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
Have you experienced the peaceful silence of a Center City street?
Riding Bike Philly, you get to hear the quiet as you bike car-free Philadelphia streets. And there is still time to sign up for our early bird special!
Register by Wednesday to get our best price with a FREE t-shirt ($10 after the June 30th deadline)!
This once a year event is family-friendly, featuring a car-free 10 and 20 mile loop and a challenging 35-mile option on shared roads.
Your registration includes:
a morning of car-free bicycling in Center City and Fairmount Park
free Bike Philly t-shirt ($10 after June 30th)
snacks at rest stops along the way
mechanics to help with any bike problems
over 200 volunteers to cheer you on your way (or even give you a ride back!)
music and fun at the finish line festival
Bicyclists of all skill levels are welcome. But early birds get the best price so register by Wednesday!
Ride Bike Philly in an official Bike Philly jersey! Pre-order your jersey before July 5th and pay only $60.
Now that Pennsylvania Avenue's partially separated two-way bike lanes are officially open in DC it's time to take a look at the two way cycle track on Dunsmuir St in Vancouver, BC. There are some pretty innovative features that makes this cycle track worth more than just a mention. The raised pavement bus stop shown at 2:02 is something that can help address SEPTA's objection to bike facilities on bus routes (more on that in an upcoming post). Perhaps the most relevant part of the video is at the 1:51 mark in the film that demonstrates how a cyclist can use a bike box to execute a left turn.
Two way cycle tracks are tricky to design, it will be interesting to see how long it will take for drivers to adjust to the new traffic pattern. This video shows a problem with one of the unsignalized intersections. It's a gotcha moment for some vehicular cyclists, who might consider the 2 way cycle track a gold plated sidepath. But to us it looks likes a problem that can be mitigated. Furthermore it is also a case of not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good.
Getting back to the bike box, the City of Philadelphia now has a policy of recessing the stop bar 10 feet from the crosswalk at signalized intersections. It seems that the Streets Department understands the difficulty that cyclists have at intersections but is skittish on the idea of a full blown bike box. In the short term we support this as a good complete streets policy for intersections that do not any have formal bicycle facilities but the City needs to "just do it" and follow the lead of a growing number of cities from coast to coast that are putting in bike boxes. How about Walnut at 22nd for a first stab.
After a longer than expected installation of fiber optic cables the Delaware River Port Authority has reopened the south walkway of the Ben Franklin Bridge. Bridge Hours remain from 6AM to 9PM. Goodbye cattle chute, 5th Street Tunnel, Riverfront Prison Demolition and Sugarhouse Casino - hello Pier 11 construction, Adventure Aquarium and Center City Skyline.
Starting on June 28th, the Philadelphia Water Department's contractor will be working all through the week on the Manayunk Tow Path to install another sewer liner. They don't intend to close the path, but they will have trucks and equipment at the intersection of Shawmont and Nixon and perhaps on the path itself at times. Please pass the construction area through with consideration to the workers.
Dash off an email to your State Rep and Senator NOW!
Governor Rendell and the PA Legislature are in the throes of a budget deal and the Governor is proposing to transfer $132 million in natural resource/environmental funds to help balance the budget. The funds in trouble include Growing Greener and the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund, which are critical sources of funding for planning and building trails like the Chester Creek, Cynwyd, Chester Valley and Schuylkill River Trail and the East Coast Greenway. Tell your state representatives to reject this proposal!
- Growing Greener - $12 million in transfers and $29.8 million in suspensions - Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund - $54.8 million in suspensions - Clean Air Fund - $8 million in transfers - Agriculture Easement Purchase Fund - $20.4 million in suspensions
Your State Representative and Senator needs to hear from you! Send an email NOW.
Effective July 1 SEPTA will be changing its fare structure. The former weekday peak period Regional Rail fares will now be effective on all weekday trains before 7PM.
SEPTA current bike policy states at bikes are not permitted on peak period trains, raising fears that bikes could be banned on all trains before 7PM. A source at SEPTA has confirmed that the policy language would be modify to say that bikes will be permitted except on trains that arrive in Center City before 9:30Am and trains that depart Center City stations between 4 and 6:30 PM.
League Certified Instructor and former Bicycle Coalition board member Ed Hein will be hosting a Biking 101 class on Monday June 28th from 6:30-8:30 at the Ambler Area YMCA on M0nday June 2.
The two hour course will provide cyclists with the information that they need to ride safely and legally in traffic or on the trail. The course covers bicycle safety checks, fixing a flat, group riding and on-bike skills to avoid crashes. The course is only $10 YMCA members and higher for non-members.
For more information contact the Ambler Area Y or send an email to Cathy DeMarco cdemarco@philaymca.org
Ambler Area YMCA 400 N. Bethlehem Pike Ambler, PA 19002 Phone 215-628-9950
In Washington, after a tough battle with sceptics DC Mayor Fenty, Congressmen Oberstar and Blumenauer and Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood all attended the ribbon cutting ceremony of the Pennsylvania Avenue Bike Lanes.
