Olympic National Park Opts for Better Spruce Railroad Trail Alternative

Thanks to public comments from citizens and advocacy groups like the Bicycle Alliance of Washington and Peninsula Trails Coalition, Olympic National Park has announced that an 8-foot asphalt trail with 3-foot gravel shoulders is the selected alternative for the Spruce Railroad Trail improvements.  This trail segment is part of the larger Olympic Discovery Trail.

This is a change from last fall when the park first identified its preferred alternative for trail improvements as a 6-foot paved surface.  Read our earlierblog post for more info.

Unhappy with the preferred alternative, the Bicycle Alliance and Peninsula Trails Coalition coordinated efforts to push for a safer multi-use trail design with 8-10 feet of paved surface.  A paved trail surface of 8-10 feet provides sufficient space for two bicyclists to pass each other and is consistent with the existing trail design.  It also meets the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) requirement to make this trail accessible and usable by people with disabilities. The park’s preferred alternative would not have met those requirements.

In an announcement released this week, Olympic National Park Acting Superintendent said:

This project illustrates the value of public and community collaboration, as important issues and concerns have been raised throughout the process and have helped shape the final decision.

We are pleased that park officials have listened to public comment and revised their final selection to reflect the safety concerns.  You can read the park’s announcement here.

A completed Olympic Discovery Trail will traverse approximately 130 miles of the Olympic Peninsula.  The trail begins at the Victorian seaport of Port Townsend and will end at the Pacific Ocean in the Quileute Nation village of La Push.  The segment utilizing the Spruce Railroad Trail through Olympic National Park will allow bicyclists to avoid a dangerous portion of Highway 101 along the shore of Lake Crescent.

Spokane Bike Board Looking for Members

There are many ways to be an effective bike advocate.  Hopefully you’re a member of the Bicycle Alliance of Washington and respond to our calls for action with a letter, email or phone call to your elected officials.  (If not, you can join now.) Perhaps you’ve attended Transportation Advocacy Day in Olympia and met with your legislators.

Another important role for a bike advocate is to serve on his/her local bike advisory board.  And if you live in Spokane, you have an opportunity serve your community in this capacity now.

The City of Spokane is accepting applications from citizens interested in serving on the Spokane Bike Advisory Board.  Members of SBAB provide advice and direction to city council and all city departments on matters of bicycling.  The board meets monthly and SBAB members take their duties seriously as advisers and advocates.  They have their own website and Facebook page to communicate with others who care about biking in Spokane.

If you’re interested in making Spokane a better community for riding a bike, consider applying for an open seat on the bike board.  Follow this link to an application.

Hub and Spoke is Returning to Vancouver

Bicycle Alliance of Washington is returning to Vancouver with another Hub and Spoke event!  This time we’ve partnered with Bike Clark County to present a half-day workshop to discuss techniques and opportunities to grow bicycling in Vancouver and surrounding communities.

 

Hub and Spoke: Vancouver

Growing Bicycling in Your Community

June 21, 2012, 12:00-4:45pm

Public Service Center, 6^th floor, Hearing Room

1300 Franklin Street, Vancouver

In this interactive workshop, attendees will examine models from around the state and nationally, discuss opportunities to promote safety, expand Safe Routes to Schools, and learn how to engage your community to make riding a bike easier for everyone. discuss opportunities to promote safety and economic development locally, and develop tools for engaging with local and state governments to make riding a bike easier in their community.  We’ll also take a short bike tour, so be sure to bring your bike!

There is no charge for the workshop but space is limited, so please register using our online registration form.  Light refreshments will be provided.  The workshop will be followed by a Hub and Spoke Happy Hour.

Can’t attend the workshop but still interested in getting the lowdown on what’s happening for bicycling?  Join us for a post-workshop happy hour which will include a discussion with state and local advocates.  No RSVP is necessary for the Happy Hour.  Celebrate Bike to Work Week with us!

Hub and Spoke Social Hour

5-7 pm at Niche Wine Bar

1013 Main Street, Vancouver

Remembering Susie Stephens

It's hard to believe, but March marked the tenth anniversary of Susie Stephens' death. 

