BYKE BYTES: Bike More, Drive Less, Get Active
An E-newsletter from the Bicycle Alliance of Washington
Submit a news item: louisemc@bicyclealliance.org
May 1, 2006
- May is Bike Month
- Ride of Silence May 17th
- Spokane REI Sponsors Fish Lake Trail Clean Up
- Tri-City Pastor Charged With 2003 Death of Cyclist
- Bicycle Commuter Act Introduced in Senate
- CBC Roadway Assessment
- Iron Horse/John Wayne Trail Tunnel Opens This Month
May is Bike Month
It's time to celebrate bicycling! May is National Bike Month and several communities in Washington
State have Bike to Work events planned.
Cascade Bicycle Club
is organizing Bike to Work Day (May 19)
and a Commute Challenge in Seattle and King County;
Community Transit
is organizing Bike to Work Day
(May 19) Celebration stations in Everett, Lynnwood and Mill Creek and the Snohomish County Bike Commute
Challenge; Mt. Baker Bicycle Club is planning Bike to Work and School Day on May 19 in Bellingham and
Whatcom County. For additional details, go to
www.bikeleague.org.
Other links:
Ride of Silence May 17th
On Wednesday, May 17, bicyclists across the US will honor cyclists killed or injured on public roadways
by participating in the Ride of Silence. The following Rides of Silence are planned in Washington State.
For more details, go to
www.rideofsilence.org.
-
Everett: organized by BIKES Club, ride will cross the 112 Street/I-5 overpass where a cyclist was killed in 2005.
-
Renton: 7pm, begin at Don Regis Park and end at the end of the Cedar River Trail.
-
Seattle: 7pm at Gas Works Park. Supported by Seattle Bicycle Club, Cascade Bicycle Club, and Bicycle Alliance of Washington.
-
Silverdale: 6:30pm, gather at Silverdale Cyclery, organized by West Sound Cycling Club.
-
Tacoma: 7pm, departs from parking lot behind McDonalds near Trader Joe's in University Place, organized by Tacoma Wheelmen's Bicycle Club.
-
Vancouver: ride starts at 6pm at Fort Vancouver High School and rides a new bike trail.
-
Walla Walla: 7pm, meet at the Rose Garden at Pioneer Park.
Spokane REI Sponsors Fish Lake Trail Clean Up
On Saturday, May 20, from 9am to 1pm, Spokane REI will host its first Fish Lake Trail service project.
Scope will include trash removal, sweeping of the paved portion, pruning growth and noxious weed removal.
The Fish Lake Trail corridor runs between Spokane and Cheney and connects with the Columbia Plateau Trail.
Parking will be available at Sunset Hill Baptist Church. Items to bring: work gloves, water, push brooms,
pruning shears, hoe, hand saws and trowels. You can register online at
www.gonzaga.edu/fishlaketrail or call
REI at 509.328.9900.
Tri-City Pastor Charged With 2003 Death of Cyclist
A pastor who allegedly knew that his eyesight didn't meet legal driving standards when he hit a bicyclist in 2003 has been charged with second-degree manslaughter in Benton County Superior Court. Prosecutors brought the charge against Reverend Randall Foos last week when civil case evidence revealed that two optometrists told Foos he should not drive months before he hit 19-year-old Sara Casey from behind. (Reported by the Tri-City Herald)
Bicycle Commuter Act Introduced in Senate
Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) today introduced the Bicycle Commuters Benefit Act of 2006. This Senate bill
would provide employees the same benefit for commuting by bicycle that other employees get for taking mass transit.
This bill matches HR 807 introduced by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) last spring. The Senate bill is also
supported by Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA). (From Bikeleague News)
Puget Sound Regional Bicycle Network Study
After years of hard work, Cascade Bicycle Club has released its study of the Puget Sound Regional Bicycle network.
Titled Left by the Side of the Road, the report reveals that 1500+ miles of a regional bicycle network is
identifiable using mostly existing roads and trails, but over 25 percent of the network fails
to meet the basic needs of bicyclists. The complete report can be viewed and downloaded at
Left by the Side of the Road [PDF].
Iron Horse/John Wayne Trail Tunnel Opens This Month
Washington State Parks reports that the old railroad tunnel on the John Wayne Trail is scheduled to open May 15.
Yee-hah!
750 Share the Road License Plates Sold!
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