Biking and Walking News 10-5-12
Ira Weiss
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Biking & Walking News
Ira S. Weiss, Editor October 5, 2012
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
Fairfield Heritage Trail Association Monthly meeting agenda – October 9, 2012 – 6:00 pm
Olivedale Senior Center, Lancaster, OH (Rosedale Meeting Room, basement)
NOTE: AGENDA MAY BE ADJUSTED TO FACILITATE MEETING FLOW
1) CALL TO ORDER
2) APPROVAL OF September 11, 2012 MEETING MINUTES
3) APPROVAL OF THE TREASURER’S REPORT (including Fairfield Foundation funds)
4) Reports on/discussions oF ONGOING items
a) Safe Routes to Schools
b) Lancaster Trail Update/Signs/Educational Opportunities
c) Johns Trail Update
d) Bremen Trail Update
e) Regional Planning Commission Subcommittee
5) NEW AND OLD BUSINESS
a) Website-Bob Williams is working with graphic designer, Arianna C. Everitt to update our website for your approval.
b) Graffiti- Peggy M.
c) Bike Rodeo- Eric
d) Biking Action Alert- Ira and Eric
e) US 22 Bike Lane- Eric
HCM2010 Webinar Series: New Urban Streets Methodology--Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Transit Modes
TRB is cosponsoring a webinar on October 11, 2012, from 12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m. ET, which is being conducted by the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), that will explore the application of the new multimodal urban streets method as it relates to the bicycle, pedestrian, and transit modes.
Participants must register in advance of the webinar, space is limited, and there is a fee for non-TRB Sponsor employees. http://www.ite.org/education/webinars_HCM.asp#NEW_URBAN_STREETS_METHODOLOGY-BICYCLE,_PEDESTRIAN,_AND_TRANSIT_MODES
Please note there are two paths on the ITE website for registering, depending on whether or not you are the employee of a TRB sponsor.
This webinar is the fourth of a six-part joint TRB and ITE webinar series on the HCM2010.
You can order your copy of the HCM2010 today! http://books.trbbookstore.org/hcm10.aspx
HCM2010, which updates HCM2000, will significantly enhance how engineers and planners assess the traffic and environmental effects of highway projects by:
• providing an integrated multimodal approach to the analysis and evaluation of urban streets from the points of view of automobile drivers, transit passengers, bicyclists, and pedestrians;
• addressing the proper application of micro-simulation analysis and the evaluation of those results;
• examining active traffic management in relation to both demand and capacity; and
• exploring specific tools and generalized service volume tables, to assist planners in quickly sizing future facilities.
The HCM 2010 has been split into four volumes:
Volume 1 – Concepts;
Volume 2 - Uninterrupted Flow;
Volume 3 - Interrupted Flow; and
Volume 4 - Applications Guide (electronic only)
This four-volume format was developed to provide information at several levels of detail, to help HCM users more easily apply and understand the concepts, methodologies, and potential applications presented in the manual.
Volume 4 is an electronic-only volume that registered HCM users will be able to access via the Internet. This volume includes four types of content: supplemental chapters on methodological details and emerging issues; interpretations, clarifications, and corrections; comprehensive case studies; and a technical reference library.
E-Newsletter Type: TRB News http://www.trb.org/Main/Public/Blurbs.aspx?fields=ENewsletterType|TRB%20News
This Summary Last Modified On: 10/1/2012
RIDES
2012 Trek Women Breast Cancer Awareness Ride
Mark your calendars and plan to take part in the 2012 Trek Women Breast Cancer Awareness Ride — October 13 at our Westerville location. All proceeds from the Trek Women Breast Cancer Awareness Ride go directly to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Last year, Trek dealers nationwide donated more than $250,000 to the foundation. Join us this year and help in the fight against breast cancer. Choose from fun, safe 10-, 25- and 50-mile routes. All routes begin and end on the bike path, while the 10-mile route is entirely on the bike path. Riders can start the 50-mile route at 7 a.m., while the 10- and 25-mile rides will leave at 10 a.m. Please arrive at least 30 minutes early to check in. All routes are fully supported with water stops and mechanical assistance available.