Philadelphia Bicycle Messenger Association (PBMA) is putting on the Rocky 8 Messenger Race on Saturday, July 10th at 2pm. Rocky 8 is a 2 person relay race where one team member runs up the famous steps
of the Philly art museum just like old Sly Stallone did in Rocky while the other rides on a course all over town. Winner gets bragging rights. Team entry is $20 and registration is at 1pm.
Imagine a resident in Wayne, biking a few blocks to the amazingly popular Radnor Trail, but instead of the short out and back ride that is possible today, that person would be able to travel 18 miles and visit the Egrets and Bald Eagles at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge.
Such is the vision for for a trail tentatively named Radnor - Tinicum Trail The trail would extend the existing Radnor Trail under I-476 via a deer tunnel and then follow the right of way of the Norristown High Speed Line (Rt. 100) just south of the Main Line across Haverford Township. The width of the right of way for the most part is wide enough for 4 tracks but since only 2 tracks were built there is in theory enough space for a rail with trail.
The trail would then follow Cobbs Creek on the unbuilt portion of the Cobbs Creek Trail which was blocked by NIMBY's in the Overbrook Farms neighborhood in 1990's. The trail will straddle the creek near Upper Darby and Millbourne before taking the existing Cobbs Creek Trail and the planned extension to Heinz NWR and the East Coast Greenway. The TIGER funded 58th Street Connector Trail will provide access from Cobbs Creek to the Schuylkill River Trail via Bartram's Garden and the South Street Bridge.
The trail alignment offers multitude of transit connections and will improve local walk and bike to transit access along Route 100 line including a long awaited direct pedestrian connection between Radnor's Route 100 and R5 rail stations.
On Monday night the Radnor Township Commissioners Meeting will vote on a resolution to support the concept of a trail along the Rt 100 line. You can show your support by attending the meeting and voicing your support during the public comment period.
Radnor Township Board of Commissioners June 21, 2010 7:00 PM Radnor Township Municipal Building 301 Iven Avenue Wayne , PA 19087
Is it me? Or is the bike lane surface on Pine St beginning to look like a bombing range? A contractor doing utility work on Pine St has placed 3 steel plates and orange cones on the 1000 block of Pine St.
This is another disruption for Pine Street cyclists who are enduring an ever rougher ride. Waiting for the Streets Department to pave the street in the fall. The City's Bicycle Pedestrian Coordinator has been notified and will be discussing ways to make these locations safer. Some possible actions include placing warning signs before the construction area and replacing the plates with a smooth patch at each location when work is complete.
The contractor is doing fiber optic cable work from 11th to 4th street so expect the steel plates to move down the street over the next several weeks.
On the last Spring session day for City Council, amid the same set of bills that contained the Schuylkill River Trail bill was one that gave the go-ahead for conference bikes to seek approval from the Streeets Department to operate on specific routes. One route that has been suggested before is to loop in the emerging Centennial District of Fairmount Park.
Conference bikes caused some controversy in 2007 when Councilman Frank DiCicco introduced a bill to ban them and contained language that would have also banned bike cabs and even kids bike trailers. A quick response from the Bicycle Coalition helped prevent the bill from reaching the floor.
The Bicycle Coalition does have some reservations with Conference Bikes, which are different than the kneejerk "they will cause gridlock" argument that the Bykofskyites shout about in the comments section of every article that mentions bicycles. The wide vehicles can clog up on multi-use paths and it is unclear in the legislation as to whether Conference Bike operators will undergo the same scrutiny that bike cab operators have to go through.
But...
...it is PedalPower that leaves a smaller environmental footprint when compared to the giant Ducks or obnoxious advertising trucks. And then there is this classic YouTube video, which I can only describe as Cycle Chic to the seventh power.
On Thursday City Council unanimously approved the signing of a 25 Year Lease with PECO Energy to use the Right of Way for a new section of the Schuylkill River Trail between Port Royal Ave and the old Shawmont Train Station.
The improvement which will move the Schuylkill River Trail off Nixon St is part of the TIGER funding program and is expected to go under construction in 2011. Additionally the existing Schuylkill River Trail on the west side of Port Royal Ave will be repaved and widened to the Montgomery County line .
Bill Summary - 090708 - Authorizing Commissioner of Department of Parks and Rec to enter into a license agreement between PECO Energy and the City of Philadelphia for a certain strip of land located near intersection of Nixon Street and Port Royal Avenue to be used as a connector 10 for the Schuylkill River Recreational Trail.
We are going to have great weather for bicycling this weekend! The Bicycle Coalition is working hard to put the final touches on the ride to make this year a great event!
