Posted by: Bob Williams
RGRTA recently unveiled the latest and most visually interactive tool to their ‘Where’s My Bus?’ technology suite 
. The SmartTraveler Plus platform by ACS allows the transit rider to track RTS bus locations (in real-time) along their route of interest.
Notes by: Howard Decker
Where: AMTRAK Station
When: 10:30am, 12.10.12
Who: Congresswoman Lousie Slaughter, NYSDOT Commissioner Joan McDonald, AMTRAK representative Bill Hollister, Mayor Richards, Councilman Miller
What:
Bill Hollister, Principal Officer Policy & Development at Amtrak:
AMTRAK will be owner, operator, and maintainer of the new station. This is a bit of a deviation from our policies nationally, but we have been convinced this is the correct course of action in Rochester.
National annual ridership is currently at 31.2 million, 11.5 million (one third of all national traffic) in NYS, 1.8 million on the Empire line, and 145,00 passengers per year in Rochester, up from 76,000 five years ago. This represents a very substantial increase.
Funding is in place. AMTRAK is ready to move forward.
NYBC Press Release Objects to NYS DOT draft Capital Plan
Posted on November 29, 2012 by brkehoe
Media Release:
NYS Dept. of Transportation’s Draft Capital Plan misses 1/4 of traffic deaths/injuries
Complete Streets Law mandates also ignored in draft Plan
Upon careful review of the recently released New York State Department of Transportation’s (NYSDOT) Two-year Capital Plan, the New York Bicycling Coalition (NYBC) is dismayed to report that this critical planning document entirely excludes walkers and bicyclists. In fact, while all other transportation modes (automobile, transit, plane, etc.) are accounted for throughout the draft Plan, bicycling and walking are never mentioned. The Capital Plan is available at http://esd.ny.gov/PublicMeetings_Notices/NYWorks/10092012_DOT_TwoYearCapitalPlan.pdf
NYBC Board President Paul Winkeller stated, “To say we are puzzled thatNew York’s Transportation Department could develop a capital program omitting bicycling and walking, two critical and increasingly popular modes of travel would be a huge understatement. Bicycling and walking are primary transportation modes for many state residents – including the young, the elderly, people with disabilities, and low-income populations. Official statistics show that citizens biking and walking are involved in a quarter or more of traffic related injuries and fatalities. These accidents are tragic and collectively represent a tremendous, ongoing societal expense in terms of health care and legal costs.”
The NY Bicycling Coalition web page briefly describes the very high return-on-investment of providing equal safety and access to bicyclists and pedestrians. These infrastructure enhancements are critical for the health of New York’s citizens and in creating a 21st century work and lifestyle environment that are key to fostering economic development throughout the state. http://www.nybc.net/a-few-quantitative-reasons-why-bike-ped-infrastructure-has-high-roi
Brian Kehoe, NYBC Executive Director, added, “NYSDOT’s Draft Capital Plan is frightening in its complete neglect of critical transportation modes and NYBC has expressed these concerns to the Governor’s Office. Many citizens, including children and the elderly, rely solely upon walking and bicycling. People around the state consistently cite safety concerns as the biggest reason they don’t walk and bicycle more often. NYSDOT has a responsibility to at least attempt to address the serious safety concerns these citizens face every day. DOT should amend the draft Plan to explicitly address walking and bicycling safety concerns.”
The purpose of the New York Bicycling Coalition (NYBC) is to serve the State of New York and its residents by promoting the safe use of the bicycle and walking as modes of transportation, sport, recreation, health, environmental protection, energy conservation, tourism and economic development. For twenty years, NYBC has advocated for the rights of all bicyclists and pedestrians throughout New York State by supporting safety, education, and access for road and trail users.
For additional information contact: Brian Kehoe, NYBC Executive Director 518-436-0889 brian@nybc.net
The Genesee Community Charter School’s 6th graders are raising funds to help support their travel to learn directly about four great bicycing cities in the USA. The four cities selected are, Austin TX, Portland OR, Boulder CO and Madison/Milwaukee WI.
The class will split up into four groups. Each group will travel to one of the selected cities to study their bicycling infrastructure. The class will present their findings to the Rochester Community at a public meeting in 2013. Several members of the RCA are advisers for the year-long class project.
To support the fund raising effort, anyone shopping at the Pittsford Plaza’s Barnes & Noble store on Friday November 16, from 6 -9 PM can simple identify themselves as helping the school fundraiser. All food, drink and store products purchased are part of the program. Up to 20% of total sales identified will be donated to the fundraiser. Look for the entertainment provided by the school’s 6th grade class.
