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!
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!
A Wonderful Day to Save the World
Great report in the RIT Reporter by RIT student and
CSI Innovation Fellow Michael Conti!
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Published October 29, 2009 |
A Wonderful Day to Save the World |
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Students and community leaders participate in 350.org’s International Day of Climate Action. | |
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Steve Pfost |
Over 60 cyclists rode the distance from the downtown library to the Innovation Center at RIT on Saturday, October 24. Students and local community members rallied by the cry of “Climate Change Action Now!” Punctuating the day’s events was a Bicycling Summit, proposing a series of changes that could radically expand alternative transportation in the community. It was a day of worldwide protest brought to Rochester by concerned efforts at RIT. Thousands of people from over 175 countries participated in coinciding events, as part of Bill McKibben (writer of “Deep Economy”) and 350.org’s International Day of Climate Action.
But what did this flurry of activity accomplish? According to scientific researchers and world leaders, our atmospheric concentration of CO² is already at 390 parts per million and climbing; a critical amount that is causing the polar ice caps to melt at an alarming rate and changing global weather patterns. The earth is heating up, and it will take more than a few rag tag protestors to fix things, right?
Not so fast. The day’s activities had a distinctly different tone. Instead of lonely cries by environmentalists and empty promises by leaders, both administration and student activists stood side by side on this issue. Not only did RIT President William Destler and his wife Rebecca Johnson bike the 14-mile round trip, but a contingent of cycling enthusiasts from Rochester Community Bikes, Finger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua and the Rochester area also joined the RIT group. Environmentalists’ positions are now transforming from the fringe to center stage as more political leaders endorse the need to do something about the impending droughts, rising sea levels and mass extinctions promised by global warming.
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Steve Pfost |
The bicycle trip began slowly, with a group of 20 departing from the Sentinel amid gloomy skies. The 40 or so who met the group at the Public Library gave the event some fresh legs, and their return home was a good-natured afternoon excursion. As the afternoon light shone through the golden and orange autumn leaves, the large group began to diverge into smaller packs mixed with students and older participants. “Having the wind in your hair, the sun at your back, that motorcycle stereotype… well, it’s all true,” said Nathan Schiffer, a fifth year Computer Science major. The event was intended to get more people out of their cars, which he said, “isolates people.” Biking is an activity that directly involves the rider with the environment. This simple action also brought together a large community of interests at the Innovation Center.
A community of concerned students is what many people who have gravitated to the Innovation Center are looking to form. Kyle Shay, a fourth year Computer Science and Environmental Studies major, joined his classmates and teachers in the morning, planting trees in the wetlands near the RIT Observatory to offset carbon emissions. “If people see us planting trees and riding bikes today, maybe they’ll look at the news or online and see the over 4,000 events that are happening around the world. Maybe they’ll see that action needs to be taken immediately,” said Shay. The group intends to grow 350 trees and have planted 100 this fall.
According to Christy Tyler, a professor of Environmental Science, “We need to increase the amount of trees we plant, but that isn’t enough to offset all of the extra carbon dioxide. We need to produce less to begin with.” Tyler estimates that 350 fully-grown trees of this type will offset the same amount of carbon produced by three cars in one year. This kind of change, though symbolic, is certainly slow to set in.
“These kind of movements take time,” said Elisabetta D’Amanda, an Italian professor in RIT’s foreign language department. As a participant in the “slow foods” movement, which was born out of Italian counter-culture, D’Amanda has been pushing for more environmentally conscious changes to RIT’s Dining Services. Slow foods (a play on fast food) are those that are locally harvested, healthy and sustainably grown. Her contribution to the event was a $3.50 meal of rice and lentils, served to a tired and eager assembly of bikers. D’Amanda stated, “I would like to start a slow food movement on campus … but this kind of thing needs to be student organized. If the students don’t push for it, it won’t happen.”
