Ace Hardware

 Stolen bicycle returned to owner after 28 years

The Esquimalt resident figured he’d never see his 10-speed Norco bicycle again after it was stolen in broad daylight outside a Victoria pub 28 years ago.

. . .

Roche, now 49, was 21 years old when he and a friend rode their bikes to a Douglas Street pub. When they came out to ride home, Roche’s bike, a gift from his older brother, was gone.

“Mine was locked and my buddy’s, which was a way better bike, wasn’t,” said Roche. “We were killing ourselves (laughing). Why would they take the locked one? That’s the irony of it.”

. . .

Where the 10-speed has been all these years is a mystery to police, who traced a nine-digit number stamped on the bike’s frame back to Roche.

The bike’s chain is rusty and the tires are flat and bald, reason why Roche is wary of taking it for a spin. But the bike may still have some years left in it.

“I’m going to throw some money at it if it’s worth fixing and then donate it,” said Roche. “I’m sure some kid will say, ‘Wow, this is cool.’

“Maybe all his friends will have brand new BMXs and his will be an original.”

This post isn’t about cycling. Though, the last visit I paid to the Senator was on a bike ride, last October. Big Tree Park is a destination on the Cross-Seminole Trail. Lisa and I took a couple friends from California to see Central Florida’s oldest landmark. The photo is from that trip.

Early this morning, the Senator burned. Firefighters tried to save it, but the 3,500 year old tree is gone. Leaving a community in shock and disbelief.

I always pondered the stories it could tell.

Yet, that is exactly how many pages the City of Minneapolis used when they published “Bike Lane Basics” complete with diagrams just in case the text doesn’t do it for you. Here are all the different types of bike lanes a driver is likely to encounter in Minneapolis.

Nine different types of lanes. Nine different rules. Tons of ways to get a ticket.

It gets better. At intersections, they have something called “shared space” where the cars are supposed to yield to a cylist on his right when making a turn. Yet, the cyclist is instructed to, “use caution and assume turning or merging motorists
do not see you.”

Gee, I wonder why they wouldn’t see you. After all, you are in the bike lane which is supposed to make you safe from those evil cars that are trying to kill you.

I can assure you that motorists have absolutely no trouble seeing me when I am in the middle of the lane and crossing the intersection with the cars rather than staying way over to the right.

There is more to this publication, but you really have to read it to believe how complicated trying to comply with the law gets and how hard it will be to educate drivers and cyclists on how to use these things. We can’t even get cars to use all-way stop signs properly, but drivers are supposed to learn that,

Before turning across a cycle track, look over your right shoulder
and check for bicyclists approaching the intersection. If a bicyclist
is approaching the intersection, you must yield and let them pass
before turning. Bicyclists may be more difficult to see because they
could be coming from behind parked cars.

Emphasis mine.

From the “Road Warrior” column in the The Morning Call (Allentown, PA 12/29/11 by Dan Hartzell

I have nothing to add.

One of my favorite places to go for a cycling vacation is Asheville, NC. I enjoy a number of routes that include sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway. So naturally, I was alarmed last week when I received several email alerts and calls to action with titles like “Blue Ridge Parkway Under Attack!” and “Blue Ridge Parkway: Closed to Cyclists?”

While several of the alerts indicated that the Park Service wanted to close the parkway to cyclists, the text of most published articles talked about the Park Service favoring a plan that didn’t include “accommodations” for cyclists. Well, accommodations mean different things to different people. The ones specifically referenced were mountain bike access on trails and some paved  multi-use paths. LAB’s action alert avoids discussion of banning, it’s concerned with impacts to bike-specific infrastructure:

We are asking the park planners to: 1) Halt the National Historic Landmark application process. The designation would make it harder to make future improvements for bicycling access, such as wider shoulders and trails. 2) Recognize and promote cycling in the Draft Management Plan as a viable and important aspect of Parkway visitation. 3) Work with cyclists, the surrounding communities, and the general public to meet the needs of today’s changing world.

What’s in the Plan?

Before I wrote anything or passed on any alerts, I wanted a look through the actual plan. This article, Blue Ridge Parkway Management Alternatives Draw More Than A Little Debate has a link to the Park Service Draft Management Plan (which outlines alternatives A, B & C).

Some of the language that has been quoted from the plan feels motor-centric. The language that seems most objectionable is, “traditional, self-contained, scenic recreational driving experience,” which appears in numerous places. The references to “driving” suggest motoring and understandably trigger a negative reaction from those of us who drive bicycles.

In the explanation of how the Draft Management Plan’s alternatives were developed (page 36), this is listed as one of the questions addressed:

Is the current range and mix of car/RV/bicycle/motorcycle/pedestrian use of the parkway road appropriate and sustainable, or are changes needed for visitor experience and safety or for resource protection?

