Earth Day Ride: Early details

I probably should have included more information about the timing of the Earth Day Ride in my e-mail blast. The rides from the different neighborhoods will converge at the Heritage Park Fountain at 11:00 am. The neighborhood rides will therefore start at different times, depending on how far from downtown they begin. Most rides will depart sometime between 10:00 am and 10:30. I will post complete departure time and place info here next week. The overall time commitment for being involved would be from around 10 am to noon, when we end at the Farmers Market. Stay tuned, and see you soon!

Thurston County Bike Map Updates: Report

Updates are cominig soon to the online version of TRPC's Thurston County Bike Map, and YOU can help! There are many copies left of the printed version of the map, last printed in 2007, and not much money to print an updated version. So, TRPC will update the online version of the map, and print a card with updates that will be distributed with the remaining printed maps.

Here's where YOU come in! Are there features of the cycling landscape that you know about that are not reflected on the current map? If so, e-mail your suggestions for updates to: bikemap@trpc.org by Friday, April 23, 2010.

SAVE THE DATE Earth Day Ride: APRIL 17, 10am - noon

2009 Earth Day Ride participants

Join the Earth Day Market Ride on Saturday April 17!

Volunteers will lead rides from various neighborhoods around the area starting at around 10am, converging at the Heritage Park Fountain at 11am. From there we'll pedal together to the Olympia Farmers Market, where we'll have a booth for you to sign up for the Bicycle Commuter Contest. Then it's time for lunch and shopping at the market! Stay tuned here for more details about the neighborhood ride starting points and times. I'll post all the neighborhood ride info next week. See you at the fountain on the 17th!

A few random links of interest to bike commuters

Some fun and intersting reading for the weekend- Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the Bicycle Commuter Contest or Intercity Transit!

http://www.tfhrc.gov/pubrds/09janfeb/01.htm

http://www.publicola.net/2010/04/02/why-dont-more-women-ride/

http://blog.cascade.org/2010/04/poll-americans-want-choice-and-equity-in-transportation/

http://threeblmedia.wordpress.com/2010/04/02/top-10-benefits-of-bicycle-commuting-programs-for-businesses/

http://corksandcaftans.wordpress.com/2010/04/02/chic-commuting/

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/elevating-chicago/2010/04/share-the-roadyou-too-cyclists.html

Biking in the rain keeps you young!

It's days like today that biking to work really keeps you young.

I started getting ready for the ride to work this morning feeling a little down about the weather- I knew I was going to get wet! I had gone to bed not feeling so well, and woke up late and tired- not feeling so young! My cycling glasses were nowhere to be found, so I borrowed my wife's pair and headed out for the five mile downhill-and-uphill slosh to work. I had to stop soon enough and pull down the rear flap on my jacket because water was trickling down into the back of my rainpants. Plenty of cars splashed past me, but I didn't see another cyclist all the way through town. Near the end of my commute there is a mile-long climb where I get most of my thinking done. There is a bike lane and I am going slow, so I can let my mind wander a bit more. I realized that inclement weather actually brings a different dimension to cycling. It adds an element of adventure, freshness and challenge that when I step up to meet it, rewards me. The opportunity is always there to feel like a kid again whenever you hop on your bike. Hopping on my bike to ride to work in the cold or the rain just makes that feeling even more vibrant for me because it is such a "young" thing to do. I enjoy my commute, and I feel younger for doing it on my bike! (I'm 53 and hoping for at least a couple more decades of riding my bike!)

Registration is Open for the BCC!

Registration is open for the 2010 Bicycle Commuter Contest! Find registration forms at the Olympia Transit Center, Ralph's Thriftway, or a downloadable one, by clicking on the title of this post. Tomorrow I will distribute registration materials to all the local bike shops and other merchants around town. Our excellent new t-shirts are available at the Olympia Transit Center.
Stay tuned for further updates!

Martin Way Bridge Opens!

From left: County Councilmember Sandra Romero, Lacey Mayor Tom Nelson, Congressman Brian Baird, County Councilmember Karen Valenzuela. Tumwater Mayor Pete Kmet, State Representative Sam Hunt.

Dignitaries abounded, cyclists and walkers flocked, planners and engineers crowded, and the ribbon was cut. All that, and it didn't even rain! The Chehalis-Western trail now crosses Martin Way on a bridge, safely above the speeding traffic below. The second of three links in the chain is complete. According to Thurston County Councilwoman Karen Valenzuela, the third bridge over Pacific Avenue will be begun in about one year, and complete in about two years. The current bridge was completed on time and under budget, by about $200,000.

Wednesday Bridge Dedication- Be There!

Come celebrate the (near) completion of the Chehalis-Western Trail bridge over Martin Way, and register for the Bicycle Commuter Contest! 11:30 am Wednesday March 31 at the north end of the new bridge, which is about halfway between Sleater-Kinney and Lilly Roads, on Martin Way. Rain or shine, show your bicycle commuting hutzpah!

