New York City bicycle show to be held Saturday April 30

The following is an edited press release for the New Amsterdam Bicycle Show - AB.

New York Press and Transportation Alternatives, announce the first New York City bicycle show in five years. The New Amsterdam Bicycle Show: Benefiting Transportation Alternatives will take place on Saturday, April 30, 2011, at Center 548548 W 22nd St in Chelsea, from 10 am to 7 pm and will kick off Bike Month NYC 2011.

Tickets are now available online at (www.newambikeshow.com) and cost $15 for general admission in advance and $20 day of the event. The show will benefit Transportation Alternatives, the advocacy group dedicated to reclaiming the city’s streets from automobiles. TA representatives will be on hand to provide valet bicycle parking to guests as well as safe and useful bicycling tips for new New York City cyclists.

This large bicycle show will feature more than 33,000 square feet of unique bikes and accessories over three huge floors and is geared to promote “the alternative transportation lifestyle” to the ever-growing number of New York City cyclists. Transportation Alternatives recently estimated 201,000 New Yorkers were riding each day in 2010.

The New Amsterdam Show will focus on the future of cycling and the burgeoning New York City bicycle industry, which includes bicycle makers such as Mike Flanigan of ANT and Bowery Lanes Bicycles. Also participating are New York’s specialty shops like Adeline, Adeline, Bicycle Habitat and Brooklyn’s Rolling Orange, as well as many national and international bike brands, designers, bike tours companies and lifestyle accessories.

The New Amsterdam Bicycle Show takes its cue from Amsterdam, Holland's capital and the friendliest biking city on the globe. The event will also feature information on many bike-centered events related to Bike Month NYC 2011—from organized rides by BIKE NEW YORK to film screenings and fashion shows in and around town.

Bicycle manufacturers and makers of products related to bicycling are welcomed to become involved. To find out more about tickets for this event, how to become a sponsor or how to become an exhibitor at The New Amsterdam Bicycle Show, please visit www.newambikeshow.com

Bike JC sets goals for 2011 at Tuesday's meeting

Fourteen intrepid bicycling soles braved the cold and ice on Tuesday evening and made it out to Zeppelin Hall in Jersey City for Bike JC's first meeting of the new year.  Even I made my way all the way up to Jersey City to see what these good folks are up to.  Their meeting boiled down to a number of key items.

Bike JC is looking into filing for 501(c)(3) status.  Currently they are just a loose gathering of like-minded people looking to improve the state of cycling in Jersey City.  As part of this they are also investigating whether or not they should become a League of American Bicyclists affiliated club, notably for the insurance LAB provides its affiliated clubs for liability incurred during officially sanctioned bike rides.

NJDOT announces $78.75 million in local aid grants for FY 2011

Bike/Ped specific projects 7% of all funded

According to a NJDOT press release, 370 municipalities will be receiving local aid grants as part of NJDOT's $200 million Local Aid program. NJDOT received 677 applications requesting more than $246 million for the FY 2011 municipal aid grants.  As could be imagined, competition for the scarce grant monies was fierce, particularly now.  Fortunately, bicycle and pedestrian projects were not forgotten, and in fact were encouraged by Commissioner James Simpson.  I quote:

...towns are encouraged to submit applications for such non-traditional projects as those that support safety, walking and biking and streetscape improvements in their communities. Seven percent of the projects selected for funding were of that type.

The Comissioner also went on to say:

Resurfacing projects will always represent the bulk of the awards, but we were pleased with the number of non-traditional entries because it means we are increasingly recognizing the needs and safety of all who share our roadways

This is indeed great news.  However, I can't help but wonder, of the other 93% of projects, how many of those could or even should have had bicycle and pedestrian improvements integrated into the design scope?  As the commissioner even said, the bulk of the grant request were for street resurfacing, however street resurfacing is often the ideal time to make bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements.  Why dig up a road twice?!?! For example, many experts say that street resurfacing is the perfect time to stripe bicycle lanes (if appropriate for the roadway).

Still, the tone of this press release is extremely encouraging and shows that NJDOT continues down a path of improving conditions for bicyclists, pedestrians and transit users.  In the future it would be great to read NJDOT giving greater preference to municipal governments that take a Complete Streets approach to all grant requests.  However, this is a great first step towards that goal.  I'll take that!

Volunteers Needed For Collingswood Bike Rodeo

The following was originally written by John Boyle and posted on the Greater Philadelphia Bicycle News. It is reprinted here with the permission of our friends at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia.

Local Advocacy works! The Collingswood Streets group will be sponsoring their first event - a Bike Rodeo at the Collingswood Green Festival on April 16th.

Collingswood Streets needs volunteers to help make the event a success. Specifically they are looking for:

• People to join the planning committee.
• LCI's (League Certified Instructors) for the day of the event
• Other volunteers with strong bicycle skills
• Bike mechanics

To volunteer contact Stella Bonaparte founder of Collingswood Streets.
Collingswood Streets on Facebook

Collingswood also hosts a community Bike Share program which allows residents to borrow a refurbished bicycles for extended periods of time.

View Larger Map

Planet Bike in East Brunwsick extensively damaged by fire

The Star-Ledger print edition reported today that Planet Bike on Rt 18 in East Brunswick received extensive damage from a fire yesterday morning short before 7am.  Fortunately it appears that no one was injured in the blaze.  Partial coverage can be found at the bottom of this online article.

This is sure to be a blow to the folks at Planet Bike as all bikes shops are getting ready to build up their 2011 inventories at the end of this month.  We at WalkBikeJersey wish the folks at Planet Bike the best of luck in getting their shop back in order and hope to report about their recovery in the near future.

Space still available in "Bike Driver's Ed" workshop

The below is forwarded here on WalkBikeJersey from Rich Conroy at Bike New York.  It is my understanding that those wishing to take this workshop do not need to be LCI's but will likely need to be teachers.  Interested persons should ask Rich directly.

Bike New York will be offering their Bike Driver's Ed training workshop at the upcoming NJAHPERD conference in Long Branch, NJ on February 16th.  The Bike Driver's Ed training equips Educators to implement a multi-session bicycle skills program for elementary, pre-teen, and teen cyclists, such as for use in PE classes, after-school programs, or summer camps. Educators will be prepared to teach students how to drive their bicycles as vehicles on the road. Participants gain an understanding of vehicular traffic rules and cyclists' responsibilities, proper bike and helmet fit, use of gears and brakes, essential bike handling skills, and basic repair and maintenance.

There is still some space available for this training.  If you or anyone you know may be interested, please call or email Rich Conroy

Rich Conroy

Bicycle Education Program Director

Bike New York

www.bikenewyork.org

rconroy@bikenewyork.org

212-932-2453 x159

Pedestrian deaths are always more than just statistics

I was reading The Star-Ledger today (yes, real newsprint) and came across the tragic story of the life and death of Joao Silva written by columnist Barry Carter.  It was so touching that I felt must be shared with you all.  Stories like this, that put a real human face on the statistics we hear about everyday, are important to remind us what's at stake.

Silva was the chef at St. Philip's Academy who had a knack for sneaking healthy vegetables into the school lunches without the kids ever noticing.  He was hit and killed while crossing Central Ave in a crosswalk directly in front of the school, as he walked to work back in early November.

Barry Carter's story about Joao Silva and his memorial service can be found here.

The original story about the fatal crash can be found here.