Open house to discuss Centennial Trail gap

Calling all Centennial Trail users: Here's a meeting you won't want to miss. The City of Spokane is conducting an open house to present seven preliminary alternatives to address a gap in the Centennial Trail as it crosses East Mission Avenue at North Perry Street. The open house is designed to gather public input and will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 8, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Stevens Elementary School in the multi-purpose room, 1717 E. Sinto Avenue.
The Centennial Trail runs along the Spokane River beginning at Nine Mile Falls, crossing over the Washington/Idaho state line, and ending at Higgins Point on Lake Coeur d’Alene. A number of gaps along the trail remain. This meeting will address a feasibility study for an improved crossing for pedestrians and bicyclists at Mission Avenue.
That crossing has never been an easy one. It's an extremely busy arterial with Perry and Upriver Drive connecting. Also, the BNSF Railway line running north of Spokane crosses Mission and the trail at Mission Avenue.

The open house will provide project scope, highlight the issues and present preliminary alternatives. The City hopes to have a large turnout at the open house to gather public opinion about the options that are available.

Original Article

Hwy 95 Trail...The first step was a success!

The meeting to adopt the 95 trail last night was a success! Thanks to all of you attending! The overwhelming support definitely made a difference. The Parks and Recreation Commission voted for this issue to pass to the General Services Committee meeting on January 7th at noon in the CDA Library Community Room. General Services is made up of 3 members of the City Council. If we can show the same amount of community support at that meeting our chances of getting the approval to go to full council will be much higher. I know noon is a difficult time, but this committee may be a tougher sale so hopefully we'll get enough people to show. Another important meeting will be held the next evening on the 8th at Hayden City Hall. The Hayden City Council will be voting to approve their portion that night and the vote could go either way....so please show up to that meeting as well. A special thank you goes out to all of you that made the drive in blustery weather from the Silver Valley. And to those of you that spoke....you each made made very compelling arguments that helped sway the vote!

Highway 95 Trail

The Idaho Transportation Department is poised to build a 16 mile bike path along Highway 95 from Highway 53 north to Granite Hill and possibly rebuild 8 miles of trail from Appleway north to Hwy 53. This would bring a trail from Coeur d’Alene to Sandpoint close to completion. ITD’s policy on building trail facilities is to build and abandon since they don’t have the resources to maintain trails. In order for ITD to build this trail they must have a commitment from the City of Coeur d’Alene, Kootenai County, and the City of Hayden to maintain the trail. This is a one-time offer and if any of the agencies turns down this offer then ITD will not build the trail and we lose 2.2 million dollars’ worth of trail facilities. Please attend the Coeur d’Alene Parks and Recreation Commission meeting at the CDA Library on Monday, December 17^th at 5:30pm in the Community Room to show your support for this trail. Without the support of the community there is a chance the commission will pass on this opportunity. Another very important meeting to attend is the Hayden City Council meeting on Tuesday, January 8^th at 5:30 at Hayden City Hall on Government Way. Please show up and let them know of your support as well.

Cyclists and Pedestrians Can End Up Spending More Each Month Than Drivers

Kelly Clifton has heard this stereotype a number of times: "Cyclists are just a bunch of kids who don’t have any money," says the professor of civil and environmental engineering at Portland State University. "They ride their bikes to a coffee shop, they sit there for four hours with their Macintoshes, they’re not really spending any money."


If you’re a shopkeeper with such suspicions, you’re probably not on board with any plan that would cut down on parking right outside your door. Cyclists are the ones with time to kill; drivers are the ones with money.
This perception is problematic in a place like Portland, where the bike-friendly city government is now looking to extend the reach of bike infrastructure – and the appeal of bikes themselves – to newer riders and neighborhoods farther afield from the urban core. "As we move out beyond those areas into more auto-oriented areas," Clifton says, "we start to see businesses say, ‘Hey, wait a minute. You’re taking away on-street parking to put in bike lanes, you’re taking away the one parking spot in front of my store to put in a bike corral. I don’t see many bikers around here. So what does this mean for me?"
Until now there hasn’t been much empirical evidence to allay such concerns. Clifton and several colleagues have attempted to fill that research gap in a project for the Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium (read a PDF of the draft report here). They surveyed 1,884 people walking out of area convenience stores, restaurants and bars, and another 19,653 who’d just done their supermarket shopping. Some of the results are unsurprising: Drivers still make up a plurality of customers to all of these businesses. And, with greater trunk capacity, they far outspend people who travel to the grocery store by foot, bike or transit.
Click here for the entire article

Cool Bike Designs

Although most bikes nowadays look relatively the same, designers in the past few years have decided to make more modern designs. To be innovative. To become famous. Or, just to get a few strange looks.


