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Septem berl cto ber
992
Newsletter of the Bicycle Coalition of the Delaw are Valley
Coalition s Bike-on-Rail Work
Is Lauded in National Report
The Bicycle Coalition
Bike 20 00 Plan to make the
has been cited by publish-
city the best in the nation
ing industry giant Rodale
fo r cycling by century's end.
Press as a model of commu-
The studies were com-
nit organizing leading to
piled and published in a
improved cyclin g facilities. Rodale report, Pathways
In a report released in
fo r People, whichincluded
June , Rodale c i ted the
recent national polling re-
Coalition's project that ob-
sults showing widespread
tained bicycle access on
public suppo rt for improved
SEPTA trains and subw ays
bicycle routes, lanes and
as one of 16 successful na-
trails, especially among
tional case studies of grass
central city residents.
roots
support fo r increased
T he report was released
bicycle a ccessibility.
inwashington, D.C. on June
Other success stories in-
30, with the support of con-
cluded the Los Angeles
gressmen Joseph Kennedy,
Veloway, the nation's first
Peter DeFazio and James
elevated bike freeway; the
Oberstar, authors of pro-bi-
Minuteman Bikeway in
cycling provisions in the
Boston, an 11 mile linkw ith
199 1 federal transportation
the suburbs; and Chicago's
funding bill.
Bicyclists Postcards Needed
As Vote Nears on SEPTA Cuts
Quick action is needed to
avert cuts to SEPTA'S regional
rail weekend service.
The transit agency's plan
to reduce or eliminate w eek-
end service on its regional
rail lines will come before
the board of directors for fi-
nal action on Sept. 24.
These cutbacks threaten
to severely limit the useful-
ness of SEPTA Bike-on-Rail
passes held by hundreds of
Delaw are Valley cyclists.
SEPTA has proposed cut-
ting off weekend service en-
tirely on the Norristown,
Chestnut Hill East and Fox
Chase lines and drastically
reducing train frequencies on
other l ines. Philadelphia
Mayor EdRen dell has labeled
the cuts indefensible.
To lend our support to
the Bike-on-
d
il program call
Continued on p 2 )
Planners Bend to Pressure
On Crucial Bike Ped Project
A Coalition lobbying ef-
fort-including 4 0 0 pos t-
cards from members-has
jolted aloc al planning agency
into faster action on a crucial
bicyclelpedestrian project.
Due mainly to pressure
from the Coalition, the Dela-
ware Valley Regional Plan-
n ing Com-
The current process en-
sures that existing bikelped
plans will be eligible forfund-
ing while w ork on the larger
plan proceeds.
A bike-ped plan is vital to
all future bicycle-friendly
road construction in the re-
gion for the next five to 10
years. Once
mission now
~ l a n so start The regional
the need for
b icyc le fa -
hraf t ing a planning c i l i t i es i s
f e d e r a l l y commission is documented
m a n d a t e d in th e plan,
b i k e l p e d now pushing
for
trans r,,-
p lan next
federal money t~
tion officials
~ e a r . ~ g e n c ~ tart a b ik e /~ ed mus t t ake
said
plan next year.
those needs
they're seek- into consid-
ing federal Waiting an extra eration dur-
m o n e y f o r vear would have ing road de-
the start-up.
been disastrous.
sign.
DVRPC Prompted
had intended
to wait until 1994 o start work
on the plan. That would have
made all bikelped projects in
an eight county area around
Philadelphia ineligible for
federal funding for the next
two years.
DVRPC has been eager
to find a solution once we
pointed out the problem,
Coali t ion President Noel
Weyrich said. They also
want the bike-ped plan started
up quickly, and o ur pressure
inspired them to think cre-
atively to find funding.
by the coali -
tion, 20120 Vision, a national
o rgan i za t i on fo r soc i a l
change, made the DVRPC
lobbyin g effort the action of
the month in July fo r its lo-
cal chapter.
The planning commission
is responsible for drafting a
regional plan to guide the
spending of more than $65
million in federal money
statewide over the next six
years. A new federal trans-
portation law mandates that
every region in the nation
develo p a plan.
