Upcoming Yelm-Tenino Trail Closure

Starting Monday, March 19 a section of the Yelm-Tenino trail will be closed from milepost 7.5 to milepost 8. The closure is required to make repairs to the bridge that spans the Deschutes River. Thurston County Public Works estimates the bridge will be open to the public in late spring/early summer.
For information, contact Kerry Hibden, Parks Manager: 360-867-2181 or hibdenk@co.thurston.wa.gov

Construction Coming at Woodland Trail and Fones Rd.

 City of Olympia Press Release:

On Monday, April 3, work begins to replace the old, underground water Booster Pump Station, located just off of Fones Road on the north side of 6^th Street, with a new above-ground facility on the south side of 6^th Street, next to the Olympia Woodland Trail.

For the first few weeks of the project, construction of new water mains will occur in the northbound lane of Fones Road and on 6^th Street. During this time flaggers will direct traffic. Expect delays. After the first few weeks, construction will move off the street. Throughout the rest of construction, there will only be occasional periods with work in the street. Work is scheduled to complete by October 2017.

This project will replace a 45 year old drinking water booster pump station that is becoming increasingly unreliable. The facility is essential to the City’s water system. The project will ensure there is adequate water pressure and water supply for fires and summer usage. In addition, the new pump station will supply water to Hoffman Reservoir and the Log Cabin Road Reservoir (soon-to-be constructed). The new booster pump station will ensure the City meets requirements for the water supply system.

 When work begins under Fones Road, the contractor will have flaggers at the crossing of the Trail and Fones Road. Please obey their instructions and use caution moving through the area.

Interesting and Relevant Court Opinion

Washington State Appeals Court publishes opinion in case relating to cities' duties to maintain roadways for safe cycling:

http://www.theolympian.com/news/politics-government/article86893407.html

http://www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/pdf/D2%2047149-3-II%20Published%20Opinion.pdf

Bike Corridor Pilot Project Kickoff

On Saturday, June 11^th, join The City of Olympia from 10:00 a.m. until Noon to celebrate the opening of the Bike Corridor pilot project. Pick up your passport at Lions Park before 11:00 a.m. and ride your bike along the route to 7th and Jefferson downtown. We’ll have a few stops along the way to get your passport stamped, and you can turn it in for a cupcake at the end.

7^th Ave will be closed to motor vehicles between Jefferson and Adams for the celebration. There will be sidewalk chalk and bubbles, and the Artesian Rumble Arkestra will serenade everyone from 10:30 to 11:30. City staff will be on hand with a map of possible future Bike Corridor routes and will be interested in your thoughts. We hope you can come!

Contact:

·         Michelle Swanson, AICP, Senior Program Specialist

·         360.753.8575

·         mswanson@ci.olympia.wa.us

BCC in Outdoors NW Magazine

Check out this nice article about bike commuting in Outdoors NW magazine:
http://outdoorsnw.com/2016/are-you-an-urban-cyclist

Intercity Transit testing a 3-bike bus rack

Intercity Transit is testing a three-bike rack on the front of one of our buses this winter, and we have a survey up to find out what you think. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/rack-bike
The rack will be rotating through different routes, so if you have a chance to try it, or even if you want to comment on our current racks, please take our survey!

Washington State is Still Number 1!

Check out WAbikes blog for the details about how our state is doing in Bike Friendliness!
http://wabikes.org/2015/05/11/washington-state-1-bicycle-friendly-state-nation-eighth-year-running/

Register for Two County ride by April 1 for Earlybird deal

If you’ve ridden the Two County Double Metric before, you’re bound to be enjoy some improvements in 2015. This is Capital Bicycling Club’s 33rd year hosting the Two County, and the ride has exciting updates to the routes and new finish-line entertainment and food to make the ride even better. Find out more...

Bridge The Gap Opening Photos

In case you missed the event and the photos on our Facebook page, here are a few photos from the Pacific Avenue Crossing "ribbon cutting" event, back in December. What a milestone- the gap is bridged, and now it is possible to bicycle the Chehalis-Western Trail from Woodard Bay Wildlife Preserve to Yelm or Tenino without having to cross a major arterial at grade.

