Bicycle Coalition Blog

Our voice was heard again!

Over 450 letters were sent earlier this week by cyclists asking the Montgomery County Commissioners to spare the Parks & Heritage Services Department and the Planning Commission when they voted on the 2012 budget this morning. These letters were in addition to the 1600 letters sent several weeks ago when the Commissioners were considering eliminating those two departments.

An overwhelming response from the cycling community helped forestall an elimination of those two departments. Our letters and testimonies at the public hearing on December 10th made a huge impact. This morning, the Commissioners adopted by a 3-0 vote a $417.4 million budget, which will cut all non-court related departments by 2.5%. They voted a tax increase of 16.9%, which will raise average property taxes by $77.

Although we had asked the Commissioners to keep the Parks and Planning department budgets at 2011 levels, a 2.5% cut is better than many expected. It will be up to the Department heads to decide how to make those cuts, so we won't know for a few weeks what the exact impact will be.

The Parks Department just sent the Bicycle Coalition this email message:

"The Montgomery County Commissioners have adopted a 2012 budget that includes funding to keep our department up and running! Your voices, emails, blogs and personal appearances were instrumental in keeping our Parks, Trails and Historic Sites open to the public, with sufficient funding to be maintained and patrolled. We could not have been successful with this challenge without concerned users like yourselves. We are also very “humbled” by the thousands of people who supported our facilities, and the work we take pride in doing every day!"

While we dodged a bullet this year, this debate will undoubtedly come up again in the 2012 budget. We will need to keep on top of this issue during the next year. Nevertheless, we're grateful for this victory!

Thanks to everyone who took action!

In late October, DVRPC awarded $5.2 million through Phase I of its Regional Trails Program, a grant program funded by $10 Million from the William Penn Foundation, to eighteen projects around the 9 county Delaware Valley region.

These initiatives include both trail design and trail construction in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. They extend existing trails, including the Schuylkill River Trail in Phoenixville, the Chester Valley Trail near Exton, and the East Coast Greenway in Tullytown. They connect the existing and planned elements of the regional trail network to neighborhoods through projects like the Baldwin's Run Tributary Trail in Camden and the Lawrence-Hopewell Trail in Lawrence. Finally, these grants support several landmark projects, including the Manayunk Bridge Trail that will provide a cross-river connection between Philadelphia and Lower Merion Township and serve as a destination for bikers and walkers from across the region.

The awards to trail projects include:

• Reading to Hamburg Schuylkill River Trail Gap (Leesport section) – $142,630 (design and construction) – Berks County
• Big Woods/Schuylkill-Hopewell Furnace Trail – $500,000 (construction – Phase 1, survey – Phase 2) – Berks and Chester Counties – Berks County
• Neshaminy Creek Greenway (Phase I) -- $130,148 (construction) – Bucks County
• US Route 13 Crossing – $471,000 (construction) – Bucks County
• Baldwin’s Run Tributary Trail – $150,000 (design) – Camden County
• Chester Valley Trail Phase III – $500,000 (construction) – Chester County
• Phoenixville Schuylkill River Trail Segment – Phase I -- $285,000 (design and construction) – Chester County
• Darby Creek Trail -- $290,000 (construction) – Delaware County
• Lawrence-Hopewell Trail: Lewisville Road Section -- $248,000 (construction) – Mercer County
• Chester Valley Trail Extension – $325,000 (construction) – Montgomery County
• Canal Towpath Spillway Bridge – $170,000 (construction) – Montgomery County
• Tacony Frankford Greenway Trail – $500,000 (construction) – Philadelphia
• Penn Street Trail – $500,000 (design and construction) – Philadelphia
• Schuylkill Crossing at Grays Ferry – $260,000 (preliminary design) – Philadelphia

In addition, the DVRPC Board today approved $125,000 in funding for Camden County’s Kaighn’s Avenue to Route 130 Connector Trail. This project was one of four “early action” projects originally approved for $50,000 of funding in July 2011. The grant has since been revised to $125,000. The other three early action projects were:

• Manayunk Bridge -- $400,000 (design) – Philadelphia
• Spring Garden Street Greenway – $75,000 (design) – Philadelphia
• Schuylkill South -- $165,000 (acquisition for future extension of waterfront trail) – Philadelphia

In mid-December, DVRPC received applications for Phase II of the program, for projects that were seeking planning and feasibility funding. Those awards are expected to be announced in early 2012.

