Meeting of the Eugene Bicycle Coalition

Monday, December 17, 2007 6:00 p.m.

858 Pearl St., Eugene

Attending the December 2007 meeting of the Eugene Bicycle Coalition were Bob Ransom, Shane Rhodes, Lyndell Wilken, Jackie Murdoff, Vicky Mello, Paul Moore, Paul Adkins, Sue Wolling and Lee Shoemaker (Eugene Bicycle/Alt Modes Coordinator).

Mission Statement/Goals

The group reviewed the following Mission/Goals Statement , which Bob has written based on feedback received through the EBC Google group. That text is:

EBC MISSION STATEMENT
Our mission is to make Eugene a more bicycle-friendly city. We want to help make bicycling so safe, convenient, and pleasant that it becomes a preferred way of getting around town.

EBC GOALS
  a. To increase the use of bicycling and to promote bicycling as a healthy, enjoyable, efficient, and environment-friendly form of transportation and recreation.
  b. To promote policies and infrastructure that support bicycling use and safety.

EBC OBJECTIVES
  1. To advocate for bicycle projects such as new routes, bicycle parking, and signage.
  2. To organize public events which promote bicycling.
  3. To advocate for bicyclists' interests in neighborhood, city, and regional planning by supporting policies and legislation that increase funding for bicycle facilities and ensure that transportation projects provide safe, convenient access for bicyclists.
  4. To educate the public about the rights and responsibilities of bicyclists.
  5. To raise funds through events, grants, and other sources to use for bicycle projects.

Members generally supported the statement, and thanked Bob for his work. Several comments suggested slightly stronger wording in the Mission Statement. Paul Moore offered “archives” of similar documents the Bike Coalition has produced in the past, and suggested that we review those and consider incorporating them into the Mission/Goals statement. The group agreed to accept the Mission/Goals Statement as is for now. When the Bike Coalition has completed its merger with GEARS and selected a Board of Directors, that Board will review the Mission Statement/Goals for possible modification and adoption.

Bike/Ped Summit

The Bicycle/Pedestrian Summit will be held on Saturday, January 26, 2008 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at South Eugene High School. The Summit will present the new Bike/Ped Strategic Plan and offer opportunites to discuss how to carry out the Plan. Members agreed that the EBC will have a table at the Summit to inform attendees about the activities of the Bike Coalition and recruit new members. Paul Adkins offered to incorporate the new Mission/Goals statement into a new brochure for the Summit. (Thanks, Paul!)

EBC Roles in Eugene Bicycle/Pedestrian Plan

The City of Eugene, with participation of citizens on the Departmental Advisory Committee, has produced a Bicycle/Pedestrian Strategic Plan. Included in this plan are Goals and Actions, with various groups designated as “leaders” or “partners” in carrying out those actions. The group reviewed the Actions that have been assigned to the Bike Coalition (included at the end of these minutes) to assess their compatibility with the Bike Coalition’s mission and priorities. In general, the group was satisfied with the actions assigned to the Bike Coalition, with the following comments:

1. On Actions 2.2.1 and 2.2.2, which concern advocating mixed use development, members felt that the Bike Coalition should be designated as a “Partner” rather than “Lead” organization. While bicyclists generally support the concept of compact, mixed use development, they will advocate for safe and effective bicycle access to all parts of the community, rather than focusing on any specific land use pattern as the means to bike access.
2. Members felt that the Bike Coalition might be able to serve a “Lead” role in 3.3.1, which concerns disseminating materials to educate bicyclists and pedestrians about how to safely share paths and trails. The Bike Coalition has already held events along the bike path system that support this goal.
3. Members felt strongly about the need for improvements in bike parking and the code that specifies bike parking requirements. If the City and/or the new Bicycle Advisory committee do not take steps to strengthen the code and improve bike parking, the Bike Coalition might need to take a leading role in pursuing these goals.
4. Members felt that the EBC should take on at least a partnership role in the points of the Plan that concern education—specifically, 2.1.5, 2.1.7 and 2.1.9. Bicycle education is a component of the EBC’s mission, and the EBC was the leader in bringing the BTA’s Bicycle Safety Education Program to Eugene, so members felt that helping to achieve these goals is appropriate for the EBC.

Members also clarified that the EBC’s participation in the Bike Strategic Plan as described above is NOT the same as a work plan or set of priorities for the Coalition. The EBC will continue to pursue other goals that are not included in the Bike Strategic Plan—especially infrastructure improvements and roadway/bikeway design and construction.

