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.

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.

Smart Cycling: Traffic Skills 101 Class in Spokane

Develop the confidence to bike safely and legally for Bike to Work month, the National Bike Challenge, and beyond!

The Spokane Bicycle Club is offering a Smart Cycling class that will teach bicyclists how to ride safely in traffic, avoid motorist errors and more.  The course includes a mix of class and actual time on the bike, and is geared for individuals ages 15 and older.  The class begins on April 25 and there are some scholarships, thanks to the City of Spokane, that reduce the registration fee to $10.  Reserve your spot now!

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.

Take Action for Complete Streets!

If you believe in safe roads for everyone—including those who walk, bike, take transit, or drive a car—please weigh in today in favor of Complete Streets!  Tomorrow, the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation will consider an amendment offered by Senator Mark Begich of Alaska to provide safe and adequate accommodations for all users in all federally-funded street projects. 

Washington Senator Maria Cantwell sits on this committee.  Please use this form to contact Senator Cantwell today and ask her to support Complete Streets!

Complete Streets Spokane

Live in Spokane?  You have an opportunity to voice your support for a Complete Streets ordinance for your community!  Tomorrow evening (December 14), the Plan Commission is holding a public hearing on the Complete Streets ordinance.  Please attend the meeting and speak up in favor of safe roads for everyone.  This post from the Spokesman-Review includes details about the Plan Commission meeting.  You can also show your support for Complete Streets in Spokane by signing the online petition.

Support Complete Streets for Spokane

All of us use streets, right?  We use streets to get to work, school, run errands, and to visit family and friends.  Sometimes we move around our community in cars, but we also use transit, walk and bike on our streets.  And sometimes we reach our destination using a combination of these modes.  So it stands to reason that we want streets that safely accommodate us whether we’re walking, biking, taking transit or driving a vehicle.

Many folks in Spokane have that expectation.  A steadily growing group of Complete Streets advocates in that community convinced Spokane City Council to pass a resolution in April 2010 to develop a Complete Streets ordinance.  Great news!  Sadly, over a year later, citizens are still waiting for City Council to enact the ordinance.

Complete Streets Spokane advocates are turning up the heat.  They are circulating an online petition urging City Council members to pass the Complete Streets ordinance.  They have also created a Complete Streets Spokane II group on Facebook.

The Bicycle Alliance of Washington was one of the first groups to raise the Complete Streets banner in our state and we encourage our Spokane members to sign the petition.

More Volunteer Opportunities

We have two more volunteer opportunities that we're trying to fill:

Looking for BASIC bike repair assistance. Our community partner, the Community Schools Collaboration, is holding a back-to-school event for low-income students in Tukwila. The event will be on August 27^th from 1-5pm. They are looking for a few helpers who can fix a flat, replace a brake pad, lube a chain, and/or replace a brake cable. If you are interested and available, please contact John with your contact info and level of mechanical expertise at 206-224-9252 x324. 

We're also looking for a friendly volunteer to staff an outreach table in Spokane at REI's SpokeEd Day event on September 10, from 12 noon - 4pm.  You can share your love of bicycling with others as you greet folks, talk to them about the Bicycle Alliance, and hand out useful information.  Contact Louise McGrody if you'd like to help out.

A recent posting of other volunteer needs can be found here.

Stickman Knows: New Safety Campaign Launches in Spokane County

You know Stickman.  He’s the figure you see on pedestrian crossing signs.  Sometimes you see him riding a bicycle on trail crossing signs.  Stickman knows a lot about traffic safety and he’s been brought to life for a safety campaign aimed at all road users (motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists) in Spokane County. 

The Stickman Knows educational campaign was launched this month by the Spokane Regional Health District and it’s designed to help residents understand how they can help reduce the number of pedestrian and bicycle collisions.  According to SRHD, an average of 20 pedestrians and cyclists are hit each month in Spokane County.

In a press release announcing the Stickman Knows campaign, Sergeant Eric Olsen of the Spokane Police Department and Spokane County Target Zero Task Force said:

“Safer transportation is about more than just infrastructure. If our residents aren’t accountable for understanding the laws—or choose not to pay attention to them—it makes it that much more difficult for us to improve the overall biking and walking experience in Spokane.  Stickman Knows addresses so many of the reasons police see these collisions occur, that’s why we’re optimistic it will achieve its goals in reducing collisions.”

The Stickman Knows campaign will be visible in many ways—on the internet at StickmanKnows.org and Facebook, TV commercials, billboards and bus advertisements.  The campaign will also participate in community events in schools and neighborhoods, especially those in high collision areas.  Funds will also be used to conduct law enforcement emphasis patrols, bicycle helmet distribution, and bicycle and pedestrian safety education in schools.