For those not acquainted with her, Susie was a former Executive Director for the Bicycle Alliance of Washington and the Alliance for Biking & Walking (formerly the Thunderhead Alliance).  She was a mover and shaker on the national bicycle scene, and a legend in her own time. 

I remember Susie especially today because it would have been her birthday -- and Susie loved her birthday!  She liked to organize a party to celebrate her birthday and once confessed to me that she did this because she was afraid that no one else would remember it.  Fat chance! 

Susie’s legacy lives on in many ways, but perhaps her greatest contribution was branding the work of bicycle advocacy as a national movement and giving this movement a song.  The video clip below is a testimonial to her ability to rally and inspire others.

Happy birthday, Susie.

These April rides support a bicycle friendly Washington

Photo by Carla Gramlich

Spring has sprung and flowers are emerging from the earth in showy colors.  Why not enjoy the arrival of spring flowers with a couple of bike rides that celebrate daffodils and lilacs?

The 37^th Annual Daffodil Classic, organized by the Tacoma Wheelmen Bicycle Club, is on April 15 and over 200 riders are registered so far.  This ride winds its way through the beautiful Orting valley and surrounding hills.  There are four routes to choose from—enough to please families, recreational riders, and serious roadies.  And there’s strawberry shortcake waiting for you at the finish line!

Inland Northwest cyclists welcome spring with the Lilac Century & Family Fun Ride on April 29.  Organized by the Spokane Aurora Northwest Rotary Club, this 19-year ride offers a variety of fun, scenic and challenging tours for every level of rider.  There is also a tri-athlete’s bike/run “brick” option.  All participants can partake in the baked-potato feed at the finish.

The Daffodil and Lilac rides are not only great early season biking opportunities, they also support statewide bicycle safety education, Safe Routes to School programming, and complete streets efforts with a contribution to the Bicycle Alliance of Washington.  We all benefit when you sign up for these rides!

Over twenty event rides support our mission to grow bicycling statewide.  Check our Ride Calendar for other upcoming rides.

Alert: Funding Needed for Hood Canal Bridge

Calling on all recreational riders, cycling tourists, randonneuers, trail advocates and anyone who bikes on the Kitsap or Olympic Peninsulas!

Please send a letter to Secretary of Transportation Paula Hammond to request additional funding for the Hood Canal Bridge to make it SAFE for all users including bicyclists!

When the Hood Canal Bridge reopened in the summer of 2009, bicyclists from Squeaky Wheels, West Sound Cycling Club, and the Port Townsend Bicycle Association immediately identified serious safety issues with the bridge: the width and surface treatment of the plates placed over the metal grating, and gaps, joints and height variations betweeen the bridge sections.  Those same cyclists notified and met with WSDOT representatives. In the first few months that the bridge was opened, several cyclists were seriously injuried.

As executive director of the Bicycle Alliance, I started working in early 2010 with those same bicycle advocates and we successfully allied with WSDOT to acquire $1.3 million to address the safety concerns identified. WSDOT then met with those organizations to discuss design proposals and material selection with the stated goal to retrofit the bridge during the 2012 construction season.

Unfortunately, according the WSDOT project engineer, the various options under consideration will likely exceed the $1.3 million allocated for this project. Instead the cost appears more likely in the $1.8 million range. WSDOT continues to “evaluate the options with WSDOT bridge designers and the evaluation has not changed” meaning this project needs more money to create a safe riding surface for bicyclists.

Because of WSDOT’s concern over the increased cost of the project and the uncertainty over the additional funding needed, design work on the project has stopped and will not resume until such time the project engineer is advised that more funding is available to complete this project.

As process requires, a project summary was submitted to the WSDOT Program Management group that oversees funding issues, and “requested guidance on the funding piece.” ASK Secretary Hammond to please make a determination that additional funding is warranted to fix the safety issues that were identified back in the summer of 2009. 

Now is the time for WSDOT to fund the Hood Canal Bridge’s safety issues for bicycles before more cyclists are injured. Ask Secretary Hammond to:

• Please allocate the remaining $500,000 to make the Hood Canal Bridge safe for bicycles.
• The Hood Canal Bridge is the only connection between the Kitsap Peninsula and Olympic Peninsula and is a critical link for all types of riders.
• The Hood Canal route attracts bicycle club riders, recreational riders, and cycling tourists from around the world. It is critical for bicycle tourism.
• A fix will save the state money. Ongoing safety concerns about the route make the state liable for future accidents along this improperly designed bicycle connection.
• Safety fixes now will save millions of dollars in potential liability settlements.

