BCA is submitting its application to become an IRS recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit. We are looking to our supporters to help us raise $850 for the application fee. Please consider making a donation. Whether $10, $25, or more, donations from our supporters is critical to support BCA and its efforts to make Anchorage bicycle-friendly. Click here for information on how to support BCA.

This notice came from muni traffic department.

“Please note that tomorrow’s (August 5) Title 9 Rewrite meeting for sections 9.20 and 9.38 has been CANCELLED due to scheduling conflicts with several key attendees.  We will try to reschedule for a later date.”

Thank you,

Municipal Traffic Department

ADVOCACY
The BCA has received numerous responses to the Title 9 notification we sent out last week. Thank you for your support and commitment to bicycle safety! A big Thanks to the people who contacted the Public Safety Committee and the Assembly to share your feelings on this important subject! The muni Traffic Department requested BCA notify folks Thursday’s Title 9 meeting (August 5th from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM at the Municipal Planning and Development Center in the first floor conference room #30, 4700 Elmore Rd), is not an opportunity for public testimony. It is rather a work session and an opportunity for the Traffic Department to explain their position on the subject. Bearing that in mind, if you are a cyclist interested in becoming, or are already well versed, in Traffic law, and understand the practicalities and challenges facing Anchorage’s cyclists, BCA would like you to attend this meeting. We’ll be sure to send an update after the meeting to notify you all of the results of the meeting.

A reminder of the wording BCA is objecting to in Title 9.38.060

“Persons operating a bicycle upon a sidewalk, recreational trail or bike trail must yield the right-of-way to traffic before crossing a roadway, street, or driveway.”

and section 9.38.020

“A person propelling a vehicle by human power upon and along a sidewalk, trail or pathway, (or across) except when crossing a roadway or driveway intersecting a sidewalk, trail or pathway, shall have all the rights and duties applicable to a pedestrian under the same circumstances.”

This is placing the burden of responsibility on the must vulnerable users, children riding their bicycles on the sidewalk.

ENCOURAGEMENT
This Saturday from 11AM – 9PM is the Renewable Energy Alaska Project Fair on the Memorial Block of the Downtown Parkstrip. We’ll have our Free And Secure Bike Parking available, so you can leave the car at home, get some exercise and fresh air, and enjoy a front row parking spot at the Fair. We’re looking for volunteers to help park bikes, so if you have a spare couple of hours on Saturday to lend a hand, please email bikemoredriveless@hotmail.com.

Our city is considering changing a law – Title 9 of the Anchorage Municipal Code – to make cyclists liable for accidents if they are hit while crossing a roadway. No other place in the country gives the right of way to a motorist over a bicyclist. Bicycle Commuters of Anchorage (BCA) is teaming up with citizens to make sure Anchorage, Alaska, will not become the first.

Here is what you can do to help:
1. Tuesday, July 27th, 8pm attend the Anchorage Assembly meeting to support BCA when we speak out against this potential change.
2. Contact Public Safety committee members, and let them know the proposed change is a bad idea.
• Paul Honeman, chair, HonemanPS@muni.org, 947-0500
• Chris Birch, chrisbirch@gci.net, 346-3265
• Mike Gutierrez , gutierrezm@muni.org, 382-5972
3. Join us from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm on Thursday, August 5, for an important meeting of the city Traffic Department at the Municipal Planning and Development Center (First Floor Conference Room Number 30 at 4700 Elmore Road).

Title 9 of Anchorage’s Municipal code handles traffic law, including the rights and duties of cyclists. Since last Spring when Title 9 rewrites were proposed, BCA has strongly objected to changes in the law which hinder public safety protections for bicyclists.

Giving cars the right of way is unintuitive. Most people instinctively give the right of way to the most vulnerable. Bicyclists give the right of way to pedestrians and cars give the right of way to cyclists and pedestrians. Does the city really want to make a child riding their bike on a sidewalk liable if that child were to be hit by a car while crossing a driveway? The proposed law defies common sense.

The evidence is on our side.
1. According to the Anchorage Bicycle Plan, crash statistics for bicycle versus car accidents in Anchorage went down by 40% since 2004 when Title 9 was originally changed to ensure cyclists have the right of way when crossing a street.
2. BCA researched traffic law in all 50 states, and did not find any other communities give the right of way to the motorist over the cyclist. In most communities, the right of way is granted to the cyclist, for the obvious reason that cyclists can be put at risk when crossing the street.

