As Columbus continues to promote Get Green ideas, the Mayor is implementing a recommendation from the Green Team of advisers to increase the bicycle-friendliness of major festivals. This season, the City will sponsor a secure bike corral, where riders can park their bikes at the festival and pick them up when heading home, helping reduce the demand for parking, cut car traffic and encourage fitness.

More and more residents are parking the car and pulling out the bikes when the weather improves, to commute to school, work or special events, said Mayor Coleman. Pedal Instead is a simple way that the City can encourage more biking and help people protect their property at major festivals.
Pedal Instead provides a fenced bike corral where riders can lock their bikes, with volunteers keeping watch to prevent theft or damage. Pedal Instead was first tested at the Grange Family Fun Fest in 2006.

Pedal Instead is for anyone, young or old, who enjoys riding a bicycle. You can relax, go at your own pace and not worry about finding a parking place, said David Brehm, co-chair of the Mayor’s Green Team.

Pedal Instead bike corrals will be set up at the following events:

Columbus Arts Festival; June 7-10; Downtown Riverfront
(Bike Corrals available June 9 & 10 only)

Rose Festival; June 9-10; Whetstone Park of Roses

Festival Latino; June 15-16; Downtown Riverfront

Community Festival/Pride Festival; June 23; Goodale Park and
Bicentennial Park

Riverfest; June 30; Downtown Riverfront North Bank Park

Jazz and Rib Fest: July 20-22; Downtown Riverfront

Grange Insurance Family Fun Fest; September 15; Downtown Riverfront Genoa Park

"I can think of a better way to get to Columbus great summer festivals than by getting out with the family and riding our great trails," said Council President Michael C. Mentel. It’s also a great way to save some green by not using the car when we are Getting Green.

This little quick-read manual features approximately several kabillion ideas for how to get by without having a car, and almost as many justifications for why we should do so. Its premise, stated simply, is: owning a car is expensive. And more so than we even realize, by the time we factor in payments, insurance, gas, parking, maintenance, and the time we waste sitting in them each day. Author Chris Balish describes himself as "as mainstream as you can get," with a full-time job, a vibrant social (and dating) life, and all-American meat-eating tendencies. Nevertheless, he walks us through his revolutionary transition to a car-free lifestyle, while addressing the reservations we may have about going car-free or car-lite, detailing how lives could actually–gasp!–improve if we did, and describing how exactly to make it happen.

This is an easy, motivational read that I’d recommend for anyone who has begun to suspect that their auto has become a burden but don’t know what to do about it, who is in debt and looking for ways out, or who is always saying, "I’d love to get rid of my car, but… Its can-do suggestions are well-reasoned and moderate, and it’s truly amazing to read how many alternatives to cars are out there.

http://bit.ly/1DmNzN

This book is among the most essential guides to cycling in urban environments out there, covering everything from appropriate road riding positions to perilous road conditions. It was written by a bike messenger, utilizing the combined experience of dozens of his messenger friends. The author positions himself his biking philosophy between the free-for-all stylings of some and the strict vehicular cycling that advocates for cyclists to act just as cars do on the road. This guy is all about safety, personal responsibility, and moderation — he essentially advocates for bikers to stay alert and pay attention.

Hurst’s writing can be funny, but at times he adopts an annoying bike messenger "X-treme" tone, which didn’t exactly set me to gigglin’…ick…

While I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all urban riders, I struggle to determine when exactly it should be read. On the one hand, I really appreciate that I came across it a couple years into my urban cycling experience. I’m now versed enough in cycling that I have a context for its suggestions, without which I probably would have found the book overwhelming. On the other, I think it it is essential for new riders to have this information before getting out on the road. For new riders – consider both 1) signing up for a biking beginners course AND 2) having this book on hand. Even if you don’t read it straight through, it will be a great resource for you as you learn to be safely on the roads!

http://bit.ly/3rBPde

http://bit.ly/2PflvA covers the Washington D.C. Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 18, where thousands (!!!) of bikers turned out for a ride and an intrepid NPR reporter attempts her first bike commute to work.