Crest Drive

Lyndell and Paul gave an update on plans for streets in the Crest Drive neighborhood. At its final meeting, the Crest Drive Community Team approved a design plan for Crest Drive, Storey and Friendly Streets that includes two 9-foot travel lanes, a 4-5 foot sidewalk on one side of each street (location of sidewalk is not consistently on same side of street, and is separated from the street in many areas), and multiple traffic calming structures. As an at-large CDCT member representing bicyclists, Lyndell voted against the final design, which contains no specific space for safe bicycle travel.

A subcommittee will continue to work with the City on the details of the design, and the plan will ultimately go to the City Council for approval before construction could begin in 2009. Paul expects that bicyclists will be encouraged to urge City Council members to reject any Crest Drive plan that does not include accommodation for bicyclists.

City Manager Selection

The City is starting the process of hiring a new City Manager. Paul pointed out that having a City Manager who strongly supports bicycle transportation would help to ensure that the City incorporates bicycling into its transportation projects and programs. Members agreed that bike advocates should contact their City Council members (mayorandcc@ci.eugene.or.us) to stress to them how important it is that the new City Manager support bicycle interests. Paul will also bring the topic up on the EBC Google page.

Next Meeting: Monday, January 28, 2008

Upcoming Events:

Bicycle Education Seminars

1. Friday/Saturday, Feb 1-2: League of American Bicyclists’ Road 1 Course . This 9-hour course includes basic bike safety/maintenance and bike handling strategies for safe bicycling both in traffic and on trails. Road 1 is a prerequisite for the LCI Certification Course (see below). The Road 1 Course will include both classroom and on-the-road segments, and costs $20. For more information or to register, contact Shane Rhodes at sharh@mac.com or 541-556-3553
2. Friday-Sunday, Feb. 15-17: League Cycling Instructor certification instructor course. This course trains attendees to teach bicycle education classes. The class costs $200, and requires first completing the Road 1 class (described above). The City of Eugene Transportation Options will offer two scholarships to cover the cost of the course. Applicants must complete the LCI scholarship application and commit to offering bicycle education in the Eugene area after completing the course. For more information, contact Paul Adkins at paul@organichaus.com and/or see the League of American Bicyclists web site at http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/education/seminars.php. To apply for the LCI Scholarship, contact Cindy Clarke at cindy.j.clarke@ci.eugene.or.us or Lee Shoemaker at lee.shoemaker@ci.eugene.or.us.

Bicycle/Pedestrian Summit:

Saturday, January 26, 2008 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

South Eugene High School

Roles Assigned to the EBC in Bike/Ped Strategic Plan

December, 2007

Lead:

1.2.2.

Organize signature walking and biking events at the citywide and neighborhood level.

2.1.6.

Educate businesses about why it is important to be bike-friendly and provide recognition to those that do so.

2.2.1.

Advocate for mixed-use development in Eugene at both the neighborhood and citywide scale.

2.2.2

Educate cyclists and pedestrians about why compact mixed-use development is integral to creating a walkable and bikeable city.

4.3.6

Develop a public outreach campaign to educate business owners about the benefits of maintaining sufficient bike parking for their customers. Include incentives for bringing inadequate parking up to code in terms of quantity and design.

5.3.1

Apply for grants and seek other contributions to fund implementation items in the Plan.

5.3.2

Organize one or more annual fundraising events to support items in the Plan.

Partner:

2.1.4

Encourage employers to provide incentives and accommodations to employees who walk or bike to work.

3.1.1

Work with Police Department to develop shared understanding of safety issues and laws that pertain to pedestrians and bicyclists.

3.3.1

Develop and disseminate materials to educate bicyclists and pedestrians about how to safely use shared use paths, sidewalks, and hiking trails.

3.3.2

Develop and launch a Share the Road media and education campaign targeted to motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians.

4.2.4

Encourage businesses and organizations to provide connections to bike paths.

4.3.4

Evaluate how effective the City Code is at providing an adequate number of well-placed and designed bike parking spaces for redevelopment and new development. If it is determined that there are problems with the Code, launch an effort to amend it.

5.2.1

Organize an annual Walking and Biking Summit to both track and celebrate progress on the Plan, and develop stronger relationships amongst walking and biking advocates.