The Wheel is Rebuilt

Four visits split between two bike shops. Over three days.

(Tip for businesses: if you're going to advertise your hours in multiple places, and you have a one-time variance to those hours, make sure you note the change in ALL of those multiple places *cough cough kulshan*. Putting a note on Facebook is not the same as putting a note on your website. And your phone message counts, too. People do still call you. Thank you.)


$91.89 in parts and tools.

Some of the tools were the wrong ones.

Hours and hours and hours of time.

But with the experience of building one front wheel under her belt, G. was able to parlay that into putting all new spokes on my stupid rear wheel.

Did you know that rear wheels use spokes of two different lengths? Mine are different by 2mm.

And it was only out of commission from Monday night 'til Saturday morning. If I had taken it to a shop, it would still be in line, waiting its turn. Seems a lot of people are needing their bikes worked on all at the same time....

Sorry, there's no photo documentation. We didn't think about it. Plus the finished product looks no different than the original. So there's nothing to see here.

I'm just very glad to have my bike back in working order. It now has stronger spokes so hopefully the hub-ends of them won't be popping off all the time like the cheapo originals.

Thank you, G!

'Bikenomics' articles

Grist is hosting an on-going series of articles about the economics of cycling: Bikenomics. They cover both personal and societal issues. The author is Portland cyclist/writer Elly Blue, who also writes for BikePortland and Momentum Magazine, among other things.

http://www.grist.org/article/series/bikenomics

I'm finding them interesting and occasionally inspiring. Perhaps you might as well.

This is what I'd like to see on Northwest Ave.: a 'cycle track'

Bikeportland notes that the City of Portland recently completed a 0.6 mile-long separated bike lane, their first example of a physically separate, bike-only, on-street cycle track. It's the kind of thing Copenhagen is known for.

(Photo © J. Maus)

Key features:

• Made of concrete to contrast with the asphalt street
• Raised above the street like a sidewalk
• Parking area between the street and the track as a buffer
• Cycle track is for bikes only; pedestrians get their own sidewalk

The Bikeportland article also notes the importance of the pavement markings for clarity on how to use the thing.

With the project to add bike lanes and other enhancements to Northwest/Elm/Dupont being designed this summer, I hope Bellingham's engineers can incorporate these great ideas into their final plans.

(Via Seattle Bike Blog)

Denise Guren Memorial Bike Shelter

There is a wonderful new bike parking option at Whatcom Community College. This past Monday the Denise Guren Memorial Bike Shelter was formally dedicated with very nice little ceremony. It was installed over the winter.

Denise was a co-worker of mine who lost a battle with cancer at far too young an age. She was an avid cyclist in addition to being an active member of the local community. In her honor, donations were accepted to create something on campus that would benefit bike commuters, which ended up being a new bike parking shelter.

It's located on the north side of campus, between Kulshan and Cascade. 

The Facilities folks asked campus bike commuters for advice on the project, and I am very happy with the end result. It uses hoop-type racks, in an easily-accessed location, with good sight-lines, and offers reasonable protection from the elements.

It consists of 8 hoop-type racks. This is definitely the best bike parking option on the north side of campus.

Thank you to everyone who donated money in memory of Denise, and to all the Facilities folks for doing such a nice job with the design and construction of the shelter.

US Bicycle Route System: Economic Impact

BikingBis has a post today about the U.S. Bicycle Route System (see previous post) and how much money touring cyclists drop on local towns. He links to some studies that say it's pretty significant.

I still say folks in Bellingham, particularly Fairhaven, should be jumping all over this since we will be blessed with a plethora of routes (if not cyclists) when our State's system is complete. All it needs is money, and wouldn't you know there's some fundraising happening...
http://www.razoo.com/story/Usbrswashington

4th Broken Spoke

This is getting ridiculous. Tonight I suffered another broken spoke on my rear wheel. That's 4 in about 18 months on the same wheel.
G's going to rebuild it with better spokes.
Until that's done it's back on the bus for me.

