1996 All Over Again:
Vijay Pinch writes: "This is priceless. Amazing
that he wrote it 12 years ago." Twelve years ago, the columnist
Russell Baker, facing higher gasoline prices,
complained about being forced to take his car everywhere.
Connecticut Transportation Issues:
Vijay Pinch writes: "A great listen on John
Dankowski's "Where We Live" radio program yesterday, concerning
transportation issues statewide. The ostensible focus was Fairfield
County and the Connecticut to NY commute, but the discussion quickly
became much more general. Taking part were Jim Cameron, Chairman of the
CT Metro-North Rail Commuter Council and creator of the "Talking
Transportation" blog; Christiaan Hogendorn of Wesleyan's Economics
Department; and Kurt Schlichting in Sociology at Fairfield University.
I particularly liked Hogendorn's observation about the peculiar nature
of Connecticut's transportation infrastructure." Click
here for more.
Democratic Convention gets Cycling:
In order to reduce the environmental impact brought by
the Democratic convention in Denver, 1000 bikes will be dispersed
throughout the city. The bikes will be available to not only convention
goers but also visitors and residents of the city. Read more
here.
Gas Prices Spur Interest in Cycling:
Four-dollar-a-gallon gas is good for business -- if
you run a bike shop. Commuters around the country are dusting off their
old two-wheelers -- or buying new ones -- to cope with rising fuel
prices, bicycle dealers say. Click
here for more.
Bike Rack at Wesleyan:
Stephen Devoto sent in this example of a bike rack
that seems both poorly placed and a poor design to boot. Google in
New York has an interesting project to get quality indoor and outdoor
bike parking solutions. Click
here to
learn more.
The 3rd Annual Dump the Pump event will take place on June 19:
Dump the Pump is dedicated to raising awareness that riding public
transportation helps improve the environment and conserves fuel. It also
offers the opportunity for people to beat the high price of gasoline and
support public transportation as an important travel option that helps
reduce our dependence on foreign oil as well as reducing the amount of
harmful greenhouse gases that are emitted into our environment.
On June 19, public transportation agencies from coast to coast will join
together to ask you to park your cars and ride public transportation
instead.
So get on board and
Dump the Pump.
A Northeast Movement to Cut Emissions:
Beth Emery found this in the New York Times:
As they grow impatient over the absence of federal restrictions on
carbon emissions, officials in several states, especially those in the
Northeast, have decided to take matters into their own hands.
42,000 Dealths:
Vijay Pinch writes that there is an op-ed piece in The
Hartford Courant on the
42,000 deaths per year on US roads and highways. The piece is
prompted by the recent death of a Yale medical student, killed while
crossing the street in New Haven. The authors point to Sweden's "Vision
Zero" plan, which aims to reduce traffic fatalities to zero by 2020. It
is described as "an ethical approach to road traffic", which makes sense
given the number of lives every year destroyed or irremediably altered
by traffic accidents.
You can review the statistics on the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration site. Some
interesting details: the annual total number of deaths have held fairly
steady over the past decade, from 41+ thousand to 43+ thousand. Annual
motorcyclist deaths have about doubled, from about 2,300 in 1994 to
4,800 in 2006. Annual "pedal cyclist" deaths have held steady at about
800. Annual pedestrian deaths have dropped slightly, from about 5,500
to 4,800. "Fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled" have
decreased from 1.73 in 1994 to 1.41 in 2006.
It's an interesting table, well worth studying. Especially
attention-grabbing is the footnote: "Total fatalities for 1996 include
2 fatalities of unknown person type." It gives one pause.
Vijay
Do the Test:
Watch this great
short video.
No bike parking on M-8 trains:
Dear Central Connecticut Bicycle Alliance cycling
friends:
300 new M-8 train cars are very close to final design and the
current design is tragically flawed with respect to bicycle access
to trains. The M-8's do not include tie-downs, nor a dedicated area
for parking "bikes-on-trains." This despite the fact we received
repeated assurances from C-DOT Bureau of Public Transportation
Division of Rail officials that bicycle tie-downs would be part of
the design.