Do you live in the Haddington section of Philadelphia and have a child who rides bicycles? You can pick up a free children's bike helmet and fitting this Wednesday as part of the Kohl's Injury Prevention Program.

 More information below:

Kohl's Injury Prevention Program at CHOP will be holding a free child's helmet giveaway and fitting at the Neighborhood Bike Works Haddington location. The event is in honor of NBW's Build-a-Bike program graduates and the ongoing partnership between Kohl's and CHOP.

Date: Wednesday, December 22nd
Time: 5:30 - 7:00 pm
Location: Neighborhood Bike Works - Haddington / 230 N. Salford Street, Philadelphia PA (near 60th & Vine)

Also if you're a fan of oversized checks (and who isn't?), Kohl's will be presenting CHOP with an oversized check for $637,125 to support the hospital's injury prevention programs.

Our voice was heard once; let it be heard again!

Over 1,600 letters were sent via the Bicycle Coalition's website protesting the draconian proposal to eliminate, among other programs, Montgomery County's Parks & Heritage Services Department and the Planning Commission.

When visited last week by the Bicycle Coalition, Commissioner Hoeffel reported that the overwhelming amount of support the Commissioners saw for Montgomery County's trails and parks convinced them to back off their drastic budget proposal.

Nevertheless, Montco's Commissioners are considering across-the-board cuts to all Departments. when they vote on a final budget on Wednesday, December 21st. The budgets of Parks and Heritage Services & the Planning Commission have already been cut between 13-22% over the past several years. Further cuts will debilitate the County's ability to plan effectively for new trails and operate the parks and trails in place.

Ask the Commissioners to maintain Montco Parks and Planning at 2011 budget levels. Send a quick letter today! Let your voice be heard!

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, working with the William Penn Foundation, is running a contest to find a great name for our regional trail network.
They've extended the contest deadline to Wednesday, December 21st. The author of the winning entry will receive $250.
Full details of the contest and how to submit your name ideas can be found on the DVRPC site here.

Following up on two votes we were tracking earlier this week:

US Senate Committee Passes Complete Streets Amendment
We applaud PA Senator Pat Toomey for voting in support of the Complete Streets amendment to the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Enhancement Act. We blogged about this on Tuesday, and on Wednesday the amendment was approved unanimously by the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Coverage of Wednesday's DRPA Meeting 
The Delaware River Port Authority met on Wednesday and did not include money for the Camden-side ramp in their budget. The Philadelphia Inquirer covered the story, with this quote providing some hope for the ramp:
Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner, unsuccessful in his attempt to block the spending, then called on the board to early next year dedicate most of the unspent $10 million to two transportation projects cut from the agency's 2012 capital budget: a bicycle and wheelchair ramp on the Camden side of the Ben Franklin Bridge ($3.2 million) and the reopening of the long-closed Franklin Square subway station on the PATCO line in Philadelphia ($3.5 million).
NJ.com covered the meeting in detail, and CBS Philly quoted our own John Boyle in their coverage.

The Coalition for Appropriate Transportation will be a hosting a memorial ride for Patrick Ytsma, who died on December 8th after being struck from behind by an elderly driver four days earlier. The ride through downtown Bethlehem will stop at the crash site on the Fahy (New Street) Bridge for a moment of silence, and will be accompanied by City of Bethlehem police on bicycles. The ride will end at Payrow Plaza between Bethlehem City Hall and the Library, with cyclists gathering to remember Patrick's contributions to bicycle advocacy.


Lights and helmets are required. Out of respect for Patrick and his family, organizers ask that riders obey all traffic laws and avoid carrying signs during the ride.

