Keep working toward Complete Streets

At the National Bike Summit in Washington, DC last week, I learned about the "Complete Streets Act of 2008" (S. 2686) pending before the U.S. Senate. Like our Kentucky bill, SB 145, it would represent a significant step forward. I'll tell you about it in my next post. For now, here's an update on Kentucky SB 145. Given that it typically takes 7 years to get a bill through the US Congress, we should not pass up an opportunity to institute a state law that can improve conditions for bicycling and walking.

On Feb. 27, SB 145 was recommitted to the Senate Appropriations and Revenue (A&R) Committee, where it appears to have sat uneventfully. Given the tight budgetary times, I presume that some A&R Committee members would feel content to let the bill die in committee for fear that passing it would require Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to spend more money. SB 145 merely requires KYTC to "fully consider" providing for bicyclists and pedestrians when planning and designing roadways, and to report on those considerations. The bill, as written, has negligible budgetary impact.

Merely including consideration of bicyclists' and pedestrians' needs in KYTC's routine roadway planning and design process would constitute a step forward. In many cases, they would find that the they could safely accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians without spending more money. In other cases, they would find that a very small additional investment (say, 1% of the project budget) would yield a roadway that makes driving safer and more convenient while providing safe space for bicyclists and pedestrians. None of that can happen without routine consideration of the needs of non-motorized travelers. The annual report required by SB 145 would enable citizens to learn how frequently that consideration took place, how frequently KYTC acted on it, and whether their actions adequately addressed our needs.

I just called the Kentucky Legislative Message Line at (800) 372-7181 and left the following message for all members of the Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee, along with Sen. Katie Stine:
"Support SB 145 (Complete Streets). Kentucky Transportation Cabinet can implement this policy within its existing road budget. SB 145 is an essential step toward creating a transportation network that serves all Kentuckians well."

I included Sen. Stine so she can see this message in favor of her bill. I urge you to make a similar call to encourage A&R Committee members to send SB 145 back to the Senate floor with a favorable recommendation. With a few days left in this legislative session, the legislature can still take this opportunity to move Kentucky toward Complete Streets.

Bashing, in a good way

Saturday night saw the first Dream Machine Biker's Bash, a fund-raising party for Bicycling for Louisville. We exceeded all expectations for attendance (over 250) and proceeds (over $10,000). Thank you to all of you who joined us for our party! We had a great time.

Some crowd favorites included:

• the wonderful food by Finbar Kinsella
• the 5-minute roller bike-a-thons, featuring riders Chrissy Halioris, Nancy McElwain, Walter Lay, and Glenn Francisco. Glenn scorched the rollers with an average speed of 44 mph (5.9 km in 5 minutes)!
• equipment displays from Scheller's, Bicycle Sport, Bike Courier Bike Shop, Bluegrass Bicycles, Clarksville Schwinn, and Goose Creek Cycles
• active bidding on great silent auction items
• the climactic raffle drawing for a $1000 shopping spree at Scheller's and ultimate overhauls from Bike Courier Bike Shop and Clarksville Schwinn. Congratulations to raffle winners Jerry Gordon, Carrie Christensen, and Phyllis Croce!

I thank our wonderful major sponsors: Scheller's, Planet Bike, SRAM, Jan Arnow, Republic-National Distribution Co. of Kentucky, Buchenberger, Darst & Eggers, Highland Cleaners, Barkstown, Bicycle Sport, Bike Courier Bike Shop, Bluegrass Bicycles, Clarksville Schwinn, Goose Creek Cycles, Donna Connell, YMCA of Greater Louisville, and ABC/Disney.

Special thanks to the people without whom the event could not have happened: event coordinator Kathy Schmitt; super-volunteers Tom Armstrong, Jim Duffy, and Garrett Adams; Bicycling for Louisville board members Steve Anderson, Jan Arnow, Kathryn Berla, Michael Crawford, Tim Darst, Joff Hoyle, Marilyn Motsch, Stewart Prather, Vertner Smith, and Dan Trabue; an amazing crew of event volunteers bearing a marked resemblance to the roster of the LBC Ya Yas; Mark and Lynn Luking; and our incredibly capable and hard-working office manager and all-around person-on-point Katie McBride.