Additionally, our friends at Ellen's Bagels, Hoagies, and More are getting ready to take your food orders for this weekend! If you did not order a lunch for the post-ride picnic, it's not too late! Sunday is not the day for hunger regrets. Seriously folks, you know you are going to want a delicious sandwich after the ride and if you haven't had Ellen's yet, you're in for a real treat! Choose between:
$7:
Turkey and cheese sandwich w/ lettuce and tomatoes, chips, and cookie
Veggie (romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, swiss, honey mustard), chips and cookie
$5:
Nut-butter and Jelly sandwich, chips, and cookie. (peanut free)
If you would like to order a sandwich and join the Bicycle Coalition in a post-ride picnic, please send your order to events@bicyclecoalition.org by midnight tonight (and we'll add it to your registration - simply charging the same credit/debit card you used to initially register for the ride.
Bicycle Coalition Bridge Access Chair Matt Anastasi spoke before the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) Board of Commissioners today presenting our new report "Crossing the Delaware for Transportation Independence" which calls for improving the Ben Franklin Bridge walkway. Anastasi's remarks are recorded here in the DRPA's Board Meeting Archive, advance the slider on your video player to 15:33. Note that sound level is extremely low, turn your computer volume all the way up if you must.
DRPA CEO John Matheussen comments on bridge bicycle access.
Inquirer Reporter Paul Nussbaum posted an article on Philly.com in which he interviewed
DRPA CEO John Matheussen, asking about the replacing the stairs on the Camden side with an ADA accessible ramp. Matheussen's reply was something that the BCGP has waited a long time to hear - "The ramp will be built in 2012"
That's great news, although DRPA is an active partner with the TIGER projects in Camden (performing the lions share of the engineering work) the construction of the ramp has been the critical missing link and we applaud DRPA's plan to accelerate the ramp project.
Update - In Today's Courier Post Mr. Matheussen stated that he will be asking the DRPA Board to advance $100,000 in the project for design work in 2011, which will enable the 2012 construction projection.
Today is your last chance to join us for a fun-filled post-ride picnic following Bike Freedom Valley this Sunday, 6/20. Register for the ride by midnight tonight to sign up for a great picnic lunch provided by the wonderful Ellen's Deli. They will be providing meat and veggie options, or nut-butter and jelly sandwiches for kids.
This picnic will be a great way to top off a day of riding and exploring greater Philadelphia's historical and contemporary cultural hot spots. (Plus it's the cheapest Fathers' Day meal that you'll find!).
So go register today; or if you already did, encourage a friend to sign up today!
Bike Freedom Valley lets you explore the Schuylkill River Trail and the surrounding neighborhoods and supports the Bicycle Coalition's Complete the Schuylkill River Trail Campaign, a campaign that seeks to complete the 9 missing segments to further the extensive trail system.
With your registration, you receive snacks at rest stops along the route, a fully supported ride with mechanics to solve any problems, and a commemorative trail map to use to explore and enjoy the surrounding neighborhoods of the Schuylkill River Trail!
When: Sunday, June 20, 2010. Registration and packet pickup start at 6:30am. Ride starts promptly at 7:45am!
Where: 1 Boathouse Row is at the intersections of Sedgely and Kelly Drives behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Free street parking is available on on Sedgely Dr. and Lemon Hill Dr.
What: This is a fully supported non-competitive bike ride. You can choose trail rides (up to 48 miles round-trip), ride on shared roads (35 miles) or do both (up to 60 miles round-trip). If you have never joined us before come and discover even more of greater Philadelphia's historical and contemporary cultural hot spots.
As described in a previous post, the Philadelphia Streets Department has proposed Bicycle Parking Regulations that provide guidance on design and spacing requirements. Once these regulations are final, wave racks, school racks and other poorly designed racks will no longer conform to the code and be legal. The regulations also spells out the process for installing art racks. Comments are due on June 30th. "Anyone affected by the regulations can request a public hearing." Send comment letters to: JOAN T. DECKER Commissioner of Records, Department of Records, Room 158, City Hall, Philadelphia, PA 19107
The Parkway Council is seeking public input on several designs that have been generated for "redoing" Eakins Oval and the intersection of 25th and the Parkway around the Philadelphia Art Museum.
The purpose of the study is to
• Fit beautifully and well with the design of the rest of the Parkway;
• Make it easier to walk safely to the Philadelphia Museum of Art ;
• Calm traffic and increase safety;
• Maintain traffic handling capacity for commuters; and
• Improve pathways for bicyclers.
There are 5 designs for Eakins Oval and 3 concepts for 25th and the Parkway. Please take a look at the designs and fill out an online survey .
Please keep your eyes peeled for our Bernard, a 58cm evergreen and champagne Fuji Touring Bike with silver Planet Bike fenders. Read the article for more details and to review our tips to protect yourself if your bike is stolen- so that this doesn't happen to you!
