Portland Reaches for the Tipping Point

New US Census and Portland DOT bicycle transportation data indicates that bicycling in "America's Most Livable City"continues to skyrocket.

Portland DOT counts bikes every year, like Philadelphia's Schuylkill River, Portland's Willamette River bridges provide ideal choke points to measure trends in bicycle traffic.

• 2007 bike counts indicate than 14,500 bicycles cross those bridges every day that 18% of the total traffic and up 21% from 2006. The Hawthorne Bridge may have the heaviest bicycle traffic in the country.
• The 2006 American Community Survey reports that 4.4% of the trips to work are by bicycle, about 4 times the rate of Philadelphia (1.2%) and 9 times the national average (0.5%).
  
• Bicycle traffic on the bridges has increased more that 400% since 1991.
  
• Reported Bicycle-Car Crashes remained steady during that same time period reinforcing the Safety in Numbers study.
  
• Motor vehicle counts area about the same as 1991 but vehicle miles traveled has declined.

We don't have daily counts but the 2006 rush hour counts of the Schuylkill River Bridges run at a rate of just under 400 bikes per hour, which probably adds up to 3000 to 4000 bikes per day. Portland is less than 1/3 the size of Philadelphia. The full report can be downloaded as a PDF file.

Two blogs provide oodles on info on this trend:

• BikePortland.org website, which is a great news source for bicycling in Portland.
  

• NYC's Streetsblog which includes a 30 minute video on bicycling in Portland check out the video screenshot of the Hawthorne Bridge below.

Oaks Bridge Over Perkiomen Creek Reopens on Tuesday

On Tuesday October 2nd Montgomery County will reopen the Oaks Bridge with a new cantilevered path segregated from the roadway. For the past several months cyclists had to detour via the scenic but very steep Audobon Loop Trail and onto a sidewalk on Egypt Rd to connect between the Schuylkill River and Perkiomen Trails.



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League of American Bicyclists Announce Bicycle Friendly Communities

LAB Press Release -
Seven Communities Earn BFC Status

Cities from New York to California Recognized for Bicycle Friendliness
Washington, D.C.—Today, seven communities were honored with the League of American Bicyclists prestigious Bicycle Friendly Community designation.

Silver

• Santa Cruz, Calif.
• Steamboat Springs, Colo.

Bronze

• Lexington-Fayette County, Ky.
• Liberty Lake, Wash.
• New York City, N.Y.
• Santa Clarita, Calif.
• Spartanburg, S.C.

The Bicycle Friendly Community program is revolutionizing the way communities evaluate their quality of life and transportation network. The League awards this four-year designation to communities that have made impressive, measurable efforts to integrate bicyclists into the community. There are four levels—platinum, gold, silver and bronze—awarded twice each year.
Thirteen communities renewed their designation, with one, Arlington, Va., moving up from bronze to silver.

These communities are:

Platinum

• Davis, Calif.

Gold

• Palo Alto, Calif.

Silver

• Arlington, Va.
• Chicago, Ill.
• Folsom, Calif.
• Santa Barbara, Calif.
• Tempe, Ariz.

Bronze

• Auburn, Ala.
• Bloomington, Ind.
• Brentwood, Calif.
• Chattanooga, Tenn.
• Vancouver, Wash.
• Washington, D.C.

This designation is one with real meaning—it is difficult to earn and important to renew. In addition to the winning communities, 17 other communities applied in this round. Since the program’s inception in 2003, 174 communities have applied and 70 have earned the designation.

“In this round, eight communities were given honorable mentions,” League Executive Director Andy Clarke said. “It is important to recognize communities as they begin to build bicycle friendliness into their network. But a designation only goes to communities with established records in two or more of the five categories.”

The five categories local and national reviewers look at are:
Education: Does the community have systems in place to train children and adult cyclists? Engineering: Are bicyclists included in the city’s transportation plan?
Enforcement: Do police officers understand and enforce bicyclists’ rights and responsibilities? Encouragement: Does the community participate in Bike Month, offer bike rodeos, host community bike rides, or otherwise encourage cycling?
Evaluation: Does the community have methods in place to ensure their bicyclist programs are making a difference?

The honorable mentions are:

• Baton Rouge, La.
• Honolulu, Hawaii
• Iowa City, Iowa
• Knoxville, Tenn.
• Little Rock, Ark.
• Los Angeles, Calif.
• Oceanside, Calif.
• Tampa, Fla.

(Philadelphia received an Honorable Mention in 2006 the city may apply again in 2008 if the next administration takes some key steps, such as hire a bicycle pedestrian coordinator).

