m-bike.org

Category: General bike news

  • Royal Oak Cyclists: Speak up on Monday!

    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:

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

  • President-Elect Obama and Biking

    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…

  • Metro Times Best Of Awards

    The Metro Times recently published their Best Of awards.  Detroit trails and bicycling walked away with a number of awards.

    Perhaps the most unexpected was the award for Next best thing to light rail for Detroit.  The winner was the Detroit non-motorized transportation master plan.

    Working quietly last month, Detroit City Council heard and approved the Detroit Non-Motorized Transportation Master Plan. That sounds deathly dull, but it’s actually exciting news for the pedalists among us. Though the state had vowed to commit funds to cycling initiatives in Detroit, and Detroit’s Traffic Engineering Department had signed off on the endeavor, the plan had never been brought before council for its approval — something MDOT needed before it would help move things forward. The plan ought to get cyclists pumped: It will track cycling destinations across Detroit with an eye to connecting them with a network of bike trails, lanes and greenways, calling for as many as 400 miles of bike lanes across the city. The plan’s organizers believe lanes could be painted down during normal MDOT road maintenance. And for groups wanting bike lanes in their neck of the woods, working in tandem with the city means it won’t be the uphill slog it used to be.

    Wow!

    Here are the rest of the awards.

    Metro Times People’s Poll

    BEST BICYCLING PATH OR TRAIL
    Dequindre Cut

    BEST PLACE TO ADD BICYCLING PATH OR TRAIL
    Woodward Avenue

    BEST MOUNTAIN BIKING
    Pontiac Recreation Area

    BEST ROAD TO PRETEND YOU’RE LANCE ARMSTRONG
    Hines Drive

    BEST DETROIT RIVERFRONT ATTRACTION
    RiverWalk

    Read more about each People Poll winner at the Metro Times.

    Metro Times Staff Picks

    DETROIT’S BEST STEP FORWARD
    Detroit’s RiverWalk

    BEST WAY TO SUPPORT RIVERWALK
    Buy a brick

    NEXT BEST THING TO LIGHT RAIL FOR DETROIT
    City Bicycling Plan

    BEST PROJECT OF 2008 WE’RE STILL WAITING TO BE FINISHED
    Dequindre Cut Bicycle Path

    BEST URBAN GETAWAY
    University of Michigan-Dearborn natural area (and Rouge Gateway Trail)

    Read more about the Staff Pick’s at the Metro Times.

  • Will Cheap Oil sink the Bike Boom?

    Gasoline at $4 per gallon did wonders for promoting bikes as a lean and green solution.

    The price of oil has dropped 55% since July. Local gas prices are “falling like leaves.”  Daylight is getting more scarce and the temperatures are dropping.   All these factors might mean more bike commuters will be hopping back into their cars.

    We could speculate on this, but the results will come out soon enough.

    The August report from the Federal Highway Administration was recently released.  In summary, vehicle travel dropped 5.6% in August (a 15 billion mile decrease.)  The culmulative vehicle miles for 2008 are down 3.3% or 67.2 billion miles.

    Those decreases aren’t all attributable to more bike commuters.

    According to a special report from Inrix, “While consumers react to the high costs of fuel by decreasing all driving, the most significant impact to consumers is the reduction of discretionary driving.”

    Even so, the report’s survey found that higher gas prices caused 8% of the respondents to bike (and use scooters) more.  That compares well with increases in car pooling (9%) and public transit (7%).

    Inrix also predicts that the drop in gas prices will not lead to significant increases in driving due to the weak economy.   Perhaps the interest in bike will continue

  • MTGA Joins Michigan Fitness Foundation

    [Disclaimer: I work for MTGA.]

    MTGA is actively supporting biking and trail development in the City of Detroit
    MTGA actively supports trail development in the City of Detroit

    The Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance (MTGA) has been through some changes.

    They started as the Michigan office for the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC).  When the RTC shifted their state focus to a regional focus, the Michigan office amicably split and MTGA was the result.

    One issue that MTGA had is it was always chasing grant dollars to keep the wheels turning.  That chasing took time away from the trail projects themselves.  And it was that dilemma that prompted this new partnership with the Michigan Fitness Foundation (MFF).

    “The shifting of the administrative burden will allow us to take the trails movement in Michigan to the next level,” said Nancy Krupiarz, executive director of MTGA. “We will be able to more fully dedicate ourselves to advancing the development of Michigan’s interconnected trailways system.”

    Marilyn Lieber, president and CEO of the Michigan Fitness Foundation, sees this partnership advancing both nonprofits’ missions.

    “A connected system of trails is an essential component of active community environments. Enhancing the opportunities for MTGA staff and its dedicated board members to address trail programs, full time, supports our mission of promoting healthy lifestyles in communities designed to support physical activity.”

    Link: MTGA Press Release