 Although I don't feel inclined to try this electric bike from Yuji Fujimura, there are some that I definitely want to add to my wish list.

 

This hybrid city bike by Peter Dudas could become the next big thing. It has a sleek design and is most importantly different, in a good way. There's no doubt we would stand out while riding this.

For more cool designs go to...

http://www.tripwiremagazine.com/2012/01/creative-bicycle-designs.html

Traffic Pong!

Nine Reasons to Create a Bicycle-Friendly Business District

There is compelling evidence for the economic and livability benefits Bicycle-Friendly Business Districts (BFBDs) can bring to businesses and neighborhoods.
We asked a national expert, April Economides, to educate us about those benefits. Earlier this week Economides explained the concept of BFBDs and how they are spreading throughout the community earlier this week in our story “Emerging Trend: Bicycle-Friendly Business Districts.” Economides created the nation’s first Bike-Friendly Business District program for the City of Long Beach and has launched similar efforts in San Diego and Oakville (Canada). She speaks around the U.S. and Canada about “The Business Case for Bicycling” and Bike-Friendly Business Districts. For the complete article click here.

The future of the Bicycle?

When Israeli designer Izhar Gafni heard that someone built a usable, watertight canoe out of cardboard, one thought began to obsess him: What about a cardboard bike? The result is the world’s first paper bicycle, an uber-efficient, beautifully designed, and eminently sustainable tool that could change transportation the world over.
Gafni’s final product, a striking cycle painted in lacquered, waterproof white with a bright red seat, costs just $9 to $12 in materials ($5 for a kids version), weighs 20 pounds, and supports a total weight of up to 485 pounds. They key to the bike’s design is that paper’s strength increases exponentially as it’s folded — Gafni compares it to origami, noting, “if you fold it once, it’s almost three times the strength.”
The impact that the bike’s design could have is hard to underestimate. The project, which Gafni is currently raising funding for, could put wheeled transportation in the hands of those who couldn’t otherwise afford it. The $9 bike reminds me of the XO One Laptop Per Child project, which designed a cheap, accessible, internet-enabled laptop for just $199 and created a program in which buyers could purchase an extra computer to send to children in third-world countries. Could we soon see a rash of high-design cardboard bikes taking over the streets of both New York City and rural India?

This is pretty interesting...I think the actor playing the boy's father was in the Time Machine.

Bicycle superhighways

Picture your daily commute to work. Wake up, get into your car, sit in traffic for an hour, listen to bad talk radio and get to the office late because you couldn’t find parking. Now imagine this: wake up, jump on your bike, and meet your friend at the bike path which is conveniently located near your home. Take a leisurely ride along a serene bike path free of car traffic and stop lights. Park your bike in a locker located inside your office, and arrive on time at work stress free. For some cities in Europe, this dream has become reality.

As of the end of April, Copenhagen, Denmark has completed an official bicycle superhighway. The superhighway was the brain-child of city planners looking to increase bike commuter traffic from surrounding suburban communities. “A typical cyclist uses the bicycle within 5 kilometers,” said Brian Hansen, head of Copenhagen’s transportation department. “We thought, ‘How do we get people to take longer bicycle rides?”

To encourage more bicycle traffic, planners designed the bicycle path to look more like automobile freeways. For the project, Copenhagen and 21 other local governmental bodies collaborated to ensure a continuous, standardized bike route was established. “We wanted people to perceive these routes as a serious alternative.” Mr. Hansen said, “like taking the bus, car or train.”

In Denmark, many commuters are choosing bicycles now as their main form of transport; not because of the environmental and health benefits, but simply because it is the fastest and most convenient transportation option. Simply providing easy access and a safe trip has increased ridership significantly in Copenhagen.

Some features of the new superhighway include air pump stations, foot rests and hand rails, and timed green lights if the cyclist continues at a speed of 12 miles an hour or faster. Smoothly paved bike paths that are clearly marked with proper signage are also impressive features incorporated in the superhighway design.

