Category Archives: Activisim

by Lorenz M. Worden | April 29, 2016 · 6:51 pm

A Visit Out West – Bicycle Lanes in Olean

In an on-going search for New York State cities where bicycles are welcome on the “main drag,” a recent review of Union St. in sunny Olean (300 miles west of Albany), reveals a four-lane superhighway with diagonal parking and multiple traffic lights being reduced to two motor vehicle travel lanes, two bicycle lanes, diagonal parking, and several roundabouts. The “under construction” photo tells it all. Traffic calming!

Traffic Calming in Olean

For more on New York State cities who want people on bicycles on their main streets, go here.

What else is there to see? The 6.2-mile “Allegheny River Valley Trail” is a paved route along its eponymous river. It circles around and through the St. Bonaventure University campus and then passes along the north side of town back to the city center.

Allegheny River Valley Trail

For selected trips, this trail – although intended primarily for recreation – would constitute a great commuter route. While the trail does not completely circumnavigate the city, it connects to some attractive low-traffic streets so that a complete circle can be enjoyed.

Regrettably and like many other similar trails, you have to KNOW that it exists and you have to KNOW the entry points. Why spend 1,000s on a trail and not 100s on some simple signage?

Not to be out done by the City of Albany, Olean is proud of its own extensive “tank bomb” marshaling yard where the black tankers stretch as far as one can see. The photos taken while stopping at the Twist and Shake soft ice cream store show nicely how the tankers can be appreciated from the River Valley Trail. Neat! North of Olean, there is an endless stream of tankers (full? empty?) sitting in Haskell Valley along I-86.

Tank Bombs and Ice Cream

More Tank Bombs and Ice Cream

Valley Bomb Train

Heading back toward Metroland, the Village of Waterloo (birthplace of Memorial Day and just west of that of the Women’s Movement in Seneca Falls), sports bicycle lanes on its main street through town – which is also Rts. 5 and 20.

Waterloo Welcomes People on Bicycles!

And where is Albany? With the exception of 0.8 miles of bicycle lanes on Clinton Ave. and another 700-1,00 feet on Northern Blvd, nada. At this rate, the City of Albany will have a whopping 3 or so bicycle-lane miles when its Bicycle Master Plan reaches its planned 20-year completion date.

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Filed under Activisim, Bike Lanes, City Review

Tagged as City Review

by Lorenz M. Worden | March 28, 2016 · 6:16 pm

What’s YOUR Biggest Challenge When Riding?

“’The role of our women is to obey their husbands and prepare food for them inside the house, not to imitate men and ride bikes in the streets,’ said the man, 33, who refused to give his name but echoed the view of many Gaza men interviewed, and of multiple comments on social networks, after news of the cycling group reached the Palestinian news media.”

If you thbik you sometimes get a rough time riding you bicycle, check this New York Times article “In Gaza, Bicycles Are a Battleground for Women Who Dare to Ride” from 2/23/16 forwarded by Alert Rider Frank. WomenBikes_main_

A woman in the Gaza Strip is trying to encourage younger women to join in an actively she likes – riding her bicycle. In one exchange, the leader says “’But you are young. I want you, when you get married, to make riding your bikes a condition of marriage.’ The younger women erupted in laughter at the suggestion. ‘He’ll give me a beating!’ exclaimed Asala, 21, who spoke on the condition her last name not be used.”

“Many Palestinians frown at the idea of women bicycling in public because men might inappropriately leer at their legs moving up and down or ogle their bottoms. Female cyclists are a fairly unusual sight throughout the Arab world, though women participate in group rides in Cairo and Amman, and in Beirut, women pedal rented bikes on the Corniche, the pedestrian strip along the Mediterranean.”

And a couple supporting quotes:

“Nearby, a fighter in the militant group Islamic Jihad who was waiting for a friend described the women as ‘detestable and ugly.’”

“Ahmad Muheisin, assistant undersecretary in Gaza’s youth and sports ministry office, said that women riding in public represented a ‘violation’ of Gaza values, but that he would not try to stop them unless religious leaders addressed the matter with a fatwa.”

“For the daring adventure …, Ms. Salibi wore a 1970s-style blue-and-black track suit, her hair poking out from a wool hat she had halfheartedly pushed on her head. In contrast, Ms. Suleiman, who teaches the Quran to children and volunteers in an orphanage, dressed modestly in a red Islamic head scarf, long red coat, wide black pants and spotted red socks.”

So, the next time someone honks or yells “get on the sidewalk,” count your blessings.

