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Progress on Park and Ride Lot Posted: Thursday, April 11, 2013 5:23 PM EST Updated: Thursday, April 18, 2013 5:23 PM EST A new Erie Port Authority park and ride lot is now scheduled to open by June 1. Crews did much of the work last year, but then stopped over the winter. The lot is the first phase of a $5 million project to improve access to the bayfront. The second phase includes two bicycle and pedestrian pathways.

Here are some ideas of how park and ride or carpool lots could be catapulted into the 21st century, attract more users, promote healthier lifestyles, and offer more intermodal connections. Additional suggestions are always welcome. Add bicycle parking racks (preferably covered) and bicycle lockers. Even if one cannot bike commute the entire distance to work, adding bike parking racks and lockers to carpool lots allows cyclists to ride part of the way and then safely secure their bicycles. Whenever possible, locate the park and ride lots along or near mass transit routes. Add EV (electric vehicle) charging stations. These lots are perfect place to re-charge your EV while carpooling. Provide shelters for those who are waiting for their carpool group or for mass transit. No need to get drenched when you don't have too. Add some landscaping. Let's show some community pride by making them attractive amenities instead of simply another sea of asphalt and/or stone. Security lighting that is also dark-sky friendly. There is no need to light up the entire interchange (or neighboring homes) when properly installed and designed lighting can accomplish the job and be environmentally friendly. Lease some space to car-sharing organizations like ZipCar and donate space to local, non-profit bike-sharing programs if they exist. This would produce some income for maintenance of the carpool lot and provide a greater range of intermodal services. Include an area for taxis to pick up and drop off people. Include emergency phones.

The building's interior would have appropriate conveniences such as seating, free wi-fi and computer/laptop recharging sites, restrooms, changing/shower facilities, ATM, coffee shop/snack bar/newsstand, storage lockers, security, ticket terminals, intermodal arrival/departure display monitors, and similar resources. Outside of the hub station would be a solar-lighted/heated transit/intercity bus shelter for each direction of the adjacent route(s); a minimum of six sheltered solar-powered EV charging/plug-in stations; sheltered bicycle parking racks; a quick-fix bicycle service station; a taxicab stand; and a minimum of 50 carpool/vanpool parking spaces. Alternative energy vehicles shall be given priority parking locations along with those for the disabled nearest the hub station. Throughout the site, appropriate and native landscaping would be utilized for cooling/shade in the summer months and to deflect winter winds whenever practical. Recycling and waste containers will be located throughout the interior and exterior of the site and all exterior lighting would be solar-powered, as well. Gray water from the hub station will be used for the trees and plantings. For those cities fortunate enough to have commuter rail or light rail, every attempt should be made to link the Ecomodal Hub to a railroad passenger station. Otherwise, it should be situated in close proximity. Ecomodal Hubs should also be located adjacent to or very close to important transit routes and major bicycle commuting corridors/trails.

The early-morning sunlight slanted in low and strong, stretching over the gunmetal gray of Lake Erie and reaching beyond the budding greenery of Cahoon Park to touch down on the small figures on bikes rolling along the sidewalks on the south side of Wolf Road. If you were wandering by Bay Middle School, in the Cleveland suburb of Bay Village, this past Wednesday, you might not have thought much of it at first. Maybe these are just a few ambitious tweens opting out of the bus ride on a luminescent spring day. But then, coming from the west, were another line of five or six kids. And back the other way, a full-blown pack of riders suddenly appeared, bearing down on the parking lot, followed by another group behind that. Soon a hundred kids have arrived on bikes, then 300, then 500, a few balancing violin cases or classroom projects on their handlebars. Their bikes swallowed the racks in front of the school, amoeba-like, and filled the grass around trees along the parking lot, then began to crowd the iron fence marking the school property. Meanwhile, full-sized buses pulled in with only five or six forlorn-looking children on board.

In the recent flurry of local authority initiatives to promote cycling, the focus has been on junctions, cycle lanes, lorries and training. One question seems be almost totally neglected: "Where could I keep a bike?" For many people, a lack of secure storage rules out cycling completely.

