Archive for June, 2010

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Support Major Taylor students on STP

Monday, June 28th, 2010 by Emma Epstein

STPThe Group Health Seattle to Portland is an amazing accomplishment for any cyclist. But for the high school students from the Major Taylor Project, it is a defining experience.

Here’s what one 15-year-old who rode STP with Major Taylor last year had to say about his experience:  “We split up into 3 groups according to our riding speed. I liked being in the second group because I liked having the time to look around and see new things. I feel like the door opened and I got a new perspective.” He even said, “I liked looking at the houses and the streets and the different places. I feel like that ride gave me confidence to do a lot of things I never thought about before. I can’t wait to do it, again, and do a lot of other things, too.”

The students who rode last year still talk about their accomplishment. They’re also still proudly wearing the jerseys purchased for them by generous donors.

Will you help us do the same for this year’s group of 20 riders, and give them something to remember their achievement by? All it takes is $70 – but any gift, large or small, is welcome!

To donate, visit our Major Taylor donation page. We’ll send you a photo of all the kids who rode with us this year, wearing their jerseys with pride. Thank you and happy riding!

Posted in Major Taylor Project, STP | No Comments »

PSRC Responds…

Thursday, June 24th, 2010 by David Hiller

Puget Sound Regional Council has released the following statement in response to Cascade Bicycle Club’s appeal of Transportation 2040.

“We’re really proud of the Transportation 2040 plan. And we’re confident it will stand up to any challenges. Thousands of citizens – representing many points of view – participated in the process and contributed to the plan over a several year period. The plan offers a balanced, sensible and realistic approach to meeting our region’s transportation needs. One of the exciting things about the plan is the initiatives aimed at addressing climate change. Our plan is one of the most proactive and progressive in the nation in the area of climate change.

Local elected officials from the four counties overwhelmingly support the plan – the vote to approve the plan was 54 to two. We encourage interested citizens to find out more about the plan by visiting www.psrc.org.”

Let’s address these arguments from bottom to top.

(more…)

Posted in Advocacy, T2040 | No Comments »

Breakfast and the bike brigade

Thursday, June 24th, 2010 by Stephanie Frans

IMG_9949_smlWe’re hosting a commuter station at the University Village Counterbalance Bicycles from 6:30 – 9 a.m. on Friday, June 25.  Stop by to fuel up with breakfast treats and safety information.

At 7:15 a.m., join the Bike Brigade for a fun and informative ride through the NE 45th St. Viaduct detour. This interactive ride led by an experienced Cascade commuter is a great way to learn a new route and hone your riding skills in a relaxed group setting.

View a Google map with for locations of the commuter station and Bike Brigade route.

Can’t make it this Friday? Join us on another Bike Brigade in July.

Picture 076_smlNot quite ready to embark on a bike commute? Be sure to attend one of our FREE three-hour Intro to Bike Commuting workshops sponsored by Seattle Department of Transportation and brought to you by Cascade Bicyce Club.

The first hour of classroom instruction will focus on safety and rules of the road. The second hour we will practice essential bike skills using parking lot drills. The third hour we will put all of it together with an instructor-led ride on city streets. Now is the perfect time to use a bike for your transportation needs, and this workshop is the perfect way to build your skills and confidence. Please RSVP to commute@cascadebicycleclub.org if you are interested in this FREE workshop.

Sunday, June 27
11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
University Heights Community Center, Room 211

Sunday, July 11
9 a.m. -12 p.m.
Barnes & Noble, University Village

Posted in Classes, Commuting | No Comments »

Cascade Bicycle Club v. Puget Sound Regional Council (T2040)

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010 by Tessa Greegor

As of 5 p.m. on June 23, 2010, Cascade Bicycle Club along with Futurewise and the Sierra Club, will have filed a complaint to block adoption of PSRC’s Transportation 2040 (T2040), the region’s 30-year transportation plan. Our legal basis for this challenge is PSRC’s failure to meet the statutory goals and benchmarks for reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the adoption of T2040.  The failure to meet VMT reduction limits results in increased motor vehicle traffic on the region’s highways and arterials, the construction of fewer miles of facilities for non-motorized travel and  in turn, reduces the desirability and safety of bicycling throughout the region.