Notable features of this round of designations include: Santa Cruz, Calif., in addition to a good all-around cycling program, has strongly enforced guidelines to protect the safety of cyclists, pedestrians and disabled travelers during road construction.

Steamboat Springs, Colo. has a strongly integrated off- and on-road bicycling system, featuring some of the best single-track in the country.

Lexington-Fayette County, Ky. just passed a new bicycle-pedestrian master plan with $2 million in local funds allocated for trail development and bike lanes.

Liberty Lake, Wash. built a bicycle infrastructure from the ground up as the community has grown over the past 20 years.

New York City, N.Y., because of their high-profile crash problem, recently completed the most thorough crash analysis of any city in the country. They are already using this plan to improve the safety of cyclists.

Santa Clarita, Calif. has made intersection improvements across the city with the installation of extremely sensitive bicycle-detection technology to ensure cyclists are properly accommodated on city streets.

Spartanburg, S.C. recently completed a two-mile rail-trail through downtown which was paid for with more than $1 million in local funds.

About the BFC Program & the League

The BFC program was initiated in 2003 and has received applications from more than 170 communities. Designations have been awarded to 63 cities and counties. Applicants complete a detailed on-line form with numerous questions in five key areas: engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement, and evaluation/planning. Local cyclists, national experts, and League staff review the applications. To learn more, visit www.bicyclefriendlycommunity.org.

The League of American Bicyclists promotes bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation, and works through advocacy and education for a bicycle-friendly America. The League represents the interests of 57 million American cyclists, including its 300,000 members and affiliates. For more information or to support the League, visit www.bikeleague.org or www.bicyclefriendlycommunity.org.

The 5th Annual Bike Part Art Show and Extravaganza

The 5th Annual Bike Part Art Show and Extravaganza will be from October 5-7, 2007

The Bike Part Art Show is an annual community art event in which local artists donate works created from recycled bicycle parts to help raise money for Neighborhood Bike Works, a youth development organization in West Philadelphia that affords urban kids opportunities through cycling.

All Bike Part Art events are free and open to the public! Everything will be happening at the Power Plant Building in Old City (On Second Between Race and Vine), Philadelphia during the first weekend in October.

For More info go to the Spokespeople website

Rep. Patrick McHenry (NC-10) Blasts Bicycles

North Carolina representative Patrick McHenry speaks against the inclusion of bicycle commuter benefits in the Energy Bill. The benefit program would authorize bicycle commuters to deduct up to $20 per month for bicycle related expenses.



The good news is that H.R. 2776, the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007 did pass the house with the bicycle commuter benefit intact. It now goes into the Senate where it must be reconciled with the Senate version of the bill.

Bike Parking in Crisis?

In Head House Square the old single spaced parking meters have been replaced by multi-spaced parking kiosks or smart meters.















While this does remove some sidewalk clutter it takes away dozens of metal posts to secure your bike to. Currently there are no plans to expand the program but if the city decides to replace the meters en masse it could lead to a bike parking crises in neighborhoods where bike parking is either oversubscribed or non-existent.

Delaware River Waterfront Trail?

A video presentation by Center City District CEO Paul Levy envisions a short term temporary waterfront trail along the Delaware River Waterfront from the Ben Franklin Bridge to Pier 70 (Wal Mart).

The plan conceived by the Center City District and the William Penn Foundation would use existing pavement and paint, traffic cones and jersey barriers. If agreements with landowners can be reached the planphilly.org website suggests it could be open before the summer of 2008.

A higher quality path that would take out an existing lane of Columbus Blvd was rejected by PENNDOT.

Bike Philly By the Numbers and Testimonials

Bike Philly By the Numbers:

• 2,410 registrants (2,125 pre-registered)
• 235 volunteers, including 125 marshals
• 150 police officers closing streets

95% of riders rated their overall satisfaction as excellent (49.7%) or very good (45.1%)

[Compared to Freedom Valley 2007: 76% (excellent (26.4%) or very good (49.4%))

Freedom Valley 2006: 79% (excellent (51.2%) or very good (27.9%))]

97% of riders plan to do the ride again next year (WOW!)

[Compared to Freedom Valley 2007: 88%
Freedom Valley 2006: 92%]

9% of riders were 12 and under and 15% of our riders were riding as a family

46% of riders were women (compared to Freedom Valley 34%)

21% of riders had never ridden an organized bike ride before

Riders came from 16 states, including Florida, California, Ohio and Alabama

• 33% of riders came from out of state
• 10% of riders came from out of the tri-state area
• 75% of riders came from outside the city

Rider Comments:

I just wanted to say congratulations for such an amazing event yesterday. My friend and I took our children (ages 7-11) and everyone had a wonderful time. The route was great and truly a family friendly event. I was extremely impressed with how well run everything was. We are already looking forward to riding it next year and I have already shared it with several friends. Thanks for all the work that went into the day!

