R6 Ivy Ridge Line

R6 Ivy Ridge Line would make a very nice trail


SEPTA abandoned this line in the 1980's and talks about running the Schuylkill Valley Metro are now focused on the other R6 (Norristown)

Interesting enough is that when the Ivy Ridge service was active the train did a loop starting in Ivy Ridge via Center City then coming back around to Manayunk Ivy Ridge station (adjacent tracks) to Norristown.

Lower Merion has put the rail line right of way in its open space plans. There is an open house planned on October 5 at the Township Building in Ardmore.

Philly Official Killed in Bicycling Mishap

Philly Official Killed in Bicycling Mishap

From WPVI
PHILADELPHIA-September 26, 2005 - The spokesman for Philadelphia's Commerce Department was killed Sunday in a bicycle accident in Northeast Philadelphia.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, police say Tom McNally was riding on a sidewalk when he apparently stopped short at a red light and was thrown from his bike at the intersection of Rowland and Tyson avenues in Mayfair. An oncoming car ran over him.

The 47-year-old McNally had been a city employee for more than 20 years.

He was the city's chief spokesman for the Live 8 concert in July, and more recently in the city's relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina.

Mayor John Street said in a statement that McNally was "a man who performed his duties with both passion and a professionalism that inspired all who had the pleasure to know him."

(Copyright 2005 by the Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Home Grocery Delivery in Philadelphia

Home Grocery Delivery in Philadelphia

Acme Markets and Genuardi's are two supermarket chains that offer online shopping and home delivery, a very convenient service for the car free.

For Genuardi's The minimum order is $50, and delivery costs $9.95 with a two-hour window for delivery, or $7.95 with a four-hour delivery window. Orders over $150 have a delivery charge is $4.95.

Acme charges $9.95 for delivery they emphasize that there is no tipping of the drivers.

Watching the Destructive Force of the Auto in Real Time

Watching the Destructive Force of the Auto in Real Time

It was one the most disturbing things I ever seen on television... on the Weather Channel! At about 9PM Meteoroligist Jim Cantore was reporting on Hurricane Rita evacuation from a side of the road in Seabrook, Texas. In the background was a dog that may have escaped from a car standing in traffic. Moments later a car struck and apparently killed the dog on Live TV. The driver simply drove on . Cantore kept reporting the story but the cameraman quietly repositioned the camera to hide the dead dog behind him.

Very disturbing, the automobile claims another life.

MLK Drive Road Diet

A Kinder and Gentler Martin Luther King Drive

MLK Drive Road Diet

Here is an concept that reduces MLK Drive in Fairmount Park from 4 lanes to 2 and adding a green median and bike lanes.

Schuylkill River Bridge - Sidepath Concept

Here is a concept to replace a narrow crumbling sidewalk with a usable path. Right now the road has 3 lanes, one 5ft shoulder and and a 5 ft sidewalk.

New Report - Transportation Lessons Learned From Katrina

New Report - Transportation Lessons Learned From Katrina

Lessons From Katrina: What A Major Disaster Can Teach Transportation Planners

By Todd Litman


Summary
This paper examines failures in Hurricane Katrina disaster response and their lessons for transportation policy and planning in other communities. It identifies various policy and planning strategies that can help create a more efficient, equitable and resilient transport system.

The evacuation plan functioned relatively well for motorists, but failed to serve people who depend on public transit. Transport planners can help prevent future disasters by demanding that emergency response plans devote at least as much attention to the evacuation and care of non-drivers as they do to motorists.

Non-drivers include many people with various physical, economic and social problems. Planners need to anticipate these people's needs. This may require special community outreach and communications activities to build understanding and trust among planners and the people they serve.

From a transport planning perspective, the greatest mistake in New Orleans was the lack of a detailed action plan to dispatch buses for evacuating transit-dependent residents. Such a plan would include an inventory of all available buses and essential staff, and pre-established procedures to deploy buses when an evacuation order is announced.

It is important to understand why many people ignored evacuation orders. Many faced logistical or financial barriers obtaining transport out of the city. Many had nowhere to go and were fearful of emergency shelter conditions. Some stayed to protect their property or pets, or out of bravado. Addressing these objections would increase evacuation order response.

A variety of planning policies and programs can help create a more resilient transport system. These increase system diversity and integration, improve user information, prioritize use of infrastructure, and provide special services during emergencies. These can benefit everybody in a community, even people who currently rely on automobile transportation.

