Tomorrow is PARK(ing) Day!

Tomorrow, September 21, people around the world will be transforming street parking spaces into mini-parks and public space.  Yes, it’s the return of International PARK(ing) Day!

PARK(ing) Day Tacoma - Downtown on the Go

PARK(ing) Day began in 2005 when Rebar, an art and design studio, converted a single metered parking space in downtown San Francisco into a temporary public park for two hours—the allotted time on the parking meter.  A photo of the temporary on-street park circulated on the internet and PARK(ing) Day was born!

Last year, metered parking spots in 162 cities in 35 countries were transformed into 975 temporary parks.  People were invited to use their streets in a fun and different way, and the public was encouraged to rethink the value of a metered parking space as public space.

If you live in Tacoma, check this map to find out where the dozen plus PARK(ing) Day mini-parks will be in your community.  They even suggest a PARK(ing) Day walk route for you!  Downtown on the Go and a host of others are the organizers for this year's events.

Seattle also has a dozen plus spots reserved tomorrow.  Here’s the map for Seattle’s PARK(ing) Day sites.  The Bicycle Alliance is co-hosting a Summer Lawn Party PARK(ing) Day site in Pioneer Square.  Drop by for some games, hang out in the lawn chairs, watch members of The Guardians put on a bike polo demonstration, and more!

Projects will make it safer to bike in Spokane Valley

It will soon be safer and easier to travel by bike or on foot around Spokane Valley.  After gaining council approval of its Bicycle Pedestrian Master Program (BPMP) last year, the city is now busy implementing it.

Nine bicycle and pedestrian projects are slated to be completed this year, including the Evergreen Road rehabilitation project.  This project will take advantage of a water line replacement project by VERA Water & Power to reconstruct Evergreen from 24^th to 32^nd Avenue and improve sidewalks and add bike lanes.

Marc Mims, Bicycle Alliance board member and Spokane Valley resident, pointed out this project will complete an important north-south bicycle route through the Valley and give cyclists safer access to Highway 27, a popular recreational bike route south of town.

In addition to the construction projects, the city has ten bicycle and walking projects in the planning and design stage.  According to Marc, two of them are especially significant to people who bike:  the University/I-90 Overpass Study and the Spokane Valley/Millwood Trail.

“We don’t have safe bike routes across I-90 anywhere in Spokane Valley,” stated Marc.  “The University Road/I-90 Overpass study could provide that.”

The Spokane Valley/Millwood Trail will provide the planning and design of a 6.5-mile trail from Spokane Community College to the Spokane Valley Mall, using a former Great Northern Railway corridor now owned by Spokane County.  The trail will provide a great east-west route through the Valley reaching destinations that are currently difficult to access by bike, Marc noted.

The BPMP was Spokane Valley’s first effort to plan for biking and walking, and the Bicycle Alliance provided technical assistance and input for it. Learn more about the city’s other planned bike and pedestrian projects and the BPMP here.

Free Webinars on the Updated AASHTO Bike Guide

In June of this year, the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) released its long overdue update of Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities.  This publication is a key resource for designing bike facilities in the US and had not been revised since 1999.
 

The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) has partnered with Toole Design Group to offer a series of free webinars on the updated AASHTO Bicycle Guide.  Seven webinars are scheduled and each will cover a different topic area.  The first one is scheduled for August 10 and here’s the description from PBIC:

Aug. 10, 2012: Overview of Revised AASHTO Guide for Development of Bicycle Facilities
This webinar will provide an overview of the entire Guide and its evolution and use throughout the U.S., as well as other resources that are used for bicycle facility design (MUTCD, NACTO). Participants will gain an understanding of the purpose and design imperative for the Guide, as well as the more substantive additions and revisions that have been made to the Guide.  Participants will be encouraged to participate in subsequent webinars that will provide more detail on each topic area in the Guide.
Presenters: Jennifer Toole and Peter Lagerwey

Follow this link to view the entire AASHTO Bike Guide webinar series and to register for any of the webinars.  This webinar series has been approved by the American Planning Association for certification maintenance credits.