In personal conversations with design officials led me to believe
that bicycle parking would be available on every other car.
I even received the following unsolicited e-mail from Commuter
Council Chair Jim Cameron.
Subject Bike's on the new M8 cars
Sent Date 11-16-2007 5:48:26 PM
From Jim Cameron <jim@mediatrainer.tv>
Richard...
Metro-North is now telling me they're designing bike tie-downs for
the new M8 rail cars. How many, where, etc. I don't know. The
design is not final.
But they have listened to you and are incorporating your requests.
Jim Cameron, Chairman
CT Metro-North Rail Commuter Council
"Advocates for better rail services in CT"
Web:
www.trainweb.org/ct
Member - Coastal Corridor Transportation Investment Area
Member - Darien Representative Town Mtg.
Blog: "Talking Transportation"
Phone: 203-655-0138
Cell: 203-952-5758
Please consider the environment before printing this email þ
But Metro-North (MNR) has left bicycle parking on trains out of the
design made available to the public. MNR's goal is to maximize
seating capacity. That's unacceptable when its at the expense of
bicycle parking on trains. I hope you agree with me.
I am writing to encourage members of the Central
Connecticut Bicycle Alliance to speak out in favor of
"bikes-on-trains" and bike parking at stations.
Here's a three pronged strategy to have MNR to accede
to our request:
1. To encourage CCBA to write an "official" letter in
support of "bikes-on-trains" 24-7 (no peak hour restrictions) -
installing bicycle racks on new M-8 cars (with existing train cars
bikes and luggage - are parked in doorways - the new M-8's should
have a separate space every other car for luggage and bike storage)
- covered and secure bicycle parking (not individualized bike
lockers) should be provided at train stations on the New Haven
Line. And to send that letter to Jim Cameron (jim@mediatrainer.com in
advance of the March 19th CRCC meeting at GCT (see below).
And send a letter to these officials, too
Governor M. Jodi Rell via
philip.dukes@ct.gov
- Philip Dukes (Counsel for Policy for Governor Rell)
Peter Cannito (MNR President) via
mannix@mnr.org -
Mark Mannix
dsussman@mtahq.org - Douglas Sussman (Director, Community
Affairs MTA)
albert.martin@po.state.ct.us - Albert Martin (Deputy
Commissioner C-DOT) cc. Emil Frankel, Acting Commissioner
mfrank@dot.state.ny.us - Merrill Frank (New York Metropolitan
Council Intermodal Transportation Specialist)
jim.amman@cga.ct.gov
- House Speaker Jim Amman (Speaker of the House)
Christopher.Donovan@cga.ct.gov - State Rep Christopher Donovan
(Majority Leader)
DeFronzo@senatedems.ct.gov - State Senator Donald DeFronzo
(Co-Chair, Transportation Committee)
Tony.Guerrera@cga.ct.gov - State Rep Tony Guerrara (Co-Chair,
Transportation Committee)
William.H.Nickerson@cga.ct.gov
- State Senator William Nickerson (Ranking Member, Transportation
Committee)
David.Scribner@housegop.ct.gov - State Rep David Scribner
(Ranking Member, Transportation Committee)
Bob.Duff@cga.ct.gov
- State Senator Bob Duff (Vice-Chair, Transportation Committee)
Steve.Mikutel@cga.ct.gov - State Rep Steve Mikutel (Vice-Chair,
Transportation Committee)
Other members on the Transportation Committee I've met who represent
MNR New Haven Line communities and in my opinion would be responsive
to communication on this matter:
Judith.G.Freedman@cga.ct.gov - State Senator Judi Freedman
McDonald@senatedems.ct.gov - State Senator Andrew McDonald
Toni.Boucher@cga.ct.gov - State Rep Toni Boucher
Thomas.Drew@cga.ct.gov
- State Rep Thomas Drew
Gerald.Fox@cga.ct.gov
- State Rep Gerald Fox
Carlo.Leone@cga.ct.gov
- State Rep Carlo Leone
Joe.Mioli@cga.ct.gov
- State Rep Joe Mioli
Chris.Perone@cga.ct.gov - State Rep Chris Perone
Environmental and Bicycle Advocates
Mary.Mushinsky@cga.ct.gov - State Rep Mary Mushinsky
kehoetj@yahoo.com
- State Rep Tom Kehoe
I don't have contact for New York State Officials - but they need to
be contacted, too.
