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City of Rochester has portable Event Racks for loan

Event Rack
Move it and stack it
The Event Rack is an innovative design that addresses the needs of any game, festival, or event requiring temporary and secure bike parking. It is easily moveable, stackable and requires no assembly. When your event is over, stack the Event Racks in a pick-up, van, or trailer, and store in a minimal amount of space.
User friendly, too
The Event Rack is the first rack of its kind that is completely user-friendly: it’s fully U-lock compatible and supports the bike frame in two places. This means that volunteer staffing and tickets are not required and your staff can focus on other tasks.
The Event Racks are available for loan by the City of Rochester for City located events.
See – http://www.dero.com/products/event_rack/event_rack.html

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Help Stop Devastating Transportation Cuts

Rep. John Mica says the transportation sector will 'do more with less.' [PHOTO: Orlando Sentinel]
Yesterday morning House Transportation & Infrastructure Chairman John Mica unveiled his proposal [PDF, 3.6mb] for t-bill authorization, which amounts to a 33-35% cut to federal transportation spending. Below is a quick thumbnail sketch of his proposal, responses/reactions from other lawmakers & advocacy groups, and three things YOU can do to help stop this train wreck…

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Active Transportation attitudes in Rochester, NY

There is a transformation occurring on active transportation (mostly walking and bicycling) attitudes in the Rochester, NY region, but we’re still waiting for the tipping point.  The tipping point will occur when both vehicle drivers and active transportation folks actually share the road, and obtain ‘complete streets’:

“Instituting a complete streets policy ensures that transportation planners and engineers consistently design and operate the entire roadway with all users in mind – including bicyclists, public transportation vehicles and riders, and pedestrians of all ages and abilities.” Complete Streets

Many in our region want active transportation to happen:

Riding into the future: Bicycle master plans encourage two-wheeled travel around Rochester “The city wants to make it easier for people … to hop on a bike rather than in a car. It has begun implementing its Bicycle Master Plan, as much a mindset as it is a blueprint for creating a bicycle-friendly community. (June 23, 2011) Democrat and Chronicle

I believe, as chair of the Rochester Regional Group of the Sierra Club’s Transportation Committee, that we here in Rochester can pass the tipping point and have active transportation become a major component of our transportation options.  You can get a whiff of that movement from this report:

Bikes in High Demand this Summer” R Community Bikes’ volunteers are having trouble keeping up with an increase in demand for bikes. The non-profit is on track to give away 100 more bikes than last year. The group gave away 1,300 bikes in 2009, 2,400 in 2010 and they’re still getting inundated.” (June 2011) RochesterHomePage

We have an incredible amount of trails that help close the distance between streets and destinations, making it easier and safer to walk and bike to important destinations.  We have bicycle groups, enthusiasts, universities, public health departments, and transportation authorities who all want to make our citizens healthier and reduce the negative effects of our present transportation system.   A major government report emphasizes the importance of this matter:

“… a factor in rising obesity rates is a sedentary lifestyle and automobile dependence; 60 percent of Americans do not meet minimum daily exercise requirements. Making cities more walkable and bikeable would thus have multiple benefits: improved personal fitness and weight loss; U.S. Global Change Research Program 98 Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States reduced local air pollution and associated respiratory illness; and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.”  (Global Climate Change Impacts in the US (2009) page 97).

However, no amount of enforcement, education, and engineering can move us beyond the tipping point if the public, in and out of their cars, doesn’t change its attitudes.  What are some of the attitudes blocking our way to the tipping point?

·         Many environmentalists who do not ride bicycles themselves fail to grasp the profound implications of our local transportation, which accounts for the release of 27% of greenhouse gases, and thus fail to join the movement for active transportation.  Moving a large component of those who now drive their gas guzzlers for short distances to active transportation alternatives would accomplish a sizeable quotient of their goals—combating Climate Change in our region, improving our air quality, and making us healthier. 