Send your emails to Secretary Hammond before March 30th.

Paula Hammond, Secretary of Transportation: HammonP@wsdot.wa.gov
Jerry Lenzi, Chief Engineer, lenzijc@wsdot.wa.gov
David Dye, Chief Operations Officer, DyeD@wsdot.wa.gov
Kevin Dayton – Olympic Regional Administrator, daytonk@wsdot.wa.gov
cc Jeff Cook, Olympia Region, Bridge Project Engineer, cookjd@wsdot.wa.gov
 
Please also send your emails to elected officials in the 23rd and 24th Legislative Districts:
Christine.Rolfes@leg.wa.gov
Sherry.Appleton@leg.wa.gov
Drew@drewhansen.com
Steve.Tharinger@leg.wa.gov
Jim.Hargrove@leg.wa.gov
kevin.vandewege@leg.wa.gov

Thank you again for your support and good work to make the Bridge safe for all of us.

Tailwinds

Bike Summit in the Other Washington!

This week hundreds of advocates, interested citizens, business representatives, and local and state government staff from across the country will arrive in Washington DC for the League of American Bicyclists’ National Bike Summit. The Bicycle Alliance of Washington’s Blake Trask and Josh Miller will be joining the Washington state delegation that includes our friends from REI, Raleigh, the University of Washington, Cascade Bicycle Club, as well as representatives from the Bicycle Alliance’s Legislative and Statewide Issues Committee.

http://www.bikeleague.org 

This year’s theme is simple: Save Cycling.

That’s a little dramatic, isn’t it?

Unfortunately, no. Over the past few months investments in biking and walking have been in the crosshairs of many representatives and senators. For some in the U.S. House of Representatives, biking and walking is the new “Bridge to nowhere” and the Speaker of the House has referred to bicycle trails as non-economic waste.

If you’ve received our action alerts (if not, sign up here!), or have been checking our blog over the past year, you have seen the numerous calls to let your federal elected officials know how important bicycling is for job creation, getting around your neighborhood, connecting safe routes to school, creating complete streets, recreation, and for tourism statewide.

What’s at stake is the end of over two decades of growing investments in walkable and bikeable communities throughout the U.S.

As we and our advocacy and business friends meet with members and staff from the Washington state's congressional delegation, we look forward to the opportunity to speak to the policymakers about a forward-thinking transportation bill that affirms the importance of bicycle investments for Washington state.

The Summit is a chance for the Bicycle Alliance of Washington to convey our positive statewide vision to grow bicycling. This vision includes the over 30,000 school-age children who receive our Safe Routes to School trainings, the safety improvements that federal monies provide through federal TransportationEnhancements (TE) and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) programs, and the bicycle and pedestrian awareness education that motor vehicle drivers now receive in traffic safety schools statewide. It’s also a chance to talk about growing bicycling and enhancing partnerships across the state with health and safety organizations, PTAs, advocates for the elderly, and representatives from automobile organizations.

The Summit is a great opportunity for everyone to participate. Next year, consider attending to represent Washington state. Now more than ever we need your voice in the other Washington!

Interested in following the action at this week’s Summit? Be sure to monitor our Twitter feed at @BikeWA and check-in with the always-excellent D.C Streetsblog for news and insights as the Summit proceeds.

Time Runs Out for Neighborhood Safe Speeds Bill in Washington State Senate

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                           

Bill would have paved path for safer neighborhood streets by removing red tape and hurdles to reducing speeds on non-arterial streets.

Olympia, WA – March 2, 2012 – Today, the Washington State Senate did not vote on the Neighborhood Safe Speeds Bill (SHB1217) prior to the 5 p.m. cutoff for considering bills from the opposite chamber. After being listed on the Order of Consideration on Wednesday, it was held and passed over. The Senate’s failure to take action on it today means it is no longer under consideration for the 2011-2012 biennium.