Eliza St./Mall Connector: Bad for Bikes

Not every project contemplated by the City makes cycling safer or easier. Case in point: the Eliza Ave. extension that will connect the northwest corner of Bellis Fair Mall to W. Bakerview. This project is in the latest edition of the Six-Year (2012-2017) Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) (7 MB PDF), which the City Council is voting on tonight (Agenda page). The project was included in last year's TIP, too.

In this year's TIP it is Project #6 - Eliza Avenue Multimodal Arterial Connection. The point of the project is to reduce traffic on Cordata between Bakerview and the mall. It will:

"Construct an arterial street connection from the northwest corner of Bellis Fair Parkway, across the northwestern parking lot, to the southern terminus of Eliza Avenue to 3/4 of a collector arterial standard with a 5-foot concrete sidewalk on the south side, curb and gutter, two 14-foot travel lanes, and a minimum shoulder on the north side." 

Note the absence of bike lanes on either side of this new road, and that there will only be a sidewalk on the south side. The project narrative ends with:

"Future development of the properties on the north and east sides of Eliza Avenue will be required to construct a 5-foot bike lane and 5-foot sidewalk from West Bakerview to Bellis Fair Parkway."

This is a problem for cyclists heading to Whatcom Community College from anywhere south of the freeway. Right now the safest route includes this section of Eliza between Northwest Ave. and Matanuska Ct. It has a sidewalk on one side, parking on both sides, no bike lanes, and only has a center stripe for part of it. This is ok because the traffic volume is very low. But connecting this incomplete street to Bellis Fair Parkway will, if all goes as the City plans, dramatically increase traffic on this section of Eliza.
But their plan apparently envisions no changes to the existing incomplete Eliza until the vacant lots are developed, for which I know of no plans (the development will fund the street improvements). If the plan follows the description in the TIP there will be no changes to Eliza Ave. at all from this project, not even a center stripe. Traffic volume will increase from the current residential levels to "3/4 of a collector arterial" worth, but still won't have a curb or gutter on the east side, and will still allow parking on both sides. With parking on both sides of the street there is barely room for opposing traffic to pass by each other safely; there will be no room anywhere for bikes.  
This project makes me unhappy because it will negatively impact the cycling safety of this stretch of my commute, with no mitigation in sight.

One Step Closer to a Completed Whatcon Creek Trail

http://www.cob.org/government/departments/pw/projects/images/es-413-meador-kansas/es-413-vicinity-large.jpg

The Herald reports that the last link in the trail system from Lake Whatcom to Bellingham Bay is one step closer to completion. Bids have been received for the project, and the City Council will discuss approving the low bid at its next meeting, on Monday May 23. If approved, construction will take place this summer.

Public Works Project Overview page.

UPDATE: City Council approved the bid, according to the Herald, which notes there are hopes construction will begin in June.

Happy Bike to Work & School Day!

I hope you had a chance to transport yourself around town in the glorious sunshine. I stopped by one Celebration Station this morning on my way to check in on our garden plot.

Thank you to all the volunteers staffing the stations, to all the businesses who donated goodies, to Whatcom Smart Trips folks for organizing it, and to all the bikers and walkers out there today!

Bike To Shop Event, May 20

In addition to the 14th annual Bike to Work and School Day, Friday May 20 will also be Bike to Shop day in Bellingham, thanks to the great work of Whatcom Smart Trips, everybodyBIKE, and lots of volunteers and donations.

It's a pretty good tie-in, since quite a few of the 22 Celebration Stations (PDF map) in town are located at or near grocery stores: Sehome Village, the Public Market on Cornwall, Haggen on Meridian, Haggen at Barkley, Community Food Co-op at Cordata, and near The Market at Fairhaven. If you're biking past a grocery store on your commute, then you could pretty easily stop for groceries, too!