2. To have as many CCBA members and supporters attend
and speak at the Metro-North "President's Forum" on Wed. March 25th
at 5 p.m. (you can sign to speak up earlier - 4:45 p.m.) in support
of "bikes-on-trains" on new M-8's now (MNR did not include the
bicycle racks on the new M-8's as CT DOT rail designers promised -
which is why I am writing this e-mail)
3. To have CCBA members
and supporters attend (and one member speak as a representative of
CCBA) at the Connecticut Rail Commuter Council meeting on Wed. March
19th at 6 p.m. at Grand Central Terminal.
I hope that dedicated space for bikes-on-trains and
covered and secure bicycle parking at Connecticut
train stations is a top priority for CCBA. Elm City Cycling has
certainly thrown its weight behind the effort to secure dedicated
bicycle parking spaces on M-8's and secure bike parking at train
stations. I hope CCBA will rally behind bicycle parking on trains
and in stations with the force of a
bullet train. We must not back down on the issue of
"bikes-on-trains".
Can I count your support on this critical
transportation equity issue?
Please call me, or e-mail if individually, or through CCBA you plan
to take action to make sure that there is bike parking on M-8 cars.
I know that "Central Connecticut" does not have Metro-North service,
but it should and may in the future. Prepare now for that
eventuality!
Please help!
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Richard Stowe
Bikes*Trains*Ecology*Cycling
(203) 594-9097
Meeting #1
Connecticut Rail Commuter Council meeting Wed. March
19th 6:00 p.m. at Grand Central Terminal (See directions to meeting
room below). Please send an "official" endorsement letter for a
bicycle parking (tie-downs) area for each pair of M-8 cars (M-8's
operate in pairs) as well as endorsement for secure & covered
bicycle parking areas at train stations.
Bike to Work and School:
Show your commitment to sustainable transportation and
join us on our 2nd annual Bike to Work and
School day 2008.
Wesleyan Students Get Active:
Wes students have a great group
here.
How Does Wesleyan Compare?
The 2008 College Sustainability Report gives some
interesting information on how Wesleyan is doing. Note the part on
Transportation:
Transportation C (grade):
The university has
purchased two electric cars and has ordered two electric DYMAC
trucks for use as waste management vehicles on campus. The public
safety department is considering the use of a hybrid vehicle for
patrols on campus. A student group has designed and expects to
implement a bicycle repair program to distribute abandoned bikes to
students, faculty, and staff.
Read the full PDF
here.
Walk to School Day:
Transportation Alternatives Middletown is interested in working on
the newly announced Walk to school day, and want to ensure that the
Middletown and its schools participate. Let us know if you want to help
us work on this issue.
Follow this link to learn more about Walk to School.
Pedestrian Safety:
The Village District, Aware, and High Street residents in
particular, worked very hard to get traffic calming on High Street
south of Church.
Follow this link to learn more
about Pedestrian Safety in Middletown.
Outreach to Kids and the Larger Community - Recycle-a-Bicycle:
Transportation Alternatives Middletown would like to get feed back on the following new project; FREE
bikes for Kids, (and maybe adults) in need of one. If you are
interested in making
this project a reality, let us know and we'll get going on this project.
Follow this link for more information on Recycle-a-Bicycle.
Larger CT Transportation Issues:
