Prepared for the October 24th GreenRide and Bike Summit.
(now with improved audio)
Monthly Meeting Tuesday Night!
- Welcome/Introductions
- Update on past month’s bike related activities
- Discussion of monthly meeting at RIT/UofR
- Discussion of biweekly (Sunday) meeting at SPOTS Coffee
- Discussion regarding Sunday group’s management of Events/Social Activities
- Assignment of leadership roles in following committees:
- Policy
- Events/Social Activities
- Advocacy
- Communications
Monthly Meeting Tuesday Night!
- Welcome/Introductions
- Update on past month’s bike related activities
- Discussion of monthly meeting at RIT/UofR
- Discussion of biweekly (Sunday) meeting at SPOTS Coffee
- Discussion regarding Sunday group’s management of Events/Social Activities
- Assignment of leadership roles in following committees:
- Policy
- Events/Social Activities
- Advocacy
- Communications
Brooks development too speedy for some | democratandchronicle.com | Democrat and Chronicle:
Residents seek a clear plan for river corridor
Historian John Curran gives a tour to Lynnetta Robinson, left, and Katrina Hanson of city property along the Genesee River. (SHAWN DOWD staff photographer)
Brooks Landing currently consists of a Staybridge Suites hotel, a retail/office building and a spin-off Boulder Coffee shop, all at Genesee Street and Brooks Avenue.
The next phase, to get under way in spring 2010 and open in summer 2011, proposes a six-story building — with a restaurant plus five floors and 85 beds of student housing — plus a drive-thru ATM and a two-story Chabad house, or Jewish community center.
After all that is completed, developer Ron Christenson is talking about condos.
Christenson envisions spending another $20 million on Brooks Landing, adding to the $20 million already invested.
A short distance up South Plymouth Avenue is the 120-unit Riverview Apartments, which opened in fall 2008. The city is studying how best to clean up the old Vacuum Oil site farther north, a riverfront property at the end of Flint Street. Stretching back from the river is seven privately-owned acres, including an old junkyard, that local businessman Thomas Masaschi bought for $660,000 last year. The land is assessed at $208,000.
Lake Ontario State Multi-Use Trail Ribbon Cutting
Lake Ontario State Multi-Use Trail Ribbon Cutting from Jon Schull on Vimeo.
Interesting to see who makes this kind of thing happen, and how….
Lake Ontario State Multi-Use Trail Ribbon Cutting
Lake Ontario State Multi-Use Trail Ribbon Cutting from Jon Schull on Vimeo.
Interesting to see who makes this kind of thing happen, and how….
City of Rochester | Highland Park-Canalway Trail Project
City of Rochester | Highland Park-Canalway Trail Project
About the Project
The Highland Park/Canalway Trail Project is a joint venture between the Town of Brighton and the City of Rochester. Fisher Associates and Trowbridge and Wolf Landscape Architects are on hand to assist the City with the project.
The trail is intended to:
- Connect Highland Park with the Erie Canalway Trail and the Genesee Riverway Trail,
- Provide a safe pedestrian and bicycle route to Highland Park,
- Build a cost-effective, context-sensitive, community-valued trail, and
- Enhance the regional trail system.
Documents
- The Genesee Transportation Council’s Regional Trails Initiative Final Report and Action Plan recommended this project as a “Near-Term Priority Project.” See table 4 and page 54 of the document.
- Check out the 2004 Highland Park-Canalway Trail: Planning and Design Final Report prepared by McCord Landscape Architects and Lu Engineers.
- View or download the July 1, 2009 Public Meeting slideshow that shows specific project details, photos, and renderings.
Project Timeline
Project Initiation → January 2009
Develop Alternatives → May-June 2009
Public Meeting → July 1, 2009
Trail Design & Approvals → July-Spring 2010
Bid & Award Project→ Summer 2010
Trail Construction → Fall 2010- Spring 2011
Questions?
Contact City project manager, Jeff Mroczek, at (585) 428-7124 or email him.