Bike to Shop day has three locations this year:

The Market at Fairhaven

3125 Old Fairhaven Parkway, Bellingham

(at the I-5 exit for Fairhaven Parkway)

Terra Organica

1530 Cornwall Avenue, Bellingham

(at the corner of Cornwall and Flora)

Haggen Food and Pharmacy

2814 Guide Meridian Street, Bellingham

(at the corner of Illinois and Meridian)

The 'event' part of it is that a Celebration Station will be in front of each store from 10 am to 5 pm (the other Celebration Stations are scheduled for 6:30 - 9:30 am).

In preparation for this event, I decided to take a look at each store's bike parking facilities. See what I found on my ride after the jump.

2 Months -- How're We Doing?

Bellingham Bike Blog is two months old today. 56 posts between G. and I so far -- that seems to be a pretty good clip. We've kept the focus on biking as transportation, and advocating for better cycling facilities.

What do you think so far?

City Council Gives Go-ahead for Bike Lanes + Enhancements on Northwest/Elm/Dupont!

On Monday, May 9 the Bellingham City Council voted 7-0 (see Agenda Follow Up) to direct city staff to prepare plans for bike lanes and pedestrian enhancements on Northwest/Elm/Dupont between I-5 and Whatcom Creek. Council allocated $20,000 for the designs, which are to be done this year so the lanes (and other enhancements -- see below!) can be installed in 2012.

City staff prepared a report to Council (PDF linked from Meeting Agenda) on the issue. The report makes clear that the reason this project can't be done in 2011 is because it's not just a matter of painting lines on the road. As envisioned by city staff, this project also includes recommendations from the Fountain District Urban Plan and the City's Comprehensive Plan to add curb bulb-outs at a couple intersections, possibly an enhanced crosswalk (the flashing kind) at Elm & W. Connecticut, and maybe landscaping and street trees along Elm, and several other pedestrian improvements elsewhere along the route. Dealing with all the bus stops is apparently also going to take some doing.

The report includes all the comments submitted at the open house in writing, and via email & phone. Email/phone comments came in 92 for bike lanes, 21 against. Written comments were transcribed but not categorized.

Also noted in the report is the results of recent 4-hour bike counts along the corridor:

• Northwest at McLeod:
• 2008 -- 129
• 2009 -- 67
• 2010 -- 92
• Dupont at F St.:
• 2009 -- 135
• 2010 -- 165

(Update: Counts come from the Washington State Documentation Project, whose reports are at WSDOT's biking site.)
Here's an article from the Herald about the vote.

I'm very happy to see the Council move forward with this proposal. Bike lanes, bulb-outs, etc., as well as less on-street parking, should make this route safer. Making it safer should increase the number of people willing to bike on it. That is a Good Thing.

Cycling Season has Begun!

Apparently today was the first day of cycling season in Bellingham for this year. There were a whole bunch more bikes on the road than I'm used to seeing during my commute home. More bikes were parked at the grocery store. And I was passed by more cyclists than usual. 

It's great to see more self-motived people out there! The more, the merrier.

Cycle Safe,

Bellingham Bike Blog

My Pedaling Career, Part 5: Commuter Hybrid

After I sold the bike that didn’t fit I went for about a year and a half without one. My circumstances had changed, and so did my transportation requirements.


I moved from Seattle to Bellingham and hung around town for four months in early 2002, then went traipsing around the country for five months in the car I finally bought. I had been car-free in Seattle for over three years, but eventually succumbed. While car-free I was one of the original of members of Flexcar, a car sharing service, which was later merged into Zipcar.


The end of my journey around the country brought me back to Bellingham. I lived a suburban existence for ¾ of a year, driving hither & yon about town. But then it was off to Eugene, back to graduate school, and a return to the saddle.