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Cyclegram SeptemberlOctober 1992 p.2
pcoming Events
Monthly Meetings:
G e n e r a l m e m b e r s h i p
meetings are held the sec-
ond Monday of each odd-
numbered month from 6:30
to 8:30 p.m. a t Clea n Water
Action, 1518Walnut Street
in Cen ter City.
Take
the
elevator to
the
13th floor, with your
bi
cycle, if you prefer.
The next general mem-
bershipme etingis Sept. 14.
Coalition board meet-
ings are the second Mon-
d a y o f e v e n - n u m b e r e d
months and focus on in ter-
nal business. The public is
welcome.
Th e next board m eeting
is Oct.. 12.
yclegram Deadline:
Deadline for the No-
v e m b e r / D e c e m b e r
yclegrant i s S ep t . 28 .
Deadlines are the last Mo n-
d a y o f o d d - n u m b e r e d
months.
Mailing Party:
M a i l i n g p a r t i e s a r e
scheduled for Wednesday,
Sept. 30 and Wednesday,
Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. at Jeff
Abrahamson s,
44
11 Pine
St. Call 215-BICYCLE or
215-662-5 146 for more in-
formation.
Bike Coalition Thanks Velo News
Th e Coali t ion thanks Velo
subscriberlist to he lp us boost
News, the national journal of
membership.
competitive cycling, for help-
To show our appreciat ion,
ing US improve area bicycling
we re including a card about
by mak ing available its local
V N in this issue.
Cyclegram is published bimonthly by the Bicycle Coalition of the
Delaware Valley, P.O. Box 8194, Philadelphia, PA 19101. The Coalitior
is a volunteer, non-profit organization working to improve conditions f o ~
bicycling through out the tri-state area, promoting bicycling for transpor-
tation and recreation, and dedicated to a balanced transportation system
Coverage of an event not sponsored by BCDV does not constitute
ar
endorsement. Cyclegram may be reproduced in w holeor in part providec
prominent cre dit is given to the B icycle Coalition of the Delaware Valley
Cyclegram is printed on recycled paper using soy ink.
Board of Managers:
John Dowlin, Nancy Drye, Bob Noland, Sam
Spofforth, Fred Ulmer, Rob Waterland and Noel Weyrich (ex oficio).
Executive Director:
Jeff Abrahamson 21516623146)
President:
Noel Weyrich 2151232-7543)
Vice President: Fred Ulmer 2 151527-6287)
Secretary:
Rob Waterland
2151854-8 137)
Treasurer:
Nancy Drye 2151387-9242)
Editor:
Bill Shralow 2151627-1566)
Membership Director:
Bob Noland 2151483-6547)
Committees:
Auto-free: Jeff Abrahamson 2151662-1712)
Bike Lanes: Noel Weyrich 2151232-7543)
Rail and Transit: Noel Weyrich
2151232-7543)
Traffic Safety: Bob Noland 2151483-6547)
BCDV is affiliated with the League of American Wheelmen.
Ride alendar
(TheDelaware ValleyRe-
ciety, 800-445-2453.
~ io n a l ide Calendar i s a Sat.. Oct. 3:
Watershed
regularfeatureof Cyclegram.
Listings should be sen to Bi-
cycle Coalition attn DVRR C.)
Sat., Sept. 12: Beast of
the East Metric and Double
Century;Burlington County,
N.J. 62 or 125 miles. Outdoo r
Club of South Jersey, 609-
235-2457.
Sun., Sept. 13: 3rd An-
nual NYC Century Ride-a-
Thon, Union Square Park,
N.Y. Tours of 3 5 ,5 5 7 5 and
100miles.TransportationAl-
ternatives, 2 12-941-4600.
Sun., Sept. 13: River s
Edge Century , BucksCounty.
Bic yclec lub of Philadelphia,
2 15-440-9983.
Sat., Sept. 19: Bikernun
for the Homeless,Gettysburg.
Rides of
6
o 40 miles. Adams
County Shelter for the Hom e-
less.
Tour of Franklin County,
Cham bersbu rg. Rides of 10
to 100 miles. Chambersburg
YMCA, 7 17-263-8508.
Sat. Sun., Sept. 19
20: Multiple Sclerosis 150
City to Shore Bike Tour,
Cherry Hill, N.J. Delaware
Valley Multiple Sclerosis So-
wh eeling 1992, Flemington,
N.J. Rides of 25 to 100 miles.
