Mayor Nutter's Response to Our Candidate Questionnaire

Philadelphia Mayoral and City Council Candidate Questionnaire - October 2011

1. Would you support the installation of innovative infrastructure such as buffered bike lanes, like those on Spruce and Pine, on a select number of streets to create a citywidebicycle network that is safe and inviting to ride for those from age 8 to 80?

The Bicycle Coalition has documented increases in bicycling significantly when buffered bike lanes were installed on Spruce, Pine, 13^th and 10^th Streets. In addition, sidewalk riding and wrong way riding decreased. Buffered bike lanes on Spruce and Pine have also calmed traffic, reducing significant crashes by 45%.

Yes.

2. Would you support reforming the City's Traffic code to make it conform with state traffic laws and national best practices regarding bicyclists?

Several sections of the City’s Traffic Code are out of date and do not comply with state traffic laws. They include a prohibition of bicycles in the street if there is a sidepath available, a prohibition of two people riding abreast, and no language protecting cyclists if hit by a car door that is opened in the travel lane.

Yes.

3. Would you support the City of Philadelphia issuing a Request for Proposals for a Public Bike Share system within the first year of your term?

Many other east coast cities have either started, signed contracts or issued Request for Proposals (RFPs) for public bike share programs, including New York City, Washington DC, Baltimore and Boston. The City of Philadelphia could issue a RFP to invite bike share operators to propose how they would finance and operate a bike share system in Philly.

I support Bike Share. We haveexplored this issue, and I very mindful of initial or start-up costs and wouldbe interested in proposals that minimize City costs.

4. Would you support creating a Task Force to review theCity's annual resurfacing and paving plans to identify opportunities to makeimprovements for bicyclists, pedestrians and transit riders?

The City’s annual resurfacingprogram is the best opportunity to install new bike lanes and other treatmentsto make streets complete and safer for all users. The Pedestrian/Bicycle Plan recommends reconveningthe Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Task Force to monitor progress on theimplementation of physical improvements to city streets and sidewalks.

Iam more than willing to consider this. I would like to receive more informationon how it could operate. But citizen input is important.

5. Would you support increasing the Streets Department’s budget in order to add engineering staff to make our streets safer for allu sers and more convenient for bicyclists, pedestrians and transit riders?The Transportation Engineering Division of the Streets Department has suffered considerable budget cuts and loss of staff over the past fifteen years. Additional engineering resources are needed to develop plans to conducttraffic studies and design innovative bicycle and pedestrian facilities forPhiladelphia’s streets.

This is very likely a budgetary question. I would have to speak with the Streets Commissioner about staffing priorities.

6. Would you support installation of more red light cameras to increase safety at more intersections in Philadelphia?

Yes

7. Wouldyou support all-day closures of Martin Luther King Drive to through traffic,while continuing to allow auto access to the upper drive parking areas?
The opening of the Schuylkill Trail from Locust Street to Martin Luther King(formerly West River) Drive has created a new and unique opportunity to makethe west bank of the Schuylkill River a six-mile recreation corridor on weekends between April and October. Tragically, the decision made in 1997 tore-open the lower half of the road to automotive traffic after Noon has resulted in a number of crashes at Sweet Briar Road. A five-year-old child was killed in 2006 when a reckless driver sped through the gate at Sweet Briar.Closing the gate at the Art Museum from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. would ensure that at least one portion of the park’s road system is reserved for recreation on weekends.

I think it may be time to re-examine and re-study the MLK Drive closure system on its own and in conjunction with Kelly Drive regular closures.

Our Bike Expo Seminars, and Where They Be At

Our seminar series at the Philly Bike Expo kicks off tomorrow morning at 11:00 am.  Here, for you PDFing pleasure, is the schedule and a map of how to get from the 23rd Street Armory to First Unitarian Church (where they be at!).

Bicycle Coalition's Bike Expo seminars

City Hosting Open House On 13th Street Bike Lane

The City of Philadelphia is holding an open house next week to present findings regarding the 13th Street pilot bike lane.  This is your best opportunity to hear how the City perceives the bike lane to be going so far, and what changes or next steps they have planned.

Where: University of the Arts, Gershman Hall, 401 South Broad Street, Philadelphia PA
Room: Levitt Auditorium (3rd floor)
When: Wednesday, November 2nd
Time: 5:30 - 7:30 pm

Note: this open house will not address the 10th Street bike lane.  There will be a separate meeting about that lane, at a date and time yet to be announced.

See the flier below:

13th Street Bike Lane Public Meeting - Nov 2 2011 Flyer

Rob Stuart RIP

On Wednesday night, our Campaign Director Sarah Clark Stuart's husband passed away. In addition to the support he provided to the best bike and trail advocate in the country, Rob was a bike advocate in his own right. He was key to convincing CSX to allow the crossings to the Schuylkill River Trail in Center City, helped the Bicycle Coalition innumerable times to get our issues heard in City Council and in his own neighborhood as president of Logan Square Neighborhood Association. Rob, through his company Evolve Strategies, was also responsible for the design of bicyclecoalition.org.

Rob will be sorely missed -- as someone who cared deeply about making our city better, as a gifted strategist, and as a friend.

For information on services, please see today's Inquirer obituary.

Tonight's The Last Night To Vote For Bike Data! Bring It Home!

