We’ve been riding on extensions of the Transportation Bill for over two years, waiting for a new one to come out. We’ve been through waves and cycles of thinking it was actually going to happen. Well it’s happening now!  It may not make it all the way through the process but it’s the first time that something real has come out as “the next transportation bill”.  However, that new bill has the look and feel of a 1970 Highway bill more than a 21st century transportation bill that considers active transportation and well funded transit as key pieces of the transportation system! The new bill takes out funding for Transportation Enhancements (where A LOT of our local bike/ped projects have been funded from), Safe Routes to School (SRTS), and pretty much takes out any program or project that mentions bicycles or pedestrians, including state ped/bike coordinators at DOTs.

That’s why it’s essential that you call or write to urge DeFazio to take on the leadership roll of making sure active transportation dollars are dedicated as part of the next transportation bill! Do this before noon on Wednesday!

Currently there are three amendments already in motion for the bill. Those include an amendment that would restore Transportation Enhancements  and SRTS back into the transportation bill, one that would add funding for “transit operation assistance” and another that would include funds for bridge repair (the draft bill doesn’t even require bike/ped projects on new bridges which the old bill did). Ask DeFazio to support these amendments that create a more complete transportation bill and ask him to take a leadership roll in insuring bicycle, pedestrian, and transit funding are included in our next transportation bill. He needs to hear from his local constituents! Contact him now!

You may have heard a ‘call to action’ a month or two ago… this is another, even more important one, and I won’t say it will be the last. This fight to keep funding for cycling and walking infrastructure is going to go on until the new bill is voted in (maybe this session, maybe not). But THIS is a pivotal moment. Call now.

Rep. Peter DeFazio

Phone:(202) 225-6416

Fax:(202) 226-3493

or:

Now would be a great time to write a letter to City Staff & Elected Officials to support their proposed design for 24th Ave. (Friendly to Chambers) which will include consolidating parking to one side of the street, removing the small bulb outs, adding bike lanes, removing the painted center line (for greater traffic calming), and adding a marked crosswalk and school zone near ATA/Family School.

There have been two community meetings where city staff collected input and gave information to over 30 people at each meeting. No opposition was voiced at the meeting that the city showed their recommended design, however a letter from the Friendly Area Neighbors Executive Board (most of whom were at both meetings) has been written to the City opposing the design and asking the city to keep parking and the bulb outs and instead of installing bike lanes to add sharrows and signs to the street. Those measures will do nothing to make the street comfortable for anyone but the most confident and secure cyclists. Both TransPlan and the PedBike Master Plan call for bike lanes on the street for a reason! Write city staff and the City Council now and encourage them to move ahead with their recommended changes.

Here is a great letter from GEARs Advocacy Committee Chair, Sue Wolling, that should give you some ideas for your own letter (to mayorandcc@ci.eugene.or.us):

There will be a presentation and discussion on design alternatives for this street.  Alternatives discussed will include removing on-street parking on one side of the street, installing bicycle facilities, and changing the nature of existing traffic calming devices.

The Ped/Bike Master Plan calls for bike lanes on this section of 24th and it is the best East-West corridor for cyclists in the area. Come give your input on the importance of completing our active transportation network with safe and comfortable facilities for cyclists.

Agenda:

• Presentation of alternative street configurations
• Questions and answers
• Discuss project timeline

Location:      Adams Elementary School (Cafeteria/Multipurpose Room), 950 West 22^nd Avenue, Eugene, OR 97405

Date:                 Thursday, January 5^th

Time:                7:00 to 8:30 pm

Questions? Please contact Reed Dunbar at reed.c.dunbar@ci.eugene.or.us or (541) 682-5727

These are contacts meant for cyclists to report various road hazards, from potholes and leaves to cars blocking the bike lane.

Program these numbers into your cell phone and the links into your bookmarks. Call or click whenever you see an issue. The City has a good record of being responsive but they can’t act if they don’t hear from us.

Thanks to the WeBikeEugene’s Hazard Page for the following information.

City of Eugene Roads and Paths

Online Bike Lane Service Request

Online Pothole Reporting Service

Online Vegetation Complaint Service

Maintenance Hotline:

1. 682-4800 – Potholes, leaves, cracks, unresponsive traffic lights, etc. This is a very important number- use it!

