Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition Paved Advocacy

Alta Planning and Design Comes to Harrisonburg

2012-01-18T07:17:00.000-08:00

Harrisonburg was very lucky to have two representatives from Alta Planning and Design make the journey to the Friendly City to engage local advocates about local cycling issues and potential for future infrastructure improvements. In the picture above, local advocates talk about the potential for transforming Federal Street into a bike specific (maybe car free?) corridor to connect the future North End Greenway into the Farmers Market. Charlie Denney and Fionnuala Quinn were both full of energy, information, and ideas on how Harrisonburg can take the next big steps to transform the city into a an even more Bicycle Friendly Community.

After a walking tour and lunch with local advocates Charlie and Fionnuala engaged SVBC members, City Council, and even a Rockingham County Supervisor Michael Breeden in a presentation about bicycle based initiatives and planning around the country and potential for the future of Harrisonburg. Their power point presentation slides are below. Stay tuned for a video recording of their presentation.

Another great event for the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition and another step in the right direction for local bicycle advocacy.

Follow this link to see more photos of the walking tour.

Two Upcoming Bike Events and an article in the DNR

2011-12-30T19:53:00.000-08:00

Daily News Record Article 12/30

HARRISONBURG — Local bicycle advocates hope community support and interest begins rolling in as they attempt to advance the Harrisonburg metropolitan area’s bike and pedestrian development in 2012.

Two upcoming events organized by the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition are planned to solicit feedback on the issue. The first, an informational session on local bike and walking plans, will be held at the Shenandoah Bicycle Co., 135 S. Main St., on Thursday at 7 p.m.

The public is also invited to join cycling and walking advocates on Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. at Clementine Café, 153 S. Main St., for a presentation by Charlie Deny and Fionnuala Quinn, of Oregon-based Alta Planning & Design. Deny and Quinn will discuss efforts to improve the planning and overall design of regional biking facilities.

Plan Took Shape In 2010

Spurred by members of the biking coalition and other enthusiasts, the city has instituted a number of trail projects and other features to improve recreation, access and safety for cyclists in Harrisonburg.

First introduced in 2010, the city’s bicycle and pedestrian plan was last updated in March.

Thomas Jenkins, chairman of the Harrisonburg Bicycle and Pedestrian Subcommittee, said he’s happy to see recent progress on two of the city’s major projects, the Bluestone Trail and the Northend Greenway. But they aren’t necessarily the key elements of the city’s bike and pedestrian plan. The plan’s focus lies more in enhancing connectivity between neighborhoods.

“This will be an opportunity for people to get familiar with [the plan] and hear updates and how it’s progressing. And like any plan, [it’s] constantly evolving,” he said.

The Bluestone Trail is a proposed mile-long bike trail that planners envision running from the James Madison University area on Port Republic Road south through Purcell Park, then on to Stone Spring Road. The Northend Greenway is a planned 1.5-mile multi-use trail that will serve the north side of Harrisonburg.

Thanh Dang, a public works planner for the city of Harrisonburg, said City Council recently endorsed the Bluestone project. Engineering and cost estimates are expected this summer. To help bring the project to fruition, Dang said the city plans to apply for a grant that may fund up to $75,000 toward the overall cost, which hasn’t been determined.

“It’s a small pot of money, but it would get the project started,” she said.

Jenkins and Dang say they hope that even those who rarely walk or bike will take the opportunity to give input and gain insight on what’s envisioned for the Harrisonburg area.

“The upcoming events [are] nothing formal, but hopefully people will learn about the things that are going on the community,” Dang said.

Contact Nate Delesline III at 574-6275 or ndelesline@dnronline.com

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MAY is BIKE MONTH!

2011-05-03T07:14:00.000-07:00

Bike Commuter Work Shop: Monday April 18th

2011-04-14T04:11:00.000-07:00

Interested in learning more about bike commuting? Or know someone who would like to learn more about bike commuting? Come the first event for the preparation of "May is Bike Month", this workshop will take place at Clementine Cafe from 7-8pm on Monday April 18th.

Join the Harrisonburg Bike/Ped Subcommittee!

2011-04-12T12:13:00.000-07:00

The Bicycle & Pedestrian Subcommittee now has a vacancy and applications for the position are currently being accepted through Thursday April 28, 2011. Please visit www.harrisonburgva.gov/bikeped to learn more about the duties of the Subcommittee and to download the Application Form.

