, baked goods and fruit cups for us. Trek Bicycle Stores of Columbus will be at City Hall for us if your bike needs a quick post-ride once-over. We'll be done by 8:45 a.m. or so.
Dress
Biker Casual: some folks will be in spandex, but traditionally the majority of CEOs wear casual work clothes. You can always dress for your destination.
Need a Bike?
Contact Bryan Saums by Friday, June 8 at br...@considerbiking.org if you need a bike for the ride. We'll have a bike and helmet ready for you at the Audubon Center the morning of the ride.
Weather
We will ride rain or shine. (We pushed this back to June for a better shot at "shine.")
Other
If you need help getting from City Hall to your office, we will have experienced cyclists available to accompany you. Likewise, if you need an escort or a lift back to the Audubon Center to retrieve your car, let us know. Please contact Bryan Saums at br...@considerbiking.org to let him know what you need.
This event features our CEOs, but is for everyone! So please encourage your colleagues, family and friends to join us.
RSVP
Please RSVP to me at br...@considerbiking.org to let me know if you can join us.
Questions
If I've missed anything, please contact me with any other questions you may have.
Central Ohio Alliance for Active Communities (formerly the Physical Activity Roundtable) invites you to attend…
Get Moving, Central Ohio! Summit
WHAT
Discover the key to helping Central Ohio become more active. Join breakout discussions on how to increase physical activity in our schools, communities, and worksites. Learn how you can make Central Ohio a national leader.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER – MARK FENTON*
Don’t miss Mark Fenton’s high-energy, engaging, and empowering presentation, tailor-made for our community, on the need for purposeful collaboration now.
*Mark Fenton is a nationally recognized author and speaker on public health, planning and transportation
WHEN
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
8:00am – 12:00pm
WHERE
Whetstone Park Shelterhouse at the Park of Roses
Formal invitation and registration information coming soon. For questions, contact Jamie Turner, 614-645-6055 or jbtu...@columbus.gov
MORPC Presents Tenth Annual Riverfest on Tour!
Free Activities in Central Ohio
(Columbus –May 31, 2012 ) Riverfest on Tour!, the annual month-long celebration of Ohio’s greatest resource, water, is offering free activities for families throughout the month of July in central Ohio. Riverfest on Tour! is a service of The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC).
The tenth annual Riverfest on Tour! is a celebration of central Ohio’s rivers and waterways, educating the public about the vital role waterways play in the community. Viewing the shore from the seat of a canoe or catching a fish- these are the experiences that help people develop a lifelong attachment to the natural heritage of our region. Riverfest on Tour! extends to people of all income levels the ability to participate in these activities free of charge and to develop a connection and commitment to our natural resources.
Activities include:
· Children’s Fishing
Saturday, June 9th from 11am-1pm
Drop a line in Schrock Lake and try to catch a big one. Limited bait and poles provided. Age 15 and younger (adults 60 and older are also permitted to fish.)
Sharon Woods Metro Park; Schrock Lake Picnic Shelter
6911 Cleveland Ave, Westerville, OH
Questions: call the Sharon Woods Naturalist Office at 614-865-4507
· Creek Exploration: Big Walnut Creek
Saturday, June 9th at 3pm
We’ll use nets, buckets, and scoops to uncover fish and other critters in our creeks. Please wear close-toed shoes and be prepared to wade. Meet at Three Creeks Park, Confluence trail bulletin board.
3860 Bixby Rd, Groveport, OH
· Passport to Fishing
Sunday, June 10th from 1-3pm
Learn about fish habitat, knots, casting and fishing tips while completing the Division of Wildlife’s Passport to Fishing program. Then, stay to fish for as long as you’d like. Space is limited. Ages 7-15. Must pre-register at http://reservations.metroparks.net/programs
Meet at the Three Creeks Park, Confluence Trail bulletin board
3860 Bixby Rd, Groveport, OH
· Creek Walk
Sunday, June 10th at 2pm
Explore Spring Creek on a 1.5 mile round-trip hike on the trail and in the water. Meet at Apple Ridge Picnic Shelter at Sharon Wood Metro Park.
6991 Cleveland Ave, Westerville, OH
· Lunchtime Chat: Vernal Pools
Tuesday, June 12th at 12pm
Eat your lunch while enjoying an indoor presentation about these secretive acres in the forests of Sharon Woods Metro Park.
6911 Cleveland Ave, Westerville, OH
· Three Creeks Fest
Saturday, June 23rd from 11am-3pm
Join us for a family fun day to celebrate recreation and watersheds at Three Creeks. Enjoy hands-on environmental exhibits, craft, bike safety checks, games, canoeing, live animals from the Ohio Wildlife Center, and more!
3860 Bixby Rd, Groveport, OH
· Grand Finale Celebration
Friday, June 29th from 5-8 pm
Riverfest On Tour! will conclude at COSI. The event will include a film festival, educational exhibits, and the exhibit Water at COSI.
“Riverfest On Tour! is a time to bring your families out to celebrate Ohio’s most precious resource; our water,” states Amanda McEldowney, MORPC Associate Planner. “With six major bodies of water in central Ohio we have to be environmentally conscious of how we are treating our water system and Riverfest On Tour! provides the educational component along with a lot of fun for families for free.” For more information on Riverfest On Tour! contact Amanda McEldowney at 614-233-4112, email amcel...@morpc.org or visit www.riverfestcolumbus.org.
