Opinion — The Dutch Way: Bicycles and Fresh Bread

As an American who has been living here for several years, I am struck, every time I go home, by the way American cities remain manacled to the car. While Europe is dealing with congestion and greenhouse gas buildup by turning urban centers into pedestrian zones and finding innovative ways to combine driving with public transportation, many American cities are carving out more parking spaces. It’s all the more bewildering because America’s collapsing infrastructure would seem to cry out for new solutions.  … read the rest

Tour de Paradise: Oct 15

Tour de Paradise is a fundraising bicycle ride to benefit homebound seniors, family caregivers, and grandparents raising grandchildren in greater Phoenix. All proceeds benefit Duet – a non-profit 501C(3) organization helping older adults with things such as getting groceries and rides to the doctor, to health promotion activities and support groups. Duet’s services are provided free-of-charge. Your donation is 100% tax deductible…. details and registration.

CAzBike Membership Meeting: Monday July 18

next scheduled meeting: Monday July 18, 2011. 6:00PM.
Location: Boulders on Broadway Bar and Grill (map)
530 W. Broadway in Tempe AZ 85282, 480.921.9431

AGENDA…

Welcome:

Present at Meeting:

Review of Prior Meeting Minutes:

  • Last Months Meeting – Any Action Items?

Current Business Items:

  • “The League Needs Your Help Today!” Re: Bob B. regarding potential donation of $500.00, to League.
  • Proposal to send email to bike shops regarding map input? Re: Mary Kaye.
  • Expenditure for CAzB.org window stickers; Estimated at; $480.00+- Re: Chris.
  • IMBA Trail Building Fund Update. (per Email)
  • Chris at Alliance for Biking & Walking / Development Training (July 19th to July 22nd).
  • CAzB Flier.

CAzB’s Officer’s Discussion:

  • Items to Discuss:

Member’s Discussion:

  • Upcoming Meetings / Advocacy Opportunities:
  • Upcoming Bike Training Course:
  • Upcoming CAzB Saturday Ride:
  • CAzB Safety Ride; Saturday, October 22nd.

Future Calendar Items and Meeting Dates:

Adjournment of Meeting (Ride Safe)

URGENT: Federal Funding for Biking Under Attack

Dedicated funding for biking and walking has been cut in the transportation proposal from the U.S. House of Representatives.
John Mica, chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would eliminate critical Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School and Recreational Trails programs — programs that Mica referred to as “not in the national interest.” …read more at peoplepoweredmovement.org.

Freedom and Bicycling

Chris Mosley, Executive Director, Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists

I was free this morning. Free to answer to the alarm at 4:15 am, and free to go chase the youngsters. (Anyone under the age of 50 is a youngster to me!) I was free to ride with a very diverse group of men and women from the east valley, to Fountain Hills / Rio Verde up to Pinnacle Peak and back. Free to be tired at the end of 80 miles. And, free to feel happy about the effort and success of the morning. Whether you wake-up and ride for recreation, ride because it is your means of transportation, or ride for any other reason, you are free to choose. And what a great thing this is, “Freedom”! All of it!

Ronald Reagan said in 1974; “With freedom goes responsibility, a responsibility that can only be met by the individual.”

We are a coalition, which is an alliance of factions, a union. So we are a union of individuals, which have the passion to fight for the equal freedom of bicyclist. Free to choose for what purpose we ride and where we might ride. We are a coalition.

We speak, we write, in support of bicycling and ultimately the bicyclist. We are advocates. As Ronald Reagan said, it is our responsibility to speak as individuals. But as a coalition of individuals our advocacy becomes loud and clear. We are advocates.

So on this great day, because we have this great freedom, let us renew the charge and take on the responsibility to protect that which we endear. Let’s talk bicycling, let’s talk education, let’s talk safety, and let us talk about the bicyclist!

It is a great thing to be associated with great people. CAzB is a great coalition, a great alliance of individuals, advocates!

I hope your 4th of July weekend was as great as mine.

Critical Mass – Phoenix

As a nationally certified cycling safety instructor I was intrigued by Critical Mass’s endeavor to improve cycling in the Valley, so I participated in Friday night’s ride. To the consternation of leaders I stopped for red lights, but I also stood up to motorists that were trying to endanger cyclists by not following the rules of the road.

I fully support the effort Critical Mass Phoenix to bring attention to the lawlessness of some motorists relative to the legitimate use of bicycles on the roads, but not by breaking the law ourselves. How many law obeying and innocent motorists were wrongly delayed and inconvenienced and are now generally resentful of all cyclists? I believe it’s the wrong message.

One reply I received was that the group was akin to a long limousine, the front of which entered the intersection on green, but the rear completed on the red. No, we are all separate drivers of our bicycles and are not joined by a steel frame. Hence we are individually under the rules of the road. Another reply was that keeping going on a red light kept the group together. I have led and been on other rides that stayed together by lawful means.

We all need to follow the rules of the road.

Gene Holmerud

Share the Road – Buses and Bicycles

“At first glance, it may not seem like a bike and a bus have very much in common, but in fact, they share a lot of things… both are usually in the same space on the roadway, the right lane. And both have slower than average speeds…”, view the video presented by ChicgoBikes and the Chicago Transit Authority:


Share the Road – Buses and Bicycles from Chicago Bicycle Program on Vimeo.

If you ever experience a bus being driven in an inappropriate way, it is recommended that you do NOT confront the driver. Rather, take careful note of the 1) time 2) location, and 3) the name of the Bus Company/Authority. Then contact that Authority, and provide the info along with a brief description of the problem. They have, or should have, a keen interest in their buses being driven in as safely a manner as possible. Many buses have video recording devices, that can provide evidence of what actually occurred.

Many transit authorities are a consortium overseen by multiple municipalities, and you can contact both the municipality (e.g. the city of Phoenix) and the authority (e.g. Valley Metro) who then may tell you the bus is operated under contract by a private company. *All* parties should be informed.
In the case of a school bus, typically, the name of the school district will be painted on the side — contact that school district’s person in charge of transportation.

The same sort advice holds for any sort of commercial vehicle — don’t try to confront the driver. Just collect the information, and contact the company directly.

In extreme cases, you may need to contact law enforcement directly and immediately but keep in mind that there is very little a police officer can do about a situation that they did not witness.

LCI Instructor Class: Sept 9, 10, 11 in Gilbert, AZ

There will be an LCI Instructor Class held September 9, 10, and 11, 2011. This is the class to take to become a certified LCI (League Cycling Instructor), more info from the LAB.

The location will be:

Town of Gilbert, Heritage annex, 119 N. Gilbert Road, Gilbert, AZ 

This location will be empty except for our class and has a door directly from the conference room to the parking lot.

Application and Candidate Expectations.

questions? contact Kathy Mills.

Cycle For Life registration for November open soon

Planning has begun for our next Cycle For Life bike event, organized by the Arizona Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The event has been moved to November where it will remain each year. This year, the ride will offer a 75-mile and 35-mile routes in Pinal County starting at Heritage Park in Florence, AZ on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011.

A focus group held in May helped to shape the future of this event with much potential to grow in a community where cycling is a popular activity. This year’s fully-supported Cycle For Life will offer training rides to help beginner road riders prepare for a fun experience. Registration will open soon.

If you would like more information about Cycle For Life or would like to help plan this year’s event, contact Sheryl Keeme at Skeeme@cff.org.