On Monday, January 7, Roanoke City Council heard from Andy Clarke, Executive Director of the League of American Bicyclists, about their Bicycle Friendly Community Program, a campaign recognizing municipalities that encourage bicycling and provide safe accommodations for their citizens who bike for transportation and recreation. Clarke's presentation explained the program and provided Council with examples of bicycle friendliness in other cities around the county. 

On the following day, Clarke led more than 70 local planners, engineers, community leaders, and bicycle enthusiasts in a lively and informative Bicycle Friendly Community workshop, hosted by the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club and the Roanoke Chapter of BikeWalk Virginia. Participants discussed other communities' strategies that encourage bicycling, including striping bike lane, building trails, installing bike parking, signing popular bike routes, and conducting programs to encourage more people to ride safely. Clarke praised the region's greenway network as a great base from which to start. He recognized the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club and BikeWalk Virginia for creating a strong culture of bicycling in the area.

Action items that will propel Roanoke Valley communities toward official designation as Bicycle Friendly Communities include:

• Establishing Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional and local jurisdiction Bicycle Committees
• Adopting the regional bike plan in each local jurisdiction
• Encouraging local interest groups to include non-motorized transit issues in their platform
• Hosting a candidate forum
• Creating an awards program to recognize government officials or agencies who improve conditions for cycling
• Organizing a community bike ride series and a "big ride" to include many participants and elected officials
• Notifying businesses of the availability of free bicycle racks through the bicycle rack give-away program of the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission,  (http://www.ridesolutions.org/bikewalk/bikerack.asp)
• Launching a bike education program
• Airing television public service announcements to educate bicyclists and motorists on how to ride safely and share the road
• Promoting bicycle rodeos, helmet give-away programs, and Safe Routes to Schools projects
• Participating in VDOT and National Park Service public meetings
• Participating in neighborhood plans

The new Roanoke Valley Chapter of BikeWalk Virginia will host a forum for City Council candidates this May.  

A post-workshop ride was organized by Blue Ridge Bicycle Club. Clarke and Bill Nesper, director of LAB's Bicycle Friendly Community Program, participated.

At a gathering to celebrate volunteer efforts, the Richmond Area Bicycling Association (RABA) and the Virginia Capital Trail Foundation acknowledged Bud Vye for his dedicated and long service as a volunteer. He was awarded a bench engraved with his name to be placed on the City of Richmond portion of the Virginia Capital Trail.

Vye has tirelessly promoted bicycling in the Richmond area and beyond while persuading decision-makers to include bicycling in urban and transportation plans. He has spent countless hours organizing events and has championed funding and building the Virginia Capitol Trail. He was saluted by RABA for his dedicated hard work on behalf of the Richmond club.

Virginia Safety Data - The Virginia Highway Safety Office has launched a new website with the latest Virginia crash statistics; safety tips for mature drivers, young drivers, pedestrians, and motorcycles; helpful safety information for parents; a calendar featuring statewide safety events; and more.

Pedestrian Safety Training - Sign up for "Designing for Pedestrian Safety," a two-day course developed for the Federal Highway Administration to help states and cities deal with a higher than average rate of pedestrian crashes, to be held February 5-6 in conjunction with the New Partners for Smart Growth Conference.

Pedometers Motivate - According to a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association people who used a pedometer for 18 weeks walked an average of seven additional miles weekly and shaved 0.4 points from their body mass index or the equivalent of 2.5 pounds for a 5-foot, 6-inch person with an initial weight of 195 pounds. Pedometer wearers increased their activity by 27 percent, or by more than 2,000 steps daily, the equivalent of one mile.  

Green Infrastructure Coordinator Needed - The New River Valley Planning District Commission is looking for a project coordinator to staff the New River Valley Green Infrastructure Partnership. He or she will lead an evaluation of existing natural resource and built infrastructure information for plan development and prioritization by localities and communities. Additionally, the Coordinator will develop organization structure and identify funding sources for growth preparedness projects. For more information, please contact David Rundgren or Abigail Convery at 540-639-9313 or dave.nrvpdc@nrvdc.org.

Safe Routes to School National Partnership Seeks Policy Manager - The ideal candidate will be from the D.C. area to have access to Capitol Hill. The full job description can be viewed online.

East Coast Greenway (ECG) Liason Hired - Steve Bevington joined the East Coast Greenway Alliance as South Atlantic Regional Trail Liaison. He will advance the ECG, an alliance promoting the establishment of a traffic-free multi-user trail linking cities and towns from Maine to Florida, by creating trail plans, establishing partnerships and working with volunteers in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Are we in France yet? - Cyclists in James City County are inspired by this sign, according to an article in the January 4 issue of the Toano-Norge Times. To see this reminder of the Paris to Roubaix race on your next trip to Tidewater, exit I-64 at Croaker (just a few exits before Colonial Williamsburg) and turn on to Ware Creek Road at Garrett's Grocery.

Jan. 21, 2008

Feb. 7-9, 2008

7th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth

Washington, D.C.

Mar. 4-6, 2008 

2008 National Bike Summit

Washington, D.C. 

May 16-18, 2008

Tour de Chesapeake Mathews, VA

June 20-25, 2008 

Bike Virginia

Abingdon & Bristol, VA; Kingston, TN

July 31-Aug. 2, 2008 Southeastern Equestrian Trails Conference

Charleston, S.C.

Sept. 26-28, 2008

Northern Neck RiverRide

Kilmarnock, VA

Oct. 4-7, 2008

2008 Virginia Recreation and Park Society Annual Conference, with the Governor's Conference on Greenways, Blueways and Trails

Richmond, VA