Outlook | Trends Shaping Our World
Columbus among top cycling cities
Columbus ranks 15th for bicycle commuting in the United States, according to 2010 census figures for cities with more than 250,000 workers. Portland, Ore., where bicycles carry 5.4 percent of workers, was No. 1 in the study of the data by Bloomberg Rankings. San Francisco was third, followed by Seattle, Washington, D.C. and Denver. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/insight/2012/05/27/insbrfs-0527-art-gnkhejcn-1.html
RIDES
Change Gears Ride a Bike: 2012 Ride for Your Health This Saturday
The Licking County Health Department will be offering the third annual Change Gears- Ride a Bike: Ride for Your Health on Saturday, June 2nd on the bike paths in Licking County. This event is for everyone, including families and long-distance bikers. Riders will be able to participate in distance rides of their choice. Participants are now able to ride from Johnstown to Nashport (and back) with the completion of the downtown Newark bike path connector. Check-in will be available at both the Newark campus of Central Ohio Technical College (COTC) and the Ohio State University at Newark (OSUN), adjacent to the bike trail, and at the west end of the T.J. Evans Trail in Johnstown. Check-in will begin at 8am and staff will be on-site until noon. Youth will also be able to participate in a bike skills rodeo at OSUN/COTC location beginning at 9am. All bike riders will need to wear a bike helmet during the ride and rodeo. Helmets will be available at no cost to those children and adults in need at both check-in locations (while supplies last). Please be aware, bike repair services will not be available, so come prepared. Finally, those who register online at www.lcwalc.org will be provided a healthy snack. Pit stops, with water and restroom facilities, will be available in Granville and Johnstown. There is no cost to participate so come join in the fun! If you have questions about the ride, please call (740) 349-6535, press 0 and ask for the Wellness Program. The 2012 Change Gears event is sponsored by the Licking County Health Department (LCHD), We're Active Licking County (WALC), Licking County Area Transportation Study (LCATS), the City of Newark, Bayer MaterialScience, Downtown Johnstown, Inc., Granville Recreation District and Huntington National Bank. Contact Info: Kate White kdw...@lickingcohealth.org (740) 349-6535
Marion has it all Saturday
6:10 AM, May. 31, 2012
MARION -- If you like to ride a hog or a Huffy, stay up all night or gaze at vintage automobiles, there is something for you to do in Marion this weekend… Hot Tamale Bicycle Tour: Residents of all ages can enjoy a quiet ride through Marion County on the 29th annual Hot Tamale Bicycle Tour, sponsored by the Heart of Ohio Tailwinds Bicycle Club. Dan Sheridan, a member of the club, said most of the money raised on the tour will go toward the continued cleanup and development of the Marion Tallgrass Trail. "It (the tour) will help build the trail," he said. "It is basically a fundraiser for that." There are four distances - 8 miles, 16 miles, 32 miles and 64 miles. Sheridan said the 8-mile route would work for people who have not ridden much before, and the 64-mile route is for experienced riders. "Most people generally have an idea of how far they are able to go," he said. "People who do the 64-mile route have been training for it." This year, the club is dedicating their ride to Ed Miller, one of the founders of Tailwinds. Miller passed away in February. Sheridan said riders come from all over Ohio and five or six different states to ride on the tour. "We usually have around 500 riders. They love the quiet country roads that surround Marion…" http://www.marionstar.com/article/20120531/ENTERTAINMENT/205310301/Cars-bicycles-relay-all-happening-Saturday?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage
CELEBRATE THE GRAND OPENING: URBANA - BELLEFONTAINE CONNECTOR OF THE SIMON KENTON TRAIL
JOIN THE CITY OF URBANA AND THE SIMON KENTON PATHFINDERS
SUNDAY JUNE 03,2012
2:00 P.M.
644 MIAMI STREET, URBANA, OHIO 43078
Featured Speaker: Alan Kingsberry USA Olympic Cyclists“TAKE IT THE TOP”
Tour de Cure pedals to battle diabetes June 9
By JENNIFER NESBITT
ThisWeek Community News Wednesday May 23, 2012 2:58 PM
It affects nearly 1 million people across Ohio, and much work remains in the effort to raise awareness and money to fight diabetes in the Buckeye state. The American Diabetes Association's 2012 Tour de Cure, a bicycling event, will begin at 6 a.m. June 9 at Westerville Central High School. "Every 17 seconds, someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with diabetes," said Tisha Reynolds, the American Diabetes Association's Tour de Cure coordinator. "There are also thousands of people living with diabetes who don't know they have the disease." Nearly 840,000 Ohioans have been diagnosed with diabetes, Reynolds said, and 300,000 to 400,000 Ohioans are estimated to be living with the disease without realizing it. "(With the tour), we're trying to raise money for advocacy information, research and education for people that have diabetes," Reynolds said. The 2012 Tour de Cure includes 30-, 60- and 100-mile bike rides, as well as a 12-mile family-fun ride. The longer rides are more difficult, allowing all levels of riders to participate, said Frank Bibens, Emerson Network Power president and chairman of the Tour de Cure… http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/northland/news/2012/05/22/tour-de-cure-pedals-to-battle-diabetes-june-9.html
Register NOW for the BikeColumbus Festival, July 13 and 14, 2012
Mayor’s Twilight Ride – Friday, July 13, begins at 7:00 PM –Join Mayor Michael B. Coleman for the Third Annual Twilight Ride. Rides of 10 miles (before sundown) and 20 miles are offered. Event begins and ends at COSI where all riders return to WaterFire Columbus for free entrance, entertainment and bonfires on the riverfront. Cost is $25 (early bird) and $30 - or $50 for Twilight and Barbour Rides. Free family event from 4PM-5:30PM.