Green Lane Project to increase safety and put motorists, bicyclists at ease

pedbikeimages.org/Elvert Barnes

US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood recently announced the launching of Bikes Belong's Green Lane Project--a pilot project to support the development of world-class bicycle facility networks in six cities:  Austin, Chicago, Memphis, Portland (OR), San Francisco, and Washington, DC.

According to Bikes Belong: 

Green lanes are dedicated, inviting spaces for people on bikes in the roadway, protected by curbs, planters, posts or parked cars. The goal of the Green Lane Project is to support the selected cities in their efforts to develop and install these kinds of facilities. Recent studies have demonstrated their benefits nationwide. In Washington, D.C., bicycle volume tripled after protected lanes were installed. In Portland, Ore., more than 70 percent of survey respondents said bicycling is easier and safer with these dedicated lanes, while motorists said the facilities did not make driving any slower or less convenient.

Read Ray LaHood's blog post:

Green Lane Project to increase safety and put motorists, bicyclists at ease - Welcome to the FastLane: The Official Blog of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation

Biking in Bend

Mirror Pond.

Steve and I recently spent some time in Bend, Oregon to ski Mount Bachelor.  We also brought our bikes along so we could better explore the community.  Good move.

Bend is a magnet for outdoor enthusiasts.  This central Oregon community sits in the shadows of Mount Bachelor and The Sisters on a high desert plateau.  The region offers opportunities for skiing, snowshoeing, desert and mountain hiking, kayaking, and lots of mountain and road biking.

What impressed me, tho, was the level of everyday biking I observed in town.  I saw lots of folks on bikes!  I saw residents biking to work and kids biking to school.  I saw shoppers carrying their goods in baskets.  I saw college students on bikes.  I watched kids arrive at the library and community center on bikes.  I saw patrons arriving and departing on bikes at brew pubs.

A typical Bend bicyclist.

Overall, we felt welcomed as a bicyclists.  Bike parking was everywhere.  Bike racks are easy to find in downtown Bend and they have a bike corral.  We found bike parking at the library, parks, pubs and shopping centers.  We saw a number of artistic bike racks too.

The bike corral gets plenty of use.

One of the many decorative bike racks in Bend.

You can even ride the Cyclepub--a rolling pub--on the streets of Bend.

The Cyclepub cruises through downtown Bend.

 

Grade-separated bike lane in Bend.

Bend has a pretty decent network of bike lanes and a nice mix of paved and soft surface trails.  We even encountered a grade-separated bike lane.  The city has also installed over a dozen roundabouts, many of which display public art.

The one thing that we missed as a bicyclists was a local bike map.  As visitors, we really could have benefited from a bike map showing us where bike lanes and trails were located and offering some suggested routes. 

Washington retains top ranking as most Bicycle Friendly State

For the fifth year in a row, Washington leads the nation as the most Bicycle Friendly State.  The 2012 ranking of Bicycle Friendly States was announced by the League of American Bicyclists in honor of National Bike Month.

“We’re encouraged to see significant progress in top states like Washington, Minnesota, Colorado and Massachusetts,” said Andy Clarke, president of the League.  “But, as the scores clearly highlight, there’s much work to be done in critical areas like infrastructure and funding.  Overall, we see states—and especially state Departments of Transportation and state legislatures—lagging behind cities and the expectations of local cyclists, despite the many well-documented benefits of a more active lifestyle.”

The 2012 Bicycle Friendly States Ranking marks the launch of an updated and improved evaluation process.  Throughout 2011, the League held Bicycle Friendly America listening sessions across the country to understand the successes and shortcomings of the program.  Based on public input, the Bicycle Friendly State survey was revised to give a clearer picture of a state’s accomplishments and next steps towards becoming more bike-friendly.

Even with a revised survey, Washington once again set a high bar in 2012.  The state scored 4’s and 5’s (5 is the highest score) on the League’s report card, receiving top scores for Education and Encouragement, and Evaluation and Planning.  The report also makes recommendations for improvement.  One recommendation for Washington includes developing a comprehensive strategy for working with law enforcement on bicycling issues, including training for officers and targeted enforcement of bike safety laws.  Other recommendations are to continue to increase bicycle ridership and to fully fund and implement the state bicycle plan, which was adopted in 2006.