Philadelphia's Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) monitors 4 automatic counters that are located on Schuylkill Banks, Boathouse Row, East Falls Bridge and Manayunk Tow Path. DPR staff have downloaded the count data from March to May. For this 92 day period, the numbers look amazing. Below is the weekly average "use", which is one pass in front of the counter, for each of the four locations along the Trail.
Schuylkill River Trail at Schuylkill River Park (Schuylkill Banks): 21,585
Boathouse Row: 28,106
East Falls: 9849
Manayunk Tow Path: 3004
DPR staff will be providing us with this data on a quarterly basis, and we will post it as we receive it.
The Bicycle Coalition is please to announce the results of our first-ever Bike Month Photo Contest. All of the entries were beautiful, and we'd like to thank everyone who participated by entering photos or voting for "Crowd Favorite". Take a look at all the entries here.
We've provided maps of the locations of these photos, so that you can go check them out yourself!
Crowd Favorite Winner: Foggy Commute, by Matt Anastasi. Location: Ben Franklin Bridge, during an early morning commute from South Jersey to Upenn.
Runners up: 2nd place Crowd Favorite: Morris Arboretum, by Liz Kelley.
3rd place Crowd Favorite: Heron, by Sandy Merritt. Location: Mercer County NJ, on the Delaware & Raritan Canal Towpath just south of Washington Crossing, NJ
Congratulations to our winners! 1st place, 2nd place, and Crowd Favorite winners will receive a print of their photo signed by Bicycle Coalition staff and an I Bike PHL T-shirt. Please don't forget to take a look at all the other amazing photos that were submitted.
Come out to support the Bicycle Coalition on Wednesday June 16th at 10:00 AM for the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) Board Meeting as we present the findings of our latest report Crossing the Delaware for Transportation Independence to the DRPA Board.
DRPA's board meeting is open to the public and is located on the Camden Waterfront on the 11th Floor of One Port Center (the tall yellow building behind the Aquarium). There is no formal bike parking at One Port but there are bike racks across the street in front of the Camden Childrens Garden (see below). At the very least you will treated to the best view of the bridge and the waterfront.
A 29 Year Old Herbeth J. Vasquez-Tuch was killed Friday Night at the Cass St RiverLINE Station in Trenton. According the Trentonian "Vasquez-Tuch was biking northbound on a platform parallel to a northbound train “and for whatever reason, the bicyclist suddenly turned to the left and was struck by the front of the train,” Stessel told The Trentonian on Saturday."
As a regular RiverLINE commuter the description sounds to me that the cyclist got off the train, rode on the platform down the ramp and tried to beat the train. This has happened before, a similar type of crash occurred in Burlington City in September 2008 which resulted in a cyclist being injured.
The Philadelphia Cycling Committee meets at The Bicycle Coalition Office 1500 Walnut Street Suite 1107 on Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at 6:30 PM (6:00 PM pizza and refreshments)
Our guest speaker will be Spencer Finch, of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC), who will discuss the East Coast Greenway 58th Street Connector in Southwest Philadelphia in particular, and PEC's East Coast Greenway initiatives.
Late Registration is open until midnight June 19th! Register now and save! Come ride with us on June 20, 2010 as we celebrate the 30th Bike Freedom Valley by riding from Philadelphia's historic Boathouse Row along the family-friendly Schuylkill River Trail to ride as far as Lower Perkiomen Park (3 miles past Valley Forge). Bike Freedom Valley lets you explore the Schuylkill River Trail and the surrounding neighborhoods and supports the Bicycle Coalition's Complete the Schuylkill River Trail Campaign, a campaign that seeks to complete the nine missing segments to further the extensive trail system.
With your registration, you receive snacks at rest stops along the route, a fully supported ride with mechanics to solve any problems, and a commemorative trail map to use to explore and enjoy the surrounding neighborhoods of the Schuylkill River Trail!
PS - I just saw the final proofs of the trail map on Friday and it looks great! Lots of information about connecting trails, sites along the trail and even the trail surface (paved, gravel etc.) which can be useful for road bike enthusiasts.
The "Y" intersection of the Perkiomen and Schuylkill River Trails in Oaks-note the pavement markings to guide bicyclists (PT and SRT).
WEST DEPTFORD TWP. — A bicyclist was struck on Jessup Road here by a motorist who fled the scene, authorities said Thursday.
The cyclist, Randall Gartner, 43, of Lupton Avenue, Woodbury, sustained a broken left arm and left leg in the 5 a.m. incident. He was treated at Underwood-Memorial Hospital in Woodbury and released.
Gartner, who was wearing a bright yellow jacket and a helmet, was riding his road bike east on Jessup Road near a railroad crossing when he was struck from behind, according to a spokesman for the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office. The vehicle, for which there is no description, should have sustained front-end damage in the collision. Recovered at the crash site was a plastic fragment of what appears to be a wind deflector from a sunroof.
