cyclegram sept/oct 1992

8/16/2019 Cyclegram Sept/Oct 1992

1/6

Septem berl cto ber

992

Newsletter of the Bicycle Coalition of the Delaw are Valley

Coalition s Bike-on-Rail Work

Is Lauded in National Report

The Bicycle Coalition

Bike 20 00 Plan to make the

has been cited by publish-

city the best in the nation

ing industry giant Rodale

fo r cycling by century's end.

Press as a model of commu-

The studies were com-

nit organizing leading to

piled and published in a

improved cyclin g facilities. Rodale report, Pathways

In a report released in

fo r People, whichincluded

June , Rodale c i ted the

recent national polling re-

Coalition's project that ob-

sults showing widespread

tained bicycle access on

public suppo rt for improved

SEPTA trains and subw ays

bicycle routes, lanes and

as one of 16 successful na-

trails, especially among

tional case studies of grass

central city residents.

roots

support fo r increased

T he report was released

bicycle a ccessibility.

inwashington, D.C. on June

Other success stories in-

30, with the support of con-

cluded the Los Angeles

gressmen Joseph Kennedy,

Veloway, the nation's first

Peter DeFazio and James

elevated bike freeway; the

Oberstar, authors of pro-bi-

Minuteman Bikeway in

cycling provisions in the

Boston, an 11 mile linkw ith

199 1 federal transportation

the suburbs; and Chicago's

funding bill.

Bicyclists Postcards Needed

As Vote Nears on SEPTA Cuts

Quick action is needed to

avert cuts to SEPTA'S regional

rail weekend service.

The transit agency's plan

to reduce or eliminate w eek-

end service on its regional

rail lines will come before

the board of directors for fi-

nal action on Sept. 24.

These cutbacks threaten

to severely limit the useful-

ness of SEPTA Bike-on-Rail

passes held by hundreds of

Delaw are Valley cyclists.

SEPTA has proposed cut-

ting off weekend service en-

tirely on the Norristown,

Chestnut Hill East and Fox

Chase lines and drastically

reducing train frequencies on

other l ines. Philadelphia

Mayor EdRen dell has labeled

the cuts indefensible.

To lend our support to

the Bike-on-

d

il program call

Continued on p 2 )

Planners Bend to Pressure

On Crucial Bike Ped Project

A Coalition lobbying ef-

fort-including 4 0 0 pos t-

cards from members-has

jolted aloc al planning agency

into faster action on a crucial

bicyclelpedestrian project.

Due mainly to pressure

from the Coalition, the Dela-

ware Valley Regional Plan-

n ing Com-

The current process en-

sures that existing bikelped

plans will be eligible forfund-

ing while w ork on the larger

plan proceeds.

A bike-ped plan is vital to

all future bicycle-friendly

road construction in the re-

gion for the next five to 10

years. Once

mission now

~ l a n so start The regional

the need for

b icyc le fa -

hraf t ing a planning c i l i t i es i s

f e d e r a l l y commission is documented

m a n d a t e d in th e plan,

b i k e l p e d now pushing

for

trans r,,-

p lan next

federal money t~

tion officials

~ e a r . ~ g e n c ~ tart a b ik e /~ ed mus t t ake

said

plan next year.

those needs

they're seek- into consid-

ing federal Waiting an extra eration dur-

m o n e y f o r vear would have ing road de-

the start-up.

been disastrous.

sign.

DVRPC Prompted

had intended

to wait until 1994 o start work

on the plan. That would have

made all bikelped projects in

an eight county area around

Philadelphia ineligible for

federal funding for the next

two years.

DVRPC has been eager

to find a solution once we

pointed out the problem,

Coali t ion President Noel

Weyrich said. They also

want the bike-ped plan started

up quickly, and o ur pressure

inspired them to think cre-

atively to find funding.

by the coali -

tion, 20120 Vision, a national

o rgan i za t i on fo r soc i a l

change, made the DVRPC

lobbyin g effort the action of

the month in July fo r its lo-

cal chapter.

The planning commission

is responsible for drafting a

regional plan to guide the

spending of more than $65

million in federal money

statewide over the next six

years. A new federal trans-

portation law mandates that

every region in the nation

develo p a plan.


