Omaha Bikes July Meeting Minutes

OmahaBikes Meeting Minutes
July 13, 2010

In Attendance: Stuart Shell, Joe Simoens, Jason Niven, Sarah Johnson, Mark Siepker, Bob Brindamour, Kurt Goetzinger, Tammie Dodge, Ananth, Rich Wilson, Jake, Julie Harris

News/Announcements:
1. It’s official, we got the OVG grant! $3700 is in the bank. The Omaha Pedalers Bicycle Club has already pledged $500 as a partial match.

2. LCI Classes: Stuart reports that he is in the process of scheduling the upcoming LCI certification course, which will be held the weekend of October 15. Participants will pay the $200 class fee themselves, but then will earn an honorarium ($125 per class was discussed) for each class taught so that the investment will be recouped. There will also be one more Traffic Skills 101 course offered on August 21 for those who need to get this pre-requisite to the full certification class. Contact Stuart if interested.

3. Bike Parking at Shakespeare on the Green: The initial design and system was tweaked during SotG and seemed to work well. The PVC pipe may not hold several bikes without bending. The volunteers answered several questions about OB and biking in general in addition to parking bikes. The new OB banner looks really good, too.

4. Keystone Connector Trail Update: There will be a public meeting on July 29 at the Kroc Center that will explain the proposed changes to the original route plan. Please plan to attend to learn more and support the most bike-friendly option available.

5. There is an upcoming Pedestrian Safety webinar series. Please see www.walkinginfo.org/training/pbic/dps_webinars.cfm for more details.

Existing Business:
1. OVG Grant money expenditures to date: OmahaBikes Banner (FastSigns), helmet cam, bike parking materials.


2. Tammie is still working on the possibility of adding a PayPal link that can be used for people wanting to make online donations.


3. The OwL ride has 300 registrations and could still use volunteers for bike parking and ride rangers.


4. Bike Friendly Merchants: The BikeDenver model of having people nominate businesses for the “BFB of the Month” award was discussed – easy to implement, highlight these places on the blog, give them a sticker or certificate to post at their location.


5. Bicycle Parking: 20 bike racks have already been installed with 30 more to go. The North Downtown Business Alliance received a grant to install 50 racks in their area, so that frees up several that were scheduled to be placed in that area originally. Please continue to send your suggestions for bike parking to Tammie and she will make sure they get on the list.


6. Youth/School engagement: Julie will need some volunteers to help with the Saddlebrook Elementary Hike and Bike Tune Up (bike rodeo) day on August 14 at 6p. Assignments: help with bike obstacle course, assisting kids practicing locking/unlocking bikes from rack, helping with basic bike tune ups. Contact Julie if interested.


7. Website Update: With our limited budget from the OVG money, we will need a significantly discounted or pro bono help to get it developed. Contact Bob if you have referrals.


8. Update from Bike/Ped Advisory Committee: there has been a tentative offer extended to a candidate for the new Bike Ped Coordinator position with the city! The candidate will be visiting Omaha soon for a face to face visit and tour.


9. Sarah and Greenstreet Cycles is pursing a grant from Specialized to get a fleet of rental commuting bikes.


10. Activate Omaha is submitting an application to host the national Safe Routes to School Conference in 2011. If we are selected, we’ll need all hands on deck from OB!


11. OB has the opportunity to set up an online store through the Creative J (local company) that will allow us to upload our logo onto shirts and other items. (Similar to Café Press.) Anyone interested in helping with this – specifically, helping to determine what items we should include in our store – please contact Julie.

Upcoming Events:
Handlebar Happy Hour: Tom Snyders, a bicycling comedian, will be performing on August 2 at Barley's Bar in the Tip Top downtown (15th and Cuming) from 7:30 – 8:30. A portion of the proceeds (tickets are $8) will benefit OmahaBikes, so get all of your friends to attend! A potential pre-event Handlebar Happy Hour and group ride from Benson via the newly completed Benson Route on the 20 mile loop was discussed. Watch Facebook and Twitter for more details.

Book Signing: The Omaha Pedalers is sponsoring a book signing at for the author of The History of Cycling on Sept 22 at the Book Worm in Countryside Village.

The Underwood and Overhill Expressway

Today, like not a few days, I had the opportunity to pedal from midtown Omaha to the Missouri River and back to midtown. Along the way, my mind wandered to a car trip I need to make tomorrow--from midtown way out to far, far southwest Omaha. I may even drive on the West Dodge Expressway.

Which got me thinking. The purpose of the WDE is to reduce congestion at Omaha's busiest intersection (114th & Dodge) and generally ease the commute from Central to West Omaha and beyond. Maybe I'm still suffering the aftershocks of watching "Beyond the Motor City" the other night, but building stronger, faster, higher automobile-only expressways to the suburbs seems so 20th century to me. Shouldn't we be more focused on multi-modal transportation options that interweave Omahans together, rather than car-exclusive chutes that fling us further apart?

And, I don't know what the final cost of the WDE was, but a quick Google search shows it was budgeted for $100 million. Compare that to the cost to complete the initial 20 miles of bike lanes now underway: $600,000. And that wasn't even paid for by the City (i.e., by us)--all the funding came from grants and donations.