South Branch Watershed
ASSX.,908-730-7292.
Belleplain/Beacon Cen-
tury, Belleplain State Forest,
N.J. Shore C ycle Club, Gary
Poulsen, 609-965-2989, eve-
nings.
Sat., Oct. 10 Oct. 9 11
optional): Sea Gull Century
and Metric Century, Salisbury.
Md. 62 and 100 miles.
Salisbury State University
Cycling C lub, 4 10-548-2772.
Sun, Oct. 11:
Covered
Bridge Century , Bucks
County. Rides of 25 to 100
miles. Central Bucks Bicycle
Club, John Collier, 215-234-
4275 after 5 3 0 p.m.
Sun., Oct. 18: 2ndAnnual
Adams County Bike Ride.
Gettysbu rg. Ridesof 25to 100
miles. Gettysburg-Adams
County Area Chamber of
Comm erce. 7 17-334-815 1.
Fri.-Sun., Oct. 23-25:
The Men nonite Meander,
Pennsylvania Amish Country.
Weekend package, proceeds
benefit League of American
Wheelmen. Baltimore Bicy-
cling Club, 410-792-8308.
Staff Change Stalls PATCO Plan
Changes at the Delaware
to the plan. It has operating
River Port Authori ty wi l l
hou rs and access levels simi-
again delay considera tion of
l a r t o S E P T A S p r o g r a m .
a bike-on-rail program on the
which resulted from a Coali-
PATCO High-Speed Line,
t ion lobbying cam paign.
this time until mid-Septem-
Send the enclosedpostca rd
ber.
to support the PAT CO plan.
The DRPAs new execu-
t i v e d i r e c t o r . G e o r g e
SEPTA Cuts
Warrington, has asked that
(Continued rom p.1
board consideration be de-
SEPTA
at
580-7852
and
ask
layed until he takes office in
for a m ail-in permit applica-
September. PATCO general tion.
More imp ortan t ly ,
manager
schw b has whether you have a ermit or
h a d a ~ l a n f o rtrial Program
not,sign theenclose postcard
since June.
and send it to SEPTA Board
C h a i r m a n J . Clayton
The h s re- Undercofler right away.
viewed and contributed inp ut
8/16/2019 Cyclegram Sept/Oct 1992
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Guest Lette
Safe Riding is a 2 Way Street
The assertion of bicy-
clists rights and the friction
between motorists and cy-
clists appears to be a continu-
ing motif in Cyclegram. This
is in stark contrast to the nor-
mal relationship between cy-
clists and motorists in the
United K ingdom.
I recently returned from
living in England for five
years and I found the differ-
ence in the way motorists and
cyclists treat each othe r in the
two countries is as vast as the
ocean that separates them.
I
have experienced this first-
hand both as cyclist and mo-
torist.
London traffic can be
worse than Philadelphia s.
ordinary motorists show cy-
clists (and vice versa)enab led
me with absolute confidence
to cycle around Hyde Park
com er in the heart of London
in the middle of rush hour
without fear.
Underlying this respect,
however, is the acceptance
by bothmotorist sandcyclists
that both are bound by the
rules of the road and w ill act
predictably to observe those
rules.
Underthe laws of England
as well as the Com monwealth
of Pennsylvania, cyclists are
bound to observe the rules of
the road binding on motor-
ists. In the UK, cyclists know
and observe those rules.
Yet, the respect w hich bus
By contrast,
I
am aston-
drivers, taxi cab drivers and
Conlinued on p.
4
Cyclegram SeptemberIOctober 1992 p.
Let ter from the President
The
Cry
of
Silent Cyclists
y Noel Weyrich
for. You d think the bicycle
Our recent run-in with
would be invited to the top
the Delaware Valley Re-
of the list instead of fight-
gional Planning Commis- ing desperately for a spot at
sion-where the bottom.
we had to per-
suade then1
not to put off
the start of a
reg iona l b i -
cyc le -pedes-
trim plan for
a l m o s t t w o
y e a r s - e x e m -
plifies the ter-
rible situation
cyclists face
when it comes to transpor-
tation planning.
