Bike Share Forum Less Than 3 Weeks Away

Thursday
January 17, 2008
6:30 PM
Refreshments 6:00 PM
Academy of Natural Sciences - Map and Directions

For Updates visit the Bike Share Website - http://bikesharephiladelphia.org/

The latest statistics from Paris' Velib program lists 90,000 bike trips per day (which doubled to 175,000 trips during the recent transit strike).

That is close to the current estimate of daily bicycle trips in Philadelphia. It is slightly below the ridership numbers for the Broad Street Subway and equal to the average daily traffic volume of I-95 at Girard Avenue.

Victory In Exeter Township (Berks County)

From Michele Barrett a resident of fast growing Exeter Township and Founder of WalkBikeBerks:

Last night the Exeter Supervisors voted to approve the creation of a Pedestrian and Bicycle (Non-Motorized) Task Force.

WalkBikeBerks presented a Complete Streets and Safe Routes to School Slide Show and requested that the township coordinate with WalkBikeBerks to organize the task force to address pedestrian and bicycling issues in their community.

Soon...we'll be able to walk and bike safely and conveniently throughout our home towns.

Congratulations to all who made this possible!

Invite your own township or borough to adopt a similar task force if you don't yet have one. WalkBikeBerks will be happy to join in that goal. We'll work together to create livable communities.

Happy New Year.
Michele

WalkBikeBerks works for better walking and bicycling in Berks County - Check Out their Blog - http://walkbikeberks.blogspot.com/

Giving Up on the Street - Edgewater Park, NJ Bans Street Play

I grew up in the suburbs playing football or hockey in the street with my friends. Times have changed in the US and not for the better. The township I live in, Edgewater Park NJ has a well used train station, traffic calming adjacent to school, sidewalks and quiet dead end streets. And until recently kids played safely on those streets.

In 2007 the Township passed an ordinance has decided that the street is too dangerous to play in. Once again the amazing automobile has taken more public space at the exclusion of all other users. In fact local officials state that the ordinance was created because state law prohibits anything to impede the flow of traffic.

One question that has not been answered is what constitutes street play? Are kids riding bicycles on the street now subject to fines? Secondly if backboards are impeding traffic aren't vehicles parked on the street also "impeding traffic".

The township promises more recreational facilities in its parks, but are kids willing to walk up to a mile to play on facilities the require "township permission' to use.






Meanwhile in Northern Europe, a region with the lowest pedestrian fatality rates in the developed world cities are taking the exact opposite approach. Communities has been tearing out stop signs, traffic lights and sidewalks forcing drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists to share the pavement, in an approach known as shared space.

The Mayor of Bohmte Germany put it bluntly: "Generally speaking, what we want is for people to be confused. When they're confused, they'll be more alert and drive more carefully."

Hmm, forcing people to drive carefully, how revolutionary.

Can Bike Lanes Float?

I thought this was interesting concept, floating bike lanes. Useful on streets with part time parking such as Race St and Chestnut St. When parking is not allowed the area between the two solid stripes becomes a travel lane and the right side of the parking lane becomes a bikeable shoulder.

The study conducted by the San Francisco DOT is located here

The picture below is a floating bike lane along the Embarcadero in San Francisco. Note that door zone is marked with the parking hash marks.

Stationary Bike Blues

There are winter days when even the most hardcore Bicycle Coalition member might think twice about bicycling, and for rest of us foul weather or family obligations might keep us from getting out at a time of year when physical activity is most important.

So having an indoor trainer or stationary bike does have its place (if you have enough room). But the monotony of watching Judge Judy or Dancing With The Stars might get you off the bike faster than a pothole.

Videologs and Bike Cam Videos may be a way to provide a hint of where you really want to be, these tools may even help you plan a recreational ride or even a cycling vacation.

Videologs
Roadway Videologs are a visual inventory of an entire state highway system. PENNDOT and Oregon DOT are the only two state transportation agencies that offer public online versions. For example you can see every inch of US 6 across Pennsylvania or US 101 the Oregon Coast Highway. ODOT's website is more user friendly but PENNDOT has many more miles of roads.