(more…)

Posted in Advocacy, T2040 | 2 Comments »

Cycle Track* coming to Dexter Ave

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010 by Serena Lehman

I know, right!

For years we have been hearing about all the great things going on Amsterdam and Copenhagen and now here in Seattle we have an opportunity to push bicycling to the next level.  For this to happen the city needs your support.

PROJECT OPEN HOUSE
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
4:30 pm – 6:30 p.m.
Seattle Center
Center House
Conference Room A

This project will improve the pavement condition by repaving the street in 2011.

As part of the repaving project, SDOT is proposing the following changes:
• Install a parking-protected buffered bike lane on each side of the street
• Remove the two-way left turn lane
• Provide dedicated left-turn lanes at busy intersections
• Provide dedicated load zones for businesses that need them
• Provide in-lane bus stops to improve transit speed and reliability
• Install dedicated bus islands

*What’s a cycle track you ask? A cycle track is a separated bicycle facility that runs along a roadway. One of the differences between a bike lane and a cycle track is that the cycle track uses a physical barrier to separate bicycle riders from automobile traffic. Some examples of physical barriers are parked cars, a curb and landscaping.

Posted in Advocacy, Road & Trail News | No Comments »

Starting down the long road to Portland

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010 by Emma Epstein

A group of 20 of our most ambitious Major Taylor students have begun training for this year’s Group Health Seattle to Portland Classic.

On Saturday, June 5 they biked from Seatac and White Center to Ballard to watch the Twilight Criterium. Crossing the West Seattle Bridge and following the waterfront to the Ballard Locks, for some it was the longest ride they’ve ever been on, and an amazing accomplishment. It also opened their minds to the possibilities of travel by bike. Having previously thought Ballard impossibly far away, more than one rider was amazed that anyone could make it there in an afternoon with just a couple of wheels and their own two feet.

Following this fun day of riding, an even larger group of students came out for Cascade’s Flying Wheels Summer Century on June 12. Students rode the 25 and 45 mile loops. Highlights along the way included seeing a man pulling a helicopter out of his lakeside mansion’s garage; three bald eagles circling in the air above us; and nearly all of the students successfully and happily completing the ride. Many said this is the most fun they’ve had a ride, and are pumped coming out of the experience to begin training in earnest for STP.

Over the next three weeks we’ll be going on progressively longer rides to get ready for the big day. Destinations so far include Alki Beach, various local colleges, and the Arboretum. Anyone interested in helping with rides can contact me by email or call 206-957-6960.

http://www.cascade.org/EandR/flying/index.cfm

Posted in Education, Flying Wheels, Kids on bikes, Major Taylor Project, STP | No Comments »

Hot news from the inbox: SDOT Completes the City’s First Buffered Bike Lane

Monday, June 21st, 2010 by M.J. Kelly

This just in…

SEATTLE – The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has just put the finishing touches on the city’s first buffered bike lane. The completion of the buffered bike lane, on N 130th Street from Greenwood Avenue N to Linden Avenue N, has been long-awaited by the Bitter Lake Community and is one of a number of roadway improvements recently made there by SDOT. The “complete street” makes travel safer for everyone whether on foot, bike or in a car. 

In addition to two vehicle travel lanes (one eastbound and one westbound) and the buffered bike lane, SDOT also installed a new curb bulb at the marked crosswalk at N 130th Street and North Park Avenue N in front of the Bitter Lake Community Center. Now that the rechannelization has been completed the final stage of the project will be to build a pedestrian refuge island at this crosswalk. 

The first such enhanced bike lane in Seattle, the buffered bike lane is a five-foot-wide bike lane that is buffered by a 2 ½ – foot striped “shy zone” between the bike lane and the moving vehicle lane. This design makes movement safer for both bicyclists and vehicles. With the shy zone, the buffered lane offers a more comfortable riding environment for bicycle riders who prefer not to ride adjacent to traffic. This system allows motorists to drive at a normal speed; they only need watch for cyclists when turning right at cross-streets or driveways and when crossing the buffered lane to park.