This morning, we were 100 votes down.  As I write this, we've cut the deficit to 35.  If this were sports, ESPN would make a '30 For 30' film about this comeback.  It's just that exciting.

The Open Data Race voting ends tonight at midnight.  You can vote once a week.  If it's been more than a week, or you haven't voted at all, 

please vote tonight!

A vote for our Reported Bike Thefts entry pays off double for bicycling in Philly:

1. Bike Theft Data.  We'll use it to create maps, helping enforcement and warning bicyclists about high risk areas.
2. $2,000 prize money, which will help keep the bike corral in Philly.  Otherwise, it gets returned to Minnesota.

It's almost stupid how big of an impact you can make on Philadelphia bicycling by taking 10 seconds (if you've registered already) or 90 seconds (if you haven't) and voting.

Help us keep the wonderful and innovative bike corral at Walnut & Sydenham Streets...

Innovative, green, 21st-century urban transportation wonderfulness

...from reverting back into this:

Notsomuch

Vote Now!

Senator Rand Paul's Plan To Repair Bridges: Kill Transportation Enhancements

No water...no transportation enhancements program...

In the latest attack on Transportation Enhancements, Senator Rand Paul has proposed eliminating the $700 million dollar Transportation Enhancements Fund and spending that money on bridge repair. One current estimate on the cost of repairing the nation's bridges is $70 billion dollars. This plan is like taking away the dog's water bowl because the house is on fire.

We agree that our nation's bridges should be kept safe, but the lives of pedestrians and cyclists are important too. Thirteen people died when the Minneapolis bridge collapsed in 2007. Since then, close to 20,000 pedestrians and 2,800 cyclists have died on our nation’s highways, largely as a result of poor highway design and a lack of safe, non-motorized infrastructure – exactly what the Transportation Enhancements program was created to fix.

Another reason why this is not a good reallocation of transportation resources: last year, states returned $530 million in unused bridge funds. States are not spending the money already allocated to bridge repair. Let them spend that money first before cannibalizing other transportation safety programs.

Please contact your Senators today to ask them to vote against the Paul amendment (SA-821) to eliminate Transportation Enhancements. And then please forward this message to at least five others who care about the safety of people walking and bicycling on our streets.

Psst! Philly Bike Expo Happening This Weekend!

Hey. Pssst. You look like a bicyclist, amiright? Thought so. What do you think about hand-crafted bike frames? Yeah, I could stare at them all day, too. You into messenger-chic fashion? I'm loving that bag, by the way. Ever done an alleycat race? Hah, well, I'm not going to say. Why am I asking? Just cuz I've got an event you might want to check out, is all:

The Philly Bike Expo is happening this weekend! 

The Expo is a great chance to dip your toe into the scene, check out and support local bicycle artisans, and/or indulge your inner bicycle fanboy/fangirl. Events and activities include a fashion show, a bike swap (see poster below), tons of booths and exhibitions, a Halloween-themed alleycat race, and of course after-parties.

you know you want one

We'll be there, selling our new pumpkin orange I Bike PHL t-shirts and talking about completing the Schuylkill River Trail. Stop by our booth in the exhibition space to learn about new construction happening as we speak, and a dazzling new website on the horizon.

Philly Bike Expo
October 29th-30th
23rd Street Armory (22 South 23rd Street, Phila PA)
Tickets range from $7 (single day online) to $25 (two-day pass at door)

Got a bicycle-related issue on your mind? We've got a seminar for that!

We will be hosting a seminar series in Griffin Hall at First Unitarian Church just around the corner from the Expo. We've brought together more than a dozen experts in local and national bicycling advocacy and decision-making. Each seminar is an hour long, and topics covered include:

• Winning Arguments, with Alex Doty
• Is Bike Sharing in Philadelphia's Future?
• The Future of Philadelphia Bike Lanes, with Deputy Mayor Rina Cutler
• Bicycling and the Law
• Completing the Schuylkill River Trail

Bicycle Coalition's Seminar Series
October 29th and 30th
Griffin Hall, First Unitarian Church (2125 Chestnut St, Phila PA)
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM both days
Buy your ticket to the Expo to get into our seminars.

Cynwyd Trail Opens; Manayunk Bridge Within View

Yesterday, Lower Merion Township threw itself a great party to celebrate the opening of the Cynwyd Heritage Trail, a 2.0 mile trail from the Cynwyd Station over to the Black Hill Road, running alongside the ridge that meets the Manayunk Bridge. It was attended by many elected officials, families, cyclists and many dogs! The trail has both a paved 12 foot path for cyclists and a separate gravel path for pedestrians. It's accessible from the Cynwyd Station and the Bala Park. This opening was particularly sweet for Lower Merion's Assistant Director of Planning, Chris Leswing, the Friends of Cynwyd Trail, and the hundreds of volunteers who worked so hard to make this trail a reality. Hats off to the leadership shown by Lower Merion Township and Montgomery County for providing most of the funding to build this trail.

