WABA's Quick Release


WABA's Quick Release May 26, 2006 In this Issue: Bikes in Budget! Thank the Montgomery County Council! Last Chance to Comment on the Silver Spring Transit Center! Where's Our Trail? Take Action for the Met Branch Trail DC's Comprehensive Plan Meetings Coming Soon Rock Creek Park Trail To Get Needed Repairs Chain Reaction Community Bike Shop to Reopen	WABA Calendar 5/27 Arlington Community Bike Ride 6/3 Yoga For Cyclists 6/17 Confident City Cycling Class - NE DC To Subscribe: click here To Unsubscribe: Send request to waba@waba.org Welcome to "Quick Release" WABA's e-news flash for local advocates. Submissions should be sent to waba@waba.org by the TUESDAY before the SECOND and FOURTH Thursday of each month.
Bikes in Budget! Thank the Montgomery County Council! WABA is happy to report that thanks to the efforts of hundreds of area cyclists the latest budget for Montgomery County protects the key bikeways projects that had been threatened with elimination. Even further, thanks to the support of Councilmembers Steve Silverman, Nancy Floreen, Tom Perez and George Leventhal, even more funding has been added to the annual bikeways program including $200,000 to repair the Capital Crescent Trail east of the trestle bridge!!! The latest budget: restores the Matthew Henson Trail, Shady Grove Access Trail and Rock Creek Trail bridge to their original schedules. They had been delayed 3 years in the original budget adds $200k for the repair and resurfacing of .5 miles of the Capital Crescent Trail adds $145k for the repair of the E/W Highway Trail adds $360k to the annual bikeways program, including signing adds $5k for bikeway maintenance Overall, Montgomery County's commitment to the annual bikeways program has more than doubled! Send the Council a note thanking them for their support of better bicycling in Montgomery County. You can reach them via email by clicking here. WABA would also like to thank all of you who took the time to write in support of better funding for bikes. This is a big victory for everyone! Support Better Bicycle Facilities at the Silver Spring Transit Center! Public Comment ends May 30 The Washington Metro Area Transit Authority is now taking public comment on the proposed Silver Spring Transit Center at the Silver Spring Metrorail station. In addition to improving bus and rail access, the Transit Center will also be the linking point between the extension of the Capital Crescent Trail and the Met Branch Trail. Current plans for the SSTC do not properly address bike access issues. WABA encourages you to submit written comments to public-hearing-testimony@wmata.com. . Among the issues to highlight are: 1. Inadequate bike racks and lockers Though the Transit Center was designed to accommodate traffic in the year 2025, the number of bike lockers and parking racks to not meet even today’s needs. The proposed rack and locker locations are sited in unmonitored locations and will not be protected from the elements. Additionally, no lockers have been sited at the north end of the station. 2. Poor connection to local street network on north and south ends of project While the Met Branch Trail is designed to pass right into the station, there is no connection from trail to the street network on the south side of the project. A trail spur should be built near the Kiss and Ride area to connect to Ripley Street. On the north end of the project WMATA proposes that the bikeways connection between the Wayne Avenue Green Trail to the Metro entrance and to the East-West Highway bike trail be on a sidewalk where cyclists must dismount and walk. The Coleville sidewalk should be widened to accommodate a trail or an on street facility should be designed. 3. Build the Bike Station Initial plans for the SSTC include a Bike Station, but Montgomery County DPWT and WMATA have withdrawn their support. A renewed commitment will be needed to make the bike station a reality. Silver Spring is an ideal location for a bike station, where three regional bike trails will converge in the area's most transit oriented urban center. Ask WMATA to encourage the station developer to include a bike station in it’s plans and subsidize its operation. For the complete text of WABA’s comments on the Transit Center project please visit: www.waba.org/new/issues/SSTC042506.pdf. Where's Our Trail? Take Action for the Met Branch Trail WABA needs you to take action on the Met Branch Trail! If you bike in Montgomery County, tell the Montgomery County Council support Option 1 for the alignment of the Metropolitan Branch Trail in Silver Spring. This option, which was also selected by the Planning Board as their preferred alternative, will ensure the safest and best trail possible by providing for grade-separated crossings of Georgia Avenue and East-West Highway. >>TAKE ACTION!: MD If you bike in DC and you haven't signed our postcard to the Mayor Williams to help us get the Met Branch Trail Built, do it now! We need the support of the mayor to make this trail a priority for all the government agencies invovled. >>TAKE ACTION!: DC DC's Comprehensive Plan Meetings Coming Soon The DC Office of Planning wants to hear how YOU think the city should grow! The Office of Planning is making revisions to the District's Comprehensive Plan, the city's long-range plan for new growth and redevelopment. Revisions made to the plan will guide the city's growth for the next 20-30 years, so the feedback you give today is critical for the future of DC. Let them know that you want better bicycling facilities in DC. For more information, click here. Rock Creek Park Trail to Get Needed Repairs A much needed rehabilitation to the Rock Creek Park Trail will be completed in the next two to three years, according to Chris Holben, Bicycle Program Specialist, DC Department of Transportation. The plans are to rehabilitate the entire existing facility, improving the safety and drainage of the trail. The contract to design the trail is set to be approved by this summer, followed by public comment and environmental assessments. The rehabilitation of the Rock Creek trails is done in partnership between DDOT and NPS Rock Creek Park with funding provided by both organizations. WABA will continue to monitor the progress of the Rock Creek Park Trail. If you have any questions or comments, please contact Susanna at susanna@waba.org. Chain Reaction Community Bike Shop to re-open Chain Reaction Community Bike is scheduled to re-open June 1 in its new location at 1416 North Capitol Street NW. Chain Reaction, a program under Shaw EcoVillage, educates youth about the role of the bicycle in sustainable communities, equips youth with job skills and provides residents of Washington, DC with safe, affordable and pollution free transportation. The Youth Bike Shop, an entrepreneurial venture of Chain Reaction, hires youth mechanics to recycle donated bikes for resale and complete repairs for customers. All revenue generated supports educational workshops and the work of the youth mechanics. The new location offers not only a larger retail space, but a dedicated classroom to allow for both youth and adult educational programs to happen during regular business hours. The shop will be open limited hours while settling into its new home. Thursday 11am-6pm Friday 11am-6pm Saturday 11am-5pm