Eugene Parking Services: (541) 682-5729 For cars parked in the bike lane.
Police Non-Emergency: (541) 682-5111
Use when other numbers don’t work.

Springfield Roads and Paths

Maintenance Hotline: (541) 726-3761 for All hazards
Police Non-Emergency: (541) 726-3714

Glenwood and Rural Roads

The responsibility of maintaining the roads in Glenwood is spread between Eugene, Springfield, ODOT, and Lane County.  Refer to the PDF on WeBikeEugene as a guide.

ODOT Maintenance Hotline:
(541) 744-8080

Lane County Road Maintenance Hotline: (541) 682-6900

There are also a couple Flickr groups to share photos of where issues are as well as where some of the great spots are for cycling in Eugene.

Flickr Group to post photos of issues

Flickr Group to post positive photos

The meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. Time will be available for public input around 11:25 a.m.. The agenda includes a discussion of the Springfield Pedestrian Safety Project on Highway 126B (Main Street), an update on the grant program, and introduction from ODOT’s new Alternate Modes Engineer Gary Obery, and a discussion of committee bylaws.

All Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee meetings are open to the public. Time will be available at the meeting for committee members to hear public comments, and accommodations will be provided to persons with disabilities. To request an accommodation, please call ODOT’s Bicycle/Pedestrian Program office at (503) 986-3555 (TTY: (503) 986-3854).

AGENDA
Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
November 17, 2011
Springfield Justice Center
230 4th St.
Springfield, OR
Thursday, November 17th

9:00 AM Administrative Business
Welcome; Call to Order & Introduction of Guests; Additional Agenda Items;
Order Lunch (15 minutes)

9:15 AM Minutes – July 2011 – review and discussion (10 minutes)

9:25 AM Committee Reports and 2012 Calendar (60 minutes)

10:25 AM        Break

10:55 AM        Grant Program Update (TE and Bike Ped Revisions) – Sheila (20 minutes)

11:15 AM        Gary Obery – ODOT’s new Alternate Modes Engineer (20 minutes)

11:25 AM        Public Comment Period (20 Minutes)

12:00 Noon      Working Lunch – Springfield      To be delivered

Springfield –  Ped Safety Project on Hwy 126B (Main St.)/Other Items –  David Ressor/Carl Deaton (45 Minutes)

1:00 PM         Travel to Alder St. Grant Project (75 minutes)

2:30ish PM      Adjourn

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: WE’VE GOT A DRAFT TRANSPORTATION BILL!*

by Mark Plotz

-> *And, well, it is called “MAP-21 or the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act” but after reviewing the relevant sections of the 600 or so page bill, the question that remains is: Progress-for whom? The bill, which comes out of the Senate Environmental and Public Works (EPW) Committee, is the product of a bipartisan agreement between Chairman Boxer (D-CA), and Senator Inhofe (R-OK), the Ranking Minority Member. You may be wondering what the #1 friend of the environment in the Senate and its #1 denier of global warming (respectively) could possible agree on-that rainbows are pretty, and that puppies are cute? I wish those were the stakes. No, what they seem to agree on, judging by the bill, is that Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School, Recreational Trails, and complete streets ought to be forced to compete against each other, and against other worthy uses (environmental mitigation of highway projects, HOV lanes, BRT-to name a few uses), all while the highway capacity program remains largely untouched. Naturally, we disagree.

Fortunately, fixes are in the works and will be introduced by Senators Cardin (D-MD) and Merkley (D-OR) as amendments during the Committee’s Wednesday mark up session. Both amendments would restore protected funding for bicycling and walking programs, while making sure there is open and fair competition for the funding that remains. We’ve also received late word that Chairman Boxer will introduce an amendment to remove some of road programs that were being pitted against bicycle/pedestrian uses. Still, we have concerns and reservations about the bill.

Stay tuned to NCBW’s friends for the latest legislative updates:
America Bikes’ statement: http://bit.ly/ukFta6
League of American Bicyclists update: http://bit.ly/tjPhzk
Rails to Trails’ Press Release: http://bit.ly/sFsdax
MAP-21 text: http://1.usa.gov/u5XZuB

The exhibit, which is free, opens Thursday, Nov. 3, at Humble Beagle, 2435 Hilyard St., from 6-8 p.m. Photos will be on exhibit until Thursday, Nov. 17.