Bikeboard December 2010

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6 participants
16 discussions

Portaland Bike Boulevards and Greenways
by director 01 Jan '11

01 Jan '11

Came across this in treehugger today. Watch the video, it's great. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/12/bike-only-boulevards.php Best wishes for a new year. Nick -- Nick Hein LCI# 1705 Director, Positive Spin 803 East Brockway Ave Morgantown, WV ph 304-276-0213 --

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Report to TC
by Frank Gmeindl 30 Dec '10

30 Dec '10

Bicycle Board Members, Attached please find a BB report to the Traffic Commission for the TC meeting next Wednesday. I already sent it to the TC secretary since it was due yesterday. If you see any omissions or changes that need to be made, please let me know ASAP. If I can't make them in the report that gets distributed to the TC, at least I can make the corrections when I speak to the report at the meeting. Frank Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles

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Another good Treehugger bike article
by director 30 Dec '10

30 Dec '10

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/12/why-not-aim-for-zero-deaths.php -- Nick Hein LCI# 1705 Director, Positive Spin 803 East Brockway Ave Morgantown, WV ph 304-276-0213 --

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Mon Blvd Bike Lane
by Frank Gmeindl 27 Dec '10

27 Dec '10

Bicycle Board Members, Attached is a letter from WVDOT Secretary Paul Maddox to WVU VP Administration & Finance Narvel Weese saying WVDOT thinks the bike lane is a good idea and agreeing with WVU's proposal to close the Bike Lane during events but asking for WVU to provide a traffic operations plan. Frank

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For your Christmas reading enjoyment
by director 25 Dec '10

25 Dec '10

Good morning, Saw these great articles on Treehugger this morning, didn't want them to get lost in the Christmas Day rush. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/12/new-study-shows-walkable-neighborho… http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/12/st-paul-schools-school-district-goe… Happy Holidays everyone. Hope you get a good Christmas day ride in the sparkling new snow. Nick -- Nick Hein LCI# 1705 Director, Positive Spin 803 East Brockway Ave Morgantown, WV ph 304-276-0213 --

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Comprehensive Bicycle Plan
by Frank Gmeindl 24 Dec '10

24 Dec '10

Bicycle Board Members, Merry Christmas! Attached is a draft Morgantown comprehensive bicycle plan. I hope you'll find some time over the next two weeks to read it. We've been making respectable progress doing most of the work ourselves but to keep from getting burned out and to get more support from the "powers-that-be" as well as to get others involved, we need a plan. I would like to have the plan ready to roll out to the Traffic Commission and City Council by February. I'd appreciate your comments and changes. My problem is how to keep us together headed in the same direction. If anybody knows how we can share the document, check it out and in and track changes without everybody having to get a degree in computer science, please let us know. In the meantime, please use Track Changes to put in your changes and comments and then save the file and return it to me. Or, just send me your suggestions in an e-mail message. I'll try to gather and keep all the changes and comments in one master file. Beyond just critiquing the attached document, we'll need to do some significant work to flesh out the initiatives in the plan. I think we will need a team that can work together on that. At the upcoming January 6 BB meeting, I'll ask to form a planning team. Reading the plan may help you decide to get involved. Happy New Year! Frank Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles

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OneStreet
by director 23 Dec '10

23 Dec '10

Good morning, For those who aren't familiar with OneStreet I've included their website link here. http://onestreet.org/ Sue Knaupf, it's founding director is the past president of the Alliance for Biking and Walking. Both of these organizations share our passion for livable cities and effective advocacy for bicycling, with good resources and encouragement. Check out Sue's college-level class on bike advocacy in their current newsletter. http://onestreet.org/news-stories/163-november-december-2010-e-newsletter Nick -- Nick Hein LCI# 1705 Director, Positive Spin 803 East Brockway Ave Morgantown, WV ph 304-276-0213 --

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Promoting bike safety fearlessly
by director 23 Dec '10

