Originally Posted on the BTA Blog (by: Susan)

The members of Connecting Eugene are putting on a party this Saturday, April 24th to celebrate the Willamette River Appreciation Day. This is a free event with activities for all ages. There will also be speakers to address the challenges and opportunities facing the Willamette River now and in the future.

Riverfront Celebration!

Saturday, April 24th, 10 am – 4 pm
South Bank Path between EWEB and Autzen Footbridge

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The BTA has been keeping tabs on Connecting Eugene’s fight against the development of the Oregon Research Institute building along the Willamette River. Here’s an update on what’s happened since January.

• Connecting Eugene appealed the City’s decision to grant an extension of a Conditional Use Permit to the University of Oregon. This appeal may take several months or more to resolve. Even after this issue is resolved the University must obtain a building permit and demonstrate that the proposed development is consistent with the 1988 Master Plan.

• Members of Connecting Eugene have met with Mayor Piercy and Councilor Alan Zalenka to discuss viable alternative sites for the Oregon Research Institute Building–including a site within the Riverfront Research Park designated for office buildings.

• The faculty of the School of Architecture and Allied Arts, the Graduate Teaching Fellow Federation (GTFF), and the Graduate Evolutionary Biology and Ecology Students have all passed resolutions opposing development north of the railroad tracks until a new master plan has been developed. These resolutions join many previous resolutions by UO students and faculty, and over 900 petition signers like yourselves.

• Amelie Rousseau was elected ASUO President. She strongly opposes development along the riverfront.

• EWEB (Eugene Water and Electric Board) continues to engage the public in planning the redevelopment of their site while the University of Oregon keeps the door closed to public involvement on their property just upstream from EWEB.

For more information visit the Connecting Eugene website.

Starting on Monday, April 19 and continuing through May 3, the Canoe Canal Path as it passes under I-5 will be closed. Path users will be required to use the North Bank Path for any east/west passage in the Whilamut Natural Area between Eugene and Springfield during the closure. With construction activity increasing daily, path users need to be aware of continuing delays on the paths which could last up to 20 minutes.

ODOT WRB – Path detour flyer – 4_8_10

I’ll write more soon but I wanted to get this news release up!

BICYCLING MAGAZINE NAMES EUGENE NO. 5 MOST BIKE-FRIENDLY CITY IN AMERICA

EUGENE, OR (April 6, 2010) – In its May issue, Bicycling magazine ranks the fifty most bike-friendly cities in America and Eugene comes in at number five. Rounding out the top five spots as overall best are Minneapolis, MN; Portland, OR; Boulder, CO; and Seattle, WA.

Ample bike parking, lit bike paths, and the Smart Ways to School program are just three of Eugene’s cycling-friendly characteristics noticed by editors at Bicycling.

This year’s list pays homage to cities that have shown real innovation, as well as local government support and a vibrant bike culture. Highlights from the new 2010 best cities for cycling are as follows:

Top 5 Best Cities:

#1 Minneapolis, Minnesota
#2 Portland, Oregon
#3 Boulder, Colorado
#4 Seattle, Washington
#5 Eugene, Oregon

Worst Cities:

Birmingham, Alabama
Jacksonville, Florida
Memphis, Tennessee

5 Rising Stars:

#8 New York City
#17 Albuquerque, New Mexico
#23 Long Beach, California
#39 Cleveland, Ohio
#44 Miami, Florida

“Bicycling’s Best Cities list this year proves that great things can happen in short periods of time, even in the largest metropolitan areas,” said Loren Mooney, Editor-in-Chief of Bicycling. “New York City is literally re-engineering its streets to accommodate bikes. And watching a city like Miami pull a 180 to become bike friendly has been incredibly gratifying for us. This year’s list is evidence that a much needed, far reaching pro-bike movement is in full swing, all across the country.”

To compile the list, Bicycling editors strove for geographical diversity and considered cities with populations of 100,000 or more. They narrowed it down using factors such as cycling-friendly statistics (numbers of bike lanes and routes, bike racks, city projects completed and planned) including changes in these statistics and a city’s future plans since the last survey; and bike culture (number of bike commuters, cycling clubs, cycling events, renowned bike shops). Editors also referenced the Bicycling and Walking in the United States 2010 Benchmarking Report prepared by the Alliance for Biking and Walking, the League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly America project, and interviews with national and local advocates, bike shops, and other experts.