This change is dangerous because of the increased number of bicyclists.
1. Bicycle ridership, according to Anchorage 2010 Bike to Work Day observational counts, nearly doubled since 2007.
2. Anchorage has more bicycle shops, bicycle rental businesses, and more money being spent on bicycles and bicycling gear than ever before.

This change is dangerous to children
1. Children ride their bikes 40% more than adults
2. Bicycle crashes are the leading cause of hospitalization and fatalities of children
3. Children ride their bikes on sidewalks. This new law puts the burden of responsibility on children whether they are riding or walking their bicycle across a driveway or intersection.
4. Many motorists are driving while talking or texting, this distraction can lead to a motorist hitting a cyclist and still it will be the bicyclist’s fault.

BCA recommends
1. Maintain the same language as 2004, as the rewrite reduced crashes.
2. Start a campaign to educate motorists to stop at red lights and not roll through stop signs.

What BCA is already doing
1. BCA holds education clinics nearly every two months, educating bicyclists on following the rules of the road and bicycle safety.
2. BCA designed a bicycle safety curriculum and taught the week long bicycle safety to 60 youth, age 8-14 this summer through Camp Fire USA.
3. BCA is hosting a three day bicycle certification clinic to teach instructors how to teach bicycle safety.

Please join us in our efforts to keep Anchorage’s cyclists safe! If you have any specific questions about the Title 9 re-write, please contact Kristi Wood at bikemoredriveless@hotmail.com

Did you participate in Bike to Work Day? Did you consider participating but decided not too. Did you not know it was Bike to Work Day last week? Regardless, we need you to take the survey by June 1st.

Please complete the survey so we can find out why you rode, what challenged you, whether you combined your ride with public transit, and where you started and where you finished! Your responses help BCA and its partners improve bicycle commuting. Last year your road conditions comments and connectivity issues statements were shared with legislators, transportation officials, and used during assembly testimony to support the Bike Plan.

Click here to take the survey….. Sorry, survey closed June 1

(you also can win prizes by taking the survey)

Hi Folks,

There are several road improvement projects on the horizon and these provide
good opportunities to let the planners know that bike facilities/infrastructure
need to be considered.

Where did the bike lane go? A drawing of the bridge design.

The West Dowling Road extension project is currently taking comments.
At first glance, the schematics for the project look pretty good for bicyclists
and pedestrians. There is a 6 foot wide shoulder and a multi-use path. The
shoulder however WILL NOT be striped as a bike lane if DOT gets its way. Alaska
DOT is taking a very unfortunate position. DOT is asserting that they will not
paint bike lanes unless the Municipality agrees to maintain the on-road bike
lane painted striping and markings.  However, DOT has no such requirements for
the other on-road stripings for the motor vehicle lanes. This is a DOT project
and a DOT maintained road.  DOT is shirking its responsibilities and failing to
comply with the recent Federal Department of Transportation policy set out by
Secretary LaHood that requires state DOTs to treat bicycle and pedestrian
transportation equally with motor vehicle transportation.

You can learn more about the project here and
http://www.dowlhkm.com/projects/wdowlingroad/home.htm

submit your comments here. They can be brief. Just let them know they need to
include bike lanes. DOT has already stated that they haven’t heard from many
folks on this project. Lets change that!
http://www.dowlhkm.com/projects/wdowlingroad/Comments.htm .

You can see a copy of comments submitted on this project  in the comments to this post.

Hey bike enthusiasts,

the word in the halls is pretty positive. looks like we have the Assembly in support for the plan. we will still testify to let the Assembly know the importance of this plan to bicyclists and all of Anchorage. If you want to come on down, it looks like they will be getting to the Plan around 7:3opm or so – they just started their break.. You can show just through your presence that there is strong support from the community. if you do testify let the Assembly know that you support the rail route. The Mayor has introduced an amendment to pull the route out. It is an important north/south connector for Anchorage that allows bicyclists to get north/south without going through lots of intersections.

Secretary LaHood addressing the National Bike Summit. © J. Maus of Bike Portland.

Last week, Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood jumped onto a table at the National Bike Summit to thank the crowd and show his support for bicycling and walking. He noted that a new era was upon us. Today, Secretary LaHood announced a new Policy Statement on Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodation Regulations and Recommendations. According to the League of American Bicyclists, “It is simply the strongest statement of support for prioritizing bicycling and walking ever to come from a sitting secretary of transportation.”

On his blog, he writes:

Today, I want to announce a sea change. People across America who value bicycling should have a voice when it comes to transportation planning. This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized.