EARTH DAY TODAY, and everyday at Intercity Transit and the BCC

Over 150 riders showed up for the Earth Day Market Ride on Saturday, and fun was had by all!
The rain held off and we signed up lots of folks for the BCC. The coffee from Batdorf and Bronson was a hit, along with pastries from San Francisco Street Bakery.

Every Day is Earth Day at Intercity Transit and the BCC, and today we won a Silver Award form the League of American Bicyclists for being a "Bicycle Friendly Business"!

Stay tuned here or check out Events Page for the Wrenchers Ball, coming up this Friday!
While you're at it, cruise over and Like our Facebook page- help us reach 400 Likes!

HENDERSON BOULEVARD SIDEWALK PROJECT – BICYCLE LANE CLOSURE

HENDERSON BOULEVARD SIDEWALK PROJECT – BICYCLE LANE CLOSURE
For bicycle and pedestrian safety, the northbound bicycle lane on Henderson Boulevard from McCormick street to the trail head of Watershed Park will be closed during the sidewalk construction. The bicycle lane closure will start on July 3, 2012 and the lane will reopen approximately the end of August.

Contact:
• Brett Bures, Project Manager, City Of Olympia
• 360.753.8290
• bbures"at"ci.olympia.wa.us

Washington is #1 Bike Friendly State- again!

For the fifth year in a row, Washington State has earned the number one spot in the League of American Bicyclist's Bike Friendly State ratings. Olympia has also kept it's Silver rating as a Bike Friendly Community!

To find out more about what all this means, check out Washington's Bike Friendly State report card and the League's Bike Friendly America pages.

Congratulations, Olympia and Washington State!

Eloquent Pictures and Testimony for Practical Cycling

Olympia Cycling Infrastructure...

Check out this great Sightline Institute blog post for inspiration!

Thurston County Bike Map Update

A team is updating the Thurston County Bicycle Map and would like your feedback. Please take a short survey to improve the new map: http://svy.mk/wdGryg


2012 Thurston County Bike Map Survey

http://www.surveymonkey.com/

Chehalis Western Trail - Bridging the Gap-Phase 3 Open House Design Review

When:  Wednesday, July 20 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Where: Thurston Regional Planning Council, Room A

              2424 Heritage Ct SW, Olympia 98502

              (served by Intercity Transit Routes 43 and 44)

Thurston County Public Works invites trail users  and interested

stakeholders to an open house meeting to review the design for

the final segment of the “Bridging the Gap” project (phase 3) of

the Chehalis Western Trail.

Come and learn about the trail’s alignment, structures, amentiies,

connectivity, project timeline, and next steps.

For more information contact:

Dale Rancour, County Engineer

360-786-5134

rancoud@co.thurston.wa.us

Can Monarch Sculpture Park Be Saved?

We were saddened to read in the paper recently that the Monarch Sculpture Park would soon close due to the owner's financial and health challenges. Monarch Sculpture Park is an non-profit arts organization about halfway to Yelm along the Chehalis-Western multi-use trail that many Thurston County cyclists know well. They have been hosting local and international sculptors for about 15 years, and providing scholarships, residencies and other programs to artists when funds are available. The park is scheduled to close later this month, but apparently there is a movement afoot to try to save the Monarch Sculpture Park. There will be a meeting this Thursday at:

Thurston County Courthouse
http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/directions.htm
Building 1, room 280
This is the building on the left, adjacent to the parking lot.  Come in the closest glass door, and go up the staircase.  The room is near the top of the stairs.

4 PM Thursday, July 7.

The Woodland Trail Greenway Assn. will discuss this and other trail topics at their monthly meeting the same evening, at 6 PM, Urban Onion restaurant.

To find out more, contact Jack Horton at the Woodland Trail Greenway Association or email info"at"woodlandtrail.org

$4.00 a Gallon? Save Money and Go Green this Spring

Intercity Transit press release on gas prices and commute alternatives...

Bicycle Commuter Contest in the News...

Follow this link to a story in today's Daily Olympian.

...and this link to a story in the Weekly Volcano!


The evening commute

Worthwhile new website to check out...

Bike To Work website

Vulnerable User bill passes State Senate

See the Cascade Bicycle Club's article here