Trucks come first in
road design because they
need the most room. Never
mind that a single over-
weight truck can cause
more damag e to bridges and
roads than five years of
normal use. The truck must
be served.
Then come cars, be-
cause everyone who makes
transportation decisions
owns one. Never mind the
destructive land use and
pervasive air pollution .T he
car must be served.
And then, mass transit
by rail. Not all transporta-
tion officials are sold on
this one. Adistrict engine er
with PennDOT recently
told me that the airpo rt rail
line is a stupid idea, even
though New York and other
cities are planning to copy
it. Grudgingly, then, rail
transit must be served.
Then there are bicy-
clists. We do n t dam age the
roads. We neither congest
norpollute. Bikes are cheap
to use and cheap to provide
But our
virtue is the
very so urce of
our problem.
We tread so
lightly on the
land that our
p r o b l e n ~ s
don t register
as problems.
when a road
is inadequate
for m otor vehicle traffic, so
much turmoil and stink en-
sues that a remedy anives
by public acclaim . But when
a road is inadequate for bi-
cycles, the vulnerable cy-
clists sto p using it. And the
highway planners, seeingno
cyclists, conclude there is
no demand.
Public opinion pol ls
show otherwise. ALou H ar-
ris public opinion poll spon-
sored by Roda le Press
shows that 72 percent of
Americans want theirtrans-
portation system to include
walking and cycling as an
integral part of the infra-
structure. Half of Ameri-
cans ow n bicycles, and al-
most half of those cyclists
say they w ould bike to work
if there were safe bike lanes
and trails. Among low-in-
come people, almost 9
percent said they d bike to
work if it were safe.
That is the constituency
most eagerly awaiting the
fruits of our labors: the cy-
clists of tomorrow who are
too fearful to venture out
today.
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Cyclegram SeptemberIOctober
1992
p 4
New Jersey Transit Starts Trial Bike on Rail
New Jersey Transit has
older and must bring two 24
Following the pilot period,
initiated a pilot bike-on-rail
bungie cords to secure bikes
theprogrammay beexpanded
program. to mounting devices. to other NJT lines. At that
During the months of Au-
Permits are required for
t ime, Permanent permits
gust, September, and Octo-
the trial period. These are
would be issued for a 5 fee.
ber, standard-frame bicycles av ail ab le on - he -sp ot at Transportation Altem a-
will be permitted
on off-peak
HobokenTerminal and New- tives in New York provided
trains on NJ Transit's North
a r k / P e ~ tation NJT cus- the key force behind this first
Jersey Coast Line. Bikes may
tomer service booths. Appli- step.The Coalitioncontinues
be brought aboard weekdays
cations that can be mailed in to assist TA'to gain access to
from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and
are available at NY CP en n the vital Northeast Com dor.
7 p.m. to a.m. and all day
Station (NJT ticket-booths).
Write Shirley De Libero
Saturdays and Sundays.
Restrictions have also been
Exec. Dir. NJ Transit 1 Penn
Plaza East Newark NJ 07105.
As on S E R A , only two
lifted onfold ing-bik e access
Thank her for this step but
bicycles may occupy each
to peak-hour trains on the
stress that the Northeast Cor-
train. Cyclists must be 16 or
North Jersey Coast line.
ridor remains closed to cy-
clists.
Push for W. River Drive Closing Moves Ahead
The Bicycle Coalition
continues to push its closure
plan for West River Drive,
which would shut 70 percent
of the roadway to cars while
allowing 100 percent auto
access o the drive's five park-
ing lots.
The C oalition plan, acom-
promise drafted to let cars get
to parking lots, has won the
support of C ity Council mem-
bers Michael Nutter, Joan
Spec te r and H appy
Femandez. It now needs to
gain the support and coop-
eration of Mayor Rendell's
representa t ives on the
Fairmount Park Commission.
The closing would apply
to warm weather weekends.
The Friends of Fairmount
Park and the local neighbor-
hood group, the Belmont
Improvement Association,
have also written letters of
support. And enthusiasm
among cyclists remains over-
whelming: on two recent
weekend mornings, Coalition
members gathered nearly 60 0
signatures in suppo rt of full-
day closures.