On October 20, 2011, Mayor Michael Nutter, Deputy Mayor Rina Cutler, SEPTA General Manager Joe Casey, DVRPC Executive Director Barry Seymour, Montgomery County Commissioners Matthews (Chair) and Hoeffel and Lower Merion Commissioners Elizabeth Rogan (President), George Manos, Scott Zelov and Brian McGuire held a press event to kickoff the partnership between Philadelphia, Montgomery County and Lower Merion to build a new trail on top of SEPTA's Manayunk Bridge to connect the Cynwyd Trail to the Schuylkill River Trail. Funding for this trail is being provided by PennDOT and the William Penn Foundation and the trail design is being conducted by Whitman Requardt and Associates and overseen by the Schuylkill Project. Everyone was super excited to see the views from the Bridge and the plans for turning it into a trail and destination park. We're on pins and needles waiting for this ribbon cutting in 2013. More photos of both events here.

Newest Section of Schuylkill River Trail Opens 10/25

Schuylkill River Trail Phase 1 in Spring City, Chester County Ribbon Cutting, Tuesday, October 25 at 1pm. All cyclists are welcome and urged to come!

20 Riversedge Drive, Spring City, PA 19475

Please join the Chester County Commissioners in celebrating the official opening of the 5.6 mile section of the Schuylkill River Trail and the announcement of the upcoming streetscape improvements to Spring City Borough.

Bike Expo Seminar Preview: Bicycling and the Law

We're hosting a seminar series at the Philly Bike Expo, happening this weekend (October 29th-30th). Every seminar will take place in Griffin Hall at the First Unitarian Church (2125 Chestnut St). Here is another preview of one of our seminars:

Bicycling And The Law: Learn More About Philly's Give Respect, Get Respect Campaign & What To Do If You're In A Bike Crash
Sunday, October 30th
3:00 - 4:00 pm

Panelists:
Aaron Ritz (Mayor's Office of Transportation & Utilities)
Stuart Leon (Attorney at Law)

One of the most contentious bicycling topics in Philadelphia right now is enforcement. Is it happening? What is happening? Who is being targeted, and who should be targeted? This seminar will cover the City's Give Respect, Get Respect Campaign and the broader legal implications of city bicycling. What are your rights and responsibilities as a city bicyclist? As a motorist? What should you do if you are involved in a crash? Get authoritative answers to these questions from the Mayor's Office and a legal expert on bicycling issues in the region.

This Week - NE Philly Bike Plan Open Houses

Interested in what the City is thinking for improving bicycling and pedestrian facilities in Oak Lane, Fishtown and Northeast Philly? Please come to one of the Open Houses happening this week

Tuesday, October 25
6:00 - 8:00 PM
CORA Services, Inc.
8540 Verree Road,
near Susquehanna Road

Wednesday, October 26
6:00 - 8:00 PM
Juniata Park Older Adult Center
1251 E. Sedgley Avenue,
near Kensington Avenue

Nothing will encourage the City to continue improving Philadelphia's bicycling and pedestrian infrastructure like local residents showing interest.

Bike Network NE

Take 30 seconds to Help the Coalition Catch Bike Thieves and Keep Bike Corral

Open Race Data ALERT!!

Last week, the Bicycle Coalition was 100 votes ahead in the Open Data Race; as of a few minutes ago, we are now tied with the Notebook. Help us regain the lead!

We need your vote! If you voted before, please vote again (if one week has passed). If you haven't voted yet, please vote for the bike theft data set!

We want to win this Race to put the $2,000 in prize money toward purchasing the awesome bike corral that was installed in September on Syndenham Street. We will also use the data to map bike theft hot spots and advocate for better enforcement by the Police Department and D.A.'s office.

Don't Miss These Upcoming Trail Events

Here are some important ribbon cuttings/groundbreakings that bicyclists and trail lovers shouldn't miss!

Cynwyd Heritage Trail Ribbon Cutting, Sunday, October 23 at 1pm



Schuylkill River Trail Phase 1 in Spring City, Chester County Ribbon Cutting, Tuesday, October 25 at 1pm










Manayunk Tow Path Canal & Venice Island Groundbreaking, Tuesday, November 1 at 10am

Walk To School Days Celebrate Exactly That

October is International Walk To School Month. Safe Routes Philly has been helping Philadelphia schools celebrate by providing a variety of resources to encourage students and their parents to walk (or bike) to and from school. One such encouragement tool is a Walk To School Day. A handful of schools have or are going to hold them this month, including Willard Elementary in Kensington.

Willard Elementary held their Walk To School Day on October 5th to coincide with the launch of their reoccurring Walking School Bus. (For information on how Safe Routes Philly helped Willard obtain a grant to start that bus, read here.) Willard's first-graders gathered in the schoolyard in the morning and welcomed the Walking School Bus's arrival with pom-poms, noise-makers, and (frankly adorable) posters.

In an urban environment, it seems intuitive that children would walk to school most days of year. Student travel tally reports from schools indicate, however, that many parents are choosing to drop children off at school even if they live one mile or less from the school. With 40.7% of Philadelphia children overweight or obese, any increase in daily physical activity is critically important. Walk to School Days are a way to encourage children to walk to school while highlighting the health, attendance, and attention-in-class benefits that come with starting a day with a nice walk.

For more information on how Safe Routes Philly can help your community school encourage active transportation, contact our Community Representatives.

Jefferson Surveying Pedestrians About Traffic and 10th St. Bike Lane

Photo of the street construction happening along the
surveyed block 

Between 8 and 10 people sporting Jefferson T-shirts and iPads were posted on 10th St. between Walnut and Sansom around midday today. These folks were asking passing pedestrians to take a short survey and entering the results on the tablets.