Bike Cam Videos
Attaching a camera to your handlebars may be nerdy but the end products offer a more realistic feel than the jumpy videologs. The ones set to music are more tolerable to watch. YouTube and other video websites have bike cam videos. Search for Bicycle Camera, Rail Trail, or Bike Path

Shards Of Glass Blowing Tires In Chester County

There have been several reports that roads in Schuylkill, West Vincent and Charlestown Townships are being treated with crushed glass for traction on icy roads. Two bike shops in the area the Bicycle Barn and Beans Bicycle Shop have reported numerous flats.

The roads were in and around Yellow Springs, Diamond Rock, Flowing Springs – also, Pickering Road, Charlestown Road, Clover Mills Road, St. Matthews Road. [Map]

The Bicycle Coalition has asked the Chester County Maintenance Dept to look into the problem. If you blow a tire because of the crushed glass make sure you register a complaint with the PENNDOT Pothole Hotline - Call 1-800-FIX ROAD.

Remarks Of Hypocrisy As Bike Commuter Act Hangs On

Rep. John Boehner's criticism of the Bike Commuter Act in his Energy Bill speech:

“And although this is not an earmark, what I really liked in the bill was the $240 tax credit that we are going to provide every 15 months for people who regularly ride their bike to work for the purchase repair or storage of their bicycle. Now, amongst us, I know there’s one of my colleagues that would probably benefit from this. I hope he's going to recuse himself when we vote. (obviously a jab at Rep. Blumenaur)

Then there are the remarks of Washington Rep. Doc Hastings


And, Mr. Speaker, it gives a tax credit to people for riding their bikes to work. I am sorry, but gas prices and climate change aren't going to be fixed by making people ride their bikes to work.

This isn't a plan to make America energy independent and to free us from foreign oil. It
is just a dream for the political left in this country. And let me repeat, Mr. Speaker, it
raises taxes, it is anti-nuclear and anti-dams, it forces people out of their cars, and gives
tax credits for riding their bike to work.

Really, are people going to "forced out of their cars" when many are eligible for a $2580 commuter tax credit that rewards people who drive anything from Mini Coopers to Hummers to work. Hugo Chavez should be thrilled ( 60% of Venezuela's oil exports goes to the US)

The good news is that despite the latest round of anti bicycle remarks the Bike Commuter Act is still in the House version of the Bill (but not in the Senate version). We can only hope that when the bills are reconciled, common sense, fairness and a step towards equality will reign.

Tonights Philadelphia Cycling Committee Meeting

Philadelphia County Committee
6:30 PM Free Library Skyline Room 4th Floor

6:30 PM Call to Order
6:35 PM Chairman's Report
6:40 PM Bike Sharing Forum Update
6:50 PM SEPTA - Bicycle Safety Issues Discussion
7:05 PM Mayor Nutter First 100 Days Campaign
7:20 PM Center City Congestion Study - Bicycle Coalition Recommendations
7:35 PM South Street Bridge Update
7:40 Old Business/New Business
7:45 Adjourn

Road Carnage Becomes Reality At Moorestown High

Many Moorestown High School students will be wearing black today in response to last weeks tragedies where 2 Moorestown High School students died in separate crashes

Evan Welch, 18, died Dec. 9. Welch was a passenger in the car that veered off the road and into a ditch on Garwood Road in Moorestown. . Police have said alcohol and speed played a factor in the crash.

17 Year Old Eric Messick died Friday night in a three-car accident in Southampton, NJ when an Ocean County driver crossed a double yellow line to pass a slower vehicle on Route 38 near Rt 206 and struck the car Messick was riding in.

The second crash points out the dangers of rural highways (exacerbated by being located in an increasingly suburban township). But in both cases it was the decisions made by the drivers behind the wheel that yielded the catastrophic results.

Also an update from posting last week, a newlywed couple was killed making a delivery while crossing the highway. Oscar Manuel Ramos Cortez, 27, and Silvia Mejia Deolores, 19, were struck on Route 206 near Powell Road at about 5:40 pm Wednesday, Pemberton Township, NJ.

The BCGP urges everyone to drive with care and our deepest sympathies go out to the Welch Messick, Cortez, and Deolores families.