![A shrink-wrapped bus advertisement on Main Street, Rochester. We asked RTS about these advertisements on behalf of one of our Facebook followers. [PHOTO: Google Maps]](http://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-rts-wrapped-bus.jpg)
RGRTA holds bi-monthly Town Hall meetings to answer customer questions and comments and to keep the public updated the latest Rochester Transit Service news. Reconnect Rochester tries to send at least one representative to every meeting to take notes and to bring questions from those who can’t make the meeting. Below are the notes from last week’s meeting and answers to two questions raised on our Facebook page, about solutions to overcrowding and shrink-wrapped buses… Read more
A query came into the website asking help on biking through the winter. Gary’s answer would seem to have value to a lot of our riders especially considering the time of year, so we’ve posted it for everyone’s convenience. Any readers who have their own suggestions or experiences are urged to leave them in the comments section.
I highly recommend studded tires. When I was younger and more reckless, I used to ride in the winter without them, but would occasionally take a spill on ice. I feel much more confident with studs. The downsides are that the tires are heavy and have lots of rolling resistance My ideal setup is to have one bike with studs (for days with freezing weather) and another without, for the warmer days. Studded tires are no better than knobbies on snow; what they’re really meant for is to deal with ice.
I would look for tires with carbide-tipped studs. A couple of companies (Innova and North45) make tires with steel studs, but those can wear down completely in a single season. The carbide studded tires cost more, but can last for several years (I’ve been using one pair for four years now).
Studded tires are expensive. In the past, I’ve been able to save money by ordering from www.starbike.com, a German online retailer. But you usually have to put together a very large order to avoid crushing shipping fees, and I have no idea if the exchange rate is still favorable. I think Towners carries studded tires locally, but I don’t know about other shops.
I’ve ridden several years with plain glasses, but started using goggles last year since my eyes water in temperatures below 15 degrees or so. I had to do some experimentation to find goggles that wouldn’t fog over. If you’ve had problems with fogging in the past, I would stay away from cheap goggles. I use a pair of Scott goggles with an anti-fog coating that seems to work well and that fits over my prescription glasses. They even have a tiny fan that turns on in high humidity conditions. (That might be overkill — it’s my understanding that the amount of moisture in one’s breathe is highly variable and you might not fog up in conditions that would bother me.)
Keeping my feet and hands warm is a big problem for me (but might not be for you). I use these Bar Mitts on my road bike:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dsporting&field-keywords=bar+mitts
But if you have a flat-bar bike, a good pair of mittens will work nearly as well. If not mittens (which interfere with dexterity), I would recommend “lobster gloves” like these:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dsporting&field-keywords=lobster+gloves&rh=n%3A3375251%2Ck%3Alobster+gloves
If you use non-clipless pedals, I would recommend warm-weather boots in the coldest conditions. If you use clipless pedals, then you can buy winter cycling shoes (they tend to be quite expensive — $200 to $300) or neoprene overshoes. Some people cycle in the winter with clipless sandals and heavy socks, but I’ve never tried that.
You might also want to take a look at the icebike website:
http://www.icebike.org/Default.htm
The content hasn’t been updated in several years, but there is still some useful information there. Also, there’s a related icebike mailing list that is still active:
http://www.icebike.org/icebikelist.htm
Hope that helps.
There were two exciting announcements at the workshop. First, Rochester was awarded Bronze-level status from the League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly Community program – the only city in the state other than NYC to receive a BFC designation. Second, the Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency announced the much-anticipated Transportation Specialist position, funded by the Center for Disease Control. This position focuses on engaging, organizing and educating the community to achieve public policy and practice changes that promote active transportation in Monroe County. Click here for more information about the position and application process.
Here is the list of local priorities that were developed at the workshop. The Rochester Funding Profile and slides from the presentation can be downloaded from the Advocacy Advance website. Click the links below for additional Advocacy Advance resources:
On Monday, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued an interim guidance to state departments of transportation on the Transportation Alternatives program (TA). The guidance provides specifics for state agencies and resolves any ambiguities in the complex legislative language. Read more about the good and bad news for bicyclists and pedestrians.
Thank you again to the workshop hosts:
City of Rochester, contact: Erik Frisch
Genesee Transportation Council, contact: Rich Perrin
Rochester Cycling Alliance, contact: Scott McRae
Senator Kristen Gillibrand, contact: Sarah Clark
We encourage you to continue collaborating with workshop participants. Contact the Rochester Cycling Alliance for additional notes from the workshop and to get involved in local advocacy efforts. To learn about your important role in New York’s Navigating MAP-21 state campaign, contact Brian Kehoe, Executive Director of the New York Bicycling Coalition.
Thank you from the Advocacy Advance Team:
Brighid O’Keane, Alliance for Biking & Walking
Darren Flusche, League of American Bicyclists
The Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency Job Posting:
Transportation Specialist
This position focuses on engaging, organizing, and educating the community to achieve public-policy and practice changes that promote active transportation in Monroe County.
Active transportation describes human-powered methods of transportation, like walking and cycling.
http://www.flhsa.org/Employment.html
Reconnect Rochester will be hosting an informal happy hour event with the Rochester Improvement Society .
Come hang out with us on Wednesday, October 24th from 5:30 to 7:30 at Abilene Bar & Lounge (153 Liberty Pole Way ). If you get there early enough, the first round will be on us!