'Bullet bike' keeps pace with city traffic | HeraldTribune.com | Sarasota Florida | Southwest Florida's Information Leader
‘Bullet bike’ keeps pace with city traffic
Here’s part of the article. (The argumentative Comments section is worth reading, but all the controversy would go away if the vehicles were on a dedicated transitway.) Thanks for the tip, Rebecca
The 75-pound, three-wheeled curiosity is known generically as a velomobile, or a bullet bike. Mickevicius fell in love with it several years ago when his son, Ray Jr. of Toronto, began importing them from Europe.
In March, Popular Science described how Ray Jr. is now manufacturing velomobiles in hopes of creating a North American market.
The model his father brought to Sarasota this fall is called a Quest, which the elder Mickevicius labels the “sports model” of the industry.
It can blow away any bicycle on the road and is designed with such aerodynamic economy it deprives tailgaters of drafting opportunities.
With enough room to accommodate a bag of groceries, the Quest offers some obvious practical applications, Mickevicius says.
“I’d say a velomobile is for people who are concerned about the environment, and like to stay fit and have a good time.”
But don’t look for velomobiles to jam the bike lanes anytime soon. The Quest’s $8,000 to $9,000 sticker price guarantees an exclusive clientele.
Its fully loaded Cab-Bike model, marketed not as a racer but as a muscle-powered green alternative to automobiles, has completely enclosed interiors and runs around $12,000.
…
At the Bluevelo factory in Toronto, where just three new hand-crafted vehicles roll out a month, Ray Mickevicius Jr. doesn’t anticipate a transportation revolution.
Complete Streets
Complete Streets is a national movement which seeks to ensure that road construction projects take into account the needs of everyone who uses the roadways – pedestrians, motorists, the handicapped, children… and, naturally, cyclists.
In New York State, a bill currently making it’s way through the legislature would require that planning agencies do just that. It’s a major step in the effort to make sure that transportation planning works for everyone, and a major asset in pressing for better bike facilities.
The bill is sponsored by Rochester’s own Assemblyman David F. Gantt, representative from the 133th district which includes the City of Rochester and Gates. Gantt is also the chairman of the Assembly Transportation Committee.
Please take a moment to reach out to your Assemblyperson and Senator, as well as the leaders of the Assembly and Senate Transportation Committees and urge them to support Assembly bill A08587 and Senate bill S5711. Representatives of other local districts are listed below, with contact information.
Also, see the call to action from the New York Bicycle Coalition to support the bill.
Assembly
Joseph A. Errigo, 130th district: Henrietta, Pittsford, Mendon, Victor, East & West Bloomfield (and beyond).
Susan John, 131st district: parts of Rochester, Chili, Wheatland, Riga, Rush.
Joseph D. Morelle, 132nd district: Irondequoit, Brighton.
Bill Reilich, 134th district: Greece, Ogden, Sweden.
David Koon, 135th Assembly district: Webster, Penfield, Perinton.
Senate
James Alesi, 55th Senate District: Irondequoit, Perinton, Pittsford, Penfield, Mendon, Henrietta, Rush, Wheatland, Chili, Riga.
Joseph Robach, 56th Senate District: parts of Rochester, Greece, Parma, Brighton.
George Maziarz, 62nd district: Gates, Ogden, and west to Buffalo.
Martin Dilan, 17th district. Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee.
Complete Streets
Complete Streets is a national movement which seeks to ensure that road construction projects take into account the needs of everyone who uses the roadways – pedestrians, motorists, the handicapped, children… and, naturally, cyclists.
In New York State, a bill currently making it’s way through the legislature would require that planning agencies do just that. It’s a major step in the effort to make sure that transportation planning works for everyone, and a major asset in pressing for better bike facilities.
The bill is sponsored by Rochester’s own Assemblyman David F. Gantt, representative from the 133th district which includes the City of Rochester and Gates. Gantt is also the chairman of the Assembly Transportation Committee.
Please take a moment to reach out to your Assemblyperson and Senator, as well as the leaders of the Assembly and Senate Transportation Committees and urge them to support Assembly bill A08587 and Senate bill S5711. Representatives of other local districts are listed below, with contact information.
Also, see the call to action from the New York Bicycle Coalition to support the bill.
Assembly
Joseph A. Errigo, 130th district: Henrietta, Pittsford, Mendon, Victor, East & West Bloomfield (and beyond).
Susan John, 131st district: parts of Rochester, Chili, Wheatland, Riga, Rush.
Joseph D. Morelle, 132nd district: Irondequoit, Brighton.