The survey consisted of three questions. The surveyors were asking the questions slightly differently, but the basic questions were:

• "Did you travel on 10th Street today?"
• "What did you think of the traffic? Good, bad or neutral?"
• "Do you think the bike lane made it better, or worse, or had no effect?"

When asked, the surveyor we spoke to said he worked for a private company, hired by Jefferson. We chatted for a few minutes and he remarked that he supposed Jefferson was doing the survey because, "there had been a lot of accidents and such on 10th Street." (He made it clear he was positing his own theory on why Jefferson is collecting opinions on the bike lane.)

It's worth noting that there was a utility crew in the middle of the left-hand buffered bike lane at Sansom Street, causing traffic to slow down to a crawl.

We're investigating...stay tuned.

Bike and Pedestrian Plan Open Houses Coming To Northeast Philly

Last week it was West Philadelphia's turn. Now the City is bringing two open houses to Northeast Philadelphia to present the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan for the River Wards and Oak Lane.

Tuesday, October 25
6:00 - 8:00 PM
Fox Chase
CORA Services, Inc.
8540 Verree Road,
near Susquehanna Road

Wednesday, October 26
6:00 - 8:00 PM
Juniata Park
Juniata Park Older Adult Center
1251 E. Sedgley Avenue,
near Kensington Avenue

This is a great opportunity to see where the City's priorities lie in your neighborhood for improving bicycling and pedestrian infrastructure.

10/27 Spring Garden Greenway Public Meeting

Many cyclists use Spring Garden Street to travel across town from Northern Liberties and the River Wards over to West Center City and West Philly. Imagine what it could look like if the street was better designed to calm traffic, increase safety for cyclists and pedestrians and be a greener corridor?

The Spring Garden Street Greenway project is a new East Coast Greenway segment that will transform the 2.2 mile crosstown arterial road across the top of Center City. This new on-road trail will serve as the East Coast Greenway route through Philadelphia connecting the trail from the Delaware River over to the Schuylkill.

On Thursday, October 27th, there will be a public input meeting to allow you to share your ideas and concerns about the project.

Spring Garden Street Greenway Public Input Meeting:
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Community College of Philadelphia
Lecture Hall C2-28, Center for Business & Industry
Corner of 18th and Callowhill Streets
6:30pm Refreshments
7:00pm Program Begin

Website - SpringGardenStreetGreenway.com

Steven Rea Will Talk About Movie Stars And Bicycles As Our Annual Meeting's Feature Guest

We are pleased to announce the feature guest of our Annual Meeting: Inquirer movie critic and noted bicycle blogger Steven Rea.

Mr. Rea is the creator of Rides A Bike, a delightful Tumblr of photos of movie stars on bikes. For example:

Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall

And

Tom Hanks, Lori Singer and James Belushi

Steven Rea has been an Inquirer movie critic since 1992. He was born in London, raised in New York City, and has lived in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Iowa City, Iowa. His column, "On Movies," appears Sundays in Arts & Entertainment, his reviews appear in the Weekend section on Fridays, and his blog, On Movies Online, can be found here. He is a member of the National Society of Film Critics. Steven Rea's previous blog posts can be found here. Read his most recent columns and reviews here.

Our annual meeting is happening on Saturday, October 29th. Entrance is free for Bicycle Coalition members (bring your card!), or you can become a member at the door. Details below:

Bicycle Coalition's Annual Meeting

Saturday, October 29th

5:00 - 6:00 pm

First Unitarian Church, Griffin Hall

2125 Chestnut Street, Phila PA

Bike Expo Seminar Preview: U Push, We Pull: Completing the Schuylkill River Trail in Philadelphia

We're hosting a seminar series at the Philly Bike Expo, happening October 29th-30th. Every seminar will take place in Griffin Hall at the First Unitarian Church (2125 Chestnut St). Here is a preview of one of our seminars:

U Push, We Pull: Completing the Schuylkill River Trail in Philadelphia

Saturday, Oct 29th
1:00 - 2:00 pm

Panelists:
Joe Syrnick (Schuylkill River Development Corporation)
Kay Sykora (Schuylkill Project)
Rob Armstrong (Philadelphia Parks and Recreation)
Sarah Clark Stuart (Bicycle Coalition)

This panel conversation will examine the current effort to complete the Schuylkill River Trail in Philadelphia, one of the gems of our region's developing multi-use trail network. Which segments are going to be built and when? What is on the drawing boards but still needs funding? Hear from some of the key individuals behind building the new Boardwalk between Locust and South Street, the incredible Manayunk Bridge, and the Shawmont to Port Royal Avenue segment.  This seminar is a must-attend for anyone interested in using one of the most heavily-trafficked bicycling infrastructure assets in the Northeast.

Cynwyd Trail Opening Sunday 10/23

For a public works project, the Cynwyd Trail was planned, designed and built in warp speed. Driven by Lower Merion Township's Planner Chris Leswing and Friends of the Cynwyd Trail, this new trail is being thrown a big party on Sunday, October 23rd from 1-4pm. Ride your bike to 154 E. Levering Mill Road, Bala Cynwyd, PA (map)

Cynwyd Heritage Trail map

The Cynwyd Heritage Trail runs from the Cynwyd rail station northeast between West Laurel Cemetery and West minster Cemetery, terminating where Belmont Avenue meets Rock Hill Rd. The Manayunk Bridge extension will eventually connect this trail to the Schuylkill River Trail.

