Huntsville Bike Committee

What: BASC Meeting

When: Wednesday, 7-April, 2010 at 5:00pm

Where: 308 Fountain Circle (in GIS/Zoning Building meeting room)

By Ginny MacDonald — The Birmingham News

February 08, 2010, 6:15AM

Vern Zander rides the Chief Ladiga Trail in Alabama to the Silver Comet Trail in Georgia. State Department of Transportation planners are seeking public opinion on a plan to create a network of bicycle and pedestrian routes around the state.(The Birmingham News/Michelle Williams)A network of bicycle and pedestrian routes would be created under a new plan to allow people to crisscross the state safely without ever cranking a car.

Under the statewide plan, non-motorized paths would be designated along state roads or created to connect with existing or planned trails within cities.

The paths could be wide shoulders along highways, striped lanes on the outside of city streets or just recognition that certain state roads are specially meant to be shared by motorized vehicles, non-motorized vehicles and pedestrians alike.

Alabama Department of Transportation planners are looking for public opinion on the plan through a series of meetings this month.

“It’s very exciting to know that the state has kept us in mind,” said Elisa Munoz, who founded BICIcoop, a nonprofit Birmingham group promoting cycling.

“Alabama needs to catch up,” she said. “We are the least bicycle-friendly state in the country, according to the League of American Bicyclists.”

The league criticizes Alabama on its Web site, saying the state promotes “bicycling through its tourism board, yet lacks a statewide bike route network and still has dated, discriminatory mandatory side-path laws on the books.”

Tom Maxwell, senior environmental planner for the Birmingham Regional Planning Commission, said one drawback to the plan is that it effectively stops at the city limits.

The state routes connect to cities with planned bicycle and pedestrian routes, Maxwell said, when they should continue the bikeways and walkways through the cities.

“ALDOT maintains the state routes within our region and has the authority to develop the appropriate bicycle and pedestrian accommodations as part of future roadway improvements,” Maxwell said. “Implementing and maintaining non-motorized facilities along these corridors will require partnerships and collaboration.”

In the Birmingham area, the major routes proposed are:

An east-west route through the northern tip of Blount County along U.S. 278.

An east-west route along Alabama 25 through Shelby County that connects onto a planned bikeway and greenway system near Columbiana.

A north-south route in southern Shelby County on U.S. 31 that would connect to an east-west route at Alabama 25.

A north-south route along Alabama 269 connected to the planned bikeway and greenway system at Avenue C in Birmingham.

Alabama 269 is the primary bicycle corridor in the Birmingham area; however, planners are recommending looking for an alternate route to Jasper because of heavy traffic.

BIKE TRAIL MEETINGS

The Alabama Department of Transportation is seeking public comments in a series of meetings across the state:

> Feb. 16: Montgomery, 5-7 p.m., Sixth Division office, 1525 Coliseum Blvd.

> Feb. 18: Birmingham, 5-7 p.m., Third Division office, 1020 Bankhead Highway.

> Feb. 23: Mobile, 5-7 p.m., Ninth Division office, 1701 North Beltline Highway.

> Feb. 25: Huntsville, 5-7 p.m. City of Huntsville engineering building, first floor, 320 Fountain Circle.

Come voice your opinion to ALDOT on Thursday, February 25th from 5-7pm at City of Huntsville engineering building, first floor, 320 Fountain Circle.

By Keith Clines for the Huntsville Times

January 26, 2010, 6:42AM

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Glenn Baeske / Huntsville Times - The state’s proposed plan assesses current biking and pedestrian activities and will be used in development of facilities for bikers and walkers.

HUNTSVILLE, AL – Bicyclists, pedestrians and others interested in the state’s proposed Statewide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan can attend a public involvement meeting in Huntsville next month.

The Huntsville meeting will be the fourth that the Alabama Department of Transportation will hold to gather public comments on the plan, which is part of the DOT’s Statewide Transportation Plan. Meetings are being held across the state.

The meeting here will be in the city engineering building at 320 Fountain Circle on Feb. 25. It will be held on the first floor, from 5 to 7 p.m.

The proposed plan is a comprehensive one that will address various aspects of developing facilities and programs for bicyclists and pedestrians.

DOT representatives will be present to discuss the plan and to answer questions.

The draft plan will be available for review on the DOT Web site atdot.state.al.us and at each of the nine DOT division offices across the state.

People of the bicycle,

At our last BASC meeting, there was some discussion about planning for the mayor’s ride in May.  Some suggested that this should become an all inclusive Bike/Ped event where not only cyclists are involved, but also pedestrians and runners – promoting a healthy, livable Huntsville.  City members of the committee are wary of this and are discouraging the idea.  I suggested that if we got a reasonable plan together and presented it to them, perhaps the city could reconsider.

So, let’s brainstorm.  Does anyone have suggestions?  Is it feasible?    Logistically, how can we have a route for bicycles AND pedestrians?  What attractions can take place that will bring  more people out?  What about a rain date?  What can be done to ease the fears of the city regarding this event?  If the city will block off the downtown streets for an entire day, I envision a car free day like other city’s have successfully done.

Let’s get creative!  Please post your comments below.

What: BASC Meeting

When: Wednesday, 13-January, 2010 at 5:00pm

Where: 308 Fountain Circle (in GIS/Zoning Building meeting room)

By Brian Lawson for the Huntsville Times

December 12, 2009, 5:39PM

Glenn Baeske / The Huntsville TimesHuntsville Mayor Tommy Battle appointed the Green 13 Council in May.

HUNTSVILLE, AL — Like the space projects Huntsville is best known for, Saturday’s town hall meeting with the Green 13 Council included a historically successful approach  getting a lot smart people in one room to figure out how to solve a complex problem.

The problem in this case is finding sustainable approaches to building, transportation, energy and the environment and developing an education and communication strategy to spread the word.

The Green 13 Council was established by Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle in May. It is charged with producing a report by February for the mayor and City Council with recommendations on how Huntsville can become a national leader in green initiatives.

The town hall meeting Saturday at the City Council chamber drew nearly 100 people. Rodney Pennywell, who chairs Green 13, and members of the group outlined the steps they have taken to have their report ready by February.

Along with plenty of research and meetings, they have looked at plans other cities have adopted. The plans drawn by the City of Chattanooga drew special praise from several Green 13 members, who also stressed they were committed to providing ideas that can be implemented.

The second half of the two-hour session was a public comment period. Several cyclists thanked Battle for making a commitment to promoting cycling and protecting cyclists. Their ideas included more bike racks in public places, a revision to the city ordinance that bars cycling on city sidewalks and adoption of a “Complete Streets” policy.

“Complete Streets” was called for by a number of speakers Saturday. Its aim is to make streets safe and accessible for all users, motorists, public transit users,  bicyclists of all abilities and pedestrians. The streets feature sidewalks, medians, comfortable transit stops and bike lanes or wide shoulders.

read more here

It was a fun day to riding in the parade.  There was an estimated 75 to 80 cyclists there AND the bicycles led the parade!  I hope we can have an even larger turnout next year.

Thanks Jacqy.

The bicycling community will be leading the Parade this year, and will be the color guard (carry two 2’ x 3’ flags on 6’ poles). Time to get out the troops in mass!

Theme: WAAY out of this world, honoring Huntsville’s rocket heritage

Where: Lot K on Clinton Avenue, across from the Post Office by VBC

When: Meetup at 11:30 AM, Ride off at noon

Distance: 2.7 miles-slow pace

We are also looking for a few volunteers to ride with a kid or if you have a bike trailer.

Decorate your bike, decorate your body-Santa hats encouraged, or maybe a space suit?