Strong and active bicycle advocacy at the state and local levels contribute to Washington’s top ranking.  An improved distracted driving law and a vulnerable user law were passed due largely to the efforts of Bicycle Alliance of Washington, Cascade Bicycle Club, and other bike groups. The Bicycle Alliance has also been instrumental in expanding bicycle skills training in schools around the state with its Safe Routes to School program. 

“Thanks to the League of American Bicyclists for this award. This honor comes with much responsibility for the state, bicycle advocates and others to continue to strive for complete streets ordinances in every community and Safe Routes to every school,” stated Barbara Culp, Executive Director for Bicycle Alliance of Washington.  “This is a call to anyone who rides a bike to hold your city, county and state officials accountable to an even more bike-friendly state.” 

The Bicycle Friendly State announcement was preceded last week by the League’s announcement of its latest Bicycle Friendly Community designations.  Tacoma and Snohomish are the newest Washington communities to receive this designation.  In all, ten Washington communities have earned a Bicycle Friendly Community designation.

Click here to see how Washington scored in the five evaluation categories.  Learn more about the League’s Bicycle Friendly State program at www.bikeleague.org/states.

Seattle Neighborhood Greenways Ride and Upcoming talk with the Seattle Deparment of Transportation

In capitalizing on all the bike related events about town last weekend, and to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Seattle Councilmember Sally Bagshaw’s first experience riding on greenways in Portland, Seattle Neighborhood Greenways organizers (of which I am one) organized a ride with Sally, Elly Blue, Seattle Department of Transportation employees and Steve Durant of Alta Planning and Design around the proposed Ballard Greenway routes.  Councilman Tom Rasmussen joined for the recap at Grumpy D’s, and a much needed respite from the wind and cold.

Here we are stenciling at 8:30 on Sunday morning.  We were really excited for Elly to ride with us! Who is Elly Blue, you ask?  She writes about bicycle transportation here, and her work has appeared in Grist, Bitch, BikePortland and elsewhere.  In addition she addresses issues of gender and sexuality in biking.  She spoke at Cascade Bicycle Club’s Bike Expo, but was gracious in sharing her last afternoon in Seattle with us.

Our recap looks serious, but I think we were just thawing out still!

Also, mark your calendars for March 22nd!  Seattle Greenways has organized a talk with Seattle Department of Transportation Director Peter Hahn, and newcomer Chief Traffic Engineer Dongho Chang.  Join us for this opportunity to meet and personally thank Peter for creating a legacy of safer and more livable streets for our City — and to start a conversation with Peter and Dongho about how we can best leverage our community expertise and grassroots energy (which now spans hundreds of volunteers working across 13 neighborhoods!).  Potluck is at 6:30 at Phinney Neighborhood Center.  More information is on the Seattle Neighborhood Greenways Facebook page

Some Good News on Rumble Strips

Earlier this year, we reported that the Federal Highway Administration had issued a rumble strips Technical Advisory that essentially gave no consideration to bicyclists and how rumble strips negatively impacted bicycle travel.  Read that post here.

The Alliance for Biking and Walking, Adventure Cycling Association and the League of American Bicyclists spoke up against the TA and asked FHWA to reconsider it.  Last month the FHWA issued a revised rumble strips TA and it’s a marked improvement over the original one.  It includes a section on accommodating all roadway users, with an emphasis on bicyclists.  You can read Adventure Cycling’s post about the revised TA. 

The rumble strip TA still leaves room for improvement and most of what happens is at the state and local levels.  The Bicycle Alliance worked with WSDOT to develop decent rumble strip guidelines, but the key is to make sure these guidelines are followed.  That’s where you come in!  Contact your regional WSDOT bicycle coordinator and the Bicycle Alliance if you believe there has been an incorrect installation of rumble strips in your area.

Yahoo! Grand Opening of Ship Canal Trail Extension Tomorrow

The long awaited and much anticipated opening of Seattle’s Ship Canal Trail extension under the Ballard Bridge is Saturday, November 19, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony slated for 11am. 