The Bicycle Film Festival celebrates the bicycle. We are into all styles of bikes and biking. If you can name it-Tall Bike Jousting, Track Bikes, BMX, Alleycats, Critical Mass, Bike Polo, Cycling to Recumbents- we’ve probably either ridden or screened it. What better way to celebrate these lifestyles than through art, film, music and performance? We bring together all aspects of bicycling together to advocate its ability to transport us in many ways. Ultimately the Fest is about having a good time.

http://bit.ly/4j3Dnb

Another bill has emerged, this time in the House (HB 208 (Latta) which would allow a community to pull out of a regional transit system that levies a sales tax. This would apply beyond the Toledo area where the original SB 88 (Gardner) was focused, and potentially impact many of the urban systems in Ohio.

This version goes even further. Where Gardner’s bill affected communities with a transit related property tax , this bill would allow communities to withdraw and stop paying the sales tax levied by a rail transit authority. This has much bigger consequences for transit. Cuyahoga, Franklin, Lake, Montgomery, Summit, Portage, and Stark counties all have county-wide sales taxes for transit.

Both bills are detrimental to regionalism. Every community in a region has a responsibility to contribute to the efficiency and economic health of the transit system. If we are to make jurisdictional changes to transit membership and tax collection let them be to expand transit membership to include exurban counties and create economies of scale. Communities that are designed with low density, non-compact, non-transit-oriented growth patterns are the number one reason public transit cannot effectively serve their jurisdictions. Letâ??s properly place the responsibility to fix the problem not the blame like HB208 and SB88.

As Introduced

127th General Assembly
Regular Session
2007-2008

H. B. No. 208
Representative Latta
Cosponsor: Representative McGregor, J.

A BILL

To enact section 306.55 of the Revised Code to allow a subdivision that is a member of a regional transit authority to withdraw from the authority.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1. That section 306.55 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 306.55. Any county, municipal corporation, or township that has created or joined a regional transit authority may withdraw from the regional transit authority in the manner provided in this section. The board of county commissioners, legislative authority of the municipal corporation, or board of township trustees of the township proposing to withdraw shall adopt a resolution to submit the question of withdrawing from the regional transit authority to the electors of the territory to be withdrawn and shall certify the proposal to the board of elections for the purpose of having the proposal placed on the ballot at the next general election or at a special election conducted on the day of the next primary election that occurs not less than seventy-five days after the resolution is certified to the board of elections.

Upon certification of a proposal to the board of elections pursuant to this section, the board of elections shall make the necessary arrangements for the submission of the question to the electors of the territory to be withdrawn from the regional transit authority qualified to vote on the question, and the election shall be held, canvassed, and certified in the same manner as regular elections for the election of officers of the subdivision proposing to withdraw from the regional transit authority, except that the question appearing on the ballot shall read:

"Shall the territory within the ……………………. (Name of political subdivision to be withdrawn) be withdrawn from ……………………. ……… (Name) regional transit authority?"

If the question is approved by at least a majority of the electors voting on the question, the withdrawal is effective two years from the date of the certification of its passage.

The board of elections to which the resolution was certified shall certify the results of the election to the board or legislative authority of the subdivision that submitted the resolution to withdraw and to the board of trustees of the regional transit authority from which the subdivision proposed to withdraw.

If the question of withdrawing from the regional transit authority is approved, the power of the regional transit authority to levy and collect any ad valorem or sales and use taxes that it was authorized to levy and collect within the territory of the withdrawing subdivision terminates, except that the authority shall continue to levy and collect taxes for the payment of indebtedness within the territory of the regional transit authority as it existed at the time the indebtedness was incurred.
Upon the passage of the question proposing the withdrawal of any subdivision from a regional transit authority, the board of trustees of the regional transit authority shall ascertain, apportion, and order a division of the funds on hand, credits, moneys, and taxes in the process of collection, except for taxes levied for the payment of indebtedness, and real and personal property, either in money or in kind, between the authority and the withdrawing subdivision on any equitable basis consistent with the resolutions creating the authority and any agreements between the withdrawing subdivision and the authority, taking into consideration the prior contributions of the withdrawing subdivision.

