House Bill Kills Bike/Ped Funding

Biking and walking are under attack in the House — please take action TODAY!

Next Thursday (Feb 2), the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will vote on the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, a bill that eliminates crucial funding for biking and walking. The following Representatives from Tennessee are members of this committee and are in a key position to save dedicated funding for biking and walking.

• Jimmy Duncan,  http://duncan.house.gov/ TN 2'nd District (Knoxville)
• Chuck Fleischmann,  http://fleischmann.house.gov/ TN 3'rd District (Cattanooga)
• Steve Cohen, Tennessee http://cohen.house.gov/  TN 9'th District (Memphis) 

Click here to send a message directly to your Representative using the League of American Bicyclists' Action Center — and please forward the link to your members and supporters.

Memphis MPO Seeks Public Input for LRTP

Memphis MPO now seeking public input for Long Range Transportation Plan: 

 

The Direction 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) can be accessed and downloaded from the Memphis MPO website at: http://direction2040.com

 

. The public comment period begins on January 17, 2012 and runs through February 17, 2012.

Local Parks and Rec Fund Grants

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation is now accepting applications for Local Parks and Recreation Fund grants to help communities create and expand parks and recreation services. The department is contacting local communities about the grant availability, and will host a series of workshops throughout the state on Monday, Feb. 13 to help communities understand the application process. The application deadline is June 29, 2012.

"Gov. Haslam proposed and the General Assembly approved restoring the funds for this program to help local communities purchase lands for parks, natural areas, greenways and recreational facilities," said Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau. "These grants are specifically designed to help local communities improve their green spaces and we are pleased to provide this funding for the benefit of Tennessee's citizens."

2012 Benchmarking Report on Biking and Walking

In a new report, Bicycling and Walking in the United States: 2012 Benchmarking Report, the Alliance for Biking & Walking ranks all 50 states and the 51 largest U.S. cities on bicycling and walking levels, safety, funding, and other factors.

Bike Party in Johnson City

Hey! We're having a bike party in Johnson City.

Who: Volunteers primarily from Johnson City and the greater Tri-Cities area. This month is our first ride, so it is undetermined how many riders we will have. Our call is for a Critial Mass. We always need more help! What: JC Bike Party is made up of all types of bicyclists and human-powered transportation advocates who celebrate and build community in a monthly ride that must be experienced to be understood. When: Last Friday of every month. The ride starts at 4pm and will last until 8pm with stops along the way. Where: Each month an optimal route is chosen by some of JC's most enthusiastic cyclists. We are starting off small. This month's ride will be no longer than 5 miles and will focus on the southeastern part of town. Hit it where the Heart is ;) Why: To build community through bicycling! To help spread bike safety for bicyclists and motorists alike. Bike Parties give the public a closer look at what their community has to offer, even if they do not ride everyday. How: We have seven basic rules to keep the ride safe. We ride legally and follow all traffic rules. We have many volunteers (called BIRDs -Bicycle Information Resource Directors!) who help to lead and direct the ride itself – please listen to their helpful instructions! Stay far away from anyone who appears inebriated, and encourage them to go home safely – they will likely hurt themselves or others and/or get a nasty ticket before the night is out. BRING: Everything to make your bike legal and safe! Lights (a white front light is required by law, as is a red rear reflector) We ride rain or shine, so bring weather-appropriate clothing. Helmet (not required by law for adults, but always a good idea) Snacks and water – the rides are long, you will be tired! Stay healthy and hydrated! Repair kits/tools (or a friend who will share) Lock (in case you want to stop somewhere-after party?) WHY HAVEN’T YOU HEARD OF THIS? We honestly have no idea. Get invovled and/or Get intouch: charisofjohnsoncity@gmail.com

The Green Lane Project

The Green Lane Project is a new initiative from Bikes Belong aimed at catalyzing the installation of protected bike lanes and similar facilities in U.S. cities. The project will work with six leading U.S. cities over the next two years to create on-the-ground models from coast to coast.

The application process will open in early February and close in early March, with a kick-off planned in Chicago in May in conjunction with National Bike Month.