This extension fills a critical missing link in Seattle’s bicycle network.  The trail offers a safer connection for bicyclists traveling between Magnolia/Interbay to Queen Anne and Fremont by bringing them under the Ballard Bridge and avoiding the gnarly cloverleaf interchange at bridge level.  Check SDOT’s Ship Canal Trail Phase II for directions to the ribbon-cutting and more information on the project.

View Larger Map

Some Planning Projects of Interest to Bicyclists

Bicycle friendly communities don't just happen. It takes public planning, citizen support, political will, funding and engineering.  There are opportunities in communities around the state to shape things in the planning stages to benefit bicyclists.  Here’s a sampling:

WSDOT’s SR 520 bridge replacement project is holding a Seattle community design public session on November 9.  The process is intended to further refine the basic features of this project.  The bridge replacement project includes bicycle pedestrian pathway and connections to it.  Meeting details are here.

Sound Transit’s light rail system expansion in Seattle and the Eastside (King County) have elements that impact bicyclists.  The North Link project has a couple of open houses scheduled to update the community on the Northgate Station (November 9) and Brooklyn Station (November 16).  Open house details can be found on the Sound Transit website.

The City of Federal Way is creating a Bicycle and Pedestrian master plan and held an open house on it last week.  You can still provide input.  More information can be found on the city website. 

Ferry County is developing a trail plan in a 28-mile railbanked corridor that stretches from Republic to the Canadian border.  Check out the Ferry County Rail Trail Partners to learn more about the planned trail.

Public comments are welcome through December 5, 2011 on the Sinclair Inlet Development Concept Plan.  The plan includes a trail connecting Bremerton and Port Orchard via Gorst.  View the plan online.

No to I-1125, Yes to Seattle Prop 1

The Bicycle Alliance Board adopted positions on two transportation measures - one state, one local - appearing on the November ballot:

“No” on State Initiative 1125

I-1125, the latest scheme from initiative pro Tim Eyman, prohibits variable tolls and congestion management of tolled facilities.  It will take tolling authority out of the hands of an independent, non-partisan commission and put it in the hands the state legislature - making Washington the only state in the country to put tolls in politicians' hands.  That means Seattle legislators can set tolls on projects in Wenatchee, and Spokane politicians will have a voice on Puget Sound decisions.  Projects that will be in jeopardy if I-1125 passes include the SR 520 bridge replacement - and its cross-lake bike path - across Lake Washington and Vancouver’s Columbia River Crossing, which also includes a bike facility.

But wait, there’s more. If passed, I-1125 will kill the expansion of light rail across Lake Washington to Bellevue, Redmond and other east King County communities. Why? Because the initiative includes a clause explicitly restricting light rail's use of I-90 as it crosses Lake Washington.

“Yes” on Seattle Transportation Benefit District Proposition 1

Proposition 1 is a 10-year $200 million investment package that will fund bicycle, pedestrian, transit and street improvements.  Nearly half the funding is targeted to improvements that will speed up bus service around Seattle.  Notably for cycling, it increases current bicycle funding by 33%.

These investments are significant because they prioritize family-friendly bike infrastructure, increases in safety for everyone with new sidewalks, better crosswalks, repave and repair local streets to make them work better for everyone. For each year of its 10-year life, Proposition 1 will directly dedicate $1.4 million to bicycle improvements, $3 million for pedestrian and neighborhood improvements, up to $7 million in roadway maintenance improvements that can include Complete Streets elements, and close to $10 million in transit improvements.

Apart from the Bicycle Alliance's interest in supporting local measures across the state that improve bicycling conditions, this vote is important in the statewide context because it shows that we want more investments in transit, street maintenance & operations, and bicycle and pedestrian improvements.

Join us in voting next Tuesday for a better transportation future!

Seattle Road Safety Summit on October 24th, 2011

Monday, October 24th, the Mayor and City Council will be convening the first in a series of three road safety summits. The meeting will be held in the Bertha Knight Landes Room at City Hall (on the ground level when entering from 5th Ave--600 4th Ave Seattle, WA 98104). The Mayor's office released a 'save the date' announcement, although the time of the event has not yet been announced.

