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Happiest Cities are Biking Cities

National Geography sponsored author Dan Buettner recently studied the happiest communities worldwide and profiled several of them in his book “Trive”. He looked at them with regard to an extensive study of economics, sociology and individual interviews with experts in the field as well as residents. He found that two of the four cities he profiled were very strong bicycling and walking communities. What cities did he find were the happiest? Copenhagen, despite their weather and long winters, and St. Luis Obispo. St. Luis Obispo has a strong culture of individual entrepreneurialism, and civic involvement. The were the first city in the US to ban smoking, and also banned food drive throughs, watch out Dunkin Donuts!

In the final section of the book he makes recommendations on how to make a happy community. Walking and biking trails and lanes are important parts of a happy healthy community. It is interesting reading and Check out his book “Thrive” for some insight on tips for creating more happiness in your life.
A brief article on St. Luis Obispo is noted below: Scott

http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus/transportation/madonna-inn-bike-path-30265.html

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Presentation of Final Rochester Bicycle Master Plan 6pm-8pm Monday, Dec 13

The final resentation of the Rochester Bicycle Master Plan will take place on Monday, 12/13, from 6:00-8:00 PM at the Kate Gleason Auditorium of the Rochester Central Library – Bausch & Lomb Building (116 South Ave). Your attendence and input will be most welcome.

The final version of the report will be available on the Web approximately one week prior to the meeting on the Rochester Bicycle Master Plan Website:

http://www.cityofrochester.gov/bikeplan/

I hope to see you there.

Scott

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Ithaca Bike Symposium and Bike Boulevards

With the Rochester Bicycle Master Plan almost completed, one of the options for providing access is bike boulevards as noted below.

Summary Jon Schull and Scott MacRae’s Trip to Ithaca Bike Symposium 11- 19 &20, 2010

We were fortunate to attend the Ithaca Bike Symposium. Unable to make the afternoon sessions, we joined the Bike & Beer Gathering Friday Night. We met some Ithaca bike advocates and were introduced as the “Rochester Brothers” because Jon and I both put Rochester after our first names.

The next morning Mia Burke, Alta Planning, former bike coordinator for Portland, Oregon 1993-1999 who now runs a 60 employee national bike consulting company gave a talk on Bicycle Boulevards” or “Neighborhood Greenways”. Here are the highlights.

60% of the population is classified as “Interested and Concerned” and these folks are that the population that responds Bike Boulevards appeal to. (There are the 1% young and fearless and 7% are enthused and confident, 30% are uninterested in bicycling.)

Bike Boulevards or Neighborhood Greenways, have been very successful in Portland but the first one is a challenge since the community does not know what to expect. The cost is $250,000/mile so they may not be cheep compared to the $10-20,000/mile for painting lanes. They are ideal to set up on streets that run parallel to preferred routes. The preferred traffic volume is 3,000-4,000 but 1,500 or lower is ideal. Some bike boulevards are now shooting for <500 cars/day. There are different levels of commitment for Bike Boulevards or Neighborhood Greenways. The first level is signage and pavement markings. Another is prioritizing traffic so that the cyclists don’t have to stop frequently. They also traffic use traffic calming (slowing) techniques like elongated speed bumps, traffic circles and curb extensions to slow traffic ideally to 15-25 mph. A higher level of commitment is auto traffic diversion to a different street. Adjoining street dwellers often complain about this driving more traffic to their streets but this is typically less than expected because traffic disperses more to other non adjacent streets. Public involvement is important and the process should not be rushed into. The neighborhood needs to be surveyed and canvassed as well as ride and public workshops all contribute to educating the neighborhoods on the positive effects. This includes the increase in land values of neighborhoods around bike boulevards. They use median and refuge islands which are separate from the pedestrian islands to allow the cyclists to cross busy streets. A street may be blocked off from 2 way car traffic and become a one way street but allow bikes to go 2 ways. A popular trend is to combine “bike boulevards” with “green streets” which includes bioswales and storm water management as well as green plantings to improve the livability for everyone. The park service people like this because it can create an atmosphere of a mini park in a park inaccessible area. Bike Boulevards are one part of the puzzle of making a community bike friendly.
A great video on Portland, Oregon’s Bike Boulevard Program is available at:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/11/portland-mode-share-tops-7.php?campaign=th_rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+treehuggersite+(Treehugger)