Learn more about this program from Martha Roskowski, Green Lane Project director, during an Alliance informational call on Monday, January 30 from 2 - 3 p.m. Eastern.

To make sure you receive the call agenda and other materials, register by Friday, January 27 at 5 p.m. EST.

Changing Kid's Lifes with bikes

Thirty-year-old Daniel Furbish has found his calling: working to change kids’ lives, one sprocket at a time. He teaches inner-city kids to build bicycles. WPLN’s Kim Green visited his class at a Nashville youth center and has this story, of how Furbish aims to give his students power beyond mere locomotion.

Click Here for more info http://wpln.org/?p=32993

JOB Announcement

The Safe Routes to School National Partnership is hiring a state advocacy organizer in Tennessee who will build and maintain a network of diverse partners to achieve three main policy objectives: (1) Leverage funding for bicycle and pedestrian construction projects including Safe Routes to School and Transportation Enhancements funds, (2) Facilitate additional street-scale improvements through Complete Streets policies and other mechanisms and (3) Advance joint-use agreements. Policies must benefit lower-income communities and improve the built environment to increase physical activity to help reverse childhood obesity. Applications are due on Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. PT.  The position begins on March 1, 2012.

Pedestrians Hit by Traffic TRIPLES

Serious injuries involving pedestrians wearing headphones have more than tripled since 2004, a U.S. study showed. Researchers from the University of Maryland found that people often were hit by vehicles because their music blocked out horns or sirens alerting them to danger. In 70 percent of cases, the headphone-wearing pedestrians died as a result of the injuries they sustained from being hit by traffic.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/01/17/serious-injuries-triple-for-headphone-wearing-pedestrians/#ixzz1joHmyfjf

They are also a major hazard on Greenways!

Knox County Pedestrian Fatality - Safety Lessons?

The Knoxville News Sentinel reports that a pedestrian was struck and killed while on a walk in her neighborhood on January 4. Time of the crash was sometime after 5:00 PM. The driver claimed that the sun got into his eyes, causing him to not see the couple in the street. This particular tragedy raises questions of staying safe around sunrise and sunset. Some people have argued that it's best for cyclists and pedestrians to avoid being in the street around these times, due to the blinding effect of the sun on drivers, especially on east/west routes. Avoiding these times may not be too difficult with slight tweaks in one's schedule being sufficient. On the other hand, how much added danger is there in reality from the sun during these times?

FULL Time Position for SRTS

Safe Routes to School National Partnership 

The Safe Routes to School National Partnership is hiring seven state advocacy organizers

 

(one per state) in California, Florida, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee. Applications are due on Thursday, February 2nd, at 5:00 p.m. PT. The California position begins February 13, and the other six positions begin on March 1.

2012 Chattanooga, TN LCI Seminar

Location: 200 River Street   Friday, April 27, 2012 To Sunday, April 29, 2012
Location: Outdoor Chattanooga 200 River Street, Chattanooga, TN 37405
Coach:     Preston Tyree
Hours:     5-9pm Friday; 8am-one hour after sunset Saturday; 8am-3pm Sunday 
Registration fee: $200

We will be holding Traffic Skills 101 Sessions later in January and February and on demand for potential participants for this course.  Please contact me if you have any questions.

Philip Pugliese, Bicycle Coordinator

Outdoor Chattanooga, 200 River Street, Chattanooga, TN 37405

T 423.643.6887   M 423.322.1489 Fax 423.643.6885

ppugliese@outdoorchattanooga.com

www.outdoorchattanooga.com

www.bikechattanooga.org

New BRAT Spring Ride

Join us for the BRAT spring ride (River & Lakes Tour) April 20th-21st to knock the dust off your bike and get the winter blues right out of your legs. Come see what makes the Bicycle Ride Across Tennessee so great. If your not sure you can handle our 7 day event in the fall the spring ride is a great chance to see what a multiday tour is like. Click here for more details.