Stick around afterward for our prize drawing, plus a free lunch and live music. We look forward to seeing you there! http://www.active.com/cycling/westerville-oh/trek-breast-cancer-awareness-ride-trek-store-of-columbus-2012
SAFETY
Revealed: The secret technique used to steal bicycles
By Tuan C. Nguyen | September 28, 2012, 5:05 AM PDT
Sure, those big, heavy-duty steel U-Locks seem like they’d be more than sturdy enough to deter would-be bicycle thieves. But Popular Science recently demonstrated a method thieves can use to hammer their way to a re-possessed bike thanks in part to a simple flaw. While steel is tough to the point where it’s seemingly impenetrable, the materials’ rigidity actually makes it weaker than softer materials that are capable of absorbing the energy when taking a pounding. Rubber is an example of such a flexible, yet strong material. That’s why many locks are case-hardened, with a soft inner core encased in a brittle outer layer that can resist cutting… http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/bulletin/revealed-the-secret-technique-used-to-steal-bicycles/1182?tag=nl.e660&s_cid=e660
News Analysis
To Encourage Biking, Cities Lose the Helmets
By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL
Does requiring safety gear make a safe activity seem dangerous? http://p.nytimes.com/email/re?location=4z5Q7LhI+KVBjmEgFdYACPLKh239P3pgipbzaNgeo9n3pbLbvoxakP7aXkSofkXoThlpOfDxfs+YAMtD3ob9l06bWoLIQTLr8D18Dq3Jsu+zC3ucNYQcarc6jH55ytOTbNeLVVT3FmKXtdc5Zse6Ks8EvfRvTSKmRlcqaJDmNgZrax7N0Un59R+x+u+z4tU6&campaign_id=129&instance_id=21662&segment_id=39729&user_id=ddb002b478d1749a4a8431c3eeae7ff9
HEALTH
Growing obesity problem affects joints
Sunday September 30, 2012 10:01 AM
It might not rival that creak in your knee, but the truth still hurts: We might blame genetics or age for our joint pain, but often it’s caused by those excess pounds we carry around… http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/09/30/health/growing-obesity-problem-affects-joints.html
LOCAL NEWS
Knox County Trail Updates
Here are the latest updates concerning our special trail system:
Kokosing Gap Trail: KCPD recently made improvements to the Rotary Club playground in Howard, thanks to financial assistance from the Ramser family. Speaking of Rotary Club, KCPD wishes to thank Rotary members who donated their time staining kiosks and benches and Rotary Club for the donation of several beautiful park benches. Recent visitors to the Kokosing Gap Trail hail from Brazil, Ethiopia and Thailand.
Heart of Ohio Trail: KCPD wishes to thank the Hilliar Township Trustees for their assistance in spreading gravel at the Centerburg Memorial Park access to the Heart of Ohio Trail.
Kokosing Water Trail: An updated map of the Kokosing Water Trail is now available at launch access sites along the trail. The newly designated Mohican River Water Trail map is included on the flip side of the paddler's guide.
Mohican River Designated Ohio's Ninth Water Trail
KCPD is pleased to announce that the Mohican River was officially designated a state water trail last week in Brinkhaven by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. KCPD spent more than two years making this designation, and the resultant paddler's guide, a reality. This 28.1 mile water trail begins at Mohican State Park and ends at the confluence with the Kokosing River. The paddlers guide developed by the park district is unique in the state of Ohio, since it contains the Mohican River on one side and the Kokosing River on the other. Stop at a launch site on either river to obtain a copy of the map and paddler's guide, or download a five page version (PDF) here.
The Knox County Park District Board of Commissioners have placed a renewal levy on the November ballot. The amount of the park district renewal levy is the same as in 2008, 0.35 mils (the smallest countywide property tax levy on the books). This equates to under a dollar per month per $100,000 auditor valuation.
Heart of Ohio Trail Construction Forges Ahead
The Columbus Road to Thayer Road section of the trail in under construction, with the first coarse layer of asphalt pavement applied. Kokosing Construction serves as the contractor for the project, and this two+ mile section of trail will be open in mid October!
Federal money sought for traffic project, trail in New Albany
By LORI WINCE
ThisWeek Community News Friday September 28, 2012 5:26 AM
New Albany is seeking more than $2.7 million from the federal government to link traffic signals with other communities and to build a leisure-trail connection with Gahanna. Service Director Mark Nemec said that if federal funding is approved, the city will pay engineering costs for both projects… http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/09/28/thisweek27-gh8jh8j2-1.html
SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL
National Walk to School Day celebrated
By Pamela Schehl , Mount Vernon News
October 3, 2012 11:02 am EDT
MOUNT VERNON — Today is National Walk to School Day, an event that was first organized by the Partnership for a Walkable America in 1997 as a way to build awareness for the need for walkable communities. Federal legislation in 2005 established a National Safe Routes to School Program, and Mount Vernon and Fredericktown have been recipients of Safe Routes grants. “We definitely have walkers every day,” said Mount Vernon Superintendent Steve Short, “and the Safe Routes fund and donated money has helped make it easier and safer especially along Mount Vernon Avenue and Division Street.” Short said there are several reasons walking to school is a good idea. As a culture, he said, our pace of life is fast and often hectic: Walking is a way to slow down a little and enjoy the sights along the way. Walking is also a way for students to get physical exercise, Short said, and especially for elementary students it can be good family time as parents walk their children to and/or from school. It can be a time to discuss activities and just chat without the usual distractions. Most of the elementary schools have safety patrols to assist children at intersections near the buildings, and pupils need to make sure they follow the crossing guards’ instructions… National Walk to School Day celebrated http://mountvernonnews.com/local/12/10/03/article?id=2&headline=national-walk-to-school-day-celebrated#ixzz28KZfzyTF
Robert Marchand: Cycling 100 km at age 100
By Claire Lambrecht | September 27, 2012, 6:43 PM PDT
A French man is giving new credence to the phrase “extreme sports” by attempting to become the first centenarian to ride 100 km (62 miles) in a single go. Robert Marchand, a former firefighter from Paris, said he hopes to complete the journey in five hours Friday. “If I make it, I’ll become the best in the world,” Marchand told Reuters Sept. 27. “I know that all over the world, in China, in the United States, in Russia, they’re already looking for someone to beat my record.” Friday’s contest is not Marchand’s first attempt at a world record. In February, he set a centenarian speed record by riding 24.25 km (15.1 miles) in a single hour at the Cycling Union velodrome in Aigle, Switzerland… http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/cities/robert-marchand-cycling-100-km-at-age-100/5464?tag=nl.e660&s_cid=e660
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