Scott

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University of Rochester Bicycle Active Transportation Forum, Monday Nov. 15, 5:30pm SMH, Flaum Atrium Case Method Room

University of Rochester Bicycling – Active Transportation Symposium – Workshop

5:30 pm, Monday, November 15th, Case Method Room # 9576, 1st floor Adjacent Flaum Atrium off the Mezzanine

The University of Rochester Center For Community Health and the Rochester Cycling Alliance are sponsoring a forum on bicycling and active transportation with a specific focus on educating the audience on the successes of Northern cities like Minneapolis, Minnesota and Madison, Wisconsin as well as opportunities for Rochester.Dr. Brad Berk Strong Health Systems CEO, will be introducing a symposium on bicycling and active transportation. The City of Rochester is in the final stages of developing its Bicycle Master Plan that will be finalized in early 2011. The University of Rochester will play a critical role in the success of encouraging the Greater Rochester Community to promote bicycling and walking as economical, safe and healthy modes of transportation for adults and children.

The forum will present a concise overview of the safety, health, economic and lifestyle benefits of active transportation (bicycling and walking) and will invite the audience to comment on the barriers to promoting bicycling and walking both on and off campus. Transportation challenges of the University Master Plan and Rochester Bicycling Master Plan as well as logistics of bike commuting will be presented. The workshop is to educate and organize individual’s interest in promoting better access to biking and walking in Rochester.

This is the first of 4 progressively larger symposiums on bicycling and Active Transportation which will be held over the next 6 months.

For further information contact Scott MacRae via Scott_macrae@URMC.rochester.edu or Glenn Cerosaletti at Glenn.cerosaletti@rochester.edu

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University of Rochester Bicycle Active Transportation Forum, Monday Nov. 15, 5:30pm SMH, Flaum Atrium Case Method Room

University of Rochester Bicycling – Active Transportation Symposium – Workshop

5:30 pm, Monday, November 15th, Case Method Room # 9576, 1st floor Adjacent Flaum Atrium off the Mezzanine

The University of Rochester Center For Community Health and the Rochester Cycling Alliance are sponsoring a forum on bicycling and active transportation with a specific focus on educating the audience on the successes of Northern cities like Minneapolis, Minnesota and Madison, Wisconsin as well as opportunities for Rochester.Dr. Brad Berk Strong Health Systems CEO, will be introducing a symposium on bicycling and active transportation. The City of Rochester is in the final stages of developing its Bicycle Master Plan that will be finalized in early 2011. The University of Rochester will play a critical role in the success of encouraging the Greater Rochester Community to promote bicycling and walking as economical, safe and healthy modes of transportation for adults and children.

The forum will present a concise overview of the safety, health, economic and lifestyle benefits of active transportation (bicycling and walking) and will invite the audience to comment on the barriers to promoting bicycling and walking both on and off campus. Transportation challenges of the University Master Plan and Rochester Bicycling Master Plan as well as logistics of bike commuting will be presented. The workshop is to educate and organize individual’s interest in promoting better access to biking and walking in Rochester.

This is the first of 4 progressively larger symposiums on bicycling and Active Transportation which will be held over the next 6 months.