The changes to improve safety, pedestrian access and bicycle usage along the N 130th Street corridor are part of SDOT’s Pedestrian Master Plan and Bicycle Master Plan implementation and were funded by the voter-approved Bridging the Gap transportation initiative.
 

Ride by and let us know what you think in the comments.

Posted in Advocacy, Commuting, Road & Trail News | 1 Comment »

Major Taylor Project Honored by Global Connections High School

Monday, June 21st, 2010 by Emma Epstein

At their annual end of year Moving Up Assembly last Tuesday, the Major Taylor Project was honored by Global Connections High School as a valued community partner.

Global Connections was a pilot school for the project. We’ve led three sessions of riding there, a session of Earn a Bike, and brought students on off-season rides including a cyclocross race and Chilly Hilly.

This spring we’ve expanded the club at Global, leading an additional weekly ride and opening participation to students from Odyssey High School on the same campus.

Several of the students who ride with us were also honored at the assembly, including Ben-Oni Jean for most improved for his grade, and Moises Torres for student of the year for his grade. The school’s principal, Rick Harwood, has also been recognized with the 2009 Molina Healthcare Community Champion Award for his work connecting students with community organizations, and as the Highline Schools Foundation 2010 Administrator of the Year.

We appreciate the project being publically recognized as an asset to Global Connections, and also the privilege of working with the exceptional teachers and students on this campus.

Ed Global Award

Posted in Major Taylor Project | No Comments »

Major Taylor Students Hit the Trail and Track

Friday, June 18th, 2010 by Emma Epstein

There’s a lot of fun to be had on a bike beyond just riding on the road, and in May Major Taylor students had an opportunity to experience this first hand. Through partnerships with Trips for Kids and the Marymoor Velodrome Association, we were able to take students on weekend field trips that exposed them to kinds of riding many had never even considered, let alone tried.

Speaking of their experience mountain biking with Trips for Kids, students said, “It was pretty hardcore, but it was an experience I’ll never forget”, “I like how I didn’t let fear get in the way of having fun and jumping over logs  and just going after new challenges. I feel accomplished today”, and “I hope more trips like this happen”.

Another student, commenting on her experience riding a track bike at the Velodrome, said, “At first it seemed pretty scary, but once I started riding it was a lot of fun! It’s just so good to get out of the house and try new things”. Following our ride at the track, some students are even thinking they might be interested in getting into racing.

Many of our students come from families with limited resources. Through these field trips we hope to expose them to new opportunities and help them expand their passion for  biking. If you have ideas of other cycling opportunities our students may enjoy, email me or call 206-957-6960.

Posted in Education, Kids on bikes, Major Taylor Project, Mountain biking | No Comments »

Last chance for Group Health STP refunds

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010 by M.J. Kelly

Midnight tonight… that’s the deadline to take advantage of the event refund policy.

Going along with that, all of you who are hoping to register for the 2010 Group Health Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic, take note. We expect to reopen STP registration at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 22. Tarry not as we estimate it will take mere minutes to sell the few registrations available, and then it will close again when it is sold out. Here are a few tips to help your chances:

  • A Kotis account is required before you can register for an event. Create a Kotis account in advance to save time. Make sure you have your password handy on June 22.
  • On June 22, login before 9 a.m. and navigate to the STP registration page. For the non-tech savvy, the screen will not refresh automatically at 9:00. Refresh your screen manually by pushing the F5 button (or control-r.)
  • All fields with a red star (*) are required when registering for an event. Failure to complete all the required fields will prevent you from completing your transition. This snared a few people in the past who forgot to initial the waiver or the safety pledge. Don’t miss the starred items in your haste.
  • Have your VISA or Mastercard ready.
  • Here’s the biggie: your registration is not purchased until you have completed the checkout process and your credit card is charged. Once you click “Place order” Confirmation emails generally arrive quickly, depending on your email service provider.

Alternatively, hit up our auction. We have one remaining registration up for charitable auction on eBay to benefit the Cascade Bicycle Club Education Foundation. Donations above the STP registration fee are tax-deductible. The auction closes tonight.

Bonne chance…

Posted in STP | No Comments »

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