Water and Ice problem at Nixon and Port Royal Fixed
The flowing water problem on the Schuylkill River Trail in Shawmont has been repaired according to local cyclists.
This is the legacy blog of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. It is an archive of posts from 2003 to 2014. Making your ride better since 1972. https://www.bicyclecoalition.org
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Monday, December 18, 2006
Alternate Bike Transit Options Heading North
Alternate Bike Transit Options Heading North
Bringing a bicycle on a train to get to Central NJ or New York City is more difficult than it should be. One problem is conflicting bike carriage times. Both NJ TRANSIT and SEPTA allow reverse peak bicycle access but the direction of commute travel actually doubles the bike restriction hours. NJ TRANSIT also has an arcane no bikes on holidays policy that is a product of the rules adopted by the Long Island Railroad and Metro North trains in the 1980's. SEPTA Regional Rail trains can also have very crowded aisles, especially on weekends. Fares have climbed steadily, up to about $34 round trip.
So what are the alternate options
1- Greyhound and Peter Pan - this is risky. Some employees require you to box the bicycle which adds $10 each way, equal to the cost of the round trip ticket. Intercity passengers also carry lots of luggage which can squeeze compartment space for bikes. As low as $20 round trip plus box fees if applicable.
2 - Chinatown Bus Services - Most of these carriers accept bicycles if there is sufficient room, their bargain basement fares have driven Greyhound and Peter Pan prices down to compete.
$20 Round Trip
3 - PATCO and the RiverLINE combo to Trenton plus NJ TRANSIT Rail - The longest trip timewise to New York City 3-3.5 hours,
however there are frequent departures every half hour between 6am and 9PM with service to midnight on Saturdays. There are no rush hour restrictions and RiverLINE trains have hanging bike racks which makes gives you a lot more flexibility if you prefer the train to the bus. There is also the option of riding over the Ben Franklin Bridge or even taking the Riverlink ferry to Camden. Cost for this PATCO-RiverLINE-NJ TRANSIT is about $24.
Neither PATCO or NJ TRANSIT publish combined timetables so we created our own simple web page showing the scheduled connections.
Combined PATCO-RiverLINE timetable
Bringing a bicycle on a train to get to Central NJ or New York City is more difficult than it should be. One problem is conflicting bike carriage times. Both NJ TRANSIT and SEPTA allow reverse peak bicycle access but the direction of commute travel actually doubles the bike restriction hours. NJ TRANSIT also has an arcane no bikes on holidays policy that is a product of the rules adopted by the Long Island Railroad and Metro North trains in the 1980's. SEPTA Regional Rail trains can also have very crowded aisles, especially on weekends. Fares have climbed steadily, up to about $34 round trip.
So what are the alternate options
1- Greyhound and Peter Pan - this is risky. Some employees require you to box the bicycle which adds $10 each way, equal to the cost of the round trip ticket. Intercity passengers also carry lots of luggage which can squeeze compartment space for bikes. As low as $20 round trip plus box fees if applicable.
2 - Chinatown Bus Services - Most of these carriers accept bicycles if there is sufficient room, their bargain basement fares have driven Greyhound and Peter Pan prices down to compete.
$20 Round Trip
3 - PATCO and the RiverLINE combo to Trenton plus NJ TRANSIT Rail - The longest trip timewise to New York City 3-3.5 hours,
however there are frequent departures every half hour between 6am and 9PM with service to midnight on Saturdays. There are no rush hour restrictions and RiverLINE trains have hanging bike racks which makes gives you a lot more flexibility if you prefer the train to the bus. There is also the option of riding over the Ben Franklin Bridge or even taking the Riverlink ferry to Camden. Cost for this PATCO-RiverLINE-NJ TRANSIT is about $24.
Neither PATCO or NJ TRANSIT publish combined timetables so we created our own simple web page showing the scheduled connections.
Combined PATCO-RiverLINE timetable
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Ikea Gives Folding Bikes to UK Employees
Ikea Gives Folding Bikes to 9000 UK Employees
Ikea's haul it away furniture kits virtually require an automobile to shop at their superstores but yesterday the Swedish Furniture retailer gave away 9000 folding bicycles to all its UK employees as Christmas Gifts. In addition UK employees will be eligible for a 15% subsidy for the cost of taking public transportation to work.
Over on our side of the pond, Ikea is probably better known for generating gridlock, especially at its Plymouth Meeting store. However it appears that the Cross County Trail connection from Ikea to the Schuylkill River Trail is only weeks away. In the past two weeks construction crews have begun paving the trail along Plymouth Creek from the SRT in Conshohocken at least a half mile north to the Blue Route underpass. That's about 0.8 miles from the 1.2 mile long existing trail between the Metroplex Shopping Area and Ikea.
Let's hope Ikea takes the lead in Plymouth Meeting and encourages their employees ride the bike, take the bus or both.
Photo Gallery on Webshots
Ikea's haul it away furniture kits virtually require an automobile to shop at their superstores but yesterday the Swedish Furniture retailer gave away 9000 folding bicycles to all its UK employees as Christmas Gifts. In addition UK employees will be eligible for a 15% subsidy for the cost of taking public transportation to work.
Over on our side of the pond, Ikea is probably better known for generating gridlock, especially at its Plymouth Meeting store. However it appears that the Cross County Trail connection from Ikea to the Schuylkill River Trail is only weeks away. In the past two weeks construction crews have begun paving the trail along Plymouth Creek from the SRT in Conshohocken at least a half mile north to the Blue Route underpass. That's about 0.8 miles from the 1.2 mile long existing trail between the Metroplex Shopping Area and Ikea.
Let's hope Ikea takes the lead in Plymouth Meeting and encourages their employees ride the bike, take the bus or both.
