Next Thursday, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will vote on the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, a bill that eliminates crucial funds for walking and biking. DeFazio is in a key position to save dedicated funding for walking and biking.

The National SRTS National Partnership has made it easy for you, just push the “Take Action” button:

The American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, the long awaited multi-year Transportation Bill, eliminates the two largest programs that fund walking and biking infrastructure-Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School. Without these programs, communities all over the country will lose resources to build the sidewalks, crosswalks, and bikeways that make walking and biking safe and accessible in your community. We can’t let that happen!

If you’d like to write a personal letter tell DeFazio:

• How active transportation helps you and your family
• How important the funding is that has helped to create our great walking and biking environment
• That walking and biking make up 12 percent of all trips, but only 1.5 percent of federal funding.
• That two out of three pedestrian deaths take place on roads built with federal funding. Ensuring funds for sidewalks, crosswalks, and bikeways help end preventable deaths and make roads safer for everyone.
• When cities are walking- and biking-friendly, business and economic development improves.

Thank you for all that you do to keep walking and bicycling safe and accessible!

Two 4J schools, Cal Young Middle and Adams Elementary, are the latest schools to implement the Boltage encouragement program in Eugene. The Boltage ZAP is a solar powered, network connected, RFID reading machine that checks students in when they use active transportation to get to school. Students place an RFID tag on their backpacks and then go under the ZAP meter when they walk, bike, skate, or scoot to or from school.  The more times they use active transportation the more chances they have to win. Three winners are chosen each week! Students can go online to see the number of trips made and the school can keep track of miles traveled.

The program is supported and funded in partnership with Eugene SRTS, the University of Oregon, and OTREC in a project to look at what kind of incentives work to engage and interest students to choose healthy active transportation choices.

Eugene was the first city to have the Boltage program (previously called Freiker for ‘frequent biker’) outside of the founding companies home state of Colorado. The meters have previously been at Roosevelt Middle and ATA/Family Schools.  The coordinators of the program at the University of Oregon are still looking for a local school to implement a third Boltage unit.

It will be exciting to see what kind of information can be gleaned from this great encouragement study program and I know that students at the participating schools are already engaging in active transportation in a new and interesting way.

Come join us in Bend, Oregon June 21-23 as Oregonians interested in Walk + Bike to School and Safe Routes issues come together for an event that will give you an opportunity to access training*, learn best practices, network with others working on these issues, and work with us to create a strong state network. You are all invited to the Second Annual Oregon Walk+Bike to School Retreat. Please forward this information to others who may be interested!

Please register by March 30^th for the low price of $10/day (plus a $2 processing fee). Registration is limited to 100 participants due to space, so please register early to ensure your participation. Click HERE to register.

Here is some information to get you started:

• Cost for the retreat is just $10/day plus a $2 processing fee and includes printed material, trainings, networking, and light snacks.
• Travel and meals are not included but we are working to secure $75 reimbursement scholarships provided to approximately 30 attendees on a first come first serve basis.  We will have more information in March.
• Professional Development Unit Certificates are available, check with your district to confirm requirements.
• If you are interested in carpooling or room sharing, please use the Walk+Bike Retreat Bulletin Board.

The basic agenda is:
Thursday, 6/21/12:

• 9:00-11:00am: Bike Safety Educators Statewide Debrief. This event is happening in conjuncture with the Retreat and is open to Retreat Participants.
• 12:30-4:00pm: Part 1 of the Bike Safety Education Curriculum and Traffic Safety Training.
• 4:30-6:30pm: Welcome, networking, identifying and prioritizing goals exercise.

Friday, 6/22/12:

• 8:00 am-5:00 pm: Trainings*
• 6:00-9:00pm: Networking Event

Saturday, 6/23/12:

• 9:30-11:30: Walk+Bike Network Annual Meeting and Statewide Partnership discussion. Topics include setting goals for the next year, reviewing last year’s goals and progress.
• 12:30-2:00pm: World Café networking and brainstorming activity.

*Friday Trainings: (more information about trainings can be found at http://eugenesrts.org/orwalkbikeretreat)

• Part 2: Bike Safety Education Curriculum and Traffic Safety
• Neighborhood Navigators Curriculum: Environmental Education
• Encouragement Event Panel Discussion
• Fundraising and Action Plans
• Advocating for your program
• Walk+Bike Encouragement Events

We are working to get retreat participants discounts for restaurants and lodging.  We will send more information to registrants as we get it nailed down!  Thanks for your excitement and encouragement in getting this retreat off the ground.  We hope to see you there!