Bill Reilich, 134th district: Greece, Ogden, Sweden.
David Koon, 135th Assembly district: Webster, Penfield, Perinton.
Senate
James Alesi, 55th Senate District: Irondequoit, Perinton, Pittsford, Penfield, Mendon, Henrietta, Rush, Wheatland, Chili, Riga.
Joseph Robach, 56th Senate District: parts of Rochester, Greece, Parma, Brighton.
George Maziarz, 62nd district: Gates, Ogden, and west to Buffalo.
Martin Dilan, 17th district. Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee.
NYC Bike Lane Design
Here’s an interesting video from the New York City Department of Transportation describing the newest bike lanes and signals there:
NYC Bike Lane Design
Here’s an interesting video from the New York City Department of Transportation describing the newest bike lanes and signals there:
Rediscovering the Rambling River
From Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
and there’s much more!
Discovered via http://www.geneseeriverwilds.org
Fwd: Genesee River Wilds Project
Date: Sun, Nov 15, 2009 at 11:43 AM
Subject: Genesee River Wilds Project (Please Forward as Appropriate)
To: BDSHARP@democratandchronicle.com, Jon.Schull@rit.edu
I just noticed some recent news on the Rochester Greenway and I am glad to see the progress that your groups are making on this. You may find it helpful to peruse the newsletter of the Genesee River Wilds Project below and look over the attached documents, especially the project’s “Program Guide.” You may find it especially helpful to read the opening description of the project’s main goals and the references to trail systems in the Program Guide’s “Infrastructure Inventory.” This will make it clear that one of the goals of the Genesee River Wilds Project is to create the links needed to complete a massive recreational trail system reaching all the way from the Susquehanna River at Williamsport, PA, to Lake Ontario in Rochester. As the newsletter below and the contact list in the back of the Program Guide. indicates, many state and regional officials (including some in your area, as mentioned below) are aware of the Genesee River Wilds Project. The Program Guide. (from last April) and the newsletter (from end of last August) are, in fact already outdated because our contact list has grown considerably. For example, the project recently received a $5,000 grant to help pay for planning work being done by an architectural engineer, who is working almost for free with my colleagues and DEC officials in designing nature parks along the Genesee River in Allegany County, NY. Given that these and other features of the Genesee River Wilds Project involve two states and environmental issues that extend to federal interests such as Lake Ontario, you may find it especially helpful to articulate how your work on the Rochester Greenway can be integrated into these larger environmental concerns and the proposed interstate trail system when you submit applications for grants for federal and state funds.
If you are not familiar with the recreational trail system in Pennsylvania’s Pine Creek Gorge, then you may want to follow some of the links on the Genesee River Wilds Project’s website to see the exciting possibilities that will open up when the entire trail system from Rochester to Williamsport is completed. You may also want to pay special attention to the section of the newsletter below that deals with some of the planning on the Pennsylvania side that is underway for completing the remaining sections in PA (see below, “(6) Developments on the Pennsylvania side”). Completion of all 240 miles of the projected trail system is obviously a long-term goal, but so much has already been done on the Genesee Valley Greenway and the Pine Creek Trail that we actually are already far more than halfway there. Pennsylvania is also, as the note below indicates, moving more quickly than New York. So perhaps it will not be that many years before the Rochester Greenway can boast of being part of one of the longest and most scenic recreational trail systems in the country.
Please feel free to forward this note and the attached documents to people in your area. Our project has advanced rapidly by its appeal to stakeholders interested in not only riverside recreation, but also in conservation and the economic benefits of tourism and related business. Thus this may be of interest to business leaders, environmental scientists and biologists at the University of Rochester who may be involved in research projects related to the improvement of the water quality of the Genesee River or Lake Ontario, non-profit conservation groups in your area, and many others–including hikers, bikers, and kayakers. The more people that can be recruited to join in, the faster this will proceed.
d the Pennsylvania side of the Genesee River so that it can be used in both states and in the context of the inter-state discussions at the federal level in Congress. The budget provided in the Program Guide is merely a provisional one and represents an inflation-adjusted estimate for a multi-year program.
