APRIL 28, 2011   9-11 AM
West Capital Park, Albany
(next to the State Capitol Building)

NOTICE:
Each year the NYS Bike Summit brings together bicycle advocates, coalition partners and allies to gather in the State Capital.  We demonstrate that bicycling is important for human health, for the environment for our economy and our communities!  We want investments to enable people of all ages and skill levels to ride safely on the road.   We will recognize Bike Champions – legislators and others.   We will be calling for passage of the crucial “Complete Streets Bill”.  If it rains we will gather in The Well of the Legislative Office Building (across the street from West Capital Park).
Much more information about the NYS Bike Summit is available at  www.nybc.net including;

1. EVENT AGENDA
2. PRESS RELEASE
3. NYBC’s LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM

Contact Brian Kehoe    brian@nybc.net   518-436-0889

Rochester’s Bicycle Master Plan Project
The City of Rochester wants to make it easier for you to get around on your bicycle. The Bicycle Master Plan project was completed in January 2011. The plan’s recommendations will serve as a framework for the city’s future investment in bicycle infrastructure. Thank you to everyone who provided comments, attended public meetings, and got excited about bicycling in Rochester!
About the Project
The City developed a long-term master plan for bicycling infrastructure and services.
Sprinkle Consulting (with SRF & Associates and EDR as sub-consultants) was selected through a request for proposal process and produced a plan that:

• identified best practices for bicycling infrastructure and services,
• assessed their feasibility for local application,
• identified appropriate locations for bicycle facilities,
• and recommended bicycle-supportive policies.

While the City of Rochester and Monroe County received an “honorable mention” from the League of American Bicyclists’ “Bicycle Friendly Communities” program in 2009, the goal is to achieve full “Bicycle Friendly Community” status from the group.
http://www.cityofrochester.gov/article.aspx?id=8589943115

DenDekker Withdraws Statewide Bike Licensing Bill
March 3, 2011
Today, NYS bicyclists showed their rising political clout, and NYBC and its members were right there in the fight! Only a few days ago, New York State’s bicyclists first heard about a proposal to require that every bicycle in the State have a license.  This bill had many problems; in a time of severe fiscal constraint it would have added a costly layer of bureaucracy.  Also, contrary to its stated intent, the required licenses would have done nothing to stop bicycle theft.  Improving safety for bicyclists, motorists and other road users is more effectively achieved through education and investments in balanced infrastructure.
Today, the bill’s sponsor, Assemblyman Mike DenDekker, withdrew bill #A05429.  His statement about that mithdrawal can be found here:   http://www.streetsblog.org/2011/03/03/dendekker-withdraws-statewide-bike-license-bill/
NYBC staff and members made their objections to this bill loud and clear in emails and phone calls to DenDekker’s office.   Brian Kehoe, NYBC Program Manager, provided statements to a variety of media outlets describing how this bill would have discouraged people from bicycling and produced no benefits.   NYBC’s statement in opposition to the bill can be found at:   http://www.nybc.net/wp-content/uploads/NYBC-State-Legislative-Platform.pdf
Congratulations NYS bicyclists!

The City’s efforts to improve and develop new shared use walking and biking trails, especially along the Genesee River, include plans to convert

the abandoned historic Erie-Lackawanna Railroad Bridge over the Genesee River into a Rails-to-Trails pedestrian bridge.

About the Project

The converted Erie-Lackawanna Railroad Bridge over the Genesee River will connect the east and west bank Genesee Riverway Trails. The Genesee Riverway Trail is an urban multi-use trail adjacent to the Genesee River, used primarily by bicyclists, pedestrians, and cross-country skiers. This project will further the effort to connect the trail to various neighborhoods and business districts by linking the University of Rochester and Strong Memorial Hospital, the City’s largest employer, on the east bank with its westside neighbors.

Licensing Bicycles in New York State
If you are interested in reading this very short bill here is the link.
http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&bn=A05429%09%09&Summary=Y&Actions=Y&Votes=Y&Memo=Y&Text=Y
You will notice that it doesn’t provide for any real benefits to the cycling community.

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.

Mayoral Candidates Discuss Rochester’s Future

Tuesday, March 1, 2011 at 7:00pm

1000 University Ave. Rochester

Gleason Works Auditorium

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.

Alta Planning & Design, http://www.altaplanning.com/ announces its sister company Alta Bicycle Sharing, Inc. (ABS) launches bike sharing systems in Melbourne, Australia and Washington, D.C. There’s no question that the success of bike share programs rests upon not just great technology, as provided by companies like Bixi, but on top-notch operations management, as provided by ABS.

Greater Rochester Area Bicycling Map
Genesee Transportation Council — 2010

These ratings represent the opinions of experienced bicyclists on the rideability of major roads based on existing road conditions and features such as pavement width and quality, traffic volumes, presence and type of shoulders, and posted speed limits.

Please be aware that road conditions may change and bicyclists must always be aware of vehicular traffic, potholes, and other road hazards.

Further information is available at: http://www.gtcmpo.org/Bike_Map/BikeMapInfo.htm

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=https:%2F%2Fsites.google.com%2Fsite%2Fgreaterrochesterareabikemap%2Fmap%2Fv2GreaterRochesterAreaBicyclingMap.kml%3Ft%3Dp&sll=43.14183,-77.570686&sspn=0.067137,0.219383&ie=UTF8&t=p&lci=bike&ll=43.157297,-77.606306&spn=0.073381,0.181789&z=13

Greater Rochester Area Bicycling Map
Genesee Transportation Council — 2010

These ratings represent the opinions of experienced bicyclists on the rideability of major roads based on existing road conditions and features such as pavement width and quality, traffic volumes, presence and type of shoulders, and posted speed limits.

