March 11, 201015 yr Ok, I got a couple responses on bike forums about Cincy bike shops. Reiser's in Newport and Wheelie Fun in Lebanon were both suggested.
March 11, 201015 yr ^Thank you!! "It's just fate, as usual, keeping its bargain and screwing us in the fine print..." - John Crichton
March 15, 201015 yr Columbus plan Recession put brakes on miles of new bike trails Monday, March 15, 2010 2:51 AM By Bill Bush THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The City After a ceremonious kickoff almost two years ago, the city of Columbus has made little progress on its plan to add 50 miles of bicycle projects, including new trails. Plans to spend tens of millions of dollars by 2012 building bike bridges, trails, lanes along roads, and other improvements largely have gone nowhere, even though voters approved a bond issue in November 2008 that city officials said would help finance the projects. The recession caused the city to scale back the plans, said Public Service spokesman Rick Tilton. Full story at: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/03/15/copy/recession-put-brakes-on-miles-of-new-trails.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
March 17, 201015 yr Maybe ODOT, especially the folks planning the Inner Belt, better pay attention. The USDOT is saying that if you want federal DOT dollars, you better think more seriously about adding bike paths to the projects you propose..... Transportation Secretary Announces "Sea-Change" for American Transport: Bikes! BY CLIFF KUANGTue Mar 16, 2010 Ray LaHood, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, has just announced a "sea-change" in American transit planning: As he writes on his blog, "People across America who value bicycling should have a voice when it comes to transportation planning. This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized." LaHood's announcement has been bubbling for some time: The DOT is already funding bike-lane initiatives in Philadelphia and Indianapolis, and LaHood, a darling among green-minded urban planners, has a penchant for dropping by bike conferences and getting everyone all fired up. But this latest news is backed by a set of eight guidelines, which will be sent to state DOT's and communities: READ MORE AT: http://www.fastcompany.com/1585460/ray-lahood-announced-sea-change-for-american-transport-bikes "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
March 31, 201015 yr Pittsburgh’s Biking Moment Laura Walsh | Mar 29th, 2010 Last week, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a landmark policy acknowledging that “walking and bicycling foster safer, more livable, family-friendly communities; promote physical activity and health; and reduce vehicle emissions and fuel use.” The statement asserted that bicycling and walking are to be considered “equals with other transportation modes” and that future planning should accommodate “bicyclists and pedestrians as an integral element of the transportation system.” The next day, the Pittsburgh City Council approved an ordinance mandating a minimum amount of bike parking for new and re-zoned commercial construction, depending on square footage. The vote in support of the measure was unanimous, and followed two years of hard work by the staff and members of Bike Pittsburgh, unaffiliated bike riders, concerned residents and the Planning Commission. Full story at: http://americancity.org/buzz/entry/2156/
April 1, 201015 yr This includes bikeway improvements Ohio makes getting to school safer for students ODOT targets record $11 million to Safe Routes to School projects COLUMBUS (Thursday, April 1, 2010) – With projects aimed at keeping children from walking in the streets or along train tracks to increasing the number of police officers watching over school zones, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) will invest a record $11 million to make getting to school safer for students in 41 Ohio communities. The $11 million in federal transportation funds to be invested this year will represent the most ODOT has invested in its successful Safe Routes to School program since it began in 2004. In all, ODOT will fund 66 projects ranging in size from $1,650 to $500,000. Among the largest projects to be funded, the city of Columbus will receive $500,000 to construct new sidewalks and a safer railroad crossing to prevent children at Westmoor Middle and Valleyview Elementary schools from walking along dangerous railroad tracks to get to school. The city will receive an additional $500,000 for new signage and crosswalks to provide for safer intersections near two elementary schools. Other large investments include the village of Sheffield who will receive $500,000 for a new walkway to connect large residential areas to Sheffield Middle and William Barr Elementary schools. Approximately 1,400 students are expected to use the walkway when it is complete. The village of Chagrin Falls will also receive $500,000 for pavement markings, which will increase visibility at intersections. Other construction projects include: 100,000 to the city of Athens for construction of two hillside stairwells to serve two schools and $105,000 to the city of Gahanna for construction of a designated bike lane along a busy roadway. Another 17 communities around Ohio will receive funding to increase law enforcement near school zones or to develop educational materials and events which encourage more students to walk or bike to school. This includes $1,650 to the city of Cambridge for safety town designed to teach elementary students about roadway safety. According to the Ohio Department of Health, since 1980, the prevalence of obesity has tripled among school-age children, and it remains high at approximately 17%. Aimed at elementary and middle schools, ODOT’s Safe Routes to School program is part of a national movement to create safe, convenient, and fun opportunities for children to walk and bike to and from schools. ### For more information contact: Scott Varner, ODOT Central Office Communications, at 614-644-8640 Or Your Local ODOT District Communications Office
April 1, 201015 yr I'm from Chagrin and not many students walk to school. It is impossible to walk to the elementary school and the number that walk to the others is very small. $500,000 for pavement markings seems a bit ridiculous for one of the wealthiest communities in Ohio. Congrats to them for getting it but it could have been used better somewhere else.
