Making Google Bike Directions Work For You

In March Google Bike Directions generated a lot a buzz, after all a petition to implement a bike there application generated more than 51,000 thousand signatures. The petition is still active as now the target is to expand beyond the US.

But the lack of good road data, differing levels of traffic tolerance and frankly a lack of good bicycle facilities has meant that the application often generates less than ideal routes. This has resulted in some disappointment and even a little bit of backlash.

We too have received many emails complaining about directions especially in the suburbs, Fortunately with a little more effort you can make the Google Bike Directions work for you on streets that you would prefer to take.

The key is using three tools included Bike Directions. One is using Street View to preview your ride and the another is the drag function which lets you change your route by simply dragging the route line. The third is actually reporting unsuitable road segments to Google.

For our example we keyed in a Narberth to Haverford College route, Google found the most direct route via Montgomery Avenue. A road with 4 lanes, no shoulders and high travel speeds. We were able to replace that route with a slightly longer (~2 minutes) but much quieter route.




Music Credit - Bicycle Boogie: Bob Gaddy & His Alley Cats

Philadelphia's Naked Bike Ride #2 on for Sept. 5th

2009 Philadelphia Naked Bike Ride

September 5, 2010 (Sunday on Labor Day weekend) is the date of the Philadelphia Naked Bike Ride (PNBR) #2.  Following is an update from the Naked Bike Ride organizers that we got earlier this week.

All ride information about this and last year's ride appear on the wiki page.  PBNR is asking that people to spread the word:

1. Forward this blog post (email)
2. Download and share the PNBR#2 poster! 
3. Subscribe for updates

PBNR is seeking volunteer organizers and ride-day volunteers: email info@phillynakedbikeride.org to volunteer. For detailed information, check the Volunteer! section of the Wiki page

Center City District Releases A Report On Bicycling North South Streets

Bike Lanes matter, that's the conclusion of the Center City District's study of AM Rush Hour bike traffic on northbound streets at the intersection of Spruce from 3rd to 22nd. The 22nd Street bike lane carried on average 209 bikes an hour - more than twice the number of the second busiest street 13th. Add up all the streets together and on average 790 bikes crossed Spruce Street in between 8 and 9 AM.

The report calls for "an entire system of management: bike lanes, rules of the road, traffic signals for both both cyclists and motorists, and real enforcement equally for all."













But the report was not all "Rah rah yay bikes!" a talking point for bike lanes was that they will "free up streets for motorists for whom bicyclists can pose an equally annoying hazard". As if being annoyed is the biggest issue that cyclists have with automobile traffic.

In the long run I hope that design roads using the teachings of Hans Monderman - the future of safe urban and village streets lies with shared spaces: no crosswalks, curbs, bike lanes or traffic lights.

Street Furniture Plan Goes Bust

Plan Philly reports that Philadelphia's lucrative Street Furniture plan has not received any serious bids and has been scaled down, eliminating any of the niceties that were to be included such as bike parking shelters.

Instead the city will be draw up a new Request For Proposals to upgrade the maintainance of the existing bus shelters over the short term-anywhere from one to four years and work to draw up a new contract when and if the economy improves to a point where it may become feasible.


If there is a silver lining here it's that The Street Furniture contract did not include bike sharing and the contract could have been locked in for a long time. With several peer cities starting up bike share programs the economics and practicality of bike sharing should be well documented by the time Street Furniture v.2 is put out to bid. That is of course if we haven't found another way to implement it by then.

















Bike Shelters, not coming to a street corner near you.

PA/NJ/DE Trails submitted for TIGER II

On July 26th, Pennsylvania's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (PA DCNR) submitted a TIGER II pre-application to the U.S. DOT for planning and construction of 30 trail segments in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey.  Pennsylvania Environmental Council and the Bicycle Coalition helped prepare the pre-application.  Some of the segments include those submitted in the 2009 TIGER I application, but which did not receive funding.

This TIGER II pre-application is called Generating Recovery by Enhancing Active Transportation in the Mid-Atlantic (GREAT Mid-Atlantic) and includes urban and rural trail segments on seven different major trail systems in seventeen counties in three states (PA, NJ and DE).  The final application will be submitted in late August and US DOT is expected to make its decision by September 15, 2010.

• Delaware & Lehigh Natl. Heritage Corridor (5 segments)
• Erie to Pittsburgh Trail (3)
• Greater Allegheny Passage (5)
• Schuylkill River Trail (4)
• East Coast Greenway (9)
• Delaware & Hudson Trail (1)
• Camden Greenways (3)

For more detail on the project segments and sponsoring organizations, see the GREAT Mid-Atlantic project list.

Help the Coalition Hand out Postcards at Upcoming Rides

Are you planning to ride the:

• Dog Daze Century (August 7th) 
• Gran Fondo (August 8th)
• Green Branch Park Century (August 14th)
• Third Annual Mike Clark Memorial Ride (August 14th)
• or any other area cycling ride? 

The Bicycle Coalition needs your help distributing Bike Philly postcards at these rides. Please email Caroline for more information!

West Windsor Township Adopts A Complete Streets Policy

On July 19th, West Windsor Township, NJ home of Princeton Junction and Orson Well's Grovers Mill became the first suburban community in the DVRPC region to adopt a complete streets resolution.

In some ways West Windsor Township seems to have been invaded by Martians. That would explain the miles of bike lanes and the success of the West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance with 400 members in a community of 33,000 27,000 residents. On a per capita basis the organization is one of the most successful bicycle and pedestrian advocacy groups in the country, not too far off the pace of the San Francisco Bike Coalition. It is truly a model community for the many built out suburbs in the region.

Martian Landing Site (Wikipedia)

It is another sign that New Jersey is an emerging state in the Complete Streets movement with NJDOT adopting a respectable statewide policy (backed by a recent training session for engineers) which was quickly followed by Montclair Township in North Jersey. On Thursday Monmouth County became the first county in the state to adopt a policy. Unlike Pennsylvania, New Jersey counties maintain extensive networks of secondary roads (the 500 and 600 series routes) and often serve as the primary bike routes between municipalities.