As for the worst American cities for cycling, Bicycling pointed to Birmingham, Alabama; Jacksonville, Florida; and Memphis, Tennessee. Despite community interest in cycling, these cities have fallen victim to suburban sprawls that lack bike lanes, and slow-going planning and implementation of improvements.

For the complete top 50 list or for more on Bicycling’s Best Bike Cities, please visit www.bicycling.com or pick up the May issue of Bicycling, on newsstands April 6. For a slideshow of each of the top 50 cities, plus information on the best small and best foreign cities for biking, go to www.bicycling.com/topbikefriendlycities.

Surface Transportation Program- Urban (STP-U) funds; where we’re getting it right and where we might be missing the boat.

On Thursday the Metropolitan Policy Committee (MPC) met at the Eugene Public Library and the main item on the agenda was the STP-U funds allocation for 2011-2013. For more information on the MPC you can visit the Lane Council of Governments (LCOG) website, though it gives no great description of who makes up the MPC or what it does so we’ll have to do a separate story on that sometime. According to the LCOG website STP-U funds “are the only revenue source allocated and programmed for eligible projects solely at the discretion of the MPO” (Metropolitan Planning Organization, that is LCOG).  They also state that the “Surface Transportation Program (STP) provides States with flexible funds which may be used for a wide variety of projects on any Federal-aid Highway including highways, bridges on any public road, and transit facilities. Bicycle and pedestrian improvements may also be eligible activities under the STP.” The funds have to be met by a local match (minimum 10.27%) . These applications next move to the Citizen Advisory Committee for comments (they are meeting on March 18th 5:30 p.m. at the Eugene Public Library) then it goes back to the MPC for final approval on April 8th (11:30 a.m. at the Eugene Public Library). If you’d like to see the complete packet of applications see this PDF file from the LCOG site. You can submit comments until April 5th at the contact information at the bottom of this post.

So what are some of the projects for the upcoming cycle and are we using these ‘flexible funds’ to their highest potential? You can see the list of projects and how they meet “Regional Priority Criteria” on this PDF. We’ll do a breakdown of the projects here (based on the jurisdiction) and look at where they make some great strides for active transportation and where we might be missing the mark. [Read more →]

Oregon Representative Earl Blumenauer introduced the Active Community Transportation Act, H.R. 4722, on March 3rd. The bill is also known as the ACT Act is a revolutionary piece of proposed legislation. The bill would create a competitive grant program where communities compete for $2 BILLION to help make their communities better for walking and biking by building out their pedestrian and bicycle networks.

Over 700 bicycle advocates will be in Washington, D.C. next week for the National Bike Summit, where the ACT Act is sure to be a major topic of discussion. The attendees of the National Bike Summit are going to advocate to their respective Senators and Representatives to support the ACT Act.

The Alliance for Walking & Biking has made it possible for people outside of Washington to help lobby the bill. The Virtual Lobby Day (on March 11th) is everyone’s opportunity to take action on the ACT act and demonstrate the need for such legislation.

More details from the Alliance for Walking & Biking below:

TAKE ACTION
Given the timing of the bill’s release, we have a unique opportunity to conduct a Virtual Lobby Day and present a strong and unified voice on Capitol Hill, Thursday, March 11th. In conjunction with the National Bike Summit we ask that you call your representative next Thursday at the same time that over 700 Summit participants will have in-person meetings in congressional offices.

TALKING POINTS
Please call your representatives on March 11th to ask them to co-sponsor H.R.4722: “The Active Community Transportation Act.”  For locals that would be Congressman Peter DeFazio at 202.225.6416 in D.C. or 541.465.6732 in Eugene

Here are some possible talking points for you:

• Bicycling and walking are part of the solution. Half of all trips in the United States are three miles or less, yet the majority of these short trips are made by car. Shifting more of these short trips to biking and walking would not only reduce congestion, air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and our dependence on oil, but will also improve physical activity, safety, and livability.
• Investing in bicycling and walking infrastructure works.Commuting by bicycle has increased 43 percent since 2000 – and by 69 percent in designated Bicycle Friendly Communities that have invested in infrastructure improvements.
• Please co-sponsor the Active Community Transportation Act (H.R.4722).