The Mayor recently wrote this in a blog post:
"A transportation system with no traffic fatalities or serious injuries, where all users share responsibility for their safety and that of others they encounter in their travels. Can we do it? As a community we must try," http://mayormcginn.seattle.gov/street-safety-summit-coming-in-october/

We encourage participation in this event and are hopeful that there are some substantial and postitive developments that emerge from the summit.

Dispatch From The SPC: Density Is Good For Our Health!

This piece was originally posted on Monday October 10, 2011 on Citytank
http://citytank.org/2011/10/10/dispatch-from-the-spc-density-is-good-for-our-health/

Dispatch From The SPC: Density Is Good For Our Health!

by Kadie Bell Sata

Editor’s note: This is the first installment of an ongoing series of dispatches from the Seattle Planning Commission.

Thornton Creek in Seattle's Northgate neighborhood

The way Seattle is planned and ultimately shaped has an immense impact on the health of the population living, working and playing within its bounds. There are numerous reports and articles that cite residents of Seattle as being healthy overall compared to others across the nation. However, our area experiences vast health inequities. The disparities in rates of chronic disease in low-income and communities of color are the result of preventable, systemic, unjust social and economic policies and practices that create barriers to opportunity.

While many feel these health problems are the result of individual behavior, the issue must be considered in a larger context. Individuals make decisions based, at least in part, on their environments. If residents live in an area where it is uncomfortable to engage in daily physical activity because they feel unsafe due to traffic speeds, noise, a lack of appropriate infrastructure or perceptions of crime, they are less likely to participate in the physical activity needed to live a healthy life.

The update of Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan and the work the city is doing in Transit Communities such as Othello, Mt. Baker, Beacon Hill, Capitol Hill, Roosevelt and West Seattle provide a primary vehicle to address barriers to opportunity. By creating healthy, sustainable and livable communities which provide housing opportunities not only for the privileged, but also for residents across the spectrum, we can ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to choose healthy behavior for themselves and their family.

Vancouver, BC: the Dorothy Lam Children's Center, the Elsie Roy School, and the playground in David Lam Park, with Yaletown in the background; photo by Catherine Benotto
In order to accomplish this goal, the City of Seattle should increase development capacity within close proximity to high capacity transit, schools and parks, and discourage development in areas which lack the essential components of livability or are in areas that can lead to poor health outcomes, such as freeways or places that don’t have access to open space, playfields, community centers, etc. We must plan communities where people can comfortably and easily walk, bike and ride transit to their meet their daily needs, such as their job, school, park and grocery store. Ensuring these opportunities for current and future residents can help to address some preventable health problems such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and certain types of cancer.

Planning was once closely allied to the profession of public health in addressing concerns of population well being, safety and welfare. Over the course of the last century, planning and public health have diverged into separate disciplines lacking institutional ties. Emerging threats to public health arising from community design decisions are revitalizing the ties between the two disciplines. Seattle has played a key role in use health and equity to inform planning and investments. However health indicators reveal that there is more work to do.

KADIE BELL SATA is a member of the Seattle Planning Commission. She currently works for Public Health – Seattle & King County on a federal chronic disease prevention initiative. She has experience in health policy, social and racial equity as well as environmental sustainability. Community activities includes youth mentorship, neighborhood advocacy and serving as an affiliate instructor at University of Washington’s School of Public Health.

Strategic Plan Adopted: shift gears, refine focus, and embrace new goals

Bicycle Alliance Strategic Plan Approved

Creating the 2011-2016 strategic plan was a herculean effort that began at a meeting in the cafeteria at the House of Representatives in March of 2010 and culminates this Thursday, October 6th with a party to celebrate. Stop by between 5-8pm at 309A Third Avenue.

Last year when I attended the National Bike Summit and the Alliance for Biking and Walking board meeting, I learned that there was grant funding available to plan and implement a strategic plan. The Bicycle Alliance applied for and was awarded the grant which included support for staff reorganization, and development of a draft mission, vision, and values document early in the spring of 2011.

In April, 40 stakeholders from all across Washington including representatives from health organizations, elected officials, bike clubs, planners, board members and staff, came together for two days to help the Bicycle Alliance shift gears, refine its focus, and embrace new goals for the organization.