Lloyd Hall Cafe Contract out for Bid

Philadelphia's Department of Parks and Recreation has posted a Request for Proposals for managing the Lloyd Hall Cafe.  Mandatory pre-proposal meeting and tour is scheduled for August 3rd and proposals are due August 27th.

BCGP Makes Corrections To Google Bike Maps

A side benefit of Google Bike Directions is the addition of the "Bicycling" layer in Google Maps, which is accessible under the "More" tab in the top right hand corner. Turning this layer on puts together a mosaic of localized bike lane, route and path data to create a national bicycle facility map.

That mosaic is far from complete and the Bicycle Coalition has worked with Google Maps to make more than 100 changes. Some examples include the addition of the Pennypack Trail, Bicyclists Baltimore Pike and the majority of bike lanes in shown in New Jersey and Delaware.

Google obtained bike lane information in Philadelphia from the City and major trails information from the Rails to Trails Conservancy. But the static nature of the data plus the lack of local trail and bike lane from outside of the city compelled us to add our ground truthing knowledge to the map. We communicated with Google Maps through their "report a problem" link in the lower right hand corner. It is a way that allows anyone to suggest changes to the map. The process usually takes a month or two, in the interim Google emails you when they verify your suggested change. Another email is sent when the changes are made. Each suggested change gets a unique ID number which allows you track the problem. Report a problem also works for bike directions, so you can report the lousy route you got to get to West Chester (we'll talk about making bike directions work for you in a later article).

What's interesting to me is that you can compare what has been done in Philly with the infrastructure in other cities. So if you want to take a break from FarmVille on Facebook open up Google bike maps and explore.

A Critical Eye on the Susquehanna Rd Bike Route

The Susquehanna Road bike route is nearing completion and we now have a good look at the results in Abington and Lower Dublin Townships. As we have reported here and here this project is part of an initiative began in 1998. DVRPC worked with Delaware, Chester and Montgomery Counties to develop one critical on road bikeway corridor in each county. Nearly a half million dollars in Congestion Mitigation Air Quality funds were allocated to complete the three segments.

As of early July the bike lane stenciling and striping was completed east of Fitzwatertown Rd but largely incomplete to the west. What we found east of Fitzwatertown offers some cause for concern.

Intersection treatments are the biggest problem, designers seemed to have problems dealing with a bike lane at intersections. This photo below shows the westbound approach at Fitzwatertown road. The striping suggests that cyclists ride in a 2-3 foot shoulder



The current guidance from the 1999 AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities suggests that bike lanes either end before narrow intersections or are dashed to the stop bar. Sharrows (Shared Lane Markings) now deemed as acceptable by the FHWA would also be a good treatment. (Note - the 2010 version of the guide which is in draft form may offer better solutions)

Parking in the bike lane is already a problem in Abington across from Hillside Cemetery. The before and after shots confirm that people were already parking before the striping was added and perhaps the striping is encouraging more cars parking there.




View Susquehanna Rd in a Larger Map

East of Hillside the bike lane disappears with only the occasional Share the Road sign. This section near Abington Senior High School has two lanes going westbound and one eastbound, one has to wonder why a lane reduction didn't happen here. Was it local opposition?

Navigational signage similar to Bicyclists Baltimore Pike in Delaware County has not been installed, we hope that this will be an element of the completed project.

Our support for the concept of the project is absolute, but as always the devil is in the (design) details. And we believe that working with PENNDOT and Montgomery County on small fixes can make this corridor a viable bikeway artery.

Lenape School District (NJ) Charging Students For Parking

Thursday's Burlington County Times reported that students who drive to school and use district parking lots will be required to buy a $50 parking permit. The school district estimates that the permits will generate $80,000. That's a whopping 1600 permits for four high schools, 3200 vehicles a day is a lot of traffic. For the 180 day school year that boils down to 30 cents a day. Revenue will not be put back into transportation but instead pay for School programs.

Lenape Regional is a huge district by NJ standards (250 Square miles) but with school district budgets shrinking this may not be the only place that implements paid parking for students. That and the elimination of courtesy busing in some districts may increase the demand for safe walking and biking routes to schools.




View Larger Map

Carranza Road is a popular recreational cycling route. But at sprawling Seneca High School in Tabernacle Twp. the wide shoulder has been replaced with a right turn lane.

The comments predictably shows students are not happy, and expect it to be a free service, "What's next pay toilets?" said one. As if land, paving, plowing, maintenance, traffic signals and turn lanes are free. Taxpayers are already paying for bus service (17.5 billion dollars worth nationwide) subsidizing parking for students only adds to the districts hidden transportation costs.

Friends of Cresheim Trail Meeting on Tuesday in Elkins Park

The Cresheim Trail is a planned trail that will connect the Wissahickon with Cheltenham and Springfield Townships. The Friends of Cresheim Trail will be meeting on Tuesday July 27, 2010 at 7:00 PM at the Wall House Museum, Church Road and Wall Park Drive, Elkins Park
(See Map Below)

JULY 27, 2010 MEETING AGENDA

• Welcome from the chair
• CT Development Status Update
• Community & Neighbor Comment Period

Section Reports & Next Steps:

• Cheltenham Twp. – Jim Innes
• Philadelphia - Paul Harris
• Springfield Twp. - Jim Innes
• Trail Development and Advocacy – Open Tasks & Resources Required

More information of the Cresheim Trail Project is available at http://cresheim.org


View Larger Map

Meeting Location Map

London Debuts "Barclays" Cycle Super Highways

Imagine investing a $150 million dollars this year to build a numbered network of Bicycle Superhighways between Center City and the Suburbs. That's what London is now doing.