2/6

Cyclegram SeptemberlOctober 1992 p.2

pcoming Events

Monthly Meetings:

G e n e r a l m e m b e r s h i p

meetings are held the sec-

ond Monday of each odd-

numbered month from 6:30

to 8:30 p.m. a t Clea n Water

Action, 1518Walnut Street

in Cen ter City.

Take

the

elevator to

the

13th floor, with your

bi

cycle, if you prefer.

The next general mem-

bershipme etingis Sept. 14.

Coalition board meet-

ings are the second Mon-

d a y o f e v e n - n u m b e r e d

months and focus on in ter-

nal business. The public is

welcome.

Th e next board m eeting

is Oct.. 12.

yclegram Deadline:

Deadline for the No-

v e m b e r / D e c e m b e r

yclegrant i s S ep t . 28 .

Deadlines are the last Mo n-

d a y o f o d d - n u m b e r e d

months.

Mailing Party:

M a i l i n g p a r t i e s a r e

scheduled for Wednesday,

Sept. 30 and Wednesday,

Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. at Jeff

Abrahamson s,

44

11 Pine

St. Call 215-BICYCLE or

215-662-5 146 for more in-

formation.

Bike Coalition Thanks Velo News

Th e Coali t ion thanks Velo

subscriberlist to he lp us boost

News, the national journal of

membership.

competitive cycling, for help-

To show our appreciat ion,

ing US improve area bicycling

we re including a card about

by mak ing available its local

V N in this issue.

Cyclegram is published bimonthly by the Bicycle Coalition of the

Delaware Valley, P.O. Box 8194, Philadelphia, PA 19101. The Coalitior

is a volunteer, non-profit organization working to improve conditions f o ~

bicycling through out the tri-state area, promoting bicycling for transpor-

tation and recreation, and dedicated to a balanced transportation system

Coverage of an event not sponsored by BCDV does not constitute

ar

endorsement. Cyclegram may be reproduced in w holeor in part providec

prominent cre dit is given to the B icycle Coalition of the Delaware Valley

Cyclegram is printed on recycled paper using soy ink.

Board of Managers:

John Dowlin, Nancy Drye, Bob Noland, Sam

Spofforth, Fred Ulmer, Rob Waterland and Noel Weyrich (ex oficio).

Executive Director:

Jeff Abrahamson 21516623146)

President:

Noel Weyrich 2151232-7543)

Vice President: Fred Ulmer 2 151527-6287)

Secretary:

Rob Waterland

2151854-8 137)

Treasurer:

Nancy Drye 2151387-9242)

Editor:

Bill Shralow 2151627-1566)

Membership Director:

Bob Noland 2151483-6547)

Committees:

Auto-free: Jeff Abrahamson 2151662-1712)

Bike Lanes: Noel Weyrich 2151232-7543)

Rail and Transit: Noel Weyrich

2151232-7543)

Traffic Safety: Bob Noland 2151483-6547)

BCDV is affiliated with the League of American Wheelmen.

Ride alendar

(TheDelaware ValleyRe-

ciety, 800-445-2453.

~ io n a l ide Calendar i s a Sat.. Oct. 3:

Watershed

regularfeatureof Cyclegram.

Listings should be sen to Bi-

cycle Coalition attn DVRR C.)

Sat., Sept. 12: Beast of

the East Metric and Double

Century;Burlington County,

N.J. 62 or 125 miles. Outdoo r

Club of South Jersey, 609-

235-2457.

Sun., Sept. 13: 3rd An-

nual NYC Century Ride-a-

Thon, Union Square Park,

N.Y. Tours of 3 5 ,5 5 7 5 and

100miles.TransportationAl-

ternatives, 2 12-941-4600.

Sun., Sept. 13: River s

Edge Century , BucksCounty.

Bic yclec lub of Philadelphia,

2 15-440-9983.

Sat., Sept. 19: Bikernun

for the Homeless,Gettysburg.

Rides of

6

o 40 miles. Adams

County Shelter for the Hom e-

less.

Tour of Franklin County,

Cham bersbu rg. Rides of 10

to 100 miles. Chambersburg

YMCA, 7 17-263-8508.

