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Take Action – Complete Streets NYS, Call your state representative today!

Great News, Assembly bill A.8366 (Complete Streets) was introduced yesterday. However, we only have a couple of days left to get the Assembly to pass it. Please call Assemblyman Gantt and ask him to move this legislation through the Transportation Committee and help bring it to the Assembly floor for a vote. His local district office number is 454-3670.

Also call the other members of the Assembly in the area and let them know that A.8366 has been introduced and we would like it brought to the assembly floor for a vote before session ends.

Dan Burling – 585-786-0180
Sean Hanna – 585-334-5210
Steve Hawley – 585-589-5780
Mark Johns – 585-223-9130
Brian Kolb – 315-781-2030
Joe Morelle – 585-467-0410
Robert Oaks – 315-946-5166
Phil Palmesano – 607-776-9691
Bill Reilich – 585-225-4190


This legislation is expected to pass the NYS Senate this week and the Governor has also introduced Complete Streets legislation


Bill Armbruster
AARP – Associate State Director
435 E. Henrietta Road, Rochester, NY 14620

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The Lehigh Valley Trail Connection

The last few days have seen quite a few emails bandied about concerning the strip of land between the University of Rochester and East River Road. This land is of particular interest because it happens to be the most direct connection between the existing Lehigh Valley Trail that runs south to RIT and the Erie Canal Trail, University of Rochester, and the Genesee Riverway Trail.
The map below show a tax map of the land in question that indicates that it is in the Town of Brighton and owned by the University of Rochester. The bridges are permanent easements owned by the state.

There is currently a service road in disrepair that many people on mountain bikes or running use to get from one trail to the next, but that road is not friendly to thin road bike tires as I can personally attest.
Luckily, there is an alternative. On a recent trip back from RIT I attempted to explore a link to a nearby road, and accidentally discovered a fantastic trail about 30 yards west of the service road in the woods that leads to a concrete pedestrian bridge over 390 and the canal. This route could be the perfect alternative to the service road, and the current official Lehigh Valley route via Kendrick Road’s sidewalk.
The pictures below tell the story even better than I can describe. I apologize for the non-sensical order.
This is the entrance to the trail facing north near the Erie Canal trail. You can see a vehicle parked in a University of Rochester parking lot in the background.

This is the trail facing south after crossing the pedestrian bridge. The trail is a single dirt track so it is difficult to spot here. It looks like most people who cross this bridge opt to walk or bike along the service road. Possibly because they are unaware of where the trail exits.

The view of the service road bridge from the pedestrian bridge.
The pedestrian bridge facing north.
The trail facing north somewhere in the middle.

The entrance to the trail from the Erie Canal trail facing south.

The entrance to the trail from the Lehigh Valley trail facing south. As you can see, this area of the trail will need some work before it is truly accessible. That mud is about as deep and nasty as it looks and impassable on a road bike. Luckily, this stretch is only about 30-40 yards long, and could easily be repaired.

The rest of the muddy section facing north from the same spot.
The entrance to the trail from the Erie Canal trail facing north.
It is evident that people are already using the pedestrian bridge, and to a lesser extent this alternative trail. With proper signage and a little work, this could easily become an excellent addition the the Lehigh Valley Trail, and serve as a vital intercampus link.
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Bike Week 2011 Begins Friday, May 20th!

Rochester Bike Week (May 20-27, 2011)
Bicycling Events to Promote: “A Community in Motion”
PRESENTED BY: the Rochester Cycling Alliance (RCA)
EMAIL: bikeweek@rochestercyclingalliance.org
DETAILS: The Rochester Cycling Alliance (RCA) will present their second annual Rochester Bike Week from May 20th through May 27th, 2011.
Complete list of events at: www.rochestercyclingalliance.org