Bikes in Budget! Thank the Montgomery County Council!

WABA is happy to report that thanks to the efforts of hundreds of area cyclists the latest budget for Montgomery County protects the key bikeways projects that had been threatened with elimination. Even further, thanks to the support of Councilmembers Steve Silverman, Nancy Floreen, Tom Perez and George Leventhal, even more funding has been added to the annual bikeways program including $200,000 to repair the Capital Crescent Trail east of the trestle bridge!!!

The latest budget:

restores the Matthew Henson Trail, Shady Grove Access Trail and Rock Creek Trail bridge to their original schedules. They had been delayed 3 years in the original budget
adds $200k for the repair and resurfacing of .5 miles of the Capital Crescent Trail
adds $145k for the repair of the E/W Highway Trail

adds

$360k to the annual bikeways program, including signing

adds $5k for bikeway maintenance

Overall, Montgomery County's commitment to the annual bikeways program has more than doubled! Send the Council a note thanking them for their support of better bicycling in Montgomery County. You can reach them via email by clicking here. WABA would also like to thank all of you who took the time to write in support of better funding for bikes. This is a big victory for everyone!

Support Better Bicycle Facilities at the Silver Spring Transit Center!
Public Comment ends May 30

The Washington Metro Area Transit Authority is now taking public comment on the proposed Silver Spring Transit Center at the Silver Spring Metrorail station. In addition to improving bus and rail access, the Transit Center will also be the linking point between the extension of the Capital Crescent Trail and the Met Branch Trail. Current plans for the SSTC do not properly address bike access issues. WABA encourages you to submit written comments to public-hearing-testimony@wmata.com. .

