04.30.08
Posted in Advocacy
by Mark at 8:16 am
Newflash from the League of American Bicyclists:
The House Congressional Resolution on Bicycling (H.Con.Res. 305), introduced in February, calls on the United States Congress to adopt a national bicycling strategy to fully realize the incredible benefits of getting more people bicycling, more safely, more often. There is a “sense of Congress” that complete streets policies are essential to ensure wise use of considerable Federal investment in transportation infrastructure, and that expanded funding for bicycling and walking programs is desirable and appropriate.
As we celebrate National Bike Month in May, cities and organizations throughout the country will be hosting events promoting bicycling as a healthy, fun, and viable form of transportation. This is also a perfect opportunity to contact your Congressional Representatives to thank those that have signed onto the Resolution and urge those that have not to so.
A good showing for the Resolution is essential as this would serve as the first ever comprehensive bicycling policy statement and would serve as an important policy statement guide for the next transportation reauthorization which begins next year (2009).
As part of National Bike Month please take a moment to Contact your Congressional Member to urge them to support HCONRES305.
Thank you.
It’s easy to take action. Enter your zip code in the Take Action box on the league webpage. This will automatically search for your representative and help you compose a quick email to them in support of the bill.
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04.29.08
Posted in Advocacy
by Eric at 6:55 pm
The Washington Area Bicyclists Assn and DC DOT seem to have a pretty tight relationship - they teamed up to put up this billboard.
What are the chances we could do something similar in the Providence area?
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Posted in Bike-to-Work Day
by Mark at 10:56 am
New for Bike-to-Work day in 2008!
To help encourage more people to participate in Bike-to-Work Day this year, we are organizing bike trains to and from the Providence event. For those who may be unfamiliar with the term, a bike train is one or more experienced bicycle commuters who follow a published route with predetermined meeting points. Other cyclists can hop on and off the train at any point. It’s a great way for new cyclists to give bicycle commuting a try in a safe environment!
Please note… we’ve done our best to estimate times at which these trains will be passing certain points on the maps. We’d encourage everyone to get at specified locations a bit early, to ensure you don’t miss the train. We’ve also tried to indicate places where it would be safe to wait, not necessarily where there is parking available.
This year, the PBC is sponsoring two bike trains following predetermined routes on this map.
The East Bay Bike Train is denoted on the map in blue. It is probably the most friendly route there is for those new to bicycle commuting. The majority of the ride is on the East Bay Bike Path, with only the last part heading into Providence on roads.
The inbound train will originate at Independence Park in Bristol at 6:00am and arrive at Kennedy Plaza by 7:30am. See the map for route details and all time estimates along the ride. The outbound train will leave Kennedy plaza at 6:00pm, for an anticipated arrival back at Independence Park in Bristol at 7:30pm.
If you have any questions or plan to join the train, you can email the organizers of the East Bay Bike Train.
The South County Bike Train is not for the faint of heart. It is denoted in violet on the map. The entire ride covers 33 miles with the first part goes through some rolling hills, the middle on a bike trail, and the last part on Providence roads.
The inbound train will originate at the Park and Ride on Kingston road at 5:30am and arrive at Kennedy Plaza by 7:30am. See the map for route details and all time estimates along the ride. The outbound train will depart from Kennedy Plaza at 5:30pm, arriving back at the terminus around 7:00pm.
If you have any questions or plan to join this train, you can email the organizers of the South County Bike Train.
The Glocester Bike Train will bring you in from the more rural setting West of Providence. It is denoted in red on the map. The entire ride covers just over 12 miles with only one significant hill. The ride in is generally down hill, which does mean you will work a little harder going home. The entire route is over roads, but we try our best to keep the train off roads where cars are moving quickly.
The inbound train will originate at a parking lot near Phillips Ln in Chepachet at 6:30am and arrive at Kennedy Plaza by 7:30am. See the map for route details and all time estimates along the ride. The outbound train will depart from Kennedy Plaza at 3:45pm, arriving back where the ride started around 4:45pm.
If you have any questions or plan to join this train, you can email the organizers of the Glocester Bike Train.
The Blackstone Bikeway Train covers just over 15 miles. It is denoted in green on the map. The majority of the ride is on the Blackstone Bikeway, with the last part traveling on roads into Providence.
The inbound train will originate at the North end of the Blackstone Bikeway at 6:30am and arrive at Kennedy Plaza by 7:30am. See the map for route details and all time estimates along the ride. NOTE: as large parts of this bikeway are relatively new, this map may be a little more rough than the others. The road/satellite data was not complete, so we had to make some estimates when laying the route. The markers are correctly placed.
If you have any questions or plan to join this train, you can email the organizers of the Blackstone Bikeway Train.
If you are an experienced bike commuter who will be riding to and from the Bike-to-Work day festivities please contact us and we can work out the route details and publish another route.
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04.24.08
Posted in Bike-to-Work Day
by Mark at 6:19 pm
I just posted a copy of the official press release for the 2008 Bike to Work Day festivities!
As you can see, there is a lot more happening this year and I would encourage all RI cyclists to make an effort to stop by the event. A more detailed listing of the event participants and presentation times will be posted shortly.
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Posted in Events
by Mark at 5:52 pm
| May 16, 2008 |
| 7:00 am | to | 10:00 am |
| 3:00 pm | to | 6:00 pm |
Across the United States cities are gearing up for the 52nd Annual National Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 16, 2008. Providence will be hosting its own press conference and festivities for Bike to Work Day. Taking place at Bank of America City Center in downtown Providence, bicyclists will convene at the skating rink entrance at 7:00am for refreshments and kick-off press conference at 7:30am. Providence Mayor David Cicilline, Richard Godfrey, Director of Rhode Island Housing and Chair of The Providence Foundation Bike to Work and College Committee, and Mike Lewis, Director of the RI Department of Transportation, will lead the way to the event as they cycle into downtown for the press event. Joining Mayor Cicilline at the podium will be Richard Godfrey, Mike Lewis, Chris Wilhite of the Sierra Club (RI Chapter), and Providence City Council member John Lombardi.