ulated rural communities that rank among the lowest in per capita income among all of the counties in NY and PA (Allegany County has long been at or near the very bottom in NY). This imposes limits of personnel, finances from public and private donors, technical resources, and political clout when pursuing funds from federal and state agencies. Thus I would appreciate any recipients of this note who are involved with non-profit organizations and with various federal, state, regional, or municipal agencies to consider how they can help to secure grants, donations, and volunteer support for conservation and recreational development along the upper Genesee River as articulated by the Genesee River Wilds Project. Those with expertise, resources, or access to channels better equipped than what we have available in the small fledgling committees associated with the Genesee River Wilds Project are strongly encouraged to contact my colleagues on the New York side of the project. The internet has made it easy for anyone outside the immediate area to help quite independently, such as by consulting county property tax rolls to compile a list of landowners along the river who, with significant financial incentives, could be recruited for conservation efforts along the river. But my colleagues on the project committees in New York have the advantage of being personally acquainted with local landowners, farmers, county officials, and municipal leaders sympathetic to the project (and despite my present distance, I have some contacts with others with whom they are less familiar). They also know many specific targeted locations to which funds from outside organizations could be allocated. Unfortunately, this advantage does not compensate for their need for help from the specialists and richer resources available in larger agencies, major non-profit organizations, potential partners among the officials of distant urban municipalities downstream, and other groups outside the small rural communities around the upper Genesee River.
meeting correctly noted that this is a rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something for the Great Lakes, so they and everyone at the meeting repeatedly stated how grateful they were for this new program and the work of the EPA officials in formulating new policies for administering it. Perhaps one of the best features of this new federal initiative is that it rectifies one of the great flaws with the current Great Lakes Legacy Act, which is that it only allows funding to be directed to the targeted “Areas of Concern” along the lakes themselves. This prevented the Great Lakes Legacy Act from addressing problems that are systemic in nature. For example, about 29% of the impairment of the Genesee River is due to agricultural nutrients, many of which are deposited in Lake Ontario and contribute to the lake’s problems with eutrophication. In contrast, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative offers a litany of funding opportunities that directly address the needs of the upper Genesee River. EPA officials at the meeting in Rochester affirmed that (a) grants are available for the upper reaches of river systems feeding into Lake Ontario as long as applications can be articulated in terms of the benefits to Lake Ontario; (b) many of these grants do not require matching funds; (c) these grants emphasize wildlife habitat, fishery restoration, land preservation, agricultural nutrient reduction, and other concerns not normally targeted in infrastructure projects; (d) some of these grants can be used for purchase of lands that accomplish suc h goals. This offers an exciting and unprecedented opportunity for correcting the years of neglect of the upper Genesee River, which has been counterproductive conservation efforts directed at the lower Genesee River and Lake Ontario.
illages along the upper Genesee River. The Genesee River Wilds Project needs the expertise, technical skills, and resources of better-equipped outside agencies and large non-profit organizations proactively brought to bear by leaders in these groups who can see how protecting the upper Genesee River fits into the bigger conservation picture. Recent news suggests that New York is indeed thinking more collaboratively and comprehensively, but I urge that these discussions include a much bolder effort to improve the upper Genesee River than in previous generations.
ture. Even many of the farmers who own land along the Genesee River have joined in supporting us because of their own families’ needs for more economic opportunities. These developments in NY and the greater speed with which the project’s goals have been adopted in PA illustrate why we continue to insist on our rather pragmatic approach to conservation. More idealistic approaches emphasizing “pure” conservation without accompanying recreational development of protected lands are ultimately counterproductive because they do not recruit as many local allies in the rural communities that guard most of our country’s natural resources.
Railroad bridge could become trail walkway
November 14, 2009
Railroad bridge could become trail walkway
Brian Sharp
Staff writer
From 200 feet above the Genesee River gorge, the abandoned railroad bridge offers spectacular views and some uncertain footing.
The 700-foot span, just north of Smith Street, came to the city as part of a $1 million-plus land deal in 2005. he land, nearly 20 acres of abandoned rail line, stretches from Charlotte to High Falls, and a significant portion will be converted to a recreational trail next year. The 130-year-old bridge was something of an extra — and also an unknown.
If it turns out to be the “workhorse” city officials hope, however, then it could be a stunning addition to the city trail system one day, on par with the Pont du Rennes pedestrian bridge at High Falls.