April 8, 201015 yr We're #39! We're #39! The Top 50 Bike Friendly Cities in the U.S. BY ARIEL SCHWARTZTue Apr 6, 2010 Wondering whether it's a good idea to ride your bike to work? Bicycling Magazine has put together a handy list of the top 50 bike friendly cities in the U.S. (Spoiler alert) Congratulations, Minneapolis, Minn.! Some of the choices are obvious--the list would be suspect if cities like San Francisco, Portland, and New York City weren't included--but others might surprise you. Did you know, for example, that over 5% of Gainesville, Florida, residents commute by bike (it's a town built around the University of Florida, after all)? Or that Fargo, North Dakota, has over 200 miles of bike paths? All of the cities listed have populations of 100,000 or more, and California kind of got the shaft--Bicycling Magazine aimed for geographic diversity "to avoid having a list dominated by California’s many bike-oriented cities." We would also like to see some kind of ranking--surely some of these cities are superior to others. The list is handy overall, though, and clicking on each city reveals why it was picked. The magazine also has a separate list of the top 5 biking cities with populations of 100,000 of less for claustrophobic riders. Continued: http://www.fastcompany.com/1608689/the-top-50-bike-friendly-cities-in-the-us
April 8, 201015 yr I see Indianapolis on that map; they continue to develop and refine a system with some gorgeous routes for both recreational and work/shopping destinations, and the Monon Trail seems to be a sort of central artery connecting various others. On a pleasant weekday after business hours, or on a weekend, the traffic around Broadripple and Carmel can get really dense. I expect that Fort Wayne will make that map soon. The city's greenway system has strong support from the mayor's office and is gaining a lot of community-wide support. While the original system was primarily recreational, and didn't provide much utilitarian function, there's strong emphasis now on remedying that by extending the system and upgrading the quality of existing trails. The Northwest and Southwest affluent suburban areas have had no safe access to/from the central business district by other than private car and limited, infrequent bus service. Now Aboite Township and St. Joseph Township are building their own trail systems with an eye toward connecting them directly with the city's system. The interest of affluent potential users is producing paths built to very high standards in those areas, and I haven't heard the storm of NIMBY protest that often comes from trail-building efforts in affluent 'burbs.
April 13, 201015 yr Students warned on Ball State bicycling buttocks slapper WBBM, April 9, 2010 MUNCIE, Ind. (AP/WBBM) -- An Indiana college and a mysterious bicyclist have become the butt of jokes after reports that the rider slapped two women on their buttocks as they walked on campus. (...) The women described the bicycle as a 1950s-style bicycle, with large blue tires, and big round handlebars painted chrome. -- Should be hard to find...
April 13, 201015 yr Clash of the Bearded Ones Hipsters, Hasids, and the Williamsburg street. By Michael Idov, New York Magazine, April 11, 2010 On a windy Monday night, Pete’s Candy Store—a bar in Williamsburg with a railcar-shaped performance space in the back—is crammed to capacity with the thin and the bearded. Almost no one is drinking. The mood is pregame, expectant and nervous. We’re at one of the oddest New York City powwows in recent memory: a panel designed to quell a metastasizing dispute between bicyclists and Hasidic Jews. Except no Hasids are present. For a moment, it looks like the bicyclists will have to debate themselves. At immediate issue is the Bedford Avenue bike lane. It’s the longest in Brooklyn and runs through every imaginable ethnic enclave—including the South Williamsburg redoubt of the Satmars, the ultra-Orthodox Hasidic Jewish sect. In December, after many complaints from the Satmars about “scantily clad” female riders, the city sandblasted off a small stretch of the lane; some enterprising bikers painted it back in protest; the city then painted over the unauthorized paint job. Now two activists are up on criminal-mischief charges, the lane is gone, and the two groups are glowering at each other with even less empathy than usual. Worse yet, each group finds itself standing in for a larger one in a larger fight: the Satmars for all Orthodox Jews and the bikers for all young secular Williamsburgers, i.e. hipsters.