Copenhagen isn’t the first city to have conceptualized this idea. The Netherlands already has five “superhighways”, and Freiburg, Germany also has an impressive bicycle exclusive pathway. This pathway is oriented along the Dreisam, an 18 mile river that cuts through the center of Freiburg. The bike route includes tunnels and bridges over main streets so cyclists aren’t exposed to crossing or riding in automotive traffic. 34% of all residents now commute via bicycle to and from work every day, and Freiburg is hoping to increase that number to 50% by 2015. Even the design of the city’s train station incorporates important bike-friendly design features including valet-checking for bikes. The station also contains a bike repair shop, a tourist office for cyclists, a café and a meeting place.
Copenhagen’s super highway project is far from perfect. The superhighway is actually a patchwork of smaller routes. Some parts are fully dedicated to bicyclists, but bikers must share the road with drivers in some places. Test bikers from Politiken, a Danish daily newspaper, have expressed dissatisfaction, claiming that there is nothing “super” about the super highway.

In order to create a better cycle superhighway, certain key design components should be involved. Ensuring these pieces are in place will increase ridership, and guarantee the safety of the rider.
Completely separate cyclists from pedestrians and automobile riders. Having a dedicated bicycle path that separates riders from slower moving pedestrians, and faster moving automobiles is an essential part of the design. This may mean building bicycle bridges or underpasses to avoid all intersections with busy highways.

Display proper signage and lighting. Signage should clearly indicate where cyclists should go, when to stop, and when crossing a pedestrian walkway or a street. Lighting helps ensure safety for the riders at night, encouraging greater ridership amongst daily commuters throughout the year.
Orient the bike lane along a scenic route. Bikers will be more likely to utilize a bike lane if it is surrounded by trees and other natural features.

Provide ample bike parking, easy access to air pump stations, repair shops, maps, water fountains and resting places. At a central bike station, provide a café, showers, and bike visitor resources. These simple amenities could be invaluable design features for the superhighway.
Many European countries are dedicated to creating and improving bike infrastructure. The Copenhagen bike “Superhighway” is an important step toward the establishment of a better bicycle culture, and lessening our dependency on automotive transport. While the design needs further improvements, this is a major step toward a better bike future.

Trail Improvements Begin July 31st

Two trails, the North Idaho Centennial Trail and the Prairie Trail, need to be seal coated.  Both seal coating projects will be “rolling projects,” meaning that the seal coating takes about two hours to dry, so the trail will be usable soon after the contractor has sealed it.  The contractor can seal about one mile of trail per day.

During the seal coating period, users will not be directed to an alternate route – rather, please be aware of the project, use the shoulder when traveling around the work area, and, when appropriate, walk bikes around the work area.

Work on the Prairie Trail begins Tuesday, July 31^st.  It will start where the Prairie Trail intersects the Centennial Trail north of Riverstone and the work will continue to Huetter Road.  The nearly 4 ½ miles of Prairie Trail should be completed by August 3^rd.

Work on the Centennial Trail begins Monday, August 6^th.  It will start at Higgins Point at the east end of the trail, working west.  Through August 10^th, work will be done on the section of trail from Higgins Point to Riverstone Park, which includes the preparation of all shoulder work on the Class 1 section of the trail.

Beginning August 13^th, the section of trail from Higgins Point to Riverstone Park will be seal coated.

Also during the week of August 13^th, trail patch and repair work between I-90/Northwest Boulevard and Highway 41 will be completed on the Centennial Trail.  During the week of August 20^th, crews will be crack filling and seal coating this same stretch of trail.

Between August 27^th and September 7^th, the remainder of Centennial Trail from Highway 41 to the Idaho/Washington state line will be completed, barring any bad weather.

For our trail enthusiasts – please know that we’ll have spotters in front of and in back of the construction to remind people to slow down and ride on the shoulders.  For more information, please contact the Parks Department at 769-2252.

Iron Kids Today!!!

Iron Kids is today! If you haven't pre-registered you can sign up at the Picnic Shelter in City Park between 1pm and 5:30pm.

Bike Photos that make you go "Hmmmmm"

For more interesting bike photos click here

Sign your child up for the IronKids event

Lexus doesn't just make cars!!!

Eddy Merckx partners with Lexus to create new time trial bike

Eddy Merckx Cycles announced a partnership with Lexus to develop their ETT time trial bike.

Eddy Merckx Cycles recently went to a wind tunnel belonging to TMG, the Cologne-based motorsport division of Toyota. In addition to using the resources of the major automotive company, Edddy Merckx Cycles could also incorporate some of the technology used in cars in their bikes.

Lexus is no stranger to carbon fiber construction. Lexus built the chassis and body of it LFA supercar largely with Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP). The LFA's 4.8-litre engine delivers 560 horsepower, enough to hit 325kph (202mph).

Outside of the TMG wind tunnel testing, Eddy Merckx has put the ETT to test on the road with its sponsored teams Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator and Wallonie-Bruxelles-Crédit Agricole.