Cindy M., Limerick PA
___

Though I originally felt kind of neutral (and a little ungenerous) about children being part of the ride now I wouldn't have it any other way. The two groups were separated very nicely and it was so neat to see some of the kids jumping up and down in anticipation of the start of the ride. My view has now been changed… [I]t was neat to see a little boy riding next to his father on MLK drive just jabbering away and his dad smiling and listening. Who wouldn't call that bonding? All the families I saw seemed so relaxed and happy.

Lori M., Philadelphia
___

In all the times I have traveled to Philadelphia, I have never imagined the possibility of riding along the city’s main thoroughfares upon a bicycle surrounded only by other cyclists… [I]t is difficult to picture a metropolis without the congestion, noise, and odor of masses of motor vehicles… Even though I live four hours from the city center,…there was simply no way I could pass up the opportunity to bicycle through such an historic city in such an unencumbered manner….

It truly felt as though the entire the entire city of Philadelphia was working to speed us safely along our route. You couldn’t ask for better support during an event of this size and nature. …I look forward to attending again next year!

Travis P., Pleasant Gap PA

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The best part of the ride was the ability to bring my wife on a scenic traffic-free ride. This was the first time I road with my 9 month old daughter and we could not have asked for a better experience. having the different starting areas was a big plus also. Thanks again.

Tim E., Havertown PA
___

I had family in from out of town for the ride and it was a great way to show Philadelphia.

Allison S., Wayne PA
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The best part of the ride was car-free riding in center city. I live in center city and ride a bicycle to work almost everyday. The chance to ride the entire length of the city without worrying about red lights and aggressive drivers was exceptional! Also, it was inspiring to see the police and city services come together for this good cause.

Carolyn B., Philadelphia
___

Volunteers were just amazing. They were all extremely helpful and they did a fantastic job.

Edelin N., Bethlehem PA

I don't normally ride organized rides with my daughter. I liked the fact that there was a speed limit for the first 10 miles of the ride for families. It was a great first experience for my 12 year old to get a taste of what I do when I go out on these rides.

Kirsten W., Mt Laurel NJ

I liked the ride through the streets of Philadelphia and the routing of the 35 mile ride through Merion and Narberth. The PATCO line had extra cars so there was plenty of room for all the cyclists and their bikes.

John B., Haddonfield NJ
___

This was my first organized ride. I liked the atmosphere and the idea of the ride.

Jim M., Pottstown PA
___

I enjoyed biking through the city without traffic. It was a lot of fun and MUCH different than what I am used to. I also enjoyed Fairmount Park, it was a good "intro" for me and I will definitely explore it on my own now.

Amanda W., Philadelphia
___

I liked that it was close to home and I was familiar with some of the sites along the route. It also allowed me to see some areas of Philadelphia that I have not seen before. I liked the fact that volunteers were there to warn of any obstacles in the road.

Carol S., Sewell NJ
___

I am from New Jersey and have never been to Philly, I am planning to come back with my family to visit and see all the sights.

Albert H., Summit NJ
___

I liked riding through Philly without fear of cars!!! Scenic ride, very relaxed. I was riding with a novice and she was able to do the 20 mile ride- a good experience for both of us.

Pamela B., Wayne PA
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Having never been to Philly before, it was all new and interesting---the food was excellent, hills weren't too bad.

Christie H., Avon CT
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I rode with a friend doing her first organized bike ride, and we seeded ourselves near the back of the slow group, and we just had a blast! Volunteers/course marshals were great, warning us of road hazards like RR tracks, making the course and crowd manageable.

Barbara M., Wayne PA
___

I grew up in Philly and I loved the opportunity to come back and ride car free throughout the city proper.

Marie T., East Stroudsburg, PA

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I liked being with thousands of people who love to ride bicycles. This experience makes Philadelphia feel (just for a morning) like the Netherlands where bicycling is the norm - as it should be everywhere. Bicycling is the most advanced form of movement on the planet.

David S., Philadelphia
___

I was able to bring a first time rider and have her experience a well supported ride. The 20 mile route was challenging, yet not too hard for her. The fact the streets were closed helped her confidence level a lot.