London's Cycle Superhighways are actually enhanced bikeways consisting of bicycle boulevards, colored bike lanes, cycle-tracks and bike boxes. are sponsored by Banking and Investment giant Barclays. The routes are contiguous and united by route signage and a distinct blue pavement.

Barclays also sponsor bike sharing in London.

As of July 19th the first two routes have opened CS3 and CS7.

Northern Liberties Bike Theft Video

We warn about locking your bike to signs on page 7 in our Safe Bicycling in Philadelphia guide. Still witnessing someone who has the cullions to get up on a ladder to remove a sign in broad daylight on the 800 Block of N 3rd St. is a bit unnerving. It shows that if you walk instead of run, you can get away with just about anything in Philadelphia.

Help your fellow cyclists out, if you see someone who appears to be stealing a bike dial 911. Complacency is the only reason that this loser could get away with it. And as for the lowlife that provided some needed assistance, we hope you get caught too.



Thanks to all who gave us the heads up on this video.

Rails To Trails Greenway Sojourn Sendoff

The 8th Annual Rails to Trails Greenway Sojourn started off on a sticky Sunday Morning from Wiggins Waterfront Park in Camden. At 9:00AM 350 participants gathered at the raised platform at the end of Cooper Street to hear some words from Rep. Rob Andrews and Camden County Freeholders Ian Leonard and Carmen Rodriguez. Andrews remarks focused around the reception of the TIGER and the positive effects that the proposed improvements will have in Camden and the connection to the rest of the region.

One Long Queue

After the brief ceremony bicyclists proceeded up Pearl St to the Ben Franklin Bridge walkway steps across from the back entrance of Rutgers University. Where a long queue developed as everyone had to negotiate the three story stair tower. It took 45 minutes for everyone to climb up to the walkway, a delay that will dwindle down to about 5 or 10 minutes once a new ramp is constructed by the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA).



As it turns out DRPA closed the walkway for a much longer period than what was needed. It was scheduled for a 9:30 AM delayed opening based on the assumption that earlier Tour De Shore ride was going to use the walkway. When participation exceeded 1000 the DRPA granted a rolling closure on the road to the event, negating the need for a pre 9AM closing. The North Walkway which would have been a great alternate for other bridge walkway users remained closed. DRPA Police officially opened the walkway after the last straggler crossed the bridge at 10:22 AM. Imagine the reaction that closing the bridge roadway with no alternate route for four hours would have generated.

Leap Academy Sojourners

Camden's LEAP Academy Charter School received a scholarship to send 15 of its students on the 8 day sojourn. They are being accompanied by two League Cycling Instructors Andy Besold and Nate Davis who provided instruction for New Jersey's Bike School program at Farnham Park in 2009.


Posing with LEAP Academy Riders are left to right-Camden Co. Freeholder Carmen Rodriguez, Coopers Ferry Dev. Corp. Director Anthony Perno, Congressman Rob Andrews, Freeholder Ian Leonard.

Museum Without Walls in East and West Fairmount Park

Philadelphia's Parks and Rec. Department and the Fairmount Park Art Association has launched a pretty cool audible (cell phone) tour of outdoor sculpture along Kelly Drive called Museam Without Walls.


Through a Preserve America grant, the City installed over 40 sculpture signs located throughout East and West Fairmount Park. The audible tour has 35 stops that explore 51 sculptures along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and Kelly Drive.

More Opportunities to stop for a bite along Kelley Drive

Right on the heels of the good news about Bathey House and Cedars House, we learned today that Cosmic Catering has a lease to open several food carts along Kelly Drive. This weekend, they will be at the parking lot below the Girard Avenue Bridge.  Check it out!  If anyone gets a photo this weekend, please send it to us and we'll post it on the blog in future posts.

Ride the Divide Screening at World Cafe Live

On Tuesday evening, July 20th, World Cafe Live is screening Ride the Divide, a movie about "the world's greatest mountain bike race" which traverses over 2700 miles along the Continental Divide in the Rocky Mountains.  Bicycle Ambassadors will be there and Breen Goodwin, the Coalition's Education Director, will make opening remarks.  The screening will also feature a special acoustic performance by Amy Petty, who is on the Ride the Divide soundtrack.

EMS Bike Clinics on Tuesdays in August -- Special Benefit for Bicycle Coalition Members

EMS @UPENN at 3401 Chestnut St is holding a series of bike clinics during August on Tuesday evenings, with special benefits to Bicycle Coalition members (existing and new!).

Classes will be held August 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th and 31st for 1 hour from 7:00pm - 8:00pm.
Please wear proper attire ( you will be doing hands on training )
August 3rd-- 1st class will be How To Change A Flat Tire. ( Cost for class is $15.00 this will include a set of tire levers and 1 tube to take home with you. )
August 10th--2nd Class will be How To Maintain Your Drivetrain. ( Cost of class will be $10.00 this includes a bottle of lube to take home with you. )
August 17-- 3rd class will be How To Maintain Your Bicycle / Cleaning ( Cost of class will be $10.00 this includes a bottle of cleaner to take home with you. )
August 24th--4th Class will be How To Adjust Your Gears. ( Cost of class will be $20.00 this includes a new set of tools to take home with you. )
August 31st--5th class will be on How To Properly fit myself to a bike / make the right purchase. This class is FREE and will require you to wear your cycling attire for a proper fit.

For more info on these clinics, any other general questions and to RSVP please contact Mike Allen. Classes limited to 10 people so you all get individual attention. Payment for each class is due at sign up and non-refundable. If you need to cancel a class Mike will make other arrangements for you and make sure you get a chance to learn at a later date. *ALL PAYMENTS MUST BE MADE IN CASH*

If you are Bicycle Coalition member you can take one or more of the classes for free (bring your member card). If you are not a member but make a donation or join the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia you should print out your receipt and bring it with you to the clinic to take the class for free.