Sat. Sun., Sept. 19

20: Multiple Sclerosis 150

City to Shore Bike Tour,

Cherry Hill, N.J. Delaware

Valley Multiple Sclerosis So-

wh eeling 1992, Flemington,

N.J. Rides of 25 to 100 miles.

South Branch Watershed

ASSX.,908-730-7292.

Belleplain/Beacon Cen-

tury, Belleplain State Forest,

N.J. Shore C ycle Club, Gary

Poulsen, 609-965-2989, eve-

nings.

Sat., Oct. 10 Oct. 9 11

optional): Sea Gull Century

and Metric Century, Salisbury.

Md. 62 and 100 miles.

Salisbury State University

Cycling C lub, 4 10-548-2772.

Sun, Oct. 11:

Covered

Bridge Century , Bucks

County. Rides of 25 to 100

miles. Central Bucks Bicycle

Club, John Collier, 215-234-

4275 after 5 3 0 p.m.

Sun., Oct. 18: 2ndAnnual

Adams County Bike Ride.

Gettysbu rg. Ridesof 25to 100

miles. Gettysburg-Adams

County Area Chamber of

Comm erce. 7 17-334-815 1.

Fri.-Sun., Oct. 23-25:

The Men nonite Meander,

Pennsylvania Amish Country.

Weekend package, proceeds

benefit League of American

Wheelmen. Baltimore Bicy-

cling Club, 410-792-8308.

Staff Change Stalls PATCO Plan

Changes at the Delaware

to the plan. It has operating

River Port Authori ty wi l l

hou rs and access levels simi-

again delay considera tion of

l a r t o S E P T A S p r o g r a m .

a bike-on-rail program on the

which resulted from a Coali-

PATCO High-Speed Line,

t ion lobbying cam paign.

this time until mid-Septem-

Send the enclosedpostca rd

ber.

to support the PAT CO plan.

The DRPAs new execu-

t i v e d i r e c t o r . G e o r g e

SEPTA Cuts

Warrington, has asked that

(Continued rom p.1

board consideration be de-

SEPTA

at

580-7852

and

ask

layed until he takes office in

for a m ail-in permit applica-

September. PATCO general tion.

More imp ortan t ly ,

manager

schw b has whether you have a ermit or

h a d a ~ l a n f o rtrial Program

not,sign theenclose postcard

since June.

and send it to SEPTA Board

C h a i r m a n J . Clayton

The h s re- Undercofler right away.

viewed and contributed inp ut


3/6

Guest Lette

Safe Riding is a 2 Way Street

The assertion of bicy-

clists rights and the friction

between motorists and cy-

clists appears to be a continu-

ing motif in Cyclegram. This

is in stark contrast to the nor-

mal relationship between cy-

clists and motorists in the

United K ingdom.

I recently returned from

living in England for five

years and I found the differ-

ence in the way motorists and

cyclists treat each othe r in the

two countries is as vast as the

ocean that separates them.

I

have experienced this first-

hand both as cyclist and mo-

torist.

London traffic can be

worse than Philadelphia s.

ordinary motorists show cy-

clists (and vice versa)enab led

me with absolute confidence

to cycle around Hyde Park

com er in the heart of London

in the middle of rush hour

without fear.

Underlying this respect,

however, is the acceptance

by bothmotorist sandcyclists

that both are bound by the

rules of the road and w ill act

predictably to observe those

rules.

Underthe laws of England

as well as the Com monwealth

of Pennsylvania, cyclists are

bound to observe the rules of

the road binding on motor-

ists. In the UK, cyclists know

and observe those rules.

Yet, the respect w hich bus

By contrast,

I

am aston-

drivers, taxi cab drivers and

Conlinued on p.

4

Cyclegram SeptemberIOctober 1992 p.

Let ter from the President

The

Cry

of

Silent Cyclists

y Noel Weyrich

for. You d think the bicycle

Our recent run-in with

would be invited to the top

the Delaware Valley Re-

of the list instead of fight-

gional Planning Commis- ing desperately for a spot at

sion-where the bottom.

we had to per-

suade then1

not to put off

the start of a

reg iona l b i -

cyc le -pedes-

trim plan for

a l m o s t t w o

y e a r s - e x e m -

plifies the ter-

rible situation

cyclists face

when it comes to transpor-

tation planning.

