10.21.08
Posted in Advocacy
by Mark Dieterich at 11:28 am
I happened upon the above image on the Streetsblog site. This sign, and others like it, were created
by students at the American Academy of Arts and Letters in Washington Heights, K-5 students from Hamilton Heights Academy and P.S. 28 (along with at least one parent or guardian) added a livable streets flavor to the “If I Were President” display.
Even elementary kids are interested in making the streets safer for pedestrians and bicycles. It’s time to wake up America and demand more from your infrastructure dollars.
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10.20.08
Posted in Advocacy, Events
by Mark Dieterich at 12:42 pm
Sorry about the short notice on this meeting, I just received the email (edited slightly for posting on the web):
Hello, this Lori DiBiasio. As you may have heard, on September 13, 2008, I organized a bicycle safety awareness ride in memory of Frank Cabral, who was struck and killed by a motorist on September 4, 2007. 211 cyclists rode 25.5 miles in his honor. I made a promise to them that day, to propose a law for Frank and for all of the cyclists in RI to help prevent this type of tragedy from happening again. Currently cyclists in RI have no rights on the roadway.
This Monday, October 20th at 5:00pm-8:00pm? would be the first crucial step to pass this bill in the City of Warwick with the hopes that it would go to the Senate to pass statewide. Warwick City Hall will be holding a council meeting which will include this law on the agenda that night. It is unknown the order which the law will appear on the agenda.
Councilwoman Helen Taylor suggested that I have as many advocates there as possible, since she is contacting News channels 10, 12, and 6 to inform then of the meeting. I apologize for the very short notice, I was notified myself late Saturday afternoon.
Warwick City Hall is located on 3275 Post Road (a one way street), in Warwick RI, in Apponaug, next to the Public Library.
In summary the law will propose the following:
1.) Motorists, upon passing a cyclist on the road, need to remain a minimum of 3 feet away.
2.) If they cannot be 3 feet away, they need to slow down 10-20 miles below their current speed.
3.) If a motorist is at fault in striking a cyclist on the road and an injury or fatality occurs, a penalty will be imposed on the motorist, and the motorist will be held accountable. Penalties may include:
*Suspension of license for a specified period of time, depending on the level of damage to the cyclist, which could range from minor injury to loss of life.
*Substantial hours of Community Service
*Driver’s re-training
*Jail time, if required
*Civil Fine
Currently, RI motorists who are involved in cycling accidents walk away with a meer slap on the wrist. The motorist who killed Frank initially faced a 10 year sentence, however the Attorney General dropped all charges, saying it was “merely an accident”.
If this is an issue that is of interest to you, your valued opinion would be greatly appreciated at the Warwick City Hall Meeting on 10/20/08 .
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10.16.08
Posted in Advocacy
by Eric at 1:10 pm
The meeting went quite well, I thought. The upshot is that the lanes will not be removed. A few complainers were there to vent, but the overwhelming opinion was that the new scheme is a change for the better. Present from the city were Cliff Wood, Lt. Schiavulli, Lt. Ryan, John Nickelson (DPW), and Linda Painter (Planning).
Only complaint raised more than once: afraid of pulling out of my driveway, I might hit a bicyclist. Response: the cyclists have always been there, you should have been looking out for them all along, this changes nothing except possibly the number of cyclists.
Nearly all attendees agreed that motor vehicle speeds are down, and that there are fewer drivers operating in the bike and parking lanes today than in the first few weeks. To respond to that, Lt. Schiavulli said that he would assign patrolmen to the Blvd during commuter hours more often. John Nickelson’s response was that DPW is still considering other ways to make it clear that the parking lane is for parking. Currently there are no markings stating that (though there are new signs up now, explaining the uses of the 3 lanes). He is looking into painting diagonal lines across the parking lane at fire hydrants and bus stops, as a way to make it a little clearer. Between heightened enforcement and DPW efforts, combined with locals simply getting adjusted, we should see even greater reduction in these situations.
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10.09.08
Posted in Events
by Mark Dieterich at 3:37 pm
The long awaited India Point Park Pedestrian Bridge is about to open again. RIDOT is having a dedication ceremony on Wednesday, October 15th, @ 10am. The event will take place on the bridge. Bring your bike and you won’t need to worry about parking!
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10.05.08
Posted in Events
by Mark Dieterich at 8:56 pm
| October 15, 2008 |
| 6:30 pm | to | 8:00 pm |
A neighborhood meeting has been scheduled for discussion of the Blackstone Blvd bike lanes (and more): Wednesday, October 15, 6:30 to 8 pm, at School One (corner of Slater Ave and University Ave, Providence).
If you have a strong opinion about the bike lanes on Blackstone Boulevard, it would be a good idea to attend this public discussion.
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Posted in Advocacy
by Mark Dieterich at 8:17 pm
From the LAB website:
Bicycle Commuter Tax Provision Passes House and Senate (10.03.08)
After seven long years, the bicycle commuter tax provision has finally passed both the House and Senate as part of the financial bailout package. President Bush said that he would quickly sign the $700 billion bailout bill. Thanks to all of you around the country who have contacted your congressional leaders over the years, and also thanks to Congressman Blumenauer and Senator Wyden for their continued insistence on having this benefit provided to bicycling Americans. Keep checking back here as we work on the implementation process.
