TheWashCycle

September 2011 Alexandria BPAC meeting

The Alexandria Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) will meet Monday September 19th at the VeloCity Bicycle Cooperative from 7 to 9 PM. We welcome all who are interested in promoting cycling and walking in Alexandria.

What: BPAC monthly meeting

When: Monday September 19th, 7 PM

Where: VeloCity Bicycle Cooperative 204 South Union St., Alexandria, 22314

Why?: Because people who travel by bicycle or by walking  support local businesses, building our local economy.

Agenda includes: Report on bicycle and pedestrian counts, Recruiting volunteers, Bicycle-Friendly Community project, Bicycle Friendly Business project, Capital Bikeshare, and much, much more.

Friday Morning Commute - Red is the new black

The end of trike's first week in daycare. Harder on us than him.

• You can read the transcript of Shane Farthing's visit to Kojo's show (no Kojo) here. He has a shout out for Kidical Mass, talks about the complexity of working with so many agencies and jurisdictions and the 50 States Ride. 
• Labor Secretary Hilda Solis - recreational cyclist.
• Montgomery County creates a heat map for bicycle planning.
• Some important bike related meetings coming up in Alexandria, including the City Council discussion of bike sharing.
• Obit for Dionette “Didi” Cherney, the Washingtonian who was struck and killed by a cyclist last month in San Francisco..

Dionette “Didi” Cherney, 68, who had been a mergers and acquisitions and profitability consultant for Prudential Network Realty, died Aug. 11 at a hospital in San Francisco from head injuries after being struck by a bicyclist.

She was a Washington resident and had been in California accompanying her husband on a business trip.

Officer Albie Esparza, a San Francisco police spokesman, said Mrs. Cherney was in a crosswalk and had a green light to cross along San Francisco’s waterfront when a cyclist struck her July 15.

Esparza said police investigators recommended that charges be filed against the cyclist, but a spokesman for the San Francisco district attorney’s office, Seth Steward, said that a decision was pending receipt of police documents.

• Owners of black CaBi keys, you just became more exclusive.

Alexandria August 2011 BPAC meeting

The Alexandria Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) will meet Monday August 15th at the Durant Center from 7 to 9 PM. We welcome all who are interesting in promoting cycling and walking in Alexandria. 

What: BPAC monthly meeting
When: Monday August 15, 7-9 PM
Where: Durant Center, 1605 Cameron Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
Why: Because our bicycle and pedestrian networks are not yet accessible to people of all ages and abilities in all parts of Alexandria.

Agenda includes:

• Report form the Alexandria Police Dept
• Report on bicycle and pedestrian counts
• Recruiting volunteers
• Bicycle-friendly community status 
• Capital Bikeshare
• Election of new BPAC Secretary
• and much, much more.

 

Thursday Morning Commute - Legarde

Good Morning

• From your blog to the Alexandria City Council's ear. "The developers [of a new Harris Teeter and apartment building in Alexandria] are also giving $40,000 toward either a bike-sharing program or local transportation management"
• New IMF Director Christine Lagarde plans to bike to work "Lagarde, once a competitive synchronized swimmer and a member of the French national team, wants to ride her bike to work. She'll bring it with her from Paris." New Bike to Work Day Speaker!
• WABA's mobile bike clinics continue to help cyclists EOTR ""There are hardly any bike lanes. We need them. We need them badly," Not until we're done studying them, you don't.
• Improved bike access could help MARC better utilize the Boyds train station.
• WABA is hosting a discussion on July 19th on what to do if you're in a crash. "Executive Director Shane Farthing and three of the regions top lawyers in representing cyclists in DC, Maryland, and Virginia–Tom Witkop, Bruce Deming, and Peter Baskin–will be available both to assist with the group discussion and to talk one-on-one with cyclists at the end of the program." Farthing, remember, is a lawyer too.
• So much information from the Alexandria BPAC meeting. The city doesn't have a bike parking ordinance, Chamblis Crossing project going out to bid soon and more.
• Jack Evans supports the L&M cycletracks. Question: Who opposes them? Answer: Bears.
• Bicycle Space has identified the cyclist who died this week as Duane Esquivel

Sadly, I'll be at a funeral tomorrow and so may not blog.

Friday Morning Commute - Mercury

I got see John Glenn and Scott Carpenter talk last night at the Air & Space Museum. I love living in DC.

• I guess a bike lock won't do much good here. This is on the W&OD.
• “We all have a right to have a car” said President Morales.
• The man accused of shooting Neil Michael Godleski as he biked home from work has been indicted on nine counts including murder. "Police believe that Foreman fired multiple shots at Godleski as he rode his bicycle through the circle, then coldly approached the 31-year-old Catholic University student, firing two more shots at close range"
• After 18 months, VDOT has a new bicycle coordinator, so we can expect all Virginia bicycle problems to be solved by early August.
• Alexandria BPAC is seeking more members. Without you they can't succeed (is that enough guilt, or do I need to get your mother on the phone). 
• I wonder if New York cyclists are going to hate this as much as some DC cyclists did.
• Arlington man wins a trip to Tour de France with a VIP pass courtesy of Cannondale. He'll even be eating with the Liquigas Team.
• DC Guardian Angels looking for volunteers for Met Branch Trail Safety Patrol.

