Rides reported to 1/22

Let John know if these  numbers are inaccurate.

John Carlin is the new Miles Coordinator.
Please send him your ride miles effective Dec. 11, 2005 through Holiday Party 2006.

Contact info: johnecarlin@comcast.net,
425-778-4529  
The signed ride sheets still go to Kristin for club record-keeping.

Bicycle Club Convention

Club president Kristin Kinnamon and vice president Bill Weber made the trek to Olympia Jan. 22 for a Convention of Bicycle Clubs hosted by the Bicycle Alliance of Washington. Capital Bicycle Club gave a presentation  “How 18 Advocates Turned Olympia Bike Friendly.” Members have worked diligently for the past decade with Public Works, Planning Commission, City Council, transportation plans and tape measures. Yes, they went out and measured the streets to see which ones had room for a bike lane/shoulder. That effort doubled Olympia’s bike lanes in one year.

We also got a report on the Legislative Session. One legislator wants to ban bikes with child trailers from riding on a street when they could be on a sidewalk instead. His bill is expected to die. Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, who represents those of you in the 10^th District, has a bill that would allocate federal “enhancements” money the same way in Washington as in the country as a whole. Her goal is more money for historic preservation. The side effect could be less money for bicycle and pedestrian enhancements as a result of less local control over how money is spent.

The state funding package for the Department of Transportation dedicates about 1% of the budget to bicycle and pedestrian projects. Not much, but 100% more than in past years. There’s also a bill that says if motorcycles can’t trip a stoplight, they may proceed through the intersection when clear. Sound like a familiar problem? There are lots of motorcycling legislators, but apparently fewer cyclists.

Bicycle Alliance Executive Director Barbara Culp met recently with Dept. of Transportation head Doug MacDonald on the Bicycle Event Permit process which the Dept. of Transportation has been developing (and used on McClinchy last year). MacDonald is now working with his staff on the issue. An Open Public Records request to the state from the Port Townsend Bicycle Assoc. and BAW found that in the last 5 years there have been 10 claims against the state resulting from bicycle collisions. Not many when you consider the dozens of big events rides, hundreds of small rides and thousands of riders out there on state roadways.

Finally, we were encouraged to work with our local jurisdictions to adopt “complete streets” legislation. Such laws require that bicycle lanes or shoulders are required for EVERY road project (new or reconstruction) with exceptions only if the bike facility would cost more than 20% of the project, it would be illegal or contrary to public safety (such as on I-5), or it is not needed (along a residential street).