Trucks come first in

road design because they

need the most room. Never

mind that a single over-

weight truck can cause

more damag e to bridges and

roads than five years of

normal use. The truck must

be served.

Then come cars, be-

cause everyone who makes

transportation decisions

owns one. Never mind the

destructive land use and

pervasive air pollution .T he

car must be served.

And then, mass transit

by rail. Not all transporta-

tion officials are sold on

this one. Adistrict engine er

with PennDOT recently

told me that the airpo rt rail

line is a stupid idea, even

though New York and other

cities are planning to copy

it. Grudgingly, then, rail

transit must be served.

Then there are bicy-

clists. We do n t dam age the

roads. We neither congest

norpollute. Bikes are cheap

to use and cheap to provide

But our

virtue is the

very so urce of

our problem.

We tread so

lightly on the

land that our

p r o b l e n ~ s

don t register

as problems.

when a road

is inadequate

for m otor vehicle traffic, so

much turmoil and stink en-

sues that a remedy anives

by public acclaim . But when

a road is inadequate for bi-

cycles, the vulnerable cy-

clists sto p using it. And the

highway planners, seeingno

cyclists, conclude there is

no demand.

Public opinion pol ls

show otherwise. ALou H ar-

ris public opinion poll spon-

sored by Roda le Press

shows that 72 percent of

Americans want theirtrans-

portation system to include

walking and cycling as an

integral part of the infra-

structure. Half of Ameri-

cans ow n bicycles, and al-

most half of those cyclists

say they w ould bike to work

if there were safe bike lanes

and trails. Among low-in-

come people, almost 9

percent said they d bike to

work if it were safe.

That is the constituency

most eagerly awaiting the

fruits of our labors: the cy-

clists of tomorrow who are

too fearful to venture out

today.


4/6

Cyclegram SeptemberIOctober

1992

p 4

New Jersey Transit Starts Trial Bike on Rail

New Jersey Transit has

older and must bring two 24

Following the pilot period,

initiated a pilot bike-on-rail

bungie cords to secure bikes

theprogrammay beexpanded

program. to mounting devices. to other NJT lines. At that

During the months of Au-

Permits are required for

t ime, Permanent permits

gust, September, and Octo-

the trial period. These are

would be issued for a 5 fee.

ber, standard-frame bicycles av ail ab le on - he -sp ot at Transportation Altem a-

will be permitted

on off-peak

HobokenTerminal and New- tives in New York provided

trains on NJ Transit's North

a r k / P e ~ tation NJT cus- the key force behind this first

Jersey Coast Line. Bikes may

tomer service booths. Appli- step.The Coalitioncontinues

be brought aboard weekdays

cations that can be mailed in to assist TA'to gain access to

from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and

are available at NY CP en n the vital Northeast Com dor.

7 p.m. to a.m. and all day

Station (NJT ticket-booths).

Write Shirley De Libero

Saturdays and Sundays.

Restrictions have also been

Exec. Dir. NJ Transit 1 Penn

Plaza East Newark NJ 07105.

As on S E R A , only two

lifted onfold ing-bik e access

Thank her for this step but

bicycles may occupy each

to peak-hour trains on the

stress that the Northeast Cor-

train. Cyclists must be 16 or

North Jersey Coast line.

ridor remains closed to cy-

clists.

Push for W. River Drive Closing Moves Ahead

The Bicycle Coalition

continues to push its closure

plan for West River Drive,

which would shut 70 percent

of the roadway to cars while

allowing 100 percent auto

access o the drive's five park-

ing lots.

The C oalition plan, acom-

promise drafted to let cars get

to parking lots, has won the

support of C ity Council mem-

bers Michael Nutter, Joan

Spec te r and H appy

Femandez. It now needs to

gain the support and coop-

eration of Mayor Rendell's

representa t ives on the

Fairmount Park Commission.

The closing would apply

to warm weather weekends.

The Friends of Fairmount

Park and the local neighbor-

hood group, the Belmont

Improvement Association,

have also written letters of

support. And enthusiasm

among cyclists remains over-

whelming: on two recent

weekend mornings, Coalition

members gathered nearly 60 0

signatures in suppo rt of full-

day closures.

