July - August 2007
In August, for a summer change of pace, the WBWC Board meeting (open to anyone) will be at Dominick’s Café (812 Monroe in Ann Arbor) on Thursday, August 2nd at 7pm. Regular monthly Board meetings will resume at the Ecology Center (117 N. Division in Ann Arbor - just north of Huron), starting on the first Thursday of September. For previous WBWC Board meeting minutes, visit http://www.wbwc.org/minutes.htm
The national Rails to Trails Conservancy organization (RTC) has selected Ann Arbor as one of 40 communities nationwide to receive special funding in the next Federal transportation bill. RTC envisions “a program serving at least 40 communities, with $50 million per community over six years, to promote active transportation (trails, biking and walking) for urban mobility.” An RTC representative met with representatives from Ann Arbor (including the mayor), the county, several townships, other agencies and WBWC this spring to describe the program. While it’s still very early in the process and many things are still unclear, everyone attending was enthusiastic about pursuing this opportunity.
Eli Cooper, Transportation Coordinator for Ann Arbor, plans to attend RTC’s
TrailLink 2007 in Portland in August to learn more about how to make a
compelling case for Ann Arbor’s inclusion in such a program.
Find out more at
http://www.railtrails.org/whatwedo/trailadvocacy/2010Campaign.html.
The city of Ann Arbor recently was awarded a state grant of $380,000 to improve conditions for pedestrians at 31 intersections and 16 mid-block crossings. The funds will be used to install new pedestrian signals that count down seconds remaining to cross, repaint crosswalks, and improve signage and lighting, among other things. The grant funds won't be received until this fall 2007, so it's unlikely this work would begin before 2008.
The Downtown Development Authority also received a grant of $1.8 million
dollars to install and upgrade ramps at pedestrian crossings downtown.
This work is expected to take several years.
For pedestrians who also ride the bus, the Ann Arbor Transit Authority plans
to add nine new bus shelter and replace nine others this summer. Several
new shelter designs will be tested as part of this process.
Finally, the City of Ann Arbor is working on developing a prioritization
strategy for improving pedestrian deficiencies. There is currently a
working list of 224 pedestrian deficiencies that fall into the following two
broad categories: safety (mid-block crossings, re-striping crosswalks, and
pedestrian signals) and sidewalk system gaps (sidewalks on only one side of
the road, point deficiencies, and corridor deficiencies). The Pedestrian
Prioritization Project will come up with a system for prioritizing the work
needed. Some of the jurisdictions that have served as early examples for
the prioritization system are Arlington, VA, Chapel Hill, NC, Denver, CO,
Rockville, MD and Mt. Pleasant, MI.
In a move beyond logic for many, the
Michigan Department of Transportation recently announced that they would be
increasing the speed limit for certain Ann Arbor trunk lines (local highways
that receive state funding) because studies showed motor vehicles were going
faster than the posted speed limit anyway.
In response to the proposed speed increases, one Ann Arbor resident complained
to local officials. Ann Arbor Mayor John Hiefje replied… “I was very disturbed
to see the proposal to increase speeds on State regulated roads in Ann
Arbor. The State failed to include the City in developing their proposal
and we only learned about it just this week. The City has been working for
several years now in the direction of calming traffic rather than speeding it
up.” The WBWC is following the issue of increased speed limits and will also
be voicing its concerns.
Public input from several WBWC members and
other supporters of alternative transportation modes in two focus groups have
resulted in a broadening of the scope of what was originally to be the “Ann
Arbor Comprehensive Parking Strategy." The plan's guiding principles now
include, “Support modes of access the promote efficient land use
patterns, environmental sensitivity, non-motorized mobility options, and the
community’s overall quality of life.” Another highlight is the
recommendation to increase non-motorized transportation funding, specifically:
"Doubling the current commitment (from 5% to 10% of the overall transportation
budget) is recommended."
The final plan will be available on
http://www.a2gov.org/a2d2/Projects/Parking.html
.
In June, Doris West celebrated her 90th birthday with a party attended by over 50 friends and family members, including many local cyclists. Doris is admired by many bicyclists who met her at the Ann Arbor Bicycle Touring Society (AABTS) and Pedal Across Lower Michigan (PALM) rides, at the 4th of July parades or just noticed her on her tricycle riding around down, rain or shine. AATBS and PALM sent her two bouquets that were displayed in the room. WBWC (of which she is a longtime member) was represented by several members and the chair, Kris Talley, who presented Doris a framed proclamation from Mayor Hieftje, recognizing her dedication to non-motorized transportation. Kris also gave her a large home-made birthday card signed by many people who know her, or learned about her having used a tricycle as her only mode of local transportation for the last 38 years. If you would like to send your best wishes to Doris, send it to the WBWC (107 N. Division, Ann Arbor, 48104) and we will forward it to her.
The Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation
Commission is still diligently working on expanding a network of non-motorized
pathways in the area, although at times progress has been slow due to
roadblocks that develop. One new trail that should be open, however, by
mid-July is a connector trail at Parker Mill County Park east of Ann Arbor off
Geddes Road. A new trail on the north side of Geddes will allow users to cross
under Geddes from Parker Mill and go west to meet up with a non-motorized path
on Hogback.
Other trails going through a planning process include a portion of the Border
to Border trail in Hudson Mills Metropark that will be sited along the west
side of the Huron River, south from North Territorial Road. Eventually
this path will extend all the way to Dexter. And in Ypsilanti, a grant was
received to construct bike lanes along both sides of Forest Avenue (a Border
to Border trail segment) and planning continues for a non-motorized trail
along the Huron River in the Water Street development area.
The Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission is also still waiting on
a legal ruling on their proposed Border-to-Border trail bridge over the Huron
River east of Dexter as well as making plans to seek a renewal of a 10-year
non-motorized funding tax that was initially approved in 1998.
In early July, a cyclist brought to the
attention of the WBWC an incident where she took her bike into an area bicycle
shop for some specific work, and when they went to pick up the bike, they were
being charged for additional work. The shop is currently holding the bike
while awaiting payment, while the owner is pursuing legal options.
While most bicycle shops are respectable businesses, if you are taking a bike
in to be repaired, it should be treated the same as having a car worked on.
You should:
A WBWC member recently asked a local property owner to provide bike parking hoops at his store and got a hostile and misinformed response. As a result, WBWC is working with the City of Ann Arbor to come up with clear guidelines to help property owners install bike parking facilities. When complete, it will be made available on the WBWC website so anyone can download it and give it to the manager or owner of an establishment where bike parking is non-existent or inadequate. It will help clarify things like: who pays for the racks (the answer is different inside and outside the downtown area) , whether a building permit or site plan is required (yes and sometimes, respectively), and whether bike parking is ever required (sometimes).
In March, the Bicycle Commuter Act was
re-introduced into both the US House and Senate. The bills seek to amend the
Internal Revenue Code to extend the transportation fringe benefit to bicycle
commuters. The House bill, H.R. 1498, was introduced by Rep. Earl Blumenauer
(D-OR) with nine co-sponsors. The Senate bill, S. 858, was introduced by
Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) with seven co-sponsors.
The legislation would provide bicyclists with a similar tax benefit to that
currently enjoyed by transit users and car parkers, through voluntary,
employer-run programs. This small incentive to ride rather than drive to and
from work should be seen as an important element of broader efforts to tackle
climate change as well as traffic congestion, obesity and other critical
challenges. Please urge your Senators and Representatives to co-sponsor this
legislation. For more information on the legislation, visit
http://capwiz.com/lab/issues/alert/?alertid=3D9520176.
Letters can be sent to Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow (US Senate,
Washington, DC 20510) and your US Representative (US House of Representatives,
Washington, DC 20515).
State News
Make a
statement against gas guzzlers and for clean energy by participating in the
3rd annual Green Cruise. The event will take place at 1pm on Saturday, August
11th, 2007, in Ferndale, one week before the Dream Cruise. It is a parade
celebrating all forms of non-fossil fuel transportation. It starts at Nine
Mile and Woodward (Nine Mile is blocked off), and proceeds west on Nine Mile
through Ferndale before returning to the starting point where a rally with
speakers and events will take place. The parade attracted 400 participants
last year, and a larger crowd is anticipated in 2007 WBWC members are
especially invited to attend (bring your bike or just walk – this is NOT a
endurance event). For more information, visit
http://www.sierraclub.org/community/oakland/green_cruise.asp.
The final Michigan Transportation Plan (Moving Michigan Forward - the State Long-Range Transportation Plan 2005-2030) is now available on the Plan Web site, www.michigan.gov/slrp. The plan does include non-motorized projects and concerns.
During the week of August 13 - 17, MDOT is hosting five half-day
bike facility design training sessions, one each in Grand Rapids, Traverse
City, Lansing, Ann Arbor and Jackson. These trainings will help
engineers and planners to be as "Context Sensitive" as possible and to see and
experience a range of on road bike facilities. Experiencing streets from
a "handlebar perspective" gives participants a better understanding of how,
and why, MDOT is working to address the needs of cyclists. This half day class
will consist of a classroom overview of AASHTO's Guide for the Development of
Bicycle Facilities followed by 1 hour on a bike. The tour might be as
long as 8 or so miles, designed to cover a variety of common situations.