Please be aware that road conditions may change and bicyclists must always be aware of vehicular traffic, potholes, and other road hazards.

Further information is available at: http://www.gtcmpo.org/Bike_Map/BikeMapInfo.htm

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=https:%2F%2Fsites.google.com%2Fsite%2Fgreaterrochesterareabikemap%2Fmap%2Fv2GreaterRochesterAreaBicyclingMap.kml%3Ft%3Dp&sll=43.14183,-77.570686&sspn=0.067137,0.219383&ie=UTF8&t=p&lci=bike&ll=43.157297,-77.606306&spn=0.073381,0.181789&z=13

Grist by Sarah Goodyear 1 Dec 2010 10:24 AM

http://www.grist.org/article/2010-12-01-a-new-study-shows-that-bike-share-users-beat-average-car-speeds-

A couple of weeks ago, Elly Blue wrote here about the need for better data about bicycling here in the United States. In Lyon, France, the hugely popular Velo’v bike-share system is providing a source for at least some of types of bicycling numbers, having to do with travel times and routes.

The Lyon study looked at 11.6 million trips taken on the city’s bikes between May 2005 and December 2007. It shows, among other things, that . From an item on the Physics arXiv Blog of MIT’s Technology Review:

Over an average trip, cyclists travel 2.49 km in 14.7 minutes, so their average speed is about 10 km/h. That compares well with the average car speed in inner cities across Europe.

During the rush hour, however, the average speed rises to almost 15 km/h, a speed which outstrips the average car speed. And that’s not including the time it takes to find a place to park, which is much easier for a Velo’v bike than a car.

Other results reveal the habits of the urban cyclist for the first time. For example, there is a clear peak in average speed at 7.45 am and 8.45 am on working days, when presumably there is rush to get to work. The average speed drops to a more leisurely 10 km/h at weekends….

The data also shows that bike journeys between two points are shorter in distance than the corresponding journey by car. There are no bike lanes in Lyon so this suggests that cyclists use other techniques to make short cuts, say [the researchers]. Their shocking conclusion is that cyclists often ride on the pavement, along bus lanes and the wrong way up one-way streets.

That kind of information will be useful for urban planners. For the first time they have real data to show where to build cycle lanes and how well they will be used.

Bike-share systems now up and running in Denver and Washington, D.C., could be a source for similar data. Let’s hope it’s made available to researchers.

America‘s 75 Worst Commutes

by The Daily Beast

Portland, OR may be a better place for bicyclist but we have an easier commute.

Notice the quote;”As anyone who drives on Interstate 5 or listens to the traffic reports knows, I-5 and most of the Portland freeway system is already congested at peak hours.”

They are the highways to hell in the country’s most gridlocked cities. The Daily Beast crunches the numbers to determine your ultimate morning nightmares. How did your commute in rank?

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-01-19/americas-75-worst-commutes/

#16, I-5, Portland, OR
Weekly hours of bottleneck congestion: 238
Worst bottleneck: Northbound, Marine Dr/Exit 307
Length of worst bottleneck: .76 mi
Weekly hours of congestion on worst bottleneck: 23
Speed of worst bottleneck when congested: 14.8 mph

Commuter Buzz: “,” wrote Gerald Fox. “There are numerous choke points and frequent incidents delaying traffic throughout the region.”

66, I-490, Rochester, NY
Weekly hours of bottleneck congestion: 14
Worst bottleneck: Inner loop westbound, Washington St/Exit 14
Length of worst bottleneck: .27 mi
Weekly hours of congestion on worst bottleneck: 9
Speed of worst bottleneck when congested: 18 mph

Commuter Buzz: “The closing of the Lake Champlain Bridge is a wake-up call. New York has ignored its infrastructure for decades, putting New Yorkers and New York businesses in jeopardy,” state comptroller Thomas DiNapoli told RocNow.com.

America‘s 75 Worst Commutes

by The Daily Beast

Portland, OR may be a better place for bicyclist but we have an easier commute.

Notice the quote;”As anyone who drives on Interstate 5 or listens to the traffic reports knows, I-5 and most of the Portland freeway system is already congested at peak hours.”

They are the highways to hell in the country’s most gridlocked cities. The Daily Beast crunches the numbers to determine your ultimate morning nightmares. How did your commute in rank?

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-01-19/americas-75-worst-commutes/

#16, I-5, Portland, OR
Weekly hours of bottleneck congestion: 238
Worst bottleneck: Northbound, Marine Dr/Exit 307
Length of worst bottleneck: .76 mi
Weekly hours of congestion on worst bottleneck: 23
Speed of worst bottleneck when congested: 14.8 mph

Commuter Buzz: “,” wrote Gerald Fox. “There are numerous choke points and frequent incidents delaying traffic throughout the region.”

66, I-490, Rochester, NY
Weekly hours of bottleneck congestion: 14
Worst bottleneck: Inner loop westbound, Washington St/Exit 14
Length of worst bottleneck: .27 mi
Weekly hours of congestion on worst bottleneck: 9
Speed of worst bottleneck when congested: 18 mph

Commuter Buzz: “The closing of the Lake Champlain Bridge is a wake-up call. New York has ignored its infrastructure for decades, putting New Yorkers and New York businesses in jeopardy,” state comptroller Thomas DiNapoli told RocNow.com.