Photo Gallery on Webshots
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Desirable Location-Access to Schuylkill River Trail
Desirable Location-Access to Schuylkill River Trail
Near Valley Forge O'Neill Properties have made connections ...
...and in Conshohocken several developers are helping with the Schuylkill River and Cross County Trails
Here is a house being sold by a realtor who gets it on East Indian Lane in Port Indian, a community that opposed the construction of the trail in the 1980's. Most houses in the community are in the 400 - 500K range.
Near Valley Forge O'Neill Properties have made connections ...
...and in Conshohocken several developers are helping with the Schuylkill River and Cross County Trails
Here is a house being sold by a realtor who gets it on East Indian Lane in Port Indian, a community that opposed the construction of the trail in the 1980's. Most houses in the community are in the 400 - 500K range.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Beware of Icing on the Schuylkill River Trail
Beware of Icing on the Schuylkill River Trail
A steady flow of water has created severe icing problems on the Schuylkill River Trail.
The problem area is an on road section of the trail in the Shawmont neighborhood at the corner of Nixon St and Port Royal Avenue. The area that is affected is a short but steep upgrade and one cyclist has already suffered a broken hip from this hazard.
If you see a hazard on a Philadelphia Street (such as the one above) contact the Streets Department Pothole Website. If you spot a hazardous condition on an off road section of the trail contact the Fairmount Park Commission if its in Philadelphia or the Lower Perkiomen Park Manager William Markely for the trail in Montgomery County.
A steady flow of water has created severe icing problems on the Schuylkill River Trail.
The problem area is an on road section of the trail in the Shawmont neighborhood at the corner of Nixon St and Port Royal Avenue. The area that is affected is a short but steep upgrade and one cyclist has already suffered a broken hip from this hazard.
If you see a hazard on a Philadelphia Street (such as the one above) contact the Streets Department Pothole Website. If you spot a hazardous condition on an off road section of the trail contact the Fairmount Park Commission if its in Philadelphia or the Lower Perkiomen Park Manager William Markely for the trail in Montgomery County.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Cyclist Critically Injured in East Falls
Cyclist Critically Injured in East Falls
From the Philadelphia Inquirer:
From the Philadelphia Inquirer:
Bike-riding college student critically injured in crash
A 20-year-old student from Philadelphia University was critically injured by a car while riding a bicycle near the school late yesterday, police said.
The victim, who was not immediately identified, was hit at 5:25 p.m. by a car headed north on Henry Avenue at School House Lane. The victim was in critical but stable condition at Einstein Medical Center, police said.
Monday, December 04, 2006
PlanPhilly.org
PlanPhilly.org: Rethinking the Central Delaware Waterfront
PENNPraxis, in partnership with the Penn Institute for Urban Research, PennDesign, and the Graduate School of Education, will convene a series of public forums to listen to the city's voice and work with civic groups, business organizations, developers and government officials to arrive at a 21st-century vision for this stretch of the river.
The next public meetings will take place at the following locations:
Monday, Dec. 11: Saint Anne's Social Hall at the corner of Memphis and Tucker Streets, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m
Wednesday, Dec. 13: George Washington School, 5th and Federal Streets, 6 p.m. to
9 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 14: Independence Seaport Museum, Penn's Landing, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
http://planphilly.com
PENNPraxis, in partnership with the Penn Institute for Urban Research, PennDesign, and the Graduate School of Education, will convene a series of public forums to listen to the city's voice and work with civic groups, business organizations, developers and government officials to arrive at a 21st-century vision for this stretch of the river.
The next public meetings will take place at the following locations:
Monday, Dec. 11: Saint Anne's Social Hall at the corner of Memphis and Tucker Streets, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m
Wednesday, Dec. 13: George Washington School, 5th and Federal Streets, 6 p.m. to
9 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 14: Independence Seaport Museum, Penn's Landing, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
http://planphilly.com
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Springfield Township (Montgomery) Approves Trail
Springfield Township (Montgomery) Approves Trail
By a narrow 4 to 3 margin Springfield Township Board of Supervisors approved the Flourtown Connector Trail. An alternate route to the Wissackon trail that will connect the Forbidden Drive path in Wissahickon Park to Fort Washington State Park.
The Flourtown Connector will begin as a path along West Wissahickon Avenue until it reaches the residential core of Flourtown where there will be sidewalk improvements for pedestrians and share the road signs for cyclists. It will then cross Bethlehem Pike, hook through a township park, cross Bethlehem Pike again and will access the Wissahickon Creek over a new footbridge onto the recently regraded Wissahickon Trail (packed gravel surface).
Eventually the Wissahickon Green Ribbon Trail will be completed along the beautiful Erdenheim Farm property along Stenton Avenue. The farm and the adjacent country club offer one the last rural vistas in lower Montgomery County.
For more details go to the Wissahickon Trail website.
By a narrow 4 to 3 margin Springfield Township Board of Supervisors approved the Flourtown Connector Trail. An alternate route to the Wissackon trail that will connect the Forbidden Drive path in Wissahickon Park to Fort Washington State Park.
The Flourtown Connector will begin as a path along West Wissahickon Avenue until it reaches the residential core of Flourtown where there will be sidewalk improvements for pedestrians and share the road signs for cyclists. It will then cross Bethlehem Pike, hook through a township park, cross Bethlehem Pike again and will access the Wissahickon Creek over a new footbridge onto the recently regraded Wissahickon Trail (packed gravel surface).
Eventually the Wissahickon Green Ribbon Trail will be completed along the beautiful Erdenheim Farm property along Stenton Avenue. The farm and the adjacent country club offer one the last rural vistas in lower Montgomery County.
For more details go to the Wissahickon Trail website.
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