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Steve Pfost |
Products of passionate student-professor collaborations are the proposals of RIT professor Jon Schull at RIT’s first-ever Bicycling Summit. The Rochester Greenway was subject of much discussion at the Innovation Center. Approximately 5 miles of pathway already exist in a straight line between the Lehigh Valley Trail and the center of downtown; Schull’s idea is to create an all-weather covered road that would link the paths. This would provide year-round access to a much used conduit in the community. Garnering attention from numerous public officials, the Greenway is now being examined by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority as part of a feasibility study.
The need to bring people of all ages out of their cars and into the environment is actively expressed now more than ever.
As the grassroots movement builds, teachers are looking towards student leaders to transform their Rochester home into a local model of sustainability that can be adapted and applied to cities and neighborhoods across the country.
To learn more about the Rochester Greenway and other sustainable projects at RIT, visit the Innovation Center on Thursdays at 12 p.m. or go to
The last few days
- the 107 mile Genessee Valley Canal (which terminated right in Rochester),
- Camp Fitz-John Porter
- the Vacuum Oil factory (oil drums piled five stories high and a football field wide!)
- the abolitionist / underground railroad connection
- the parallel paths that makes this my preferred riverway route for the Greenway
- Mr. Curran himself, who I look forward to working with in the future
Then, on Sunday evening I met some of our Rochester Cycling Allies for the first time (http://RochesterCyclingAlliance.blogspot.com). A passionate and convivial group! I learned
- that there is a budget proposal cooking that would allocate $25K for bicycle improvements this year, and 10 times that much next year
- that the group was going to visit this evening’s City Council meeting to express support (see below)
- that we have common interests and much to learn from each other
- that my colleague Jason Hammell saw how bike advocacy took hold in Albany
- that there are still more bike stakeholder/advocates to make contact with
- Chris Machanoff made some good short remarks and then ceded a few minutes to me.
- I pointed out that Rochester was “this close” to becoming a world capital of bicycling.
- And then Andrew hit it out of the park.
- And then, afterwards, Alinda Drury ( Sr. Staff Assistant, Office of the Mayor, and coordinator of the Mayor’s Green Team) introduced herself and told us about several more initiatives including a triathlon to be organized by Yellow Jacket. She also offered to convey my letter to the Mayor.
- And the crew and I went to Dinosaur barbecue.
PLEX Walking Tour of Brooks Landing to Ford Street Runabout. Sunday!
“PLEX (Plymouth-Exchange Neighborhood Association) will be holding four successive walking tours on Sundays in November to build awareness of the historical attributes along the west riverbank from Brooks Landing to the Ford Street roundabout (flyer attached).
Gather at Boulder Coffee at noon and then depart at 12:15 pm sharp.”
The first tour lasted approximately 2 hours. I’m in!
Erie-Lackawanna Railroad Bridge
The Erie-Lackawanna Bridge is going to be refurbished for bicycle and pedestrian traffic!
This is very big news, especially since the Southwest Common Council has already embraced the notion that a year round RochesterGreenway should go up the west side of the River (and re-invigorate a part of town much in need of it).
David Skinner, a friend of mine who has urged the city and the University of Rochester to open the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad Bridge to foot and bicycle traffic, passed along some good news on Friday. Tom Hack, a Project Engineer with the city, wrote to him:
Undertake site reconnaissance and survey…..Feb -April 2010
Begin preparation of alternatives ………. April – May 2010
Host Citizens Advisory Meetings ………… May -June 2010
Layout alternatives …………………… June-July 2010
Host public meetings ………………….. August 2010
Finalize concepts …………………….. Sept 2010
Finalize design ………………………. Sept – Jan 2010
Issue Construction Contracts …………… Jan 2011
Construction phase…………………….
