Bikeboard November 2011

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11 participants
31 discussions

Retain cyclists' right to the road
by Frank Gmeindl 09 Nov '11

09 Nov '11

Today, I sent a message to Senator Manchin http://manchin.senate.gov/contact_form.cfm asking him to vote against a bill http://tinyurl.com/3fd336k UP FOR VOTE TODAY that contains a provision that would prohibit bicyclists from riding on the road. If you want to continue to ride on the roads, I recommend that you also take action. Frank Here's what I sent: Concerning: A BILL To reauthorize Federal-aid highway and highway safety construction programs, and for other purposes. I urge you to vote against this bill because it eliminates bicyclists' access to public roads. With today's traffic congestion, obesity and poor air quality, we should be promoting bicycling, not discouraging or even prohibiting it. The bill has adverse effects on funding and contains a mandatory sidepath provision that prohibits bicyclists from using the road. Get-bikes-off-the road provisions like this one were deleted from the laws of most states which had them in the 1970s. This is on Page 226 of the bill: (d) BICYCLE SAFETY.The Secretary of the appropriate Federal land management agency shall prohibit the use of bicycles on each federally owned road that has a speed limit of 30 miles per hour or greater and an adjacent paved path for use by bicycles within 100 yards of the road. Even if the trail is in very bad shape, and the road is perfectly safe, the Secretary will have no leeway to allow cyclists to continue to use the road if a trail is available. This is very bad policy. Among other things it would end biking on portions of the Rock Creek Parkway where the speed limit is 35 mph. Note that this applies not only to roads in parks but to any Federally-owned road. If there’s a trail within 100 years of a road, then to get to a destination on the other side of the road this law would require you to lug your bicycle through some environmentally-sensitive area in a National Park, or through private property, or swim across a river. If the trail is covered with snow but the road is clear, you would still have to use the trail. The legislation does not even state that the trail has to serve the same destinations as the road, or refer to any standards for design, etc. The conclusion the states reached in the 1970s is based on a simple principle: let bicyclists decide. If the trail is better than the road, they will use it. Furthermore, the Federal Government does not have jurisdiction over traffic laws. The states do. The predictable outcome is dozens of court battles which will be an embarrassment to the Congress. There also is liability exposure in restricting bicyclists to a substandard path.

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Racks
by Gunnar Shogren 09 Nov '11

09 Nov '11

We have a hard enough time just getting nice simple racks- http://dcist.com/2011/11/artistic_bike_racks.php#photo-1 Their sidewalks sure do look wide though too.

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Morgantown Bicycle Plan
by Frank Gmeindl 08 Nov '11

08 Nov '11

Dear Public Officials, Please find attached, the first preliminary Morgantown Bicycle Plan developed by the Bicycle Board. Within the next few days, you will also receive a paper copy. Please review the plan and give me your comments by December 7. We would like to include the plan in a February application to the League of American Bicyclists' for the Bicycle Friendly Community award. Since you are a key stakeholder in the plan, we want you to make it your plan. We will revise it to address your comments. We will ask you to approve the revision before we release it to the public. Please provide me your comments in whatever way is most convenient for you. You could open the attached MS Word document and mark it up using track changes and comments, or you could mark up the hard copy with pen and ink, or you could write your comments in an e-mail message, or you could simply tell me what you think. If you would like to discuss the plan, please contact me at your earliest convenience. 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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BB October minutes
by Frank Gmeindl 02 Nov '11

02 Nov '11

Bicycle Board Members, Please find attached, the minutes of our last meeting. Frank

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Agenda for tomorrow's BB meeting
by Frank Gmeindl 02 Nov '11

02 Nov '11

Bicycle Board Members, Please find attached, a suggested agenda for tomorrow's meeting. Frank

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Fwd: Reminder: SGA safety walk today (Nov 1) at 5:00
by Frank Gmeindl 01 Nov '11

