Connecticut has one official Bike Friendly University so far: Yale. If our other campuses want some inspiration, check out what Champlain College is doing in Burlington, VT. More here.
Congress is preparing to take action on a new federal transportation bill. Given the shortfall of federal transportation dollars, some members of Congress are already questioning why the federal government provides any funding for bicycling and walking. Let's make sure Congress doesn't cut funding to help local communities build sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes, trails and more. Please ask our US Senators Blumenthal and Murphy to Co-Sponsor S. 705, The Transportation Alternatives Program Improvement Act. Background: The Transportation Alternatives Program provides hundreds of millions of dollars each year to local communities to invest in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. It's the only federal program specifically focused on local transportation priorities. S. 705, the Transportation Alternatives Program Improvement Act, written by Sens. Thad Cochran (R-MS) and Ben Cardin (D-MD), makes changes to the program to make it more effective and easier for local governments to use. For decades, our federal transportation system has focused the bulk of its resources on building roads, leaving many of our communities with few transportation options and rising safety risks for people bicycling and walking. More and more Americans want options for bicycling, walking and transit to live healthier and safer lives. More and more cities and towns are clamoring for more facilities for biking and walking to make their communities more attractive to residents and to improve their economies. S. 705 would help make sure that Congress continues to invest a small share of federal transportation dollars in these types of projects. And really, what could be greener, zero-emission forms of transportation than biking and walking? Ask our Senators to cosponsor S. 705, the Transportation Alternatives Program Improvement Act, to ensure that our federal transportation system continues to provide funding for bicycling and walking. Take Action Here. Is your town attending the Bikeway Design Training on 4/23? Only if you're in Madison, Colchester, New Britain, Trumbull, New Haven or West Hartford--thanks to those towns for recognizing a great opportunity when they see one! Yikes! Don't let your town get left behind. Please encourage your municipal transportation professionals to attend. If you haven't yet seen the CT Bike Ped Advisory Board's latest annual report, have a look. Read the accompanying press release here.
Bike Walk Connecticut pleased to offer a bikeway design workshop for transportation professionals on Thursday, April 23, 2015 in Wethersfield, Connecticut. The workshop will be led by acclaimed cycling policy and design expert Roger Geller. A Connecticut native, Geller is the bicycle transportation coordinator for Portland, Oregon and co-author of the Bikeway Design Guide issued by NACTO, the National Association for City Transportation Officials. The NACTO Bikeway Design Guide includes state-of-the-practice designs from the best cycling cities in the US and the world. “Geller impressed bike and pedestrian advocates at a talk he gave in West Hartford in February 2013, and we were eager to bring him back to share his expertise with transportation professionals across the state,” notes Kelly Kennedy, Executive Director of Bike Walk Connecticut. “Momentum for cycling as a mainstream transportation option is really building in Connecticut,” Kennedy adds. “With the Governor’s new proposals for bike and pedestrian projects, DOT’s recent Complete Streets policy, a significant enabling policies before the legislature, and more and more Connecticut towns embracing complete streets and becoming bike friendly communities—the timing for this training couldn’t be better.” The full-day technical workshop is open to transportation professionals at the state, regional, and municipal government levels and to private sector professionals. The cost to attend is $75 for Bike Walk CT members and $90 for nonmembers. The workshop will be held at the Keeney Memorial Cultural Center, 200 Main Street, Wethersfield, CT. For more details and to register, please visit www.bikewalkct.org/summit-2015. Learn more about NACTO's "Cities for Cycling" Project. We have a bill! LCO, the Legislative Commissioners Office, has released language for Transportation Committee Bill SB 502, An Act Concerning Bicycle Safety, also being referred to as "The Bike Bill." As Far to the Right as Practicable (AFRAP) Provisions Section 3 of SB 502 contains much of the language that Bike Walk CT proposed to amend the statute on "riding as far to the right as practicable." Section 3:
Safe Passing, NACTO Guidelines SB 502 is also intended to clarify rules on when motorists may safely pass slower moving cyclists, and to encourage DOT to endorse NACTO design guidelines for bikeways and complete streets. ... And speaking of NACTO Bike Walk CT is sponsoring the NACTO Bikeway Design Guide Workshop for engineering and planning professionals on Thursday, April 23. Urge your town to send their staff for this fantastic training opportunity! (Details here.) NACTO is the National Association of City Transportation Officials. Don't wait too long to register for the 2015 Bike Walk Summit! The early bird discount ends March 15. Click here for more details. .............................................................................................................................. Fri., April 24, 2015: Connecticut Bike Walk Summit for citizens, policymakers, and professionals, featuring Roger Geller, Bicycle Coordinator for the city of Portland, Oregon and DOT Commissioner Jim Redeker. The summit will cover the state of the bike ped movement in Connecticut, including developments on legislation and state funding, trail networks, getting complete street policies enacted, getting the public engaged, enforcement, as a well as a member meeting. REGISTER FOR THE BIKE WALK SUMMIT And volunteer on the Summit Committee! .............................................................................................................................. Thurs., April 23, 2015: NACTO Bikeway Design Guide Workshop for professionals, led by Roger Geller, Bicycle Coordinator for the city of Portland, Oregon. REGISTER FOR NACTO WORKSHOP .............................................................................................................................. People For Bikes says: If anyone in the United States understands how policies can support biking, it's Roger Geller. As Portland's bicycle coordinator, he's overseen a 250 percent spike in bike commuting and helped the city top countless bike-lovers' lists. Photo: Roger Geller, Bicycle Coordinator at Portland Bureau of Transportation Our biennial BIKE WALK SUMMIT expands this year! We hope you'll join us.
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