Steve Barbour Memorial Ride – Saturday July 14, at 7 AM, distances of 31, 62, 93, or 124 miles. Tours launch from COSI. Enjoy spectacular route into Hocking County, a great ride plus food, “a special gift” for the first 500 riders and entertainment after the ride. Lunch/Snack/Rest stops along the way. Cost is $40 or $50 for the Barbour and Twilight Rides. www.bikecolumbusfestival.com
Ohio cyclists honoring siblings, friend lost to cancer
6:16 AM, May. 30, 2012
CHILLICOTHE -- A pair of avid cyclists from Chillicothe will try to turn their losses into gains this summer as they attempt a coast-to-coast bike ride. John Payne, the recently-retired principal of Chillicothe High School, and Stephen Steele, a city firefighter and paramedic, plan to pedal their way east from Astoria, Ore., to Yorktown, Va., -- a grueling, 4,250-mile tribute to two siblings and a friend whose lives were cut short by cancer. The disease has cast a shadow over the two men's lives. Payne lost his brother, David, to brain cancer in 2010. Steele's sister, Louise Dreitzler, died 17 years ago from ovarian cancer. Their mutual friend and fellow rider, Marsha Tootle, lost her battle with ovarian cancer in 2011. As recently as two years ago, she was planning to join them on the ride. Payne and Steele are riding in their memory and raising money for cancer research in the process. As of Tuesday night, they'd already collected $4,000 toward their goal of $10,000, even though they have yet to leave for Oregon… http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/article/20120530/NEWS01/205300313/-1/NLETTER01/Ohio-cyclists-honoring-siblings--friend-lost-to-cancer?source=nletter-news
SAFETY
Cyclist suffers minor injuries in collision with vehicle
May. 25, 2012
LANCASTER -- A 12-year-old girl is recovering after crashing her bike into the side of a vehicle Wednesday, sending her over its hood. Kayla M. Moore, of Lancaster, was riding her bike north along Maher Avenue at about 8:40 p.m. Wednesday when she failed to stop at a stop sign, authorities said. Pamela J. Allen, 61, of Lancaster, was traveling east along West Hubert Avenue, when Moore drove into the side of her vehicle. Moore was taken by Lancaster EMS to Fairfield Medical Center, where she was treated and released. http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/article/20120525/NEWS01/205250325/Cyclist-suffers-minor-injuries-collision-vehicle
Boy flown to hospital after bike crash
10:42 PM, May. 24, 2012
Written by
Advocate staff report
NEWARK — A 16-year-old boy was flown to Children’s Hospital in Columbus on Thursday after he crashed his bike into a street sign at John Clem Elementary School. Emergency crews were called to the scene around 8 p.m. The boy was flown to Children’s with non-life threatening injuries, Newark Fire Lt. Darby Rehbeck said. http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20120524/NEWS01/120524014/Boy-flown-hospital-after-bike-crash
To protect pedestrians, government wants all hybrids and electric vehicles to emit a certain amount of noise
By Paul Collins
SLATE Monday May 28, 2012 5:45 AM
The 2012 Chevy Volt is among the electric vehicles and hybrids that can sneak up on pedestrians. Forget gas mileage: The most striking aspect of the new Ford Focus Electric is what it doesn’t have. “Battery-powered cars are intrinsically quiet, the motor sound falling between a whir and a whisper,” marvels a New York Times review of the car. “But the Focus is deep-space silent, the quietest of the many electric cars I’ve driven.” And that, it turns out, is a problem. Thanks to the Pedestrian Safety Act of 2010, by this summer the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration is required to initiate a rule-making process for minimal vehicle noise: not how quiet, but how loud a car must be. That’s because agency studies in 2009 and 2011 confirmed what many long suspected: Hybrids and electric cars are too quiet for the blind or the fully sighted to hear coming. The agency found little statistically significant difference in collisions at speeds higher than 35 mph, when wind and tire noise negate the difference in engine noise. But at lower speeds, hybrids and electric vehicles are 37 percent more likely to hit walkers and 66 percent more likely to collide with cyclists than traditional gas-powered cars… http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2012/05/28/uproar-about-quiet.html
Ira: The noise from my hybrid comes from the tires. Hate them. Another major safety issue is the number of pedestrians and cyclists using earphones. I can’t tell you how many time I say “on your left” or “good morning” and people don’t even hear me. No wonder they get hit.
Letter: City bicyclists can use these pointers
Monday May 28, 2012 3:12 AM
I have advice for bicyclists who ride on Columbus streets:
• Riders should stay as close to the curb as is safe. Riding in the middle of right lanes on multi-lane streets is unsafe, whether bicycle signs are there or not. I realize there are many sharp objects near the curbs thrown there by litterbugs. They have to be avoided.
• Riders should obey traffic signals and stop signs, especially on busy streets. Many adults ignore these and give the rest of us bicycle riders a bad name.
• Use hand signals to indicate turns. I have been riding on Columbus streets since 1975 and have had only three accidents, one of which was with a car that sideswiped me. Remember, riders, ride smart. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2012/05/28/city-bicyclists-can-use-these-pointers.html
HEALTH
A weighty problem
Growing obesity rate spells bad news for individuals, nation
Wednesday May 30, 2012 5:47 AM
Americans are getting heavier, and it’s endangering their health and the nation’s economy. Projections from a Duke University study, presented at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Weight of the Nation conference earlier this month, are alarming: Currently, about one of three Americans is obese. Within two decades, if nothing changes, 42 percent of the population could be obese. That’s nearly half. For those tempted to discount the warning, consider that America’s weight problem isn’t exactly creeping up on us. The increase has been dramatic. Twenty years ago, not a single state had even 20 percent of its population considered as obese. Today, there isn’t a single state where at least 20 percent of the population isn’t obese. This growing girth is strikingly illustrated on an interactive map at http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html Obesity-related health problems — stroke, heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer — drive up health-care costs by about $150 billion a year. That’s a conservative estimate, but represents nearly 10 percent of national yearly medical spending… http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2012/05/30/a-weighty-problem.html
LOCAL NEWS
‘I Spy’ on two wheels
Photographer captures scenery from bike
Saturday May 26, 2012 9:28 AM
As a career photographer, Karl Kuntz doesn’t leave home without a camera. Even when traveling by bicycle. In fact, the Dispatch chief picture editor frequently combines his two passions — enjoying both the ride and the scenery. Presented here is a sampling of photos captured during his two-wheeled adventures in central Ohio. http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/life_and_entertainment/2012/05/26/i-spy-on-two-wheels.html
Main Street makeover
Committee wants street to be city's best
By KELLEY YOUMAN
ThisWeek Community News Wednesday May 30, 2012 4:27 PM
The city of Bexley and a committee of community volunteers are putting the finishing touches on plans for 2013, a time that Bexley Mayor Ben Kessler has called "the year of Main Street." Using funding from a tax-increment financing district established in 2005, Bexley plans to make significant upgrades along the stretch of Main Street between Gould Road and Parkview Avenue -- what the committee members affectionately refer to as the "Main Street Mile." The city plans to spend about $1.8 million, using money generated from the TIF, to pay a 10-year bond. The TIF district generates about $180,000 annually, Kessler said. Proposed plans call for the installation of brick crosswalks at the intersections of Main Street and Drexel, Roosevelt and Cassady avenues. Other pedestrian-friendly features include striped crosswalks at other Main Street intersections and the installation of features such as bike racks and benches… http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/bexley/news/2012/05/29/main-street-makeover-committee-wants-street-to-be-citys-best.html
Columbus aims to become world-class cycling community with infrastructure improvements
Business First by Cindy Bent Findlay | Business First
Date: Friday, May 25, 2012, 6:00am EDT - Last Modified: Thursday, May 24, 2012, 12:38pm EDT
Jeff Davis of Cafe Brioso said he chose his Gay Street location in part because he knew it would be easy for cyclists to get to. Columbus is spending $6.4 million on bike paths, streetside bike lanes and other bicycling infrastructure this year. Barry Schumann appreciates the effort. From time to time, Schumann commutes to work on a COTA bus with his bicycle and then pedals about 20 miles back home to Westerville, mostly along the Olentangy River Trail from American Electric Power Company Inc.’s downtown headquarters… http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2012/05/25/columbus-investing-millions-in.html
Emerald Parkway improvements: Drivers, cyclists to benefit
By Lydia Coutré
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Thursday May 31, 2012 7:38 AM
While attempting to ease daily traffic backups for commuters along Emerald Parkway, officials have taken into consideration a growing segment of the transportation mix: bicyclists. The $7.7 million improvements to Emerald Parkway are expected to be completed in August 2013. The project, which began in early May, will widen Emerald Parkway one lane in each direction between Tuttle Crossing Boulevard and Rings Road, install roundabouts at Lakehurst Court and Glendon Court, and add medians, a sidewalk and a shared-use path for bicyclists and pedestrians. Improving safety and managing access better are the priorities of the joint project between the cities of Dublin and Columbus, but Paul Hammersmith, director of engineering in Dublin, also hopes the work will decrease traffic congestion. A $4.3 million grant from the Ohio Public Works Commission covers project costs related to design, right-of-way acquisition, construction and other expenses, Hammersmith said. The remaining costs are split between Dublin and Columbus in proportion to the roadway length in each jurisdiction. Dublin will pay about $1.3 million while Columbus will pay $2.1 million. Taking bicyclists into consideration in designing the project will help a growing number of people seeking more transportation options, said Jeff Stephens, chairman of the Columbus Transportation and Pedestrian Commission and a volunteer with Consider Biking. Jeannie Martin, Dublin’s bicycle coordinator, added that it’s important “to offer multiple ways to get from point A to point B,” especially on a road heavily traveled by commuters and visitors to local businesses. The Emerald Parkway improvements will help connect major bike paths in the area. Biking enthusiast Aaron Daniels said he now has only one way to get to his job at Cardinal Health: his car. The improvements along Emerald Parkway would provide an alternative route that gets him “one step closer” to a safe bike commute… http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/05/31/drivers-cyclists-to-benefit.html
KCPD's "Knox On The Outside" for June 2012
Celebrate "National Trail Day" by taking a hike in a park, walking or biking on the bike trail system, or floating a boat on a water trail. Events are listed in this newsletter to help you celebrate National Trail Day on June 2nd!
Get Your Tail to the Trail" Walk – June 2nd (9am) – Mohican Valley Trail, Bridge of Dreams
The “Get Your Tail to the Trail,” the monthly wellness walk sponsored by the Knox County Health Department and the Knox County Park District will begin at the picturesque Bridge of Dreams. There is no cost to take part in the walk, and pre-registration is not necessary. The first fifty people to sign up that morning will receive a deluxe water bottle free of charge!
2012 Update to the Knox County Comprehensive Plan
For several years, the Knox County Park District and other agencies, volunteers and organizations, have diligently worked at updating Knox County's comprehensive plan. To download the draft plan, please click here (11mb - large file size) http://www.knoxcountyparks.org/PDFS/plan.pdf . The Public is asked to send any comments or suggestions to: Darrel Severns, Secretary/ Director of the Knox County Regional Planning Commission,117 East High Street Mount Vernon, OH 43050, or by email to knoxpl...@co.knox.oh.us. Deadline to receive comments will be Saturday June 30, 2012.
Trail Updates
Here are the latest updates concerning our special trail system:
Kokosing Gap Trail: The Knox County Park District has received a generous donation from Ramser Arboretum to rehabilitate the Rotary Park play structure in Howard along the trail. KCPD reminds all users to practice good trail etiquette and to be civil to each other. Here are some excerpts from the Miami Valley Trails website. Bicyclists: Warn slower moving traffic that you are passing. Sound your bell or say loudly before you get to the other traffic "On Your Left." The speeds of a bike make it possible to startle other trail users, so don't wait to give your warning until you are right next to the walker or runner. Do give enough time. Walkers: Walk on the right side of the trail, slowest traffic keep right; pass on left. Avoid walking three abreast. Be sure pets are under control at all times.
Additionally, trail users should leave their valuables at home or carry their valuables with them on the trail, rather than leaving them in a car. Report any suspicious behavior on the trail or in trail parking lots to the Knox County Sheriff's department.
Heart of Ohio Trail: Federal authorization needed to proceed with the paving of the trail from Thayer to Columbus roads was received yesterday. A public notice period, followed by the selection of a contractor, will comprise the next phase of the project.
Mohican Valley Trail: On June 16th from 7-9:30am, the annual 5K Turkey Trot will occur at the Danville end of the trail. To register for the Turkey Trot or to view more event information, click here. http://turkeyfestival.info/?page_id=213
As bike path lengthens, village, Columbus agree on rules
By ALAN FROMAN
ThisWeek Community News Wednesday May 30, 2012 3:14 PM
Marble Cliff Village Council has approved a proposed memorandum of understanding between the village and the city of Columbus Recreation and Parks Department that would establish guidelines for the operation of the portion of the Scioto Trail Bikeway located in the village. Columbus plans to construct an extension of the bikeway this year from the Riversedge complex at 1335 Dublin Road to Fifth Avenue and from the Dublin Road water plant to Grandview Avenue. Village Council approved a draft of the memorandum at its May 21 meeting. Columbus has not yet approved the document. "Columbus has assured us that the project will not be a maintenance burden for Marble Cliff," said village Engineer Louis McFarland. The proposed memorandum of understanding states the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department must maintain and administer the portion of the bikeway located in the village. Columbus would be responsible for the day-to-day operations and maintenance of the trail and for all major maintenance and construction along the bikeway. The village, through its service contract with the city of Grandview Heights, would have law enforcement jurisdiction along the Marble Cliff section of the bike trail and would enforce village ordinances and Ohio Revised Code… http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/grandview/news/2012/05/29/as-bike-path-grows-village-city-agree-on-rules.html
Newark couple shows off antique bicycle
5:39 PM, May. 31, 2012
Written by
Kent Mallett
Advocate Reporter
NEWARK — Paul and Lena Mae Weekly stored an old bicycle built for two in their basement more than 40 years, always planning to restore it. Finally, last year, they asked Dave Bardsley if he would attempt a restoration of the bicycle, which turned out to be an 1892 Wolff-American model, similar to one on display at the Smithsonian Institution. The result was a surprise Christmas present for the Newark couple, with the restored product now on display in the lobby of the Licking County Administration Building, 20 S. Second St., Newark. The Licking County Commissioners and Newark Mayor Jeff Hall recognized the Weeklys on Thursday for sharing the bicycle with the public. They discussed asking The Works if it would put the bicycle on display after its stay in the county building… http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20120531/NEWS01/120531008/Newark-couple-shows-off-antique-bicycle?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage
