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Lilac Festival Bike Valet

Heading to the Lilac Festival this weekend? R Community Bikes is providing a Bike Valet service for festivalgoers at Mindful Body Pilates & Yoga – just $2!

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Bike Week 2011 Volunteer Meeting

It may only be January, but the Rochester Cycling Alliance is already thinking ahead to Bike Week 2011, May 20-27. We want to build on the successes of last year’s Bike Week by expanding the event and bringing in more community partners to get the message out that bikes belong on Rochester’s streets.

But we can’t do it alone! We have several volunteer positions that need to be filled to make sure that Bike Week 2011 is a success. We’re holding a volunteer meeting this Sunday at 7 pm for anyone interested in helping out. Join us at the RIT Center for Student Innovation (map) to find out how you can help.

In line with our objectives for the 2011 Bike Week our volunteer needs will follow three main tracks:

Read More…

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Call for Volunteers

The Rochester Cycling Alliance needs your help!

Rochester Bike Week 2010 will be held from May 21-28, and we’re planning to make a big impact with a week loaded with events. But we can’t do it alone!

We’re looking for volunteers to help us plan, publicize, and pull off the events we’ve got planned for Bike Week. If you want to help raise the profile of bike riders in Rochester and encourage public officials to build a more bike-friendly city, then we want you!

In particular, we’re looking for people to join street teams to publicize Bike Week at events like the Lilac Festival, and to post flyers in various public gathering areas in the city. If you’ve got graphic design skills, we’re also looking for people to help us develop a logo and produce our promotional materials. And when Bike Week gets here, we’re going to need help setting up our events and taking care of all those last-minute details.

If you’d like to help out, we’ll be holding an informational meeting on Wednesday, March 10th at 7 p.m. at the Genesee Waterways Center in Genesee Valley Park. Directions to the GWC are available at http://geneseewaterways.org/directions_gwc.htm. If you can’t make it to the meeting but would still like to help out, send us an email at info@rochestercyclingalliance.org.

And, if you’re part of another bike organization or run a bike-related business, and want to host your own event, we can help you plan and promote it. The more cool events we can squeeze into Bike Week, the bigger the effect we’ll have.

The time has never been better to transform Rochester into a true cycling city, and the RCA is working hard to make sure that cyclists have their voices heard. Come out and help us make it happen!

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Call for Volunteers

The Rochester Cycling Alliance needs your help!

Rochester Bike Week 2010 will be held from May 21-28, and we’re planning to make a big impact with a week loaded with events. But we can’t do it alone!

We’re looking for volunteers to help us plan, publicize, and pull off the events we’ve got planned for Bike Week. If you want to help raise the profile of bike riders in Rochester and encourage public officials to build a more bike-friendly city, then we want you!

In particular, we’re looking for people to join street teams to publicize Bike Week at events like the Lilac Festival, and to post flyers in various public gathering areas in the city. If you’ve got graphic design skills, we’re also looking for people to help us develop a logo and produce our promotional materials. And when Bike Week gets here, we’re going to need help setting up our events and taking care of all those last-minute details.

If you’d like to help out, we’ll be holding an informational meeting on Wednesday, March 10th at 7 p.m. at the Genesee Waterways Center in Genesee Valley Park. Directions to the GWC are available at http://geneseewaterways.org/directions_gwc.htm. If you can’t make it to the meeting but would still like to help out, send us an email at info@rochestercyclingalliance.org.

And, if you’re part of another bike organization or run a bike-related business, and want to host your own event, we can help you plan and promote it. The more cool events we can squeeze into Bike Week, the bigger the effect we’ll have.

The time has never been better to transform Rochester into a true cycling city, and the RCA is working hard to make sure that cyclists have their voices heard. Come out and help us make it happen!

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Complete Streets

Complete Streets is a national movement which seeks to ensure that road construction projects take into account the needs of everyone who uses the roadways – pedestrians, motorists, the handicapped, children… and, naturally, cyclists.

In New York State, a bill currently making it’s way through the legislature would require that planning agencies do just that. It’s a major step in the effort to make sure that transportation planning works for everyone, and a major asset in pressing for better bike facilities.

The bill is sponsored by Rochester’s own Assemblyman David F. Gantt, representative from the 133th district which includes the City of Rochester and Gates. Gantt is also the chairman of the Assembly Transportation Committee.

Please take a moment to reach out to your Assemblyperson and Senator, as well as the leaders of the Assembly and Senate Transportation Committees and urge them to support Assembly bill A08587 and Senate bill S5711. Representatives of other local districts are listed below, with contact information.

Also, see the call to action from the New York Bicycle Coalition to support the bill.

Assembly

Joseph A. Errigo, 130th district: Henrietta, Pittsford, Mendon, Victor, East & West Bloomfield (and beyond).

Susan John, 131st district: parts of Rochester, Chili, Wheatland, Riga, Rush.

Joseph D. Morelle, 132nd district: Irondequoit, Brighton.

Bill Reilich, 134th district: Greece, Ogden, Sweden.

David Koon, 135th Assembly district: Webster, Penfield, Perinton.

Senate

James Alesi, 55th Senate District: Irondequoit, Perinton, Pittsford, Penfield, Mendon, Henrietta, Rush, Wheatland, Chili, Riga.

Joseph Robach, 56th Senate District: parts of Rochester, Greece, Parma, Brighton.

