Email Newsletter 09/12/00

UPCOMING MEETINGS:
* Next MB/PV meeting IN NORTHAMPTON Wed. 9/13
* Bicycle Safety 2000 conference 9/27 (Worcester)
* Northeast Bicycle Advocacy conference 10/28 (Hartford)
* Greenfield's Franklin County Bikes! 9/15

NEWS:
* UMass RT Connector groundbreaking 9/25
* Easthampton: Manhan RT bid delayed; exhibit planned
* Norwottuck RT's Northampton Extension precarious
* Northampton: Elm St. "nub-outs" under construction
* Springfield: Highland Rail-Trail gathering steam; Riverwalk underway
* Holyoke: Holyoke Canalwalk under design
* New UMass committee
* MB/PV in the news

OTHER EVENTS:
* Connecticut Valley Century 9/17
* Holyoke Bike Auction 9/23
* Palmer Bike Swap 9/24
* Screening of Ted White's films 9/24 and 9/25
* New Bike/Ped planning course at UMass
* Critical Mass Friday 9/29

Dear Pioneer Valley MassBikers,

Phew! Lots going on these days in Western Mass, as you can see from the above list. Make sure not to miss Ted White's films in Greenfield or Northampton, as well as the many important organizational meetings taking place soon on a project near you.

UPCOMING MEETINGS:

* Next MB/PV meeting IN NORTHAMPTON Wed. 9/13

Due to various conflicts, it has proven impossible to schedule our monthly meeting in Springfield this month after all. We'll try again sometime in the future, but for now we're back to our usual:

Wednesday 13 Sept.
7:00 - 9:00 pm
Watson Room, Forbes Library, Northampton

We'll be planning for Ted White's film screenings (see below), discussing how to move several roadway and rail trail projects forward, and welcoming new members. Hope to see you there!

(Following meetings Oct. 11, Nov. 8...)

* Bicycle Safety 2000 conference 9/27 (Worcester)

This statewide conference is sponsored in part by MassHighway, with help from MassBike and the various planning commissions, including our own PVPC. Includes workshops on bike safety legislation, rail trails, safe routes to school programs, community organizing, sidewalk safety, school curricula, and facility design policies. For more info, contact suelee@ecs.umass.edu (413-545-2604).

* Northeast Bicycle Advocacy conference 10/28 (Hartford)

The Connecticut Bicycle Coalition and the Thunderhead Alliance (of bicycle advocacy organizations) are organizing an advocacy workshop for Oct. 28 in Hartford. MassBike is heavily involve in promoting and planning the event. Some advocacy heavyweights are presenting, including Richard Olken (Bikes Belong), John Kaehny (NYC's Transportation Alternatives), and Jeff Miller (from Bicycle Coalition of Maine). If you're interested in attending, or presenting, contact MassBike Executive Director Tim Baldwin at bikexec@massbike.org.

* Greenfield's Franklin County Bikes! 9/15

The new Franklin County Bikes! group meets at the People's Pint in Greenfield the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month at 1 p.m. Next meeting 9/15. Email thepeoplespint@hotmail.com for more info.

NEWS:

* UMass RT Connector groundbreaking 9/25

At last! Bids for the construction of the UMass Rail-Trail Connector (to the Norwottuck RT) have been awarded, and construction may begin as soon as THIS MONTH! An official groundbreaking celebration is scheduled for:

Date: Monday, 9/25 Time: 12:15 Place: South side of the entrance from University Drive to the Victory parking lot.

Invitation list includes Congressman John Olver, MassHighway, and Senator Stan Rosenberg. Come join us!

Congratulations and thanks to the many people who have worked for years to make this project a reality, especially Art Swift of Amherst.

* Manhan RT bid delayed; exhibit planned

Not so fortunate is Easthampton's Manhan Rail-Trail, delayed yet again by MassHighway. Bids for the removal of railroad ties and preparing the trail for paving were opened on 8/29/00, but then not awarded.

Read about it in the Daily Hampshire Gazette:

"Bids for rail trail delayed" http://www.gazettenet.com/08102000/news/28286.htm

>From Steve Donnelly of the Manhan RT Committee:

The Manhan Rail Trail will have an exhibit at the Easthampton Fall Festival at Easthampton High School and Daley Field. September 23 and 24, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM each day. Admission is free. We will be displaying information about the Manhan Rail Trail, as well as offering shirts and bike items for sale in support of the trail.

* Norwottuck RT's Northampton Extension precarious

Apparently the Northampton Extension of the Norwottuck Rail Trail (from Damon Rd. to Woodmont Ave., nearly through to King St.) has federal funding set aside and has the support of the Dept. of Environmental Management, which owns the Norwottuck RT, and MassHighway, which will oversee the construction -- but not of Northampton's own Dept. of Public Works. The plans are all ready to go, but the DPW is concerned that without a bridge or a tunnel crossing of Damon Rd., motor vehicle traffic will be impeded and safety compromised by completing the trail. Unfortunately, without Northampton's support the project won't move forward.

Please email or, better yet, write to Acting Dir. George Andrikidis, Dept. of Public Works, 125 Locust St., Northampton 01060 (gandrikidis@nohodpw.org) and let the DPW know that this is currently the most important missing link in the region's bikeway plan; that cyclists already have to cross Damon Rd. as it is now, AND deal with Route 9 traffic; that there's no evidence safety will be COMPROMISED; if anything, the net impact on traffic should be positive, as more people ride instead of drive.