Please submit your application to Thanh Dang by email at thanhd@harrisonburgva.gov, fax at (540) 434-2695 or by mail to Harrisonburg Public Works Department, 320 East Mosby Road, Harrisonburg, VA 22801.

The Transportation Safety & Advisory Commission is expected review applications and make a determination at their next meeting on May 4.

Harrisonburg Bicycle Pedestiran Sub Committee Meeting

2011-03-26T03:43:00.000-07:00

The next Harrisonburg Bicycle Pedestrain Subcommittee Meeting is Monday March 28th at 6pm. These meetings are open to the public and is a great way to find our the currents status projects on the 2010 Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan. For more info on the Committee and the 2010 Bike/Ped Plan visit City Website.

Chicago Avenue/ Mt. Clinton Pike Public Meeting

2011-03-10T05:48:00.000-08:00

This is from the City of Harrisonburg Website:

http://www.chicagoavenue.org/

The Chicago Avenue Corridor Study focuses on Chicago Avenue from Gay Street to Mt. Clinton Pike, Mt. Clinton Pike from Lincolnshire Drive, just beyond the City line, to Virginia Avenue (VA Route 42), and Park Road and Parkwood Drive where they run through the campus of Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) and Eastern Mennonite High School (EMHS).

(Click here for larger image [1.33 MB] )

The corridor study will develop recommendations for traffic, engineering, and land use for the corridor, along with a series of conceptual engineering sketches to initiate further engineering design for future roadway improvements.

A Public Meeting will be held in on Tuesday April 19, 2011 to share collected data and draft concepts, and to collect feedback from property owners and other interested members of the public. More information.

Want to help Harrisonburg have more bike racks in town?

2011-03-07T04:40:00.000-08:00

Want to help Harrisonburg have more bike racks in town?

Be on the SVBC Bike Rack Grant Committee.

SVBC needs 5 SVBC members to be on the SVBC Bike Rack Committee to help administer the new 2011 Bike Rack Grant.

Time commitment would roughly be about 15-20 hours total over the next 4-5 months.

Here is a rough list of responsibilities for the committee.

-finalize grant application and guidelines

-help advertise the grant via several media avenues such as DNR, Rocktown Weekly, Hburgnews.com, etc.

-review grants applications and help select recipients

-monitor rack installation

-bike rack inspections after installation

For more info on the grant or being on the SVBC Grant Committee contact Thomas Jenkins:tj@shenandoahbicycle.com

From the DNR in regards to the DR 100

2011-02-16T13:00:00.000-08:00

HARRISONBURG - By the time the next DR100 cycling event rolls into town, participants and donors should be able to scope out how proceeds from the inaugural affair were used. About $13,500 in proceeds from the first DR100, which honors the memory of Virginia Beach anesthesiologist and avid biker Dr. Joseph Mirenda, have been approved by the event's executive committee to use for local projects.

Late last year, the DR100 committee asked Harrisonburg, Rockingham County and James Madison University to submit projects to be considered for funding. In August 2009, Mirenda, 49, was struck and killed by a car as he rode his bicycle on Port Republic Road in Rockingham County.

He was headed toward JMU to visit his son, Nic, who was just starting his freshman year at the time. Mirenda's story inspired McGaheysville resident Steve Tomasi to organize the DR100 to increase bicycle and pedestrian safety in the Valley.

The first event was held in September, and organizers hope to hold another on Sept. 17. Organizers wanted to have DR100-funded projects complete by the time the next event is held. "I hate contributing to a charitable cause and the funds just get tied up for years and years and years," Tomasi said. "We want to spend 100 percent of the net proceeds for some bike project somewhere."

In Harrisonburg, $6,200 of DR100 funds and a $5,500 city match would be used to put shared lane markings, or "sharrows," on about 1½ miles of roadway, according to a list of projects. In the county, $6,050 from the event and a $2,000 match from the Virginia Department of Transportation would put bicycle lanes on the new Stone Spring Road between Port Republic Road and Reservoir Street.

The new Stone Spring is adjacent to Rockingham Memorial Hospital's new campus. And the JMU Cycle Share program, which allows students and faculty to borrow bicycles for two weeks, will receive $1,200. Organizers hoped to have an additional $10,000 in grants to spend on projects, Tomasi said, but DR100 did not receive the money.