23 Dec '10

Good morning, Thought I'd share this TEDx video that was sent to me through OneStreet, a sustainable transportation advocacy. Special thanks to to my (and my brother's) friend Sue Knaupf, director. Good, persuasive and well-researched arguments and sound-bites. Happy Holidays everyone, Nick http://video.tedxcopenhagen.dk/video/911034/mikael-colville-andersen -- Nick Hein LCI# 1705 Director, Positive Spin 803 East Brockway Ave Morgantown, WV ph 304-276-0213 --

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sorry, I forgot the link. TWICE!!. Happy Holidays. Trick bike video, will go viral
by John Lozier 22 Dec '10

22 Dec '10

not just amazing trick cycling but awesome scenery, photography, music... Don't start watching it unless you have 7 minutes to watch it all... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj6ho1-G6tw&feature=player_embedded John John Lozier Morgantown, WV www.harpingforharmony.org _______________________________________________ Bikeboard mailing list Bikeboard(a)cheat.org http://cheat.org/mailman/listinfo/bikeboard

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Trick bike video, will go viral
by John Lozier 22 Dec '10

22 Dec '10

not just amazing trick cycling but awesome scenery, photography, music... Don't start watching it unless you have 7 minutes to watch it all... John John Lozier Morgantown, WV www.harpingforharmony.org _______________________________________________ Bikeboard mailing list Bikeboard(a)cheat.org http://cheat.org/mailman/listinfo/bikeboard

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Trick bike video, will go viral
by John Lozier 22 Dec '10

22 Dec '10

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Re: [Bikeboard] Invitation
by Frank Gmeindl 21 Dec '10

21 Dec '10

Mr. Moore, Thanks for the prompt and positive response! I will copy you on the agenda that I will issue next week. Happy Holidays to you as well! Frank On Dec 21, 2010, at 5:21 PM, tmoore(a)cityofmorgantown.org wrote: > Mr. Gmeindl: > > Happy to participate. As such, by way of this message, I am asking Executive Assistant Carol Allen to schedule as noted. Meanwhile, Happy Holidays. Thanks. > > Terrence Moore, ICMA-CM > City Manager > Morgantown, West Virginia > > Sent from my U.S. Cellular BlackBerry® smartphone > > -----Original Message----- > From: Frank Gmeindl <frank.gmeindl(a)comcast.net> > Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2010 15:50:13 > To: <tmoore(a)cityofmorgantown.org> > Cc: Morgantown Bike Board<bikeboard(a)cheat.org> > Subject: Invitation > > Dear Mr. Moore, > > Welcome to Morgantown and congratulations on your new job! > > As Chairman of the Morgantown Municipal Bicycle Board, I would like to invite you to join us at our regular monthly meeting Thursday, January 6, 2011 to get acquainted. We meet 6:30 – 8:30 pm the first Thursday of every month. Please let me know if you will attend and your preferred time and duration so I can put your visit on the agenda. > > The Bicycle Board has 17 members and we advise the Morgantown Traffic Commission. Our vision is that Morgantown residents can bicycle safely and fearlessly anywhere, anytime for any reason. We would like to introduce ourselves to you and if you are comfortable doing so, we would like you to tell us how you see bicycling developing in Morgantown. > > Attached, please find the procedural guidelines that define the Bicycle Board and a report of some 2010 accomplishments led by the Bicycle Board. > > Looking forward to working with you, > > > Frank D. Gmeindl > Chairman, Morgantown Municipal Bicycle Board > LCI #1703 > 491 WilsonAvenue > Morgantown, WV 26501 > 304-376-0446 > Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles > > >

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Invitation
by Frank Gmeindl 21 Dec '10