Latest Pedestrian Tragedies

Latest Pedestrian Tragedies

About 11 a.m. on Saturday, Kantabem Patel, 69, of Bristol Township, was walking across the southbound lanes of New Rodgers Road in the township when a 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo struck her, police said. The car was driven by Donald Pick, 68, of Levittown.

Patel, suffering head injuries, was taken to Frankford Hospital-Torresdale Campus, where she died.

Note that pedestrian improvements were supposed to be included in the construction of New Rodgers road, but these improvements were overwhelmed by the highway design of the roadway.

Eric Petzak, an 11th-grader at Academy Park High School, was hit by a SEPTA bus after leaving school in Delaware County. His family is saying that although he did have special needs, he didn't deserve to die the way he did.

According to police, as school let out at about 2:30 p.m., Petzak stepped off the curb at the intersection of Calcon Crook Road and Elmwood Avenue without looking and was struck by the bus. SEPTA contends that the driver was doing the required speed limit of 15 mph, and police said that, for that reason, no charges would be filed.

Several witnesses felt that the bus was travelling faster than 15mph.

ACTION ALERT - Weekend MLK Drive Closures in Danger

ACTION ALERT! - Weekend MLK Drive Closures in Danger

On Wednesday, October 12 The Fairmount Park Commissioners will vote to eliminate some or all the closures on Martin Luther King Drive (Formerly West River Drive).

The Bicycle Coalition will be responding with a statement in favor of the closures and getting as many people and organizations to sign on as we can. If you would like to help with the campaign, especially with outreach to community organizations and trail users, please contact the Bicycle Coalition via email or phone 215-BICYCLE.

The current closure schedule for MLK Drive is Saturdays and Sundays from April to October. The drive is closed from 7am to 5pm between the Falls Bridge and Sweetbriar Cutoff and from 7am to 12pm from the Sweetbriar Cutoff to the Art Museum.

Contact Info:
Fairmount Park Commission
City of Philadelphia
One Parkway, 10th Floor
1515 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102-1512

Tel 215-683-0200 General Information
Tel 215-683-0206 Carol Roache, Commission Secretary

Escape By Bicycle

Escape By Bicycle

Newspaper reports have documented at least 4 people escaped the floodwaters of New Orleans by bicycling to Baton Rouge.

The Newark Star Ledger and Camden Courier Post reported in seperate articles that Peter Bergeron and and Deptford NJ native Kim Mason bought 2 bicycles on Thursday Sept. 2 for $80 a piece and rode 65 miles to Gonzales LA (outside of Baton Rouge). The Courier Post article noted that it took them two days to reach Baton Rouge. Bergeron's sister Kayla survived the September 11 attack at the World Trade Center by descending 68 floors of the North Tower.

Sean Hickey fled on a bicycle during the mandatory evacuation from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, he made it in one day.

Finally it was noted on the Missouri Bicycle Federation website that Steve Godfrey, president of Higher Flyers handbill distribution service in New Orleans, rode his bike to Baton Rouge to escape Hurricane Katrina.

Pay careful attention to the pictures in the news of the holdouts, the bicycle has become the main form of transportation in New Orleans. Lets hope that the rebuild of the city (and of the damaged bridges) include better accommodation for cyclists.

Montgomery County Trail Construction

Montgomery County Trail Construction

Work is continuing on the construction of the extension of the Wissahickon Trail from Valley Green to Morris Arboretum. Also construction has begun on the next segment of the trail through the lower reaches of Fort Washington State Park. A small section of the trail on Stenton Avenue will not be built in the near future so a long term detour between the two trail segments will be through Flourtown.

Later this month crews will complete construction of the paved Audobon Loop which will be a 12 foot trail on the east side of the Perkiomen through the John Audubon Mill Grove Estate. The trail is expected to be done in time for the October 8th Mill Grove Apple festival.

Katrina Bicycle Donation Drive

Katrina Victims Bicycle Donation Drive

An effort to provide hurricane Katrina evacuees with bicycles was recently completed by Bicycle Sport Shop in Austin Texas which was to be delivered to Houston Astrodome today with a goal of 1000 bicycles.

With Philadelphia expecting to take in 1000 families here perhaps it would be a good idea if we were to set up our own bicycle donation fundraiser.

You Forgot Duct Tape Ed

You Forgot Duct Tape Ed

Governor Rendell promotes conservation by urging drivers to keep their gas caps on and refraining from aggressive driving among others. No mention of the real gas savers of bicycling or walking to complete short trips. Of course given that PennDOT's design standards require those who want sidewalks and bike lanes to jump through hoops its no surprise that these modes were ignored.