Greenway Sojourn Kicks Off With Press Conference In Camden

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s (RTC) 8th annual Greenway Sojourn will kick off this Sunday, July 18 at 9 a.m., in Wiggins Park at the Camden Waterfront where 350 bicyclists will help celebrate the kick-off of a federally-funded active transportation project in the City of Camden, before heading off on a 250-mile bike ride.

The morning ribbon cutting, featuring Congressman Robert E. Andrews, Camden County Freeholders Ian Leonard and Carmen Rodriguez and Camden City Mayor Dana Redd, will signal the start of a long-awaited complete streets' overhaul project funded by a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary grant. This project will greatly improve pedestrian and bicycle access in the City.

The 350 Sojourn bicyclists will be on hand to support this TIGER project, a crucial component in an active regional transportation network with Camden City serving as the gateway between Philadelphia and the South Jersey suburbs.

In February, Camden County was awarded $5.8 million of stimulus funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s TIGER Grant funding program. This grant funding was awarded to improve three important corridors of Camden – Martin Luther King Boulevard, Pearl Street and Pine Street (see the map below).

As part of multi-state TIGER application with the City of Philadelphia, this project is one of the first steps towards developing the Camden GreenWay – Camden's component of an active transportation network stretching over 128-miles of bicycle and walking trails throughout Camden City, Camden County, Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs. The Camden Greenway will connect local residents and visitors to such popular biking/walking trails as the Cooper River Park Trail, Schuylkill River Trail, and the East Coast Greenway.

“We are very excited that Rails-to-Trails has brought its sojourn and bike riders to our City,” said Anthony Perno, President & CEO of Cooper’s Ferry Development Association. “We are also very excited Camden was awarded federal funds to develop our own bike and pedestrian trail network. This TIGER-funded project will enhance walking and bicycling opportunities in Camden, while improving and beautifying the streets, leveraging essential economic development along these important corridors.”

Work is already underway in receiving authorization for the construction of the TIGER grant projects. However, this event on the 18th will serve as the “official start” of the long-awaited improvement project, with construction on the trail ways planned to commence next summer.

The Greenway Sojourn serves as the perfect platform to help celebrate the kick-off of the TIGER-funded Camden Greenway project. The seven-day, loop-ride features seven different Pennsylvania and New Jersey rail-trails, including the Delaware Canal Towpath, Delaware and Raritan Canal Towpath, Ironton Rail-Trail, Lehigh Canal Towpath, Lehigh Gorge State Park Trail, Perkiomen Trail and Schuylkill River Trail.

So much more than a popular and wildly anticipated recreational ride, the Greenway Sojourn has a long history showcasing trail-building and improvement projects along its route. Sojourn riders—ranging in age from 4 to 90, and hailing from 30 different states—are ardent and loyal trail enthusiasts who often play a part in highlighting the economic, health and quality-of-life benefits trail systems bring to a community.

Additionally, the Sojourn helps educate and enrich the next generation of trail users. This year, the Sojourn successfully secured sponsorship for 24 students from the LEAP Charter School in Camden and Faison School in Pittsburgh to participate in the Sojourn ride.

The 2010 Greenway Sojourn is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), Fetzer Vineyards: The Earth-Friendly Winery, Fuji Bikes, Cooper’s Ferry Development Association and Pocono Whitewater.

Learn more about the 2010 Sojourn and RTC’s trail-building work at http://www.railstotrails.org/sojourn2010

Click on map to enlarge.

JFK and Market St Cycle Track Plan at Tuesday's City Committee Meeting

BCGP's regular monthly Philadelphia Cycling Committee meeting will take place at The Bicycle Coalition's Education Office-1500 Walnut Street, Suite 305 on Tuesday, July 20, 2010 at 6:30 PM (6:00 PM refreshments)

Our guest presenters will be Nancy Goldenberg of the Center City District &
Frank Jaskiewicz of JzTi Consulting who will discuss the concept of
separated bicycle lanes on West Market Street and West JFK Blvd. in Center
City.

See page 2 - #7 in the CCD Newsletter Winter 2009
http://www.centercityphila.org/docs/CCDigest-Winter09.pdf

Cyclist Hit From Behind In Broomall - Updated

UPDATE: The cyclist has died from his injuries, this is confirmed in today's Daily News. The victim was Russell Garrett a Haverford Professor who was on his commute to work.
-------------
From the Delaware County Times:

By CINDY SCHARR, cscharr@delcotimes.com

MARPLE - A bicyclist was seriously injured when he was struck from behind while riding along West Chester Pike Thursday morning, according to police.

The incident occurred around 10 a.m. on West Chester Pike near the northbound entrance to the Blue Route.

The victim, identified only as an adult male from Delaware County, was riding a bicycle in the right westbound lane of West Chester Pike. A woman driving a maroon Honda struck him from behind, according to Marple Police Lt. Matthew Richter

The victim was thrown from the bike and into the air. Although he was wearing a helmet, he suffered a significant injury, Richter said.

Read the Full Story Here

6 ABC reports that the driver was distracted and that the 38 year old victim was in critical condition at the Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania.


View Bicyclists Crashes 2008-2010 NJ and SE PA in a larger map

The rest of Pennsylvania has not been spared of the carnage, two deaths were reported in the past week, one in DuBois and the other in West Earl Township northeast of Lancaster.

But Is Bicycling Too Dangerous?

This blog has been heavy on the crash reporting recently. July is always a tough month, however I don't think I have reported on more hit from behind crashes than I have in the past few weeks. We know that in at least 3 cases the drivers were where they shouldn't be, in the shoulder.

We bring these weakly reported incidents into the sunshine because the we want change and the victim's of these tragedies deserve to be recognized.

Both New Jersey and Pennsylvania lack vulnerable user law and safe passing laws. New Jersey has one of the toughest distracted driving laws in the country while the Pennsylvania legislature continues to grapple with a weaker young driver bill.

But it's also important to remember that the benefits of bicycling outweigh the risks which was confirmed in a recent study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Data synthesis: We quantified the impact on all-cause mortality when 500,000 people would make a transition from car to bicycle for short trips on a daily basis in the Netherlands. We have expressed mortality impacts in life years gained or lost making use of life table calculations.