By Paul Overberg and Larry Copeland, USA TODAY

The average American motorist is driving substantially fewer miles for the first time in 26 years because of high gas prices and demographic shifts, according to a USA TODAY analysis of federal highway data.

The growth in miles driven has leveled off dramatically in the past 18 months after 25 years of steady climbs despite the addition of more than 1 million drivers to the nation’s streets and highways since 2005. Miles driven in February declined 1.9% from February 2006 before rebounding slightly for a 0.3% year-over-year gain in March, data from the Federal Highway Administration show. That’s in sharp contrast to the average annual growth rate of 2.7% recorded from 1980 through 2005.

CUTTING BACK: Drivers begin to look ‘outside the box’
"You have demographic shifts, traffic congestion and increased gas prices," says Ed McMahon, senior research fellow at the Urban Land Institute, a non-profit group that promotes innovative development. "For the first time in recent history, the rate of vehicle miles traveled is not increasing at the rate it was for 25 years. It’s having an effect and is changing in subtle ways the way people think about their driving."

The nation has not seen such stagnant growth in driving since 1981, when the USA staggered through an oil shortage and a recession. Gas prices reached an all-time high of $3.223 in March 1981 when adjusted for inflation in today’s dollars.

During the past 18 months, the nation’s population and workforce have grown by just over 1% a year, so an annual gain of 0.3% indicates a decrease in miles per person.

"Thirty-five to 40% of personal miles traveled is work commutes," says Bill Veno, director of global refined products for Cambridge Energy Research Associates, a Boston-based energy consulting firm. "If you continue to grow the employment base, that would tend to push (miles driven) upwards."

Americans are driving about 200 million to 300 million fewer miles a day than they would be if the annual growth rate of 1.9% from 2000-2005 had continued.

Factors contributing to the slowdown:

â?¢Soaring gas prices. Seven of 10 Americans are combining trips and taking other steps to reduce driving, according to a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll May 4-6. Don Harrison, 32, of Indianapolis, no longer visits his relatives across town on the weekend; he saves gas by simply calling them.

â?¢Expanded public transportation. More people took public transit last year than at any time in 49 years. "We’re seeing suburban locations create new transit systems," says William Millar, president of the American Public Transportation Association. "They’re expanding into areas that never thought they needed transit because they could do everything by car."

â?¢Slower growth of minority and women drivers and the aging of the population. Except for African-Americans, minority groups drive at high rates, and the annual growth in women drivers has slowed, says Alan Pisarski, an expert on commuting patterns. Also, he says, people on average drive less after age 55.

â?¢Demographic shifts that de-emphasize the need to drive. Many Americans, particularly young, upwardly mobile singles, are moving downtown and revitalizing cities. "(They) don’t have to live the way of the Ozzie and Harriet model â?? two parents, suburban, who drive to the city," McMahon says.

Contributing: Theodore Kim of The Indianapolis Star

Find this article at:
http://bit.ly/3jPb30

Confession: I still have qualms about whether to wait for a stoplight to change. Usually I base my decision on whether I think the light will be triggered by my bike, or if it is on a timer, or if there is no traffic. Ideally, I would follow all the same rules of the road as a car. Sometimes, I have to use more judgement, and keep moving. So far, so good– no traffic tickets. What do others think of this approach? I’ve seen some cyclists just blow right on through some intersections, like northbound at the T-intersection on High St. near the Convention Center.

I believe that if we cyclists want our due respect on the road from cars and other traffic, we need to behave as if we are worthy of it.