In addition to a Ribbon Cutting event, Philadelphia radio host Dan Reed will provide a “Trail Mix” of music. There will be pumpkins, scavenger hunts, face painting, giveaways, food and excitement for the entire community. The Main Line Art Center’s new Art Mobile will be on hand to provide arts and crafts fun for the younger set, and of course, the Friends of the Cynwyd Trail will play a prominent role, providing walking tours (and signing up new members!)

Ben Franklin Bridge South Walkway Open

The Delaware River Port Authority has reopened the South Walkway of the Ben Franklin Bridge. The North Walkway is now closed and walkway hours are 6AM to 8PM. To keep up to date on the status of the walkway subscribe to the DRPA E-Alert text messaging service here.

Safe Routes Philly Helps Out A School In Crisis

Last week, two students at Carnell Elementary in Northeast Philadelphia were hit by vehicles in separate incidents. Thankfully both students are okay, having been released from the hospital the same or next day. Anytime a child is hit by a car, it strikes a resonant chord of alarm in a community. Twice in one week, however, and it's hard to sit idle and dismiss the accidents as just that.

We have a relationship with Carnell Elementary through our Safe Routes Philly education program. Carnell teachers implemented Safe Routes Philly's bicycle and pedestrian safety lesson programming last year, and preparations have been made to repeat the lessons this year. In response to the two injured students, the school principal, Ms. Carmen Garcia Collins, contacted us. She wanted a date ASAP for a school-wide focus on pedestrian safety. Could we help?

Monday the school was closed for Columbus Day. Tuesday our Community Representative Emily Boerner conducted seven assemblies at Carnell focusing on pedestrian safety. The entire school, all 1,600 students, attended. Emily fashioned the assemblies after the assemblies Safe Routes Philly conducts at schools without the staff resources to implement our programming. Students participated in call-and-response songs and watched videos illustrating safe and risky pedestrian behavior. Our other two Community Reps, Megan Rosenbach and Steve Taylor, did shift duty working the AV equipment.

Thousands of Philadelphia schoolchildren walk or bike to and from school, an activity which provides important daily exercise. But it's important they do so safely. Carnell's response to two accidents in its community will help prevent future accidents, and reflects the importance of a school administration which cares how students get to and from school. Getting them there safely via walking or biking helps deliver positive health outcomes for those children and fosters a sense of community around a school. To learn more about the safety and active transportation resources Safe Routes Philly can offer your school, contact our Community Representatives.

Introducing Our Seminar Series At The Philly Bike Expo

The Philly Bike Expo is coming up on October 29th-30th at the 23rd Street Armory in Philadelphia. As part of the Expo, we are putting on a series of twelve 1-hour seminars on a wide range of bicycling topics. All our seminars will happen in Griffin Hall in the First Unitarian Church (2125 Chestnut Street). These seminars are free with admission to the Expo.

Seminar Preview: 

Winning Arguments*
Saturday, October 29th
2:00 - 3:00 pm
Hosted by Alex Doty (Executive Director of the Bicycle Coalition)

Ride long enough, and you'll encounter the same arguments. "Why waste road space on such a small percentage of road users?" "Bikes and bicyclists should be required to have registrations and licenses - it's only fair." "Get out of the road, saddle jockey!" Learn some rhetorical strategies and handy statistics that will help you navigate these classic arguments without resorting to U-lock violence or divisive, high-handed moralizing.

More information on our seminar series is available on our website here.

*Note: this seminar is listed in places as "Winning Arguments with Alex Doty." That is a different seminar, one which happens year-round, is free of charge, and difficult to master.

Protect Your Bike For $15

QR codes, the 21st Century equivalent of junk mail and alleged precursor to dystopia, have finally found a use for the greater good - tracking and finding stolen bikes.

Kryptonite and BikeShepherd.org have joined forces to make local police bike registration programs obsolete. For around $15 you can purchase these tamper-proof stickers with a unique PULSE ID number. Your bike is linked to that number through registration at BikeShepherd.org. If your bike is stolen, list it as such to the website.

Meanwhile, savvy smartphone users who see a suspicious bike tagged with a PULSE ID tag can use their phone to scan the code. The webpage will tell them if that bike is reported stolen. If it is, they click the CONTACT US button and provide the location details. Alerts will go out to the police, local clubs, shops and an army of self proclaimed Bike Detectives.

A glance at the stolen bike map shows only a couple of outstanding bike thefts in the City of Philadelphia, a fraction of the estimated 4,000 to 10,000 bikes stolen in the City annually. Imagine if 10% of the bikes out there were tied into this system - that could have a big deterrent effect and greatly increase chances for recovery.

Ideally the bicycle industry and Federal Government would create a VIN system to track bicycles like motor vehicles. Perhaps Pulse ID will jumpstart progress towards a national bicycle tracking system.

A list of online locations and stores that sell PULSE ID is located here. Kryptonite claims that PULSE ID is available at select dealers. Locally it only lists REI has having them available in store, but check with your local bike shops to see if they have them in stock.

In the meantime you can help us combat bicycle theft by voting for the release of Reported Bike Thefts in the Open Data Race.