Anyone with information about the hit-run driver and vehicle is asked to call Det. Nick Schock of the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office crash investigation unit at (856) 384-5635.
Last week we posted a report of the tragic fire that killed the 17 month old daughter of TimeCycle owner Eric Nordberg. The report incorrectly stated Eric was home at the time of the fire and was injured, which he was not.
In an update, the Blog put up by PhillyBMA (http://nordberg.phillybma.org/) indicates that his 4 year old daughter is recovering at CHOP, as of this time we have no report on the condition of his wife who was also injured in the fire. You can donate to the special fund set up for his family here.
In true Fox News fashion, Fox 29 Anchorwoman and Cyclist Keri Lee Halkett fails to challenge the nay-sayers in this not so friendly news story. Keri Lee, are you ashamed of your bicycling habit? Speak out for your fellow cyclists. We've got your back.
Speaking of Fox 29 Executive Director Alex Doty was scheduled to debate Stu Bykofsky at 5:30. We'll post the video as soon as it is available.
Our campaign to have members give in the name of Stu Bykofsky warranted more column inches from the man himself today. Stu suggests an alternative of giving to Variety, the Children's Charity. I wish every argument about the need for bike lanes ended with people making donations to good causes!
We also got the attention of Fox29: the Spruce and Pine bike lanes will be featured in a story at 5:00 and I will be a live guest on the 10:00 newscast. (They've invited Stu but I'm not sure he stays up that late.)
The Delaware River Heritage Trail is a planned trail network that spans the upper tidal section of both sides the Delaware River from the Tacony Palmyra Bridge between Philadelphia and Palmyra to the Calhoun St in Trenton which connects Trenton NJ and Morrisville, PA.
On the Pennsylvania side Planning for the trail is underway and well funded as the trail alignment there will be the same as the Pennsylvania section of the East Coast Greenway.
The New Jersey side of the trail lacks such grass roots sponsorship. Implementation of the trail rests on several agencies and governments, divided between the Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission, Mercer County Parks and Burlington County Traffic Engineering and Burlington County Open Space Planning.
Three small sections of the trail are complete. The Delaware and Raritan Canal from Lalor St to Crosswicks Creek across from Bordentown, The Burlington Waterfront Promenade with a path extension to the Burlington YMCA and Burlington South Train Station and along the RiverLINE alignment in Riverton and Palmyra. Additionally two disconnected sections between Burlington and Bordentown are in final design and may be ready for construction within the next year.
But there is much more to do, with more than a dozen communities involved it will be a heavy lift to keep the momentum going to make sure that this trail is done in the next 5 years. The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia has started a Friends of the Delaware River Trail Facebook Group. The group will hopefully be a catalyst for a citizens based movement to assure that the trail remains a priority and fully funded for quick implementation. Trail maintenance and events are some of the ways this group can support the effort. If you are interested in promoting the regional trail project as well as keeping up with trail update then I would ask you to join this Facebook Group.
Starting this morning, the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) began to install bike parking rings on old meter posts on Walnut Street. 1500 rings were purchased by the City using stimulus funding (Energy Efficiency Block Grant) and will be installed around the city. Thank you Mayor Nutter and PPA! More photos here.
Look for the Parking Authority, Mayors Office of Transportation and Bicycle Coalition to gather at Broad and Walnut at 8:30 this morning for the kickoff of the meter post to bike rack program. Full coverage later.
Example of a bike rack converted from meter pole in Baltimore
The bridge walkway provides a low cost, scenic and carbon neutral way to travel between Philadelphia and Camden. But arcane policies plus the lack of planning and investment to improve the walkway has resulted in a facility that leaves much to be desired, furthermore a high quality bicycle and pedestrian path fits within Delaware River Port Authority's mission:
Emphasizing safety and customer service, the Delaware River Port Authority Enterprise provides quality transportation services across the river, and invests in the economic growth of Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey.
The report recommends that the Port Authority:
Accelerates the design of a new ramp in 2011 to replace the three story stair tower on the Camden side of the Bridge
Makes the entrances to the Bridge on both sides of the River more welcoming and inviting
Develops a snow removal policy that opens the walkway as soon as possible during weather related events
Making the Philadelphia and Camden waterfronts seem more like an integrated community and less like an international border crossing can also enable economic opportunities. A revitalized walkway could create a new tourist attraction, offer better access to jobs for Camden residents and enhance the quality of life for new waterfront residents and the surrounding neighborhoods.
Forget last weekend's Philadelphia Cycling Championship, here are some real hardcore Philadelphia cyclists: the winners of our Bike Month Commuter Challenge.
And after reading through the winners, don't forget to vote for your favorite Bike Month Photo Contest photo! Voting will close Thursday morning.
The Mayor and friends on Philly's Bike to Work Day Ride from the Art Museum to City Hall.
