Washtenaw Bicycling and Walking Coalition March/April Newsletter
Bob Krzewinski
Washtenaw Bicycling and Walking Coalition
March/April 2010 Newsletter
"Promoting transportation options that make sense for a sustainable and livable community."
WBWC Meetings
WBWC Board Meetings - WBWC Board meetings are held at the Ecology Center (117 N. Division in Ann Arbor - just north of Huron) on the first Thursday of every month starting at 7pm. Bicycle parking is available right behind the Ecology Center. The next Board meeting will be Thursday, March 4th, 2010.
For previous WBWC Board meeting minutes, where you can learn of the current activities and projects of the WBWC, visit http://www.wbwc.org/minutes.htm.
During January and February 2010, WBWC Officers, Board members or members…
- Met with Washtenaw County Commissioner Kristin Judge on non-motorized issues of importance to the WBWC.
- Attended the Washtenaw County Safety Summit which was organized by the Washtenaw Area Transportation Study (WATS)
- Attended the Washtenaw Area Transportation Study (WATS) Technical Committee
- Attended the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission Greenways Advisory Committee meeting
- Participated at the City of Ann Arbor Alternative Transportation Task Force meetings
- Met with Pittsfield Township Supervisor Mandy Grewal and Township Planner Paul Montagno on non-motorized issues
- In January, attended the Washtenaw Area Transportation Study Urban Federal Aid Committee and WATS Rural Federal
Local News
Driver Sentenced To Probation In Death Of Local Cyclist
On February 22nd, Ann Arbor.com reported that the driver whose van struck and killed a bicyclist in Pittsfield Township in July was sentenced to two years of probation. The story reported that…
Nicholas Wahl, 20, of Clinton, pleaded guilty to negligent homicide in a sentencing agreement that allowed him to avoid jail time in the death of Tim Pincikowski, 45, of Saline. Judge Melinda Morris sentenced Wahl under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act, which means he won't have a criminal record if he successfully completes probation.
Joe Simon, Wahl’s attorney, said the most significant stipulation of his probation is that Wahl will give lectures and speak to groups of youth about what happened on that day, and the dangers of not paying complete attention while driving. Wahl also was ordered to pay $8,300 in funeral costs and roughly $1,500 in court costs, Simon said.
Wahl admitted to police he took his eyes off the road for a moment to change the radio station just before his van struck Pincikowski. He was driving north on Maple Road in Pittsfield Township on July 28 around 5 p.m. when the accident occurred. Witnesses testified Pincikowski was riding on the fog line or in roadway close to the line near the moment of the accident.
The crash occurred along this stretch of Maple Road in Pittsfield Township. - File photo
Mike Pincikowski, Tim Pincikowski’s son, said after the sentencing that the punishment is what his family was looking for, and jail time would only have served to hurt Wahl's family and take more out of his life.
“We didn’t want anything negative to come out of it for anybody,” Mike Pincikowski said. “And what was given as a sentence to Nicholas is something that myself and my family believes is beneficial to himself and the community in a way that a jail sentence never could be.”
A statement prepared by Pincikowski’s brother and sister, Scott Pincikowski and Karen Gross, which was read before the sentencing, conveyed the same sentiment.
“What Nicholas did seemed innocent,” they said. “He chose to change a preset radio station, something we have all done. But he chose a time to do so when it posed a hazard to others on the road. He saw our brother ahead of him. He thought he had time. He killed our brother ... It would serve no purpose for Nicholas to spend time in jail. Even Tim would say this.” Simon said the accident didn’t involve drinking, texting or fooling around, He said Wahl, who has no prior criminal convictions, is considered an upstanding citizen. He called the accident “tragic.”
“By all accounts, you have two wonderful humans who came together on that day,” Simon said.
WBWC Social Gatherings
Want to get together with like-minded folks to talk about issues related to biking and walking? The WBWC is planning to have periodic social gatherings in various places and times to let people
get together to talk about issues that concern them and help them find ways to work to improve those conditions if so inclined. Special guests show up too, like a recent Gathering where Jeff Irwin, a Washtenaw County Commissioner, talked about non-motorized issues.
Or just show up to talk about issues of the day, such as sidewalk snow clearing, street maintenance, best routes for commuting from point A to B, recommendations for equipment, the list of possibilities is endless! We will have at least one WBWC board member in attendance to help answer questions or provide information on projects we are working on.