April 14, 201015 yr Transportation's bicycle policy hits potholes By JOAN LOWY (AP) – 1 hour ago WASHINGTON — Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, a weekend bicyclist, might consider keeping his head down and his helmet on. A backlash is brewing over his new bicycling policy. LaHood says the government is going to give bicycling — and walking, too — the same importance as automobiles in transportation planning and the selection of projects for federal money. The former Republican congressman quietly announced the "sea change" in transportation policy last month. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h1IO2TqfWSOq0BkSo0JPJbw2RGyAD9F2SMPG0
April 14, 201015 yr Key: "This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized (vehicles)." Yes!
April 14, 201015 yr Congressman Latourette used his position as a member of the Republican majority to get $20 million to fund two rail-trails in his district. That pork barrel spending helped him to prevail over opponents such as Capri Cafaro. Now Latourette is being a dick: "So is it his thought that perhaps we're going to have, like, rickshaws carrying cargo from state to state, or people with backpacks?" asked the congressman (Latourette).
April 16, 201015 yr Here is a slightly different article I had cached up: Obama Bicycle Policy Wins Love From Cyclists, Scorn From Trucking Industry By Joan Lowy, AP, April 14, 2010 WASHINGTON — Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, a weekend bicyclist, might consider keeping his head down and his helmet on. A backlash is brewing over his new bicycling policy. LaHood says the government is going to give bicycling – and walking, too – the same importance as automobiles in transportation planning and the selection of projects for federal money. The former Republican congressman quietly announced the "sea change" in transportation policy last month.
April 17, 201015 yr Congressman Latourette used his position as a member of the Republican majority to get $20 million to fund two rail-trails in his district. That pork barrel spending helped him to prevail over opponents such as Capri Cafaro. Now Latourette is being a dick: "So is it his thought that perhaps we're going to have, like, rickshaws carrying cargo from state to state, or people with backpacks?" asked the congressman (Latourette). Local governments in areas like mine (Northeast Indiana) are beginning to aggressively promote utilitarian cycling (work, shopping, errands) as an alternative to driving, and paying closer attention to quality and functionality while building and expanding path and trail systems. Even though the city, for the first time I can remember in the thirty-odd years since the first designated bike route was opened in Fort Wayne, last winter used park-department equipment to plow and sweep the greenway, bicycles are useful for most local people 6 - 8 months of the year, at most. A much smaller number of hardy individuals bike year-around. I think a lot of elected officials' advocacy for bikes as utilitarian transport is politically motivated to capitalize on the current groundswell of pro-environment sentiment. Unfortunately, any sudden change in public policy inevitably results in a backlash which, exacerbated by economic conditions that won't change soon, may cause a lot of progress to be lost with funds for maintenance cut off and some networks and connections left uncompleted. I didn't see many bikes at the Tea Party rally on the courthouse plaza - maybe two besides my own. Political and social change always happen slowly, either in short bursts interrupted and partially reversed by backlash, or in increments that progress slowly and quietly and avoid evoking reaction. There are times and places for both approaches.
April 17, 201015 yr But they'd be missing the opportunity to prove how much they don't believe in global warming. They won't be able to for much longer, because Obama's going to take away their gas guzzlers along with their guns. Once the Green Nazis are through with us, and they've taken our cars and managed to exert control over all facets of our lives, we'll have all the time in the world to ride bicycles. It is for this reason bicycles are socialist and fascist and unAmerican.
April 18, 201015 yr We have to get their guns first, so they won't be able to barricade themselves in their 4,000-square-foot suburban homes with three-car garages and resist when we come to get their Navigators and Escalades. No need to worry about the Lexus GS460s, though; they will have all rolled over by then. Come to think of it, there were a lot (alot) of big pickups and SUVs parked in the vicinity of the rally. That's doesn't really signify anything here, though; that's typical of anyplace, anytime in Northeast Indiana. You'll even see them with Indiana's Environment license plates and save-the-whales and no-nukes type bumper stickers.
April 22, 201015 yr Ha, you guys are killing me! I took a bike downtown last year to check out a tea party gathering. I was merely watching not trying to grab any attention and sure enough had some guy decided to throw garbage at me. I didn't react though, I felt it was best to find another place to ride. Rob, I agree with your post about bike infrastructure and the politics around them. We have very little bicycle infrastructure in Canton so I think the few local bike commuters are pretty used to using the roads as they are. Any additional accommodations would be a bit of a lifestyle upgrade for us of course. I'm sure bicycle specific infrastructure could encourage new riders. Canton does have a master plan and every parks official I have talked to has been wonderful and enthusiastic. One of the local bike club riders works for SARTA and convinced them to equip all of the busses with bike racks this year. Progress is slow but I think Canton is heading in the right direction. Did anyone hear the Tony Kornheiser non-sense? I realize that is all part of his shock-jock persona but he crossed a sensitive line. On a positive note, hasn't this been an amazing spring? I'm loving this weather.