Bicycle Coalition's Annual Meeting Happening October 29th

Ahem!

The Bicycle Coalition's Annual Meeting will be happening on Saturday, October 29th.

All Bicycle Coalition members are invited to attend! Come meet us, meet your fellows, and share in appetizers and refreshments. We will elect new board members, and talk as bicycling enthusiasts are wont to do.

October 29th, 2011
5:00 - 6:00 pm
First Unitarian Church, Griffin Hall
2125 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia PA

Note: you do not need a ticket to the Philly Bike Expo to attend. You do need to be a Bicycle Coalition member, however. Please bring your membership card or be prepared to present the double-secret Bicycle Coalition handshake and scat singing call-and-response.

Coming Up: Public Meetings On Cobbs Creek Connector

There will be two public meetings discussing the Cobbs Creek Connector in the next two weeks. These will be open house-style meetings where you can meet and talk to the Connector design team (Urban Engineers), as well as the Clean Air Council and trail advocates. Refreshments will be served. Interested folks are encouraged to stop by at any point during the three hour sessions.

Wednesday, October 19th
4:00 - 7:00 pm
Paschalville Branch of the Free Public Library, Community Room
6942 Woodland Ave, Philadelphia PA

Wednesday, October 26th
4:00 - 7:00 pm
Cibotti Recreation Center
7700 Elmwood Avenue, Philadelphia PA

Talk To Us, We're Grouping Focus!

Do you live in Philadelphia? We want to talk to you!

We will be conducting a series of focus group discussions over the next two months examining attitudes and experiences related to walking and biking in Philadelphia. We are looking for Philadelphia residents who would be interested in participating in a 60-90 minute group conversation. You'll get a free lunch out of it, as well as other yet-to-be-determined tokens of our gratitude.

If you are interested, or think you might be interested, or just like surveys, please fill out this quick 10-question survey. (There are no wrong answers!) All the information you provide is confidential, and will be used only for purposes of creating discussion groups that are representative of the community. If selected, we will contact you about scheduling a time. The discussions will be held at a location TBD in the next 1-2 months.

Questions? Contact Ben at ben@bicyclecoalition.org.

Wrapping Up A Successful First Year Of Our Safe Routes Philly Program

We are proud to release the report on Year 1 of our Safe Routes Philly (SRP) program. The full report is available on our Safe Routes Philly website. SRP is an active piece in the Campaign for Healthier Schools*, a campaign working to increase physical activity and the consumption of healthier foods in Philadelphia Schools.

In brief, SRP provides pedestrian and bicycle safety lessons to Philadelphia public elementary schools. Our 2nd grade pedestrian safety lessons and our 5th grade bicycle safety lessons are provided to teachers free of cost. These lessons, supplemented by materials and websites, are aimed at encouraging students to walk and/or bike to school regularly and safely. In 2010, 66.3% of adults and 40.7% of children living in Philadelphia were overweight or obese. Encouraging students to walk or bike safely to school provides vital exercise which helps combat this serious health problem.

SRP is a program made possible by funding from the Department of Health and Human Services. The Bicycle Coalition is a partner in the Get Healthy Philly initiative, which aims to make it easier for Philadelphians to engage in healthier behaviors (like active transportation). SRP promotes behavioral change in people's active modes of transportation through education and encouragement.

Some impact highlights:

• In its first year (2010-2011), SRP curriculum reached nearly 20,000 Philadelphia 2nd and 5th grade students.
• 131 schools received teacher's guides, activity books for students, and instructional DVDs (all materials are available for free on our website).
• SRP hosted 7 Act 48-accredited professional development trainings attended by 150 teachers and educators.
• SRP developed a close and fruitful working relationship with the School District of Philadelphia and The Food Trust through the Campaign for Healthier Schools.

The full year-end report is available here. If you would like to learn more about Safe Routes Philly, please check out our website or contact Program Director, Diana Owens.

*The Campaign for Healthier Schools is a partnership between the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, The Food Trust, and the School District of Philadelphia.

Tonight and Tomorrow: West Philly Bike Plan Open Houses

Interested in what the City is thinking for improving bicycling and pedestrian facilities in West Philly? Please come to one of the Open Houses happening tonight and tomorrow night:

TONIGHT, October 11th
6:00 - 8:00 PM
Myers Recreation Center
5803 Kingsessing Avenue

Wednesday, October 12th
6:00 - 8:00 PM
Fisher Fine Arts Library
Apse, 4th Floor
220 S. 34th Street

Nothing will encourage the City to continue improving Philadelphia's bicycling and pedestrian infrastructure like local residents showing interest.

Correction - Lane Reduction Experiment Will Not Include Bike Access

We received a note from Streets Deputy Commissioner Stephen Buckley that the lane reduction experiment on Market and JFK will not include a temporary bike lane. Mr. Buckley noted that the signalization has not been reset to allow safe bicycle travel and barricades are set up to prevent its use as a bikeway. We apologize for any misunderstanding.

City To Test Feasibility of Removing a Travel Lane on JFK and Market

This press release from the Mayor's Office of Transportation and Utilities (MOTU) just landed in our inbox. Starting tomorrow, MOTU and Center City District (CCD) will begin an experiment with "closing" the left-most lane of travel on these two streets between 15th and 20th. They want to test whether or not three lanes can handle the motor vehicle traffic that now enjoy four lanes. Ultimately, if the test is successful and enough funds are raised, MOTU and CCD plan to install physically separated bike lanes (cycletracks,) the first for Philadelphia.