·         Our media reports on the occasional collisions involving walkers and bicyclists, but won’t take a moment from their agenda to remind the public that bicyclists have a legal right to be on the roads—and how to do that safely.  Imagine the change in attitudes that would occur if mainstream media put out 30-second reminders each day that our streets, which all of us pay for, can be navigated safely if we all followed the rules.  Believe me, there are organizations that will help the media find things to fill
those 30-second spots. 

·         Bicyclist should be more aware of their profile on and off our streets.  When a bicyclist fails to understand the rules of the road, they frustrate and annoy drivers by suddenly appearing in places drivers do not expect.  Speeding down the sidewalk behind pedestrians who cannot possibly hear their silent machines often startles those who would otherwise love to share their space.  The bicycle community should see the big picture, that Climate Change is really occurring, and their passion should be embraced as a major solution to it.

·         Drivers must respect the right and the vulnerability of those not (at the moment) in their vehicles.  Our vehicles, which are polluting our atmosphere, are not only costing us a sustainable future, they are absorbing much of our earnings— car costs, taxes for road and bridge repair and snowplowing, insurance, car repairs, inspections—you name it.  Add on the distractions we enjoy while driving (radios, texting, cell phones, GPS’s, and that coffee we’re drinking) to a negative attitude towards someone on a bike or walking, and it makes for an unsettling environment. 

Last weekend, while biking along the canal, I got talking to a couple who have been bicycling across the country for seven months about their experiences (Nomads — Benson and Ashleigh’s Bicycling Adventure).  Some communities, they said, were very bicycle-friendly and some that purported to be friendly were not so much.  Attitudes of drivers in communities they passed through made a big difference in the safety and quality of their travels.  Here’s one of their ideas about improving community attitudes towards bicycling:  in some communities, the bicycling community takes on the responsibility of policing themselves by reminding each other to obey the traffic signals.  How close are we to that?

Here’s why there’s so much hope about our region’s commitment to active transportation.  Recently, there was a major conference on how to make our community a better place to ride and walk: The Greater Rochester Active Transportation Symposium, check it out: Rochester Cycling Alliance: Active Transportation Symposium: 

Walk, Bike, Smile, Thrive: a report on the first Greater Rochester Active Transportation Symposium. By Jon Schull, Ph.D. Interim Director, RIT Center for Student Innovation, and  Scott MacRae, M.D. Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester.  Walking and biking is good for your health, good for your state of mind, and good for Rochester. And it’s about to get better. more…

Our community leaders, our educators, our universities, our public health officials, our governmental officials, and even our grant writers want us to get over the tipping point and become as bicycle-friendly as the platinum winners of the League of American Bicyclists * Bicycle Friendly America.  We need to remember that this push to increase bicycles use is not limited to Rochester, as many communities have successfully taken on their vehicle dominated culture and achieved a synergy of safe and healthy motion in their communities.

How do we get beyond the tipping point, where a majority changes their attitudes?  Here are some of my recommendations:

·         We go into neighborhoods and talk about bicycle boulevards, which are now in the City of Rochester’s Bicycle Master Plan.

·         We educate continually about riding safely in our streets and obeying the rules.

·         We remind bicyclists, pedestrians, and vehicle drivers that the existing rules can keep us safe if we take a moment to observe them.

·         Report on those who are not obeying our laws, thus increasing enforcement’s awareness of specific issues.  A cell phone and a license plate number can deliver a reckless driver a powerful message.

·         Encourage our communities, via neighborhood associations, to help ensure that they have an active transportation network, which will probably increase the value of their homes.

·         Remind bicyclists how quiet and fast they are, so oftentimes their movements startle pedestrians and vehicle owners.  Get the proper lighting, know the turn signals, wear a helmet, and obey the rules of the road.  If you look and act as if you know how to bicycle through our streets, drivers will be more likely to respect you.

