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WBWC April 2002 Meeting
The next meeting of the WBWC will be held on Thursday, April 4th, 2002,
7pm at the Ecology Center, 117 N. Division in Ann Arbor (just north of
Huron). The meeting will last for 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Limited parking is
available at the Ecology Center as well as next to Tios restaurant. Everyone
is welcome to attend. WBWC meetings are normally scheduled for the first
Thursday of every month. Minutes of the March 2002 meeting are posted
at the end of this newsletter.
WBWC 2002 Priorities
At the March 2002 WBWC Board meeting, priorities were set for action in
the coming year. The top priority was given to keeping and establishing
governmental non-motorized staff in various governmental bodies within
Washtenaw County. In this regards the most time-critical matter is the
continued employment by the City of Ann Arbor of a Bicycle Coordinator,
a position that is currently unfilled. Also, the WBWC will begin exploring
the establishment of Non-Motorized Transportation Coordinator positions
in the Washtenaw County government structure as well as at the University
of Michigan.
Other 2002 WBWC priorities will be biking/walking outreach/educational
efforts, County shared use path creation, establishing a "crisis
team" to respond to threats to biking/walking, government body monitoring,
sidewalk creation/maintenance and the Ann Arbor Northeast Area Transportation
Plan.
Ann Arbor Bicycle Coordinator Position
The position of the City of Ann Arbor Bicycle Coordinator has still not
been filled although this is largely due to the position not being currently
open for bidding. In correspondence received from Ann Arbor City Councilman
Bob Johnson in response to a letter from WBWC Board member Bruce Fields,
Councilman Johnson reported that in his opinion the Bike Coordinator position
would be filled as soon as the reorganization of the Parks Department
is finished. Johnson reported that all City Departments are undergoing
reorganization and a hiring freeze in is in effect for all non-critical
positions.
The WBWC is still urging that all residents of the County, especially
residents of Ann Arbor, write the Ann Arbor Mayor and City Council members
urging them to not only to continue the Ann Arbor Bicycle Coordinator
position, but expand the position into a full-time Non-Motorized Transportation
Coordinator job. Letter writing tips on this subject, as well as addresses
of the Ann Arbor Mayor and City Council members, are available on the
WBWC web page at www.wbwc.org.
Ann Arbor Pedestrian Issues
Individuals with ideas or suggestions for improvement of pedestrian facilities
within the City of Ann Arbor are urged to contact WBWC Board member Ken
Clark by mid-April at 734/214-4883 or e-mail at kenclark@ameritech.net.
Suggestions will be passed on to the City of Ann Arbor Environmental Commission
to be included in a survey that group is currently compiling.
Ann Arbor Cyclist Ticketing Incident Continues
Ken Clark, WBWC Secretary and Chair of the City of Ann Arbor Bicycle Committee,
continues to go through legal proceedings due to being issued a ticket
for obstructing traffic by the Ann Arbor Police Department while legally
riding his bicycle on Plymouth Road. A court hearing was set for March
20th, but was postponed until April 3rd.
Southeast Michigan Transportation Study
The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) currently has an
online transportation survey available which Washtenaw County bicyclists
and walkers are especially encouraged to take part in. The survey takes
about 3-5 minutes to complete and includes an area for direct comments.
The SEMCOG website is http://www.semcog.org.
SEMCOG is a regional planning partnership, accountable to member local
governments in Southeast Michigan. Its primary missions are 1) planning
on issues (i.e. non-motorized transportation) that extend beyond individual
government boundaries and 2) intergovernmental relations in cooperation
with local government, as well as state and federal agencies. SEMCOG's
membership includes cities, villages, townships, counties, intermediate
school districts and community colleges in Livingston, Macomb, Monroe,
Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw and Wayne Counties.
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Segway Legislation In Michigan
On January 30th, legislation was introduced in the Michigan State Senate
to make the Segway motorized device legal to be used on sidewalks and
other non-motorized public areas. For those not familiar with the Segway,
the units look like a pogo stick stuck on to a big pie tin with two wheels
attached. The Segways weigh 65 pounds and are capable of speeds up to
15mph.
With huge amounts of financial backing, the Segway developers have embarked
on a 50-state legislative blitz to change laws where needed to allow the
devise to be used on non-motorized pathways. Without enabling legislation,
the Segway would be limited to use on streets. Opponents of Segway legislation
point out that non-motorized paths were intended to be just that, with
no exceptions and the fact that a Segway, traveling at top speed, could
cause great harm in a collision with pedestrians or bicyclists.
The Michigan Segway legislation (Senate Bill 1016) also has a clause
that states that no city, county, township or village shall prohibit the
use of "Electric Personal Assistive Mobility Devices" (a Segway).
In other words, no local government could ban the use of Segways if Senate
Bill 1016 becomes law. A discussion on this legislation is expected at
the April WBWC meeting.
"America's Walking" to Air April 2002
In April of 2002 Connecticut Public Television will be presenting a new
health, lifestyle, and travel series on PBS television titled "America's
Walking" that encourages physical activity for a longer, more vigorous
life. Although it focuses on walking, the show will also touch on other
accessible outdoor activities such as hiking and racewalking, cycling,
and kayaking.