We’ll send out a “Call to Action” next week as a reminder to place your call.

DeFazio hops on a Bike Friday outside the Capitol. Shot by Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard

An interesting thing happened at Mondays City Council Work Session. Because of a policy recommendation made by the Sustainability Commission that Surface Transportation Program-Urban (STP-U) funds be used for bike/ped projects and not strictly pavement preservation as is currently mandated by council, the council members heard from the community that they would like to revisit this issue. Here is a great wrap-up of that meeting from Howie Bonnett (highlights mine):

Staff (Mark Schoening) had prepared a memo in advance listing three projects for the funds, located on Hilyard, Coburg, and Martin Luther King, which were basically pretty much automobile projects. He also had prepared a memo about how much money had been obtained from various sources for bicycle projects in Eugene in the last 5 years and, due to some big monies recently (stimulus funds for the bridge, etc.,) it averaged 2.5 million per year for bike/ped projects. That seemed to make the Councilors feel that a lot of money was being spent on bicycle/pedestrian projects.

Perhaps somewhat in response to whether the STP-U funds should be spent for alternative transportation modes, Schoening had also listed two bike/ped improvements which could be done in connection with the Martin Luther King and Coburg projects, each costing about 100,000 out of the 2.5 or so million. There followed a discussion of whether these bicycle projects should be bumped to last on the list, or whether they should be done in any case even if the projects required supplemental funds to complete (Schoening offered that gas tax money could be used to make sure the projects were completed). This irritated some councilors, who wanted it clearly stated that the bike/ped work would only be done if it was determined that there was sufficient money for the three road projects, even though Mark Schoening said there would be savings if the bike/ped work was done at the same time as the road repair. A motion to move bikes/ped projects to the bottom of the priority list was made and defeated 5-3 (Poling, Clark, and Solomon losing) and then the main motion passed unanimously which gave the staff authority to add the bike/ped work to the road work on the 3 projects, funded with STP-U funds.

So, net outcome, is that only about 5 % of so of the STP-U funds will go for bike/ped projects, as part of the Coburg and MLK projects. The policy recommendation of the Sustainability Commission was not directly discussed, even though Council has had it for over a month. It is clear that the very large unmet need to do street repair work (now up to 170 million of so), is being used as an argument to suck up all monies for the roads. As I have tried to point out, trying to meet this unmet need as it gets larger and larger, will mean that our ability to build infrastructure to promote alternative mode (active) transportation through diversion of transportation dollars which are discretionary is seriously hampered. Maybe we should have a community discussion about how much money each year it would take to catch up with our unmet road repair needs, and see if we want to undertake that, or whether we should start talking alternatives. Even the 36 million GO Bond measure is a drop in the bucket.

According to Lee Shoemaker, the Cities Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator, the projects for the Coburg and MLK projects would be:

Coburg Road Corridor safety improvements for pedestrians and cyclists coordinated with pavement preservation projects that would be funded by STP-U.
And street preservation bond. Could include visual countdown signals, access management where there are willing property owners, and bicycle wayfinding Signage.

Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Corridor – enhanced pedestrian crossings at east end of corridor coordinated with pavement preservation project that would be funded by STP-U.

Having three council members who voted to move bike/ped projects to the bottom of the last priority is disheartening to say the least and to see the type of projects that should just naturally be part of any complete street talked about being taken off and then highlighted as ’special bike/ped’ projects sort of rubs salt in the wound. These kind of improvements don’t complete an incomplete network, they simply add what should have been added already.

I also think it is very misleading to have a memorandum that shows $12.5 million in bike/ped projects over the last 5 years when $8.5 million of that was a large bridge project ($5.7 million) and several preservation projects. Take those out and you have about $4 million over 5 years for active transportation projects… $2.5 of that hasn’t been built yet. Which leaves you with $1.5 million new bike/ped infrastructure actually built. How does that compare to non-active transportation projects?