Sure, few of us would actually give up our vehicles and just walk and bicycle in the Rochester area—though some do.  But I leave you with this thought: for all that elegant insularity that our cars give us, we are paying a very high environmental, health, and economic price.  We can do something about that; we could be changing our attitudes and moving towards a planet that will be sustainable.
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Riding into the future: Bicycle master plans encourage two-wheeled travel around Rochester

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20110623/NEWS01/106230330/Master-plans-encourage-bicycling-around-Rochester?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Home|p
See the article in Thursday June 23, 2011 D & C Newspaper online.
This year several City of Rochester streets will be stripped and signed to designate bike lanes.
Also, the use of the cycling road sharing symbol, sharrow, will begin to appear.
What does the Bicycle Master Plan do? – Cycling accommodations should be included in all future City road projects.

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Reconnect Rochester Speaks with MCC Faculty

Members of Reconnect Rochester speaking to MCC faculty on the Court Street bridge about Rochester's transit future.
This past weekend the Department of Chemistry and Geosciences at Monroe Community College (MCC) held its annual Professional Development Field trip for faculty members. This year’s theme was “Seeking a Greener Rochester” and Reconnect Rochester was invited to give a brief history lesson on Rochester’s transit history and a perspective on the future.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous this Saturday as we all gathered outside on the Court Street bridge. This was a fitting location as the very spot where the Genesee River, Erie Canal, the old subway, two extinct railroads and Interstate 490 all meet. And the story we told went something like this…

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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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‘Dump the Pump’ This Thursday

Join us for National Dump the Pump Day, Thursday June 16 2011.

On Thursday, June 16 Reconnect Rochester and the people of Rochester NY, will join the rest of the country for National Dump the Pump Day. We will leave our cars in the driveway and instead use public transit. Share this on Facebook and let your family, friends, co-workers, and employers know.

Useful Information:

Use Google Transit external link to plan your trip.

Find RTS schedules & route maps external link.

RTS Fares:
Adults : $1.00
All-Day Unlimited Freedom Pass : $3.00
Adult 5–Day Unlimited Freedom Pass : $14.00
Adult 31-Day Unlimited Freedom Pass : $56
Children age 6-11 : $0.50
Children age 5 and under : FREE
Senior/Disabled : $0.50
Senior/Disabled 1-Day Unlimited Pass : $1.50
Senior/Disabled 5–Day Unlimited Pass : $7.00
Senior/Disabled 31-Day Unlimited Pass : $28

For more information: www.rgrta.org/CommuterResources external link

or leave a comment below with any question you might have about riding RTS. We will get you an answer.

Let’s ride!

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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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A New Intermodal Station for Rochester, New York.

A New Intermodal Station for Rochester, NY. Conceptualized by the volunteers at Reconnect Rochester. Now you can order your own reprint of this design panel.

If you haven’t heard, the City of Rochester is requesting proposals for a new combined Amtrak/Greyhound/Trailways station. We don’t know about you, but we’re giddy with excitement. Rochester has had more than its share of great transit stations – sadly, many have been lost to history. Now, finally we have an opportunity to build a respectable gateway to Rochester that will serve our region well and become a landmark for many many generations.

Reconnect Rochester is not standing idly by. You know what they say about idle hands. Well these hands have been busy drawing up our own vision for the most perfect intermodal transit station Rochester is certainly deserving of.

We hope you feel this design is cool enough to share. Share it on Facebook. Email it to a friend or your local officials and representatives. Help us make this concept a reality.

More details about our concept after the jump…

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Rochester Takes Big Step Toward New Intermodal Station…

Sayonara Amshack... Your days are numbered.

The City of Rochester is requesting proposals for a scoping project external link. The project will inventory and analyze the site and corresponding buildings used by Amtrak, Trailways and Greyhound. The end product will be a Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) compliant scoping document that lays the foundation for final design, build-out, and occupancy of a new Intermodal Transportation Center.

Reconnect Rochester is proud to be a stakeholder of this project. And BOY OH BOY do we have ideas we want to share.

Here’s a summary of what the City is asking from bidders:

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