Open Bridge……………………
The bridge hasn’t seen any railroad traffic since the 1970s. Once opened to pedestrian and cyclist traffic, it will provide another link between the East and West-side river trails. The Genesee Transportation Council has a detailed report on the project at:
http://www.gtcmpo.org/Docs/PlansStudies/ErieLackawannaRRBridgeTrailStudy.pdf
— Gary Young
Things you can do from here:
“Rochester’s 350.org Coverage”
Judging from the media response around the world, the 350.org event has been a hit: October 24 Press Release | 350.org “350.org To Stage Largest Day of Environmental Action in History | 5,242 Simultaneous Events on Climate in 181 Countries.”
“Citizens, scientists and world leaders in 181 countries will take to nearby streets, mountains, parks, and reefs today to demand strong action on climate change, in what will be the most widespread day of political action in the planet’s history. 5,242 rallies and creative demonstrations will take place, all of them centered on the number 350, to draw attention to 350 parts per million (ppm), which an overwhelming number of scientists now insist is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.”
However, judging from our local media response to the several 350.org events, not much happened: a Rousing Dud. (Disclaimer: Because I did not rush out and buy up all the paper versions of our local media, or frantically tune into all the TV and radio stations either, ((because they are insufferably myopic and merely pander to their corporate sponsors)), I am basing this observation on what our local media has posted on the Internet today—October 25, 2009.)
Maybe I posted this article too soon and the media just hasn’t gotten up to snuff yet on how this world-wide event played out in Rochester. Maybe, they’re all scurrying around in their backrooms, honing 350.org coverage so it will be a real sizzler when it comes out. Maybe.
But, I’m not on any of the local media’s editorial staff. So, what do I know? Maybe, getting world-wide attention focused on the planet warming up just is too far out of the comfort and profit zones of our local media. That must be the case because there are lots of sports, criminal activity, political carping, and lots of sports coverage on our local media. Really, a lot of sports. Sports are in, imminent environmental collapse is out.
Only as an observer (another disclaimer: I was a participant) did I see over sixty bicyclists ride from downtown Rochester to the RIT campus. Then, I witnessed for myself a great rally with the RIT president and his college in full support of the sea change needed on the matter of Climate Change and a full day’s programming to show that our community gets it on 350ppm. I witnessed lots of people taking photos and videos and uploading them to 350.org. To be fair, our local media wasn’t completely hopeless. I see one media with one article on one 350.org event for our area: RIT Marks International Day of Climate Action “It may not always be the right weather for a bike ride around here, but as they say wait 5 minutes and it’ll change. The rain Saturday morning didn’t stop a group of environmentally conscious riders from hitting the trail. The purpose: to mark the International Day of Climate Action.” (October 25, 09) http://rochester.ynn.com/
Yet, all in all it’s very troubling. One of 350.org’s purposes (the other was to get our politicians’ attention focused on the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference Copenhagen 2009) was to make enough noise to make everyone take notice of the danger point we have passed for a sustainable environment. That is, to both circumvent the dysfunctional media and get in the face of a corporate-manipulated press that is disinclined to speak about the fact that the planet’s atmosphere is warming up due to humanity’s activities.
Our planet is warming up due to our way of life. This is as clear as those annoying pop-ups on every mainstream media’s web page, as clear as the ubiquitous sports scores that flash across those flat screen TV’s, and as eye-catching as the endless violence that inundates local media stories: Those charged with informing us with the information we need to live sustainable are not doing their job.
If you did attend one of the area’s 350.org events, and you still welcome a challenge, why not contact your local media and ask them why they didn’t cover Rochester’s participation in this world-wide event?
Oct 24 GreenRide and Bike Summit
We did it!
New friends, new plans, news coverage….
Erie-Lackawanna Railroad Bridge
David Skinner, a friend of mine who has urged the city and the University of Rochester to open the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad Bridge to foot and bicycle traffic, passed along some good news on Friday. Tom Hack, a Project Engineer with the city, wrote to him:
Undertake site reconnaissance and survey…..Feb -April 2010
Begin preparation of alternatives ………. April – May 2010
Host Citizens Advisory Meetings ………… May -June 2010
Layout alternatives …………………… June-July 2010
Host public meetings ………………….. August 2010
Finalize concepts …………………….. Sept 2010
Finalize design ………………………. Sept – Jan 2010
Issue Construction Contracts …………… Jan 2011
Construction phase…………………….