Bellingham: Integral part of U.S. Bicycle Route System

http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/usbrs/

There's an effort underway to create a national network of signed routes for bicycle touring, and the plan shows Bellingham being a hub, of sorts.
The Adventure Cycling Association has announced the U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS), for which they are currently raising money.
The route corridors are already planned out (PDF map) -- they're careful to say they're planning general routes within 50-mile-wide corridors rather than naming specific roads. The plan is for organizations within each state to take up the mantle and get the work done. In Washington State the local partner is the Bicycle Alliance of Washington, and they are fundraising this month to get Route 10, across the northern part of the state, up and running. WSDOT is also a partner.
Bellingham comes into the picture because, as the Bicycle Alliance notes, Route 10 will link Idaho to the Alaska Ferry -- which docks in Fairhaven.
But note that Route 87 (north/south just east of the major cities linked by I-5) appears to terminate at nearly the same spot as Route 10.
And Route 95 (north/south along US 101) crosses both 87 and 10, probably in Burlington, before heading into Canada from Whatcom County.

http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/usbrs/

This project could conceivably bring additional adventure cyclists through the county, many of whom are heading for the ferry. Local restaurants and lodgings could see a boost from additional bike tourism! If that's important to you, then you should probably help get the project underway.

http://www.razoo.com/story/Usbrswashington

Spring Showers

Now that I'm commuting to work by bike, it's inevitable that I will get rained on at this time of year, but I get to hear the birds singing to welcome the spring showers. That's a fair trade-off to me. :)

2 B'ham Bike/Ped. Projects: More Details

The Herald's Traffic Talk has two new articles about the recently-funded pedestrian and bicycle projects on Indian St. and Samish Way. The first gives additional project details, and the second features a former astronaut who works at Western and has been hit twice riding on Indian St.

Samish Way projects

Indian St. project area

The maps come from my previous post on the topic.

Bike Racks vs Gardening

As much as I enjoy biking; as much as I enjoy encouraging others to bike; still I appreciate getting a bit of encouragement back. A "Way-to-go, thanks for taking the effort," now & then. Most of the time I take this encouragement in the form of convenient places to park. When I visit a place that has a nice bike rack in a great location, it makes me feel like this place is looking out for me, and is happy I'm there. That sort of encouragement helps me keep going.
So what message am I supposed to take from this?

The only bike back at Rite-Aid on Northwest, completely surrounded 

But hey, at least it's not as bad as it was the day before. I didn't have my camera with me, but I saw as I cycled by that the entire rack was filled with potted. Exactly zero bikes had room to park. Message: potted plants are more important than cyclists to this establishment.

Or how about this nice bike rack at a local grocery store?

Uhh -- bike rack? Are you there?

Oh, there you are...

For much of the year the Community Food Co-op on Forest has their best bike racks right there. They're easy to access, easy to use with u-locks, covered, and of all their racks this is the one closest to the front door.
But come gardening season they remove the racks and replace them with bags of potting soil, compost, and manure. It would be tempting to say that the message is that bikes rate lower than dirt, but I know it's not the case. They do have other racks, even if those aren't as good as the ones they put out and take away on a seasonal basis.

So please tell me -- am I being unreasonable to think that bike racks, especially the only or the best rack at a business, should remain unobstructed (and physically present) ALL the time, not just sometimes? And what message does it send you to find a business that does otherwise?

Team Up Kick-Off

Thank you to Whatcom Smart Trips, everybodyBIKE, and Chuckanut Brewery & Kitchen for the nice Team Up for everybodyBIKE event Friday evening. One-third (that's 2 of 6) of my team attended, and I saw a few other folks from my place of work. I also met a few fellow cyclists for the first time.

The bike racks were overflowing, the snacks and the beer were tasty, I got a cute bike pin, and I am super excited about the shirt they gave to us Team Leaders -- I [bike] B'HAM! I shall wear it proudly under my top layer(s).

It's May 1st and my team has at least 2 points already -- G. & I biked over to work on our garden plot today.

Personal Advocacy Advice from Commute By Bike

Commute By Bike has a post today entitled "It's Bike Month: Get Out There and Proselytize!" It features tips on spreading the gospel of cycling, including:

4. Don’t Proselytize, But Be A Resource
3. Adapt Your Pitch For Each Potential Convert
2. Tell A Personal Story, But Don’t Be A Windbag


More at the source.