Next week, I'll post some photos of the Biker's Bash. Stay tuned!

We already have ideas for a bigger and better Biker's Bash next year. Keep your calendars open for a Bicycling for Louisville Halloween event, too! Bicycle advocacy isn't all work - it's fun, too!

I leave in 2 hours for the National Bike Summit in Washington, DC, thanks to a scholarship from Planet Bike and Bikes Belong Coalition. When I return, I'll share what I learned from the leading minds in bicycle advocacy in the US.

Pedaling legislation

SB 145, the "Complete Streets" bill introduced by Sen. Katie Stine, has been sent to the Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee for further consideration before any possible action by the full Senate. This makes sense, given that any bill in this legislative session must withstand concerns about whether it will cost our cash-strapped state any money. Sen. Stine anticipated this concern by removing from this bill any mandate that the Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) spend any money to make roads more accommodating to bicyclists or pedestrians. Instead, SB 145 merely insists that the Cabinet "fully consider" looking out for our needs. If their consideration leads them to believe that accommodating non-motorized users would unacceptably increase the cost of a road project, they need not spend any money on our behalf.

What, then, makes SB 145 worthy of our support?

• It makes the consideration of facilities for bicycling and walking a state law, rather than an obscure and often overlooked internal policy of the Transportation Cabinet.
• It requires the Cabinet to file an annual report listing the roadways built or rebuilt, along with the reasons for not including pedestrian or bicycle facilities in any roadways built without them. This provides public accountability not currently present.
• It is acquainting the legislature with the concept of Complete Streets, making it easier for us to find supporters for a stronger bill later.
• It shows our appreciation for Sen. Stine's initiative and willingness to take a legislative risk, making it more likely that we can work with her for future bicycling and walking improvements.
  
• It gives us the opportunity to urge our Senators and Representatives to amend SB 145 to make it stronger.

Again, with a simple call to a toll-free number, you can support SB 145. Call the Legislative Message line at (800) 372-7181 and leave a message for all Senators to support SB 145, the Complete Streets bill. If you have a bit more time to invest, click this link to e-mail Appropriations and Revenue Committee Chairman Sen. Charlie Borders urging that the committee hear testimony on SB 145 and report favorably on it, sending it back to the full Senate for action. Note that SB 145 will encourage the Transportation Cabinet to make new and rebuilt roads safely usable by all Kentuckians, and provide the Commonwealth with great financial benefits in terms of improved public health higher productivity, and more tourism.

Starting to Roll

Welcome to Barry's Bike Blog. I will follow current events, concerns, proposals, experiences, and wild ideas related to bicycling in Louisville, surrounding Kentucky counties, and southern Indiana, with occasional forays into state and national bicycling issues.

We live in exciting times for bicycling. I see more people on the streets riding for recreation and transportation, more people taking part in more types of bicycle racing, and fantastic growth in the number, size, and prestige of races taking place in and near Louisville. New charity bike rides, memorial rides, and special event rides seem to spring up each year. Local and state elected officials and government staffers have taken much more interest in bicycling over the past three years or so, with the result of new laws and government policies regarding bicycling and the bicycling environment. If you ride, you know that we face plenty of frustrations, too. I'll share news and musings on all of these topics.

Starting tomorrow, I'll update you on bills in the Kentucky General Assembly with the potential to lead to many more miles of safe and enjoyable bicycling routes in Kentucky. If you want to read the bills and form your own opinions before reading mine, look at:

• Senate Bill 145, to require routine consideration of bicycling and walking in roadway planning and design
  
• House Bill 291, to create a state rail banking fund to preserve abandoned rail corridors for future rail-trails
  

The links above will take you to an overview and legislative history of each bill. Once there, click on the link with the bill number to download a Word (.doc) format copy of the bill.

I hope that you find this blog interesting and useful. Please post comments or e-mail me feedback and suggestions.

Wishing you a warm, dry place to sit out the ice storm...

Ride well,

Barry