May is Bike Month! As a nationally recognized week, The League of American Bicyclists (www.bikeleague.org) sponsors Bike Week each year to “…promote bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation…” in communities all across the United States. As such, the RCA will host their second annual Bike Week in Rochester, NY. Rochester’s Bike Week will include: races, fun group rides and other bicycling events to promote “A Community in Motion.” Our goal is to communicate that bicycling is a fun and viable mode of transportation that provides many great opportunities to get out and enjoy the City of Rochester by bicycle.
Key events include:
• Friday, May 20th @ 9:00 pm “Light Up the City Ride”
• Saturday, May 21st @ 12:30 pm “The Blessing of the Bicycles”
• Sunday, May 22nd @ 7:45 am “RCA Bike for Breakfast Ride”
• Sunday, May 22nd @ 3:00 pm “The Seersucker Social”
• Monday, May 23rd @ 7:00 pm “Basic Bike Commuting Workshop”
• Tuesday, May 24th @ 5:00 pm “City of Rochester Downtown Ride”
• Wednesday, May 25th @ 5:00 pm “GROC Victor Trail Sampler”
• Thursday, May 26th @ 6:30 pm “Ice Cream Social Ride”
• Friday, May 27th @ 9:00 pm “Search and Rescue Alley Cat”
For a complete event schedule with locations and start times, visit the RCA website at www.rochestercyclingalliance.org.
About the Rochester Cycling Alliance (RCA): The RCA was formed in September, 2009 as an alliance of citizens working to create better cycling infrastructure and a stronger voice for cyclists in Rochester, NY. The RCA draws it members from all areas of the community and welcomes all types of cyclists.
Rochester has great potential for bikes!
• Rochester, NY – One of America’s Top 50 Bike-Friendly Cities
http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610,s1-3-583-21901-1,00.html
• Rochester, NY – One of David Byrne’s Favorite Bike Cities:
http://ngadventure.typepad.com/blog/2009/09/go-green-david-byrnes-favorite-biking-cities.html

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Construction site access on Clover St. Pittsford, NY a concern to cyclists

Public Meeting on Monday, May 23, 7:30 P.M.
The subject - Traffic review to allow commercial vehicles access to a construction site for a residential development south of Lehigh Station Road and off Clover St.
Town of Pittsford Planning Board
Town of Pittsford Hall (lower level)
The issue – Clover St. is designated a bicycle route. Bicycle safety along Clover St. is of great concern to cyclists. Clover St., being a 55 mph thoroughfare and relatively narrow, that cyclists will be placed into danger by large construction vehicles trafficking on that road.

You are encouraged to attend the meeting and voice your opinion about cycling safety on a bicycle route that is used frequently by cyclists.

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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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RCA Meeting Agenda

RCA Meeting Agenda

Date:  May 17, 2011
Time: 7:00 – 9p.m.
Location: U of R Georgen Hall Room 108

Map Link: http://www.rochester.edu/maps/ (River Campus)

Think Bicycling as Transportation

Sign in
Welcome and Introductions
Standing Committee Reports:
Communications
Events & Rides
Advocacy
Education
Public Meetings Reports:
City- 5/16 University Ave
Special Projects:
Symposium 4/27 –
Interest forms on SanDisk

Announcements:
Bike Week 5/20-27
Ride of Silence 5/18
We have a checking a/c
New Business:
Next Steps:
Symposium – All
Greentopia 9/17 & 18 (Bridges Ride) – ?
Wegmans East Ave Store Passport – Richard
501(c) (3) filing – Richard
Join LAB – Richard
Guest Speaker:

Next Meeting: June 21 at RIT

Check the RCA web site calendar for any last minute changes

Please RSVP Richard at rdscomm@rochester.rr.com if you plan to attend.

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Ride of Silence

May 18, 2011
Meet: 6:30 p.m.
Start Time: 7:00 p.m. throughout North America
Start Location: Town of Penfield Highway Dept. on Jackson Road
Cyclists will ride in a slow, 10 mile silent procession to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roads.
Ride of Silence is sponsored by the Rochester Bicycling Club. It is a North American event now in its seventh year.
The ride will be escorted by Karwowski Escort Service. The Monroe County Sheriff Zone A will be present at the start.
Contact:
Andrew R Stewart
mine48565@mypacks.net
585 729-7008 cell

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Rochester Bike Week needs your help!