“You are pretty high up. It’s a scary situation,” said Tom Hack, senior structural engineer for the city. “(But) it does have a bit of coolness to it — it really does.”
Work began this week inspecting the bridge, a $135,000 project with the city paying engineers from Bergmann Associates, aided by Skala Inc. technicians, to go over the side of the bridge on ropes, to climb and check the support structure. The on-site work will continue into next week, with a feasibility study — outlining options from demolition to rehabilitation — due to the city by mid-2010.
“It’s really a process of discovery for us,” said Mike Cooper, project manager with Bergmann. “We really don’t have a lot of background information.”
Much of what is known about the bridge came from railroad history buffs on the Internet. The bridge last was used in the mid-1980s and decommissioned in the mid-1990s. Inspectors have found reinforcement steel, and some problems with the stone masonry of the east abutment. Up top, the steel rails have been removed, allowing some of the ties to warp and shift, “which is an uneasy feeling” when crossing on foot, Cooper said.
This is one of two unused railroad river bridges the city hopes to reuse. The other is south of Ford Street and links the Plymouth-Exchange neighborhood to the University of Rochester campus.
“There’s certainly a number out there that are probably still lying around, unused,” said Cooper, whose firm just completed work last month on the former Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge over the Hudson River.
Early indications are that Rochester’s bridge is sound, Cooper said.
Once the city knows the stability of the bridge, how much weight it will support, and other fundamentals, officials would need to decide whether to move ahead and seek funding. Factoring in planning and design, the project likely remains at least three or four years off, and could cost as much as $2 million or $3 million, Hack said.
The bridge would be another link in the Genesee Riverway Trail, and connect into the planned El Camino-Butterhole-Seneca Park Trail. Construction on the El Camino trail should begin next summer, running along the old rail line between Seneca Park and St. Paul Street, and crossing Ridge Road West on another old railroad bridge.
That work is being paid for with a $2 million federal grant and $150,000 from Eastman Kodak Co. Also next year, the city should receive $70,000 in state money to design a Genesee Riverway Trail connection on the west side of the river from Smith Street to Brown and Mill streets in High Falls. The city will spend $20,000 on a temporary trail connection next year.
All this fits into a larger $1 million connection running all the way from Lower Falls to downtown on the west side of the river. Separately, the city plans to put up signs next year for on-street trail routes downtown.
“Now, we don’t think that is perfect, but at least it will connect up from Court Street to the Riverway Trail at St. Paul,” said JoAnn Beck, the city’s senior landscape architect.
There also are plans for the city to develop a bicycle master plan, mapping connections to neighborhoods.
NYSDOT rumble strip proposal. Use extreme caution!
NYSDOT Proposing Widespread Use of Rumble Strips on Secondary Highways, Posing New Hazards to Bicyclists
Contact NYSDOT and Your Legislators—Urge NYSDOT Not to Jeopardize the Safety of Its Roadway Users!
CURRENT NYSDOT POLICY: Do not install rumble strips on secondary roads except in rare instances
PROPOSED NYSDOT POLICY: Installation of rumble strips will be the preferred practice in the design of all secondary roads with a few exceptions
Rumble strips are a well-documented hazard to bicyclists. Accepted practice nationwide dictates that rumble strips be used only sparingly on roads permitting cycling
NYSDOT is proposing an Engineering Instruction (EI), titled “Secondary Highway Audible Roadway Delineators – Guidance and Policy,” which is at variance with the practices recommended by the Federal Highway Administration, The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and other standards setting agencies. Such national agencies generally recommend if rumble strips to be used on two-lane roads if there is a documented run-off-the road accident problem—and then, used only as a last resort due to the hazards they may create for other roadway users, including bicyclists.
Contact NYSDOT and your legislators to urge NYSDOT to not issue the proposed policy. Ask them to work with groups, such as the New York Bicycling Coalition, organizers of bicycling tours and events, and local cycling clubs to construct a less hostile policy that better balances the needs of motorist and bicyclist safety.