Each 30-minute episode will entail five areas: health and fitness; fuel
for the road (nutrition); gear to go; travel and adventure; and advocacy
for a more active world. Shows will feature stories of real people, interviews
with leading researchers and advocates, and practical information to build
more walking into a persons life. One episode
highlighting the East Coast Greenway and other long distance trails introduces
a private citizen working hard to get several miles of the trail built
along an abandoned rail corridor in her community in Rhode Island. Another
features a group of elementary students who bucked local politics to get
stop signs and a crossing guard stationed at a dangerous intersection
they use everyday walking to school, while a third follows the training
of four self-proclaimed "non-athletes" from Brooklyn, NY preparing
to walk the Honolulu Marathon.
Locales include great urban walking landscapes from San Francisco to
New York and backcountry gems such as Acadia National Park and hiking
along the C&O Canal in Maryland. The first thirteen episodes will
begin airing in April 2002; check your television listings or contact
your local PBS station to be sure they're carrying the
program.
League Holds National Bike Summit
Over 275 people-including bicycle advocates, transportation, public health
and environmental professionals and leaders from the bicycle industry-came
together to exchange ideas, explore common goals, and make new alliances
to encourage and promote bicycling at the League's National Bike Summit
in Washington, DC, March 6-8. Overall participation in the 2002 Summit
grew by 53% from the inaugural Summit in 2001; bike industry participation
more than doubled.
Key achievements and successes of the 2002 Summit include: Senator Kay
Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) agreed to co-chair the new Senate Bike Caucus
during a meeting with the Texas delegation. Summit participants secured
another 15 commitments to join the Senate Bike Caucus. The Congressional
Bikes Caucus has 107 Members in the House of Representatives.
Summit participants encouraged interest in the U.S. Senate in the Bicycle
Commuter Act, introduced during the 2001 Summit by Congressman Blumenauer
(D-OR) and Congressman Mark Foley (R-FL). Visit http://www.bikeleague.org/educenter/hr1265.htm
for details. Participants also generated overwhelming support in Congress
for Safe Routes to Schools programs to make bicycling and walking to school
a safe and valued
activity for children.
FHWA Administrator Peters in her keynote address said, "Bicyclists
are an integral part of our nation's transportation system and we all
need to work together to develop a better, more balanced transportation
system
that provides facilities and programs for bicyclists on a routine basis.
In planning, designing, and operating our nation's transportation system
and its related programs, the needs of all users-and that clearly includes
bicyclists-should be considered from the moment planning starts on a new
project." Visit http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pressroom/re020306.htm for
the full text of her remarks. For more details on the Summit, visit http://www.bikeleague.org/mediacenter/e-news3-18-02.htm#december14.
Monthly Reminders & Requests
WBWC Membership Applications Available
WBWC membership applications are available through the WBWC website (www.wbwc.org)
and in the literature racks of most Washtenaw County bike shops. Basic
membership is $10 a year with. Also, those joining anytime in 2001 will
have their membership extended through December 31st, 2002.
WBWC Volunteers Needed
Volunteers are currently needed for the following WBWC Committees...
Publicity - Send out meeting and special event announcements, mail out
printed version of E-News
Education - Help plan and staff educational efforts (i.e., Earth Day,
Bike To Work Day/Week)
For details on any of these jobs, please contact Bob Krzewinski at 487-7058
or wolverbob@cs.com.
School Bicycling Volunteers Needed
In cooperation with the Washtenaw County Sheriffs Office, volunteers are
needed to help with bicycling educational efforts at local elementary
schools. No special skills are needed and a time commitment of 30 minutes
at a school would be needed. Items to be discussed (basic traffic laws,
how to wear a helmet, etc.) would be included in a written handout for
volunteers. If interested, please call 734/487-9058 or e-mail wbwc@topical.com.
Member Discounts
Ann Arbor Cyclery has joined the WBWC and agreed to offer a 10% discount
on purchases by WBWC members showing their membership cards. A hearty
"thank you" goes to Ann Arbor Cyclery for helping promote bicycling
in Washtenaw County. And if you are in a shop that is not a member of
the WBWC, a friendly word urging them to support bike advocacy though
WBWC membership would be appreciated.
Sidewalk Inventory Continuing
The WBWC continues to solicit recommendations for areas where there is
heavy pedestrian traffic and either there are no sidewalks or those that
are available are in very poor condition. Suggestions should include as
much specific data as possible and can be e-mailed to wbwc@topica.com.
An added help on any sidewalk suggestions would be photographs which can
be mailed to the WBWC, c/o Ecology Center, 117 N. Division, Ann Arbor,
MI 48104 or dropped off at the Ecology Center during weekday business
hours. Suggestions will be inventoried with follow-up to the appropriate
governmental body.
Ecology Center Library
It should be noted that the WBWC has a small, but growing, library of
bicycling and walking advocacy publications for checkout at the Ecology
Center in Ann Arbor.
Mark Your Calendar....
April 4 WBWC Monthly Meeting, 7pm, Ecology Center, Ann Arbor
April 21 Earth Day - WBWC Bicycling/Walking exhibit at Leslie Science
Center celebration
April 28 Pittsfield Township Hike and Bike Tour (call 944-1637 for details)
May 2 WBWC Monthly Meeting, 7pm, Ecology Center, Ann Arbor
May 12-18 Bike To Work/School/Shop Week
May 17 Bike To Work/School/Shop Day
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