The memo and the Councils reaction to it makes it seem like the City feels it is spending enough on active transportation already. While there has been some great investments and good plans for active transportation we still have an incomplete network that families are afraid to use. We need to be putting large amounts of transportation dollars to completing that network. Bridges are flashy and preservation is essential but we need to be making an investment in the future and that is getting people out of their cars more and active in their transportation choices by having safe and comfortable infrastructure that makes that choice easy.

There are few flexible funds in transportation money. How are we going to complete a network without those funds? We’ll need a plan and we’re working on that with the Bike Master Plan process, but we’ll also need funding! Where is the plan for that funding??

Some calendar items we’ll be looking at for this issue are the MPC public hearing on March 11 and action by the Metropolitan Policy Commission on April 8. Stay tuned for more.

The BTA Bike Safety Education Instructor position for Eugene is open and we need someone to lead the program to teach local students this important course. This program has a lot of great potential for growth and GEARs is working with the BTA to expand it to a more robust and sustainable job. Contact Paul Adkins or Shane Rhodes for more detailed information or apply via the BTA Website:

Vision Statement:
Bicycling transforms communities by reinventing transportation and offering solutions that help solve the universal challenges to health, livability and the environment.

Executive Summary:
The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) is a non-profit 5,000-member organization with a mission to create healthy, sustainable communities by making bicycling safer, more convenient and more accessible in Oregon and SW Washington.

The Bike Safety Education Instructor is responsible for the delivery and support of the Bicycle Safety Education program conducted by the BTA and funded by ODOT.

Responsibilities:
• Deliver 10-hour Bike Safety Education Curriculum in elementary and middle schools. Locations will be determined in partnership with the Program Manager.
• Represent the BTA at assigned workshops, trainings, forums, activities, events and other educational program opportunities in the region.
• Identify and pursue potential fundraising and in-kind donations as well as local grant and partnership opportunities.

Accountabilities:
Organization and Planning
Plan and organize in order to effectively manage multiple essential tasks with minimal support including the management of program scheduling, supply logistics, volunteer management, and relationship building with community partners. Report program activity in a timely and accurate manner to the Portland-based Program Manager.

Bike Safety Education Expertise
Posses skilled bicycle riding and maintenance skills needed to instruct and support students of varied ability and maintain dozens of bicycles in good order.

Presentation Skills
Organize and deliver lessons that effectively inform and engage young people using current presentation technologies as well as being able to make effective spontaneous presentations to children in classroom and outside settings.

Emphasize inclusiveness, work to minimize the impact of the differences in student’s ability and self-confidence to produce memorable and rewarding experiences for the students in our programs.

Requisite Experience:
• Studies in child development, education, physical education, outdoor recreation and public health preferred
• Experience in bicycle safety instruction, education, physical education, outdoor recreational, public health or volunteer management preferred
• Exhibits a passion for bicycle transportation and/or an interest in creating livable, healthy, and sustainable communities.

Non-Discrimination:
The BTA does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital or familial status, physical or mental disability or legal source of income.

To Apply:
Please send cover letter, resume, completed BTA application form in PDF format via email to humanresources@bta4bikes.org. No calls, please.

Download:
BSE instructor job description
BTA application form

On February 8, Eugene City Council will consider the Sustainability Commission’s policy recommendation that more flexible funding be allocated to bicycle and pedestrian improvements, rather than to pavement preservation projects.

Call or email your City Council representative now and ask them to support this recommendation.

As mandated by City Council several years ago, Eugene has been required to spend its Surface Transportation Program – Urban (STP-U) dollars on pavement preservation and surface repair. Then, in 2008 Council passed the $35.9 million “pothole bond measure,” which means that more of the flexible STP-U funding could be allocated to other projects, such as bicycle and pedestrian improvements.

Fern Ride Path is one of the multi-use trails on the city's priority repair list.