SHB 1217 would have made safer streets and neighborhoods by allowing cities and towns the authority to set speed limits to 20 miles per hour on non-arterial streets. It did not mandate any change, it simply would have provided cities and towns the authority to do so.

The Neighborhood Safe Speeds Bill garnered support from over 35 statewide organizations, boards, cities, and towns.  In its January 30, 2012 vote, it received unanimous support from the State House of Representatives; and during its 2012 Senate Transportation Committee hearing, which featured Seattle City Council President Sally Clark, Spokane Councilmember Jon Snyder, and former WSDOT Secretary Doug MacDonald, it received no opposition by organizations in testimony or otherwise.

“Based on the strong bipartisan and statewide support we’ve seen, it's puzzling why the Senate didn't take action on this bill," says Bicycle Alliance of Washington statewide policy director Blake Trask.

The statewide support for this bill included the Washington State PTA, AARP-Washington, AAA-Washington, Washington Fire Chiefs, the cities of Spokane, Bellingham, Seattle and, Kirkland, as well as the Town of Winthrop.

“Communities are asking lawmakers to give them more cost-saving tools and local options instead of mandates,” says, prime sponsor, Representative Cindy Ryu (D-32). “Given the tight budget times we face, this bill would have helped local governments across the state. It aimed to remove an expensive state mandate that deters communities from lowering speed limits on non-arterial roads even when they recognize that lower speeds would make people safer or promote local businesses and jobs. I look forward to working on promoting these issues in the future.”

The Bicycle Alliance of Washington worked closely with the Representative to develop and support the bill.

“We are disappointed by the outcome, which will retain the state’s unnecessary hurdles for cities and towns to create safer non-arterial streets. But given the large coalition built to support this legislation, we are optimistic that Washingtonians will continue to demand safer streets,” says Bicycle Alliance of Washington Executive Director Barbara Culp.

This legislation is especially germane to more vulnerable populations, including children. As Washington State PTA wrote in its letter of support, “we believe that SHB 1217 will give local communities a way to make neighborhoods safer places for children to bike, walk and play. “ Similarly, AARP-Washington wrote, “Older pedestrians because of their increased fragility particularly benefit from low-speed environments.”

###

 Contact: Blake Trask

Statewide Policy Director

Bicycle Alliance of Washington

206.310.4762

blake@bicyclealliance.org

Legislative Update: We Need Your Voice Now

It’s day 52 in Olympia and, thanks to all of your good work, the push for safer neighborhood streets legislation continues.

www.pedbikeimages.org / Dan Burden

Just last week the Neighborhood Safe Speeds Bill (SHB 1217) was voted out of the Senate Transportation Committee and forwarded onto the Senate Rules Committee. Due to the letters, emails, and calls from supporters across the state, Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown pulled the bill in yesterday’s Senate Rules Committee!

Excellent news for sure, but we now have less than three days to get the Senate to vote for SHB1217. If we miss Friday’s 5 p.m. Senate cutoff, the bill dies.

We need you to lend your voice of support to the state senate.

To make this vote happen, your senator again needs to hear from you about how this bill removes red tape and unnecessary hurdles for cities and towns to create safer streets in our neighborhoods.

Already sent in a note? Thank you and please send another!

Here’s how:

#1 - Follow the accompanying link to contact your State Senator (no need to contact your representatives) by entering your mailing address here: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/

#2 - Email your senator a note expressing your support of this important public safety legislation. Below we've included some model text for you to use: 

Dear Senator. _________,

SHB 1217 - the Neighborhood Safe Speeds Bill – just passed out of the Rules Committee and is poised for a vote on the Senate floor. I urge you to support this important legislation. 

The Neighborhood Safe Speeds bill provides more local control, offers an additional safety tool for local governments, removes additional study costs and red tape currently required by the state, and it encourages active living by offering cities and towns the chance to create safer streets.. Most importantly, when used in conjunction with engineering and enforcement, lower speeds on non-arterial streets can save lives.

Additionally, it is bipartisan legislation with co-sponsors from both parties. It passed out of the House 96-0

Please support the Neighborhood Safe Speeds Bill (SHB 1217). 

Thank you for your service, 

[Your Name here]

Thanks for your good work to make safer streets in Washington!