Bikeboard February 2008

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10 participants
27 discussions

walkable scoring website
by John Lozier 25 Feb '08

25 Feb '08

This website lets you enter a home address and then calculates how "walkable" it is. Very interesting. I'm a 58! http://www.walkscore.com/ John Lozier "It's an UPHILL STRUGGLE to get folks to think of bicycles as TRANSPORTATION"

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Re: [Bikeboard] walkable scoring website
by director 24 Feb '08

24 Feb '08

John, Thanks for that. Our address ranks a 65, although I would have put it higher. Walkability was one of the first things that sold us on the neighborhood. It's an uphill struggle from the river, but my kids have a shorter walk to college than they did to high school. Nick ---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- From: John Lozier <jl(a)harpingforharmony.org> Date: Sun, 24 Feb 2008 16:53:32 -0500 >This website lets you enter a home address and then calculates how >"walkable" it is. Very interesting. I'm a 58! > >http://www.walkscore.com/ > >John Lozier >"It's an UPHILL STRUGGLE to get folks to think of bicycles as >TRANSPORTATION" > > > > > > > -- Nick Hein Director, Positive Spin Morgantown, WV ph 304-276-0213 --

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Interesting bus message
by director 23 Feb '08

23 Feb '08

Good evening, I came across this on one of the bike design blogs I read. I wonder if we could get a picture like this on the Mountain Line Buses. Wouldn't it be great to have a picture of the biking city council members? http://bicycledesign.blogspot.com/2008/02/share-road-message-on-buses.html As the blogger says, it carries a much bigger effect when the share-the-road message has a face and not just a diagram. Nick -- Nick Hein Director, Positive Spin Morgantown, WV ph 304-276-0213 --

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Campus Connector Meeting - Monday February 25
by Jonathan Rosenbaum 21 Feb '08

21 Feb '08

Please join us at the Campus Connector meeting this Monday, February the 25th at 6:00 p.m. in the Morgantown Public Safety Building on Spruce Street. The meeting will take place in the conference room near the beginning of the building close to the Blue Moose Cafe across the street. Please email me if you have a specific area you want to cover on the agenda. Attached is a tentative agenda. -Jonathan p.s. Interestingly, the Pedestrian Safety Board meeting precedes this meeting from 4:00-6:00 p.m., however, from my understanding it will meet in the training room.

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Reminder
by Frank Gmeindl 19 Feb '08

19 Feb '08

Bicycle Board Members, This is a reminder that I will be presenting a dry run "Accommodating Bicycles" presentation this Thursday, 21-Feb, 7-9 pm at the City Council Chambers. I would like your critique of the presentation and my delivery so I can improve it in preparation for delivery to the MPO the following Thursday, same time same place. Frank

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Uphill Struggle Project Draft Resolution - for organizations to endorse endorsements
by John Lozier 17 Feb '08

17 Feb '08

(All: the committee is hoping for the Traffic Commission and other organizations and individuals to endorse and/or sponsor this project. Therefore, please pass this along to anyone who might be interested. To repeat an earlier message, the Uphill Struggle committee will meet at 6 PM February 26 at Panera's. My apologies for duplications. Thanks! JL) Whereas The landscape of Morgantown is hilly by nature, and roads are narrow; Travel in Morgantown by motor vehicle is often congested; Motor vehicles in Morgantown add to air pollution and noise; Bicycle travel is an appropriate option for many travelers; The Morgantown public benefits when people choose to travel by bicycle; Travelers of all ages benefit in health and convenience when they choose to go by bicycle; Despite the benefits of cycling, it is an uphill struggle to get people to think of bicycles as transportation. This organization ___________therefore resolves and affirms as follows: 1) Bicycles are vehicles, by law entitled to use public roads; 2) Using bicycles for transportation in Morgantown is a win for everyone - drivers, cyclists and the general public; 3) Cycling on hilly terrain is a challenge that requires training for safety, comfort, and health; 4) We endorse the efforts of a group of cyclists and other organizations to design and implement a program of education and training to be known as AN UPHILL STRUGGLE (or "Max's Challenge"), to be realized in the spring and summer of 2008. The program consists of a series of weekly training rides for all ages and skill levels (on Decker's Creek Trail) , and a final event involving an uphill group ride on a public road.