The time, date and location of the WBWC Social Gatherings WBWC Google discussion group. If you are not a subscriber to the Google discussion group, you can join by going to http://www.wbwc.org/aboutwbwc.shtml#read-discuss.
Long Time Local Cycling Advocate Passes On
On February 24th, long time WBWC member Doris West passed away. Doris was also a diehard Ann Arbor Bicycle Touring Society member, and for many years the determined leader of the Sunrise Saturday Ride. She was often seen around Ann Arbor on her adult trike. A memorial is planned for Doris on March 20, at 3:00 pm in the gathering room at Brecon Village, where Doris was a resident. There is plenty of parking there and the people who were so special in her life at Brecon can easily attend. The address for the memorial service is 200 Brecon Drive in Saline.
Border To Border Routing At Dexter
In mid-February, the Huron-Clinton Metropark Authority held a public hearing at Hudson Mills Metropark on the routing of the Border To Border Trail (B to B) from Dexter north into Hudson Mills Metropark. Trail proponents at the meeting included representatives from the WBWC, Friends of the Border To Border Trail and Michigan Mountain Biking Association.
Over the past few years, various routings had been contemplated for the B to B north out of Dexter, but at the hearing the preferred route had morphed into one that will roughly leave Warrior Park, go under the railroad bridge, and then follow the west shore of the Huron River. For a map on this routing, visit http://westridgeassociation.org/20081208152406710.pdf. Construction of this path is expected to begin in 2010, with completion into Hudson Mills Metropark planned for 2011.
A more preferred option on the Dexter “north” trail would have been to go though the West Ridge subdivision, but some residents thought that a non-motorized trail would bring crime and parking problems to their neighborhood. As it stands, the alternative picked will be much more costly, requiring a quarter mile of boardwalk through a wetland and is not optimal for reasons of cost, function, environmental impact, and maintainability. The tone of the meeting, however, was generally very positive with several West Ridge residents voicing their support for the trail and stating that the planned trail was one of the reasons that they purchased in the subdivision.
On another Dexter trail note, when the B to B leaves the village going east, the planned route is to follow the south shore of the Huron River and then cross over to the north shore at Dexter-Huron Metropark. Years ago, the main County agency behind the B to B, the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission, obtained a State of Michigan environmental permit to build a B to B bridge at Dexter-Huron Metropark. Then, for not-so-clear reasons, the State revoked the permit. Diligently, the Parks Commission kept trying to have the original permit upheld, even threatening a lawsuit. Happily, the State of Michigan recently gave up its objections to the Dexter-Hudson Metropark B to B bridge, and plans are again forward to take the B to B east from Dexter.
WBWC Attends Local Safety Summit
On February 12th, WBWC members Karen Moorehead, Lily Guzman and Larry Deck attended the Washtenaw County Safety Summit which was organized by the Washtenaw Area Transportation Study (WATS). Topics of particular interest included…
- An Emerging Roundabout Dilemma: Balancing Pedestrian Mobility Against Motorist Safety - bottom line the roundabouts are very safe and are being installed in Michigan and are proving to be very safe.
- 4 to 3 Lane Conversions (sometimes called lane diet). This currently shows injury crashes lower by 26% and ped crashes lower by 37% in the Michigan study of 8 corridors. It is also a real benefit to the elderly population, as well as the cyclists on the road. (Final report due with analysis Sep 2011 in MI). Iowa is very progressive in their lane conversions.
- Pedestrian & Bicycle Roadway Design - Safe, Smart & Defensible: Bikes belong on the road not on the sidewalk unless the rider in under 6 years of age. The best ped/bike design is that which will put the peds/bikes were they will be seen by the motorists and calming traffic flow can help as well.
WBWC Winter 2010 Retreat
In early January 2010, twelve bicycling and walking advocates spent an afternoon at a lovely conference room generously provided by Lurie Terrace. The annual retreat is a chance to step away from routine business, to review directions and priorities.
The WBWC is all-volunteer, and the group has worked in a manner that could be termed ad-hoc. The group would act when someone – inside the group or out -- had a plan for something and an interest in working on it; the group would then try to be supportive of the effort. At the retreat the group embraced efforts to become more organized. A committee structure was defined. Each committee has a leader, and on-going goals and tasks.