The Coalition

is

also seek-

ing to modify the design of

gates that close the drive to

automobiles. The gates were

designed without Coalition

consultation and force cy-

clists to dismount to enter the

drive. The Coalition is push-

ing a simple modification pro-

viding a three-foot opening

in the center of the gates.

Guest Letter.

Sharing the Road with Cars Is a 2 Way Street

(Continued rom p.3

-ished how frequently cyclists

in the United State act as

though no rules apply. I am

reminded of this every work-

ing day when

I

look out my

office window over Logan

Circle and see cyclists enter-

ing the circle agains t the flow

of oncoming traf fic to take a

shortcut around the circle on

their way towards City Hall.

This everyday occurence

prompts me to write to you to

suggest that

Cyclegram's

emphasis on asserting the

rights of cyclists, which I cer-

tainly encourage you to con-

tinue, perhaps should be bal-

anced by periodic reminders

to its readers that they have a

responsibility to uphold their

part of the bargain.

Does the Coalition have a

Code of Conduct which it

urges its members to observe?

The m embership cut-out

form on the lat page of

C y c l e g r a m has checkoff

items for a commuters' bi-

cycle map and a tee shirt.

Does the Coalition offer to

send a copy of such a stan-

dard?

I don ' t deny fo r one

minute that the balance be-

tween the rights of cyclists

and those of motorists may

require more from motorists

to redress a longstanding im-

balance.

At the same time, the

cause of cyclists would be far

more credible if we made a

conscientious effort to live

up to our side of the bargain

Allyson

Schwarc

Sen. Schwartz

To

Lead Ride

State Sen. Al lyson

Schwartz will lead her

Third Annual Bike Ride

through her district on sa t-

urday. Sept. 12.

The ride will start at

Awbury Arbore tum

(Ardleigh Street entrance,

between Washington Lane

and Haines Street) at 9 a.m.

and wi l l go through

Germantown, West Oak

Lane and Chel tenham

Township, with stops at

Burholme and Tookany

Creek parks. Th e ride will

retum to Awbury between

noon and 12:30 p.m. for a

picnic and program to

hono r local park groups.

Drinks and dessert will

be provided and riders are

asked to bring baglunches.

To register or to get

more information, cal l

Schwartz's office at 242-

9710.

and then advertised that fact.

George W. Patrick

Philadelphia

Editor's no te: The Coali-

tion has no ormal Cod e of

Cortd~ct but does provide

rtew members with a safe

riding handbook. Submis-

sions to

Cyclegram

on rider

education are welcomed.


5/6

Cyclegram SepternberlOctober

1992

p 5

Atlantic City Police Dept Starts Bicycle Patrol

A squad of 16 Atlantic teers for the unit than open- patrol Officer James Dooley

City police officers has been ings.

said. Officers often take their

using bicycles to patrol the

Besides owingtheforce

bikes to scho ols to show the

Boardwalk, housing projects

to patrol more effectively, he

children. The bicycles give

and dow ntown streets. the officers and the local chil-

Created this spring, the dren a comm on ground and

bicycle patrol was the pet

BesideS creating

open up the lines of commu-

project of Officer Cha rles nication.

Seif, who says the squad was

more effective

Atlant ic Ci ty had a

started to better serve loca-

patrols the squad

simular bike police force

tions that are hard to reach by

patrol car.

To prepare his staff for

duty as bicycle police, Seif

went to visit other cities to

investigate the ir bike po lice

programs. Each officer took

an extensive safety training

program.

Response to the patrol on

the force was enthusiastic

there were many mo re volun-

has helped

community

relations by

bringing officers

closer to the

people.

bike patrol is also beneficial

for community relations, bike

about 10 years ago, but that

effort soon failed. Officials

say a provision forcing the

officers to wear full uniforms

and ride clunky 3-speed bikes

was a major factor in the

patrol's dow nfall in the early

1980s.This time, the officers

are wearing special uniforms

appropriate or riding, includ-

ing shorts in the sum mer, and

riding sleek moutain bikes.

Kostmayer

Bike Session

U.S. Rep. Pe ter

Kostm ayer will adress the

Central Bucks Bicycle

Club on environmental

issues and initiatives of in-

terest to cyclists.