BACKGROUND: Rumble strips, as illustrated, are audible roadway delineators or indentations in the shoulder pavement that make sound when a car runs over them at high speeds. While an important safety tool used to prevent run-offs on high-speed Interstates and other limited access highways, they are a well-documented hazard to individuals on bicycles and should be used only sparingly on roads permitting cycling. NYSDOT is proposing to replace current stated policy — not have rumble strips on secondary roads except in rare instances — with a new one declaring “installation of shoulder rumble strips to be the preferred practice in the design of all secondary highways” with a few exceptions.
In short, the proposal would have NYSDOT install rumble strips (with certain exceptions) on secondary roadways throughout New York State, compromising bicyclists’ safety and the quality of riding surfaces on thousands of miles otherwise scenic roadways. National practice is to have rumble strips nowhere with some exceptions on secondary roadways. By taking the opposite tack, NYSDOT’s policy promiscuously promotes rumble strips, going far beyond what is seen as efficient deployment. Aside from the policy’s cost implications, it is unwise. It means rumble strips in urban areas, creating or adding to the din. It means rumble strips on roads with speeds too low to generate sound. Rumble strips also mean higher maintenance costs for the taxpayer. And, of course, they pose a danger to cyclists by causing spills, erratic avoidance maneuvers, or causing them to avoid the shoulder and ride mingled in automobile traffic.
A check of other states with such secondary highway policies shows they require an accident analysis be done before such rumble strip use; the proposed NYSDOT policy does not. Other states specify where rumble strips are used, have at least 5 feet of paved shoulder between them and any guardrail; the proposed NYSDOT policy does not. Other states say not to even consider rumble strips unless there are high speeds and high traffic volumes: while the proposed NYSDOT policy does have speed and volume thresholds, they are considerably lower than those of any other state. There are dozens of other such examples in this EI where the proposed policy varies from generally accepted practice.
Action Alert from NYBC (Continued)
Contact NYSDOT and your legislators to urge NYSDOT to not issue the proposed policy TODAY. Call, write, or email (or utilize all 3 methods of communication) your Assembly Member, State Senator and the Commissioner of Transportation.
WHO REPRESENTS ME?
Prefer to mail?
Simply send a postcard (28¢ each at your nearest US Post Office) to your legislators and the Commissioner. For an investment of 84¢, you have the ability to improve bicycling throughout New York State, including in your village, town or city. Or, if easier, just stuff a copy of this notice in an envelope (adding personal comments if you wish) and mail (44¢ postage) it off to the Commissioner and elected representatives..
WHO REPRESENTS ME?
Who’s my Assemblyperson?
Click here to search by Zip Code http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/
Who’s my NYS Senator?
Click here to search by Zip Code http://www.nysenate.gov/senators
At the above sites, clicking on the highlighted names will bring you directly to the legislator’s official website where you may make comments.
How to contact NYSDOT:
Website: Click here to email NYSDOT https://www.nysdot.gov/about-nysdot/contact
Or write: Commissioner Stanley Gee
NYS Department of Transportation
50 Wolf Rd.
Albany, NY 12232
About the New York Bicycling Coalition
The New York Bicycling Coalition is dedicated to preserving New York State’s wide and smoothly paved shoulder network as an important asset for use by the State’s residents (bicyclists and pedestrians) as well as visiting cyclists. Since 1992, the New York Bicycling Coalition (NYBC) has served as the only statewide, not-for-profit organization of its kind advocating various “Share the Road” education and safety initiatives on behalf of both cyclists and motorists, while working to assure highway, street, and transit facilities are amenable to bicyclists and pedestrians. Support Our Efforts to Increase Bicycling and Pedestrian Safety and Access Today by joining online: http://www.nybc.net/donate
Rochester Bicycle Ecology and Opportunity
Andrew Dollard and the RCA address City council
Andrew Dollard writes,
Greeting fellow pedallers,
Here’s an update on recent goings-on with the Rochester Cycling Alliance:
Last night (Monday) the RCA made its public debut at a meeting of the Rochester City Council, where Chris, Jon, and I (Andy) all spoke in support of better facilities for cycling. We also spoke with Alinda Drury, the coordinator of Mayor Duffy’s Green Team, who will be an important ally. Also – there appears to be a fair amount of interest in my remarks at the meeting, so I’ve attached them to this email. [And I append them below–Jon]
In addition, we’ve learned that the City of Rochester is developing a Bicycle Master Plan to be completed by February 2011. The City has issued a request for proposals from planning and engineering firms, and will begin the process of evaluating the proposals at the end of this month. Along the way there will be many opportunities for public input. It will be a great way to have cyclists’ voices heard in the city planning process, and the RCA will be there. More information is available on the city’s website at http://ci.rochester.ny.us/article.aspx?id=8589940474
Good evening. My name is Andrew Dollard. Im a resident of the City of Rochester and Im here tonight as a member of the Rochester Cycling Alliance, which Chris spoke about earlier.