For the individuals who shift from car to bicycle, we estimated that beneficial effects of increased physical activity are substantially larger (3 – 14 months gained) than the potential mortality effect of increased inhaled air pollution doses (0.8 – 40 days lost) and the increase in traffic accidents (5 – 9 days lost). Societal benefits are even larger due to a modest reduction in air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and traffic accidents.

Sure its Holland which has about a quarter of the deaths per mile, but margins in the study are so great that there is little doubt that the same holds true for the US. Which brings us to the point of safety in numbers, per Peter Jacobson's 2003 article in Injury Prevention. When bicycle use doubles, the risk of a motorist hitting a cyclist goes down by about a third.

So go out and ride your bike, for your health and for the safety of us all.

Bike to the Xponential Festival In Camden This Weekend

For the second year in a row the WXPN Xponential Festival is offering bike parking at the festival at Wiggins Park in Camden. It's a great reason to bike over the Ben Franklin Bridge.

Ben Franklin Bridge South walkway is open from 6AM to 9PM except for Sunday Morning (9:30 AM to 9PM). Bikes are allowed on board for no charge at any time on the RiverLINK ferry, NJ TRANSIT buses and the PATCO High Speed Line.

New amenities in Wissahickon & on SRT good for cyclists

As reported in today's Inquirer, two new cafes have opened in Fairmount Park to comfort tired, hungry and thirsty bicylists, hikers, and runners.  This is a welcome development, considering that the Lloyd Hall cafe has been closed all summer. Kudos to the many different folks involved in making these two eateries possible, including Phila's Dept. of Park and Recreation and the Fairmount Park Historic Preservation Trust.

In East Falls, situated under Roosevelt Boulevard along  Kelly Drive is Trolley Car Cafe at the Bathey.  According to Destination Schuylkill River:
 "The historical structure, once a bath house, was rehabbed to accommodate the eatery, while also providing amenities to trail users including bicycle rentals, restrooms and an interactive gateway exhibit. What's more is that there is a convenient low-cost public parking lot (50 cents an hour!) located right there which makes East Falls a great jumping off point."

At the top of Wissahickon Park is the recently opened Cedars House.  Geared towards runners, it's a great spot for mountain bikers to stop in to grab a bite.

Note: each eatery has BATHROOMS (for customers only) and the Bathey House has Bike Rentals by Valley Forge Bicycles!

SRT reconstruction in East Falls moves one step forward

The long awaited reconstruction of the Schuylkill River Trail (also known as the Fairmount Bikeway) between the East Falls Bridge and Ridge Avenue has moved one important step forward.  The City's Department of Parks and Recreation has advertised the project . A mandatory pre-bid meeting is set for July 16th.    The bicycle detour during this project when construction begins is Calumet Street and Ridge Avenue.  This project is one of several in the works in the Northwest Philadelphia that will improve the trail and close gaps over the next several years.

Newest Segment of Schuylkill River Trail-Gray's Ferry Crescent-Making Progress

Tucked in between the University Avenue Bridge and the Gray's Ferry Bridge, behind the Waste Management transfer center and the old Dupont-Marshall lab site, is the newest segment of the Schuylkill River Trail under construction and the first to touch South Philadelphia.  The Crescent, a 3300 stretch of greenway that will have a multi-use path and open green space, hugs the east side of the Schuylkill River between 34th Street and Wharton Avenue.  When completed, it will be the first SRT segment built since the path was completed in 2004 between the Art Museum and Locust Street.   According to the project's sponsor, the Schuylkill River Development Corporation , planting will start in the fall and the completion date should be around the end of the year. You can access the path from the bottom of the Gray's Ferry Bridge (at 36th Street, next to the FedEx Express Ship Center driveway) and at the corner of Wharton and Schuylkill (near the Philadelphia Trolley Works).  A ramp from the 34th Street Bridge (not yet built) will be the third access point.  Photos of the Crescent at various stages of construction are here.

Beat the Heat with the BCGP and Nodding Head

NEW MEMBERS HAPPY HOUR @ Nodding Head Brewery
Thursday, August 5th 4-7pm

We've teamed up with Nodding Head to host a happy hour where bicycle enthusiasts can socialize, learn more about our programs, and we're also offering a special membership deal!

Sign up for a Bicycle Coalition membership at Nodding Head during our happy hour on August 5th and receive a FREE beer or cocktail. Think that's not enough? You also get our brand new "I Bike PHL" T-shirt, now in sunflower yellow! All are welcome. Come support the Bicycle Coalition and be a part of our growing movement!

Already a member? Bring a friend to sign up for a membership and you get a free T-shirt and drink too!! (Make sure to bring your membership card).

Questions or comments? Contact Joshua Willis, joshua@bicyclecoalition.org or 215-242-9253 ext 8#.
















Nodding Head Brewery
1516 Sansom St.
Philadelphia, PA

Coming Soon Market St Bike Lanes in University City

The Streets Department is chalking in the template for bike lanes on Market Street between 34th and 38th. These will be the first new major bike lanes installed since Spruce and Pine Streets last fall.

Slideshow Link
Photo Credit Gregory Jordan-Detamore

Police Arrest Torresdale Ave Hit and Run Suspect

Police have arrested 39-year-old Manuel Albandoz who allegedly struck and killed an unidentified female cyclist in the bike lane on Torresdale Avenue near Adams Avenue just after midnight on Sunday morning. Albandoz is facing involuntary manslaughter, homicide by vehicle, DUI and other charges.

UPDATE: Police have released the identity of the victim as Celina Langan, 24 of the 6100 Block of Tulip St.