For further information contact Scott MacRae via Scott_macrae@URMC.rochester.edu or Glenn Cerosaletti at Glenn.cerosaletti@rochester.edu

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Dutch Cyclists Shun Helmets – Wall Street Journal Article

Dutch cyclist are fighting the recommendaton by health professionals to wearing helmets. This is a familiar controversy where some cycling advocates are wary of encouraging helmets because it sends a message that cycling can be dangerous. The other side argues that not wearing a helmet is risky behavior. I think we’ve heard this argument before but which ever side you are on you can read about it below in the motherland of cycling in Europe. I personaly perfer to maintain as many brain cells as I can. Link below: Scott

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304248704575574250616160146.html?mod=ITP_TEST

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Dutch Cyclists Shun Helmets – Wall Street Journal Article

Dutch cyclist are fighting the recommendaton by health professionals to wearing helmets. This is a familiar controversy where some cycling advocates are wary of encouraging helmets because it sends a message that cycling can be dangerous. The other side argues that not wearing a helmet is risky behavior. I think we’ve heard this argument before but which ever side you are on you can read about it below in the motherland of cycling in Europe. I personaly perfer to maintain as many brain cells as I can. Link below: Scott

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304248704575574250616160146.html?mod=ITP_TEST

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Bicycling Master Plan Meeting # 3

Things are getting interesting and exciting!

The Rochester Bicycling Master Plan had it’s third meeting on Thursday, Oct. 21nd with the Master Planning Advisory Committee and the Rochester Cycling Alliance members, Bill Collins and Scott MacRae participated. Sprinkle, the national consulting group gave a summary of the Draft Recommendations and Prioritization on Street Changes with weighting based on a customary fomulae along with the public & committee’s suggestions.

The target “Level of Service” for this project is to get roads up to a “C” level although we’d all love to get most of the roads up to a C or better. We’re currently at a D+ rating. There were some who argued that we should be shooting higher (for an A or B) but the Sprinkle group was confident once we get the process going then we can up our target level later.

The prioritization identified 4 major categories:

  1. Existing Bicycle Facility 4% of roads (6 miles) which have 4 foot bike lanes and meet criteria. This also includes roads that are programmed for next year as well.
  2. Target Bicycle Level of Service Met 29% (41 miles). These streets are typically low volume with infrequent parking which don’t require striping
  3. Roadway Restrip Candidates 46% (65 miles) These are streets where roadway restiping is the first option to meet the C level of service. Streets with minimally utilized on street parking are good candidates for high ranking in this category.
  4. Detailed Corri9dor Study Needed (DCSN) 21% 30 miles. These streets don’t lend themselves easily to the above criteria and restriping. These streets need more detailed extendsive and detailed operational -level investigations of the constraining factors and opportunities along these roads.

The exciting thing is that we will have about $400,000 worth of restriping and infrastructure improvements that the city will be acting on over the next few years. We will be seeing some bike symbols on bike lanes more and more over the next 2-3 years. It is very inexpensive to do this when a road is reconditioned. The $400,000 will be spent on roads that have already had repaving but need restriping depending on the priority score that was derived and the opportunity to do this in a cost efficient maner.

The mood of the meeting was definately upbeat and the engineers and designers from the city, state and county were very enthusiastic about what will be happening.

Sprinkle has identified Boulder, Colorado, Montreal, Canada, Minneapolis- St Paul, Minnesota and Madison, Wisconsin as our “Peer Cities” that have already made significant advances and can help us establish best practices for Rochester. More on this later. The Rochester Bicycling Master Plan Website is noted below

PS. Mayor Dave Cieslewicz of Madison, Wisconsin is coming to the Rochester Community Design Center Lecture Series “Reshaping Rochester” on April 26th, 2011, 7-9pm. He is a terrific bike advocate and gave a great talk at the National Bike Summitt in Wash. D.C. this spring on how Madison has became a bike friendly city despite being in a cold snowy enviroment. I spent some valuable time talking with him on the economics of biking and how it transforms communities. He went with his transporation team to Holland for a site visit on how they designed their infrastructure to encourage bicycling and active transportation. This is something we should consider when we meet our new mayor. Holland has programs which sponsors mayors and city leaders from around the world to visit to study their transportation system. Scott

http://www.cityofrochester.gov/bikeplan/

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RIT Alumni Jason Berry

Jason Berry is an RIT Alumni and film professional who has just completed a feature film on the Tour De France. The film depicts the history of the Tour De France and follows the tour team High Road and sprinter, Mark Cavendish as they journey through France. The filming and soundtrack is terrific!