Among the issues to highlight are:

1. Inadequate bike racks and lockers
Though the Transit Center was designed to accommodate traffic in the year 2025, the number of bike lockers and parking racks to not meet even today’s needs. The proposed rack and locker locations are sited in unmonitored locations and will not be protected from the elements. Additionally, no lockers have been sited at the north end of the station.

2. Poor connection to local street network on north and south ends of project
While the Met Branch Trail is designed to pass right into the station, there is no connection from trail to the street network on the south side of the project. A trail spur should be built near the Kiss and Ride area to connect to Ripley Street. On the north end of the project WMATA proposes that the bikeways connection between the Wayne Avenue Green Trail to the Metro entrance and to the East-West Highway bike trail be on a sidewalk where cyclists must dismount and walk. The Coleville sidewalk should be widened to accommodate a trail or an on street facility should be designed.

3. Build the Bike Station
Initial plans for the SSTC include a Bike Station, but Montgomery County DPWT and WMATA have withdrawn their support. A renewed commitment will be needed to make the bike station a reality. Silver Spring is an ideal location for a bike station, where three regional bike trails will converge in the area's most transit oriented urban center. Ask WMATA to encourage the station developer to include a bike station in it’s plans and subsidize its operation.

For the complete text of WABA’s comments on the Transit Center project please visit: www.waba.org/new/issues/SSTC042506.pdf.

If you bike in Montgomery County, tell the Montgomery County Council support Option 1 for the alignment of the Metropolitan Branch Trail in Silver Spring. This option, which was also selected by the Planning Board as their preferred alternative, will ensure the safest and best trail possible by providing for grade-separated crossings of Georgia Avenue and East-West Highway.

If you bike in DC and you haven't signed our postcard to the Mayor Williams to help us get the Met Branch Trail Built, do it now! We need the support of the mayor to make this trail a priority for all the government agencies invovled.

DC's Comprehensive Plan Meetings Coming Soon
The DC Office of Planning wants to hear how YOU think the city should grow! The Office of Planning is making revisions to the District's Comprehensive Plan, the city's long-range plan for new growth and redevelopment. Revisions made to the plan will guide the city's growth for the next 20-30 years, so the feedback you give today is critical for the future of DC. Let them know that you want better bicycling facilities in DC. For more information, click here.

Rock Creek Park Trail to Get Needed Repairs
A much needed rehabilitation to the Rock Creek Park Trail will be completed in the next two to three years, according to Chris Holben, Bicycle Program Specialist, DC Department of Transportation. The plans are to rehabilitate the entire existing facility, improving the safety and drainage of the trail. The contract to design the trail is set to be approved by this summer, followed by public comment and environmental assessments. The rehabilitation of the Rock Creek trails is done in partnership between DDOT and NPS Rock Creek Park with funding provided by both organizations. WABA will continue to monitor the progress of the Rock Creek Park Trail. If you have any questions or comments, please contact Susanna at susanna@waba.org.

Chain Reaction Community Bike Shop to re-open

Chain Reaction Community Bike is scheduled to re-open June 1 in its new location at 1416 North Capitol Street NW. Chain Reaction, a program under Shaw EcoVillage, educates youth about the role of the bicycle in sustainable communities, equips youth with job skills and provides residents of Washington, DC with safe, affordable and pollution free transportation.

The Youth Bike Shop, an entrepreneurial venture of Chain Reaction, hires youth mechanics to recycle donated bikes for resale and complete repairs for customers. All revenue generated supports educational workshops and the work of the youth mechanics.

The new location offers not only a larger retail space, but a dedicated classroom to allow for both youth and adult educational programs to happen during regular business hours.

The shop will be open limited hours while settling into its new home.
Thursday 11am-6pm
Friday 11am-6pm
Saturday 11am-5pm