Reminder: Prep Course for National Bike Summit

The Bicycle Coalition's prep course/seminar/workshop is right for you if:

1) If you're interested in learning more about the shenanigans going on in Congress regarding the Transportation Bill (Senate passed decent bill 74-22 while the House is still figuring out how bad a bill it wants to vote on); or

2) You're coming down for the Lobby Day on Thursday, March 22nd and want to get prepared on how to make "the ask" of Congressional staffers.  It should be a fun experience; we are going to be on the Hill exactly when the House makes a decision on what to do before the current bill expires on March 31st. Our timing couldn't be better.

What: Federal bicycling advocacy prep course
When: Monday, March 19th
Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Location: Bicycle Coalition's Education Office, 1500 Walnut St, Suite 305.

Refreshments will be served.

Note: This event is in lieu of the March 20th meeting of the Philadelphia City Committee

Ask Lower Merion & Montco to Help Build the Trail Over Manayunk Bridge

Friends of Cynwyd Heritage Trail is rallying support to ask Lower Merion Township and Montgomery County to contribute funds to help build a trail over the Manayunk Bridge. This will be a beautiful, one-of-a-kind trail and there are several ways you can help!

View of Manayunk Bridge from the Cynwyd  Heritage Trail

Background

Lower Merion Township Planning Department wants to apply for a state grant of $500,000  to help fund the building of a trail atop the Manayunk Bridge that will connect Lower Merion to Philadelphia. However, this grant is contingent upon Lower Merion Township (and possibly) Montgomery County together matching that funding.


Last week, the Lower Merion's Parks and Recreation Committee voted to recommend that the Lower Merion Board of Commissioners authorize the township to match the state's $500k grant.


The Lower Merion Board of Commissioners next meet on March 21st and will vote on the measure.

What You Can Do

Hone Your Bicycle Advocacy Skills at Our National Bike Summit Orientation

On Monday, we will host a special National Bike Summit preparation course. “Educating Our Elected Officials In Washington” is designed for those attending the Summit's Capitol Hill day on Thursday, March 22nd, or those interested in setting up a meeting in their Representative's District office. (But it is open to everyone.)

What: Federal bicycling advocacy prep course
When: Monday, March 19th
Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Location: Bicycle Coalition's Education Office, 1500 Walnut St, Suite 305.

Refreshments will be served.

Cyclist Suffers Major Injuries in Franconia Township Crash

According to The Reporter (Lansdale, PA), a bicyclist suffered serious injuries in a crash with a motor vehicle this morning. The crash occured at the S curve on Moyer near Haltermen Rd in a rural section of Franconia Township.

The bicyclist was airlifted to an unnamed hospital. The photo in the article shows a severely damaged front end of the bicycle and a car with a smashed in front window and hood.

UPDATE - The victim has been identified as Lehman E. Kapp, Jr., 66 who suffered serious injuries and was flown to Hahneman Hospital. 


View PA/NJ Bicycle Crashes 2011-2012 in a larger map

National Bike Summit Coming Soon In D.C.

A reminder that the League of American Bicyclists' National Bike Summit is coming up in a week and a half (March 20-22nd). This is the yearly gathering of bicyclists and bicycling advocates in our fair capital.

It's a terrible climate for pedestrian and bicycling funding in Washington DC, which means our attendance and advocacy is needed all the more.

The Summit features a conference portion and a lobbying day. If you are interested in attending the conference portion of the Summit, you should sign up here.

If you would like to come down to Washington for the day on Thursday, March 22nd and join fellow PA and NJ constituents lobbying on the Hill, please send us an email at bike@bicyclecoalition.org so we can include you in the meeting schedule. We are organizing visits with the PA House delegation and Senators Casey and Toomey. It's your opportunity to bring your own voice to Washington and add it to our collective call to save cycling.

UPDATE: the original title of this post had the Summit happening next week, which is incorrect (unless you think of next week as this week, and the week after this week as next week. Ugh, we need standards for this).

Film Crews Will Block Pine/Spruce Bike Lanes (presumably to capture bikes and cars peacefully coexisting)

We just learned that bicyclists will be involuntarily pitching in on Philadelphia's ongoing quest to be The City to film your movie or television show set Somewhere Else.

NBC Productions vehicles have received City permission to block the Spruce and Pine bike lanes from 18th Street to 20th Street. Dates are as follows:

• 8:00 AM on Friday, March 9th until 2:00 AM Saturday, March 10th
• 8:00 AM on Thursday, March 22nd until 2:00 AM Friday, March 23rd (Spruce St only)

We encourage you to still use those streets for your bicycling, but be prepared to share the vehicle lane with other rubberneckers trying to catch glimpses of Somebody.

All we know is that they're shooting scenes for a TV pilot. Let's hope this show is actually set in Philadelphia and shows off our bicycling ways. We'd just hate for our shapely calves, earned through our nation-leading bicycling rates, to be attributed to another city's cyclists.