More on RWJF Grant Renewal

I just wanted to share the news with you all that Tennessee was one of 7 states chosen by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for continued funding! This means the Tennessee Network will be funded for the next 3 years. The state network organizer position will become a full time position and the network organizer will be a direct employee of the National Safe Routes to School Partnership. Therefore the position will be advertised and the National Safe Routes to School partnership will have an application and interview process to select the state network organizer. I will forward details about the position and interview process as soon I receive them, probably by next week.

This is wonderful news for the state of Tennessee to be chosen for this continued funding which was based on the momentum and success of the state network! I believe having a full time dedicated network organizer will help the network to be even more successful in achieving the goals set forth by RWJF and the National Partnership. It has been a great joy to serve as the state network organizer in 2011 and I will continue to be involved with the network as much as possible. Please let me know if you have any questions about this new funding opportunity and new direction for the Tennessee State Network!

Millie Halvorson

RWJF RENEWS FUNDING FOR SRTS in TN

Boulder, CO (January 5, 2012)– The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has provided a three-year renewal grant of $2,999,725 to the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) National Partnership. The grant will support the Partnership’s efforts to advance SRTS, a federal program that creates safe, convenient and fun opportunities for U.S. children to walk and bicycle to and from school.
 
“This program will help a generation of children to become more active and healthy through the construction of lasting street-scale improvements that will result in more walking and bicycling,” said Deb Hubsmith, director of the SRTS National Partnership. “We are grateful for the RWJF’s generous support, and look forward to working with many partners to help reverse the childhood obesity epidemic in the next three years.”

NOMINATION OF DIRECTORS

Nominations for two year term Bike Walk Tennessee directors are now being accepted and can be submitted until January 31, 2012. Positions for both regional and at large directorships are open. Please click here for further details. Email nomination to Carey Rogers, Nominations Committee Chair, at careyrogers@comcast.net

Please consider nominating yourself or someone with an interest in advocacy for non-motor- ized transportation. Tough times are ahead and we need new people.

Happy New Year: "Death by Degrees" bike ride

From the board of directors of Bike/Walk Tennessee we would like to wish everyone a happy new year as we ring in 2012. There is a ride organized by Knoxville locals Gary and Helen Picou on New Years's Day named the "Death by Degrees" ride. As its name suggests, the ride is one that goes for the number of miles in degrees that are present at the start. So, if say it is a warm 60 degrees at the start, then the ride is a 60 miles ride. On the other hand, if it's an utterly frigid 0 degrees, then the ride is cancelled. A tamer option exists for riding the number of kilometers in derees Celsius. Setting ride distances based on temperature is quite creative. Are there other creative rides out there with an element of chance?

Walking to "outpace" the grim reaper

Vitals On MSNBC.COM is reporting that Australian researchers have found that older folks who walked at a pace of 3 mph or faster tended to stay alive over a given period of time, versus folks who walked at a slower pace. Thus, 3 mph is considered the pace at which one outruns the grim reaper. Interestingly, 3 mph is a typical pedestrian walking speed at which transportation planning is done. Having communities in which it's feasible to walk to work, school, and various other destinations makes it that much easier to be and stay active for all people. And staying active makes it that much easier to have that 3+ mph pace even as one ages, not to mention maintaining one's independence.

Knoxville Fifth Annual Tour de Lights

The Knoxville Regional Transportation Organization is having the fifth annual Tour de Lights holiday ride tonight, December 15, 2011. This fun ride starts and ends at Market Square downtown, and travels at a leisurely 8 mph or so through several local neighborhoods, for a distance of a few miles. Riders are encouraged to decorate their bikes for the holiday season. In the past, there have been between 200-400 or so participants. Being one of several large group rides put on each year, the Tour de Lights is nevertheless unique in being the ride that takes place at night. It provides a great way to showcase cycling to the community, and to show people that it can easily be done.

SRTS Network in Tennessee Terminates

Over the past two years, Safe Routes to School Network in Tennessee has been funded through a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. That contract ended December 14th, 2011. For that reason, the Tennessee crew has decided to join forces with the Tennessee Obesity Task Force (TOT). They are very excited about the potential to continue to advance the work the network has begun through the shared experiences and resources of the Tennessee Obesity Task Force. In the near future, The Safe Routes to School Network will have a direct link from the TOT website , and an email address through TOT. Until then the state SRTS network’s temporary email address is tnsrts@gmail.com . The National Partnership’s website will continue and updates for the state of Tennessee can still be found there.