When: December 22nd 2011 at 6:30PM.
Where: Parking lot at Main and W. Lehigh Streets in Bethlehem, PA.
Departs: 7:00 PM Rain or Shine.
For more information: CAT cat@car-free.org or (610) 954-5744

Today our Research Director John Boyle led an early morning bike ride across the bridge to the DRPA Board meeting (where they were met by TV helicopters and an Inquirer photographer). At the meeting John testified during the public comment period (deftly scheduled after the votes were taken on the budget) and presented to the Commissioners the more than 900 signatures we gathered on our online petition.

At the meeting, the Commissioners voted through the 2012 capital budget without funding for the ADA ramp, but Pennsylvania's Auditor General, Jack Wagner, promised to put forth a resolution at the January meeting designating money from unspent capital funds for the ramp and the Franklin Square PATCO stop.

Please sign the petition if you haven't already done so!

We are 24 hours away from the end of voting for the 2011 Philebrity Awards. Five worthy nonprofits are nominated, but it's been a two-horse race for most of the voting period. The Food Trust (polite applause) has held solid at 40% of the votes, while we, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia (thunderous applause!) has maintained roughly 30% of the voting.
Why is 70% of the vote going to these two organizations? Because Philebrity is giving its hipster readership an impossible choice: foodies vs. fixies.
To help sort this out, we spoke to two people who know nothing about hipsters but do enjoy sharing opinions: Statler and Waldorf. Here is a transcript of the conversation:


Read more »

Tomorrow, the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will vote on an amendment which would require federally-funded street projects to consider all road users (including pedestrians and bicyclists) in their design.

This is the first time in six years that Complete Streets policies have been acted upon on a federal level.

Sen. Pat Toomey sits on this Committee.  Below is a letter we sent to Toomey's office.  The League of American Bicyclists is organizing engaged citizens to contact their respective Senators.  You can take action here.
Read more »

This Wednesday, December 14th, is the last chance to make ourselves heard by the Delaware River Port Authority Board of Commissioners. Please join us if you can for a bike ride over the Ben Franklin Bridge to the DRPA Board meeting.

We will meet at 8:00 AM at the South Walkway (5th Street entrance) in Philadelphia and plan to arrive on the Camden side at 8:30am. We will invite the press to meet us there.

To date more than 450 people have signed the petition, which we will present to the Board of Commissioners at the meeting. We are speaking loudly and your comments have been fantastic! Here are a few of the reasons why people want a ramp on the Camden side of the Ben Franklin Bridge:

• "I commute over the bridge frequently for shopping. It is almost impossible to roll a heavily laden bicycle up the little ramp built onto the side of the steps. It is very hard work pushing the bike up and the bicycle bags keep getting caught against the side of the railing. Because of this, I do not shop in Philadelphia as often as I would like."
• "[I] should not need to be a super hero to get a bike onto the walkway."
• "The ability to bicycle commute between the NJ and PA communities in our area is essential to the optimizing the health and fitness, well-being, and environmental surroundings of citizens. As with so many other projects like this, the expense of adding a ramp will only boost long-term economic activity in the area."

The DRPA Board meeting is Wednesday, December 14th, at 9am. It is being held at 1 Port Center, 11th Floor, Camden, NJ (directions).

A better way to the top. Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center

Lehigh Valley Wheelman member and Coalition for Appropriate Transportation (CAT) volunteer Patrick Ytsma died early Thursday morning. He was struck from behind Sunday shortly after sunset by a 79 year old driver on the Fahy Bridge. At the time of the crash he was wearing a reflective vest and helmet. Patrick was a safety advocate and volunteer instructor for CAT.

To date no charges have been filed.


View PA/NJ Bicycle Crashes 2011-2012 in a larger map

Services: Tomorrow (Saturday) 11 a.m. at Bachman, Kulik & Reinsmith Funeral Home, 17th & Hamilton Streets, Allentown. Burial will follow at Fountain Hill Cemetery, in the green section. Bicyclists are invited to follow with their bikes to the cemetery. This will be the very first green burial in the Lehigh Valley.

