Month: January 2017

by Jesse Peers
Let me get this out of the way: I’m a relatively recent bicycle convert.
I grew up in a cul-de-sac neighborhood way out in the ‘burbs and had nowhere to cycle to as a kid. Seventeen years later living in the City, upon hearing me say it might be nice to have a bike again for some short trips, my uncle gave me a cheap mountain bike he wasn’t using (thanks Gary!). It wasn’t until I caught the excitement surrounding ROC Transit Day and took an urban cycling class at the Rochester Brainery (thanks Tracey!) that I got the confidence I needed to take to the streets and commute to work on a regular basis. When my car died in 2013, it didn’t matter as I had learned to live without one (why had I driven the mile and a half to work every day anyway? Besides, going from two cars to one did wonders for our finances). In 2014 I bought a decent commuting bike and cycling really became a part of my lifestyle. In 2015 I discovered the joy of group rides and started connecting with other cyclists, which led me to getting involved with the Rochester Cycling Alliance this year.
I’ve come to look forward to the third Thursday every month when we get together to talk cycling and brainstorm ways to foster the pedaling revolution in Rochester. I’ve learned a lot from seasoned cyclists and have gotten to meet fiery visiting speakers like Richard Fries. When Fries announced on Twitter in November that MassBike was putting together a Bicycle Advocacy Boot Camp in Boston this month, I knew I wanted to go. So I booked a Greyhound bus and showed up ready to learn December 17th.
The Boot Camp was a wonderful learning experience and each of the speakers had something to offer. When MassBike gets around to having Boot Camp 2.0 (possibly next year), I’d encourage anyone interested in cycling to make the trip. Here are some brief takeaways (some of which we’ll discuss in January’s meeting):

• Rochester has a substantial biking community but the community is disparate. We’ve got a plethora of organizations and initiatives and we need to work closer together, know what each other is doing and present a united front to City officials. I can see why newcomers to the area or new cyclists are overwhelmed: We’ve got the Rochester Cycling Alliance, R Community Bikes, Reconnect Rochester, Rochester Bicycling Club, Conkey Cruisers, Unity Ride, Spokes & Folks, Spokes & Ink Festival, Kidical Mass Pittsford, Bike-In-Movies at the Market, Bicycle Film Fest, Rochester Bike Kids, City-sponsored Tuesday rides in the summer, not to mention the wonderful bike shops scattered throughout the area. (And that’s just the road bikers. Mountain bikers have their own niche).
• Rochester’s comparably small size is an asset. Whereas it became apparent cyclists from the Brookline, Waltham, Somerville, Weymouth, Newton, Medford, and Mattapan areas around Boston all dealt with very different issues and had considerable and disconnected distance between them, Rochester’s a City where virtually everything is within five miles (a half-hour). If we work together, we can create the City we want and make cycling a normal, economically-freeing, viable, safe form of transportation for everybody.
• For decades, bicycle advocacy has been geared toward older white males. This needs to change. The RCA needs people of color, women and young people to give us the inertia and representation we need. We all cycle for different reasons and we need to learn from your experiences.
• As I have gotten involved with the RCA, I saw our mission as twofold: 1) Advocacy and 2) Fostering a cycling culture. MassBike’s boot camp woke me up to a 3rd role: Education. Politicians, citizens, drivers, cyclists – all have something to learn. (I also began to wonder what it would take to get local elementary schools to teach cycling skills and safety).
• The overwhelming majority of boot camp attendees (it was Boston after all) were still reeling from the November election. One of the big questions for those passionate about cycling, new urbanism, safer streets, public transit and sustainability was what we can expect now at the Federal level. Though we’re certain to have our work cut out for us, we took heart that most decisions about transit, parking, development, zoning and infrastructure are made at the local level. Make your voice heard.
• As Richard Fries told us, “Nothing in government moves without being pushed.” We need to be tactful and polite but ultimately relentless.

So this blog entry is an open invitation to get involved. Keep an eye on our calendar for upcoming meetings and events and please come to our monthly meetings. You’ve got a place at the table.

The coming of a new year gives good opportunity for reflection, and we’re proud to say that the Rochester Cycling Alliance accomplished quite a lot in 2016 to promote biking and bike infrastructure in the Rochester area. A list is below (and in PDF format here). In 2017 we plan to do even more, and we hope you’ll be involved!

Bicycle Friendly City Bronze Award, League of American Bicyclists

RCA assisted Department of Environmental Services, City of Rochester, with the preparation of the application for this prestigious award.