PENNDOT's Money Fight, Is Transportation Funding Good or Bad for Bicycling

Local opposition and FHWA rejection of the first proposal for tolling I-80 has put Act 44 into jeopardy. Act 44 will provide funding for mass transit and critical maintenance and rehabilitation projects for roads and deficient bridges.

DVRPC has drafted a document that looks at how to fund transportation needs locally and how much bang for the buck each option would offer. Options include local gas taxes, raising tobacco and alcohol taxes, tolling roads, parking taxes, real estate transfer taxes etc. The goal would be to fully fund the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) which is the regional priority list of transportation projects.

But would this funding benefit bicyclists and pedestrians? Yes and No, funding the TIP could speed the design and construction of important trail projects, and many projects do include sidewalk installation and shoulders. But road widenings often increase speeds, create difficult intersections, gobble up greenspace and sometimes create barriers to bicycling and walking, such as PENNDOT severing an abandoned rail line crossing Route 309 in Springfield Township.

Instead of making the pie higher, how about a shift in spending priorities. How much money would we save if we considered the regional road network complete and focused entirely on safety, complete streets and good maintenance. Since the bicycle and pedestrian network is far from complete why not triple the funding from 1-2% to 5%, the rest of the savings would go to shore up our regional transit network.

The Bicycle Coalition Is Hiring

Bicycle Coalition Event Coordinator

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia is looking for a full-time Event Coordinator to run its annual events. The primary event is Bike Philly, a car-free fun bicycling celebration drawing 2,400 bicyclists in its first year. The selected Event Coordinator will work with the event co-chairs, the coalition and over 300 volunteers to ensure that future Bike Philly events continue to be successful and grow. The Event Coordinator will also run the 800-rider Bike Freedom Valley, the Light of the Moving Bikes, Bike Week and the BCGP Annual Meeting.

The selected individual will be part of an action-oriented team during the first year, and is expected to take charge of these events in subsequent years.

Responsibilities:

• After the first year, manage all aspects of BCGP events, including logistics, budget, communications, recruiting and supervision of casual event staff, interns and volunteers, and communications.
• Expand current volunteer base to assist with events
  Manage budgeting, planning, execution, monitoring, marketing and registration for all events
• Assist with sponsorships, sponsor management, and building creative sponsorship options
  The Coordinator will report directly to the Executive Director.


Preferred Qualifications

The ideal candidate will be a results oriented self-starter who has:

A strong commitment to BCGP’s mission
One or more years of experience in event planning, marketing, or other related field (prior hands-on event management experience preferred)
Experience working with volunteers
Excellent writing and presentation skills
A flexible schedule and willingness to work longer hours, including weekends, during event season
The ability to organize their time wisely and multi-task in a small office
Experience with Microsoft Office. Experience with databases, especially Giftworks, is a plus.


References covering related experiences will be requested.
----------------------------------------------------------
Bicycling Ambassadors Coordinator


The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia is looking for a full time coordinator to join a fun team and create and implement a Bicycling Ambassador program. The program goals are to improve the awareness and practice of safe bicycling in parts of Philadelphia.

Based on a successful program in Chicago, the Philadelphia Bicycling Ambassador Program coordinator will produce and distribute safety publications, give safety presentations and host urban cycling safety rides from local bike shops through the efforts of 8 street-based seasonal bicycling ambassadors. More information on the program is available at http://bicyclecoalition.org/ambassador.html.

Responsibilities

The Project Coordinator will hire and train eight seasonal bicycling ambassadors, and retain primary responsibility for their attendance, performance and effectiveness in the field. The Coordinator will maintain regular written evaluations of seasonal ambassadors. Prior experience with staff management will be emphasized during the hiring process.
The Project Coordinator will develop printed materials for distribution by bicycling ambassadors, create and execute presentations for area live audiences and, in the second year of the project’s implementation, adapt this presentation for online use and distribution. The Coordinator should consult the content expertise of the Bicycle Coalition and is encouraged to adapt the material of successful implementations of similar projects in Chicago, Portland and San Francisco. The Coordinator may also consult the technical expertise of the Project’s subcontractors where appropriate; ultimate responsibility for producing effective material with a consistent look and feel will rest with the Coordinator.
The Project Coordinator will schedule meetings and prepare meeting minutes for the Project Steering Committee, and facilitate the transfer of information between the Bicycle Coalition, the field office of this project at University City District, and members of the Committee.
Coordinator will manage the budget of this project in conjunction with Bicycle Coalition Executive Director, normalizing all expenses and reimbursements with regard to the guidelines set forth in this application and the attached budget.
The Coordinator will report directly to the Executive Director.


