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Rochester Transportation meeting gets national attention, and Jon gets his picture taken!

Rochester Transportation meeting gets national attention, and Jon gets his picture taken!
http://blog.tstc.org/2011/02/23/the-public-speaks-at-federal-transportation-town-hall-in-rochester/
The meeting was also mentioned with an entry in “Streetsblog”, the national grassroots transpo blog:
http://streetsblog.net/2011/02/24/rochester-residents-left-out-of-transpo-bill-hearing-create-their-own/

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Mayoral Candidates to Discuss Rochester’s Future

Rochester's race for Mayor is on!

While Rochester searches for its next mayor to take office and begin the arduous task of planning the City’s future, Reconnect Rochester is taking the issues to the candidates and the candidates to the people.

Read more

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How Transit Options Make for a Cool Place to Live… Even Jersey

By now you’ve probably have heard of this thing called transit-oriented development (T.O.D.) external link. If you haven’t you might be living in a cave. Or you might live in Rochester. Sorry—cheap shot.

No worries, let’s get you up to speed with this quick video from the Streetfilms crew. It shows how investment in public transit, along with some zoning changes, has made the New Jersey Hudson River waterfront a new boomtown. The area has attracted some $5 billion in residential development since light rail came in.

According to Robert Cotter, director of city planning for Jersey City, “That’s a testament to transit-rich development… The communities that have access to fixed rail are going to be the richest in the coming century.”

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Next Bike Week Meeting

Rochester Bike Week 2011 is coming soon!
If you are interested in participating, our next scheduled Volunteer meeting is at RIT’s Innovation Center (Google Map Directions)on Sunday, February 20th from 4pm – 5pm Please come to this meeting with a list of all the local bike shops, bike clubs, and local Rochester businesses you have connections with or are willing to reach out to. FYI: Your connections/list will be the foundation for our outreach campaign.
We look forward to seeing you at the next volunteer meeting!
RCA Bike Week 2011, Director

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Congressional Field Hearing in Rochester on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Rep. John Mica, Chairman of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will hold a Field Hearing in Rochester on February 18, 2011 regarding reauthorization of The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient ransportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), enacted August 10, 2005. SAFETEA-LU authorized $286.4 billion for Federal surface transportation programs for highways, transit, and bicycles and pedestrians for the 5-year period, 2005-2009. The latest continuing resolution for extending funding will expire on March 3, 2011.

Transportation Equity Town Hall

Presentation and Roundtable with members of:
Tri-State Transportation Campaign
UPROSE
Empire State Future
WE ACT for Environmental Justice
February 17th, 2011
Rochester Central Libraryexternal link
Kate Gleason Auditorium
115 South Avenue
6-8 PM
(RSVP to the Facebook Eventexternal link and tell a friend!)
AND…

U.S. House Transportation & Infrastructure
Field Hearing in Rochester

Chairman Rep. John Mica (R-FL) & members:
Tom Reed (R-NY)
Richard Hanna (R-NY)
(RSVP to the Facebook Eventexternal link and tell a friend!)

For Information & RSVP:
Ya-Ting Liu
Tri-State Transportation Campaign
(212) 268-7474
yating@tstc.org

https://img.skitch.com/20110216-b77i3qbwn783r44726ds4a9wyh.jpg

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Erie Lackawanna Bridge Project Meeting

A potential threat to the preservation of rights-of-way for a light rail line between downtown Rochester and the University of Rochester is the City of Rochester’s plan to convert the bridge into a bike/ped-only bridge.

It’s important to note that creation of the bike/pedestrian link itself will not preclude transit; on the other hand it is important that the project be treated as a rails-with-trails project rather than a rails-to-trails conversion. This will ensure preservation of the right-of-way for possible future transit.

A rails-to-trails conversion will make a later conversion to rail transit difficult, whereas a rails-with-trails project specifies that an adequate dedicated right-of-way (strip of land) be specifically preserved for future rail transit use.

Please attend an open-house
public meeting this Wednesday:

Time: February 16, 2011 from 7pm to 9pm

Location: Phillis Wheatley Community Library
33 Dr. Samuel McCree Way

For more information, contact Holly Barrett (428-6384) or barretth@cityofrochester.gov

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Transportation Equity Town Hall – February 17th

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITE TO ATTEND… A Transportation Equity Town Hall with the New York State Transportation Equity Alliance, Reconnect Rochester, and Empire State Future on February 17th from 6 to 8 PM in the Kate Gleason Auditorium at the Rochester Central Library.

