Four Foot Passing Law Goes into Effect on Monday, April 2

Posted on March 30, 2012 by
On Monday, April 2, 2012 the Four Foot Safe Passing Law will go into effect. The law requires that:
  • Bicycles must be operated in the right hand lane, or as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of roadway.
  • This does not apply to a bicycle using any portion of the road due to unsafe surface conditions.
  • Motorists must overtake a bicycle with no less than four feet between the vehicle and the bicycle and at a “prudent reduced speed”.
  • No turn by a motorist may interfere with a bicycle proceeding straight.
  • Bicycles may be operated at a safe and reasonable speed appropriate for bicycles.
This further codifies the rights of bicyclists to be present in the roadway.  It also makes it safer for bicyclists to be on the roadway.  Of course, the law itself will only act as a catalyst for changing the habits of motorists; both the motoring and bicycling community must be sure to act responsibly and follow all the laws governing our roadways to ensure a safe environment for all roadway uses.
Posted in around the state, Policy, statewide | Tagged | 4 Comments

2012 National Bike Summit Congressional Meetings

Posted on March 19, 2012 by

Are you heading to the 2012 National Bike Summit this week?  We have prepared information sheets for our Congressional representative.  We will provide copies to you before the meetings on Thursday.  If you can’t make it on Thursday, we encourage you to meet with your representative in their district office.

If your representative is not shown here, it is because we do not have any constituent attending from the district.

PA Senator Robert Casey Jr.

PA Senator Pat Toomey

PA 01 District: Robert Brady

PA 02 District: Chaka Fattah

PA 04 District: Jason Altmire

PA 05 District: Glenn Thompson

PA 06 District: Jim Gerlach

PA 07 District: Pat Meehan

PA 08 District: Mike Fitzpatrick

PA 09 District: Bill Shuster

PA 13 District: Allyson Schwartz

PA 14 District: Mike Doyle

PA 15 District: Charlie Dent

PA 16 District: Joe Pitts

PA 17 District: Tim Holden

PA 18 District: Tim Murphy

PA 19 District: Todd Platts

Posted in action alert, around the state, Info you can use, Policy, Safe Routes to School, statewide | Leave a comment

Changes with PA Walks and Bikes

Posted on March 6, 2012 by

2011 brought change to Pennsylvania Walks and Bikes.  We added two new board members: Pam Ruoff and Shayne Trimbell; we also were sad to see the departure of our executive director, Josh Karns.

Pam Ruoff is an enthusiastic recreational bicyclists. She began biking on a regular basis a few years back, but it did not take long to see the need for safer roads to meet the needs of walkers and bikers. Pam earned her master of science in nonprofit management and is currently employed in alumni relations and fundraising. Pam is looking forward to assisting Pennsylvania Walks and Bikes achieve our fundraising goals in order to meet objectives. Pam is a member of Bicycle Club of Philadelphia and the Brandywine Bicycle Club.

Shayne, a transportation planner by profession, has been an active bicycle activist since starting the Bike Pottstown Free Bike Share Program in 2008. His focus has always been on a transportation system that accommodates bicycles and pedestrians through smarter land use decisions. As a professional, Shayne works with both public and private sector organizations to reduce congestion on Southeastern PA’s road network. In his free time, Shayne enjoys riding the back roads of Chester County and is an annual participant in the M.S. City to Shore ride.

In August, Josh Karns, Executive Director of PA Walks and Bikes, resigned his position for an opportunity with the Pennsylvania Environmental Council.  We were sad to see him leave and greatly appreciate the hard work and dedication he gave to PA Walks and Bikes.  Josh hasn’t gone too far, he has been added as a member of the board of directors.  We wish Josh the best in his future endeavors and look forward to his service as a board member.

Posted in Newsletter, Winter - 2012 | Leave a comment

PA Walks and Bikes Remains Involved with the Keystone Transportation Funding Coalition

Posted on March 6, 2012 by

Beginning in 2010 and continuing through 2011, PA Walks and Bikes became active in the Keystone Transportation Funding Coalition.  The Keystone Transportation Funding Coalition is a confederation of organizations with an interest in multimodal transportation funding, who support a comprehensive solution to Pennsylvania’s transportation funding needs.  Members include the highway construction industry, public transit agencies, labor unions, farm organizations, AARP, bicycle and pedestrian transportation advocates, land-use advocates, AAA, air and seaport organizations, organizations representing local governments, chambers of commerce, travel and tourism organizations, environmental advocates, freight and passenger rail organizations and truck freight haulers.

PA Walks and Bikes has played a role in supporting the interests of the pedestrian and bicycling communities within the coalition as they advocate for comprehensive transportation funding reform.  In early October, the PA House Travel and Tourism Committee held a hearing in the capital to hear testimony from the bicycle community on the impact that bicycling has on the state’s tourism industry.  We were able to assemble an esteemed panel including Rob Fulton of the PA Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, Paul Smith of Scamp & Rascal Adventure Cycling, Shireen Farr of the Cumberland Valley Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, Pam Snyder of the Tour de’Toona, and Pat Tomes of the Rails to Trails Conservancy.

Later in October, board member Shayne Trimbell was asked to represent PA Walks and Bikes by testifying to the PA House Democratic Policy Committee.  His testimony focused on the need to increase the investment in bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and to prioritize state funding into programs that promote bicycle and friendly community building.

PA Walks and Bikes continues to be a strong advocate within the coalition, and we will continue to work tirelessly expressing the important role that bicycle and pedestrian facilities have in a fully functioning transportation infrastructure.

Posted in Newsletter, Winter - 2012 | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

PA Walks and Bikes Identifies Priority Items for 2012

Posted on March 6, 2012 by

In early February, the board of directors of PA Walks and Bikes convened to discuss policy priorities for 2012.  After much deliberation, the board has decided on key issues to focus our efforts on during the year.  This year we will be focusing our efforts on:

Transportation Funding
State and Federal funding bills are being debated and we want to be sure that proper funding is being allocated to projects that benefit bicyclists and pedestrians.

Reforming the Bicycle Occupancy Permit
The Bicycle Occupancy Permit is an agreement between PennDOT and municipalities desiring on road bicycle facilities such as bicycle lanes.  The permit requires, among other things, that the municipality assume full liability and maintenance responsibility for the facility.  We disagree with this position, and we will focus our efforts on reforming this policy to aide municipalities in building more bicycle friendly streets.

Complete Streets
Pennsylvania does not have an official Complete Streets policy.  Complete Streets is a movement nationwide that encourages departments of transportation to consider all users, not simply automobiles, when investing in transportation infrastructure improvements.  Where appropriate, Complete Streets means having proper pedestrian facilities such as sidewalks and crosswalks; wide shoulders, bicycle lanes, or bicycle side paths; transit stops that are clearly marked, safe, sheltered, and well lit.

Ensuring Compliance with the Bicycle and Pedestrian Checklist
When PennDOT begins the project planning process, they are required to review the needs of bicyclists and pedestrians and if necessary, provide facilities to accommodate their usage.  We suspect that this process is not being adhered to properly.  PA Walks and Bikes will work with PennDOT to ensure that every project completes this important step before continuing to construction.

Activist Support
We recognize that there are bicycle and pedestrian advocates statewide, many working on issues familiar to PA Walks and Bikes.  We want to expand our network to include these advocates.  Through this expansion, we can share resources, provide valuable assistance and experiences, and work collaboratively to make Pennsylvania a better, safer, and more convenient place for bicyclists and pedestrians.

Posted in Newsletter, Winter - 2012 | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment