News & Digest - Jan 2006

BAC January 2006 News & Digest

Hello BICYCLE ACCESS COUNCIL members. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's a beautiful day in Pennsylvania!

HIGH HOPES FOR LOWER STATE ROAD...

The Bicycle Access Council was asked to help resolve a dangerous roadway condition for bicyclists in Bucks County. Lower State Road (SR 3003) just outside of Doylestown has a single set of railroad tracks used by the SEPTA R-5 Regional Rail Line crossing it at an acute angle that makes it difficult to traverse safely. This is a narrow two lane rural road with no shoulder and limited space to cross at the recommended 90 degrees to avoid the slippery steel rails and roadway gaps.

Lower State Road is used by many local bicyclists for club rides, special events and is designated as a portion of BicyclePA Route-S. Several crashes have occurred at this location; however, there is no way to document these by a single source since they do not involve a motor vehicle.

In a meeting with PennDOT representatives at the District 6 office in Valley Forge on January 9, the situation was thoroughly discussed with short term and long term solutions sought. To accomplish this, several issues were raised. Here are some of them:

Who owns the tracks?

Used by SEPTA, but ownership to be determined (TBD).

Who has jurisdiction to make repairs?

PUC must approve PennDOT work.

What permanent design will make this track crossing safe?

AASHTO design? Context Sensitive Solution?

Where do construction and/or repair funds come from?

State or FHWA funds? TBD

What can be done NOW!

At least get adequate warning signs posted.

PennDOT has committed to expedite a series of warning signs agreed upon by those who met on January 9, which included local bicyclist, Steve Scheetz, who represented Suburban Cyclists Unlimited (SCU) and a representative of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia (BCGP).

BAC welcomes input from local bike clubs, SCU and CBBC, with crash history and other viewpoints that can be used in future meetings with PennDOT to achieve a satisfactory outcome for all bicyclists using Lower State Road.

CHECK WAS IN THE MAIL...

A receipt for membership dues and donations to the Bicycle Access Council (BAC) will be sent upon request. BAC is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a non-profit 501(c)3 charitable organization, so membership fees and donations may be tax deductible in accordance with the law. A cancelled check is no longer accepted as proof of a donation. Fees paid for rallies or merchandise do not qualify towards the deductible amount.

WHEN YOU ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY HAVE TO GET THERE...

For anyone who wants or needs to ride all winter in the coldest conditions, ice and snow included, the ICE BIKE website is the source to keep you informed. It can recommend ways to keep chains and cables from freezing up, studded snow tire discussions, lighting systems and things you never thought

you needed to know. Check out: www.icebike.com It's way cool!

HOW'S YOUR FRENCH?...

Okay, BAC is finally able to end one of the most persistent debates among bicyclists. What is the proper way to pronounce the word used for rear rack bags?

Is it PAN-YEA? or PANNY-UR? Or, something else?

Send me your best guess or wait to see next month's BAC News & Digest for the answer.

HERE'S ONE "BICYCLE" WITH UNIQUE ACCESS SOLUTIONS...

Or is it a solution in search of a problem? The Bicycle Access Council hopes customers from this "cycle" company never call. Check this out: http://www.para-cycle.com

NOTE THIS IMPORTANT DATE...

February 2 is GROUNDHOG DAY! We all want to know if there will be six more

weeks of riding the trainer in the basement.

This bicyclist will be at the Slumbering Groundhog Lodge in Quarryville, PA

(Lancaster County) to hear the Hibernating Governor announce the honored

marmot's prediction from the Pinnacle of Prognostication on the banks of the

Octoraro Creek. It's open to the public. Be there before 8 AM.

2006 BIKE CLUB CONFERENCE...

Is scheduled for Saturday, April 1, in York, PA. No fooling! Clubs are

invited to attend this meeting to learn about club dynamics and share their

experiences with other Pennsylvania bicycle clubs. The conference is meant

to showcase Best Practices. This is an opportunity for new club officers to

gain confidence and insight about their duties and for established clubs to

show leadership from experience.

John Allen, the author of "Street Smarts" has accepted an invitation to

attend this year's conference. "Street Smarts" is the main text of the

Pennsylvania Bicycle Driver's Manual published by PennDOT.

This will be the fourth annual Pennsylvania Bike Club Conference hosted by

BAC. Bike Clubs will receive more detailed information sometime in January.

BAC NEWS & DIGEST ARCHIVES...

To view past issues of the Bicycle Access Council's monthly News & Digest,

go to the BAC website, click on the BAC News & Digest button.

MISSION STATEMENT...

The Bicycle Access Council is a non-profit advocacy organization that serves

as a forum for Pennsylvania bicyclists and as an ombudsman for bicycling

issues.

It is the objective of the Bicycle Access Council to make bicycling on roads

throughout the Commonwealth safe, respectable and a transportation choice by educating its members and the motoring public.

All funding for the Bicycle Access Council comes from memberships and

donations. Annual membership is $20 per year. BAC does not share

membership information.

UNsubscribe from this LIST...

This message is not intended as SPAM. If you do not wish to receive future

e-newsletters, reply to this message with UNsubscribe from BAC NEWS in the

subject line.

Joe Stafford, Executive Director

Bicycle Access Council

P.O. Box 92

Dallastown, PA 17313

www.BicycleAccess-PA.org

(717) 417-1299

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