Due to an outpouring of requests and with the help of the RIT
Alumni
Association we are having another screening of “Chasing
Legends” in
the Rochester area. Wednesday, October 6th at 8pm, Webb
Auditorium
on
the RIT campus. Please help us spread the word and I hope to
see you
at the show! Scott
Here is the description:
Chasing Legends screening in Webb Auditorium
The Office of Alumni Relations is hosting a special screening of alumnus filmmaker Jason Berry’s gripping and award-winning documentary on the toughest and most celebrated sporting event in the world — the Tour de France — on Wednesday, October 6 at 8:00 pm in Webb Auditorium. Experience the heartfelt narrative story told by the athletes and announcers who bring this epic race to life each July. Go inside the peloton with Mark Cavendish, Lance Armstrong, and George Hincapie while cameras mounted on bikes, cars, helicopters and helmets take you on a ride that doesn’t let up.

$10 per person/$7 students.

To purchase tickets, please click here.

This event is expected to sell out. Tickets are first come, first serve so register today!

Questions? Contact Jon Rodibaugh in the Office of Alumni Relations at jprrar@rit.edu

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RIT Alumni Jason Berry

Jason Berry is an RIT Alumni and film professional who has just completed a feature film on the Tour De France. The film depicts the history of the Tour De France and follows the tour team High Road and sprinter, Mark Cavendish as they journey through France. The filming and soundtrack is terrific!

Due to an outpouring of requests and with the help of the RIT
Alumni
Association we are having another screening of “Chasing
Legends” in
the Rochester area. Wednesday, October 6th at 8pm, Webb
Auditorium
on
the RIT campus. Please help us spread the word and I hope to
see you
at the show! Scott
Here is the description:
Chasing Legends screening in Webb Auditorium
The Office of Alumni Relations is hosting a special screening of alumnus filmmaker Jason Berry’s gripping and award-winning documentary on the toughest and most celebrated sporting event in the world — the Tour de France — on Wednesday, October 6 at 8:00 pm in Webb Auditorium. Experience the heartfelt narrative story told by the athletes and announcers who bring this epic race to life each July. Go inside the peloton with Mark Cavendish, Lance Armstrong, and George Hincapie while cameras mounted on bikes, cars, helicopters and helmets take you on a ride that doesn’t let up.

$10 per person/$7 students.

To purchase tickets, please click here.

This event is expected to sell out. Tickets are first come, first serve so register today!

Questions? Contact Jon Rodibaugh in the Office of Alumni Relations at jprrar@rit.edu

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Rochester Bicycle Master Plan, Brighton, Wegmans and 360/365 Movie Festival

The last 2 weeks have been very productive for Rochester Cycling Advocacy. Two weeks ago RCA members Jon Schull, Scott MacRae and Tom Robinson (EDR) met with Brighton Town Surpervisor Sandra Frankel to discuss ways to make Brighton more bike friendly. She agreed to initiate creating a Brighton Bike Advisory group and with the help of RIT’s Center For Student Innovation perhaps create a Brighton Bicycle Master Plan which would integrate Rochester’s Plan as well. GROC also had a major victory getting their County Parks programs approved. Congratulations GROC.

