seattleDIRT

REPOST from BAW

Seattle Bike Swap
BAW Office Move
North Spokane Corridor Trail Needs a Name!
New Leadership for BAW Board
Transportation Advocacy Day
Giving Bicyclists a Voice in Olympia

Giving Bicyclists a Voice in Olympia

What will make cycling safer and more common in Washington State? We hope our 2009 legislative agenda will help answer that question. In partnership with bike clubs around the state, the environmental and health communities, seniors, disability and pedestrian groups, we will be working to make construction zones safe for all travelers; get funding to encourage kids to walk and bike to school; support smart growth in transit (and bike) oriented communities; ensure that bikes can safely trigger signals at intersections; and define safe passing to better educate drivers that 3-feet is the minimum distance. We will be supporting efforts to reduce “vehicle miles traveled” and to get a fair share of transportation funding for non-motorized projects. Learn more about our legislative agenda at our website, www.bicyclealliance.org.

In addition to Bicycle Alliance members, whose calls and emails to legislators are essential to our success, our biggest partner in this legislative effort will likely be Cascade Bicycle Club, which will have a lobbyist in Olympia working on King County-related bike issues and coordinating with Bike Alliance efforts. Together we can all make Washington even more bike friendly.

Transportation Advocacy Day
February 24, 2009, 9am-5pm
Trinity Lutheran Church in Olympia

Join the Bicycle Alliance and other like-minded groups as we gather in Olympia to advocate for transportation choices and healthier and safer solutions. You’ll have an opportunity to learn about current issues, meet with your legislators, and attend hearings. Carpools will be available.

This year, our priorities are:

1. More funding for transportation choices, including transit, the Commute Trip Reduction Program and intercity passenger rail.

2. Transit-oriented communities. Washingtonians want to live in affordable, walkable communities connected by frequent, reliable transit. We are seeking to revise the state’s transportation and land use planning framework to assist local jurisdictions to plan for growth in a sustainable and climate-friendly way. The bill will provide incentives for cities and developers to create affordable, livable, transit-oriented development, increasing transportation choices.

3. Safe Routes to School. We want to preserve and increase funding for the popular Safe Routes to School program which funds pedestrian, bike and safety improvements that make it easier for kids to walk and bike to school.

4. Safety and Accessibility for All Users. We are advocating for better traffic signals, safer passing distances and improved accessibility through construction zones for bicyclists and pedestrians so that our streets are accessible to all users.

You can sign up on line for Transportation Advocacy Day here.

New Leadership for BAW Board

Kristin Kinnamon is the new president of the Bicycle Alliance of Washington’s Board of Directors. Kristin first joined the board in 2005 and has been chair of the BAW Legislative and Statewide Issues Committee since that time. She is the past president and an active member of B.I.K.E.S. Club of Snohomish County.

Long-time board member Thom Skaanland of Enumclaw has joined the BAW Executive Committee as second vice president. Thom has been on the board since 1998, and has served on the executive committee in the past as secretary. He is looking forward to focusing on BAW membership expansion and retention.

Past-president Ralph Wessels, a Gig Harbor resident, continues to serve on the board and will work with the BAW executive committee in a mentoring role. King Cushman of Seattle, Eilleen Hyatt of Spokane and Mark Thomas of Redmond all continue their important roles as members of the BAW executive committee.

The new chair of the Legislative and Statewide Issues Committee is Bob Duffy, a longtime BAW volunteer and new board member in 2008. Bob lives in Olympia where he is a member of Capital Bicycle Club. He is retired from the Department of Ecology.

North Spokane Corridor Trail Needs a Name!

Washington State Department of Transportation is seeking public input for naming the new pedestrian-bike path being built in conjunction with the new North Spokane Corridor (NSC).

The 10.5 mile NSC will include a parallel pedestrian-bike path along the entire route. The first section of the trail will open in 2009 from Lincoln Road to Farwell Road. The second section, continuing north to Wandermere will be opening in 2011. Future sections will connect neighborhoods to neighborhoods as well as provide connections to the Centennial and Ben Burr trails and scenic viewpoints of the Spokane area.

To submit a suggestion for the trail name, go to the North Spokane Corridor website and click on the Help Name the Trail link. Please have your suggestion submitted before January 15, 2009.

BAW Office Move

The Bicycle Alliance is on the move, well our offices anyway. We are moving our offices to 309A Third Ave. S, right next to the Bikestation. The move will take place in mid-January and will allow us to have more efficient office space. In addition, we will take over management of the Bikestation as of Feb. 2nd. Our phone number will stay the same, as will our PO Box. JRA Bike Repair will double their current shop space in the Bikestation. So stop by and say hello!

Seattle Bike Swap

Here’s an opportunity to off load that bike gear you never used or no longer need and benefit the Bicycle Alliance! We will have a table at the upcoming Seattle Bike Swap on February 21 and will accept donations of never used and gently used items. Contact Louise McGrody at 206.224.9252 x303 or louisemc@bicyclealliance.org by February 12 if you would like to make a donation.