The tour session will be designed to accommodate everyone and instructors will
ride at a slow and comfortable pace, with frequent stops. For more information
on this program, contact Melinda Ball at either ballm@michigan.gov or
517-241-0006
The Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness endorses local,
regional, and state events that are consistent with the Council’s mission to
Get Michigan Moving. A Governor’s Council endorsement publicly acknowledges
your club’s ability to plan and carry out a quality event that significantly
contributes to the health and well-being of Michigan residents.
Benefits of a Governor's Council Endorsement include 1) Permission to use the
Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness logo on all promotional materials
including t-shirts, 2) Promotion of your endorsed event on the Governor's
Council on Physical Fitness website, and 3) Acknowledgement on the Council's
website of your organization's commitment to providing quality physical
activity opportunities for Michigan residents.
To apply for event endorsement, go to:
http://www.michiganfitness.org/endorsements/application.php
An article in the April 17th edition of the Safe Routes to School National Partnership newsletter suggests: "Save the date and make plans to attend the 1st National Safe Routes to School Conference: Creating, Building and Sustaining Momentum, November 5-7, 2007. The conference is presented by the National Center for Safe Routes to School and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, and is being hosted by the Michigan Fitness Foundation. The conference will take place at the historic Dearborn Inn in Dearborn, MI. Everyone who's interested in the health and safety of school children is encouraged to attend. The Michigan Fitness Foundation is now soliciting presentation proposals for workshops, due by June 8th." To learn more go to: http://tinyurl.com/2jtuxs
The League has launched a new for the Bicycle Friendly Community program at www.bikeleague.org/programs/communities. To find out more about which cities are bicycle friendly, at what level, and why, just click on a state. The list of cities in that state will appear, and you can click on any cities listed to see photos, learn about their strongest programs, and find out when the city was designated Bicycle Friendly.
Ann Arbor's status as a bronze-level Bike-Friendly Community was
reaffirmed in 2007. Find out more at
:http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/communities/bfc_ann_arbor.php.
A teacher's resource guide for the Bike Smart and Walk Smart
CD-ROM programs for children in grades K-3 is now available. It contains a
number of outdoor activities teachers can conduct with their students to
enhance bicycle and pedestrian safety skills. While the activities are tied
into and enhance specific sections of the Bike Smart and Walk Smart CD-ROMs,
they can be conducted as stand alone activities without the programs being
viewed. The Resource Guide is available free for download at:
http://childsafety.hcimarketplace.com.
The Bike Smart and Walk Smart programs were released last summer. Recently,
they were widely distributed to school districts in the State of Florida
through their Safe Routes to School program. For more information on the
program, contact Paul Berger at 541/349-4822 or pberger@hcimarketplace.com.
Look for a new, more interactive, and more informative website
from America Walks. The redesigned website features a fresh design and
includes new ways for members to keep in touch and share strategies and ideas.
Also, AW has now opened its membership to individuals. For more information
visit
www.americawalks.org.
Late this spring, the Café Press online vendor made available a
series of stickers, signs and t-shirts with the theme “I
Don’t Share The Road,” showing a stylized cyclist being hit by a car.
When the worldwide cycling community found out about these
products, the barrage of e-mails and calls to Café Press was said to be
overwhelming. The reaction of the merchant was to first make the items
“unavailable” and then pull them off the web page completely. For more sane
“Share The Road” items on the Café Press, visit
http://www.cafepress.com/buy/Share%20the%20Road/-/cfpt2_/x_19/cfpt_/source_searchBox/copt_/y_8.
Some bicycles with quick-release wheels couldn’t be sold in New Jersey under legislation approved Monday by the Assembly. The bikes allow wheels to be removed without tools so they can be quickly secured with a chain lock or transported in vehicles, but lawmakers contend they’re prone to accidents. The League of American Bicyclists opposes this legislation and knows that there are better solutions to improving bicyclist safety in New Jersey. The bill was approved 77-3, but hasn’t received Senate consideration.
The national Rails To Trails Conservancy (RTC) has recently
started an e-mail based Active Transportation Newsletter that is available at
http://www.railstotrails.org/whatwedo/events/traillink2007/activetransportation.html.
