Albany Bicycle Coalition

by Lorenz M. Worden | August 18, 2015 · 2:35 pm

PBLs Forever!

Albany Bicycle Coalition, Inc.
127 S. Pine Ave.
Albany, NY 12208

August 14, 2015

The Honorable Kathy Sheehan
Office of the Mayor
City Hall, Rm. 102
24 Eagle St.
Albany, NY 12207

Dear Mayor Sheehan:

On behalf of people on bicycles (and those who want to be), thank you, the city officials, and the city’s contractors for developing the plans for Madison Avenue Traffic Calming. Your opening words at the July 29 “design meeting” made clear your commitment to the project and the development of a bicycle friendly Albany.

The only sustainable option for bicycle facilities that will get people on bicycles and on the street remains Protected Bicycle Lanes. These lanes on Madison Ave. will propel the City of Albany into the future and hone our competitive edge. Experience of other cities across the USA and the updated Federal design standards support this position.

In resolving the issue of maintenance cost, we urge you to look beyond this immediate cost to what will be the best long term investment through increased business and property values, improved health, reduced traffic and parking congestion, improved safety for all street users, and increased number of people moving (or returning) to Albany. Short term, the City can cover maintenance costs by reallocating DGS services within its current budget. By redirecting cleaning tasks from streets not requiring a 7-day cycle (e.g., many residential streets), we can maintain the new, redesigned Madison Ave.

Mayor Sheehan, we are faced with a decision with a 15 to 20-year future impact. The only option that will get the maximum number of people out of cars and onto bicycles remains Protected Bicycle Lanes. I urge you to embrace Protected Bicycle Lanes as proposed.

Sincerely,

Lorenz M. Worden
President
Albany Bicycle Coalition, Inc.
lorenzworden@gmail.com

Riding in Albany – End of July

Grandpa

Conflict – Step #1

Conflict – Step #2

Cool Down . . .

Always Exciting

Another Positive Step

Lunch in the Park

Waiting to Cross

Phone + Sidewalk = ?

In a hurry

1 Comment

Filed under Riding in Albany

Tagged as advocacy, City Review, Riding in Albany

by Lorenz M. Worden | August 12, 2015 · 12:42 pm

Every Day is a Good Day

What better way to recover from a hot day of doing user counts on the Erie Canalway Trail/Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail than a hot coffee and a snicker doodle at the Brakes on Lark?

Trail Count & Survey

After the sun shifts a little, the outdoor seating is a perfect spot to (see earlier post) to capture some images for Albany Bicycle Coalition’s“riding in Albany” scrapbook.

Patio at Brakes

But wait – just when leaving Brakes, who should appear but Natalie, the owner/chef at Tapasia – an Asian tapas soon to open on the lower level in the Brakes building. Natalie described her riding experiences in Chicago where she lived for some time – and contrasted them with the scary situation she found in Albany – riding to the HWFC, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and so on. Natalie was enthusiastic about the Madison Avenue Traffic Calming Protected Bicycle Lanes project, as it will help her new venture.

Never idle, Natalie and husband – who has extensive experience riding in Burlington with its pedestrian “mall” on Church St. and who asked when Lark St. would be car free – stopped at the Protected Bicycle Lane Coalition sign-up table in front of Upstate Artists Guild on 1st Friday.

Protected Lane Sign Up – Have You?

UAG hosted the Protected Bicycle Lane Coalition booth on both the 7/3 and 7/7 1st Fridays as part of its community support mission and to enhance walk ability of the City of Albany.

But wait again – Brakes is now complemented by the new Healthy on Lark vegan restaurant (in the old ‘Lil Buddha spot). At both spots, you’ll find great food and a pleasant atmosphere.

Image processed by CodeCarvings Piczard ### FREE Community Edition ### on 2013-10-21 17:45:43Z | http://piczard.com | http://codecarvings.com

Healthy on Lark

Sharon, the owner/chef at Healthy on Lark is no newcomer to healthy living with this expansive mission: “Healthy In A Hurry” motivates and supports clients to define a personal vision of optimum health and begin living the life they truly crave. We assist you to turn off auto-pilot and make conscious daily choices that impact your health: food choices, exercise routines, self-care choices, and sleep habits.”

But wait some more – The well-established Hudson River Coffee House at Quail and Hudson is now branching to Delaware Ave. in the former Tierra/Ultra Violet site next to one of Albany’s gems, the Spectrum 8 Theater. Once again, a nice dinner with a movie to follow will make a nice “evening out.” Hudson River Coffee House opened in 2010. Owner/operator Anton Pasquill, who expressed enthusiasm about coming to Delaware, will bring his years of experience to remodel and operate the new location. He even bought a motor vehicle!

It’s just too much to absorb . . .

1 Comment

Filed under Editorial, First Friday

Tagged as City Review, Comings and Goings

by Lorenz M. Worden | August 8, 2015 · 12:10 pm

“Alternative D is the Plan for Me” – Protected (Separated) Bicycle Lanes on Madison Ave.

RE: “Alternative D is the Plan for Me” – Protected (Separated) Bicycle Lanes on Madison Ave.

The City of Albany has presented 5 alternative designs for Madison Ave. The Protected Bicycle Lane Coalition and those who want to ride the streets of Albany need you to weigh in favor of “One-Way Separated Bicycle Lanes – Alternative D.” (Here “separated” means “protected.”)

PBLs in Action

One-Way Separated Bicycle Lanes – Alternative D is the safest because

Alternative D protects people on bicycles from parked cars pulling out and removes cyclists from riding in the door zone. The only other option that does that is C (two-way separated bicycle lanes).
Alternative C, though modeled after Protected Bicycle Lane Coalition ideas, is not ideal because it will make it difficult for people on bicycles to transition into and out of the Protected Bike Lane at intersections and at the eastern and western entrances. There are also concerns with non-standard lane widths in this alternative.

Let the Mayor know you’re in support of Alternative D by submitting your comments to MadisonAveStudy@albany-ny.org here before August 15.

Just complete this sentence: “I want Protected (Separated) Bicycle Lanes on Madison Ave. because . . . “

To see the alternatives, go to the “road diet” site and click “Madison Ave Road Diet Renderings”

Just remember – “Alternative D is the Plan for Me!”