Report gleaned from NBC Philadelphia
and CBS 3

B.F. Bridge Walkway Restriction On Sunday

From DRPA:

On Sunday, July 18, the entrances to the Benjamin Franklin Bridge south walkway will be restricted between 6am and 930am to cyclists involved with either the Tour de Shore or the Rails to Trails Greenway Sojourn bicycle events. Walkway hours for general use on Sunday, July 18, will be 9:30am to 9pm. The north walkway remains closed to the public.

Cyclist Killed By Hit and Run Driver in Torresdale Ave Bike Lane

From 6 ABC:


FRANKFORD - July 11, 2010 (WPVI) -- A bicyclist was killed overnight in a hit and run accident in Philadelphia's Frankford section.

It happened near the intersection of Torresdale and Adams Avenues around 12:30 Sunday morning.

Police say a 41-year-old woman was riding her bike when she was struck. She was rushed to Hahnemann Hospital, where she died a short time later.

Witnesses described the car to police, who then found the black Ford Taurus parked in a fenced lot a few blocks away.

Only Action News was there as police recovered the car in the 2100 block of Gillingham Street. Police are talking with the car's owner.


View Larger Map

I won't speculate here but the woman was killed in the bike lane, another exhibit for the case of a safe passing or vulnerable road user law. More disturbing-Why did the driver run? Will there be charges?

One thing is for sure, we will not see the outrage, the media feeding frenzy nor the calls for reforming traffic laws that we saw last November.

Main Line Socialite Pleads Guilty to Hit and Run - Asks For House Arrest

From the Main Line Times:

By Richard Ilgenfritz

A Villanova woman will have to spend at least 90 days imprisoned after pleading guilty Tuesday to charges stemming from a hit-and-run crash that severely injured a teenager in Bryn Mawr one year ago. A judge will have to decide whether she will be allowed to serve out that mandatory minimum sentence at home under house arrest.

Suzanne Lammers, 76, admitted in the Norristown courtroom of Judge William R. Carpenter that she struck a 13-year-old Bryn Mawr boy as he rode his bike along New Gulph Road near Morris in Bryn Mawr last July.

According to Thomas W. McGoldrick, assistant district attorney for Montgomery County, Lammers was driving west on New Gulph Road when she struck the child. After being thrown from his bike, the child hit her windshield and fell from the car...

...She then turned around and drove back past the crash scene and went north on Morris Avenue before taking her car home and parking it in her garage. The car sat in her garage until police received an anonymous tip that the car that struck the teenager was inside the garage ...

...Frank DeSimone, the attorney for Lammers, said he would ask the court to allow her to serve the mandatory 90 days in prison under house arrest at her Villanova home. She has been on bail and has not been in jail since the crash occurred. McGoldrick said the state would oppose the house arrest. A sentencing date has not yet been determined.
We reported on this incident last July here and the ID on the driver here
Hit and Run is a despicable crime. Amazingly in PA it is only a summary offense. The fact that Ms. Lammers attorney still has a shot at getting her to spend her sentence in her comfortable home gives me the creeps, privilege has its privileges, like the lifeboat passengers on the Titanic. Let's hope the Judge prescribes a just sentence for the sake of the victim and for bicyclists everywhere in Pennsylvania.

Philly Looking at Bike Sharing from the Sidelines

Five months after the release of the ground breaking bike sharing feasibility report Philadelphia has made no public progress on the introduction of a bike sharing system. When the report was finalized only two major North American cities-Montreal and Washington maintained a public bicycle program. But several cities are now moving forward and implementing bike sharing :

Denver - Denver B-Cycle was the first large scale operation in the United States. The service began on Earth Day of this year with 500 bikes. 18,000 trips were taken in the first 2 months.
Minneapolis - NiceRide MN with 700 bikes kicked off on June 10th, 14,400 trips were recorded in the first 30 days.
Miami Beach - DECOBIKE with 100 stations and 1000 bikes will launch in August.
Washington DC and Arlington, VA - A greatly expanded program called Capital Bikeshare will replace SmartBike DC in September with 1100 bikes at 114 locations. The new program will be about 10 times larger than the present system.
Boston, MA - Received 3 Million dollars from the Federal Transit Administration to launch a program with 500 bikes at 50 stations. This will be the first US bike share program started up with federal transit funds. The projected launch date is in the Spring of 2011.
San Antonio, TX and Chicago, IL - Are working with B-Cycle to launch pilot programs in their respective cities. These are the first entries among the top 10 largest US cities.
Mexico City - The largest city on the continent launched Ecobici in February with 1100 bikes. The 100,000th trip was recorded three months later on May 15th.

DECOBIKE's promotional video combines cycle chic with a 1950's era public service announcement

You can help the cause for bike sharing in Philadelphia by sending a note to the Mayor.

Bicycle Ambassadors Clearing Abandoned Bicycles From The Streets

IMG_0161
Originally uploaded by Philly Bike Coalition

The Bicycle Ambassadors along with the Streets Department were out today clearing abandoned bikes and freeing up bike parking spaces.

Ambassadors place a tag on the bicycles at least 7 days in advance with a phone number in case the bikes do indeed have an owner. After removal the bike carcasses are donated to Neighborhood Bike Works for parts or rehabilitation.

Good news on state trail funding......for now

Many thanks to the many bicyclists who rallied the week before and after the July 4th holiday weekend by contacting their representatives to ask them to push back on Governor Rendell's proposal to use state funds designated for creating trails and open space (Growing Greener and Keystone Fund) to balance the budget.  Their  action helped forestall the raid and preserved both Growing Greener and the Keystone Fund for the time being.  Our friends at Penn Future singled out Representatives Kate Harper (R-Montgomery) and Mike Gerber (D-Montgomery), and Senate Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson) for leading the effort to spare these funds from being raided and on behalf of all bicyclists who use Pennsylvania's trails, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia thanks them for their leadership.

HOWever, Pennsylvania's budget depends upon a significant amount of federal money that is not yet in place.  We won round one for the time being, but there may be a round two.