We are integrating the needs of bicyclists in federally-funded road projects. We are discouraging transportation investments that negatively affect cyclists and pedestrians. And we are encouraging investments that go beyond the minimum requirements and provide facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities.

To set this approach in motion, we have formulated key recommendations for state DOTs and communities:

* Treat walking and bicycling as equals with other transportation modes.
* Ensure convenient access for people of all ages and abilities.
* Go beyond minimum design standards.
* Collect data on walking and biking trips.
* Set a mode share target for walking and bicycling.
* Protect sidewalks and shared-use paths the same way roadways are protected (for example, snow removal)
* Improve nonmotorized facilities during maintenance projects.

Now, this is a start, but it’s an important start. These initial steps forward will help us move forward even further.

These words could be no more timely, as the Anchorage Assembly and our Mayor grapple with whether to take a step in the right direction and approve the Anchorage Bicycle Plan. A sea change is coming. And we need to let the Assembly know that now is the time to join with cities across America whom already recognize that infrastructure that promotes bicycling and walking are critical  elements to transforming the urban landscape into something more livable and enjoyable for everyone. The train is leaving the station. Federal funding for projects will be predicated on how they incorporate all modes of transportation. We can only move in this direction with an approved Bike Plan. So come on out to the Assembly meeting March 23rd and let your voice be heard!

It has been a busy couple of days trying to figure out what is going on and how the public can meaningfully participate in this important decision for bicyclists and all members of the Anchorage community. BCA has not heard the precise questions raised by the Mayor’s senior staff concerning the Bike Plan – questions that resulted in the Mayor calling for a delay in the decision. But we have heard that they focus on costs – important issues that no doubt must be answered. In fact, there are already answers to questions about how to implement the Plan. But more importantly, while there may be questions about implementing the Plan, we first and foremost, must approve the Plan. There is nothing in the Plan that is set in stone. The Plan does not place absolute duties on the Administration to proceed. Rather, like most transportation planning documents – it is a plan, an idea of how to move forward, of what makes most sense to improve safety and connectivity for bicyclists.  It may involve tweaks over the years and how we deal with snow removal from bike lanes (a question raised by Mayor Sullivan)  may change overtime obased on what  is practical and makes sense for motorists, bicyclists and the city in general.

So with all this in mind, BCA thinks its time to approve the Plan.  Implementation of the Plan will lead to more bicyclists, which means less cars, which in turn means less congestion and better air quality. It also means that more Anchorage citizens are leading active healthy lives, which is good for themselves and for the city as a whole.  So, while there will be another opportunity to comment on the 23rd, BCA is suggesting that you come down tonight and let the Assembly know that you support the Plan, that its implementation will make Anchorage safer and more practical for bicyclists and a more livable city for everyone.  We hope to see lots of bicyclists at Loussac around 6:00pm (I dont know when after 6pm they will get to taking public comments on the Plan).  The Anchorage Bike Plan is part of the solution. And so are we. See you tonight!

Around 2:00pm today the  e-mails started flying regarding a recent backtracking by the Mayor’s office. On Friday afternoon, the Mayor had acknowledged that he supported the Bike Plan. This afternoon we learned that the Mayor has new questions for the drafters of the plan and would like to conduct further “senior staff” review.  Consequently, the Mayor has requested that the Assembly continue the public hearing to March 23rd.  The Assembly will still hold a public hearing on the Plan tomorrow but BCA will not testify until the 23rd, so we can be fully apprised of the outcomes of the “senior staff” review. That said, BCA will attend the hearing tomorrow and provide bicyclists with posters and answers (to the extent we can).

We are disappointed by this latest development. To hear of this at the 11th hour is disconcerting from a public process standpoint. It is sure to create confusion and frustration with the public. It is unclear why the Mayor’s office elected to wait until the 11th hour to continue the hearing to the 23rd.  The Plan has been available for review for many months and all questions or concerns could have been addressed in a timely manner to avoid this unneeded delay that only frustrates the public and raises  questions about how we can meaningfully involve the public.   However, we still remain encouraged by the support the Assembly has shown for the adoption of this Plan.

If you are unsure about whether you can make the 23rd Assembly meeting, please come tomorrow and testify (you can only testify once). We will be on hand if you have any questions.  Due to the change in events, BCA encourages any interested party to testify before the Assembly to show their support for the Plan and its implementation.

If you have specific questions please use the comment board.