New Yorkers’ transportation needs are changing, but our transportation policies are stuck in the past. Come join New York State Transportation Equity Alliance for a forum on how federal and state transportation policy impacts New York. Learn how we can shape these federal and state policies to create faster, cleaner, safer, healthier and more equitable transportation choices for all New Yorkers.

Rep. John Mica, Chairman of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will hold a Field Hearing in Rochester on February 18, 2011 regarding reauthorization of The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient ransportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), enacted August 10, 2005. SAFETEA-LU authorized $286.4 billion for Federal surface transportation programs for highways, transit, and bicycles and pedestrians for the 5-year period, 2005-2009. The latest continuing resolution for extending funding will expire on March 3, 2011.

Don’t miss these TWO huge events…

Transportation Equity Town Hall

Presentation and Roundtable with members of:
Tri-State Transportation Campaign
UPROSE
Empire State Future
WE ACT for Environmental Justice

February 17th, 2011
Rochester Central Libraryexternal link
Kate Gleason Auditorium
115 South Avenue
6-8 PM

(RSVP to the Facebook Eventexternal link and tell a friend!)

AND…

POSTPONED: U.S. House Transportation & Infrastructure
Field Hearing in Rochester

Chairman Rep. John Mica (R-FL) & members:
Tom Reed (R-NY)
Richard Hanna (R-NY)

February 18th, 2011
Greater Rochester International Airportexternal link
3-5pm

 


 

Check updates at:
http://NYSTEA.netexternal link
and
http://ReconnectRochester.org/take_action.phpexternal link


For Information & RSVP:
Ya-Ting Liu
Tri-State Transportation Campaign
(212) 268-7474
yating@tstc.org

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A New Future for Transit in Rochester: Our Mayoral Policy Statement

[PHOTO: Robert Torzynski]

Reconnect Rochester is a group of transportation advocates calling for the creation of a fully integrated multi-modal transportation network for our region. We believe the next Mayor has the opportunity to champion a dramatic shift in our transportation infrastructure. The transit system this city and region needs will require dedication of time, staff and resources.

We urge all candidates to pledge their commitment to this vision as part of their platform for candidacy.

Read what each candidate had to say about this document and the future of Rochester’s transit system below.

What follows is our reasoning and recommendations for the future Mayor to incorporate into his or her platform.

Read more

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RTS Transit Center Design Checklist… TAKE ONE!

On Thursday, February 10, 2011, RGRTA will be hosting its Second Public Design Review Workshop inviting members of the community to review and react to design options for the RTS Transit Center external link. This public review will take place at the Radisson Inn Riverside external link and the doors will be open to everyone from 6:00-7:30 pm.

Ideas and comments on the initial designs were taken by RGRTA at the RTS Transit Center Public Design Review Workshop external link (September 15, 2010) and the Rochester City Council Public Forums (April 27, and May 5th, 2010).

The volunteers at Reconnect Rochester have compiled this handy checklist for YOU (the public) to use as a guide to assess how well public comments were received and integrated into the newly proposed designs. Print it, share it, and use as a starting point to form your own opinions and ask the important questions…

This is a compilation of some of the public input collected by RGRTA on the design of the Mortimer Street RTS Transit Center. Use this handy checklist to form your analysis of the final Transit Center designs.

Follow Reconnect Rochester on Facebook external link for updates on the RTS Transit Center and other local transportation projects and public meetings.

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R Community Bikes needs Bicycle Donations

R Community Bikes Inc. (RCB) is a 501c3 charitable organization which provides refurbished bicycles to needy children and adults in our community.

This service is provided free of charge but RCB depends on the generosity of individuals who donate bikes.

If you have an old bike in your garage or basement please consider donating it to RCB.

Last year RCB provided 2,474 bikes to our brothers and sisters of Rochester.

For R Community Bikes to continue this ministry, more bikes are needed.

Visit www.rcommunitybikes.net, email to rcombikes@yahoo.com or call 865-9872 for more information.

Thank you.