It seems like several times a week, I encounter another bike rider who is coming at me on the wrong side of the road. What should I do? Clearly they need some instruction. Often this is somebody in the inner city, without a helmet, riding an old junker bike (maybe not even in a very straight line or very fast). These riders may be only riding locally for a few blocks.
Q. Is there a polite way to advise them? How can I avoid a crash? Should I even bother about politeness when safety is at stake?

Close shave: My worst near-miss (riding in another bigger city) was being passed on the right by a bike messenger as I approached an intersection and stoplight, while preparing to turn right. He didn’t stop for the red light nor give an audible signal, and blew by me on my right before continuing straight through the intersection. Whew– I was lucky we didn’t both crash, merely brushed his arm.

Which is the best to use? I need a new one…

I do stop…most of the time…I mean, I like to think that even if I do stop, people around me can see that 1) I simply made a mistake and didn’t slow down in time or 2) I am not flagrantly disregarding the stop light but rather making a choice to do so for a specific reason (i.e., it’s a t-intersection and no cars are coming and it’s about to turn green, etc etc.).

I agree that it’s important to respect the rules of the road, as long as we’re asking for respect from drivers!

Two posts in Salon.com’s "How the World Works" blog:

{1}
http://bit.ly/1nw6cV

{2}
http://bit.ly/2FAAHV

Be careful of the U-locks that can be picked with a bic pen. Anyone know if they are still making these? http://bit.ly/2bunnf

Oh, according to wikipedia they quit making these in this style in 2004: http://bit.ly/2S76Js

Good article: http://bit.ly/1PLflh

I can’t find the ovular or circular locks that are lik U-locks… but not. I think I may have dreamed that. I swear I saw them.

So a good biker friend, as well as several of the April meeting attendees, have recommended that we begin addressing ourselves to the powers that be. A letter writing campaign, as it were. For a while I was thinking this would be "too much too soon," and I didn’t know what we would say to the leadership.

But that’s kinda silly, no?

I actually think it would be interesting if we could, as a community, draft a letter to City Council to 1) introduce Consider Biking, 2) volunteer our services as knowledgeable advocates and powerful stakeholders, and 3) request to be included in all major traffic and/or planning conversations.

Here, I’ll start.

__________________________________________________________

Dear City Council Member:

We are pleased to introduce you to the newest biking organization in Columbus — Consider Biking, a community of passionate commuter cyclists who frequent our city’s roadways and trails.

Consider Biking’s Mission and Vision are:

vision
Consider Biking envisions a Columbus in which all citizens are made aware of the individual- and community-level benefits associated with biking, and that biking for transportation becomes a real option for an ever-expanding percentage of the population.

mission
Consider Biking provides a dynamic forum through which all members of the local biking community, and new bike commuters, are connected. The web site yaybikes.com will foster discussion, instruction, collaboration, and outreach to all the citizens of Columbus, such that they are empowered to consider bicycles among their vehicles of choice for transportation.

[and here is where y'all step in!!]

Sincerely,
Meredith Joy, Founder, Consider Biking
Joe Schmoe, avid cyclist…
Barb Bro, shop owner….
etc…

The u lock thing was a big deal back then.

Here is my opinion on locks.
There are two basic types. Cable/Chain and U lock.

The cable/chain lock is easier to carry when not being used but easier to break.

The u lock is harder to carry but harder to break.

For high crime area. campus etc., some people use both at the same time. A u lock usually does a good job but sometimes you just need more. The idea is to make it take the thief to long to get your bike. he will move to an easier target.

I use a cable lock and I have had no problems. I haven’t needed to park my bike any dangerous areas.

Another important issue is how you lock the bike. You need to go through the front wheel and the frame at the same time. How many times have you seen a bike locked to a post with no front wheel or a wheel locked to a post with no bike! Also don’t lock it to something that could be bent, broken or the bike lifted off of.

I hope this helps!