You can honor Patrick's legacy by signing the petition asking the Pennsylvania Senate to pass HB170 the 4 foot safe passing bill. Your efforts to date have helped kicked this bill out of committee and it is now closer than ever to final passage.

A memorial ride is being planned for sometime in the near future. Our sympathies go out to Patrick's family and we thank him for his service to the bicycling community.

In a letter sent today, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia formally asked the Board of Commissioners to restore funding for the Walkway Ramp Capital Project.

"On behalf of the hundreds of cyclists and pedestrians who use the Ben Franklin Bridge daily, the hundreds of thousands of bicyclists who ride throughout the region, and the over 2500 members of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, I request that you restore funding in the 2012 Capital Program Budget for an ADA compliant ramp on the Camden side of the Ben Franklin Bridge at your December 14th meeting," said Alex Doty, Executive Director of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. "Because it is DRPA's mission 'to provide quality transportation services across the river and invest[s] in the economic growth of Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey,' it must prioritize building the ramp as a 2012 capital project."

The DRPA Finance Committee, with no public notice about its agenda, on December 7th approved a 2012 Capital Budget that omits Capital Project BF1101 to build the ramp, which has been in the 5 Year Capital Program for over five years and delayed several times. At a July 2010 Board meeting, CEO John Matheussen promised that the ramp would be built in 2012.

The Bicycle Coalition's letter also makes the point that "eliminating this project goes against NJ's Complete Streets Policies and continues to deny the public ADA access to the Ben Franklin Bridge Walkway. The ramp connects directly with the $6 million regional trail investment made by the 2010 federal TIGER Grant awarded to Camden, which Coopers Ferry Partnership is now implementing. NJ DOT is providing support and guidance for the TIGER project and even delivered a cost estimate for the ramp. The lack of a ramp is a critical obstacle to the region’s trail network and is a deterrent to Camden and Philadelphia’s economic development efforts to enhance the Delaware Riverfront."

Over 200 people have signed the petition asking DRPA to restore funding to design and build the ramp in 2012 and many have left their own comments about why it is so important for the Ben Franklin Bridge to have this ramp. The Bicycle Coalition will bring the petition signatures to the December 14th Board meeting at which the Commissioners will vote to approve the Capital Budget.

Take action by signing the petition! If you can make it, come to the December 14th Board meeting at One Port Center in Camden at 9am to demonstrate that bicyclists and walkers deserve their vote to restore funding for the walkway ramp.

It's Student Video Friday! Below are two recent videos, one made in Philadelphia and one in Florida, which emphasize bicycle and pedestrian safety. Both are made by students, and both are great viewing.

Video 1: BPSOS Talking To Philadelphians About Bike Lanes

Our Safe Routes Philly staff helped the BPSOS program this summer with its Summer Youth Bicycle and Environmental Program. The program led ten Philadelphia high school students through a 6-week examination of urban planning issues in the city, specifically surrounding transportation. We blogged about the program earlier this year.

Read more »

December is turning out to be a banner month for showing up at meetings and testifying to save bikeways. We have one final lump of coal that you need to help us throw into the blast furnace.

The proposed bicycle and pedestrian walkway on the Scudder Falls Bridge is being criticized as a waste of money ahead of a public meeting about an Environmental Assessment on the project. Supporters of the walkway can:

• Send e-mails voicing your support for the walkway.
• Attend the public hearing to show support for the project (see details below).

The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission has opened up public comment for the final version of the Environmental Assessment for the Scudder Falls Bridge. This new addition is the result of the demand to publish the environmental impact of charging automated tolls on the bridge (who knew?).

Read more »

John Matheussen in 2010, promising to build the rampToday, with no opportunity for public comment, the Delaware River Port Authority's Finance Committee approved a draft Capital Program that reneges on their promise to design and build capital project BF1101: an ADA accessible ramp on the Camden side of the Ben Franklin Bridge.