Breakfast and refreshments will be served to cyclists from 7:00am until 10:00am. At 3:00pm the skating rink comes alive with bicycle-related vendors providing safety tips and demonstrations, local environmental organizations, information about upcoming bicycle signage and lane striping, Rack n’ Ride demonstrations by RIPTA, refreshments, a bike raffle and entertainment.
Promoting a healthy ride for energy independence, Bike to Work Day seeks to raise awareness about bicycling as a healthy and viable transportation alternative. Among the goals of Bike to Work Day are to help reduce traffic congestion, reduce the demand for parking, reduce air pollution and make Providence a better place to live and work. The American Automobile Association cites that the estimated cost to own and operate a vehicle in 2008 is $8,121 – a $298 increase from last year. While the costs for automobile maintenance, insurance and depreciation have actually decreased from 2007, higher prices at the fuel pump have more than offset these savings and pushed the overall costs of vehicle ownership and operation higher.
“Riding a bicycle or RIPTA bus to work everyday represents one of the strongest actions a commuter can take to reduce global warming pollution and our dependence on oil,” said Chris Wilhite , Sierra Club Rhode Island Chapter Director. “By making it safer and easier for cyclists to commute to work, Cool Cities like Providence can be significant leaders in ensuring that Narragansett Bay stays cool enough for its fisheries and wildlife.”
To help promote and support bicycle commuting in Providence, The Providence Foundation and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) have invested in the installation of over 100 bicycle hitches throughout downtown Providence including locations at the Amtrak Station, Bank of America City Center and Exchange Terrace. The City of Providence Department of Planning and Development has completed plans for the striping and signing of bicycle routes along many of Providence’s thoroughfares. It is expected that this project will be completed this fall. Among the streets included in this project are Elmwood Ave, Broadway, Smith Street, Charles Street, and Hope Street.
Bike to Work Day is funded by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) through a grant from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program (CMAQ) of the US Department of Transportation (USDOT). Administrative and organizational support is provided by The Providence Foundation. The Providence Bicycle Coalition, an advocacy group of citizen-cyclists who work to promote and enable bicycling as a healthy, enjoyable, efficient and environmentally friendly mode of transportation in and around Providence, is organizing this year’s Bike to Work Day event with the US Open Cycling Foundation.
For more information on Providence’s Bike to Work Day and for information on RIDOT’s Bike RI program visit www.dot.state.ri.us/bikeri/. For information on what The Providence Bicycle Coalition is doing to support bicycling in Providence visit www.bikeprovidence.org. And, for more information about the efforts of the RI Chapter of the Sierra Club to support and promote clean, affordable transportation alternatives, please visit www.rhodeisland.sierraclub.org.
Feel free to download a pdf version of the Bike to Work 2008 Press Release and distribute this to your friends, family, and colleagues.
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04.23.08
Posted in Events
by Mark at 10:24 am
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation is planning a dedication ceremony for Monday, April 28 at 10 a.m. for the next segment of the Blackstone River Bikeway. This 1-mile piece begins at the former Lonsdale Drive-In and connects to Valley Falls Heritage Park near Cumberland Town Hall. A unique feature of the path is a 540-foot long boardwalk that allows the path to pass through the Lonsdale Marsh.
Attendees will be asked to meet at the old Drive-In site and then the group will walk together to the dedication site at the start of the boardwalk area. Those coming by car but wishing to bike to the event should consider parking in other parking lots and cycling to the Drive-In as parking is quite limited there. The primary parking lot near the Pratt Dam has room for plenty of cars.
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04.21.08
Posted in Events
by Mark at 10:18 pm
| April 23, 2008 |
| 6:00 pm | to | 7:00 pm |
The next B2WD meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 23rd. It will be from 6pm - 7pm at Red Five Sports Group, 269 South Main Street.
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Posted in Events
by Mark at 12:53 pm
There is an opportunity to comment on both our short-term (4 year) and long term (20 year) plans on how we spend all our RI transportation money at the next Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting Thurs, April 24 at 6:30pm in the Warwick Public Library on Sandy Lane. The agenda always allows public comment before the TAC acts. You can call me (353-6536) if you have any questions about what is in these plans for bikes or otherwise.Barry
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04.17.08
Posted in Advocacy
by Margherita at 8:02 pm
The Blackstone River Volunteer Bikeway Patrol
Schedule of Events
Spring/Summer 2008
The Bikeway Patrol is pleased to announce our schedule of upcoming events. All programs begin at 10 am at the Blackstone River State Park 295N Visitor Center, Lincoln, RI. They will be guided by the Volunteer in Parks Blackstone River Bikeway Patrol in partnership with the Peloton Bicycle Shop
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04.14.08
Posted in Advocacy
by sparkjen at 11:12 am
Peak hour tolls are a big part of Oregon governor’s transportation agenda
Oregon needs tough measures to cope with growing volumes of traffic, says Gov. Ted Kulongoski
Saturday, April 12, 2008
GAIL KINSEY HILL
The Oregonian
Gov. Ted Kulongoski on Friday said he will likely advocate for rush-hour tolling and other tough measures to control traffic congestion in his 2009 appeal to the Legislature.
“In plain English, tolls that vary by time of day, by location, or by congestion level, so that those who are using the highway at the most desirable time are paying more to do so,” he said.
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