Bike path from Heath to U.S. 40 to be completed
6:23 AM, May. 25, 2012
Written by
Anna Sudar
Advocate Reporter
NEWARK -- After a four-year delay, the Thomas J. Evans Foundation will complete an extension of a controversial bike trail, extending it from Irving Wick Drive to U.S. 40. The foundation presented the Licking Park District with a lease that would require the district to maintain the new portion of the trail when it is completed. The district's board passed a resolution to approve the document at its Wednesday night meeting. The 3.26-mile extension will connect to the Heath bike trail system, said Sarah Wallace, president of the foundation. It will go from the south edge of Irving Wick Drive to the north side of U.S. 40. The trail will be built on a rail bed formerly used by the Buckeye Central Scenic Railroad. The foundation bought the land in 1984. The foundation began construction of the path in 2007, but Heath and Licking Township residents began protesting the project, according to Advocate archives. The path was paved from Hopewell Drive to East Irving Wick Drive in July 2008 but was stopped when Licking Township residents staged a sit-in on the path to halt construction. Residents along the path claimed the land always had been theirs and reverted to their ownership when the rail line was removed. They claimed the foundation's deed was incomplete and they had been paying taxes on the land in question, according to a May 2009 Advocate article… http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20120525/NEWS01/205250303/Bike-path-from-Heath-U-S-40-completed
Controversial Bike Trail Will Go Forward After 4-Year Delay
Several members of the Licking Township community are unhappy about an approved bike path extension that will be built behind their homes, connecting the Heath Bike Trail to U.S. Route 40. (more)
By: Rick Reitzel | NBC4
Published: May 28, 2012
LICKING TOWNSHIP, Ohio –
Neighbors in Licking Township say the battle over a 3.26-mile extension of a bike trail is not over. The Thomas J. Evans Foundation started construction on the bike path in 2007 and had to halt when neighbors blocked their path. The legal dispute over ownership was settled in court, and the foundation will move ahead with construction after signing a lease with the Licking Park District over maintenance. Jeff Baucher lives on South Fork Road and said the trail will run through area yards. He said he worries about security because the bike path is encroaching their homes. "It may turn out to be a good thing, who know, but then again it could turn out to be not such a good thing who's going to be responsible? It is going to be us," Baucher said. Bicyclists who talked to NBC4 on the existing part of the T.J. Evans Trail at Granville said they liked the idea of an extension… http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2012/may/28/controversial-bike-trail-will-go-forward-after-a-4-ar-1052054/?sc_cid=CMH-NEWS-8pmDlyNews
Suffolk sidewalks at standstill as council pledges cash
By MARK DUBOVEC
ThisWeek Community News Wednesday May 30, 2012 10:23 AM
Upper Arlington City Council agreed to pay the difference for the increased cost of a sidewalk on Suffolk Road, but an invalidated petition might make it unnecessary. Council held a special meeting following its regular council session May 21 and voted to include the construction of a sidewalk on Suffolk between Coventry and Andover roads in the city's 2012 Street Reconstruction Program, provided the project meets the "statutory requirements" of state law, according to the amended ordinance. The sidewalk project stemmed from a resident-driven petition. In June 2010, 11 of the 16 property owners on that stretch of Suffolk signed a petition in favor of installing sidewalks. The Ohio Revised Code requires at least 60 percent of the affected property owners show support. According city records, council unanimously passed a resolution Feb. 14, 2011, "declaring it necessary to install sidewalks on Suffolk Road." Meeting minutes indicate there were no questions or comments from the public… http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/upperarlington/news/2012/05/29/suffolk-sidewalks-at-standstill-as-council-pledges-cash.html
SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL
2012 SRTS Projects Announced
http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/Planning/ProgramMgt/Projects/SafeRoutes/Documents/2012%20SRTS%20Announced%20Projects.pdf
Grant to make getting to Taft School safer
Project will mark crosswalks, build pedestrian bridge
6:10 AM, May. 31, 2012
Written by
John Jarvis
The Marion Star
