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2012 Tour Across Pennsylvania Erie County YMCA Bike Tour for Strong Kids- Week long tour of Pennsylvania September 23rd-29th , 2012. For additional details on this YMCA tour contact Craig Latimer at the YMCA or YMCA Tour Contact 2012 MS Bike - Cook Forest River Ride The ride is held Saturday, September 22nd. The Cook Forest River Ride as a one-day bike ride that takes cyclists on a gently rolling route along the Clarion River. It's a fun, fitness filled day for cyclists of all levels. This year, there are two route options: 35 miles for beginners and a more challenging 60 mile option for the avid cyclists. For more information, etc visit our website MS Cook Forest River Ride 2012 Pedal the Lakes Greenville, PA, Saturday, September 29th, 2012. This tour benefits the Mercer County Trail Association. Tour lengths of 10, 30, 65, 100 and 125 miles will be available. There also are free meals, primitive camping, and live music are also available with a paddle of the Shenango River on Sunday, September 30th if you wish to stay over. Details are available at the Trails web site Mercer County Trails. Application is available here '12 Pedal the Lakes Application Gran Fondo of the Alleghenies - October 13, 2012 includes 30, 60 and 100 mile routes through the Allegheny National Forest in Warren and Sheffield areas of PA. Details and application at Warren Adventures Web Site. Registration is available on BikeReg.

See pages 12, 13, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, and 26 Countywide: TE Line Item: Countywide transportation enhancements funding for eligible project categories (e.g., ped / bike, scenic / historic preservation, archaeological planning) administered jointly by the County and PennDOT TE Line-Item - was assumed to include 100% of the applicable TE revenues, minus any "already programmed" TE projects on the 2011-2014 TIP. All TE projects must relate to surface transportation within one or more of the 12 eligible activities listed in specific program guidance and requirements for Erie County. PennDOT's guidance on Developing Regional Long Range Plans indicates that successful plans should "Emphasize Planning, not Programming". To that end, policy-level guidance is included within the 2040 LRTP to provide consistent and meaningful direction for the MPO and stakeholders towards achieving the plan's overall goals and objectives. The guidance focuses on several areas including: * General Planning Practices * Land Use Planning * Economic Vitality * Multimodal Transportation Safety * Multimodal Transportation Security * Roadway System * Pedestrian / Bicycle / Trail Network * Public Transportation * Rail Service * Air Travel * Waterborne Transportation * System Sustainability and Livability * System Efficiency and Preservation The plan encompasses all projects selected as part of the Erie LRTP's Decision Lens evaluation and screening process, all projects currently included on the 2011-2014 TIP, and additional interstate maintenance, transit, and airport projects that are funded or programmed through separate sources. Fiscal constraint and a reasonable set of expectations as to projects that can be implemented throughout the life of the plan were maintained through comparison to the established time periods and revenue assumptions listed below: * Period "0" = 2011-2012, or the remainder of the ongoing 2011-2012 TIP projects. * Period

Leerone Nesmith said he sometimes finds sharing the road to be a bit of a squeeze. Nesmith, 66, of Erie, rides his bicycle every day, weather permitting, and said he is occasionally overtaken by motor vehicles that come too close to him when they pass. "It can be a little nerve-racking. You have to keep watching traffic real close," he said. Changes to Pennsylvania's Vehicle Code that took effect a year ago require motorists to stay at least 4 feet from bicyclists when passing them on the road. Nesmith said he's familiar with the new law but doesn't believe everyone is aware of the changes. "Some come pretty close to you," said Nesmith, who has never been in an accident while riding his bike. The education continues as the Erie region heads into a new bike-riding season. Sgt. Jeff Annunziata, a traffic investigator with the Erie Bureau of Police, said he first heard of the law change from a citizen and learned more about it later during police updates. Annunziata said he's not sure the newly designated passing "buffer" will help much in cutting down accidents involving bicycles and other vehicles. The biggest problems Annunziata says he sees are motorists not paying attention to bicyclists, and bicyclists not paying attention to other traffic and not knowing the rules of the road. "The avid bike riders absolutely know the rules, but others don't," he said. "Probably 90 percent of the accidents involving bikes in the city are probably caused by bike riders not paying attention." The bulk of the attention given to the vehicle code changes adopted under Act 3 of 2012, signed by Gov. Tom Corbett in February 2012, centered on the distance vehicles must stay from bicyclists when passing. It's the greatest distance established by any of the 25 states that have specific distance requirements in their traffic laws. Two states have distance requirements of at least 2 feet, while 22 require a distance of at least 3 feet, according to data compiled by the League of Am