That’s a valid question. In some urban areas, congestion does create problems for this mix of users. Nowhere do any of the alternative plans suggest the answer to this is to ban bicycles. In fact, all plans have this text:

Continue to allow bicycling on the main parkway road and other parkway roads, recognizing that bicyclists would be sharing the road with higher volumes of motorized traffic, especially in the more urbanized areas of the parkway.

Plan B includes a paved multi-use path in the Boone/Blowing Rock area, but in the interview linked below, the Parkway superintendent says that is a mistake and should have been deleted. They simply don’t have the funding for it. The continued prohibition of off-road bicycling appears in Plan B. That issue is also addressed in the interview linked below. Plan C calls for parallel multi-use paths in the Waynesboro, Roanoke, and Asheville urban areas. The summary table for Plan C (page 169) says the paved trails would help alleviate roadway traffic congestion and conflicts between cyclists and motorists (by removing the cyclists). That seems like a nice idea only to people who have not experienced the butt-puckering thrill of a 6% grade on a 2-way multi-use path — with climbing riders tacking all over the place and descending cyclists hitting speeds close to 30mph (never mind adding pedestrians, children and dogs to that mix).

Shoulders are another matter. While it’s sometimes nice to have some extra pavement on the uphill side of the road (I never use a shoulder when descending!!), I don’t necessarily want to see a whole lot more pavement in paradise.

The proposal to replace at-grade crossings (stop signs) with grade separation would be beneficial to cyclists. Closing off some local access to reduce commuter traffic could be good or bad for cyclists depending on the location and whether cycling access could be maintained. The worst stretch of the Parkway near Asheville is between Hwy. 74 and Hwy. 25, where local commuters create a steady stream of speeding, impatient drivers. However, since the Parkway itself has so few services, including potable water, local access is important for cyclists. According to the document, most cycling use is local day-rides, which probably originate from those same access points.

Under Visitor Use and Experience (page 243):

In addition to motor vehicles, bicycles are permitted along the entire length of the parkway. Although cyclists represent only 1% of the road’s traffic mix, the parkway is popular with cyclists due to its limited access and relatively lower traffic levels (outside of commuter zones) and vehicle speeds when compared to most community streets and highways. The parkway was not designed as a bicycle facility and has no specific paved shoulders or specific bike lanes or paths; cyclists currently ride in the road’s travel lanes. The parkway is most often used by cyclists for day rides, although some ride the entire length of the parkway and camp along the way (DEA 2005).

It goes on to discuss which areas have the highest bicycle use and some of the conflicts which have escalated as a result. Multi-use paths are the solution desired by planning departments and motorists. But none of the other users want to share paths with fast-moving cyclists.

The Park Service Speaks

After the burst of sensational alerts, clarifications are coming this week. Monday, Bicycle Retailer clarified that there is no language in the plan to ban cyclists. Yesterday they published an interview with Blue Ridge Parkway superintendent, Phil Francis, who said:

Well, it’s amazing to me that someone would read that document and come to some conclusion that is so wildly different from our intent. Our intent is to continue to welcome bicyclists as we always have. To make reference to the enabling legislation that created the park in the 1930s and to then conclude that the park is not welcoming bicycles anymore is quite amazing. Our plan is to continue to welcome bicyclists; we are not planning to change our policy at all.

He also explained the financial challenges the Park Service faces:

If you look at the level of funding we get each year, which is declining, there is no possible way financially for us to fund our backlog, much less add additional resources. The total value of the resources we have to manage is $5.2 billion. We get $16 million a year to manage 600 buildings, 100 waste water treatment plants, 469 miles of road, 77 cemeteries, 14 visitor centers, 16 million people, 3,300 law enforcement incidents. It is just not possible with this economic climate … to think about adding infrastructure.

We can all get along on the existing infrastructure. If I can be patient with the RVs slowing my (hard-earned!) descent, then they can be patient having to wait a few seconds behind me on the climb. I’m happy to use pull-outs to release traffic when that is necessary. Aside from the areas where uncivil commuter traffic uses the parkway, I’ve never had a problem sharing the road with other users.

With regard to the use of  ”recreational driving experience,” Mr. Francis acknowledges:

Maybe we should have been more clear about where those statements came from. Every planning document I’ve ever seen makes reference to the reason that the park was created. If you look at the legislation that created the park, that (driving) is what they had in mind … Those words came from that time in that context. In no way do those words mean we can’t have bicycles.

Perhaps if our culture thought of bicyclists as drivers, there would be no confusion as to our equality on the existing road.