Bike parking ordinance developed for communities in Illinois October 2011

On Ninth Avenue, where the city has installed protected bike lanes, businesses from 23rd Street to 31st Street have seen a 49 percent increase in retail sales, compared with a boroughwide average of 3 percent over the same period, the report said. On the north end of Union Square, where the city has installed a plaza and a protected bike path, the department said there was a 49 percent reduction in commercial vacancies. The borough has averaged an increase of 5 percent in commercial vacancies. In Brooklyn, where a parking area on Pearl Street was converted into a plaza, retail sales have increased 172 percent for neighboring businesses, compared with 18 percent throughout the borough.

In the 90's the University of Montana wanted to build a 12 million dollar parking garage.  The  students got involved and helped to enact some legislation to solve the transportation issues.  They collected a $4 fee from each student that funds a student run bus service, a cruiser coop, etc.

To report an abandoned bicycle on City road allowance, contact 311 to submit a service request. If this a bike frame only, Solid Waste Management, Litter Operations will remove the frame. All other abandoned bicycles on the City road allowance, will be investigated by Transportation Services, Right-of Way Management and tagged prior to removal. For abandoned bicycles in City parks see: Abandoned shopping carts - bicycles - in City parks

Westerville Bike Hub - 4 Season Amenity It'll be central Ohio's first such rest stop along the Ohio to Erie Trail, a 325-mile, mostly off-road route between Cleveland and Cincinnati. The hub can help make Westerville a destination, said Christa Dickey, city spokeswoman. "People can stop in Westerville as a midway point on one of the longer excursions and have access to the Uptown area, free Wi-Fi and an opportunity to safely park your bike and belongings."

Dutch people very rarely ride with protective clothing or helmets because their streets are the safest in the world for cycling. Their cycle tracks are protected from motor traffic by a kerb (or bollards or parked cars). They're also designed to be wide enough for overtaking (or riding side by side).

"Measuring the Streets" demonstrated that small businesses in New York City near bike lanes "have done very well, especially when compared to borough-wide averages," the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT), which issued the report, noted. Along Ninth Avenue in Manhattan, for example, sales grew "by as much as 49 percent on portions after DOT installed the city's - and nation's - first parking-protected bike lanes there in 2007, 16 times the borough-wide growth," according to the report.

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!

The Marginalization of Bicyclists Dan Gutierrez, who helped write this article, took the video from which these snapshots are taken. In the left photo, Dan's colleague Brian DeSousa is riding close to the curb in the right-hand lane of a multilane arterial. That position invites motorists to pass him within the lane, and sure enough, one does. On the right Brian is in a lane control position, which tells motorists they need to change lanes to pass. How the car lane paradigm eroded our lane rights and what we can do to restore them Not long ago I was riding in the middle of the right-hand (slow) lane on a 4-lane urban street with parallel parking and a 25 mph speed limit. I had just stopped at a 4-way stop when the young male driver of a powerful car in the left lane yelled at me, "You aint no f***ing car man, get on the sidewalk." He then sped away, cutting it close as he changed lanes right in front of me in an attempt, I suppose, to teach me a lesson. That guy stated in a profane way the world view of most people today: If you can't keep up, stay out of the way. My being in the right-hand lane and therefore "in his way" violated his sense that roads in general and travel lanes in particular are only for cars, a viewpoint that I call the car lane paradigm. The car lane paradigm conflicts with the fact that in every state of the union, bicyclists have the same rights and duties as drivers of vehicles. So which is it? Do bicyclists have the same right to use travel lanes as other drivers or not? Before lanes existed, bicyclists simply acted like other drivers. But now that travel lanes are common, most people grow up with the car lane paradigm with bicyclists relegated to the margins of the road. This article goes into the history of how the car lane paradigm came to be and what we can do about it now. Reading this is going to take a while, so here is an outline of where we're going: 1897: In the beginning, bicycles were vehicles and bicyclists were drivers

By now, we all know that cycling is good for health, fitness, cutting road accidents, reducing carbon emissions, and increasing energy security (and so on, and on). But what about biking's economic impact--its cyclonomics, if you will? The League of American Bicyclists put a map together to publicize a recent report by its policy director Darren Flusche. Flusche says the most important pieces of evidence for bicycling's economic impact come from business district studies, including ones for downtown Memphis and Long Beach, California. Research (PDF) covering Portland, Oregon, meanwhile, showed that bicyclists spent more over a month than either motorists or walkers. "Those arguments are critical for convincing businesses to allow bike infrastructure in front of their shops, because they are very aware of parking, and they have the perception that most people arrive by car. That's not always the case. You can fit many more bikes in a spot than cars," Flusche says.