George Maziarz, 62nd district: Gates, Ogden, and west to Buffalo.

Martin Dilan, 17th district. Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee.

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Complete Streets

Complete Streets is a national movement which seeks to ensure that road construction projects take into account the needs of everyone who uses the roadways – pedestrians, motorists, the handicapped, children… and, naturally, cyclists.

In New York State, a bill currently making it’s way through the legislature would require that planning agencies do just that. It’s a major step in the effort to make sure that transportation planning works for everyone, and a major asset in pressing for better bike facilities.

The bill is sponsored by Rochester’s own Assemblyman David F. Gantt, representative from the 133th district which includes the City of Rochester and Gates. Gantt is also the chairman of the Assembly Transportation Committee.

Please take a moment to reach out to your Assemblyperson and Senator, as well as the leaders of the Assembly and Senate Transportation Committees and urge them to support Assembly bill A08587 and Senate bill S5711. Representatives of other local districts are listed below, with contact information.

Also, see the call to action from the New York Bicycle Coalition to support the bill.

Assembly

Joseph A. Errigo, 130th district: Henrietta, Pittsford, Mendon, Victor, East & West Bloomfield (and beyond).

Susan John, 131st district: parts of Rochester, Chili, Wheatland, Riga, Rush.

Joseph D. Morelle, 132nd district: Irondequoit, Brighton.

Bill Reilich, 134th district: Greece, Ogden, Sweden.

David Koon, 135th Assembly district: Webster, Penfield, Perinton.

Senate

James Alesi, 55th Senate District: Irondequoit, Perinton, Pittsford, Penfield, Mendon, Henrietta, Rush, Wheatland, Chili, Riga.

Joseph Robach, 56th Senate District: parts of Rochester, Greece, Parma, Brighton.

George Maziarz, 62nd district: Gates, Ogden, and west to Buffalo.

Martin Dilan, 17th district. Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee.

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RCA Update

Here’s an update on recent goings-on with the Rochester Cycling Alliance:

At our regularly scheduled biweekly meeting at Spot Coffee, the group met with Jon Schull, RIT professor and friend to cyclists everywhere, to coordinate our efforts with his. Jon’s been working on bicycle issues for a while now, in particular developing the bike corridor between RIT, UR, and downtown Rochester (check out his blog: http://jonschull.blogspot.com/). It was a productive and energizing meeting, with the group finally beginning to coalesce.

Last night (Monday) the RCA made its public debut at a meeting of the Rochester City Council, where Chris, Jon, and I (Andy) all spoke in support of better facilities for cycling. We also spoke with Alinda Drury, the coordinator of Mayor Duffy’s Green Team, who will be an important ally. Video is below, courtesy of Jon.

In addition, we’ve learned that the City of Rochester is developing a Bicycle Master Plan to be completed by February 2011. The City has issued a request for proposals from planning and engineering firms, and will begin the process of evaluating the proposals at the end of this month. Along the way there will be many opportunities for public input. It will be a great way to have cyclists’ voices heard in the city planning process, and the RCA will be there. More information is available on the city’s website at http://ci.rochester.ny.us/article.aspx?id=8589940474

Finally, we’re trying to organize a trip sometime in the next couple weeks to the City’s Bureau of Architecture and Engineering to meet with the engineers running the Bicycle Master Plan project and other bicycle-related planning activities. It will be a huge learning experience for the RCA and a chance to connect with the people who can actually put together a quality cycling infrastructure for Rochester. I encourage everyone to come along; if you’re interested please email me your scheduling preferences and I’ll try to work out something that can accomodate as many people as possible.

And don’t forget: RCA Potluck this Sunday at 21 Diem Street! Be there!

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RCA Update

Here’s an update on recent goings-on with the Rochester Cycling Alliance:

At our regularly scheduled biweekly meeting at Spot Coffee, the group met with Jon Schull, RIT professor and friend to cyclists everywhere, to coordinate our efforts with his. Jon’s been working on bicycle issues for a while now, in particular developing the bike corridor between RIT, UR, and downtown Rochester (check out his blog: http://jonschull.blogspot.com/). It was a productive and energizing meeting, with the group finally beginning to coalesce.

Last night (Monday) the RCA made its public debut at a meeting of the Rochester City Council, where Chris, Jon, and I (Andy) all spoke in support of better facilities for cycling. We also spoke with Alinda Drury, the coordinator of Mayor Duffy’s Green Team, who will be an important ally. Video is below, courtesy of Jon.

In addition, we’ve learned that the City of Rochester is developing a Bicycle Master Plan to be completed by February 2011. The City has issued a request for proposals from planning and engineering firms, and will begin the process of evaluating the proposals at the end of this month. Along the way there will be many opportunities for public input. It will be a great way to have cyclists’ voices heard in the city planning process, and the RCA will be there. More information is available on the city’s website at http://ci.rochester.ny.us/article.aspx?id=8589940474

Finally, we’re trying to organize a trip sometime in the next couple weeks to the City’s Bureau of Architecture and Engineering to meet with the engineers running the Bicycle Master Plan project and other bicycle-related planning activities. It will be a huge learning experience for the RCA and a chance to connect with the people who can actually put together a quality cycling infrastructure for Rochester. I encourage everyone to come along; if you’re interested please email me your scheduling preferences and I’ll try to work out something that can accomodate as many people as possible.

And don’t forget: RCA Potluck this Sunday at 21 Diem Street! Be there!