The Sustainability Commission unanimously approved the STP-U policy recommendation December 16, 2009:

“Recognizing that transportation funding has, by mandate, been focused and prioritized on automobile travel, and taking into account that Surface Transportation Program-Urban (STP-U) funds and some other capital funds are discretionary, the Commission recommends that the City Council allocate these funds for bicycle and pedestrian improvements.”

Many pedestrian and bicycle improvements aren’t made because there is a lack of funding (and very few flexible funding opportunities) for bike/ped infrastructure projects. City Council should not pass up this opportunity to support the Commission recommendation. Contact information below:

Eugene City Council
Phone: (541) 682-5010
Email: mayorandcc@ci.eugene.or.us

Mayor Kitty Piercy
Phone: (541) 682-5010
Email: kitty.piercy@ci.eugene.or.us

Winter in the Willamette Valley doesn’t mean hibernation for cyclists. Recreational rides are happening and important advocacy projects are still prevalent. There are several GEARs rides happening each week. Check out the Rides section of the site to see those or download this months ride list here.
The coming two weeks hold even more fun events for the local cycling scene.
Here’s a run down on some of them:

January 16th:

The Tweed Ride has happened a couple times in Eugene already. This winter bundle up in your finest for this dapper ride. Leave from Wandering Goat and wander around town showing off your cycle chic style.

Street Skills for Families is a bike course directed at students living in the 4J school district and is part of the Safe Routes to School program. Class attendees will not only learn about basic traffic skills but also learn how to perform a bicycle safety check, how to properly fit a helmet, how to size a bicycle for a child, and how to properly carry things on a bicycle. The class will be held at McCornack Elementary from 12-3 pm. A light lunch will be available beforehand (11:30 AM) and afterward we’ll meet up with the Kidical Mass group for Soup and a Unicycle show (see below). More information and registration at the Eugene SRTS site.

This months Kidical Mass ride will meet at its usual spot (Monroe Park) at 3:00 p.m. and then ride West to meet up with the group from the Street Skills for Families class. Then the group will ride back to McCornack Elementary to enjoy some free hot soup and a Unicycle show from the McCornack unicycle team. See the Kidical Mass site for more information on those rides.

January 20th

The City of Eugene will be holding a hearing on the Riverfront Research Park Conditional Use Permit that has been approved but which has been appealed. Come to this hearing to give your input on the importance of this area as a vital connection for cyclists from the University area to the river path system. You can find more information at the Connecting Eugene website.

January 24th

The Fourth Annual Eugene Walking & Biking Summit!!!
Why go?! How about:
Free Off the Waffle breakfast & Full City Coffee
Free Child Care
Great speakers
Important input on Eugene’s first Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan
An awesome Fashion Show
Informative and interesting booths
Raffle Prizes
…Need you more?!
Join the event on Facebook

As we reach these events we’ll be doing more in-depth stories on each event and some wrap-up as well.

**Press Release**

The Greater Eugene Area Riders (GEARs) Cycling Club has awarded mini-grants to three local groups committed to meeting community needs through bicycling. The funds, generated largely through GEARs’ popular Blackberry bRamble bicycle ride held each August, will be distributed to the following groups:

Project Homeless Connect–$750 to buy bicycle tubes, tires, lubricants and other bicycle supplies for bicycle maintenance at the fourth annual Project Homeless Connect event on March 18, 2010. Project Homeless Connect provides “one-stop shopping” for critical services to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and one important service offered is bicycle maintenance.

BRING Recycling–$200 for route maps and publicity for a new bicycle component of the annual BRING It Home Tour. The Tour features homes and gardens that demonstrate use of solar, sustainable or recycled materials.

Rick Bronson–$50 for locks to accompany abandoned bikes that Rick receives from the City of Eugene, repairs, and donates to non-profit organizations for use by people who need them for basic transportation.

GEARs has donated funds to the community for years, but this is the first time it has solicited proposals for grants. “We’re excited to be able to partner with other groups who share our belief that bicycling can play an important role in creating a better community”, explains GEARs President Sue Wolling.

GEARs was founded in 1991 with the goal of promoting and encouraging bicycling for transportation and recreation. More information is available at their Web site at www.eugenegears.org.