Another retreat focus was the effort to attain 501(c)3 status. This is expected to be another step towards a more effective organization, and the WBWC is already a ways along on the process towards it. There were efforts to formalize the group’s attitudes towards issues that are repeatedly faced, (there is now a WBWC “white paper” on the debate between on-road and off-road cycling), and to better document how we work.
The group will still have to be flexible in managing the always changing nexus of volunteers and issues, but they hope that this structure will make it easier to marshal resources. In particular, the group wants and needs to be better at enlisting other bicycling and walking advocates for tasks. They hope that by having some structure it will be easier for newcomers to understand how they can join in.
WBWC Explores Pittsfield Township Non-Motorized Issues
Recently, members of WBWC met with Mandy Grewal, Supervisor of the Board of Trustees for Pittsfield Township. Larry Deck, Phillip Hemenway and Frank Schwende discussed non-motorized projects in Pittsfield with Ms Grewal on February 5th. After the meeting Ms. Grewal escorted us to a planning open house where several members of an urban planning class at the University of Michigan, led by professor Lars Grabner, were available to discuss a creative project in urban planning.
The discussion with Ms Grewal centered on the development of a non-motorized corridor between Ann Arbor and Saline. Ms Grewal and Pittsfield Township planner Paul Montagno described plans for development of a sidepath along Lohr Road from Textile to Ellsworth. We stated our interest in providing this stretch with paved 5-foot shoulders to provide in-road bicycle facilities as well as a sidepath for pedestrians and/or bicycles. We provided Ms. Grewal with a draft copy of our position statement regarding non-motorized facilities, as well as a copy of the WBWC Project Priorities.
Pittsfield's current plan on the Lohr sidepath does not provide facility development north of Ellsworth. Reasons given were that (a) a sidewalk was already present and (b) funds were not available for every worthwhile project. The WBWC argued that striping and/or signage in this area would be helpful to guide cyclists not using the sidewalk to the A2-Saline Road bridge over the interstate.
WBWC efforts to provide ped/bike facilities on this bridge have been well supported by Pittsfield Township. It may be that framing this project as a corridor connecting communities will improve its chances with MDOT. Along that line, the WBWC discussed alternates to Lohr road that would provide a less direct but safe passage through residential neighborhoods. Ms Grewal suggested we could develop signage that would be consistent throughout the county to designate low traffic volume routes of this type. Funding for this sort of project might be available through County Parks.
Larry Deck and Frank Schwende then spent quite some time talking with Professor Lars Grabner. In a nutshell, his class had developed plans to eliminate many roads for cars in Pittsfield Township, to make it inconvenient and inefficient to drive a car except when going to an interstate. Public transit, bicycling and walking would be facilitated by pathway development. Also there was this idea about local biomass production, gasification for local heating and electrical power generation.
County Snow Removal Regulations Resource
The WBWC has on its webpage a summary of sidewalk snow removal ordinances for each city, village and township that has such an ordinance on record. The direct link to the WBWC snow removal ordinance webpage is www.wbwc.org/snow.
The annual bicycle Winter Commuter Challenge will run from December 21st 2009 to March 21st 2010. Cyclists can participate in this friendly competition to see who can put in the most commuter miles through the winter. Registration is easy and it is a great way to stay motivated through the winter and put in the miles. For more information and registration, visit
http://wheelsinmotion.us/articles/commute-challege-main-pg311.htm. The event is sponsored by Wheels in Motion Cycle & Fitness.
The WBWC Ride Around Town (RAT) bicycle rides are held every month in Ann Arbor (even during the winter) with the goal of not only allowing people to ride in a social setting, but also to demonstrate how cyclists can ride in an urban setting and obey all traffic laws. Ann Arbor RAT rides start at Plaza Park, Liberty and Division in Ann Arbor at 6pm on the second Friday of each month, and are generally five miles in length. Since the RAT rides are a demonstration that biking in an urban environment can be done safely, all participants are asked to follow all traffic regulations, wear helmets, and be fully equipped for legal riding (i.e. lights and reflectors).