Harrisonburg and VDOT officials said the projects couldn't begin until late spring or early summer because the weather has to be right for paint and lane markers to stick. Don Komara, maintenance manager for VDOT's regional office in Harrisonburg, said this presented a good opportunity to fund projects that aren't necessarily high priorities at a time when funding is tight. "They're good projects," he said. "They're like-to-have, so to speak, projects." Contact Jeremy Hunt at 574-6273 or jhunt@dnronline.com

Proceeds Allocated

Posted February 16, 2011 12:00 AM EST

Money Raised From DR100 Event To Fund Several Local Projects

By Jeremy Hunt

DR100 Ride...Raises money for City and County Improvements

2011-02-11T10:46:00.000-08:00

Bad news: The Shenandoah Valley Bike Coalition (SVBC) and The Doctor ride, run, walk event (DR100) did not receive a grant from BikesBelong (see emails below for further details).

Good news: We still have $20,950 to spend (thanks to matching funds from the City of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County) on expanding bike/pedestrian lanes on public roads as well as expanding the JMU bike program!

Effective immediately, The DR100 Executive Committee has authorized the disbursement of funds for the following projects:

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Project #1: $6,200 of DR100 funds plus $5,500 from the City Match for Cost-share for new bicycle facilities in Harrisonburg Project funding will be utilized to apply shared lane marking symbols for 8,400 feet on South Main Street and various other designated City streets. Ms. Thanh Dang, please let us know how to proceed.
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Project #2: $6,050 of DR100 funds plus $2,000 from Rockingham County for Cost-share for new bicycle facilities in Rockingham County Project funding will be utilized to stripe, mark, and erect the necessary signs designating bike lanes (east and west) adjacent to the new Stone Spring Road at the new Rockingham Memorial Hospital site. Mr. Stephen King, please let us know how to proceed.
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Project #3: $1,200 of DR100 funds for the Cycle Share program (Bike Library) at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Project funding will be utilized to obtain 4 new bicycles fully complemented with necessary safety and security equipment (locks, helmets, safety lights, and baskets/racks). Mr. Zack Evans, please let us know how to proceed.

Bikeleague.orgGrowing demand for livable communities

2011-01-27T05:09:00.000-08:00

Growing demand for livable communities (From the League of American Bicyclists)

12Share

The New Year is bringing with it a host of new research and reports. This is the first of a series of research summaries.

According to a survey recently released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 57 percent of adult Americans say that their neighborhood features – like sidewalks, crosswalks, or lighting – are of high importance in determining their levels of physical activity. About two-thirds of adults said they were willing to take “civic actions” to improve neighborhood features.

The report, “Public Support for Street-Scale Urban Design Practices and Policies to Increase Physical Activity,” confirms that the public sees the impact the built environment has on their levels of physical activity. There were no statistically significant differences in the responses to the impact question based on income, sex, education, home ownership, or BMI; however, respondents over 65 years old, African-Americans and Hispanics were more likely than others to say that neighborhood features impact their levels of activity. [UPDATE: StreetsBlog Capitol Hill has a very good piece on building a diverse advocacy movement.]

The survey also shows that many people are willing to take action to push for such projects. What were they willing to do? More than 40 percent were willing to write letters. This is not surprising for those of us that see the great response rate for important biking and walking advocacy alerts. Sixteen percent were willing to pay more in taxes. Six percent were willing to write letters AND pay more in taxes.

Not surprisingly, the study concludes, “the biggest factor in determining a person’s willingness to take civic action to improve neighborhood features was how important that person rated neighborhood features to be in determining her or his level of physical activity.”

More information on health and the built environment:

May is Bike Month...Planning underway now!

2011-01-23T18:26:00.000-08:00

Tonight was the first organizational meeting for "May is Bike Month" and the big "Bike to Work Day" event. The crew meet at Shenandoah Bicycle Company and recapped last years events and decided which events to include for this years celebration. Last year was the first year the local bike community mobilized to participate in this National celebration of bicycles and using bikes for transportation. SVBC is looking for volunteers to help organize and participate with Bike Month. If you are interested in helping, participating with Bike to Work day or having your business involved with Bike to Work day contact Thomas: tj@shenandoahbicycle.com.

Expect the next organizational meeting in February, we will post the time and place on this blog and the SVBC homepage.