Last Wed. the Rochester Bicycle Master Plan Group met which included RCA members Bill Collins, Jon Schull (substituting for Andrew Dollard, Richard DeSarra (also representing RBC) and Scott MacRae all participated in the discussion and critique of the Existing Conditions Map which was very detailed for each major street. Rochester rated a D+ on “Level of Service – LOS” which is above average but leads lots of room for improvement. This input as well as the input from 4 city community quadrant meetings which also allowed riders to compare their real life experience of riding the streets to the survey ratings to further refine the ratings. The participants were also able to rank which destinations and streets are higher priority and this information will also go into the master plan to help create priorities for the plan. You can review the plan at;
http://www.cityofrochester.gov/bikeplan/

Go to the existing level of service map and review it. If you agree or disagree, let them know. There will be a more detailed description street by street listed soon.
You can also give your comments to Erik Frisch City of Rochester at: Frische@CityofRochester.gov

Jon Schull, Richard DeSarra and Scott MacRae met with Judy Cama Community Relations Coordinator and Marcie Barcotta of Wegmans about getting Wegmans support to make Rochester more bike friendly. We discussed getting support for Jon’s Active Transportation Network Map adnthe suggested Richard help them create some maps for their Passport to Family Wellness Program which currently encourages people to walk for Wegmans credits and gifts. The new program would encourage biking in the community. We also discussed how to make the New East Ave. Wegmans the poster child for a bike friendly store and neighborhood with indoor bike parking, lockers and showers for employees and incentive programs such as bike days with gifts for cyclists. They were very interested in supporting us.

Richard and Scott then met with John Richardson Director of the 360/365 film festival about incorporating 2 recent full lenght films involving bicycling at the 360/365 film festival in 2011. They are now also considering having a contest for the best 3 minute film on bicycling in 2011 as well.

Bill Collins is continueing to lead the dialogue with RGRTA’s on the new transit center and is coordinating a meeting with RGRTA to discuss ways to make the center and the system more bike friendly.

Scott

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This is it! Bicycle Master Plan Public Meetings Wedesday and Thursday Night 6pm Aug. 25-26

Dear Cyclists,
Here is a repeat listing of the Rochester Bicycle Master Plan Rochester Quadrant Citizens Meetings if you have not seen the listing already. We are welcoming all citizens and cyclist to attend. The meetings will be facilitated by Bruce Landis and his team of bicycle design consultants from Sprinkle Inc., who are nationally recognized for their expertise on urban bicycle master plans.

The information gathered here will be combined with the other information already gathered through an extensive street by street analysis of the bicycle friendliness of existing conditions. A prioritization of streets with recommendations on next steps will be completed by early 2011. There are also numerous other recommendations that will be made as noted above in the BMP (Bicycle Master Plan) in the above enclosure.
Scott MacRae
Rochester Cycling Alliance

If you cannot make the meeting you can send your comments directly to Erik Frisch, Transportation Specialists at the address below or at:

Frische@CityofRochester.gov
Erik Frisch | Transportation Specialist
City of Rochester | DES | Architecture & Engineering Bureau
City Hall | 30 Church Street | Room 300B
Rochester | New York | 14614-1279

NORTHWEST QUADRANT

DATE: August 25, 2010 TIME: 6:00 PM – 8:00PM

LOCATION: Aquinas Institute, Cafeteria
ADDRESS: 1127 Dewey Avenue, Rochester

SOUTHWEST QUADRANT

DATE: August 25, 2010 TIME: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

LOCATION: Phyllis Wheatley Community Library

ADDRESS: 33 Dr. Samuel McCree Way, Rochester

NORTHEAST QUADRANT
DATE: August 26, 2010 TIME: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

LOCATION: North Street Community Center

ADDRESS: 700 North Street, Rochester

SOUTHEAST QUADRANT
DATE: August 26, 2010 TIME: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

LOCATION: Artisan Church

ADDRESS: 1235 South Clinton Avenue, Rochester

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This is it! Bicycle Master Plan Public Meetings Wedesday and Thursday Night 6pm Aug. 25-26

Dear Cyclists,
Here is a repeat listing of the Rochester Bicycle Master Plan Rochester Quadrant Citizens Meetings if you have not seen the listing already. We are welcoming all citizens and cyclist to attend. The meetings will be facilitated by Bruce Landis and his team of bicycle design consultants from Sprinkle Inc., who are nationally recognized for their expertise on urban bicycle master plans.