The session is set for

Sep t. 1 at 7:30 p.m. a t the

Bucks County Courthouse

in Doylestown.

Bike Trip to

Israel Pla nned

Israel Seminars Foun-

dation is offering a bike

trip of Israel for people

from

ll

around the United

States.

It's set for Oct. 21-

Nov. 1. For information,

call 800-765-4309.

COMMUTER O F THE MONTH: Bike

Shop

Manager Brian Miller

Name:

Brian Miller

Age: 32

Residence: Cheltenham

Avenue and Oak Lane,

Cheltenham Township.

Job: Manager, Wolfe Cycle,

Lancaster Av e., Philadelphia.

Years bicycle commuting:

10

Comm uting frequency:

Almost everyday in the

summer, 3 4 days a week

otherwise.

Distance: Just over 8 miles

one-way.

Route: Hunting Park Avenue.

Then through Fairmount Park

to Belmont Avenue. Cross

Schuylkill River at Strawberry

Mansion Bridge or East Falls

Bridge.

Reason s for starting: It's cost

efficient and I enjoy riding and

like to fit in the exercise.

Most enjoyable thing about

bicycle commuting:

Getting

up early and going out on my

bike to get exercise and fresh

air.

Seasons you ride: All. ride

in the rain but usually not in

snow.

Bike:

Serotto Colorado and a

GT all-terrain.

Helmet: Yes.

Biggest commuting gripe:

Glass in the roadway. Also

Strawberry Mansion Bridge.

It's is in very bad shape. You

can feel the bridge rock as cars

go over and the roadway is in

very bad condition.

Most memorable bicycle

commuting experience:

About a year ago, this car

pulled over.

I

thought they

were stopping to ask direc-

tions. The person got out of

their car and started to yell at

me for biking in the road. I

took my pump in my hand and

went over to him to tell him a

few choice words.

Advice to p eople who would

like to begin commuting to

work by bicycle: Wear a

helmet and bright or neon-

colored clothes. Check out the

route first and be sure to look

into the condition on the road.

Photo

by

en Yanoviak


6/6

~ LIIII IIII I

...

embership

nside

Name

1

Coalition lauded for Bike-on-Rail program

....................

Address

P. 1

State ip

1

Lobbying jolts agency into faster ac tion on bike plan ....p. 1

1

City

...........................

1

Telephone

1

Postcards needed as SEPTA cuts loom

P.*

PATCO plan held up by bureaucratic cha nges

p.2

.......

am voluntarily setting my mem bership due s at the

' New Jersey Transit starts trial bike-on-ra il program

p. 4

,

ollowing level:

,

Coalition pushes modifications o n river drive closing

....

p.4

...............................

Atlantic City Police start bike patrol

p.5

I$ l 0 0 $ 5 0 $ 35 $ 25

other

($10 limited income)

Don t miss

an

issue.

~fyou're not already a

.

Amount enclosed:

member, join no w w ith the form at left and put your money to

1

work impro ving bicycling in the D elaware Valley

Please also send me

1

Your membership includes a one year subscription to

Delaware Valley Comm urersrBicycle Map

1

Cyclegram,

discounts at almost every bike sho p in the Dela-

( 5.751 5.25

members

ware Valley, invitations to Coa lition special e ven ts, as well as

Borrle BiN T-shirr

(LIXL.

ran or blue

expert help from the Coalition's touring, racing, and comm ut-

members

ing advisors, and th chance to turn you r love of cycling into

positive action.

Total enclosed:

c5

Ma ke Check payable to Bicycle Coalition and send toMe m-

bership BC DV P.O. Box 8194 Philadelphia PA 19101.

Bicycle Coalition of the Delaware Valley

P.O. Box 8194

Philadelphia, PA 19101

Coalition members are commuters, recreational riders,

messengers, touring cyclists, and others w ho support clean air

and a healthier

urbanlsuburban environment.

Join us Help us win safer roads, the right to bike to work,,

and respect from motorists and government.

BULK RATE

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

PHILADELPHIA PA

PERMIT N0.2683

Forwarding and Return Postage Guaranteed

Address Correction Requested

cyclegram sept/oct 1992

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