The President has signed this bill, so now it’s time for each and every one of us to work with our employers to make this benefit a reality.
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10.02.08
Posted in Advocacy
by Margherita at 3:38 pm
U.S. cities hoping to lessen air pollution and traffic congestion through bike programs are facing unexpected questions over funding, accident liability and even “anti-bike” activists.
The first enthusiastic wave of bike-sharing programs worked on an honor system — bikes donated or left over from police auctions were left on racks throughout cities, trusting that users would bring the bikes back. But bikes were stolen.
Cities such as Washington, D.C., are starting to model a Parisian bike-sharing system, where users would register with a credit card, and check out a bike by swiping a card.
Funding bike programs is also a problem, and many programs were delayed because lawyers are trying to figure out who would be liable if a biker gets hurt while riding. In San Francisco, a bike program was stalled because a resident said the city had not reviewed how the bikes would affect traffic. That city now plans to add bike lanes (Alan Gomez, USA Today, Oct. 2). – HDM
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10.01.08
Posted in Events
by Mark Dieterich at 8:44 pm
Our next monthly advocacy meeting will be held on October 9th @ 6pm. We will be at the offices of the Red Five Sports Group (269 South Main Street). The meeting has been delayed by a week, as many of our members expressed interest in watching the VP debates on our regular meeting date. On the agenda for this meeting:
Continuing Business:
- An update on our RIDMV project
- Amtrak bike parking issue
- Washington Bridge and Fox Point/India Point Bridge update
New Business
- InterBike in Vegas report
- InterBike’s Outdoor Demo Day
- Recent OpEd articles and general Blackstone Blvd comments
- A discussion of the Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) and what, if any, relationship PBC should try and foster with the group
There will be time to discuss other topics after these items are discussed. We have a full agenda this week, so please make every effort to be on time.
As usual, anyone interested in bike advocacy is welcome to attend.
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09.10.08
Posted in Events
by Mark Dieterich at 8:16 pm
| September 26, 2008 |
| 2:00 pm | to | 4:00 pm |
| September 29, 2008 |
| 2:00 pm | to | 4:00 pm |
| September 30, 2008 |
| 2:00 pm | to | 4:00 pm |
| October 1, 2008 |
| 6:00 pm | to | 8:00 pm |
| October 2, 2008 |
| 2:00 pm |
From Barry Schiller via the advocacy email list:
Those who use bikes as part of an attempt to live a reduced-car or no-car life style, or just use the buses, and/or like me also use buses to get to the bike paths, might be interested in the schedule of public hearings on the proposed RIPTA service cuts.
The underlying problem is we finance RIPTA with a flat portion of the gas tax, that not only does not keep up with inflation, it actually has declined (about 10%) in dollars as people buy less gas in response to the high prices. It is impossible to sustain a system that way. RIDOT has a similar problem, but they have been able to get by for now by heavy borrowing.
Thus RIPTA, facing a $12 million deficit this fiscal year, (projected to about double in 4 years) has proposed cutting about 20% of its service. This includes all evening buses after 7pm, all holiday service, total elimination of 7 lines and 8 park-and-rides, the shortening of 12 additional lines. with reduced frequency on remaining service. Yet the Governor’s Office seemed to suggest this is not a severe reduction but a “tweaking” of service.
Those concerned should consider calling elected officials including the Governor’s Office (222-2080, ask for Chris Long) and/or attending these hearings:
all are 2 to 4pm and 6 to 8pm, except Smithfield evening hours are 6:30 to 8:30pm
- Fri, Sept 26 Narragansett Town Hall
- Mon, Sept 29 Warwick City Hall
- Tues Sept 30, Barrington Library and Newport Public Library
- Wed Oct 1, Smithfield Senior Center
- Thursday, Oct 2 Providence DaVinci Center, 470 Charles St
Personally, I think RIPTA is a huge asset to the RI transportation system and the fact that they provide bike racks on all the buses makes them hugely attractive for cyclists.
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08.27.08
Posted in Events
by Mark Dieterich at 9:24 pm
| October 14, 2008 |
| 12:30 am | to | 5:00 pm |
Our neighbors to the North have once again surpassed us. They are holding a bicycle and pedestrian conference in mid-October:
Moving Together 2008. Bicycling and walking are becoming increasingly visible and important across the country as well as across the Commonwealth. Our invited keynote speaker, Gabe Rousseau, Ph.D, National Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Manager for the Federal Highway Administration, will provide his timely perspective on current initiatives and trends. Based in Washington DC, Rousseau draws upon his extensive experience with the Federal government as well as work with the States. Moving Together’s workshops and exhibits feature up-to-date information that help you to improve bicycling and walking conditions locally, regionally and statewide.
The $40 conference registration fee includes a continental breakfast, refreshments, lunch, and conference materials. For registration information contact: Baystate Roads Program, tel: (413) 545-2604, or register on-line. Please note that registration is limited, so register early to secure your place.
Sue Barker suggests we might want to consider joining together for a group ride to the event, any takers?
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