No specific details on the bike have yet been revealed. But the project is just getting started.

“I’m really looking forward to working with Lexus," said Kurt Moons, CEO of Eddy Merckx Cycles. "I’m sure that this is a huge opportunity for us to learn from their expertise in materials science and aerodynamics."

The staff at Lexus Europe is fired up by the project, too. “We are all excited by the prospect of working with Eddy Merckx Cycles," said Jozef Vandecruys, General Manager Marketing Communications and Network Development for Lexus Europe. "It’s a famous name with a history that speaks to our imagination.”

Click Link To Read More!

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/gallery-eddy-merckx-partners-with-lexus-to-create-new-time-trial-bike

Walk [Your City]

If you're having trouble watching the video click here

You Know You're A Cyclist When...

You use your helmet as a hair-styling device.

You think nothing of walking into public places dressed in tights like a super hero.
You can give instantaneous directions to any corner in the city, but only for those using bike paths and public transportation.
Multi-ton cars and trucks are tearing along in front, alongside and coming up behind you... your pulse rate: 66.
All of your pants have frayed cuffs and chain-grease marks.
You keep deodorant and baby wipes at the office.
You are polite to most everyone, you blush at some rap songs, but you swear like a drunken sailor when a grandma in an SUV cuts you off.
You've been asked if you're a tap dancer.
Although you speak only English, you're perfectly capable of pronouncing several words in Italian.
The friend who was so happy to see you on his morning drive wonders why you gave him the finger when he honked.
You know the location of all the major potholes between your home and office.

Click on link to see more. http://pedbike.net/articles/you-know-youre-a-cyclist-when...-pg63.htm

The Most Compact Urban Folding Bike Ever

and now....the rest of the story...CLICK HERE

Pedaling to Prosperity: Biking Saves U.S. Riders Billions A Year

New data highlight that bicyclists in the United States save at least $4.6 billion a year by riding instead of driving.

The analyses were released on Friday to coincide with National Bike to Work Day, part of National Bike Month, which occurs each May.

The average annual operating cost of a bicycle is $308, compared to $8,220 for the average car, and if American drivers replaced just one four-mile car trip with a bike each week for the entire year, it would save more than two billion gallons of gas, for a total savings of $7.3 billion a year, based on $4 a gallon for gas.

The findings were announced by the League of American Bicyclists, Sierra Club, and the National Council of La Raza, an advocacy organization for the Hispanic community, to reflect the strong economic and health benefits of bicycling, and its importance as a safe and efficient mode of transportation.

“There are so many reasons more people are riding, from improving their health to protecting the environment,” Andy Clarke, the League’s president, said in a statement. “But, especially in tough economic times, bicycling can also be an economic catalyst, keeping billions of dollars in the pockets of American families.”

More Americans are choosing to bicycle for everyday transportation. Between 2000 and 2010, the number of bicycle commuters grew 40 percent nationwide, and was even greater — 77 percent — in the some cities, according to the report. Yet “government funding of safe bicycling projects is not keeping up. Though biking and walking account for 12 percent of all trips in theU.S., these transportation modes receive only 1.6 percent of federal transportation spending.”

The average American household spends more— 16 percent of its budget—on transportation than on food or healthcare. Low-income families spend as much as 55 percent of their household budgets on transportation, the report noted.

Making it easier and safer for people to walk or bicycle “is a matter of fairness,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood wrote on his blog Fast Lane on Friday. “Many Americans cannot afford a car or are physically unable to drive. According to a recent Brookings Institute report, more than 10 percent of Americans not only don’t own a car, but don’t even have access to a car. In our cities, that number is even higher.”

LaHood noted that walking and bicycling are options people want, citing a national poll released by Princeton Survey Research Associates International in March that indicated that “more than 80 percent of Americans support maintaining or increasing federal funding for biking and walking.” “The benefits of bicycling are real, and there’s no arguing with the impressive ridership data,” LaHood said. “Bicycling is an important part of the 21st century transportation mix.”

Click here for the full fact sheet and more about National Bike Month, and here to read: New Report Finds That More Biking and Walking Do Not Increase Crash Rate.

Bike to Work Week

Hi Everyone! Don't forget....next week is Bike to Work Week! Come join us on Monday morning for the Kick-Off Ride. We will be meeting at 7:30am at Riverstone Park and we'll be riding down NW Boulevard (with a police escort) to City Hall. For more info on bike to work week and all the other activities go to our website...
Bike to Work