* Northampton: Elm St. traffic calming in place

As anyone travelling along Elm St. (Route 9 near Smith College) in Northampton in the last few weeks will have noted, several daunting 50-foot wide pedestrian crossings are being narrowed by the addition of spiffy new sidewalk extensions and enhanced by textured pavement treatment. The feel of the streetscape is already noticeably improved -- more friendly to walkers and cyclists and less conducive to speeding by motorists. Five-foot wide bike lanes are scheduled to be striped "soon". The City -- and the region -- will be keeping a close eye on the Elm St. demonstration project as it considers applying similar techniques elsewhere.

* Springfield: Highland Rail-Trail gathering steam; Riverwalk underway

>From Craig Della Penna:

The Highland Division Rail-Trail project for the City of Springfield is finally getting underway. They recently rec'd a Federal grant to design the trail and the city has hired the respected firm of Greenman-Pederson to prepare the engineering and design of the project. The scope of the project is from Watershops Pond near Springfield College to the East Longmeadow line. The Friends of the Highland Division Rail-Trail (FHDRT) also has started a members drive to bring supporters into the group. If interested in learning how you can help, contact Craig Della Penna, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, at 789-7154 or rtccraig@transact.org

The Riverwalk in downtown Springfield is under construction at this moment with land clearing and grading going on in the old New Haven Railroad Coach yards between Columbus Ave and the River. And in Chicopee, the Cyclonauts have been gathering petitions in support of beginning the Riverwalk project there as well.

* Holyoke: Canalwalk under design

>From Craig Della Penna:

Another interesting project finally getting underway is the Holyoke Canawalk. The firm of Wallace-Floyd has been chosen to design this exciting project and a final design plan should be available by the end of the year. Call Chris Curtis, PVPC, 781-6045, for more information.

* New UMass committee

A new UMass Bicycle Advisory Committee has just formed and is in the process of defining its mission, scope, goals, membership, and structure. Most likely it will advise the University's Parking and Transportation Advisory Board on issues affecting cycling, such as education, bike paths and lanes, bike parking, shower programs, roadway design, etc. Contact James Lowenthal (pvweb$NO$SPAM$@massbike.org) if you'd like to be involved.

* MB/PV in the news

MassBike/Pioneer Valley members Abby Schoneboom and Robert Shycon were recently quoted in the Gazette, supporting intelligent transportation policies:

"Conversation on environment" http://www.gazettenet.com/09112000/politics/29357.htm

"State adding shoulder for bikes" http://www.gazettenet.com/09112000/news/29358.htm

OTHER EVENTS:

* Connecticut Valley Century ride 9/17

It's not every day you can do an organized century ride out your back door...

>From http://freewheelers.org/

Sept. 17 -- CONNECTICUT VALLEY CENTURY, 25, 50, 75 or 100 miles, Hadley Village Barn Shops, Route 9 and Bay Road, Hadley; $5 Franklin-Hampshire Freewheelers members, $10 nonmembers. Contact: Sally Peters, (413) 527-4877, sallybikes@aol.com

* Holyoke Bike Auction 9/23

>From Jim Desmond:

On September 23rd the Holyoke Police will auction off the 400 Bicycles that they have accumulated. The preview is at 9 and the auction begins at 10. Location: at the corner of Dwight and High Streets behind City Hall. For more info, call the Holyoke Purchasing Department (534-2158).

* Palmer Bike Swap 9/24 -

MassBike has been invited to table at the annual Palmer Bike Swap and Cyclocross race on Sunday 9/24 -- can anyone take this on? It's a great scene -- lots of bike nuts gather and talk shop while watching some really entertaining cyclocross racing.

If you might consider going with some MassBike material to set up and answer questions about what we do, please let James Lowenthal know ASAP. It's a great opportunity to get our message out there.

* Screening of Ted White's films 9/24 and 9/25 --

>From Vicki Elson of the Bicycle Pavilion:

Filmmaker to Screen Bicycle Movies

California filmmaker Ted White will offer two Pioneer Valley screenings of his remarkable films about bicycling.

"Return of the Scorcher" is an enchanting short documentary about bicycle transportation worldwide. And the newly released "We Aren't Blocking Traffic, We ARE Traffic!" is a movie about Critical Mass, the exuberant, leaderless social movement of bicyclists "reclaiming the streets" once a month. The Critical Mass phenomenon, which started in San Francisco in 1992, has now spread all over the world, with a growing contingent here in the Valley.

Both films will be shown Sunday, September 24, 3:00 pm, at Beyond Words Bookshop, 189 Main Street, Northampton, and again Monday, September 25, 7:00 pm, at The People's Pint, 24 Federal Street, Greenfield.

Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $5. Both screenings benefit The Bicycle Pavilion, a nonprofit museum-to-be in the Pioneer Valley. For further information, call (413) 369-4900.

* New Bike/Ped planning course at UMass

Carlos Balsas in the Dept. of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning (email: balsas@larp.umass.edu, phone: 256-1521) is teaching a new course this semester on BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PLANNING. Topics include Bike/Ped activity in America today; Ped/Bike crashes; Adapting communities for Bike/Ped traveling; Neo-traditional neighborhoods; Bike/Ped facilities; Bike/Ped connections to transit; Traffic-calming; Pedestrians with disabilities; European approaches to Bike/Ped planning; and Education, encouragement and enforcement. Contact Carlos directly (email: balsas@larp.umass.edu, phone: 256-1521) for more info.

* Critical Mass Friday 9/29

(Don't miss Ted White's film on CM -- see above!)

Date: Friday, 9/29 (next ride Friday 10/27)
Place: Amherst Common
Time: 5:15 (meet)/5:30 (ride)
Route: Route 9 over the Coolidge Bridge to Northampton