MARION - Her elementary schoolmates spotted an opening between cars whizzing along Fairground Street and bolted to the other side. They made it. She started, hesitated, stopped and returned to the side of the street from where she began as her companions watched. Temporarily defeated, she waited another five to 10 minutes before she was able to cross safely on her way home from Taft Elementary School on the city's north side. The successful applicants for a Safe Routes to School grant hope the $368,000 they receive will end such scenes, making safety improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists within a 1-mile walking radius of Taft Elementary in the Fair Park subdivision. On Wednesday, Nicole Stithem walked her children, Ivan A. Stithem Jr., a preschooler, and Gina Stithem, a second-grader, to a car she parks regularly on Richmond Avenue behind Taft Elementary to avoid the parade of vehicles picking up students at the front of the building when school dismisses. "I've had this concern for awhile," Stithem said. She was pleased to hear about the grant secured jointly by the city of Marion, Marion City Schools and Marion Public Health. "I'm scared one of the kids is going to get hit. ... I think it'll help a lot." The plan includes construction of sidewalk along a portion of Fairground Street near Fair Park and a 3-inch raised crosswalk on Fairground Street that will be marked with flashing lights. Also, the grant will be used to build a pedestrian bridge over Blum Ditch on the north side of the school, improving pedestrian access for students who live in the area of Richmond and Barbados avenues. City Service Director Jay Shoup said working through the Ohio Department of Transportation process the project will be designed in 2013 and the work will be completed in 2014. "It's something that's overdue," Shoup said. "It's certainly a great enhancement for the school. It's our largest city elementary school, so it impacts the most students and ..., if nothing else, it's an improvement to the infrastructure. It will enhance the appearance of everything…" http://www.marionstar.com/article/20120531/NEWS01/205310302/Grant-make-getting-Taft-School-safer
Skipping the Bus for Kids' Fitness
The trip to school is a good opportunity for kids to exercise. Scientists who studied thousands of children’s transportation methods learned that walking and biking to school were common in kids under 10 but declined after that. They found that urban and low-income kids, youngsters living with single parents, and those who had friends or siblings to accompany them all were more likely than average to bike or walk to school. Researchers suggest that proximity to school, levels of parental trust, neighborhood safety, and income all play a role. The bottom line: Encouraging kids to walk or bike to school, provided the route is safe, can be a great way for young people to work more exercise into their day. Source: Pediatrics, July 4, 2011 http://forecast.diabetes.org/magazine/forecast/skipping-bus-kids-fitness
Slowing Drivers Down: Why It Matters, and 2 Communities' Solutions
Traffic safety, especially the speed of cars around schools, is one of the biggest barriers to walking and biking to school reported by parents. Reducing the speed of traffic around schools is a step toward making routes to school safer and encouraging families to walk and bike. The upcoming Safe Routes to School Webinar will highlight the strategies used by two communities to successfully slow vehicle speeds around schools.
Date: Thursday, June 14, 2012
Time: 1-2 p.m. ET
Scott Bricker, executive director of America Walks, will review relevant research around speed and pedestrian and bicyclist safety and provide a general overview of steps your community can take to slow vehicle speeds around schools. Then, Elizabeth Stampe, director of Walk San Francisco, will discuss how her organization worked with the city’s transportation department to enforce an existing state law and help to reduce speed limits around 181 schools. Finally, Mark Lear, from the Portland Bureau of Transportation, will describe the city’s development of a neighborhood greenways network with speed limits of 20 mph. He’ll present some basic design elements of Portland’s greenways and discuss how they built a diverse community coalition to achieve their goals. http://saferoutesinfo.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=55978ef31b4a403489524d3b8&id=83098d5d31&e=d0be8f88ec
A Global Perspective: Lessons from International SRTS Programs
Safe Routes to School projects are thriving around the world. This 60-minute webinar will illustrate the projects of two international programs.
Date: Thursday, June 28, 2012
Time: 1-2 p.m. ET
Register now.
First, Jacky Kennedy, director of Canada Walks, will introduce Canada’s School Travel Planning Project. This program, originally tested in four provinces and disseminated to 120 schools in every part of Canada, created a detailed, step-by-step guide for building a comprehensive, community-based active school travel program. Next, Dr. Catherine O’Brien, a professor at Cape Brenton University working in partnership with the Canada Walks School Travel Planning Project, will discuss her research on “sustainable happiness.” This concept links walking and biking to individual, community and global well-being, and provides further evidence of the benefits of walking and biking to school. Finally, Gary Shipp, national projects coordinator from Sustrans in the United Kingdom, will describe how his organization’s approach is a community-centered one that builds on small steps to gradually change travel behavior. Sustrans’ goal is to get the whole school community involved and motivated in the program so that sustainable and active travel becomes part of the culture of the community for future generations.