We Should Worry COMP

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Earth Day EXPO & Bicycle PARADE – Sunday, April 17, 11 AM-4 PM – Washington Park Lake House

CALL FOR Earth Day Expo 2016 VOLUNTEERS ~ Be part of the fun and help your neighbors “go green.”

Escorted EARTH DAY bike ride – Join us for a 12-mile escorted bicycle ride to award-winning “green” buildings on city streets. Ride begins at the Lake House at 9 AM and returns to Washington Park at 11:30 AM where “tykes on trikes” can join in the fun. Helmet required. Riders under age 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Live Music
Electric Vehicles
Children’s Activities
Solar Energy Display
Vendors featuring Earth-Friendly Products and Services
Event will be held rain or shine!

JOB OPENINGS: We need people for the following jobs. If interested, send an email, and we’ll contact you to discuss specifics.

Prior to the event:

Sign/Banner making – design and produce banners and signs. Imagination reigns!
Announcements Coordinator – Arrange sponsorship and key event announcements for our high school MCs
Compost/recycling/landfill bin design – help create the bins for the event
Need large water coolers for event & paper cups
Need people with first aid training to be on call at event
Projector & Screen for Speakers’ Corner – Can you provide a projector and screen for a small audience set up in the Lake House? We need you!
We need old lawn signs and metal stands to repurpose for the Expo
Loan us easels and music stands for holding signs

During the event (2-hour shifts):

Children’s booth volunteers – Assist youngsters in their activities
Education Exhibits volunteers – Greet guests and assist with exhibit
Composting & Recycling volunteers – Remind guests to sort their waste
Set-Up and Break-Down Crew – Help with Parking, Move tables and chairs, assist vendors, and clean up
Earth Day Ambassadors to monitor activities during the event (show up and volunteer).

To Volunteer, Contact: earthdayalbany@gmail.com

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Sponsored by: Sierra Club Hudson-Mohawk Group, Albany Bicycle Coalition, People of Albany United for Safe Energy (PAUSE), City of Albany and the City’s Sustainablity Advisory Committee, and Solarize Albany.

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Filed under Activisim, Bike Month, Events

Tagged as City Review

by Lorenz M. Worden | March 5, 2016 · 6:47 pm

Protected Bicycle Lanes at Risk on Madison Ave.

Protected Bicycle Lanes at Risk on Madison Ave. – After a 10-year effort by citizen groups, the City of Albany is designing and constructing a “road diet” along Madison Ave. from S. Allen St. to Lark St. While the project reduces the number of motor vehicle travel lanes, while improving to some degree bicycle accommodations, it still maintains Madison Ave. as a car-priority street.

The City of Albany is holding a Public Meeting on Madison Ave. Traffic Calming and Protected Bicycle Lanes on Wednesday, March 9, 6:30-7:30 PM at the College of St. Rose, Lally School of Education, 1009 Madison Ave.

The City of Albany initially proposed three alternative treatments:

Shared Motor Vehicle/Bicycle Lanes
Shared Motor Vehicle Parking/Bicycle Lanes
Conventional Bicycle Lanes

5-ft lane with buffer

Since no one of these, especially the first two “non-facilities,” were acceptable, the Protected Bicycle Lane Coalition formed to push for a 2-way Protected Bicycle Lane on the north side of Madison Ave. The city studied this proposal and added a fifth option, Buffered Bicycle Lanes. The Protected Bicycle Lane Coalition then offered a second Protected Bicycle Lane option, 1-way Protected Bicycle Lanes on each side of the street.

The City now has two alternatives under consideration. The purpose of the meeting is to review these concepts and trade-offs for the two feasible alternatives. The Allen St.-to-Lark St. project is to be done in three phases, Allen to Partridge Sts. being the first.

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Meeting Details:

Wednesday
March 9, 2016
6:30 to 7:30 PM
Info/questions? Bill Trudeau Jr., Coordinator of Traffic Engineering, Albany Traffic Engineering Unit, 434-5791, MadisonAveStudy@albany-ny.org
The College of Saint Rose – Lally School of Education, 1009 Madison Ave., Touhey Forum
March 9, 2016

Bicycle Parade – 2016

The Earth Day Expo & Bicycle Parade – 2016 scheduled for Sunday, April 17, 11 AM to 4 Pm will feature a 12-mile “Bicycle Parade.” The ride will assemble at the Washington Park Lake House at 9:00 AM.

Where are they?

Taking advantage of our early spring, the ride’s planners did a preliminary assessment of the route and made some final adjustments to ensure that its attractiveness to riders.

Checking gear

From the Lake House, the Parade will feature low-stress cycling on a flat, lightly trafficked route and will stop at two sites with a strong Earth Day presence.