01 Nov '11

FYI: Safety walk today. 5 pm Begin forwarded message: > From: Morgantown Pedestrian Safety Board <walkmgw(a)yahoo.com> > Date: November 1, 2011 9:37:57 AM EDT > To: Bill Reger-Nash <wreger(a)hsc.wvu.edu>, Bob Anderson <randerson(a)hsc.wvu.edu>, Christiaan Abildso <cgabildso(a)mail.wvu.edu>, Dave Harshbarger <harshbargerd(a)wvuh.com>, David Small <dsmall1(a)mix.wvu.edu>, Dwight Harshbarger <dwight.harshbarger(a)gmail.com>, George Lilley <mgranlil(a)frontier.com>, Ilana Chertok <ichertok(a)hsc.wvu.edu>, Jan Derry <jderry(a)nwvcil.org>, Jimmie Simmons <Jsimmons2642(a)yahoo.com>, Jonathan Rosenbaum <freesource(a)cheat.org>, Maria Smith <mariasmith(a)busride.org>, Martha Summers <msummers(a)hsc.wvu.edu>, Michael Graham <migraham(a)hsc.wvu.edu>, Regina Mayolo <reginam(a)verizon.net>, Sarah Bias <sarahbias(a)gmail.com>, Stan Cohen <Stanley.Cohen(a)mail.wvu.edu>, Tom Bias <tbias(a)hsc.wvu.edu>, Angela Wiley <wileya120(a)gmail.com>, Bill Austin <baustin(a)labyrinth.net>, Claire Chantler <cchantler(a)nwvcil.org>, Damien Davis <ddavis(a)cityofmorgantown.org>, Ella Belling <ella(a)montrails.org>, Frank Gmeindl <fgmeindl(a)gmail.com>, Hugh Kierig <Hugh.Kierig(a)mail.wvu.edu>, Jim Hunt <jimhunt(a)sunnysideupwv.org>, Jim Rye <Jim.Rye(a)mail.wvu.edu>, Josh Woods <joshua.woods(a)mail.wvu.edu>, Kevin Leyden <Kevin.Leyden(a)mail.wvu.edu>, Matt Cross <crossnyc(a)hotmail.com>, Michael Simms <michael.d.simms(a)gmail.com>, Mike Breiding <mike(a)EpicRoadTrips.us>, Nick Hein <info(a)positivespin.org>, Roy Nutter <roy.nutter(a)mail.wvu.edu> > Subject: Reminder: SGA safety walk today (Nov 1) at 5:00 > Reply-To: Morgantown Pedestrian Safety Board <walkmgw(a)yahoo.com> > > All- Please make every attempt to attend the SGA walk today at 5:00. They will be meeting in the Bluestone Room in the Mountianlair and could use as many people as possible to cover a large area of Morgantown! > If my children cooperate I will be there. I'm on daddy day care duty this evening. > Christiaan > > Walk more, safely > > Morgantown Pedestrian Safety Board > Christiaan Abildso, Chair > Bill Reger-Nash, Vice Chair > http://www.morgantown.com/ped-safety-board.htm > > ----- Forwarded Message ----- > From: David Small <dsmall1(a)mix.wvu.edu> > To: Morgantown Pedestrian Safety Board <walkmgw(a)yahoo.com>; Bill Reger-Nash <wreger(a)hsc.wvu.edu>; Bob Anderson <randerson(a)hsc.wvu.edu>; Christiaan Abildso <cgabildso(a)mail.wvu.edu>; Dave Harshbarger <harshbargerd(a)wvuh.com>; Dwight Harshbarger <dwight.harshbarger(a)gmail.com>; George Lilley <mgranlil(a)frontier.com>; Ilana Chertok <ichertok(a)hsc.wvu.edu>; Jan Derry <jderry(a)nwvcil.org>; Jimmie Simmons <Jsimmons2642(a)yahoo.com>; Jonathan Rosenbaum <freesource(a)cheat.org>; Maria Smith <mariasmith(a)busride.org>; Martha Summers <msummers(a)hsc.wvu.edu>; Michael Graham <migraham(a)hsc.wvu.edu>; Regina Mayolo <reginam(a)verizon.net>; Sarah Bias <sarahbias(a)gmail.com>; Stan Cohen <Stanley.Cohen(a)mail.wvu.edu>; Tom Bias <tbias(a)hsc.wvu.edu> > Sent: Monday, October 31, 2011 5:09 PM > Subject: Re: Pedestrian Safety Board - another letter in the works > Hey Everyone: > > I know that I sent an invite out to everyone concerning the Student Government Safety walk that I will be hosting tomorrow at 5 pm. I wanted to get in contact withEVERYONE on the PSB for their help. As my position within Student Government I represent the safety concerns that affect the student body of WVU but I truly don't look at that as my position. I look at it as I represent the safety concerns of every citizen who lives, works, or just simply goes to school here in Morgantown. > > In the next few weeks I will be submitting a report to almost every major Representative here in Morgantown. The WVU Board of Govanors, the Presidents office, City Council, City and County Sheriff offices..... and the list goes on if you get my point! > > The report is going to be prob 40-60 pages worth of safety concerns within Morgantown. The issue that I have that there is no WAY that I can cover all of Mon County in 1 safety walk. So for those of you who live out in Saberton, Suncrest, Cheat Lake (I'm not even sure if that's considered Mon County) please I need help on this report because I don't have a car and it would be difficult for me to go out in those area. > > I receive all your emails back and forth about issues that I simply have no idea about because I live in the downtown area. Jan the University Av area is a complete mess! So what ever you guys may have that could help me in my report PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE send it to me. We can't get anything done unless we are extremely active!! > > Before I submit anything to anyone the draft copy of the report will be sent to everyone on the Morgantown Pedestrian. Safety Board. I look forward from hearing from everyone soon. > > Dave Small > WVU SGA Director of Safety > 304-276-6806 > dsmall1(a)mix.wvu.edu

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Bikeboard November 2011