Which brings me to the Underwood and Overhill Expressway. One of the major objections I hear from folks reluctant to start bicycling more in Omaha is that the city is so hilly! Riding around it nearly every day, I can't argue with that one. For instance, coming west out of downtown north of Dodge, once you ascend to the top of the hill on 40th, you're plunged back down into the valley of Saddle Creek. Then up again to the summit at 50th, then down again to Happy Hollow. Then up a third time to Fairacres/64th-ish. We might as well name all the storied peaks, like in Le Tour--but instead of Tourmalet, Alpe d'Huez, and Galibier, how about (all with proper French accent, please) Cathedral, Dundee, and Vieux Riche (Old Money)?

But I digress--back to the Underwood and Overhill Expressway. Imagine a connecting bike/ped pathway near California/Underwood streets that erased the dips between these HC peaks and made the trip from 40th to 50th to 64th a coast-able level grade! Perhaps something ala the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge over the Missouri--a graceful, suspended, elevated ribbon of commuting and recreational cyclists and pedestrians. Suddenly, one of the major impediments to cycling in Omaha is greatly diminished, all the while encouraging development in the heart of the city.

How much would it cost? Well, the best figure I found for the Bob Kerrey bridge is $22 million. Triple that to make 3 sections, and you get $66 million--still only 2/3 the cost of the WDE--leaving $34 million left over for other multi-modal transportation projects (assuming you were trying to match the cost of the WDE, of course). A bargain!

Now, I'm not going to the City Council with my Underwood and Overhill Expressway idea yet (it could use some fleshing out and the cost estimates are a bit, um, back of the envelope, let's say), but the Omaha metropolitan area has clearly found funding for transportation and infrastructure projects it deems worthy in the past, and chances are that trend will continue. Omaha has made significant strides in encouraging bicycle and pedestrian traffic with its trails system, the 20-mile bike lane plan, and some great new plans currently in development. Now's the time to come together to think big and creatively on what we want Omaha to be and how transportation and infrastructure help make that possible. Now's our chance to make Omaha a more livable community.

A few links:
http://passthepotatoes.com/
http://rallyomaha.ning.com/

And a link to a previous OmahaBikes blog entry with a longer link list:
http://bikeomaha.blogspot.com/2009/12/what-is-omaha-bikes-reading.html

Advocacy Alert: Public Meeting for Keystone Connector Trail

One of the most frequently asked questions we get at Activate Omaha about the trail system: "When will the connector linking the Keystone to the Field Club Trail be done?"

Check out this article in Sunday's OWH to see the latest update regarding neighbor's concerns about the re-route of the connector that has been proposed. Also note that there will be a public meeting that will address these issues. Please plan to attend!

6:30 p.m. July 29 at the Salvation Army Kroc Center, 2825 Y St

In the mean time, check out this article from AmericanTrails.org about studies done related to safety concerns and property values and public trails. A snipit on about the findings:

"Homeowners nationwide express the same concerns and fears about proposed trails in their neighborhoods. But studies in various parts of the United States seem to show that concerns about trails lowering property values and increasing crime are unfounded. In fact, trails have consistently been shown to increase (or have no effect on) property values, to have no measurable effect on public safety, and to have an overwhelming positive influence on the quality of life for trail neighbors as well as the larger community."

UPDATE: You can find more details and comments at this KETV online article (consider leaving comment if your so inclined). This overhead Google map may also help show you the area in question. I counted 7 high risk traffic crossings in the 1/2 mile section from 42nd to 36th if the proposed trail follows the sidewalk on the South side of D Street.

OmahaBIKES Monthly Meeting This Tuesday!

It's that time again! The next OmahaBikes monthly meeting will be on Tuesday, July 13 at 11am. We'll be gathering at the Courtyard by Marriott on S. 67th in Aksarben Village. (It is #3 on the map here.)

Bikes can be locked to the patio fence on the east (back) side of the building, or out front. The 15/55 MAT bus can get you to 67th & Center, just a short distance from the location.

OmahaBIKES meetings are open to the public.  So if you have an interest in the future of transportation cycling in Omaha we would love to have you there.

Support the Cause: Texting while driving law

We are preaching to the choir here when we talk about the dangers of distracted driving. I hope you will all consider attending the press conference detailed below. Please also note that AAA has a BOCC team (albeit a small one!) and our friend and OmahaBikes member, Chris Seitzer, is a part of it. Having a contingent of cyclists visible at this press conference is a strong message!

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You are invited to attend a press conference announcing the details of Nebraska's new text messaging while driving law which beings next Thursday.

The press event will be held:
Tuesday, July 13, at 10 am
AAA Nebraska, 910 North 96 Street, Omaha, NE

If you plan to attend, please contact Rose White at RWhite(at)aaane(dot)com.

AAA will utilize its new driving simulator to demonstrate how texting severely compromises a driver's ability to scan the roadway, make quick decisions and safely interact in traffic.

The view from a bike seat

I have lived in Omaha most of my adult life.  Up until about 5 years ago, the only parts of Omaha that I was familiar with included the places I could see from Fort, Maple, Blond, Dodge, Pacific, West Center, and the Interstate.  If I couldn't get there quickly by car, it was not a place I would typically visit.  About 5 years ago I started bike commuting.  Since then I've seen a lot more of the interesting, but slightly less traveled, places in Omaha.  Now that I've started seeing Omaha from a bike seat, it has been amazing to see how much of Omaha's interesting places I was missing.

The next time your out riding and see one of those "interesting" places in Omaha, snap a picture and send it to us at omahabikes AT gmail DOT com and we might post it here.

Here is a picture I took on my way to work today.  Does anyone know where I took this picture.

Is this in Omaha's future?

Streetfilms posted a video of the "Oaklavia" that took place on June 27th in Oakland.

Would you like to see Omaha do something similar? If so, where would you choose to have such an event?