Reconnect Rochester supports the expansion of transit services including pedestrian, bike, bus and rail facilities, into a truly multimodal transportation network. Our volunteers work hard to support Rochester’s existing public transit system, shape regional policies to enhance it, and reconnect our community in ways that improve personal mobility, urban vitality, environmental sustainability, and economic development.
If you’ve been following us over the past two years and like what we do, come out, meet us for a drink, and hear what we’ve been up to.
PS: After the happy hour, at 8pm Sammy Naquin and Big Easy Zydeco will be playing at Abeline ($8 cover). And how can anyone not like zydeco?
We hit a new plateau of public service last week with the RCA Bike Corral at Greentopia. Many scores of cyclists visited, parked their bikes, and had their pictures taken (and their bikes memorialized for security purposes) and got to enjoy Greentopia confident that their bikes were in good company.
We met many people, and have already begun enjoying the consequences.
For example, one visitor was pointed to some city officials and within days a rough patch of trail was improved.
More to come….
Posted by: DeWain Feller
Rochester’s new Intermodal Transportation Center is on the drafting table but that does not mean this much needed project is a done deal. [Learn more about the project ] The station and site costs are estimated to be $27.3 million, and track and signal upgrades are approximately $10.4 million, bringing the estimated project cost to $37.7 million. A portion of the funding has been identified, but not all.
Several years ago, members of the Rochester Bicycling Club (RBC) helped to rate selected roads in the City of Rochester, surrounding Monroe County, and nearby towns in Wayne, Ontario, and Livingston Counties. These road ratings were used by the Genesee Transportation Council (GTC) to develop the 2009 Edition of the Greater Rochester Area Bicycling Map. 20,000 copies of the map were printed by the GTC and distributed throughout the bicycling community by members of the RBC and others. Read more
Posted by: Mike Governale
Reconnect Rochester loves September. The weather is typically gorgeous making it the perfect alternative transportation time of year! And now, with Greentopia coming up (September 10-16) it’s feeling like holiday time for us.
Maybe you saw how we celebrated at Greentopia last year? How about a giant recyclable flying saucer ? Heck yes. Now THAT’S a party.
We need your help for the next round of Bicycle and Pedestrian Traffic Count
On September 11, September 12, and September 13, 2012, members of the Rochester Cycling Alliance, the Active Transportation Working Group, and other interested parties are invited to participate in the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project counts for the Rochester Area. This will be the second series of counts for the region (the first was completed in May of this year). Read more
Summer is here in Rochester, and with this summer there is a noticeable change in our community. As I ride my bicycle around town, I see hundreds of people enjoying our city’s new bicycle paths, bike lanes, and shared roadways. We cannot yet compare to Amsterdam, or even to Portland, but Rochester is quickly becoming a bicycle town!
The Rochester Cycling Alliance would like to invite you to join a new bicycling incentive being started in our community called Bicycle Benefits (http://www.bicyclebenefits.org). Bicycle Benefits forges links between bicycle-friendly businesses and cycling customers, promoting safe bicycle transportation by offering incentives to cyclists. The program is already successfully deployed in Buffalo, Ithaca, Syracuse, and communities in over 20 states, and is now being launched in Rochester.
As a participating business, you provide an incentive or benefit of your choice to participating cyclist customers. It may be a product discount, a free item with a purchase, or an enhanced service. The incentive is offered to cyclists who arrive on their bicycle wearing a helmet with a reflective Bicycle Benefits sticker attached.
For more detail about the program contact Scott Wagner at 585-880-7643 or BicycleBenefitsRochester@gmail.com.
RCA Meeting Notice
Date: Thursday July 19
Time: 7:00 – 9p.m.
Location: U of R
Map Link: www.rochester.edu/maps/
(River Campus) (Goergen Hall, Room 110) (Intercampus Drive & Trustee Road)
Think Bicycling as Transportation
PublicAdministration.net was created as an online informational resource for individuals looking to pursue public administration-related education and careers. It is an independent project funded only by the small group of individuals contributing to it. We have found that the public sector is an untapped silo of creativity and innovation and, through the PublicAdminstration.net project, we endeavor to present the many avenues a person with a background in public administration can down to have an impact. Visit PublicAdministration.net to learn more.
Dear Bicycling Enthusiasts:
The City of Rochester announced a few days ago to apply for Federal funds to fast track the two-way conversion of St. Paul St. & Clinton Ave. north of Main St. to the inner loop at the RR station.
Read more
RCA Meeting Agenda
Date: Thursday June 21, 2012
Time: 7:00 – 9p.m.
Location: RIT
Map Link: http://facilities.rit.edu/campus/maps/general/general.pdf.
Room 1100, Building 87, University Service Center (Parking Lot S)
Think Bicycling as Transportation
Public Meeting Notice: Exploring the Alternatives
Town of Brighton Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan Study
Brighton residents and non-Brighton residents invited.
Thursday, June 28
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 P.M.
Brighton Town Hall Auditorium
www.BikeWalkBrighton.org