In these economic hard times, it doesn’t benefit bicyclists, or the public image of bicycling, to make a showing as a demanding special interest. Of equal importance, it would be nice if advocacy organizations obtained all the facts before pouncing into a breathless call to action. I know a lot of conscientious people who forwarded this alert under the reasonable assumption that their sources had vetted the claims. Creating a PR nightmare for an already-strapped agency doesn’t make us many friends.

On Wide Florida Roads, Running for Dear Life

By LIZETTE ALVAREZ
Published: August 15, 2011

ORLANDO, Fla. — As any pedestrian in Florida knows, walking in this car-obsessed state can be as tranquil as golfing in a lightning storm. Sidewalks are viewed as perks, not necessities. Crosswalks are disliked and dishonored. And many drivers maniacally speed up when they see someone crossing the street.

Then there are the long, ever widening arterial roads — those major thoroughfares lined with strip malls built to move cars in and out of sprawling suburbs.

It is no wonder that four Florida metropolitan areas, led by the Orlando region, ranked as the most dangerous places to walk in the country, according to a recent survey by Transportation for America, a nonprofit safety advocacy organization. –MORE–

If there was ever a time for you to attend a public hearing, this is it.

At the request of the Governor’s office, FDOT Secretary Ananth Prasad will be conducting a series of public meetings on Tuesday, June 28, 2011 regarding the SunRail project.  These are to ensure that all partners understand their respective obligations and to obtain additional public input that will be considered by the Governor in making his decision on the project.

6:45-7:45 a.m. Volusia County at the Volusia County TPO Office in Daytona Beach

8:30-9:30 a.m. Seminole County at the County Administration Building

12:00-1:00 p.m. City of Maitland at Maitland City Hall

2:00-3:00 p.m. City of Orlando at Orlando City Hall

4:00-5:00 p.m. Orange County at the County Administration Building

6:00-7:00 p.m. Osceola County at the Country Administration Building

This is your final physical opportunity express to the Governor the importance of the SunRail project to Central Florida.  The opponents of SunRail are organized and will certainly be in attendance.

If you are not able to attend and you have not personally contacted the Governor already to express your views about the project, this is the time to do so.  You can do this by letter (The Honorable Rick Scott, Governor, The Capitol, 400 South Monroe Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001), a telephone call (850.488.7146), email (rick.scott@eog.myflorida.com), FaceBook or Twitter (FLGovScott).

Matt Reed: It’s time to let cyclists join traffic on Pineda Causeway

A bicyclist braves traffic on the Pineda Causeway. The state's two-year pilot project to test the feasibility of bike crossings might start later this year, at the soonest. / Photo by Malcolm Denemark

I don’t think I have ever read anything like this in a newspaper before.

Lacking a reasonable alternate route over the Indian River Lagoon, they risk tickets by disregarding a few small white signs that warn of a ban that makes no sense.

Total bicycle fatalities on the four-mile span during 10 years, according to the state Department of Transportation: One (1).

In 2002, a pair of 14-year-old boys were riding to the beach before dawn when they were run over by a drunken driver in a pickup truck.

and  . . .

To the press, people act like it doesn’t happen. But I watch it daily. The safety records say as much about today’s levelheaded drivers as it does the safe bicyclists.

“We really don’t have any record of bike accidents on the Pineda,” said Leigh Holt, Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization program manager.

So, by all means, let’s get on with a pilot project we already know will work.

Did I get that right? Did he actually say that riding on a highway wasn’t as dangerous as people think it is? I don’t think he convinced whomever writes the photo captions.

I didn’t intend to have a mindset change or get this involved.  All I wanted to do was ride my bicycle back and forth to work to save on fuel costs and ride for fun.

My Beginning

Flashback to my start, My Own Ignorance for those that may need the history.  This was a time of personal growth for me.   Bicycling  is fun, enjoyable, and liberating.  Finding the right people to show you how is the key element.  I’ve found quite a few here on this blog and more on many others.  What a GREAT community we have here on CommuteOrlando!

There is an abundance of information to be had by surfing the internet or by simply asking.  Taking the initiative to overcome my perceived fear of cycling in the road, my self-education has helped me to gain a much better understanding of the dynamics of bicycle transport and created a lifestyle change for me.

A Change in Thinking

Being fortunate to work at the airport, I would ask coworkers to drop me at the terminal to catch a flight to visit my family in GA.  Having family working close to the Atlanta International Airport was great.  A ride was just a phone call away.  Except when it was their telecommute day(s).  Talk about an inconvenience for me and for family to drive nearly an hour to pick me up  and/or drop me off.

Coming back to Orlando one time, a coworker was unable to meet me upon my arrival as we had prearranged.  Not knowing, I hired a shuttle to take me to my vehicle parked at work.  The relatively short 4 mile trip ended with the fare of $18.  OUTRAGEOUS, I told myself.  There had to be a better way.