21 Dec '10

Dear Mr. Moore, Welcome to Morgantown and congratulations on your new job! As Chairman of the Morgantown Municipal Bicycle Board, I would like to invite you to join us at our regular monthly meeting Thursday, January 6, 2011 to get acquainted. We meet 6:30 – 8:30 pm the first Thursday of every month. Please let me know if you will attend and your preferred time and duration so I can put your visit on the agenda. The Bicycle Board has 17 members and we advise the Morgantown Traffic Commission. Our vision is that Morgantown residents can bicycle safely and fearlessly anywhere, anytime for any reason. We would like to introduce ourselves to you and if you are comfortable doing so, we would like you to tell us how you see bicycling developing in Morgantown. Attached, please find the procedural guidelines that define the Bicycle Board and a report of some 2010 accomplishments led by the Bicycle Board. Looking forward to working with you, Frank D. Gmeindl Chairman, Morgantown Municipal Bicycle Board LCI #1703 491 WilsonAvenue Morgantown, WV 26501 304-376-0446 Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles

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Re: [Bikeboard] Unnecessary Road Hazards-Drainage Grates
by Frank Gmeindl 09 Dec '10

09 Dec '10

Scott, The article "MUB work to delay traffic" on page 7-A of today's Dominion Post prompted me to write this message. I realize that you're just replacing water lines on Beechurst but I would like you to consider taking this opportunity to begin replacing the in-line drainage grates that run up Beechurst, beginning with the two in front of the new WVU gateway before some cyclist breaks his or her neck. (See attached photos.) Frank D. Gmeindl Chairman, Morgantown Municipal Bicycle Board LCI #1703 491 WilsonAvenue Morgantown, WV 26501 304-376-0446 Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles On Aug 23, 2010, at 11:54 AM, Scott Copen wrote: > Dear Mr. Gmeindl: > > I apologize for the lateness of this reply. The extraordinary workload related to our current capital improvements has unfortunately slowed our responses to such correspondence. And as you previously surmised, the June/July rains (and the subsequent flooding investigations prompted by them) have further compounded this. > > MUB is very sensitive to the need to properly orient storm inlet grating for improved protection of bicyclists. Please be assured that we have trained our maintenance and construction staffs to be aware of the need for proper orientation, and that any inlet installed or re-installed (through reconstructive maintenance activity) within our service area is now designed and specified to be oriented perpendicular to the traffic direction. > > Unfortunately, most of the existing facilities are actually cast into the surrounding roadway materials. For this reason, they may not be simply rotated and re-set, but instead must be excavated and re-cast, with corresponding repair to the surrounding pavement. This significantly increases the difficulty and expense of re-orientation, and thus, is the reason that we have not already preemptively re-oriented all such faculties in our service area. > > Please note that many of the roadways (and the related stormwater facilities) in the Morgantown area are not under our control. The specific areas cited in your correspondence are good examples. Patteson Drive and Monongahela Blvd are owned / maintained by WVDOT, while Evansdale Dr (from CAC to Towers) is owned/maintained by WVU. We have good working relationships with both entities, and will be pleased to forward your comments along with our own request that such improvements be made. > > We share your concern, and within the constraints described above, are working continuously to improve these conditions. If you find any other specific areas within our service area that appear to be capable of re-orientation without excavation, please let us know and we will be happy to do so promptly. > > Thanks for your concern and input. > > Scott Copen, P.E. > Senior Engineer > Morgantown Utility Board > 278 Greenbag Road > Morgantown, WV 26507 > Phone: 304-292-8443 > Fax: 304-292-1526 > > > > From: Frank Gmeindl [mailto:frank.gmeindl@comcast.net] > Sent: Sunday, June 27, 2010 4:59 PM > To: Scott Copen > Cc: Tim Ball; Damien Davis; Ryan Post > Subject: Fwd: Unnecessary Road Hazards-Drainage Grates > > Scott, > > I'm sure you get floods of e-mail as well as floods of rainwater and sewage to deal with so I can understand not hearing for you for a while after I sent you the message below. Eventually, some