Category Archives: Support the Cause

Articles dealing with bicycle advocacy and what people can do about it.

by Lorenz M. Worden | January 28, 2012 · 1:23 pm

Albany Bicycle Coalition Supports Hudson River Bikeway over the Livingston Avenue Bridge – Corning Preserve/BoatLauch

Livingston Ave. Bridge - Open

We were pleased to see growing momentum for returning the Livingston Avenue Rail Road Bridge to its original configuration combining train, bicycle, and pedestrian travel over the Hudson. Albany Bicycle Coalition has joined with the Livingston Ave. Rail Road Bridge Coalition and others to support this effort.

As reported in Albany Times Union (1/28/12), Mike Stammel, Rensselaer County legislator, is proposing legislation to give a push to his side of the river.

What are we doing on the west bank?

Bryan Fitzgerald, TU Staff writer reported that Mr. Stammel will introduce a resolution to restore a walkway on the Bridge. For reference, this will connect directly to the Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail facilitating access to Albnay, Troy, Watervliet, and points north and south as well as opening up Rensselaer County to recreational and commuter riders. This is not asking for anything new as the bridge always had a walkway. The dilapidated walk/bikeway closed in the early 1990s. Reopening the bridge to cyclists and pedestrians will draw tourists. The rotating bridge was built in 1866 and rebuilt in 1901.

A project to replace the bridge has been in the works for years, but has stalled over lack of funding.

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Filed under Activism, City Review, Press Release, Support the Cause

by Daniel I. Patterson | January 3, 2012 · 10:22 am

What is People for Bikes?

People for Bikes

You may have noticed cute flyers around town, specifically at the Albany Downtube. The front resembles a smiling face drawn with a bike in mind. Well those flyers are from People for Bikes, a growing initiation from Bike Belong for the public advocacy of bicycles.

People for Bikes is dedicated to channeling the passion we all share for the bicycles that keep us fit, get us to our destinations, keep the roads less congested, and help save the earth by saving gas and keeping the air fresh. They are our vehicle to a healthier world, excitement, and adventure. From “who we are.”

People for Bikes wants to gather a million signatures to use as leverage for the support of bicycles. With one unified voice, People for Bikes can speak to law makers, the media, and the public to let them know that here in this great nation, bicycles are loved. From “goals”

Please join the effort to help promote and provide a bike friendly United States. Below is part of the message I received after I contributed my voice to the goal of one million signature.

“Thanks for signing the peopleforbikes.org pledge. We’re now one person closer to uniting one million voices for the future of bicycling.

Your voice will help build a national movement with clout and influence. Our unified message – that bicycling is important and should be supported – will resonate with leaders, the media and the public. We’ll work to ensure that new, cost-effective investments are made in bicycling facilities such as bikes lanes, trails, bike-share programs, and more that will benefit us now and well into the future.”

People for Bikes

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Filed under Activism, Support the Cause

Tagged as advocacy

by Lorenz M. Worden | October 18, 2011 · 12:00 pm

MoHu Motion – Gallery Spin – 1st (2nd) Friday Art Ride

Local cyclists helped the MoHu Festival (http://mohufest.com/) toward its goal of 50,000 visitors. MoHu is a 9 day-long arts festival of happening all over Albany, Schenectady, Rensselaer, and Saratoga counties. It features theatre, dance, music, visual, and random acts of art.

The two riders started out with a pre-ride visit to the Ultra Violet show the Upstate Artists Guild and then cruised back into the Park to pick up late comers (of which there was none). We lucked out by hitting the outstanding Underground Artist exhibit “Athletic Annex” during the downpour. Once again, the Underground Artists mounted an innovative and exciting show spread through three floors of the handball courts at the University Club on Dove.

We next visited the Trifecta Pop-Up Gallery on Hudson, the Opalka Galley on the re-paved (thank you Albany) New Scotland Ave, and ended up at the Massery Galley on Madison Ave. (hopefully soon to be three lanes with bicycle lanes).

Written by Lorenz Worden

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Filed under First Friday, Support the Cause

by Christopher | August 25, 2011 · 7:00 am

Changing Albany on Short Notice

I have written about Albany 2030 before. For those of you who don’t remember it is a way for the citizens of Albany to have an impact on how our city is shaped in the future. Part of this future, hopefully, will include bicycle transportation accommodations. How do I know this? What an astute question self. I know this because we are going to make it happen, and when I say we I don’t mean ABC. I mean us, the people of Albany because we are what makes this city great.

So what can you do to make sure bicycles get their due space on the road? Today Albany 2030 is hosting a ride where you will go around the city and check out all the bicycle accommodations camera in tow and tell them through the art of photography what you want to see more of and what ways the city could improve.

(click on the image to make it larger)

Written by Chris Belsole

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Filed under Activism, Article, Rides, Support the Cause

by Lorenz M. Worden | April 17, 2011 · 12:00 pm

Albany Bicycle Coalition Reaches Out to the Community

Over the April 8-10, 2011 weekend, ABC members hosted an information table at the L.L. Bean Colonie Center Spring Sports Weekend. This event was for outdoor enthusiasts with free clinics and demonstrations on paddling, hiking, camping, and other spring sports. At the other end of the consumption extreme, we were at the Hudson-Mohawk Reskilling Festival in Troy which featured exhibits and demonstrations on climate change, wind power, bicycling, composting, urbanism, and other skills. ABC members used both events to promote bicycling and the work of the Albany Bicycle Coalition with a special emphasis on Complete Streets. The reception of our message by the shoppers at L.L. Bean and the attendees at the Reskilling Festival was very favorable.

We distributed literature on ABC, Bicycle Month 2011, other bicycle related events during April and May, Shared Bicycle Lanes, and cyclist/driver responsibilities.