Help your child develop independent bike-riding skills on a two-wheeler. Ready, Set, Ride! is an innovative program that helps youngsters learn to ride a two-wheeler bicycle. It is held on four consecutive weekends during the summer in Erie and Warren. The program was developed for children with special needs, but is open to any child who is able to pedal and steer a bike but has not yet been successful in learning to ride without training wheels. It is ideal for youngsters with: Autism Down syndrome Mild cerebral palsy Sensory issues Behavioral issues Children should be at least seven years old and have a bike and helmet. A limited number are also available for use. The cost of the program is $90, but may be covered through an FSS allocation. Scholarships are also available. Ready, Set, Ride! sessions will be held: Erie: Saturdays, July 16, 23, 30, and August 6; 9-10 a.m. and 10:15-11:15 a.m. ; BNI West parking lot. Warren: Sundays, August 7, 14, 21, and 28. 9 - 10 a.m. and 10:15 - 11:15 a.m.; Warren YMCA, 212 Lexington Avenue, Warren, PA 16365 For more information about Ready, Set, Ride!, call (814) 874-5671.

In 2002 the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission dedicated a historical marker to the career of this famous American bicycle racer. The plaque is located at 1103 State Street in the City of Erie and reads: "A champion racer during the bicycle craze that swept the United States in the 1890s. After racing locally for several years, he competed against bicyclists from other states and nations in major contests between 1896 and 1906; foremost among these were the six-day team races at the old Madison Square Garden in New York. Maya lived here as a boy above his family's business, which he later managed on his return to Erie in 1907." Otto Maya was an American cyclist from Erie, Pennsylvania who during his life time witnessed the development of the bicycle as both a business and recreational means of transportation. He as well experienced the immense popularity of bicycle racing in the 1890s where spectators by the thousands would flock to the wooden cycling track to witness the speed, thrills and spills of cycle racing. Otto was born in 1876 and started racing professionally when he was eighteen years old in 1894. Between 1899 and 1902 Otto Maya raced in 6 six-day races, always capturing a podium placing. He won three six-day races: in Boston at the Revere Beach Cycle Track in 1901 partnered with James B. Bowler and as well in Boston at the Park Street Garden in 1902 with Floyd McFarland. He also was victorious in Philadelphia in 1902 partnered with Howard Freeman. Otto placed second in the first team six-day bicycle race in 1899 at Madison Square Garden New York, partnered with the Canadian cycling star Archie McEachern. In December 1901 at the Madison Square Garden six-day race in New York Otto was partnered with fellow Pennsylvanian Lester Wilson and they worked well together coming in second place. The last six-day race that we have information of Otto participating in was the 4th New York Madison Square Garden six-day race, partnered again with Floyd Mc

In 1866, Congress created the first peacetime all-black Army regiments-the Buffalo Soldiers. There were four regiments in all and members of the 25th Infantry stationed at Fort Missoula became the Bicycle Corps. Bicycling caught the eye of the US military in the late 1800s. In 1896, Fort Missoula's Lieutenant James Moss, a white officer (African American regiments were historically commanded by white officers), was granted permission to establish a Bicycle Corps with soldiers from the 25th Infantry. Their job was to test the bicycle for possible military applications. What resulted was a journey of epic proportions. After shakedown rides to Lake McDonald (126 miles) and Yellowstone National Park (800 miles) in 1896, the men rolled out of Fort Missoula on June 14, 1897 at 5:30 in the morning. Forty-one days and 1900 miles later, they pedaled into their destination, St. Louis. - See more at: http://wabikes.org/2014/02/10/black-history-bike-history/?goback=%2Egde_91090_member_5839075474793316352#sthash.YrfHxVJ4.dpuf

A study conducted by researchers at Monash University found more than half of respondents said the availability of end-of-trip facilities affected their decision to ride to work in difficult weather conditions. These facilities include undercover bicycle parking, showers, change rooms and lockers. Lead researcher Farhana Ahmed from the Institute of Transport Studies says the importance of good facilities to accommodate cyclists should not be underestimated. "From my analysis I found more than half of respondents said these end-of-trip facilities help them cope with adverse weather conditions and help them ride to work," she says. The government's National Cycling Strategy, implemented in 2011, aims to double the number of people cycling in Australia by 2016. However, this new research by the Institute of Transport Studies suggests policymakers need to focus on cyclists' preferences if they are to achieve this goal.