New Status for Bikes in National Transportation Planning

On Monday, March 15th, US DOT Secretary Ray LaHood announced a new “complete streets” policy that would put planning for bicycling and pedestrians on equal footing with highways and transit. In his blog, Secretary LaHood states that “this is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized.”
He goes on to say:
“We are integrating the needs of bicyclists in federally-funded road projects. We are discouraging transportation investments that negatively affect cyclists and pedestrians. And we are encouraging investments that go beyond the minimum requirements and provide facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities.
To set this approach in motion, we have formulated key recommendations for state DOTs and communities:
· Treat walking and bicycling as equals with other transportation modes.
· Ensure convenient access for people of all ages and abilities.
· Go beyond minimum design standards.
· Collect data on walking and biking trips.
· Set a mode share target for walking and bicycling.
· Protect sidewalks and shared-use paths the same way roadways are protected (for example, snow removal)
· Improve nonmotorized facilities during maintenance projects”.
The new US DOT Policy Statement on Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodation Regulations and Recommendations are posted on FHWA’s website.
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bikeped/policy_accom.htm

Thanks to Karen Parkhust, TRPC

New web inititiative from Bikes Belong

Another way to share your passion for biking! http://www.peopleforbikes.org/

Be among the first to sign up for the BCC!

The first opportunity to register for the Bicycle Commuter Contest this year will be a sneak pre-April event- at the Martin Way Bridge Dedication ceremony mentioned in a recent post on this blog. On Wednesday, March 31, at 11:30 am, I will be on hand at the dedication ceremony to register participants for the BCC. Bring your checkbook or five bucks (twenty if you want a t-shirt too!), and be among the first registrants for this years BCC! These events are also a great chance to rub elbows with a veritable who's-who of state and local transportation planners and bicycle commuting advocates- don't miss the fun!
The new bridge spans Martin Way at the Chehalis-Western Trail, about a quarter mile East of Lilly Rd.

BCC In the News

Christian Hill of The Olympian has a story on his "Outside" blog that mentions the BCC and some items of interest to BCC followers and participants. Here's a link: http://bit.ly/bKdaU7

Martin Way Bridge Dedication Scheduled

Wed. March 31 11:30 am - There will be a dedication ceremony for the new (almost complete) Martin Way Bridge. Present to dedicate the bridge will be County Commissioners, Congressman Brian Baird and the Mayors of Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater. The ceremony will be held at the North end of the new bridge.

Bridge Status Update From Thera Black, Thurston Regional Planning Council:
As those of you who commute through this area know, the bridge over Martin Way is not yet open. Last week the contractors learned of a problem with the fence mesh for enclosing the bridge. That fencing now has to be remanufactured and installed before the bridge can be safely opened to the public. As soon as we hear of a firm date for completion of that installation we’ll let you know. In the meantime you can still cross I-5 and make connections to the trail north of I-5 by using the at-grade crossing on Martin Way.

Once the Martin Way crossing is complete work will begin on the Pacific Avenue crossing!

League Of American Bicyclists recognizes Olympia and the BCC

The City of Olympia has been given the Silver designation in the "Bicycle Friendly Community" program of the League Of American Bicyclists. The City's most significant recent accomplishment? Growing the Bicycle Commuter Contest from a handful of participants in 1988 to over 1600 in 2009 (the numbers in the LAB article are a little out of date- they must have been using 2008 figures). See the article here: http://bit.ly/dA4TDK

Capitol Bicycling Club offers Urban Cycling Workshops

The popular Urban Cycling Workshops are back for 2010, now under the banner of the Capitol Bicycling Club. The new website is up! Visit: www.decidetoride.org

Ever thought of taking a bicycle ride or commuting by bike but are unsure of how to get started?

Take an Urban Cycling workshop and learn:
· Traffic laws and how to ride comfortably with traffic
· Navigating intersections
· Outfitting yourself and your bike with tools and gear
· Fixing a flat tire, and much more!
· All classes end with a slow-paced ride, practicing everything learned in class

Register online with the Capital Bicycling Club at www.decidetoride.org

Registered Participants in the 2010 Bicycle Commuter Contest will recieve a coupon code for $5 off the price of an Urban Cycling Workshop during April or May. See BCC registration form for details.

An Image That Speaks For Itself!

Seattle Bike Expo This Weekend!

CascadeBicycle Club's Seattle Bike Expo Expo is the largest consumer bicycle show in the United States! Expect more than 300 exhibits of bikes, gear, travel, health and fitness. Should be lots of fun and educational, too. Make sure you take public transit to get there of course (or at least corpool). See Intercity Transit's website for help getting there: http://www.intercitytransit.com/Pages/default.aspx
Follow this link for more info about the Expo: http://cascade.org/EandR/expo/

Our Flag is Flying!

The Bicycle Commuter Contest Banner is UP!

For the first time, the BCC banner is flying in Lacey, over College St. between 6th and Pacific Aves. Not neccessarily a big bike route, but we're showing ourselves off to all those car commuters who might decide to change their ways!

Google Maps launches directions for bicycling

At the National Bike Conference this morning Google announced that they had turned on an option for bicycle directions in its "Get Directions" feature on Google Maps. The new feature is in Beta testing form, and is limited to Google's online data set – so some neighborhood shortcuts and trails are not included. There is a link for reporting unmapped routes or streets that are unsuitable for cycling. I and several people I know have tested the feature, and it seems to work pretty well!

Bridging The Gap Update- I-5 Bridge Open

The new bridge over Martin Way on the Chehalis-Western Trail is nearing completion- only the railings remain to be installed. The bridge over I-5 has re-opened, and has access to Martin Way via a street and sidewalk on the West side of the new bridge approach.