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Uphill Struggle - planning meeting 2/26
by John Lozier 17 Feb '08

17 Feb '08

(DP: A planning meeting for interested public is set for 6 PM Tuesday, February 26, at Panera's, 357 Patteson Drive. Committee would like to see appropriate coverage as events progress. Please assign to a reporter and contact committee chair Marilyn Newcome, 598-5078, or me, John Lozier, 599 8233.) AN UPHILL STRUGGLE (Max's Challenge) Local 7-year-old Encourages Community to Bike It is an uphill struggle to get people to think of bicycles as transportation. However, cyclists young and old in Morgantown are gearing up to change the way people think about bikes. An Uphill Struggle, "Max's Challenge", will be celebrated in mid- August with an all-ages group ride up Monongahela Boulevard, past the Creative Arts Center, and down to the Star City Park. The point of the ride is not speed but success in arriving at the top. The biggest reward will be coasting down the other side. Starting in spring, the Uphill Struggle committee is scheduling a series of regular bicycle training events for riders of all ages and skill levels. Tentatively set for 2 PM every Sunday, riders will meet in Sabraton and ride up the Decker's Creek trail. Veteran cyclists will offer guidance about bicycle safety, comfort and fitness. The idea springs from conversations between Laura Kemp-Rye and her 7- year-old son Max. Like so many of us, Max learned to ride on a gently descending slope. Faced with the greater challenge of riding uphill, Max came up with an idea to make it fun. "Riding a bike is good exercise and it is a great way to reduce pollution," says Max. "We're going to have a lot of fun on this ride, and afterward we'll have a party!" Since then, the idea has grown to encompass a challenge not just to cyclists, but to drivers, who need to understand that bicycles help reduce traffic congestion, have a right to be on the road, and take up a lot less room than cars. After Max's mother mentioned the idea to several local cyclists, the Uphill Struggle Committee was formed. Headed by North Elementary teacher Marilyn Newcome, members and other interested parties include Kemp-Rye, John Lozier, Nick Hein, Bill Reger-Nash, Alice Vernon, Lynn Ryan, and Tim Nelms. The concept has been positively received by Morgantown mayor Ron Justice, and Star City mayor Allen Sharp, and also by the Morgantown Bicycle Board. The committee is currently seeking the widest possible endorsement from civic and government units concerned with topics such as transportation, education, and fitness. In decades past, becoming a competent bicyclist as a child meant freedom to travel independently, to school, playground, and the homes of friends. Today, more than ever, getting from place to place can be an uphill struggle. Especially here in Morgantown, where no matter what your destination, it seems to be uphill both ways! If you would like to be involved in the planning and implementation of this project, or to be a sponsor or mentor, please contact Marilyn Newcome at 598 5078, or mjcycling(a)msn.com.

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February Bicycle Board Meeting Minutes
by Elizabeth Shogren 17 Feb '08

17 Feb '08

Attached, please find the minutes for the February meeting of the Bicycle Board. BETSY SHOGREN

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Secretary Working Hard
by gunn4r Shogren 15 Feb '08

15 Feb '08

Proof positive. Friday evening. New puppy wanting to go out, scratching at the door. Working on the minutes. Diligently and with fervor.

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Seattle Hospital Launches Bike Fleet
by director 14 Feb '08

14 Feb '08

Good evening, I came across this article when I should have been doing more important things. Children's hospital is in a busy metropolitan area of Seattle near the University of Washington. It's exceptional that they're encouraging bike commuting in this car-heavy area - I rode the area all frequently and fearlessly when I lived in the area and went to school there (ca 2000). http://www.bicycleretailer.com/news/newsDetail/966.html Nick -- Nick Hein Director, Positive Spin Morgantown, WV ph 304-276-0213 --

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Bikeboard February 2008