The information gathered here will be combined with the other information already gathered through an extensive street by street analysis of the bicycle friendliness of existing conditions. A prioritization of streets with recommendations on next steps will be completed by early 2011. There are also numerous other recommendations that will be made as noted above in the BMP (Bicycle Master Plan) in the above enclosure.
Scott MacRae
Rochester Cycling Alliance

If you cannot make the meeting you can send your comments directly to Erik Frisch, Transportation Specialists at the address below or at:

Frische@CityofRochester.gov
Erik Frisch | Transportation Specialist
City of Rochester | DES | Architecture & Engineering Bureau
City Hall | 30 Church Street | Room 300B
Rochester | New York | 14614-1279

NORTHWEST QUADRANT

DATE: August 25, 2010 TIME: 6:00 PM – 8:00PM

LOCATION: Aquinas Institute, Cafeteria
ADDRESS: 1127 Dewey Avenue, Rochester

SOUTHWEST QUADRANT

DATE: August 25, 2010 TIME: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

LOCATION: Phyllis Wheatley Community Library

ADDRESS: 33 Dr. Samuel McCree Way, Rochester

NORTHEAST QUADRANT
DATE: August 26, 2010 TIME: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

LOCATION: North Street Community Center

ADDRESS: 700 North Street, Rochester

SOUTHEAST QUADRANT
DATE: August 26, 2010 TIME: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

LOCATION: Artisan Church

ADDRESS: 1235 South Clinton Avenue, Rochester

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Save Recission $$$ for Bikes!

Protect vital bicycle funding programs- demand proportionality in rescissions! Take Action!

The Jobs Bill passed by Congress last week contains a $2.2 billion rescission of transportation funds from state Departments of Transportation. In many states, the DOT will likely target bike funding programs for the money to send back to the federal government – unless local advocates speak up and make sure that doesn’t happen. States must report which program funds are affected by August 25th- so action is needed this week!

Unlike previous rescissions there is no proportionality requirement calling for equal distribution of funding program cuts. Instead, the law gives the States maximum flexibility to choose the unobligated balances of funds to be rescinded.

The amount each state has to rescind is up to $200 million for the largest states. Many programs that fund bicycle projects are threatened by these rescissions including. These programs are often unfairly targets for cuts or rescissions, and in some cases have been completely gutted.

Take action now! Please contact your Governor and ask that rescissions be done equitably across programs, and that those that traditionally fund bicycling projects not be unfairly targeted.

Go to League of American Bicycles and send your message thought their website:

http://www.bikeleague.org/

Scott

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Save Recission $$$ for Bikes!

Protect vital bicycle funding programs- demand proportionality in rescissions! Take Action!

The Jobs Bill passed by Congress last week contains a $2.2 billion rescission of transportation funds from state Departments of Transportation. In many states, the DOT will likely target bike funding programs for the money to send back to the federal government – unless local advocates speak up and make sure that doesn’t happen. States must report which program funds are affected by August 25th- so action is needed this week!

Unlike previous rescissions there is no proportionality requirement calling for equal distribution of funding program cuts. Instead, the law gives the States maximum flexibility to choose the unobligated balances of funds to be rescinded.

The amount each state has to rescind is up to $200 million for the largest states. Many programs that fund bicycle projects are threatened by these rescissions including. These programs are often unfairly targets for cuts or rescissions, and in some cases have been completely gutted.

Take action now! Please contact your Governor and ask that rescissions be done equitably across programs, and that those that traditionally fund bicycling projects not be unfairly targeted.

Go to League of American Bicycles and send your message thought their website:

http://www.bikeleague.org/

Scott