Michigan News
The 2009 Michigan Bicycle Summit will be on Saturday, March 28, 2009 in the Lansing area. It is your chance to hear Andy Clarke, Executive Director of the League of American Bicyclists, speak. Chris Phelan, founder of the Ride of Silence, will be part of a panel discussing the Ride of Silence. In addition to these two nationally known advocates you will be able to participate in 12 different workshops conducted by Michigan advocates.
On Friday night before the Summit, the LMB will be hosting a reception where they will present their annual awards for the Bicycle Advocate of the Year, Bicycle Educator of the Year, LMB Distinguished Service Award and the LMB Volunteer of the Year Award. Both Andy and Chris will join us at the reception. This event is designed for cyclists who want to learn more about how they can make a difference in the sport they love so much. Not only will people learn from the excellent presenters, but you will network with other bicyclists from around the state and learn what does and does not work for them. For further details and registration, visit www.lmb.org.
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Cyclist-Bashing DJs Dropped From Detroit Radio Station
In early January, radio station WCSX in Detroit announced they were dropping the Deminski and Doyle radio show. Back in an August 2009 show segment on bicyclists, Deminiski and Doyle said, “How many of us drivers are disgusted with how bicyclists take to the road. … I’m sorry, they’re jerks. I doubt very much that any cyclist would have the gumption to call us, but how many of them have seen a bicyclist and would just LOVE to lob something at their heads? … God forbid we try to get by them! The guy on the bike is doing 19 m.p.h., they won’t get over, … and it is just flat-out arrogance. … OH GOD, you just want to go Grand Theft Auto on them. … Just move over. That’s all I’m saying. … I don’t see why they are so arrogant. They are riding something which against your 4,000 pound vehicle could launch them like an acorn.”
The Deminski and Doyle anti-cyclist rant quickly went nationwide, and was a major topic of the League of American Bicyclists Who's Trash Talking Bikes? web page - http://www.bikeleague.org/action/trashtalk/ - Greater Media. Locally, WBWC Board member Paul Alman appeared on the show to try and resolve the issue, but Deminski and Doyle seemed more interested in creating more confrontation, not accommodation. Also, the League of Michigan Bicyclists announced a boycott of WCSX. In ridding themselves of Deminski and Doyle, the stations owners official reason given was that “The decision to end the show hinged on audience preference”.
Michigan Complete Streets Initiative Launched
Complete Streets, the concept that a street is not complete until in takes in account all users, including bicyclists and pedestrians, will receive a real boost in Michigan with the February 2010 formation of the Michigan Complete Streets Coalition. In a press release, the Michigan Complete Streets Coalition stated that…
“Streets are an important part of the livability of our communities. Citizens and organizations across Michigan recognize this fact and are beginning to demand complete streets - roads that are safer, more livable, and welcoming to everyone. A broad coalition of advocates and transportation professionals are working to enact complete streets policies across the state of Michigan. We invite your organization to make a commitment to this statewide effort and join the Michigan Complete Streets Coalition. We were created in 2009 to ensure our state’s roadways are built to accommodate all users of all ages and abilities, including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users and those with disabilities, in addition to automobiles.
More than 100 jurisdictions across the nation have adopted Complete Streets policies – that is, policies that direct transportation planners to accommodate all users when transportation investments are made. Here in Michigan a number of communities, including Lansing, Flint and Jackson, have adopted Complete Streets policies of their own.
The mission of the Michigan Complete Streets Coalition is to see complete streets policies adopted by transportation agencies in jurisdictions across Michigan. We are actively pursuing legislation to ensure that all future transportation projects in Michigan safely accommodate everyone. We also serve as a resource to advocates and officials seeking to adopt policies or resolutions at the local and regional levels”.
The Coalition is a project spearheaded by the League of Michigan Bicyclists, Michigan Environmental Council and AARP. Join us in building on the exciting efforts already underway. Learn more about the coalition and see a full list of partners at: www.micompletestreets.org/partners. The WBWC was in the process of joining the Coalition as of the newsletter deadline.
A Few Benefits of Complete Streets
- Complete Streets are sustainable streets. They encourage uses that don’t contribute to pollution, global warming and congestion.
- Complete Streets direct a better use of taxpayer dollars. Experience has shown that roads built to safely accommodate all users are less costly than fixing dangerous roads after the fact.
- Complete Streets make our towns and cities more attractive by improving safety and encouraging healthier, active lifestyles.