The Spokane Regional Transportation Council funded the Stickman Knows campaign via a $200,000 Transportation Enhancements grant provided by Washington State Department of Transportation.

What I learned from a road trip

Photo by Ben Brown.

I did a Bicycle Alliance road trip last week. Accompanied by Executive Director Barbara Culp, her husband Andy, and former BAW staffer Kent Peterson, we traveled across the North Cascades Highway to the Methow Valley community of Twisp. We were joined by Ian Macek, WSDOT’s Bicycle Pedestrian Coordinator, as we gathered at the Methow Valley Inn to meet with over a dozen individuals to discuss creating Washington’s first US Bike Route—Route 10—across the northern tier of the state.

Folks in the Methow Valley understand the economic benefit of USBR 10. The region is already a destination for recreation, touring and mountain biking. So it was no surprise that Winthrop Mayor Dave Acheson, Twisp Councilmember Traci Day, and local business owners were among the attendees.

After the meeting, Kent unpacked his folding bike and bid us farewell. He pedaled back through the Methow Valley and across the mountains to home, checking out the future Route 10 on a more personal level. You can read his blog post about the ride home here.

It was on to Spokane for the rest of us. Thursday evening we gathered at the Steam Plant Grill with a wonderful group of local cyclists for Hub & Spoke. Spokane has a vibrant and energetic bike culture and it was inspiring to hear about their successes, new ventures and vision for their community. Representative Andy Billig and Spokane City Councilmember Richard Rush also joined us and shared some insights with the group. Both men cycle for transportation and advocate for policies and programs that benefit bicycling.

Councilman Richard Rush  addressed challenges facing Spokane.

We rounded out the trip with a couple of Friday meetings. We sat down with Representative Andy Billig over a cup of coffee at Rocket Bakery to discuss the 20 mile per hour bill, funding for Complete Streets, and more. 

Then we dashed off to the WSDOT regional office to meet with Mike Bjordahl, the East region bike pedestrian coordinator. We reviewed the progress of the Children of the Sun Trail, which is part of the North Spokane Corridor project, and discussed the need to get cyclists’ input early in projects—including rumble strips and chipsealing.

As we headed back to Seattle, I sifted through what I learned on the road trip. First and foremost: we have bright, thoughtful and passionate bike advocates in all corners of our state who are capable of transforming their communities.

Second take away: perseverance and creativity pay off. The dollars don’t always flow as generously in communities east of the Cascades, yet bike advocates are finding ways to build trails, start a Safe Routes to School program in an elementary school, encourage people to bike to work, and make their communities more bicycle friendly. 

Coffee meeting with Rep. Andy Billig.

Third lesson:  meeting with elected officials on their home turf is valuable.  Our meeting with Representative Billig was pleasant and unrushed--vastly different than meeting with him in Olympia during a legislative session.  State and local officials are proud of their communities and are pleased when we venture out of Seattle to visit their part of the state.  It also gives us a chance to see firsthand the on-the-ground successes and challenges in their towns.

Thanks, bike advocates! I return to the office inspired by your work and seeing light at the end of the tunnel.

Coming to a City Near You: Car-free summer events

What happens when you take cars off the streets for awhile?  Folks come out to bike, walk, skate and socialize with each other!

Ciclovia (Spanish for bike path) refers to events that temporarily close streets to vehicle traffic, turning them into public space for people.  Bogota, Columbia, the city that pioneered the Ciclovia movement, has closed streets to cars every Sunday since 1976.  People of all ages and classes pour into the streets to do everything except drive.  Watch a video on Ciclovia in Bogota.

Ciclovia style events are appearing in US cities, including communities in Washington.  Seattle Summer Streets are car-free events scheduled in four different neighborhoods.  The city also closes a portion of Lake Washington Boulevard to vehicles most Sundays between May 1 and September 25 for Bicycle Sunday.

Spokane is bringing its SummerParkways to three neighborhoods, one of which will be an evening event.  Four miles of roadway will be closed and citizens are encouraged to come out for fun and physical activity.

Although Vancouver does not organize a car-free event, folks can head across the Columbia River and experience Portland’s Sunday Parkways.  Five parkway events are planned in different neighborhoods throughout the summer.

Folks in Tacoma can have a car-free experience every weekend. Five Mile Drive in Point Defiance Park is closed to vehicular traffic every Saturday and Sunday morning until 1PM.  Details are here.

Did I overlook a ciclovia event in your community?  Please share the details with us.

Hub & Spoke: Next Up is Spokane

Hub & Spoke, the Bicycle Alliance's community outreach tour, heads to the Steam Plant Grill in Spokane on June 23.  This event is part socializing and networking, and part presentation and discussion.

"As a statewide bicycle advocacy organization, we have a duty to meet with cyclists regionally in their communities," stated Executive Director Barbara Culp.  "Hub & Spoke is the perfect outreach event for us because we build in social time with the business."