Bike Cabs Granted Another Permit To Work Evenings This Weekend

The new and tightly regulated bike cab industry got a temporary boost on 4th of July Weekend by being allowed to operate at night, a second permit has been issued for this weekend so bike cabs will be out in force on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

Bike cabs are not allowed to operate in Old City, which is akin to not letting Amtrak stop at 30th Street. Let's hope that the city makes the sensible choice of freeing up bike cabs to allow these green businesses to operate where they need to so they can make a profit.

3rd Cyclist in 30 Days Dies In South Jersey

From the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Woman on tricycle killed in S. Jersey
By Darran Simon A South Jersey woman was killed Wednesday when the adult tricycle she was riding was struck by a pickup truck, authorities said. Cecilia Harrop, 39, of Gloucester City, was riding an adult tricycle in Brooklawn when an Isuzu pickup hit her around 3 p.m. as he turned from Chestnut Street onto New Broadway, said Jason Laughlin, spokesman for the Camden County Prosecutor's Office.

Authorities have not released the name of the pickup driver, who hasn't been charged, said Laughlin.



View Bicyclists Crashes 2008-2010 NJ and SE PA in a larger map


Some observations:

• It's unknown who is more culpable here-the driver or the victim. The intersection which is on the left of the image is a slip turn or pork chop which is hazardous for bicycles because right turns are sometimes treated by drivers as a yield as opposed to a stop. We also don't know if Ms. Harrop was pedaling with or against traffic.
• It is the third fatality in South Jersey in a month, a cyclist was killed by a RiverLINE train in June in Trenton and a bicyclist was killed in the shoulder in Franklinville last week.
• This transportation fatality in which a smaller vehicle was struck by a much larger one barely made the paper, while the Duckboat tragedy in which two people are missing and presumed dead continues to dominate the headlines. Yes, the rarity of the crash, its central location and the potential harm that could have occurred warrant our attention. But the cause of that crash will be thoroughly investigated by the NTSB and countermeasures will be taken with a goal of no more deaths. Meanwhile it is unlikely that anything will come of the tragedy in Brooklawn.
  

Volunteer Night Tonight - 6:30 @ BCGP Offices

It's that time again. The Bicycle Coalition's volunteer night is Tonight, July 7th at 6:30pm. With Bike Philly on the horizon, our Safe Routes Philly program gaining speed, and our Ambassador program at the height of its season, we have LOTS of volunteer opportunities.

As you may or may not be aware, we are still in need for outreach volunteers. These volunteers will represent the Bicycle Coalition at events or local shops, working to introduce folks to our programs and promote our mission. We'll offer another outreach training this month for anyone interested in this position.

Other opportunities include several dates of Bike Philly promotion, various positions with Bike Philly and our Inaugural Safe Routes Philly Family Day and the unique position of supporting Cy Maramangalam, our Safe Routes Philly instructor, who is looking for a weekly volunteer to assist him with grading and survey data.

Please come out to volunteer night this month... and bring a friend!

Sincerely,
Joshua

VOLUNTEER NIGHT!

DATE: 7 July 2010
TIME: 6:30pm - 8:00pm
LOCATION: 1500 Walnut St.
MORE: Room 205

Don't forget Volunteer night means free pizza and many of our positions include a free T-shirt. I hope to see you soon.

BCGP Comments on 2011 PA Transportation Improvement Progam (TIP)

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission has closed public comments the SE PA 2011-2014 Transportation Improvement Program known as the "TIP":

• The TIP is the agreed upon list of specific priority projects. The TIP lists all projects for which federal funds are anticipated, along with non-federally funded projects that are regionally significant.
• The TIP represents the transportation improvement priorities of the region and is required by federal law.
• The list is multi-modal; in addition to the more traditional highway and public transit projects, it includes bicycle, pedestrian, and freight related projects as well. It's a long dry document and is not on my summer reading list, but it enables us to follow the money and see how much is being spent on bicycle projects and how much is going toward widening our unbikeable intersections.

The Bicycle Coalition submitted comments on individual projects and summarized our general comments with this letter on June 30, 2010:
---
On behalf of the 1.5 million persons who ride bicycles in the Delaware Valley Region, we submit these comments on the 2011-2014 Pennsylvania Transportation Improvement Program (heretofore called, the TIP).

Overall, we are disappointed that the TIP does do more to advance bicycle/pedestrian facilities and that it does not reflect an adherance to PA’s Complete Streets check list. We urge the DVRPC to address these two deficiencies in its final draft.

1. The 2011-2014 TIP does not adequately reflecting comprehensive compliance with federal and state Complete Streets policies.

A. Several projects unnecessarily negatively impact bicycle/pedestrian transportation

Bristol Road

• This is both a lost opportunity and a negative impact project. Two foot shoulders are totally inadequate. New turn lanes will squeeze out bicyclists and right turn lanes encourage drivers to not yield to pedestrians.
  
• This project needs pedestrian refuges, a stop phase for right turning vehicles when the pedestrian signal button is pushed for pedestrians and four foot shoulders plus bike pockets at intersections to the left of the right turn lane.

Bridgetown Pike

• A shoulder will be eliminated for an auxiliary lane, we disapprove of marked right turn-straight through lanes as they force cyclists to make difficult choices for proper lane position, less experienced cyclists will opt to stay to the far right, leaving them vulnerable to a right hook crash.

Route 29 Improvements

• While we applaud the addition of 5 foot shoulders, we are concerned that they will disappear at intersections with channelized turn lanes.
• Yellow Springs Road is a popular recreational bike route. We suggest left turn bike pockets on southbound 29 at Yellow Springs and straight through bike pockets at all intersections with right turn lanes.

I-95 – Shackomaxon Street to Ann Street.

• There appears to be excess width on Delaware Avenue south of Girard. We recommend that more space be allocated to the bike lane to provide a buffer for cyclists.
• The intersection at Girard is very tricky, especially turning left from Delaware to Girard. We recommend a left turn pocket or bike box.
• There appears to be room for bike lanes on Girard from Delaware Ave over to the near Fletcher St and can be achieved by added bike lane markings in the shoulder and a bike left turn pocket at the Delaware Ave intersection and a green crossover bike lane at Ramp D.
• Where the I-95 goes over Richmond Street, there needs to be adequate lighting and other measures to make the Richmond St. sidewalk safe and attractive.