Multi-Modal Transportation

Discovering our local bus transport system, LYNX, I expanded my self reliance beyond the bicycle.  I read about multi-modal transportation and decided if such would work for me.  Finding out that timing is the key was the first hurdle to overcome.  I first tested the waters when visiting my family in GA two years ago.

Sure enough, after some digging, I found it was possible to get myself to the airport, make my flight, take the light rail, then catch an express bus and vice versa back  home while traveling multi-modal.  Family would have to spend nearly two hours of their time getting to and from the airport.  Using the public transportation system(s), I could get to a park & ride lot near them (either 3 or 4 miles away) in half the time.

Since then, I have done quite a bit of bike and bus trips locally.  Sanford, Lake Mary, Casselberry, and Altamonte Springs are easily reached.  Gaining an understanding of using various forms of transport increased my desire to help others learn the ease and enjoyment of getting around.

I Don’t Consider Myself an Advocate

Although I don’t professionally claim to be a cycling advocate, my actions, beliefs, and intentions define me as such. I now have several opportunities to get the news out, especially for those who seek to have this knowledge which include instructor capacities for the Florida Safety Council, the Florida Bicycle Association and working with Florida Department of Transportation’s ride share program.

Alternative Transportation Education

The ultimate goal of the Alternative Transportation Education (ATE) course is to provide education to individuals regarding various types of commuting options.  Often times these individuals do not have access to a vehicle or do not have the ability to drive.

The ATE course was designed for individuals utilizing methods of transportation other than personal vehicles. The ATE course outlines and describes alternate transportation options and identifies their benefits and limitations.

• Benefits and limitations of using the transit system.
• Benefits and limitations of walking.
• Traffic laws and the meanings of traffic signs and symbols.
• Limits of perception.
• How to cross safely.
• Benefits and limitations of bicycling.
• Crash types and avoidance.
• Seeing and being seen.
• Making signals turn green.
• Interchanges.
• Riding in bike lanes.
• Public transportation issues and opportunities.

Cycling Savvy

I was honored to be selected as one of the inaugural Cycling Savvy Instructors (CSI) this past February.  A fun-filled, extensive, and exhausting weekend gave us CSI’s the in’s and out’s of teaching others the skills needed to become a more empowered and confident cyclist.

reThink Your Commute

I have recently expressed an interest in becoming the Employee Transportation Coordinator using the reThink Your Commute program.  Long way to go to be up and running on this one.

Social Rides and Workshops

CommuteOrlando started organizing social rides a couple years ago.  This has been a boon to those who feel uncomfortable riding in the streets.  The group setting adds to the comfort level and also creates social atmosphere.  Add the wonderful destinations and end activities, and we show just how enjoying and safe cycling can be.

Workshops are being planned to increase the use of bicycles with trailers to take on our S-Cargo rides.

Build the community – Fund local transportation systems

Transportation funding is quite the buzzword of late.  One common complaint about bus service is the route structure and not available 24/7.  I was surprised myself to hear that LYNX and others are not self-sufficient.  They rely on government (state, city, and federal) subsidies to operate.  How many of our readers know this fact?

SunRail will enhance our transportation system(s).  Currently, the infrastructure is not in place to begin this growth and with funding and time it will be.  We must change our thinking about the highly wasteful use of the automobile.  I’m looking into car sharing programs now.  For $60 a year, you can have access to a motor vehicle on an hourly or daily (rental) basis. Many of these users (ZipSters) have reduced their need for an auto down to 5,500 miles per year.  Other research indicates that operating an automobile comes with an average out of pocket cost $8,500/year.

MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) was initially funded by the Federal Government.  The surrounding counties were asked then if they wanted to be included.  They refused.  Now some years later, these counties are trying to play catch-up with feeder bus systems.  What an opportunity missed!

Fund the transportation systems for multi-occupant vehicles and not the single-occupant motor vehicles.

When opportunity knocks and you don’t answer, it goes somewhere else.  Guess we should have went and answered the door!  Let’s not miss another opportunity.

Quinn sought the change after reading a March 21 Chicago Tribune story. The article reported on a long-standing IDOT policy to exclude dooring crashes from annual state traffic accident statistics because the motor vehicles involved in such collisions are not moving.

I don’t know if Florida even has a policy one way or the other.

IDOT officials expressed concerns that such a requirement would burden police with additional paperwork and that there were few complaints from the public about doorings.

Uhhhmm. So which is it?

“We hope to use the data to obtain funding for education safety so drivers as well as bicyclists know what the risks are and what the factors are to create safer roadways,” said Dan Persky, director of education at the alliance.

Talk to me! I know how to avoid getting doored.