Open Bridge……………………
The bridge hasn’t seen any railroad traffic since the 1970s. Once opened to pedestrian and cyclist traffic, it will provide another link between the East and West-side river trails. The Genesee Transportation Council has a detailed report on the project at:
http://www.gtcmpo.org/Docs/PlansStudies/ErieLackawannaRRBridgeTrailStudy.pdf
— Gary Young
Erie-Lackawanna Railroad Bridge
David Skinner, a friend of mine who has urged the city and the University of Rochester to open the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad Bridge to foot and bicycle traffic, passed along some good news on Friday. Tom Hack, a Project Engineer with the city, wrote to him:
Undertake site reconnaissance and survey…..Feb -April 2010
Begin preparation of alternatives ………. April – May 2010
Host Citizens Advisory Meetings ………… May -June 2010
Layout alternatives …………………… June-July 2010
Host public meetings ………………….. August 2010
Finalize concepts …………………….. Sept 2010
Finalize design ………………………. Sept – Jan 2010
Issue Construction Contracts …………… Jan 2011
Construction phase…………………….
Open Bridge……………………
The bridge hasn’t seen any railroad traffic since the 1970s. Once opened to pedestrian and cyclist traffic, it will provide another link between the East and West-side river trails. The Genesee Transportation Council has a detailed report on the project at:
http://www.gtcmpo.org/Docs/PlansStudies/ErieLackawannaRRBridgeTrailStudy.pdf
— Gary Young
Oct 24 Greenway Greenride to the Rochester Bicycle Summit at RIT
- volunteer-manned stations for free bicycle maintenance
- exhibits on pedal power and bicycles as energy-conservation solutions
- posters and exhibits describing numerous bike initiatives
- an ultra-wide screen short describing the potential for making Rochester a world class center for recreational and functional transport
- free rides on electric bikes and recumbents
- · your bike shop, project, or proposal!
HowStuffWorks "Working Models"
When the driver turns the steering handle to the left, the front part of the tread angles to the left. Pushing back the left foot control will simultaneously turn the back segment of the tread as well, giving the Hyanide a very sharp turning radius. Meanwhile, the tread is constantly driving in the direction of the turn, so it always maintains maximum traction.

2008 HowStuffWorks
A motorcycle, an ATV and a snowmobile each have very distinct functions. But what if you could combine them in one vehicle? Enter the Hyanide.
The driver implements the hand-and-foot steering system with two handles for his hands and two special footrests that accommodate custom-made shoes. A passenger can ride directly behind the driver, just like on a motorcycle.
Planning for October 24th. Three-Fifty Day
Here’s what we know.
- to discuss a number of emerging and potential regional initiatives that could make Rochester New York a world center of Biking and Transportation innovation,
- the Rochester Greenway (of course)
- the prospect that we might develop a fleet of ultralight electric vehicles to ride (along with bikes) on the Greenway
- the proposed annual 6-day Tour de New York
- the City’s development of a Master Bicycling Plan
- plans for proposed and under-construction bike paths
- the possibility that the world’s leading museum of bicycle history might be brought to Rochester (or, alternatively, be lost to Western New York)
- the development of an online interactive bicycle map
- bringing the Bicycle Film Festival to Rochester
- to identify and discuss shared interests and opportunities that overlap these various initiatives and their supporters
- making biking safer
- interconnecting the region’s extraordinary network of biking trails
- making Rochester a world capital of biking and sustainable transportation innovation
- Let us know if you are willing to help plan and organize.
- Let us know if you are planning to ride.
- Get others to do the same