Philly Bike Month Commuter Challenge Winners
The Bicycle Coalition's first Commuter Challenge was a huge success, and we'd like to thank all the participants and prize donors! Over 40 participants logged 762 trips by bicycle and rode 3,129 miles for those trips (the mile count doesn't include recreational rides). While those numbers are pretty exciting, we know that a lot more people than that biked in Philly during May, and we're looking forward to an even more exciting (and competitive) Commuter Challenge next year!
Here are this year's winners and their prizes. If you're a winner, please stop by our office or email joshua@bicyclecoalition.org to collect your prize:
End of the Month Winners
Top 3 Teams
Philly Spinners- Bike Philly Free Entry, Certificate
EMS Philly Fleet- 2nd Place Certificate
Wallace Roberts, Todd- 3rd Place Certificate
Individual Raffle
Cindyg- REI bookbag
Laurent Bass- Breezer Ziggy Folding Bike
Individual Achievement
JBrug from Philly Spinners logged 69 trips- Certificate and Bike PHL Shirt Week 1 Winners: May 10-16th Top 3 Individuals Michael K Alex B Krowseye
Week 2 Winners: May 17th-23rd Top 3 Individuals Lieren- Planet Bike Cascadia Fender courtesy of EMS and Bicycle Jersey courtesy of Bucks County Bicycles. Sally- REI Seatbag with patch kit and tire levers courtesy of REI. Icelello- Fruit and Veggie take home case courtesy of The Fruit Guys.
Top Weekly Team Team Septa- Aluminum Water Bottles courtesy of Zipcar and I Bike PHL T-shirts courtesy of the Bicycle Coalition.
Week 3 Winners: May 24th- 31st
Top 3 Individuals
BMResta- light set from EMS
The Kelleys- Bike Pump
BlueSpark- I Bike PHL T-Shirt with REI water bottle
Construction crews have completed Old Baltimore Pike in Chester County between West Grove and Toughkenamon. The project is a mixture of bike lanes, shoulders (where there was insufficient width to mark it as bike lane) and Share the Road signs.
Bike lanes on Old Baltimore Pike in London Grove Township, Photo-Chester County Planning Commission.
The Old Baltimore Pike plan was first conceived in 1998 as part of DVRPC's Suburban County Bicycle Facilities Project which targeted one corridor in each of the suburban counties (sans Bucks) for bicycling improvements. The route was selected because it was already a commuter route for workers in the mushroom industry. We can hope that these demonstration projects will signal a greater acceptance for bicycle facilities in the suburban counties. Funding was paid for with federal CMAQ dollars.
We understand that the second project - Susquehanna Road in Montgomery County is also complete and Bicyclists Baltimore Pike in Delaware County is nearing completion, only needing the addition of shoulder striping and storm grate replacement to finish the project.
On June 1st, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), released the FY2010 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for public comment. Comments are due June 30th.
We will be analyzing the TIP over the next few days and will blog our findings and comments. In the meantime, here is the link to the online documents. Comments can be submitted online here.
You may have already seen this year's Bicycle Ambassadors hard at work all over the city, but now it's time to officially celebrate the summer ahead of them- with a party!
We would like to invite you to the Bicycle Ambassadors Launch Party this Friday, June 4th, from 5:30pm to 7:00pm at the Galleries at Moore College of Art (20th and the Parkway).
Please consider dropping by to meet the new Bicycle Ambassadors and wish them "good luck" in their work this summer, as well as celebrate the Bicycle Ambassadors program and all of our partners.
Additionally, on Friday you will have an opportunity to check out the brand new Gallery show "Ideas in Motion: Moore Celebrates Bicycle Month", which celebrates the art and design of the bicycle with special installations featuring Bilenky, Chris Wright, Engin, and R.E.Load Messenger Bags.
The 2010 Bicycle Ambassadors Team: (L to R) Top- Hannah, Erica, Celia, Jonathan; Bottom- Julian, Brian
If you have any questions, please contact Max at max@bicyclecoalition.org or 215-242-9253 x8.
On Tuesday, May 25th TimeCycle founder and owner Eric Nordberg's house in Southampton, PA burned down. Everything in the house was destroyed. Eric's wife, and his two younger daughters were in the house at the time of the fire. His wife and middle daughter remain in critical condition at Temple and Chop. Doctors are still unsure as to if they will pull through. The eldest was in school at the time while tragically, Eric's youngest infant daughter died from injuries received during the fire.
In the weeks to come there will be a series of fundraiser events to help support Eric Nordberg and his Family. Anybody interested in helping in any way is very much appreciated. We need donations in any form, including: hosting venues, catering, adult beverages for the events, merchandise for raffles, various event prizes, and general volunteer services.
The Philadelphia Bike Messenger community has always been a close knit group. Many couriers today and in the past worked for Eric Nordberg at Timecycle. He has always done what he could for us in our times of need, and now we are striving to repay those gestures.