- Complete Streets improve pedestrian and cyclist safety by designing infrastructure with these users in mind – bike lanes, sidewalks, raised medians, better bus stop placement, traffic-calming measures, and treatments for the disabled.
- Complete Streets encourage healthy and active lifestyles.
- Complete Streets improve transportation equity. About one-third of Americans do not drive.
- Complete Streets can help reduce congestion.
Take Action!
According to the January America Walks E-Newsletter, "The Enhancing Livability for All Americans Act of 2009 (H.R. 4287), introduced last month by U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN9) would move the newly created Office of Livability from Federal Highways to the office of the Secretary of Transportation."
"Supported by both Secretary LaHood and advocates for pedestrians and cyclists, this bill proposes competitive grant programs for multimodal transportation planning and projects, disseminates best practices on complete streets and similar strategies and authorizes $750 million per year for this work."
"America Walks supports the goals of H.R. 4287 and encourages you to contact your representative today to express your support. H.R. 4287 will encourage walkable communities, provide money for planning and projects that support walking and become a clearing house for Complete Streets best practices. After decades of steering research and project money to motor vehicles, H.R. 4287 would move us toward livable communities and their pedestrian environment..."
Readers of this newsletter are urged to contact their U.S. Representative urging them to support H.R. 4287. This can be done by a simple phone call (call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for your representatives office). To contact your Representative by email or letter, visit http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml. Also please keep in mind that even in this day of instant electronic communications, still the most effective way to Congress is a hand-written letter (which shows you care enough to sit down and actually write something out).
The share of all trips made by bicycling has risen 25 percent to an even 1 percent according to new figures from the National Household Transportation Survey (NHTS) released last week. Bicycling's journey to work and school numbers both top out at 0.7 percent. The NHTS is in some ways better than the American Community Survey because it asks respondents about all trips, so we can see bicycling's share of all trips in the US. Read more on the League's Blog.
US Transportation Bill Update
The multi-year federal transportation bill - the primary source of U.S. funding for bicycling facilities and programs - remains in limbo. The current legislation, SAFETEA-LU, technically expired at the end of September 2009.
Since then, Congress has approved a series of short transportation bill extensions that keep the funding flowing at current dollar levels. The latest extension will expire on February 28. Additional extensions seem nearly certain, and new legislation may not be fully considered until after the 2010 election in early November.
SAFETEA-LU became law in July 2005, and authorized more than $286 billion in spending - including more than $4 billion for bicycling and walking projects. While extensions provide continuing funding for nearly all transportation programs (including bicycling-related ones), their short-term nature discourage transportation officials from committing to ambitious, long-term efforts.
Last summer, House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee chairman Jim Oberstar of Minnesota introduced a $500 billion transportation bill blueprint that includes a variety of new measures that support bicycling. While this bill was approved by the House T&I Committee, it has not been addressed by the full House of Representatives.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate and Obama Administration have sent mixed signals on their readiness to consider a new transportation bill during this session of Congress. One key, ongoing issue is the funding mechanism: the Highway Trust Fund, which is supported by the Federal excise tax on motor vehicle fuel purchases, has been running a significant deficit. Bikes Belong and its America Bikes partners continue to monitor the process and push the America Bikes platform for the next transportation bill. Read more at www.americabikes.org.
Advance Advocacy Helps Find Federal Non-Motorized Funds
According to a January 4th American Bicyclist Update article, "As part of the continuing partnership between the League of American Bicyclists and the Alliance for Bicycling & Walking, the Advocacy Advance Team has created a series of reports to help Alliance member organizations access Federal funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects including: Section 402 - Highway Safety Grants, Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Plan (CMAQ). For a brief description of each report, a request for more of your stories, and links to other Advocacy Advance resources, visit our blog or the Advocacy Advance section of bikeleague.org.". For more on this story, visit http://tinyurl.com/y8h23n4, and http://tinyurl.com/ophrw6.
Is the U.S. Love Affair With The Car Coming To An End?