We started the RCA because were passionate about cycling and we believe that bicycles are the ideal form of urban transportation. We see in cycling an alternative to noisy, congested roadways and polluted air, to urban sprawl and dependence on oil. Riding a bike is beneficial to the body and the spirit, and it allows a person to experience the city in a way thats not possible in a car.
But when we ride through Rochester, we see a lot of unmet potential in our cycling infrastructure. Rochester is blessed with many things which could create a great cycling city: natural corridors along the Erie Canal and the Genesee River; an energetic, talented pool of young people at our colleges and universities; and an active community of cycling organizations and businesses.
But not all of the pieces are in place. Our river trails are disconnected and in parts not suitable for cycling. Theres currently no adequate cycling route from RIT and the U of R to the downtown area. Theres a lack of bicycle lanes and bicycle parking facilities in the city. And as far as we can tell, the cycling community is under-represented in the city planning process.
We see opportunity here. Bicycle infrastructure is far less expensive than automobile infrastructure, and far more rewarding in terms of public health and quality of living. Moreover, cycling is an opportunity to help create a real renaissance in our community.
Every year thousands of students come to Rochester to attend our educational institutions, but most will leave when their studies are done. Building a truly bike-friendly city will make Rochester an even more attractive place for people to start their families and their careers.
Weve spent millions of dollars over the years on projects to revitalize this city the High Falls district, the fast ferry, Renaissance Square and theyve gotten us nowhere. But with cycling we have a chance to reimagine city living and remind people of the innovation and energy that Rochester has. And we dont have to break the bank to do it.
Weve already begun to reach out to the citys engineering department to work with them on the development of a bicycle master plan and the improvement of our cycling infrastructure. Were here tonight to encourage the city council to continue to support these efforts and to consider the potential of a bicycle-friendly policy to help revitalize and reenergize the city of Rochester.
Many of the pieces are already in place; all thats needed is action in a few key areas. It wont cost much, and the potential dividends are enormous.
Thank you for your time.
RCA Update
Here’s an update on recent goings-on with the Rochester Cycling Alliance:
At our regularly scheduled biweekly meeting at Spot Coffee, the group met with Jon Schull, RIT professor and friend to cyclists everywhere, to coordinate our efforts with his. Jon’s been working on bicycle issues for a while now, in particular developing the bike corridor between RIT, UR, and downtown Rochester (check out his blog: http://jonschull.blogspot.com/). It was a productive and energizing meeting, with the group finally beginning to coalesce.
Last night (Monday) the RCA made its public debut at a meeting of the Rochester City Council, where Chris, Jon, and I (Andy) all spoke in support of better facilities for cycling. We also spoke with Alinda Drury, the coordinator of Mayor Duffy’s Green Team, who will be an important ally. Video is below, courtesy of Jon.
In addition, we’ve learned that the City of Rochester is developing a Bicycle Master Plan to be completed by February 2011. The City has issued a request for proposals from planning and engineering firms, and will begin the process of evaluating the proposals at the end of this month. Along the way there will be many opportunities for public input. It will be a great way to have cyclists’ voices heard in the city planning process, and the RCA will be there. More information is available on the city’s website at http://ci.rochester.ny.us/article.aspx?id=8589940474
Finally, we’re trying to organize a trip sometime in the next couple weeks to the City’s Bureau of Architecture and Engineering to meet with the engineers running the Bicycle Master Plan project and other bicycle-related planning activities. It will be a huge learning experience for the RCA and a chance to connect with the people who can actually put together a quality cycling infrastructure for Rochester. I encourage everyone to come along; if you’re interested please email me your scheduling preferences and I’ll try to work out something that can accomodate as many people as possible.
And don’t forget: RCA Potluck this Sunday at 21 Diem Street! Be there!