Donations are being accepted through PayPal at http://nordberg.phillybma.org. The site will also post volunteer opportunities and events to help the Nordberg family.
June 10th = Bike parking rings installation! Yesterday's "tree"tise post prompted Mayor's Office of Transportation and Utilities to call and tell us that they have a commitment from the Parking Authority that it will start installing the first 500 rings (out of 1600 ordered) on meter posts on Thursday, June 10th. PPA will focus on Walnut Street and South Street first. We'll be contacted when the crew arrives on Walnut Street to get photos of the installation.
To the commenter who wrote about Fairmount Park: you are correct, the Department of Parks and Recreation (there is no more Fairmount Park Commission) does have authority to "cut" bikes locked on trees. However, they don't have the resources to enforce, so the best thing is to create as much bike parking as possible so that bicyclists aren't tempted to use a tree as a rack.
We have been patiently waiting for you to please start the meter conversion program by bolting metal rings onto the old meter poles that were "de-headed" last fall. The large number of bikes and insufficient number of bike racks on city sidewalks is causing bike owners to park their bikes on us and it hurts! While we like bikes because they help reduce air pollution and soak up greenhouse gases, when parked on us because they scrape off our bark and make our difficult lives even tougher. We are anxiously awaiting your employees or contractors to begin installing the rings any day now. Bring them on!
Plan for south end bike path would run along West Ave., or railroad bed
Written by ANN RICHARDSON
Thursday, 15 April 2010 20:01
OCEAN CITY – A group of bicyclists behind the Haven Avenue bike path will go to the public next week with a proposal to extend that bike path from 35th Street to 51st Street either on a reconfigured West Avenue or the old Seashore Line railroad bed in the marshes. The proposal is part of a plan to create an island-wide bike path that would allow bicyclists to ride from Corson’s Inlet on the southern end of the island to the Ocean City-Longport Bridge in the north, head out over the multi-use pathway to Somers Point on the new Route 52 causeway or ride downtown and to the Boardwalk.
Tom Heist IV, who leads the group of cycling enthusiasts, said he knows aspects of the plan will be controversial, especially the potential use of the railroad bed parallel to West Avenue. He said the public meeting is scheduled to get public input on the matter.
“There is no hidden agenda, there is no back door deal on this,” Heist said. “We are vetting this concept in a civilized way. We are saying to the public, would you rather see West Avenue reconfigured or would you rather we expend the energy necessary to rebuild that railroad bed? There is a lot of support for that option so we are going to explore it.”
The group plans to meet at the Ocean City Free Public Library on Monday, April 19 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. to discuss the 35th Street to 51st Street project.
The Haven Avenue bike path runs from Ninth to 35th streets. Heist said it is critical that the existing “spine” be continued on to 51st Street.
“We really need to do 35th Street to 51st Street,” he said. “It’s a 16-block critical gap. West Avenue as it is now configured is not a safe road to ride bikes.”
Heist said four lanes of traffic on West Avenue are currently bordered on each side by four-foot bike lanes, which is dangerous because drivers open their car doors into the lanes. (WBJ Note: the minimum standard for bike lanes next to parking is at least 5 feet)
“That’s the most dangerous thing for a bike, the car door,” he said. “It’s much better to have the car door open on the passenger side; there is much less a chance of hitting a biker on that side.” Cape May County officials are willing to re-stripe West Avenue so that both four-foot bike lanes are together on the west, or bay side, of West Avenue, Heist said. The bike lane would be near the curb to avoid driver’s side doors and the parked cars would serve as a barrier between traffic and cyclists.
“Bikes could safely ride by the curb,” Heist said. “We have evaluated the safest places to put bike lanes, and it is in a separated lane, not in traffic. The county is prepared to re-stripe it so that is an option. It would provide an added level of safety.”
Heist said a number of people have approached his group about the old railroad bed in the marshes and whether it could be utilized. The option will be vetted at the public meeting, he said. The question is whether to restripe West Avenue or use the railroad bed, said Heist.
“We are presenting our ideas to the public,” he said. “We have invited lots of public officials; we want to see the community come out as well. We want to get the pulse. We want a civilized public discussion. We want to get everyone out riding bikes, from small children and older children who want to follow their parents on bikes to our senior citizens who might be less stable as they get older. Everyone has a right to be able to safely enjoy bike riding in Ocean City.”
There are also plans to connect the Gardens section to the Haven Avenue bike path and the multi-use pathway coming over the new Route 52 Causeway. Bike paths could run from the bridge to the Boardwalk, said Heist.
Heist said his group has received an engineering report by the firm Orth-Rodgers concerning a plan to connect the 10-foot wide multi-use pathway from the Route 52 Causeway with both the bike path on Haven Avenue beginning at Ninth Street and the Boardwalk.