Rochester Cycling Alliance is promoting another Rochester Bike Week May 20th – May 27th with the theme “A Community in Motion.” This year we are advocating for the Rochester Cycling Community at large to develop and promote their own events during Bike Week.
If you are interested, click on this link (CLICK HERE) and fill out the form. Once the form has been completed and reviewed we will contact you for any further details and then post your event on our website.
PLEASE NOTE: each ride organizer will be solely responsible for his/her event, including the development and logistics of the event to be listed below. Rochester Cycling Alliance (RCA) does not assume any responsibility for the event you decide to organize. RCA will not post any events that are not geared toward making Rochester a bicycle friendly city.
For any questions regarding Bike Week please email: BikeWeek@rochestercyclingalliance.org.
Thank you for getting involved!

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THIS WEDNESDAY: the First Greater Rochester Active Transportation Symposium

Walk, Bike, Smile, Thrive
Jon Schull
Scott Macrae
Walking and biking is good for your health, good for your state of mind, good for Rochester.    And its about to get better.
Less than a year after the newly-formed Rochester Cycling Alliance began advocating for comprehensive bike-friendly planning and development, the City of Rochester has developed and released a Bicycle Master Plan that will encourage better bike lanes, neighborhood greenways, and urban trails, and stimulate similar developments in neighboring municipalities.  The Town of Brighton has just received a planning grant from the federally-funded Genesee Transportation  Council to develop a plan for bikeable and walkable connections between the University of Rochester, RIT, MCC, and downtown Rochester. 
And on April 27, forward thinking planners, leaders, and citizens will come together for the firstGreater Rochester Active Transportation Symposium , to celebrate a rich set of geographical and demographic assets, ripe for integration.  
The Greater Rochester Active Transportation Symposium  will feature national leaders who will report on how active transportation planning in cities like Madison Wisconsin, and Minneapolis Minnesota has made roads safer, expanded transportation options, and increased community liveability and attractiveness, especially for young people critical for regional vitality and growth. 
The April 27 Greater Rochester Active Transportation Symposium  will also include over 13 workshops, rides and fun events designed to help citizens and local leaders adapt these lessons to our own city.  
Consider the facts.  The average Rochester family spends 19% of its income on transportation–about $8,000 a year.  Yet over half of our trips are 5 miles in duration or less–perfect for biking.   If even a fraction of our car commutes became bike commutes, effective family incomes could increase by thousands of dollars, and most of those dollars (hundreds of millions of dollars!) would circulate in Rochester’s economy, rather than Saudi Arabia’s.   And by the way, mental alertness and fitness would increase along with life expectancies and productivity (cyclists live 2 years longer on average and lose 15% fewer days off work due to illness).   
Rochester’s leaders  and planners are attending the symposium because they are ready, willing, and able to listen and respond to forward-looking cyclists and community builders.   But they need to know that the community supports and understands the incredible potential of active transportation planning for Rochesterian cyclists and non-cyclists alike. 
So here’s what you can do to help make this vision a reality.  
·      Understand it.   Attractive bikeways and walkways create and preserve thriving communities populated by energetic and forward thinking citizens.    Energetic and forward thinking citizens create and sustain livable cities with rich transportation options, less obesity and heart disease, lower carbon footprints, less dependence on foreign oil.  (Its not rocket science.  Its better.)
·      Know that realizing this vision need not be expensive.  Portland Oregon’s entire cycling infrastructure was built for less than the cost of a single mile of urban expressway (and Portland now saves twenty times that much money per year in miles not driven).   
·      Ask for it.  While the health benefits of cycling outweigh the safety risks 20 to 1, those benefits today go to those  who are willing to brave roadways that are often scary and unappealing.  Ask for better walkways and bikeways.  
·      Join us at the Greater Rochester Active Transportation Symposium Wednesday, April 27th  and help us marry an emerging global vision with emerging local opportunities 
·      Vote with your feet.  Bike more, walk more, smile more. You’ll feel better, and you’ll help the community thrive.
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NYS Bike Summit


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

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Rochester's Bicycle Master Plan

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

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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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DenDekker Withdraws Statewide Bike Licensing Bill

DenDekker Withdraws Statewide Bike Licensing Bill 022811dendekker.jpg
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!

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Erie Lackawanna Rails-to-Trails Pedestrian Bridge on the Genesee Riverway Trail

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

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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/