First, we must thank all the cyclists that came to Monday’s City Commission meeting.  It was impressive and that made the difference, as noted below.

And thanks for being patient.  It took more time than expected (and more time than normal) to get to the public comment period.  There’s an old adage that lawmaking is like making sausage.  You don’t want to see how it’s done.  Monday’s meeting was no exception.

But, once we were able to speak about improving cycling in Royal Oak, the Commission listened and acted.  They modified the evening’s agenda and added a discussion on cycling.

That discussion led to the creation of a small bicycling task force that will work with the city manager to develop recommendations on how we can improve biking safety in Royal Oak.

Our task force has already arranged a meeting later this month with Tom Hoover, Royal Oak’s city manager.  The Woodward Avenue Action Association is supportive of our efforts and will participate in this discussion as well.

There was media coverage of the event by the Detroit News, Daily Tribune, and Mirror.

I also got a quote in the November Complete Streets e-Newsletter:

It’s difficult to ride your bike to the zoo when it shouldn’t be.  Royal Oak spends so much on parking.  If we increased the number of people riding bicycles in the city we’d save money.

The Royal Oak Police have found the Jeep Liberty involved in the hit-and-run accident on Woodward which killed Jacqueline Marie Robinson as she biked to work.

According to the Royal Oak Review:

The SUV belonged to a Royal Oak resident and had been already repaired before the department took it in as evidence, O’Donohue said. “(We found the vehicle) through a variety of sources and some really good detective work,” O’Donohue said. “The investigation is continuing. That is all we are really releasing right now.”

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact the Royal Oak police at (248) 246-3515.

Also, donations can be made in the name of Robinson’s mother, Judith Parent, who is caring for the boys. The address is Bank of America, 28746 Woodward, Royal Oak 48067.

Here’s information for an upcoming forum on one of Detroit’s most talked about greenways:

The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy is hosting a Community Forum on Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at Friends School at 5:30 p.m.   The October 28th Forum provided an update on the construction of the Dequindre Cut, the Conservancy’s role in the future of the Dequindre Cut and an update on the East Riverfront.

If you live, work and bike in Royal Oak — we need you on Monday, November 10th at 7:30 PM at City Hall (third floor).

Royal Oak City Environment Committee, the Sierra Club, and concerned local bicyclists are speaking before City Commission to ask for improved bicycle and pedestrian safety in Royal Oak.  In short we are asking them to develop a non-motorized transportation plan.

Here are some tips from Tom Regan, who’s down a lot of work getting us to this point:

We will speak at public comment, which is at the very start of the meeting, so you must be on-time.

Idea — Bike to the event and carry your bicycle helmet into the meeting. Hold your helmet when you speak at public comment.

The themes are very simple. You can address any one or more of these points when you speak:

• Royal Oak can be a dangerous place to ride a bike.
• All Royal Oak citizens will benefit if Royal Oak becomes a safer place to walk and ride a bike.
• Royal Oak should write a non-motorized transportation plan as a way to set community goals and reach them in an intelligent and efficient manner.

Be very brief, or take the whole 5 minutes, or just give your name and address and say “I would like Royal Oak to write a non-motorized transportation plan.” If even that sounds scary just stand next to someone else when they talk and hold your bike helmet!

The local Sierra Club has jumped into this effort with both feet. They are an extremely well-organized and active chapter, we are very fortunate to have their help. The Royal Oak Environment Committee has also endorsed the effort.

Please send your letters-to-the-editor now. There will be a sudden drop in letters with the election over, now is a good time to get published. Nothing long or involved is needed, just dash off something quick on how Royal Oak would benefit if it were safer for walking and biking:

• Royal Oak Mirror
• Royal Oak Review
• Royal Oak Daily Tribune
• Oakland Press

We look forward to seeing some helmets at Monday’s meeting.

Much has been written about the recent U.S. presidential election, but one question for us is, “How does this affect federal bicycling funding and policy?”

Earlier this year the bike industry met with Senator Obama:

Stan Day, SRAM’s president, said that Obama “gets it.” He pointed out that Obama understands that bicycles can be part of a solution to issues as diverse as health care, obesity, energy and environmental policy. “He does his homework and he can connect the dots,” he said.

After winning the election, Obama’s team created a web site to discuss his upcoming term, its direction, and policy.  And it does discuss bicycling among its urban policy goals:

Build More Livable and Sustainable Communities: Our communities will better serve all of their residents if we are able to leave our cars, to walk, bicycle and access other transportation alternatives. As president, Barack Obama will re-evaluate the transportation funding process to ensure that smart growth considerations are taken into account.

Yes, he “gets it.”

And, two of the names being bandied about for his Transportation Director are major cycling supporters: Earl Blumenauer and James Oberstar.  Both would be a huge boost for bicycling and Safe Routes to School advocates.

But we shouldn’t forget how absolutely awesome it was having a serious mountain biker in President George W. Bush.  That did wonders for the perception of mountain biking as a sport; it’s not just for young folks.

o how soon before Obama is riding mountain bike trails?  Certainly that question has already been asked at IMBA.

Stay tuned…