According to a Earth Policy Institute news release, "Between 1950 and 2008 more cars were added to our roads virtually every year as the total fleet expanded steadily from 49 million to 250 million vehicles. In 2009, however, 14 million cars were scrapped while only 10 million cars were sold, shrinking the fleet by 4 million vehicles, or nearly 2 percent. With record numbers of cars set to reach retirement age between now and 2020, the fleet could shrink by some 10 percent, dropping from the all-time high of 250 million in 2008 to 225 million in 2020."
"The United States, with 246 million motor vehicles and 209 million licensed drivers, is facing market saturation. With 5 vehicles for every 4 drivers, the 4-million-vehicle contraction in the U.S. fleet in 2009 does not come as a great surprise. In a largely rural society, more cars provided mobility, but in a society that is now over 80 percent urban, more cars provide immobility."
"A combination of driver frustration and the soaring congestion costs associated with wasted time and fuel are leading to a cultural shift that is reducing the role of the automobile as people turn to alternatives. Almost every major U.S. city is either building new light rail or express bus systems, or expanding and upgrading existing ones to reduce dependence on cars. The peak fleet may now be behind us..." For more on this story visit http://tinyurl.com/y9lux4d.
The Hidden Benefits Of Exercise
According to a Jan. 5th Wall Street Journal article, "Physical activity has long been known to bestow such benefits as helping to maintain a healthy weight and reduce stress, not to mention tightening those abs. Now, a growing body of research is showing that regular exercise-as simple as a brisk 30- to 45-minute walk five times a week-can boost the body's immune system, increasing the circulation of natural killer cells that fight off viruses and bacteria. And exercise has been shown to improve the body's response to the influenza vaccine, making it more effective at keeping the virus at bay."
"'No pill or nutritional supplement has the power of near-daily moderate activity in lowering the number of sick days people take,' says David Nieman, director of Appalachian State University's Human Performance Lab in Kannapolis, N.C. Dr. Nieman has conducted several randomized controlled studies showing that people who walked briskly for 45 minutes, five days a week over 12 to 15 weeks had fewer and less severe upper respiratory tract infections, such as colds and flu. These subjects reduced their number of sick days 25% to 50% compared with sedentary control subjects, he says..." For more on this article visit http://tinyurl.com/y9r9a6s.
Mobile Phone Use While Bicycling Study
A recent article in the European journal Ergonomics studied the effects of mobile phone use on cycling behavior. In study 1, the prevalence of mobile phone use while cycling was assessed. In one town, 2.2% of cyclists were observed talking on their phone and 0.6% were text messaging or entering a phone number. In study 2, accident-involved cyclists responded to a questionnaire. Only 0.5% stated that they were using their phone at the time of the accident. In study 3, participants used a phone while cycling.
The content of the conversation was manipulated and participants also had to enter a text message. Data were compared with just cycling and cycling while listening to music. Telephoning coincided with reduced speed, reduced peripheral vision performance and increased risk and mental effort ratings. Text messaging had the largest negative impact on cycling performance. Higher mental workload and lower speed may account for the relatively low number of people calling involved in accidents. For more on this story, visit http://tinyurl.com/ylysomt and http://tinyurl.com/yj7phvq.
Walking & Bicycling Lessons From Overseas
In an article in the January/February issue of Public Roads, Gabe Rousseau of Federal Highway Administration asked, "What comes to mind when you picture a livable community? Many people probably imagine scenes of bicyclists riding the streets, children walking to school, perhaps riders hopping on streetcars to go to work or run errands, friends meeting in front of storefronts, or diners sitting at outdoor cafes. Roadway congestion and lengthy distances to destinations probably do not spring to mind."
"The concept of walkable, bicycle-friendly, and transit-oriented communities received considerable attention when U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray H. LaHood launched a 'livable initiative' shortly after being confirmed. 'One of my highest priorities is to help promote more livable communities through sustainable surface transportation programs,' he added in a March 2009 appearance before the U.S. House of Representatives. Livability has been offered by Secretary LaHood and others as a way to positively affect transportation emissions, climate change, housing affordability, and public health..." For more on this story visit http://tinyurl.com/ylxs3ee.
Big Cities Unite to Promote Cycling
Congressman Earl Blumenauer, New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, and artist/musician David Byrne joined officials from 15 big U.S. cities to unveil Cities for Cycling December 8 in Washington, D.C. Cities for Cycling is a new effort by city governments to promote best practices in urban cycling and to increase the use of bicycles to improve urban mobility, livability and public health while reducing traffic congestion and CO2 emissions.