The business part of the evening begins with a brief round of introductions, followed by a progress report from the Bicycle Alliance.  This includes a recap of how cyclists fared in the legislative session.  Ian Macek, WSDOT Bicycle-Pedestrian Coordinator, will be on hand to say a few words as well.  Then the floor is open to questions and discussion.

"We want to hear what's on your mind," said Culp.  "We want to hear about your bicycle successes as well as challenges you face in your community.  Maybe we can be of assistance."

Hub & Spoke events have been popular, drawing 25 to 50 people per event.  Please RSVP to Louise McGrody by June 13 if you plan to attend.

Hub & Spoke: Spokane
Thursday, June 23 at 5:30PM
Steam Plant Grill
159 S Lincoln Street in Spokane

Saturday is National Trails Day

I love the 200,000 miles of trail that we have in the US and I use them religiously.  There’s my after work walks through the old growth in Schmitz Park in my neighborhood or the midweek bike ride on one of the regional trails nearby.

Then there are my pilgrimages on trails to special places.  I backpacked into the Pasayten Wilderness and straddled the US-Canadian border.  I slapped on a pair of skis and followed snow covered paths into the winter wonderland of Mount Rainier National Park.  I pedaled and pushed my bike to abandoned mines and ghost town sites in the Cascades.

I’m not alone in my love for trails.  In fact, we Americans will celebrate our love of trails this Saturday on National Trails Day.  Organized hikes, bike rides, work parties and celebrations are planned all across this country on trails.

In Spokane, REI and the InlandNorthwest Trails Coalition are hosting the Fish Lake Trail Family Adventure.  Families are invited to come out to the trail to do some clean up, then bike or walk one of the most scenic paved trails in Eastern Washington.

The North Kitsap Trails Association is hosting a Bike, Hike and Paddle event.  Volunteers will lead a family mountain bike ride on the Port Gamble Trails, a guided walk through the North Kitsap Heritage Park, and a sunset paddle on Port Gamble Bay.

Check here for a listing of registered National Trails Day events in Washington.  Then go enjoy your local trails!

Should the Ride of Silence be silent?

It began in 2003 as a bike ride in Dallas to remember a cyclist who was hit by a mirror on a passing school bus and killed.  Today it has evolved into an international event, with 250 rides scheduled in nearly 20 countries.

The Ride of Silence was created to remember cyclists who have been killed or injured on our roadways, to raise public awareness that bikes belong on our roads, and to encourage everyone to share the road.  This year's ride occurs on May 18 and five Washington communities are hosting Rides of Silence:  Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver and Wenatchee.  Ride details can be found on the ROS website.

Thousands of bicyclists are drawn to this somber ride because they know someone who has been killed or injured on our public roads, or they themselves have been injured by a vehicle collision.  I have ridden several Rides of of Silence--to remember friends who were killed and to remember my own collision with a vehicle.  It can be an emotional experience. You can view a video of a past Ride of Silence in Seattle.

In spite of its popularity, not all cyclists are comfortable with the Ride of Silence.  Some believe that it places too much emphasis on the dangers of riding a bike.  Others don't like the fact that participants are supposed to ride in silence--how can you educate curious onlookers and passing motorists why you're doing the ride if you must be silent?  (If you watch the video of the Seattle ride, you'll see one of the riders speak to a pedestrian--no doubt explaining what the Ride of Silence is.)

Some Ride of Silence organizers have chosen trails and residential streets as their ride routes.  Again, this seems to undermine the visibility and public awareness potential of the ride.  It also doesn't speak to the bicyclists' right to use public roads.

Have you ridden in a Ride of Silence?  How do you feel about this event?

Bike to Work Week - May 16-20

You should know by now that May is Bike Month. With that comes a whole slough of activities, most are crammed into one momentous week - May 16-20, often referred to as Bike to Work Week. This post will highlight some Bike to Work Week events taking place around the state - at least those events we know about. If something is happening in YOUR community - let us know! We'd love to post it on our calendar.

I'll be writing a separate blog JUST on Bike to Work Day, which is on Friday, May 20th, 2011, so stayed tuned for that. I also wrote a previous blog highlighting Bike Month events, look for that in the blog archives.

Cowlitz County

Cowlitz on the Move is organizing Cowlitz County Bike to Work Week, they will be holding free bike safety checks, free community workshops and if you register at www.cowlitzonthemove.org, you can be entered into a prize drawing!

Spokane

Spokane Bikes is hosting a week of Bike to Work fun May 16-20. Create a user profile on their website and look for fun bike related activities taking place all week!



Most of the communities listed in the Bike Month blog have events taking place during bike week as well. Check out their websites for up to date information.