cyclist is going to sustain a lot more damage than shown in the photos that I sent you with the message below. I'd like to at least know that there's a plan to replace those in-line grates. > > Frank D. Gmeindl > Chairman, Morgantown Municipal Bicycle Board > LCI #1703<image001.jpg><image002.jpg> > 491 WilsonAvenue > Morgantown, WV 26501 > 304-376-0446 > Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles > > > > Begin forwarded message: > > > From: Frank Gmeindl <frank.gmeindl(a)comcast.net> > Date: May 27, 2010 4:50:34 PM EDT > To: scopen(a)mub.org > Cc: Damien Davis <ddavis(a)cityofmorgantown.org>, Ryan Post <rpostwvu(a)gmail.com> > Subject: Fwd: Unnecessary Road Hazards-Drainage Grates > > Scott, > > Could you advise me on how to get Morgantown area in-line storm grates corrected so that bicycle tires don't fall into them? Below is a letter that I received from a cyclist. It includes some gruesome photos of a cyclist that rode into one of these grates and landed on his face and shoulder. His injuries could have been much worse, even fatal. > > Frank D. Gmeindl > Chairman, Morgantown Municipal Bicycle Board > LCI #1703 > 491 WilsonAvenue > Morgantown, WV 26501 > 304-376-0446 > Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles > > > > Begin forwarded message: > > > From: "Ryan Post" <rpostwvu(a)gmail.com> > Date: May 26, 2010 8:47:03 PM EDT > To: "'Frank Gmeindl'" <frank.gmeindl(a)comcast.net>, "'Gunnar Shogren'" <gshogren(a)gmail.com> > Subject: Unnecessary Road Hazards-Drainage Grates > > How do you feel about this email? Also, who should I send it to? > > > I would like to point out a hazard and liability that unnecessarily exists on the roads, only because maintenance workers are unaware. > > There are older style square drainage grates on many shoulders of the roads which have been installed with the grooves running parallel to traffic. These grooves pose a serious hazard to bicycle tires which can slip into them causing the rider to be flipped with accelerated speed into the ground* most likely causing injury to the rider, as well as the bike. In addition, the sudden stop poses an issue to following cars who may then have to avoid whatever pile of man in machine is now laying in the roadway. > > This occurred today, in on Mon Blvd in front of the coliseum by an experienced cyclist who did not see the grate as it was covered with debris. Image1 shows how the hazard exists, and Image2 shows the injuries sustained. These injuries were quite minor as he knew how to position his body to minimize impact on his face. The bicycle also received damage, exceeding $200. > > The simple fix is to rotate the grates so the grooves are perpendicular to travel direction. > > After the incident, I noticed every grate along Evansdale Drive from the CAC to Towers was hazardously installed. > > Ryan Post > > *If you consider the physics of it, a bike traveling at 15mph (which is actually a slow speed-equivalent to falling from 7.5’), will have 100% of that travel velocity converted into downward velocity as the bike pivots on the stuck front wheel, in addition to the speed grained by falling from a standard riding height of about 5’. The impact will be directly onto the front of the cyclist, involving the face, and possibly breaking bones in the arms, wrists, hands, shoulders, and collarbones, as well as a possible concussion. > > Images are attached, but can also be found at: > http://dl.dropbox.com/u/463685/Image1.jpg > http://dl.dropbox.com/u/463685/Image2.jpg > > <image001.jpg><image002.jpg> > >

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Generating revenue from biking
by director 06 Dec '10

06 Dec '10

Good morning, Saw this on Treehugger this morning, seems timely... http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/12/how-to-monetize-biking.php Nick -- Nick Hein LCI# 1705 Director, Positive Spin 803 East Brockway Ave Morgantown, WV ph 304-276-0213 --

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Portland Bicycle City
by director 02 Dec '10

02 Dec '10

Good morning, Saw this article on the YES! magazine website this morning. Thought it might be of interest. I lived in Portland in 1996 and can tell you first hand that they had at least as much to overcome as we do here. We can do what they did to get what they have - including lower cost and higher quality of living. http://www.yesmagazine.org/planet/cycle-city-usa Enjoy, Nick -- Nick Hein LCI# 1705 Director, Positive Spin 803 East Brockway Ave Morgantown, WV ph 304-276-0213 --

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Bikeboard December 2010