“It just arrived, it’s not ready to be presented as yet,” he said. “We are going to present the recommendations with a transportation subcommittee for review. It can’t be rushed. We do not want to present bits and pieces, it must be presented professionally.”
The study looked at adding a bike path to Sixth, Seventh, Eighth or 10th streets by taking out parking on one side of the roadway and continuing two lanes of traffic flowing east and west. The study also looked at the possibility of reducing Ninth Street from four lanes to two lanes from West Avenue to the ocean, with a bike path on the south side of the road.
“We need a safe way to allow people to pedal off of Ninth Street,” Heist said. “We want to connect the Boardwalk through the downtown, to allow people coming over on their bikes from Linwood to stop and shop.”
“We want to provide for bicyclists the safest route possible,” he added. “Do we just continue to put bikes out in the street and say good luck? We can’t continue to do this.”
Heist said there is pent-up demand to ride bikes in town but the existing infrastructure cannot support it. People ride for recreation, to get to summer jobs, or, like his mother, to go shopping, Heist said.
“She’s an adamant bike rider,” said Heist. “She scares me to death. I worry, the streets are not designed for bikes. I’m not willing to take this risk. It’s unfair to ask us to put our lives in jeopardy.”
Heist said members of his group travel around the country exploring bicycle-friendly communities, discovering what’s new and exciting, what’s working and how it could be incorporated in Ocean City. They’ve imported concepts like traffic calming devices in the form of artwork in busy intersections to remind motorists to slow down and watch for cyclists. The group presented the idea for a street mural to the Community Art Project last year and a mural at 20th Street and Haven Avenue intersection was the result.
Ann Richardson can be e-mailed at annrichardson@catamaranmedia.com or you can comment on this story by calling 624-8900, ext. 223.
Where: 1 Boathouse Row, at the intersections of Sedgely and Kelly Drives behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
What: This is a fully supported non-competitive bike ride to celebrate the progress of the Schuylkill River Trail as it is becoming the premier transportation and recreation greenway connecting neighborhoods across the Delaware Valley. This year, a complimentary Schuylkill River Trail map (included in registration) also illuminates the attractions that lie just beyond the trail.
Choose the traditional 35 mile option through Villanova to Spring Mill and back onto the trail or follow the trail from Lloyd Hall near the Art Museum through Manayunk, Conshohocken, Valley Forge to Lower Perkiomen Valley Park and back (up to 48 miles round-trip, or 2.5-4.5 hours depending on your pace). Or do both!
What: Bike Philly is a morning of relaxed biking on certified car-free Philadelphia streets. Bring friends to celebrate with thousands of bicyclists of all ages. This once-a-year event is family friendly, featuring a car-free 10 and 20 mile loop and a challenging 35 mile option on shared roads. Bicyclists of all skill levels are welcome.
For more information about this event, click here.
Attention Bicycle Enthusiasts: The Bicycle Coalition’s monthly volunteer night is almost here! This Wednesday, June 2nd, at 6:30 PM, we will be serving pizza and drinks to anyone interested in learning about June’s volunteer opportunities, including Bike Freedom Valley (June 20th). We will also give a brief training designed to give volunteers the basics on how to be a volunteer “Ambassador for a Day” for the coalition. Like our full-time Bicycle Ambassadors, you too can get the word out about our Education and Advocacy efforts that are making bicycling better in Philadelphia. As if all this weren’t enough, we will also be working to complete a special appeal mailing to our members that is designed to make Stu Bykofsky (Daily News Columnist and Philadelphia Bicycle Antagonist) our number one donor! We’ll be sending out these letters, asking for donations in his name.
If any of this sounds important or fun, please attend the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia’s volunteer night at 1500 Walnut – Suite 1107, this Wednesday from 6:30 – 8:00 PM.
Thanks for your attention and support, and keep on biking!
Sincerely, Joshua Willis-Volunteer and Membership Coordinator Upcoming Volunteer Dates · National Trails Day
June 5th
· Bicycle Rodeo
June 6th
· Int'l Cycling Championships
June 6th - Flyer for our BFV 2010 ride and get your fee waived!
Last week, Mayor Nutter and Streets Commissioner Clarena Tolson announced that Philadelphia will be resurfacing 58 miles of city streets (606 blocks) and replace/upgrade 2,160 curb cut ramps. Philadelphia is also using $15 million in federal stimulus dollars to repave an additional 27 miles (203 blocks) of city streets and repair or upgrade 2,038 curb cut ramps.
Here's the street improvement schedule for the week of June 1st.
Our understanding from the Mayor's Office of Transportation that Spruce and Pine will finally be repaved (and re-striped), although most likely not until Fall 2010. Pine Street will be resurfaced from 15th Street to Front Street. Spruce Street will be repaved from 38th Parallel Place (where the cobblestone ends) to 4th Street and from 8th Street to Broad Street.