Preferred Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have:

A strong commitment to BCGP’s mission of Making Bicycling Better
Prior bicycle safety certification preferred; willingness to obtain it is required.
One or more years of experience in people / project management, marketing, prior hands-on event management experience a plus
Experience supervising hourly staff
Excellent writing and presentation skills
A flexible schedule and willingness to work four weekend days a month from May to October
The ability to self-direct, organize their time wisely and multi-task in a small fun environment
Experience with Microsoft Office


Benefits include flexible schedule, vacation, sick and personal leave, and limited health insurance. Compensation: $30,000 to $40,000, depending on qualifications. This position is full-time, year-round for the duration of the Bicycling Ambassadors contract, which currently runs until the end of 2009, but may be extended if the program is successful and additional funding is found, or if other suitable opportunities become available within the Coalition.


Contact

Send a one- or two-page letter describing why you are the person for the job with a resume to:

Alex Doty, Executive Director, BCGP, 100 S Broad St Suite 1355, Philadelphia PA 19110. For more information call Alex at 215 242-9253.

Position available February 1, 2008. Applications accepted until the position is filled.


Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia



Making bicycling better through advocacy and education, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia (BCGP) promotes biking as a healthy, low-cost, and environmentally-friendly form of transportation and recreation. With a membership of 1,200, BCGP serves 1.2 million bicyclists in ten counties in Pennsylvania, NJ and Delaware.

For The Bicycle Advocate Who Has Everything

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia has opened their store online. Proceeds of the sales go for better bicycling. My favorite is the Share The Road Yard Sign.

Go to the store at Cafe Press

Bike Sharing Forum on January 17th

Bike Share Philadelphia Forum
Thursday, January 17, 2008
6:30 PM
Academy of Natural Sciences

Learn about 21st Century Bike Sharing, special guest will be Gilles Vesco Vice President of Grand Lyon in charge of the innovative use of public spaces. See a real Velov bicycle.

Deadly Day for Pedestrians

1 Pedestrian killed one injured when struck on US 206 near Powell Rd in Eastampton NJ
The Burlington County Times stated that the two people were making a delivery on the opposite side of the highway.

A pedestrian was struck and killed by an Amtrak Acela Express Train at about 10:30 a.m. near the 400 block of Highland Avenue in Chester.

Last week in Lower Makefield Township a woman was injured by a snowplow while walking in the road during Thursday's night's snow and ice event. No word on her condition.

Article From the Staten Island Advance Frames Bike Lane Fears

New York City's aggressive bike lane program has some local newspapers setting off alarms often without much supportive commentary. Residents see something new in the neighborhood and instictively fear the worst. This was exemplified perfectly in today's Staten Island Advance "Perilous Place For Bike Riders" which covered the perils of bike lanes on busy Hylan Boulevard.

Some of the arguments cited were often for our own good such as:
1 Tree branches reaching into the road will create a hazard for bikes:

• "People on a bike are going to get hit in the head,' (Community Board 3 Vice Chair) Donohue said. 'We're going to have accidents galore. There's no doubt in my mind somebody's going to get hurt riding in those lanes."

2 - Bicyclists will be drawn in by the facilities and would be better served elsewhere

• "The borough's thousands of acres of parkland could have bicycle paths added, to keep riders off the road, she said. "They're creating a dangerous situation on the boulevard," Ms. Bodnar said. "We're not opposed to people riding their bikes; however, I feel it's a mistake."
• "Instead of a bike lane along such a heavily traveled and speedy main drag, the lanes should be painted along quieter residential roads, like Tennyson Drive"

The last bullet point is similar to a position some Alden Borough residents took to oppose the Bicyclists Baltimore Pike Project. They were successful in witteling down that project to a few signs.