The Coalition
is
also seek-
ing to modify the design of
gates that close the drive to
automobiles. The gates were
designed without Coalition
consultation and force cy-
clists to dismount to enter the
drive. The Coalition is push-
ing a simple modification pro-
viding a three-foot opening
in the center of the gates.
Guest Letter.
Sharing the Road with Cars Is a 2 Way Street
(Continued rom p.3
-ished how frequently cyclists
in the United State act as
though no rules apply. I am
reminded of this every work-
ing day when
I
look out my
office window over Logan
Circle and see cyclists enter-
ing the circle agains t the flow
of oncoming traf fic to take a
shortcut around the circle on
their way towards City Hall.
This everyday occurence
prompts me to write to you to
suggest that
Cyclegram's
emphasis on asserting the
rights of cyclists, which I cer-
tainly encourage you to con-
tinue, perhaps should be bal-
anced by periodic reminders
to its readers that they have a
responsibility to uphold their
part of the bargain.
Does the Coalition have a
Code of Conduct which it
urges its members to observe?
The m embership cut-out
form on the lat page of
C y c l e g r a m has checkoff
items for a commuters' bi-
cycle map and a tee shirt.
Does the Coalition offer to
send a copy of such a stan-
dard?
I don ' t deny fo r one
minute that the balance be-
tween the rights of cyclists
and those of motorists may
require more from motorists
to redress a longstanding im-
balance.
At the same time, the
cause of cyclists would be far
more credible if we made a
conscientious effort to live
up to our side of the bargain
Allyson
Schwarc
Sen. Schwartz
To
Lead Ride
State Sen. Al lyson
Schwartz will lead her
Third Annual Bike Ride
through her district on sa t-
urday. Sept. 12.
The ride will start at
Awbury Arbore tum
(Ardleigh Street entrance,
between Washington Lane
and Haines Street) at 9 a.m.
and wi l l go through
Germantown, West Oak
Lane and Chel tenham
Township, with stops at
Burholme and Tookany
Creek parks. Th e ride will
retum to Awbury between
noon and 12:30 p.m. for a
picnic and program to
hono r local park groups.
Drinks and dessert will
be provided and riders are
asked to bring baglunches.
To register or to get
more information, cal l
Schwartz's office at 242-
9710.
and then advertised that fact.
George W. Patrick
Philadelphia
Editor's no te: The Coali-
tion has no ormal Cod e of
Cortd~ct but does provide
rtew members with a safe
riding handbook. Submis-
sions to
Cyclegram
on rider
education are welcomed.
8/16/2019 Cyclegram Sept/Oct 1992
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Cyclegram SepternberlOctober
1992
p 5
Atlantic City Police Dept Starts Bicycle Patrol
A squad of 16 Atlantic teers for the unit than open- patrol Officer James Dooley
City police officers has been ings.
said. Officers often take their
using bicycles to patrol the
Besides owingtheforce
bikes to scho ols to show the
Boardwalk, housing projects
to patrol more effectively, he
children. The bicycles give
and dow ntown streets. the officers and the local chil-
Created this spring, the dren a comm on ground and
bicycle patrol was the pet
BesideS creating
open up the lines of commu-
project of Officer Cha rles nication.
Seif, who says the squad was
more effective
Atlant ic Ci ty had a
started to better serve loca-
patrols the squad
simular bike police force
tions that are hard to reach by
patrol car.
To prepare his staff for
duty as bicycle police, Seif
went to visit other cities to
investigate the ir bike po lice
programs. Each officer took
an extensive safety training
program.
Response to the patrol on
the force was enthusiastic
there were many mo re volun-
has helped
community
relations by
bringing officers
closer to the
people.
bike patrol is also beneficial
for community relations, bike
about 10 years ago, but that
effort soon failed. Officials
say a provision forcing the
officers to wear full uniforms
and ride clunky 3-speed bikes
was a major factor in the
patrol's dow nfall in the early
1980s.This time, the officers
are wearing special uniforms
appropriate or riding, includ-
ing shorts in the sum mer, and
riding sleek moutain bikes.
Kostmayer
Bike Session
U.S. Rep. Pe ter
Kostm ayer will adress the
Central Bucks Bicycle
Club on environmental
issues and initiatives of in-
terest to cyclists.