The lanes will be closed starting tomorrow through October 23rd.

Read more from today's press release:

Friday, October 7^th 2011 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities and Center City District join forces to test a new vision for Market Street and JFK Boulevard
Between October 8^th and 23^rd the Mayor’s Office of Transportation & Utilities (MOTU) and The Center City District (CCD) will be testing the concept for some exciting changes to JFK and Market streets. The test project will temporarily remove the left-most lane of travel on these two roads reducing the four lane road to three lanes between 15^th and 20^th streets. During the two-week test Streets Department traffic engineers and CCD personnel will observe the capacity and overall environment of the streets to ensure that traffic functionality is maintained. On-street parking regulations will remain in effect and no parking spaces will be impacted.

“We have a vision for a JFK Boulevard and Market Street that represents a truly complete street. The power of this vision is that every kind of travel, parking and loading zones are all accommodated in a way that is safe and convenient. Models tell us that Market Street and JFK Boulevard will work as well with three lanes as four, but there is nothing like a real world test. Over the course of these two weeks will have a chance to see if three lane concept could work.” said Rina Cutler, Deputy Mayor for Transportation and Utilities.

CCD president and CEO Paul Levy noted, “The CCD began working with property owners and building managers on both JFK Boulevard and Market Street in 2009 to identify potential improvements to the on-street environment. The stakeholders were clear in their desire to enhance these corridors with new planted medians as well as make the region’s core commercial district more competitive by improving accessibility for bicyclists while maintaining adequate traffic flow and loading operations.”

Following a series of analyses conducted for the Center City District by consultants JzTI and Parsons Brinkerhoff, a preferred option emerged that included a separated cycle track, the retention of three 10-foot-wide travel lanes, new landscaping, and parking and loading on both sides of the streets. These improvements would enable the region’s largest employment center to build on its existing transit-oriented strengths by adding state-of-the art bike lanes and improved pedestrian crossings. The planted medians can also provide stormwater management benefits as well.

The Center City District has been working with the City of Philadelphia for over a decade to improve the Market West office district, successfully installing pedestrian lighting, new transit portal signage, street trees, and other amenities.

Contact: Andrew Stober, Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities phone--(215) 686-8158 email-- andrew.stober@phila.gov

Aaron Ritz, Mayor’s Office of Transportation and UtilitiesPhone--(215) 686-9000 email – aaron.ritz@phila.gov David Kanthor, Center City District Phone--(215) 440-5539 email—dkanthor@centercityphila.org

Cynwyd Trail and Chesco's Schuylkill River Trail Ribbon Cuttings

Two new regional trail segments will open in late October. The public is encouraged and invited to attend!

Cynwyd Heritage Trail Ribbon Cutting & Fall Fest
When: Sunday, October 23rd from 1:00-4:00 pm.
Where: 154 E. Levering Mill Road, Bala Cynwyd, PA (map)

Cynwyd Heritage Trail map

The Cynwyd Heritage Trail runs from the Cynwyd rail station northeast between West Laurel Cemetery and Westminster Cemetery, terminating where Belmont Avenue meets Rock Hill Rd. The Manayunk Bridge extension will eventually connect this trail to the Schuylkill River Trail.

The community is invited to enjoy a host of fun activities, in addition to the multi-faceted Trail. Entertainment will be provided by Philadelphia radio host Dan Reed who will provide a “Trail Mix” of music. In addition to music, there will be pumpkins, savenger hunts, face painting, giveaways, food and excitement for the entire community. The Main Line Art Center’s new Art Mobile will be on hand to provide arts and crafts fun for the younger set, and of course, the Friends of the Cynwyd Trail will play a prominent role, providing walking tours (and signing up new members!)



Schuylkill River Trail (Phase 1) in Chester County
Official opening

When: Tuesday, October 25th at 1:00 pm

Where: adjacent to the Riversedge Shopping Center in the Borough of Spring City. (map)

The Schuylkill River Trail (Phase 1) runs from Parker's Ford, PA south, following the Schuylkill River to the edge of Phoenixville, PA. Half of this segment (between Bridge Street and the Cromby trailhead on Township Line Road) opened in April 2011. The newest section to open is between Parker's Ford and Bridge Street in Spring City. Three SRT segments are being planned for and built by Chester County.

West Philly Bike Plan Open Houses

After your three day fall weekend, gear up for the City Planning Commission's Open HousesAt these meetings, they will introduce draft recommendations for improving biking and walking in West Philly. This is a chance for you to hear what the City is planning on doing in West Philly, and for the City to hear what you think about it. Same presentation will be made at each Open House.

Tuesday, October 11
6:00 - 8:00 PM
Myers Recreation Center
5803 Kingsessing Avenue


Wednesday, October 12
6:00 - 8:00 PM
Fisher Fine Arts Library
Apse, 4th Floor
220 S. 34th Street

Manayunk Towpath Closing for Repairs

After many years of planing and permitting, the Philadelphia Parks and Rec. Department's repair and improvement project of the Manayunk (Canal) Towpath is about to begin.

