TBD Approves list of bike/ped. Projects

As reported by The Herald's Traffic Blog, the number one item on the list of approved projects is bike lanes for Northwest/Elm/Dupont.

TBD Meeting Mon. 3/28 on Bike/Ped Projects

1pm, City Council Chambers.
Public comment is listed on the Agenda (there's a link on this page), if you have something to say to them.

Article from the Herald.

Seasons

I have to admit that while I'm no stranger to bikes or bicycling, I'm a fairly new bicycle commuter.  I've certainly ridden my bike to work and school before, but only when the weather was nice or because it was too hard to find a place to park my car at my destination.  It's only in the last nine months that I have embraced my bicycle as a viable mode of transportation.  [I'll explain in another post.]

As a new commuter, I seem to have become acutely aware of the change of seasons, even in the mostly gray Bellingham winter.  On the ride to work, as the weather got colder, I would find myself thinking, "I'll have to wear my thicker jacket tomorrow" or "time to transition to rain gear."  Riding to work the other day,  I found myself thinking, "whoops...a bit too cool yet to be wearing my windbreaker."  I seem to be marking the passage of time or season by how many layers to put on before I leave the house.

And the length of the day!  Every morning before going to work and every evening before returning home, I found myself looking outside to determine how to set my front and rear lights.  "Is it so dark that I need the headlight on to see where I'm going, or does it just need to be set to flashing so that others can see me?"

Honestly, I feel more in tune with nature than I ever have before.

My Shuksan Open House Comments

I wasn't able to attend the Open House at Shuksan School regarding the proposed bike lanes on Northwest/Elm/Dupont (had to work), but my spouse picked up info. for me. Below is my "Comment Form" as emailed to Kim Brown [kimbrown@cob.org], Transportation Options Coordinator, City of Bellingham Public Works.
If you weren't able to attend either, they welcome comments for the next few days. Just email them to Kim.
FYI, here's a link to Resolution No. 2010-32, which passed the City Council, and was the impetus for the open house.

The Culprit

The spoke that ruined my biking week. The wheel is in the shop for what seems to me to be rather too long, although I realize this is the season for spring tune-ups.

So it has been the bus for me. I did walk the 4 miles to work today, and it was such a nice day!

Blooming flowers & trees made for lots to see and nice scents along the way.

Despite One's Best Efforts...

Sometime you just don't get to bike, no matter how much you want to.

I had to run to the grocery store tonight. Kinda late, 8:30, but it's a nice night and biking shouldn't be a problem. Everything's ready and I head out of the garage -- but what's that scraping with every turn of the back tire? Not again! That's THREE broken spokes on this same wheel, and the 2nd one in two months.

So it was the car that got me to the store. Grrrr....

Farmers Market Bike Repair needs Volunteers

Sustainable Bellingham is looking for volunteers to staff a free bike repair booth at the downtown farmer's market on Saturdays starting in April. Looks like a morning's commitment is all that's needed, and they don't even require much expertise. It probably requires more technical ability than I've got, but maybe you know your way around a tool box. Contact info. is at their blog entry.