Both the BB Pike and Hylan Boulevard corridors have no contiguous "bicycle boulevard" alternative. The BB Pike is the alternative to Route 1. Tennyson Drive is in fact two fragments and parallels a very small portion of the corridor. And proposals along those streets will generate opposition. We put bike lanes on the "big roads" because that where cyclists need to go to access jobs and services.

Some people draw parallels with Staten Island and Northeast Philadelphia; inner suburbs in the city, feeling neglected by their respective City Halls and only 61 miles apart. In the late 90's the strongest opposition to bike lanes in Philadelphia was in the Northeast voiced by members of City Council and a traffic reporter for the Northeast Times. As bike lanes got built and the world did not end the opposition faded. Expects these arguments to surface again when bike lanes are proposed for the Philadelphia suburbs.

Can Philadelphia Get A Cycle Track?

With New York's 9th Avenue cycle track (physically separated bike lane) being carefully watched by the NY DOT I cannot help but wonder if there are suitable roads where we can do the same treatment.

The ideal candidate would be an excessively wide road with lots of bike traffic John F. Kennedy Blvd between City Hall and 20th Street looks like a winner. The road is extemely wide at (>70') with four very wide lanes and parking lanes on both sides.

In Unversity City Chestnut St, Walnut St from the Schuylkill to 34th and 38th Street are all worth looking at.

Ardmore To Experiment With Post and Ring Bike Racks

Early next year, Lower Merion Township will be initiating a demonstration Bike Parking Project in front of the Sporting Club in Ardmore. This project entails the adaptation of the existing bollards into ‘hitching posts’ suitable for bike parking. This will allow bikes to lean against the bollards and since the bikes can be parked parallel to the sidewalk, they won’t conflict with pedestrian traffic. The converted post and ring racks are modeled after the citywide program in Toronto.

Lower Merion Planner Chris Leswing reported that the Township's narrow sidewalks made it difficult to accommodate the traditional inverted U bike racks.





Taken by Xavier Snelgrove
Creative Commons License




Post and Ring Bike Racks in Toronto

Ciclovia!

A ten minute video about Bogota Columbia's Ciclovia, From 7 am to 2 pm, every Sunday and holiday 2 million walkers, skaters and bicyclists take over 75 miles of carfree streets.

Compare that to our 2.8 miles on MLK Drive Saturday and Sunday 7am - 5 PM daylight savings time only.



The video is produced by StreetFilms, Transportation Alternatives and The Open Planning Project

Ben Franklin Bridge Walkway Closed

Due to the wintry mix the Ben Franklin Bridge walkway is closed.

Chester Valley Trail To Be Built in 2009?

We've heard this before, but according to the Inquirer Chester County officials insist that the Chester Valley Trail trail construction will commence in 2009 18 years after it was first proposed.










Completed section of the CV Trail in Exton

I'll remain skeptical until the construction contract is put out to bid, completion of the final design is still a year away and only Montgomery County has consistently shown that they can adhere to aggressive timetables. For example in Mercer County NJ we are still waiting for construction of the D&R Canal extension from Trenton to Bordentown 5 years after the construction plans were complete. Even the previously posted Westbank Greenway was construction ready 3 years ago.

Skyrocketing construction costs, local trail opposition, failed bids and tight budgets often hold up construction.

By the way the most absurd trail design setback was Vanguard forbidding the trail access after 9/11, apparently terrorist organizations are targeting investment firms on rollerblades and bicycles.

Westbank Greenway Construction About to Get Underway

Last week the Streets Department finalized the construction contract for Phase 1 of the Westbank Greenway which will connect the 32nd and Market neighborhood to the Spring Garden St Bridge. Construction activity could begin as early as Mid December.


View Larger Map

One of the most important improvements will occur at the intersection of the Eakins Oval with Spring Garden St. A ramp will carry cyclists down to a marked crosswalk to the Schuylkill River Trail. A new traffic light will allow bicyclists and pedestrians to cross Spring Garden St to access the back driveway of the Art Museum.

When we get a current copy of the plans we will share them with you.