April 22, 201015 yr If no one has had the chance to see this, I would just like to share it with everyone! Someone sent me this video and I felt that it needed to be passed around. Enjoy :)
April 22, 201015 yr Yeah, that was circulating on bikeforums.net and in the bridge's thread. The first 5 secs in I didn't want to like it... got to say it was really good though.
April 22, 201015 yr Amen to the great weather, mkeller, but boo to the bad attitudes out there. I had more altercations with pedestrians and motorists on my ride this morning than the last season in its entirety. They must've been tea partiers...
April 23, 201015 yr I thought the current plans called for a separate bike path for the Innerbelt span? The renderings that I have for it, from ODOT, show a separated and dedicated path and approach ramps.
April 25, 201015 yr I thought the current plans called for a separate bike path for the Innerbelt span? The renderings that I have for it, from ODOT, show a separated and dedicated path and approach ramps. It would be nice if there was a separate bike path for the Innerbelt because as much as I like to view the city, sometimes I would like to take a shorter way. I haven't heard anything about a separate path, but it would be a great investment in m opinion!!!
April 30, 201015 yr But but but but... what about my green grass on the golf course???? :'( Cyclocross course coming to Devou By Scott Wartman, Kentucky Enquirer, April 29, 2010 COVINGTON - Cyclists will carve out more paths in the woods of Devou Park, this time to cater to the growing sport of cyclocross. Madeira resident Matt Bell, a founding member of Dark Horse Racing, presented this week before the Covington City Commission plans to build a two-mile cyclocross course in an unused woodland on the west side of Devou Park. City officials expressed enthusiasm for the project and have embraced the sport of cyclocross, which involves cyclists climbing hills, leaping hurdles and carrying bikes over obstacles on a course. The Cincinnati International Cyclocross Festival last October brought more than 400 cyclists from around the world to Devou Park for the first race of the three-day festival.
May 1, 201015 yr Dayton awarded bike-friendly status Columbus also lauded for promoting bicycling; Troy gets honorable mention. By Ken McCall, Staff Writer Updated 3:50 AM Saturday, May 1, 2010 Dayton is joining Columbus as the only cities in Ohio to be designated as “bike friendly.” The League of American Bicyclists today, May 1, will give Dayton and 15 cities across the country a bronze award for their efforts to promote bicycling. Troy was one of two Ohio cities to get an honorable mention. Dayton city leaders hope the honor from the league will lead to better things to come. full article-- http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/dayton-awarded-bike-friendly-status-682173.html
May 3, 201015 yr Dayton is whooping the rest of urban Ohio's spandex wearing behinds when it comes to bicycle-friendliness [except Columbus].
May 3, 201015 yr News VIDEO: Plan for rumble strips puts cyclists at risk, some say Monday, May 3, 2010 By RICHARD PAYERCHIN [email protected] OBERLIN — A state plan to increase safety for drivers will put cyclists at risk on the roads, area bike riders say. State transportation officials and Northeast Ohio riders are at odds about new rumble stripes — or, depending who you ask, “grumble” stripes — planned for some area state routes. The stripes are grooves ground into the road berm... ...However, cyclists say the rumble stripes are nearly impossible to ride over, eat up limited berm space and will force cyclists out into the path of high-speed traffic. “It’s a slap in the face to the bicycling community,” said Ed Stewart, founder of the Silver Wheels Cycling Club Inc., which has more than 200 members, mostly from Lorain County. “They’re doing this without regard to the safety issues that cyclists must deal with... For more information, visit:* www.silverwheelscycling.com/* www.lorainwheelmen.org* www.dot.state.oh.us/districts/d03/* www.noaca.org/* The Lorain County Bicycle Transportation Map is available at http://www.noaca.org/Lorbike.pdf. URL: http://www.morningjournal.com/articles/2010/05/03/news/mj2677092.prt © 2010 morningjournal.com, a Journal Register Property
May 3, 201015 yr They're not a problem if you come onto them accidentally, but you can't ride on rumble strips for any length of time, and they can cause control problems or pinch flats. Of course the other problem with riding on the shoulder (briefly mentioned in the article) is that they're usually strewn with debris, so you're in may cases required to ride in the travel lane anyway. I don't see an easy solution to this one.