• The entire length of the Manayunk Canal Towpath will be closed to ALL TRAIL USERS as Philadelphia Parks & Recreation's contractor performs necessary improvements.

• Construction is scheduled from October through the end of December, 2011.

This project will resurface the existing gravel path with new stone screenings, construction of new asphalt pavement leading up to four existing wood bridges, and the repair of the existing wood railing, posts and planks on said bridges.

Entering a construction site is illegal. For your own safety and the safety of construction workers, please use the detour and do not ride on the trail during this construction period.

Detour map

Manayunk Canal Towpath Closure Flyer

Bicycle Coalition Volunteer Night Tonight (Bike Expo a'coming)

The Philly Bike Expo is happening on October 29th and 30th. Want to attend for free? Volunteer!

Our monthly volunteer night is happening tonight at 6:30 pm. Stop by and learn how you can help the Bicycle Coalition's sizable participation in the Expo. If you volunteer, you'll get in to the Expo for free!

what: Bicycle Coalition volunteer night
when: tonight, 6:30 - 8:00 pm (we'll have the Phillies game on)
where: 
Bicycle Coalition HQ
1500 Walnut Street
Suite 1107
Phila, PA 19102

Free the data! Vote for our OpenDataPhilly requests!

Would you like a map of all the bike racks in Philly?

How about a map identifying bike theft hot spots? 

We would, too! You can help us obtain this information by voting for us in the OpenDataRace!

OpenDataRace is a wonderfully wonky contest to uncover Philadelphia-related data sets that are not yet available to the public. Non-profit organizations across the city have nominated 20 data sets that would help them accomplish their missions and improve our region. The top three data sets will earn cash prizes for the nominating non-profit and the OpenDataPhilly team's assistance in working with municipal agencies to open the data for public use.

• Vote here for our request that the Philadelphia Police Department release reported bike theft data
• Vote here for our request that the Streets Dept and PPA release bike rack location data

Should we win and this information become public, we will use it to inform our advocacy work, including publishing maps advising city bicyclists on where to park (and not park) their bikes.

Voting will remain open until October 27, 2011. To vote, individuals must register a free account on OpenDataPhilly. You may vote once per week. Full contest rules here.

One, One Bike! Two, Two Bikes! Help Us With Our Bike Counts! (a guest blog post from a bike count fan)

Our guest blogger

[ed. The following is a guest blog post from Count von Count]

Ah, greetings! I am The Count! Do you--look! Bicycles!

A bicycle is fun to ride. But do you know what I love to do more than riding bicycles? Counting bicycles! Ah ah ah ah ah!

The Bicycle Coalition also loves to count bicycles. They have counted bicycles every year since 1990! That's twenty-one years! They count bicycles to learn things about bicycling in Philadelphia.

Did you know Philadelphia has twelve letters in its name? That's right! Let us count them. P, one, one letter. H, two, two letters. I, three... [ed. edited for length]

That was fun. Anyhow. If you want to help the Bicycle Coalition count bicycles, you can! Between the 5th of October and the 30th of October. Here are one, two, three, four, five, six, seven things to know!

1. Each shift is 90, 90 minutes long!
2. Counts happen at either 7:30-9:00 am or 4:30-6:00 pm.
3. Locations are in Center City, the Schuylkill bridges, West Philly, South Philly and Northern Liberties.
4. The Bicycle Coalition will provide you with directions to the counting spot and a form on which to enter the counts!
5. DO NOT count in the rain, or a beautiful dark thunderstorm. Unless you are counting lightning bolts for the Lighting Bolt Coalition. If it is raining, count on another day. 
6. You can return the count form to the Bicycle Coalition via fax, in person, scanned and e-mailed, or sent via homing bats.
7. Volunteers will receive one, one brand-new orange I BIKE PHL shirt, which is a color I like very much, but not as much as the color black. Did you know that the html hexadecimal color code for black is six zeroes? Six, six zeroes! Ah ah ah ah ah ah!

If you want to help count, send an e-mail to bike@bicyclecoalition.org and they will coordinate a time and location for your count.

Now, let us count how many times I wrote the word count in this blog post. Ready? One, one count. Two, two counts...

[ed. edited due to infinite feedback loop counting method]

Public Meeting On Camden County Trail Plan This Wednesday

The Camden County Bicycle and Multi-Use Trail Master Plan will identify both on-road bike routes and off-road trail locations which together will create an interconnected trail and bike lane network throughout the County. The plan is being completed in four phases, and public input is requested.

A public meeting on the plan will be held on Wednesday, October 5th, 2011.

7:00pm – 8:30pm
Gloucester Township
Court Room/Senior Drop In Center
1575 Hider Lane
Laurel Springs, NJ 08021

Phase I of the Plan, covering ten central Camden County municipalities, has been completed. Phase II, involving an additional 13 municipalities, is nearing completion. Phases III and IV will be completed simultaneously over the next eighteen months by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. Once all phases are completed, they will be presented to the Camden County Planning Board for incorporation into the County’s Master Plan.

The 13 towns in the current phase of the project (Phase II) are: Audubon, Barrington, Bellmawr, Brooklawn, Gloucester Township, Haddon Township, Haddonfield, Haddon Heights, Lawnside, Magnolia, Mt. Ephraim, Runnemede and Tavistock

Camden County Bikeway Trail Plan Phase II draft