The session is set for
Sep t. 1 at 7:30 p.m. a t the
Bucks County Courthouse
in Doylestown.
Bike Trip to
Israel Pla nned
Israel Seminars Foun-
dation is offering a bike
trip of Israel for people
from
ll
around the United
States.
It's set for Oct. 21-
Nov. 1. For information,
call 800-765-4309.
COMMUTER O F THE MONTH: Bike
Shop
Manager Brian Miller
Name:
Brian Miller
Age: 32
Residence: Cheltenham
Avenue and Oak Lane,
Cheltenham Township.
Job: Manager, Wolfe Cycle,
Lancaster Av e., Philadelphia.
Years bicycle commuting:
10
Comm uting frequency:
Almost everyday in the
summer, 3 4 days a week
otherwise.
Distance: Just over 8 miles
one-way.
Route: Hunting Park Avenue.
Then through Fairmount Park
to Belmont Avenue. Cross
Schuylkill River at Strawberry
Mansion Bridge or East Falls
Bridge.
Reason s for starting: It's cost
efficient and I enjoy riding and
like to fit in the exercise.
Most enjoyable thing about
bicycle commuting:
Getting
up early and going out on my
bike to get exercise and fresh
air.
Seasons you ride: All. ride
in the rain but usually not in
snow.
Bike:
Serotto Colorado and a
GT all-terrain.
Helmet: Yes.
Biggest commuting gripe:
Glass in the roadway. Also
Strawberry Mansion Bridge.
It's is in very bad shape. You
can feel the bridge rock as cars
go over and the roadway is in
very bad condition.
Most memorable bicycle
commuting experience:
About a year ago, this car
pulled over.
I
thought they
were stopping to ask direc-
tions. The person got out of
their car and started to yell at
me for biking in the road. I
took my pump in my hand and
went over to him to tell him a
few choice words.
Advice to p eople who would
like to begin commuting to
work by bicycle: Wear a
helmet and bright or neon-
colored clothes. Check out the
route first and be sure to look
into the condition on the road.
Photo
by
en Yanoviak
8/16/2019 Cyclegram Sept/Oct 1992
6/6
~ LIIII IIII I
...
embership
nside
Name
1
Coalition lauded for Bike-on-Rail program
....................
Address
P. 1
State ip
1
Lobbying jolts agency into faster ac tion on bike plan ....p. 1
1
City
...........................
1
Telephone
1
Postcards needed as SEPTA cuts loom
P.*
PATCO plan held up by bureaucratic cha nges
p.2
.......
am voluntarily setting my mem bership due s at the
' New Jersey Transit starts trial bike-on-ra il program
p. 4
,
ollowing level:
,
Coalition pushes modifications o n river drive closing
....
p.4
...............................
Atlantic City Police start bike patrol
p.5
I$ l 0 0 $ 5 0 $ 35 $ 25
other
($10 limited income)
Don t miss
an
issue.
~fyou're not already a
.
Amount enclosed:
member, join no w w ith the form at left and put your money to
1
work impro ving bicycling in the D elaware Valley
Please also send me
1
Your membership includes a one year subscription to
Delaware Valley Comm urersrBicycle Map
1
Cyclegram,
discounts at almost every bike sho p in the Dela-
( 5.751 5.25
members
ware Valley, invitations to Coa lition special e ven ts, as well as
Borrle BiN T-shirr
(LIXL.
ran or blue
expert help from the Coalition's touring, racing, and comm ut-
members
ing advisors, and th chance to turn you r love of cycling into
positive action.
Total enclosed:
c5
Ma ke Check payable to Bicycle Coalition and send toMe m-
bership BC DV P.O. Box 8194 Philadelphia PA 19101.
Bicycle Coalition of the Delaware Valley
P.O. Box 8194
Philadelphia, PA 19101
Coalition members are commuters, recreational riders,
messengers, touring cyclists, and others w ho support clean air
and a healthier
urbanlsuburban environment.
Join us Help us win safer roads, the right to bike to work,,
and respect from motorists and government.
BULK RATE
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PHILADELPHIA PA
PERMIT N0.2683
Forwarding and Return Postage Guaranteed
Address Correction Requested