May 3, 201015 yr Thinking about it again, I'm realizing they are probably for a long stretch of road, and I can see where that would be an issue. Where I've ridden over them, they were just placed to slow people down for a school zone. So you'd ride over a few patches and be done with it. In that case, they aren't a big deal. Less jarring than streetcar tracks! The only solution to the debris issue I can think of is severe fines for littering.
May 3, 201015 yr Yeah, this is the kind of thing they're talking about: Unfortunately the solution to debris on the shoulder isn't so easy either. While some of it is litter, most seems to be gravel, shredded tire retreads, bits of metal from rusted tailpipes, and other everyday bits of deteriorating pavement and vehicles.
May 3, 201015 yr The solution is obviously to build more roads, so we can junk them up, too, and not maintain or clean the ones we already have.
May 3, 201015 yr Sharing the road with bicycles is hardly a hardship Nobody's time is so important they can't look out for the little guy By Michael Dresser, The Baltimore Sun, May 3, 2010 There are many dreadful burdens in this cruel life we lead: disease, heartbreak, war, taxes and death. But despite all the anguished cries from drivers who balk at the slightest delay, sharing the roads with bicyclists just doesn't rank in the same class. You wouldn't know that from some of the reactions on the Getting There blog to a recent item about a bill that establishes a buffer between motor vehicles and bicycles. The way some people carry on, you'd think they'd been sentenced to drive at bike speed in perpetuity. The law that passed the General Assembly is simple enough. It tells the folks in cars and trucks and those testosterone-fueled Dodge Rams to allow 3 feet of distance between their vehicles and the bicyclists they are passing. It's something drivers should be doing already.
May 4, 201015 yr Good news for making Columbus a more bike-friendly city... 20 PERCENT FEWER SPACES REQUIRED City eases rule for parking lots Tuesday, May 4, 2010 2:53 AM By Robert Vitale THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The City Less of Columbus will be swallowed up by parking lots under legislation approved last night to reduce the number of spaces required at shopping centers, restaurants and office buildings. And for the first time, the city will require developers to include bicycle racks outside nearly every type of business. "It's a significant change," said City Councilwoman Priscilla R. Tyson, who sponsored the plan. City Council members passed the plan unanimously. Full story at: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/05/04/copy/city-eases-rule-for-parking-lots.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
May 5, 201015 yr Good news for making Columbus a more bike-friendly city... 20 PERCENT FEWER SPACES REQUIRED City eases rule for parking lots Tuesday, May 4, 2010 2:53 AM By Robert Vitale THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The City Less of Columbus will be swallowed up by parking lots under legislation approved last night to reduce the number of spaces required at shopping centers, restaurants and office buildings. And for the first time, the city will require developers to include bicycle racks outside nearly every type of business. "It's a significant change," said City Councilwoman Priscilla R. Tyson, who sponsored the plan. City Council members passed the plan unanimously. Full story at: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/05/04/copy/city-eases-rule-for-parking-lots.html?adsec=politics&sid=101 Awesome!
May 6, 201015 yr ANYONE can do this... Man Loses Job, Health Insurance, And More Than 100 Pounds By Laura Bassett, Huffington Post, May 4, 2010 Mike Covington lost his job at the Louisville Courier-Journal in October 2008, a week shy of having worked there for 32 years. Last month, after more than a year of unsuccessful job searching, the 59-year-old photographer and graphic designer received his final unemployment check. "My COBRA ran out halfway through April, unemployment ran out probably a week before that," said Covington, who lives by himself in Georgetown, Indiana. "I never thought with all the skills I have that I wouldn't be able to find a job. I feel like I've just been forgotten. It's creepy. Because of a pre-existing heart condition, Covington says his health insurance would be almost a thousand dollars a month, which he won't be able to afford for the first time in his life. But instead of sitting around and feeling sorry for himself, he decided to start riding his bike.
May 11, 201015 yr Drivers, bicyclists clash on road sharing By Steve Almasy, CNN (CNN) -- Professor Peter Furth has ridden his bicycle to work at Northeastern University each day for the past six years. The two-mile trip through the Boston suburb of Brookline, Massachusetts, is usually without incident. Furth's journey is worlds apart from his former Boston commute, which for 13 years was a battle with drivers who wanted him on the sidewalk. "I've had motorists that drive a couple of inches from my elbow, trying to scare me," he said. Furth would catch up with drivers at stoplights and ask them whether they knew how close they'd come to hitting him. Invariably, they would say, "Yes, move over." It's a cultural thing, he said. Full story at: http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/05/11/bicycle.wars/index.html?hpt=C2
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