Organizers:
LeeAnne Fergason, Bicycle Transportation Alliance
Kim Curley, Commute Options
Shane MacRhodes, Eugene Safe Routes to School
Lynne Mutrie, Oregon Safe Routes to School
Scott Bricker, Scott Bricker Consulting
Rachel Burdon, Kaiser Permanente
John Chism, Portland Safe Routes to School

Update/Reminder: The general meeting of the Friendly Area Neighbors is tonight 7-9 at the Washington Park Cottage (2025 Washington). I heard from the City that they are presenting at 7:30 pm and there should be time after their presentation for questions/answers.

24th Avenue Street Rehabilitation Project

In the last post I wrote about the City recommendation to install bike lanes on 24th Ave. (from Friendly  to Chambers) as called for in TransPlan and the Ped/Bike Master Plan. Through two community meetings information was shared and input was taken from neighbors and people who use the corridor.  No major opposition was raised at the most current meeting where the city gave it’s recommendation. However, yesterday the Friendly Area Neighborhood Executive Board sent a letter to the City  informing staff that they unanimously oppose the design favored by the City and to support a design to keep the current design with the addition of shared lane pavement markings (sharrows) and “Bicycle Boulevard” and “Share the Road” signs.

It is unfortunate that members of the board did not raise concerns at the meeting and that without any neighborhood input submitted an opinion that does not address the need to accommodate families who would like to feel more comfortable biking through this area.  Simply adding some symbols on the ground and signs on the route are not going to increase the level of comfort for cyclists who want to ride through this corridor. I’ll include a letter below from a Friendly neighbor, Hans Kuhn, who has been active with this project (and others) to encourage safe, active transportation in the neighborhood.

There is one more chance to give your important input. The FAN General Meeting will be held on January 19th from 7-9 at the Washington Park Cottage (2025 Washington Street). If you can’t make it to that meeting please consider writing a letter to City leaders and staff expressing your support of the city design which includes bike lanes and other safe and comfortable infrastructure changes (information below). read more…

The City of Eugene is repaving 24th Avenue this summer as part of it’s pavement preservation program. So far there have been two neighborhood open houses, one in December and one last night (Jan. 5th).  At the first meeting several options of what to do when 24th is repaved were discussed. Some of those options were: remove parking on both sides and add wide bike lanes, remove parking on one side and have more narrow bike lanes or a bike lane on one side and sharrows on the other, or do nothing and keep the street as it is.

At last nights meeting the City brought their recommendation forward after taking community input, doing parking counts, and a completing a one day speed study*.  The City is recommending: removal of the existing “bulb-outs”, adding bike lanes on both sides of 24th (4-5 ft on 1 side and 5-6 on the other), consolidating parking to one side, removing the painted center line, adding one new marked crosswalk (at Fillmore), and adding a school zone near ATA/Family School. These should all be major improvements for safe multi-modal travel through this part of town and I’m excited to see the City taking these steps.

Slide from last nights meeting of the City Recommendation

read more…

A neighborhood open house has been scheduled for Thursday, January 5^th to discuss the street rehabilitation project for 24^th Avenue (from Chambers St to Jefferson St).  Please join us for a presentation and discussion on design alternatives for this street.  Alternatives discussed will include removing on-street parking on one side of the street, installing bicycle facilities, and changing the nature of existing traffic calming devices.

Come and give your input on how this road rehabilitation could help you on your active transportation commute to and from school.

Agenda:

§  Presentation of alternative street configurations
§  Questions and answers
§  Discuss project timeline

Location:      Adams Elementary School (Cafeteria/Multipurpose Room) 950 West 22^nd Avenue, Eugene, OR 97405
Date:                 Thursday, January 5^th
Time:                7:00 to 8:30 pm

Questions? Please contact Reed Dunbar at reed.c.dunbar@ci.eugene.or.us or (541) 682-5727

Reed Dunbar, AICP
Associate Transportation Planner
City of Eugene Public Works
99 E. Broadway, Suite 400
Eugene, OR 97401-3174
Phone:  541-682-5727
Fax:  541-682-5598
www.eugene-or.gov/transportation

Here’s a little Holiday Coloring Fun to kick off the second-to-last-day of school before the winter break.

Download a full .pdf version to color here —–> SantaHaul-1PDF

Thanks to Travis Wittwer of BikeNounVerb for creating and sharing the holiday hauling love.