B. Numerous projects do not incorporate bicycle/pedestrian facilities and are “missed opportunities”

• Montgomery and Delaware Counties have TIP projects that have road segments that are included in their respective bicycle plans but do not include any bicycle/pedestrian facilities. Some Delaware County road projects refer to the bicycle plan, but don’t include any facilities that would implement the plan. If road construction is not the right time to implement a bike plan, when is? Each road project should have been evaluated with the PennDOT check list and the County Bicycle Plan and the project description should indicate the results of that evaluation.
• Most of the streetscape projects in the TIP do not include provisions for bicycle parking.
• The TIP should more clearly describe how well the projects meet the requirements of the Pennsylvania’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Checklist.
• Although not a full blown Complete Streets policy, Pennsylvania’s bicycle and pedestrian checklist serves in its place and was issued by PennDOT almost ten years ago. The effectiveness of the checklist is impossible to measure on a project by project basis because the outcomes are not evaluated or listed in the project description. DVRPC should play a more pro-active role in ensuring that the check list was used to ensure that each project is “passed” the checklist as much as possible.

We believe that DVRPC should have a Complete Streets policy itself, or some kind of set of principles that it uses to evaluate projects. For example, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission of California adopted Resolution 3765 in 2006, which is essentially a check list to determine if local jurisdictions considered complete streets principles.

While DVRPC has good bicycle-pedestrian goals in its 2035 Connections Plan (p. 87-90), it is not a policy. We urge DVRPC to take the next step and adopt an enforceable and transparent complete streets policy that generates measurable results to track how transportation funding in the TIP is meeting the goals laid out in its plan.

The TIP should reflect DVRPC’s implementation of FHWA’s March 2010 Policy Statement (http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2010/bicycle-ped.html): “The DOT policy is to incorporate safe and convenient walking and bicycling facilities into transportation projects. Every transportation agency, including DOT, has the responsibility to improve conditions and opportunities for walking and bicycling and to integrate walking and bicycling into their transportation systems. Because of the numerous individual and community benefits that walking and bicycling provide —including health, safety, environmental, transportation, and quality of life — transportation agencies are encouraged to go beyond minimum standards to provide safe and convenient facilities for these modes.”

The USDOT goes on to recommend to state agencies, MPO’s etc, that they adopt similar policies on bike/ped accommodation and take the following actions:

• Treat walking and bicycling as equals with other transportation modes.
• Ensure convenient access for people of all ages and abilities.
• Go beyond minimum design standards.
• Collect data on walking and biking trips.
• Set a mode share target for walking and bicycling.
• Protect sidewalks and shared-use paths the same way roadways are protected (for example, snow removal)
• Improve nonmotorized facilities during maintenance projects.”

Found Helmet Pump and Pedometer at Bike Freedom Valley

If anyone lost these three items at Bike Freedom Valley last month please contact Joshua Willis at the Bicycle Coalition Office. 215.242.9253 X8 or email joshua@bicyclecoalition.org.

Official 2010 Bike Philly Cycling Jersey on sale now!

Pre-order your official 2010 Bike Philly cycling jersey here.

Limited time offer: pre-order by July 6th and save $10.

Ozone Action Alert

Today is an unhealthful Ozone Action Alert Day. avoid strenuous outdoor exercise especially after 1PM.

Our advice for bike commuters is to limit the speed and distance of your bike commute. If you can avoid the afternoon bike commute home by using mass transit then that may be a good option.

Air Quality Forecast

Follow AQFORECAST on Twitter.

Philly Bike Cabs Available This Weekend

Philly Bikecab Alliance members have been granted night-time operation for this Independence Day weekend! Bikecabs will be available all day and night on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and until midnight Monday night. Look for Bikecabs throughout Center City.

Rates are $1 a block with a $5 minimum charge.












Velo-Park














Chariots of Philly

I-95 Girard Avenue Interchange Design Workshop

Join PENNDOT and your neighbors for a two night design workshop for the I-95 Girard Ave Interchange.

Wednesday July 21st at 7PM
and
Thursday, July 29th at 7PM

The workshops will be held at the Skybox @ 2424 Studios 2424 E York ST.

Please RSVP by July 14th to Marian Hull, marian_hull@urscorp.com or 215-940-9270.

Go to the I-95 Section GIR website

Bicyclist Killed on Route 555 in Gloucester County

Another cyclist has been struck down in the wide shoulder of a Gloucester County road, this time it's fatal. 70 Year Old Robert Schwinn of Vineland who as the report states was wearing a helmet and a reflective vest was struck in the shoulder.

From New Jersey Newsroom.com:

"Schwinn, 70, was traveling northbound along the shoulder of Route 555 (Main Road) at 7:23 a.m., wearing a helmet and reflectorized vest. In the vicinity of Weymouth Road, a pick-up driven by Anthony Leatherwood, 32, of Franklinville, overtook Schwinn from behind and struck him, according to authorities."



View Bicyclists Crashes 2008-2010 NJ and SE PA in a larger map

Remarkably at this time there have been no charges have filed against the driver. The circumstances bear some similarities to several other crashes on the straight rural roads of South Jersey. Most recently On June 12th in West Deptford Randall Gartner suffered serious injuries (more serious than posted in the news story) when he was struck from behind at a lethal 45 miles per hour. Gartner was well equipped with ample lighting and a reflective vest. The perpetrator who committed this violent act left the scene and police do not have any suspects. Last July another cyclist Rick Clendaniel was killed in the shoulder of Mays Landing Road in Vineland by a driver that was allegedly driving 70 mph. The driver Jerome Byrd was charged with speeding and not wearing a seat belt.