For more information
These webinars are part of the Safe Routes to School webinar series, developed by America Walks and the National Center for Safe Routes to School. For more information, please contact Michelle Gulley at mgu...@americawalks.org. http://saferoutesinfo.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=55978ef31b4a403489524d3b8&id=ae4d62b5bf&e=d0be8f88ec
National Complete Streets Coalition to become an official program of Smart Growth America
The National Complete Streets Coalition, a group of advocates and transportation practitioners that works to improve the look, feel, and function of roads and streets in America’s communities, has approved a proposal to incorporate the Coalition as an official program of Smart Growth America. “The Coalition has had spectacular success as an ad-hoc group for seven years,” said Barbara McCann, Executive Director and founder of the Coalition. “Now it needs a more formal and sustainable structure to better serve the growth of complete streets.” “Complete streets are a vital component of strong, vibrant neighborhoods,” said Geoff Anderson, President and CEO of Smart Growth America. “Adding the Coalition as a new program aligns with our goal of making communities work for everyone. This is something that goes beyond safety and access and speaks to the need to develop towns and cities in ways that improve quality of life, enhance economic futures and create great places to live and work.” The partnership will become official on July 1, 2012. http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=f68ivPQvfe69RnvcQoqhQ6uel0dqi9ap
Lorain-Carnegie Bridge to undergo $4.5 million redesign for pedestrians, bicyclists
Published: Monday, May 28, 2012, 12:05 PM
By Tom Breckenridge, The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A historic bridge over the Cuyahoga River valley is about to enter a new era, one that caters to those on bike and foot. Crews this week will launch a $4.5 million project to install shared bike-and-car lanes and a broad sidewalk on Lorain-Carnegie (Hope Memorial) Bridge. The project, along with the makeover of Abbey Avenue near the bridge's west end, will better link cyclists, runners and walkers among three of the city's fastest-growing, walkable neighborhoods – downtown Cleveland, Ohio City and Tremont, said Ken Silliman, Mayor Frank Jackson's chief of staff. Expanding bike networks into a city's core adds vibrancy and lures young city-goers, experts say. As always, the gain will come with some traffic pain. Traffic headed west over the bridge will be restricted to one lane only from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays the first couple weeks of construction. Starting in mid-June, the single lane will be in place around the clock until the project is finished late this year… http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2012/05/post_20.html
What Drivers Really Think About Bikers: The History and Psychology of Sharing the Road
Amanda Hess
Lifestyle Editor, GOOD
May 22, 2012 • 3:00 am PDTWhen I lived in “bike-friendly” Washington, D.C.—the 68-square-mile District is painted with 48 miles of bike lanes—I rode my bike to work almost every day. My commute was often punctuated with contentious interactions with pedestrians and drivers. Once when I was stopped at a light, a man in a gold Cadillac emptied a bottle of water onto my lap, laughed, and sped away. A woman driving a black Range Rover veered into the bike lane, then rolled down her window to tell me to watch where I was going. Every morning, I rode past a white-painted ghost bike chained to the intersection where a young cyclist had been flattened by a garbage truck. The investigation concluded that no one was to blame. Of course, only one person was dead. I always wondered why it was so difficult for drivers to just pay attention and not be assholes. Then I moved to Los Angeles and got a car. Here, we do not operate our vehicles so much as we hang out in them. Hunkered in my sedan, I’m now comfortable juggling an iced coffee and the radio dial while “courtesy” honking the car in front of me. Only when I jump back on my bicycle do I become a little bit scared about the person that I become when I’m behind the wheel. The conversation about “sharing the road” revolves around classes of “drivers” and “bikers” and “pedestrians,” as if we are members of competing tribes. (See our related video on how to share the road and not be a douchebag.) But in reality, a cyclist throws her Schwinn in the back seat and becomes a driver; a driver opens her door and becomes a pedestrian. So why does she sometimes open that door straight into the path of an oncoming cyclist?... http://www.good.is/post/what-drivers-really-think-about-bikers-the-history-and-psychology-of-sharing-the-road/?utm_source=Sightline+Newsletters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=9fa6b79667-SightlineDaily
Opinion
Now Coveted: A Walkable, Convenient Place
By CHRISTOPHER B. LEINBERGER
Published: May 25, 2012
WALKING isn’t just good for you. It has become an indicator of your socioeconomic status. Until the 1990s, exclusive suburban homes that were accessible only by car cost more, per square foot, than other kinds of American housing. Now, however, these suburbs have become overbuilt, and housing values have fallen. Today, the most valuable real estate lies in walkable urban locations. Many of these now pricey places were slums just 30 years ago. Mariela Alfonzo and I just released a Brookings Institution study that measures values of commercial and residential real estate in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, which includes the surrounding suburbs in Virginia and Maryland. Our research shows that real estate values increase as neighborhoods became more walkable, where everyday needs, including working, can be met by walking, transit or biking. There is a five-step “ladder” of walkability, from least to most walkable. On average, each step up the walkability ladder adds $9 per square foot to annual office rents, $7 per square foot to retail rents, more than $300 per month to apartment rents and nearly $82 per square foot to home values. As a neighborhood moves up each step of the five-step walkability ladder, the average household income of those who live there increases some $10,000. People who live in more walkable places tend to earn more, but they also tend to pay a higher percentage of their income for housing. Although we have not studied all urban areas to the same degree, these findings appear to apply to much of the rest of the country. In metropolitan Seattle in 1996, the suburban Redmond area, home to Microsoft, had the same price per square foot as Capitol Hill, a walkable area adjacent to downtown, based on data from Zillow. Today, Capitol Hill is valued nearly 50 percent above Redmond. In Columbus, Ohio, the highest housing values recorded by Zillow in 1996 were in the suburb of Worthington, where prices were 135 percent higher than in the struggling neighborhood of Short North, adjacent to the city’s center. Today, Short North housing values are 30 percent higher than those of Worthington, and downtown Columbus has the highest housing values in that metropolitan area… http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/27/opinion/sunday/now-coveted-a-walkable-convenient-place.html?_r=1
Past issues are available here: http://www.considerbiking.org/category/newsletters/
Contact Information
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Web site - www.considerbiking.org
Facebook - Facebook Page change to http://www.facebook.com/considerbiking
Twitter - @Consider_Biking http://twitter.com/#!/consider_biking
Biking and Walking Newsletter Editor, Ira S. Weiss - iwe...@insight.rr.com
Consider Biking Staff, http://www.considerbiking.org/contact/ 614-447-8894
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Ira S. Weiss
11735 Eddington
Pickerington, OH 43147