Sign this petition to send DRPA's Board a message: HONOR YOUR PROMISES - BUILD THE RAMP!

As we reported in January, funds designated in the 2011 draft budget to design the ramp were eliminated when the DRPA Board decided to delay all projects that did not directly involve public safety. This action was taken despite a public promise by Chief Executive Officer John J. Matheussen at the July 2010 Board meeting that DRPA would build the ramp in 2012.

Read more »

It was standing room only in Court Room A at the Montgomery County Courthouse, and an overflow room had to be set up across the street to accommodate the overflow crowd.

Commissioner Matthews was a no show. A motion was made to make Commissioner Hoeffel the new Chairman due to Mr. Matthews resignation. At least 50+ members of the public made 2 minute public comments and during the time we were at the hearing, not a single person supported the proposed draconian cuts to the budget.

The Bicycle Coalition expressed the views of the over 1500 persons who have sent in emails to the Commissioners that we are all "shocked" that Montgomery County would even consider shutting down its park and planning departments. Montgomery County is considered the region's leader in trails; it's unfathomable that it would lead the way in abandoning its own trail system or planning efforts. Such action would harm not only the residents of Montgomery County, but the entire region as well, as people come from all over to enjoy the Schuylkill River Trail, Perkiomen Trail and other trails and parks within the county. Montco's trails are part of the regional trail network and have been built over many years with local, county, state and federal investments. Abandoning those investments would be pennywise and pound foolish. In addition, any action to cut these two departments would put hundreds of thousands of dollars of new grants recently awarded to the County from the State, Feds and the William Penn Foundation in jeopardy.

You can still send a personal letter to the Commissioners and Commissioners-elect to restore the Parks Department and Planning Commission to 2011 levels.

Our Safe Routes Philly program is busy with its second year of encouraging Philadelphia elementary school students to safely walk or bike to school. In the course of working with educators to implement our curriculum, we meet many incredible men and women who have started encouragement activities of their own. Here is one of them:

Mr. Scott Kurzinsky is the PE teacher at Pratt Elementary (22nd & Susquehanna, in North Philly). He has been a valuable partner of Safe Routes Philly - he taught all of our curriculum last year and plans to do so again this year. On his own initiative, he started an earn-a-bike program at Pratt. We asked him about the idea.

Read more »

The Bicycle Coalition will be at today's budget hearing in Norristown at 10am in the County Courthouse (Courtroom A). Please join us!

County Commissioners must adopt a budget by December 21st and we will ask that funding for the Parks and Planning Department be restored. Having generated over 1500 emails sent to the County Commissioners, we will ask the Commissioners to listen to their constituents and act responsibly. Both the Parks and Planning departments are proposed to be eliminated.

Montgomery County built one of the best trail systems in southeast PA and has the most completed section of the Schuylkill River Trail, which is visited by hundreds of thousands of users annually. The Commissioners have a duty to protect and maintain the investment made by their predecessors, the State and the federal government to build the county's parks and trail systems.

As I started this blog post, the news to report was that tomorrow's budget hearing venue had changed to a larger room because of the large outcry over the draconian proposed 2012 budget.

The Commissioners moved the hearing across the street to the Courthouse

Wednesday, December 7 at 10:00 am.
Montgomery County Courthouse Court Room A, Swede Street entrance
Swede St and W. Airy Ave
Norristown, PA
The Bicycle Coalition's action last Friday generated over 1,398 letters sent to each of the three current commissioners and to the two newly elected commissioners protesting the proposal to shut down Montco's parks, trails and Planning Department. If you haven't sent in your letter yet, please email your own personalized letter now.

But, the drama escalated this morning when news broke that Commissioner Chair James Matthews was arrested on perjury charges. This is not good news for our side because Mr. Matthews was supportive of increasing taxes to forestall such severe cuts.

Here's more about the outrage pouring into the Commissioners' offices: Phillyburbs, the Mercury, Pottstown Mercury Editorial, Phoenixville Patch.