Bikes Belong and the SRAM Cycling Fund are providing support for Cities for Cycling - a project of the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO). Cities for Cycling is comprised of transportation and elected officials from Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.
Cities for Cycling will feature an online repository of bike-friendly street best practice factsheets as well as a library of links to cities' technical design guidelines for innovative bicycle facilities. The project will convene leading planning experts from cities around the United States and abroad to share information and stimulate the development of a new generation of better bicycle facilities. For more information, visit www.citiesforcycling.org.
EPA Offering Non-Motorized Related Grants
According to Environmental Protection Agencys website, "Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) is a competitive grant program that offers an innovative way for a community to organize and take action to reduce toxic pollution in its local environment. Through CARE, a community creates a partnership that implements solutions to reduce releases of toxic pollutants and minimize people's exposure to them. By providing financial and technical assistance, EPA helps CARE communities get on the path to a renewed environment." For more info, go to: http://tinyurl.com/29fzwo
Taking Back A Neighborhood Through Positive Loitering
n a recent ChicagoTalks article, Dan Kleinman wrote, "With recent press throughout the city, 'Positive Loitering' is quickly becoming a buzz word in the community. Having been an organizer of Neighborhood Nights in Edgewater, I feel that there is something more to say about positive loitering; not about the mission, but about the method.
I remember when I started talking to the 'loiterers' on Thorndale and I asked them what they thought of a new idea: 'We're gonna set up some tables here and play games together,' I said. Most laughed. A month later we set up card tables, a tent, and a grill. 'I didn't think you were serious,' a 'loiterer' said to me. We did this every Monday of the summer, for fourteen consecutive weeks. People of all ages came, and suddenly, those who had once been called 'the loiterers over there' were now participants in an inviting community event..." For more on positive loitering, visit http://tinyurl.com/yjywmhl and http://tinyurl.com/l75jj7.
Will Mrs. Obama Focus On Safe Routes Efforts?
In a Jan. 19th BikePortland blog, editor Jonathan Maus wrote, "America has a long legacy of First Ladies who have used their diplomatic profile to further specific causes, so I was very pleased to learn that Michelle Obama's focus would be obesity. Anyone who has spent time in the bike advocacy world knows that the obesity epidemic is often thrown around as a key reason why our country needs to put a higher priority on biking."
"So, is the First Lady's focus on obesity and 'healthy families' something to get excited about? I put that question to the State Network Director of the Safe Routes National Partnership, Robert Ping. Ping works out of an office in North Portland and is the former Safe Routes to School coordinator for the Bicycle Transportation Alliance..." For more information visit http://tinyurl.com/ybby4fj.
With distracted motorist driving being a major threat to those bicycling the roads, the following websites may be of interest about the problem…
www.focusdriven.org - National anti-distracted driving advocacy group
www.distraction.gov - U.S. Department of Transportation distracted driving website
www.saferteendriving.org - C.A.R. Alliance For Safe Teen Driving
www.saferoads.org - Advocates For Highway & Auto Safety scorecard
People who live near multi-use trails are 50% more likely to be physically active and up to 80% more likely to bicycle according to the report "Active Transportation: Making the Link from Transportation to Physical Activity and Obesity," Active Living Research research brief, Summer 2009 - http://www.activelivingresearch.org/files/ALR_Brief_ActiveTransportation.pdf
Eight Ways To Create Utopias For Cyclists And Pedestrians
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/02/8-ways-to-create-ped-and-cyclist-utopia.php?campaign=weekly_nl
Report in the Journal of Public Transportation - http://tinyurl.com/ydc369e
A Guide To Signing Cycle Networks
From the journal Injury Prevention - http://tinyurl.com/2lnund
Pedestrian Forum Magazine
The Winter 2010 edition of FHWA's pedestrian newsletter can be downloaded at http://tinyurl.com/yb3tty7
The Bike Tree: 21st Century Bicycle Storage
Illegal parking of bicycles in Japanese cities is a major problem. But one company has come up with an ingenious and elegant solution: http://tinyurl.com/yl9v48a
Next WBWC Newsletter deadline – April 10th, 2010 (for the May/June edition). Submissions can be sent to Bob Krzewinski at wolv...@yahoo.com.