You do not have to be a RTC member to receive the online publication. The
Active Transportation Newsletter includes news on the 2010 Campaign for Active
Transportation, which seeks to double federal funding for trails, walking and
biking by 2010 (see previous article on Ann Arbor's role in this campaign),
with an emphasis on securing focused investments in Active Transportation
communities across America. The newsletter will also allow individuals and
groups to stay up-to-date on campaign activities, learn best practices from
other communities, have opportunities to share your experiences with others,
hear about new research findings, and receive tips about how best to conduct
your local Active Transportation campaigns.
Anthony Gerike was sentenced to 16 years in prison on May 31,
2007 for causing the deaths of two popular Cincinnati-area cyclists - Amy
Gehring and Terry Walker - on July 16, 2006. Gerike's criminal case came to
trial in April 2007. The evidence showed that Gerike was legally intoxicated
and had cocaine and marijuana in his system at the time of the crash. Despite
crashing into an object several minutes before the fatal crash, Gerike
continued on, driving on the wrong side of a two-lane country road and
crashing into a group of 10 riders. The jury found that drugs and alcohol were
contributing factors in the crash, and found Gerike guilty of six counts of
aggravated vehicular homicide.
Have a mechanical problem and stuck miles from home? The Better World Club now has available bicycle roadside assistance available, either by signing up with the Better World Club itself ($39.95 a year), or by joining/renewing membership in the League of American Bicyclists at a “Silver Spoke” level ($110 a year). The Better World Club Bicycle Roadside Assistance program provides nationwide emergency roadside assistance for you and your bicycle, taking you and your bike to the nearest repair facility, or home, within 30 miles from pick up. There is a maximum of two service calls per covered member per year. This benefit covers one person. For more information, visit http://www.betterworldclub.com/bicycles/bike_assistance.htm or for the LAB membership with assistance provided, http://www.bikeleague.org/join/index.php.
Web Resources
Car Hitting Cyclists Video - Actually the
"car" is a dressed up four-wheel, two seat recumbent with a car body added to
it and really points out, in a humorous way, what cyclists put up with.
http://www.bikeforest.com/?p=53
US Driving Less - For the first time in 26
years Americans are driving less. Seventy percent of people polled in a USA
Today/Gallop Poll say they have taken steps to reduce driving.
www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-05-17-gas-prices_N.htm
Youtube Pedestrian Videos - A search on
youtube.com for pedestrians gives over 2,000 results. Many have nothing
to do with people who walk, but a lot do. Here are a few of the many
pedestrian videos people have put up on YouTube, to give an idea of the
variety of things that can be produced. It is fairly easy to do for
anyone with a modest amount of video and computer skills. And it's free.
Pedestrians On Strand In London -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=_KVr7VOTwTQ
Starbucks:Spilling Coffee Over Pedestrians-
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5iaSyjiwCgI
Westfield Topanga Mall - designed for cars, not pedestrians
-http://youtube.com/watch?v=kCfv7ubV5Ks
Life's Hazardous for Watertown Pedestrians -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=B5jNE8IJsoc
What A Car-Free Central Park Means to a 4 Year Old -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=M8mF80zvgPA
When You Are a Pedestrian (1948) -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=atj9atMy3wQ
Be Safe, Be Seen: Back to School Safety Tips -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=wVJqbaIQ-FA
StreetFilms-The Sidewalk Nibblers -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Jd7yW0LCdX0
StreetFilms-Portland: Festival Streets -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=NfU8m8j3-ws
The Plight of the North American Bipeds -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=nAEU0GjZorI
Pedaling.com
Pedaling.com offers self-guided road bike routes and mountain bike trails
including maps, cue sheets and trail descriptions. It also includes resources
for local bicycle shops, bike safety information and community bulletin boards
for cyclists to share trail, road and cross country bike trip knowledge. Not
enough? How about information on guided bicycle tours, cycling gear and
bicycles? Check out the
pedaling.com website for
more details.
Complete Streets Fact Sheet
Five fact sheets from the National Complete Streets Coalition; topics include
safety, health, children, older people, and people with disabilities.
http://tinyurl.com/2ax89f
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 $25 a year.
“Perils For
Pedestrians” On Google Video
Past episodes of the pedestrian and cyclist advocacy show "Perils For
Pedestrians” are available on Google Video at
www.pedestrians.org/episodes/index.htm. You can then watch the episodes of
interest on Google Video at:
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=%22Perils+For+Pedestrians%22&hl=en.
Help support and expand bicycling in Michigan by joining the League of Michigan Bicyclists. Dues are $20/year and you can join by visiting www.lmb.org/pages/Join/Membership.htm or calling 517/334-9100 or 888/642-4537.
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