Dan G., Newtown, PA
___

Philadelphia people are so friendly, I enjoyed the characters in the ride: a man pulling a dog in a wagon, dads riding tandem with their child on the back of the bike, the fella with the boom box trailing behind, the bike repair stops. I especially thought it was beautiful having the children passing at refreshments at one of the stops, they were so sweet. The Commerce bank photos at the end were nice, I love going through Fairmount Park, I never knew where the mansions were.

Marcia C., Newtown PA

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Being with lots of other cyclists of all levels was great. The Bike Philly volunteers and the Philadelphia Police were both very helpful and friendly. Clearly a lot of people worked long and hard to make the event happen. The ride itself worked very well, and was a great way to see Philadelphia!

Nancy F., Wayne PA

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The experience of riding with so many other cyclists through Old City was pretty amazing. It was a great opportunity to feel the community of bikers coming together and making a statement about cycling here in Philadelphia.

Ruth S., Bryn Mawr, PA

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My husband and I rode our tandem, and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED riding through this beautiful city without having to worry about traffic!! Great comradery, great route, great day!! Thanks so much for providing this wonderful opportunity!

Monica, Audubon PA

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Extremely well organized and thought out. Signage was great and all marshals, volunteers and city staff (Police) could not have been nicer or more helpful. Each and every one of them served as ambassadors for our city and represented Philadelphia in the most professional and courteous way.

Bruce, Lafayette Hill PA
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There was also a great deal of support throughout the ride which was greatly appreciated. I had a major bike mishap at mile 10 and one of the bike techs was able to fix it quickly. Had it not been for the support, I'd have been in a lot of trouble!!!

Adria D., Philadelphia

Upper Providence Township Trails Public Meeting

Upper Providence Township is having a public meeting to discuss their Bicycle and Walking Trail Plan. This will be on Wed. 9/19 from 7 to 9pm at the Rose Tree Firehouse near the interchange of Providence Rd.and US Rt.1. http://www.upperprovidence.org/news9.php

Click here to view a pdf map of the plan.

Post Your Bike Philly Photos

Thanks to everyone who came out to ride or volunteer for the Commerce Bank Bike Philly.






If you took photos of the ride we would like to see them. We have created a group home for your Bike Philly Photos http://www.flickr.com/groups/bikephilly2007. Signing up for Flickr is easy and free.

Also don't forget the Photo Contest, first prize is a Fuji Shangri-La Cruiser

West Deptford's Thoughtless Mistake

Just when you think that Safe Routes to Schools was becoming a household word, some less enlightened town fathers come along to prove you wrong.

According to the Gloucester County Times West Deptford Township ripped out a walkway between the Grande at Kings Woods development and the middle school. And to make sure that you have to drive your kid to school the township threw up a fence.

Unbelievable.

Getting Bike Racks in Front of Your Home or Business

We get lots of requests for bike rack installation permits, To apply for a free bike rack permit from the City of Philadelphia you need to contact by email, Patrick O'Donnell, Streets Department Engineer - Right of Way Unit patrick.o'donnell@phila.gov or 215-686-5618. He needs the address of the installation, a sketch, by attachment, of the type of rack and where on the sidewalk it is to be positioned.

Several Companies sell Hitch2 (staple) and Inverted U Bike Racks, for a complete list of manufacturers go to: http://www.bicyclinginfo.org/de/manufacturers.cfm

So you have your rack, you got your permit now you need to secure it into the concrete. If you are not experienced with using a hammer drill and masonary bits and anchor bolts then you may want to employ someone who is. Bicycle Coalition founder John Dowlin has installed well over 100 bike racks throughout the city. John can also help with placement and rack purchase. You can contact him at cyclerecycle@hotmail.com

You may also want to look at the Adopt A Rack page to see if your location is getting a bike rack later this fall or winter http://www.bicyclecoalition.org/bfvmaps/adopt_a_rack.html

Cresheim Trail Public Meeting

There will be 2 public meetings to gather input for the feasibility study for the Cresheim Trail, a multi-use trail which will connect Ft. Washington State Park with Forbidden Drive near Valley Green Inn via Flourtown, Laverock, Chestnut Hill and Mt Airy.

Two Meeting will Be Held:

(1) Glenside Hall, Waverly and Keswick Ave, Glenside on Monday Sept 24 from 6-8 pm

AND

(2) Springfield Township High School, 1801 Paper Mill Rd, Erdenheim on Wednesday Sept 26 from 6-8 m

There has been vocal opposition to this propsed trail in the past and it is important that supporters who live in Springfield Township and in Cheltenham Township come out and show their support