Town & Village Bicycle-Pedestrian Plans

Brighton, Pittsford, Penfield, Perinton, Irondequoit, and Greece Town Councils/Town Planning Boards consulted with RCA members to develop bicycle and pedestrian plans to improve residents’ quality of life.

Monroe County Initiatives

Discussion with County Executive Dinolfo with the object of educating her on the importance of bicycle-pedestrian facilities in attracting and retaining skilled workers and businesses; promoting improved bicycle route connectivity; and realigning the County’s bicycle and pedestrian policies to improve residents’ quality of life.

Bike to School Day

RCA members organized Bike to School Days at elementary schools in Rochester, Pennfield, Brighton, Henrietta, and Pittsford school districts to encourage students, faculty/staff, and parents to build community and reduce childhood obesity by engaging in everyday healthy activities including bicycling to school. Our work was covered on the Spokes & Folks radio show.

Bicycle Boulevards

Unique safer bicycle friendly routes on urban and suburban streets:

• Harvard/Canterbury Streets: RCA worked with the Rochester DES to create the first bicycle boulevard in the City.
• Hillside/Highland Avenues, RCA worked with the Town of Brighton’s to create the first bicycle boulevard connecting with a City of Rochester bicycle boulevard.

Cyclopaths/Protected Bicycle Lanes

Raised and separated from motor vehicle lanes, cyclopaths improve safety and promote cycling. RCA members advocated for a cyclopath on South Union Street as part of the Inner Loop Development. We also assisted in the development and planning of a two-way cyclopath on Elmwood Ave., which is funded and being designed.

Rochester Bike Week

For the fifth year, RCA organized, promoted, and assisted in advertising numerous rides and events before, during, and after the two week Rochester Bike Week.

Bike Corrals

For the fourth year RCA organized and staffed this popular, donation based, bicycle parking facilities at Corn Hill Festival, Clothesline Festival, Little Theater Bicycle Film Festival, Spokes & Ink Festival, Public Market Bike In Movies.

Themed Community and Charity Rides

Supported or organized by RCA and its members: Santa Ride, Tweed Ride, Seersucker Ride, Tour de Cure, Bike MS, Light Up The Night Ride, Conkey Cruisers rides, Trike Race on El Camino Trail, Unity Rides, Rochester Twilight Criterium.

Safety Education

• Bicycle safety brochures, in 10 different languages, available here.
• Enhanced public education programs to improve safe roadway habits for motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists in all demographic groups, developed in conjunction with the Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency.
• Rochester Bike Map and safety brochure distribution at RCA organized events; to bicycle shops. Encouraged the Genesee Transportation Council to continually publish and print the Rochester Bike Map.
• RCA members are participating in the League of American Bicyclist’s League Certified Instructor (LCI) program to have additional trained bicycle safety instructors in the area.

Local and State Conferences and Events

• Women’s Safe Cycling Summit, a conference by and for Monroe County women to develop strategies to encourage women to bicycle more confidently.
• New York Bicycling Coalition’s Western NY Bicycle Summit, encouraging working relationships among bicycle advocacy organizations in Buffalo, Ithaca, Syracuse, and Rochester.
• Bicycle Advocacy Discussion, Richard Fries, Executive Director of MassBike, on attracting and retaining the millennial generation as bicycle advocates; urban development; and revitalization; with support from the Rochester Community Design Center.
• Electric Bicycle Seminar: RCA & the New York Bicycling Coalition brought Nelson Vails, Olympic Silver Medalist to Rochester to lead a panel on the need for an electric bicycle law at the David Gantt Community Center.
• Outreach to the myriad formal and informal bicycling organizations and groups as well as bicycle shops in the area to truly form an alliance to advocate for improved bicycling infrastructure.

Amtrak’s Lake Shore Limited Train

RCA was represented on the Amtrak/Adventure Cycling Association Bicycle Task Force and was instrumental in having Trainside Checked Bicycle Service to be offered on the Lake Shore Limited’s route (New York City/Boston to Chicago) at the Rochester Amtrak Station.

Public Relations and Communication with the community

Improving and increasing the content on RCA’s web site, Facebook pages, and Twitter tweets resulting in significant increases in the number of web site page views; Facebook members (809+) and Twitter followers (43% increase since September 2016).

RCA Continuity

Additional younger, 20- to 35-year-old bicyclists, became active participants at RCA meetings and as bicycling advocates at government and non-government hearings and meetings in the Rochester community.