Friday Morning Commute - Chuless Joe Jackson

Happy Bike to Work Day. Bad news: Secretary Chu will not be at the festivities today due to a last-minute meeting at the White House.  Good news: WABA hit their goal of over 10,000 registrants for the first time ever. That's a lot of t-shirts.

• The Alexandria Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee is leading an effort to begin Alexandria's participation in the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project. They're looking for volunteers to count bicyclists. Attending 1 training session will be required to participate as a counter, and folks should RSVP Andrea Hamre ([email protected]) so she knows how many to expect.
• Ray LaHood rode the Napa Valley Vine Trail while in California. (see photo)
• The Dirt and SmartPlanet on the Building Museum bicycling presentation.
• Maryland wants to raise the toll on the Bay Bridge but state Rep. Andy Harris thinks it's unfair. The toll hasn't been raised from $2.50 since 1975. If it raised with inflation it'd be $10.45. So much for "user's fees".
• The Navy Yard has a website and twitter feed to alert users of the promenade open/close status
• This reminds me of "Yo, it's my art museum" from the old TV show thirtysomething.
• Exercise your mind and body at Tour de DCPL II, a bike tour of DC’s public libraries. The event starts at the new Tenley-Friendship Library (4450 Wisconsin Ave., NW) at 9:30 AM, with stops in Georgetown, Cleveland Park, Mount Pleasant, and Petworth. Free; register here.
• And if that, plus Bike DC, isn't enough biking for one weekend, try kidical mass on Saturday.

Monday Morning Commute - Kidical

Good morning

• Sign a petition to encourage Alexandria to pass the Transit Add-on tax. "Fairfax and Arlington counties have used this state approved tax initiative to fund new transit and transportation projects. Alexandria has committed to use any funding for new projects only and not for maintenance/expansion of existing infrastructure. If the tax is not passed, bike projects, already long over due, will be further delayed."
• WABA has several items they'd like NPS and the Secret Service to consider as part of the scoping phase of President's Park South.  These include access, no interference with existing bike facilities, bike parking and space for CaBi.
• WTOP interviews the organizer of Kidical Mass (which is this Saturday). 
• There will be an online chat with DDOT Director Bellamy today at noon.
• Fat chance. "The main line of the Mount Vernon Trail has been paved and is open, but the trail narrows in the construction zone at the bridge. Bicyclists should walk their bikes across the bridge."

Alexandria Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee ("BPAC") Replaces BikeWalk Alexandria

From a press release:

In the winter of 2011, the Alexandria BPAC replaced BikeWalk Alexandria, after BikeWalk Virginia dissolved its local chapter program. BikeWalk Alexandria ("BWA") grew out of the City's Bicycle Study Committee ("BSC"). There has been great continuity of leadership and membership, as many of the active participants in the BSC and BWA have continued their dedication to making Alexandria more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly by contributing to the BPAC.

The BPAC is actively pursuing opportunities to reach out to the community, including participating in the 10th Annual Del Ray Citizens Association Meet-n-Greet in March, 2011, and the City's Earth Day Celebration in April, 2011. We look forward to continuing to partner with the City, other organizations, and residents, to support the advancement of bicycle and pedestrian programming and facilities.

The mission of the BPAC is to provide citizen input in planning and programming bicycle and pedestrian improvements and in promoting bicycling and walking in the City of Alexandria. The BPAC supports multimodal, safe, affordable, clean, healthy, and fun recreation and transportation. Major initiatives for this coming year include supporting Alexandria's renewal application as a Bicycle Friendly Community, and reaching out to local businesses to increase awareness of commuter incentive programs and the Bicycle Friendly Business recognition program. The BPAC is actively positioning itself as a collaborative and active partner of the City and greater community, and seeks to cultivate productive communication between the City and residents regarding bicycling and pedestrian issues.

The BPAC is a strong partner in working toward achieving the multimodal vision set forth in the City's Transportation Master Plan. In that document, the City described seven Guiding Transportation Principles:

1. Alexandria will develop innovative local and regional transit options.
2. Alexandria will provide quality pedestrian and bicycle accommodations.
3. Alexandria will provide all its citizens, regardless of age or ability, with accessibility and mobility.
4. Alexandria will increase the use of communications technology in transportation systems.
5. Alexandria will further transportation policies that enhance quality of life, support livable, urban land use and encourage neighborhood preservation, in accordance with the City Council Strategic Plan.
6.Alexandria will lead the region in promoting environmentally friendly transportation policies.
7. Alexandria will ensure accessible, reliable and safe transportation for older and disabled citizens.

Source

The BPAC supports each and every one of these principles.

They also have a website and a Facebook page.