Thanks to the many people who contributed to this plan, and who will provide guidance as we begin implementation.

VISION:
By 2020, bicycling is an everyday, mainstream activity in communities across Washington. Bicycling is recognized, accommodated and funded as a legitimate and essential mode of transportation. Washington residents embrace a healthy and active lifestyle that includes safe and convenient active-transportation options. As a result, Washington communities enjoy lower health-care costs, a cleaner environment and more transportation choices. Washington is a national model for innovative bicycle-friendly transportation facilities and programs.

MISSION:
The Bicycle Alliance of Washington advocates for a bicycle-friendly state, educates people of all ages to increase transportation safety, develops more inclusive communities for cycling, builds a coalition of organizations, and seeks to make bicycling accessible to everyone.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES:
• Bicycling is healthy, safe, affordable, and fun.
• Everyone should feel safe while riding a bike.
• Everyone has a right to transportation choices.
• More people bicycling more often make roadways safer for bicycle riders.
• Education, legislative changes, and improved infrastructure increase bicycle ridership rates.
• The bicycle provides a simple, elegant and inexpensive tool to achieve multiple goals.

GOALS:
G-1 The Bicycle Alliance of Washington shall develop and implement strategies that effectively increase bicycle ridership and helps Washington State achieve the highest bicycle ridership rate in the country.

G-2 The Bicycle Alliance of Washington shall develop and implement outreach and communications strategies that: emphasize bicycling as an everyday activity, successfully encourage more people to “go by bike,” and make bicycling appeal to a broader segment of the public, so that bicycle ridership more closely reflects the state’s demographic diversity by 2016.

G-3 The Bicycle Alliance of Washington shall continue to actively develop and pass strong, relevant legislation on behalf of bicycle riders and pursue increased funding to improve the environment for bicycling in Washington.

G-4 The Bicycle Alliance of Washington shall cultivate strategic and mutually beneficial partnerships with: State, county and municipal governments and organizations that advocate on behalf of bicycling, active transportation, health, the environment, diverse communities and business by 2016.

G-5 The Bicycle Alliance of Washington shall aggressively take action to increase the organization’s membership and unrestricted revenue each year.

The Bicycle Alliance board of directors voted to approve the Strategic Plan, objectives and tasks at its August board meeting. In the next steps, staff will develop action items for top priority objectives as part of the 2012 work plan, recognizing that every objective may not be addressed with an action plan until 2013 or 2014 based on resources. The plan document can be found here: http://www.bicyclealliance.org/aboutbaw/Strategic_Plan_10042011.pdf.

Bicycle Alliance Endorses Streets for All Campaign to fund Active Transportation and Transit in Seattle

This post was submitted by Blake Trask, Statewide Policy Director.

 

Join us at the Campaign Kick-Off TOMORROW, Tuesday, September 13!

Today the Bicycle Alliance of Washington Board announced its endorsement of Seattle’s Proposition 1 – a 10-year $204 million package of investments in bicycling, walking, road repair, maintenance, and transit.

These investments are significant because they prioritize family-friendly bike infrastructure, increases in safety for everyone with new sidewalks, better crosswalks, repave and repair local streets to make them work better for everyone. For each year of its 10-year life, Proposition 1 will directly dedicate $1.4 million to bicycle improvements, $3 million for pedestrian and neighborhood improvements, up to $7 million in roadway maintenance improvements that can include Complete Streets elements, and close to $10 million in transit improvements.

In short, Proposition 1 represents a new way of funding transportation – one that prioritizes safer streets, more Complete Streets, and better transit, too.

To ensure investments in biking are effectively implemented, the Bicycle Alliance endorsement includes our commitment to carefully follow and monitor implementation activities.

Help us support the campaign! Please join us at 6pm, tomorrow, Tuesday, September 13th at Moe Bar (1425 10th Ave E) as we officially kick off the Streets For All Seattle campaign to keep Seattle moving.

For additional information and volunteer opportunities, visit www.streetsforallseattle.org.

Thanks and see you tomorrow!