Click on these links for more information (Fact Sheet) about the network, best practices, and its final report

Better Medicine - 10 Reasons to Keep Fit as You Age

Better Medicine lists 10 Reasons to Keep Fit as You Age. They are

1. Increasing bone density and limiting osteoporosis
2. Helping one stay independent
3. Increasing metabolism
4. Reducing the risk of falls
5. Making one more flexible
6. Gives one a reason to be more sociable
7. Improves one's mood,
8. and finally helps one's body.
(#8-#10 are benefits to one's lungs and heart, and the prevention and control of diabetes.)

Now, as they report, much physical activity has been engineered out of the everyday lives of people. It's gotten to a point where for many folks, activity has to be specifically scheduled into one's day. The last item that the article lists, namely parking further away from one's destination and walking, is a good idea. But wouldn't it be much more productive and fun if physical activity could be part of everyday life itself? Having an extensive complete streets network, where people may readily walk or bike to work and to run chores doing the same would go a long way toward achieving such.

John Daugherty Case Closure

The Oak Ridge (link below) and Knoxville newspapers recently reported the outcome of the case regarding the tragic death of bicyclist John Daugherty in 2009. The three foot law played a critical role in the determination of charges against the motor vehicle's driver who killed John as he rode on the shoulder of the roadway. The driver entered a "no contest" guilty plea t0 criminal negligent homicide. He was sentenced to two years of probation with diversion and 200 hours of community service.

Bike Walk Tennessee board directors Mark Hicks and Jonell Johnson remained involved with the prosecuting Roane County District Attorney General Russell Johnson regarding the use of the three foot law in this case. They also expressed the concern of the bicycling community that similar previous incidences did not result in any criminal charges. Hopefully, this unfortunate case raises awareness of the consequences of distracted, inattentive driving behavior that results in injury or death.

The expanded “Due Care” law enacted July 1,2011 increases the penalties for distracted driving that results in injury or death of a person(s). Bike Walk Tennessee drafted the law and secured House and Senate legislative sponsors who shepherded the law through the General Assembly. Bike Walk Tennessee remains committed to creating legislation and promoting enforcement of laws that protects bicyclists and pedestrians who are using the public right of way.

link

Proposed Federal mandatory sidepath law

The League of American Bicyclists (LAB) is reporting that S. 1813, the Senate draft transportation authorization bill, contains a mandatory sidepath law that would require cyclists to ride on sidepaths on federal land. The LAB article has much more information on why such is a terrible idea. But if you have non-cycling friends who are wondering why such proposals actually do not promote safety, here are a few reasons. First, the vast majority of car-bike crashes take place at intersections. Riding on a sidepath is dangerous for the same reasons sidewalk riding tends to be dangerous. Behavior at intersections is complicated by the presence of a sidepath. Car drivers do not typically look for same direction cyclists passing from the right, when making a right turn (right-hook conflict). Cyclists are also less visible to oncoming traffic, which may be planning to make a left (left-hook conflict). Second, many sidepaths are maintained well below the standards of main roads. Debris tends to accumulate, and cracks and potholes tend to accumulate to a larger degree before remedial action is undertaken. Finally, travel at higher speeds (say anything above 10 mph) is difficult to do safely when riding on even a well-maintained sidepath since there tends to be insufficient room to maneuver. None of these facts are obvious to a non-cyclist. The proposal seeks to get cyclists "out of the way" of car traffic, even traffic traveling at a modest 30 mph. In practice, passing cyclists is something that drivers routinely accomplish within a minute or two at most.

Nashville MPO Delays Award Announcement

Due to questions raised in the November BPAC review of the $2.5 Million that Nashville MPO is awarding for Bike/Ped projects, the MPO staff has requested additional information from applicants and TDOT regarding the grant process.  Considering the tight timeframe, the MPO has decided to push back the awards until January.  Our MPO Executive Board meets January 18^th, which means they would likely make the award announcements that day or the next.