Biking & Walking in MAP-21 Congress passed a new federal transportatin law, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), in June 2012. The law significantly cuts available funding for biking and walking projects, but also presents an opportunity for Americans to encourage state and local governments to fully utilize available funds to make biking and walking safer and more convenient.

Reporting on the value of investing in Bike/Pedestrian Infrastructure.

In 2012, 4,743 pedestrians and 726 bicyclists were killed in crashes with motor vehicles (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Traffic Safety Facts). Here are more facts and figues on pedestrian and bicycle crashes: Click here to jump to Bicycle Crash figures In 2012, 4,743 people were killed in pedestrian/motor vehicle crashes, more than 12 people every day of the year ( NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts).

From 2000 to 2010, bicycle commuting rose 40 percent in the U.S. But, in the 38 largest BFCs, the rise in bike commuters was almost double the national rate, growing a staggering 77 percent over the same time period. Cities like Portland, Ore.; Boulder, Colo; Davis, Calif., and other leading BFCs are almost ready to join the ranks of world-class bike communities - and the League has been working with BFC representatives to envision a higher standard that challenges and charts new heights for bicycle-friendliness in the United States. "If it sounds like we are moving the goalposts, it's because we are," says Andy Clarke, League President. "Communities are doing so much more, and the state of the practice in innovative infrastructure and programs has developed so rapidly in recent years, that it really is time to challenge communities to do even more to make biking better." Attaining Diamond designation will involve an individualized challenge tailored to each community. The League will conduct a detailed audit for each city and work with community leaders to create clear 5-, 10- and 15-year goals for important factors like bicycle mode share, land use, crashes, network connectivity and bike culture. The primary measure to Diamond designation: The number of people riding and citizen satisfaction. Cities will delve into a more detail evaluation of ridership and level of service, using standard methods of measure like the American Community Survey and National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project, but also more challenging and broader tools such as Copenhagen's Bicycle Account. The end goal: American communities that rival top international cycling cities like Copenhagen and Amsterdam with world-class facilities, like protected bike lanes - and so much more. "In Portland, bikes mean business," says Tom Miller, Director of the Portland (Ore.) Bureau of Transportation. "Our commitment to bike-friendly streets has helped to attract a wealt

Small retailers may not be able to compete with the big guys on Black Friday, but they're hoping shoppers will respond to deals and to the call to support small, local stores. Story Highlights Small Business Administrator Karen Mills expects this Small Business Saturday to be best yet To 36% of small retailers, Small Business Saturday is biggest day of season; 24%, Black Friday Nov.

We should consider doing this for our Ride of Silence in May.

You might have noticed some shiny new bikes parked outside the Ruth Lilly Student Center. Marian University has started a new bicycle sharing program and the bikes are available to students, faculty, and staff. "We want to start a cycling culture on campus that extends beyond our 19-time championship cycling team. We want Marian University students, faculty, and staff to embrace cycling for fun, exercise, transportation and competition. These bikes are a great way to build on the cycling culture that is already a part of the Marian University community," said Deborah Lawrence, Senior Vice President Head Cycling Coach Dean Peterson worked with Marian University cycling team partner, Matthews Bicycles, to find bikes that everyone could easily use. They selected a beautiful fleet of Electra bikes that reflect the school: new and cutting edge with a vintage flair. In addition to the bikes, a former cycling team member, Miles Chandler, is leading an effort to start a cycling club on campus, and they have agreed to maintain the Electra bikes for the campus community. "It's quick, it's easy, it's free, and healthy for you, too!" said Scott Ralph, Marian University's Chief of Police. The bicycles will be available each day from dawn to dusk, seasonal weather permitting. For more information, contact the Office of Campus Safety and Police Services in the Ruth Lilly Student Center at 317.955.6789. Happy cycling!