Posts tagged bicycle
Volunteers needed for Valmont Bike Hosts Boulder
May 20th
Volunteers needed for Valmont Bike Hosts
The City of Boulder’s Parks and Recreation Department, with the help of the Boulder MountainBike Alliance, is looking for congenial people to volunteer for the opening weekend at the Valmont Bike Park on Saturday, June 11, and Sunday, June 12. Volunteers are needed to interact with visitors, answer questions and provide information on the park’s various features. Two- to four-hour shifts are available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 11, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, June 12.
There will be a required training sessions at the park on Tuesday, May 24, and Thursday, May 26 from 5 to 7 p.m. Volunteers must attend one of these sessions. Volunteers should be 16 years of age or older and comfortable interacting with the public. Bicycle riders of all levels are encouraged to respond but riding is not required. Volunteers must sign up atwww.bouldermountainbike.org (click the “Valmont Bike Posse” link on the bottom right) or by emailingvalmont@bouldermountainbike.org.
Reminder: Valmont Bike Park remains CLOSED to unauthorized visitors and riders until opening day (June 11) to allow for completion of construction.
Long-term volunteers are needed through the summer months as well. For more information, call Shelly Ruspakka, Parks and Recreation, at 303-413-7214.
Friday is Earth Day on highway 36 to Denver
Apr 20th
36 Commuting Solutions E-Newsletter
April 2011
Friday is Earth Day! Try a Clean Commute:
carpolling, vanpooling, riding transit, bicycling, walking and teleworking!
The first ten people to reply to this message will receive a free round trip on RTD!
Did you know:
In this issue, we are focusing on sustainable transportation:
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RTD Transit Investments Move Forward
RTD is currently working on four projects for the U.S. 36 corridor: designing U.S. 36 queue jumps at three U.S. 36 interchanges, studying Transit Signal Priority at four interchanges, constructing a pedestrian bridge at Table Mesa, and removing the pedestrian canopy on the Sheridan Bridge structure over U.S. 36.
Queue jumps at three signalized interchanges along U.S. 36 are moving into the design phase: the Church Ranch Boulevard, East Flatiron Circle and McCaslin Boulevard interchanges are currently being re-packaged in response to the U.S. 36 TIGER/TIFIA project. Queue jumps will ultimately increase transit travel time savings by allowing buses to move through intersections quickly with designated lanes. RTD is coordinating with CDOT to include the queue jumps at Church Ranch Boulevard and East Flatiron Circle when construction commences in 2012. RTD will be responsible for queue jumps on McCaslin Boulevard.
RTD has received six proposals to study Transit Signal Priority on U.S. 36. The intent of the study is to see if a Transit Signal Priority system at certain, or all, intersections would result in decreased transit travel time, improved schedule adherence and reduced operating costs. RTD anticipates focusing the study on interchanges at Sheridan Boulevard, Church Ranch Boulevard, 96th Street and McCaslin Boulevard. The study will allow RTD to determine which interchanges will ultimately receive Transit Signal Priority as part of the U.S. 36 TIGER/TIFIA project.
Currently, the Table Mesa pedestrian bridge project is in RTD’s procurement office, which coordinates bids and proposals for RTD projects. The Table Mesa pedestrian bridge will improve mobility, pedestrian connectivity and reduce travel time delay for regional bus routes along the U.S. 36 Corridor. The new pedestrian bridge will reduce travel time for Denver-bound trips by 3-4 minutes. The pedestrian bridge will result in approximately $100,000 savings each year in transit operations.
The U.S. 36 & Sheridan Boulevard Bridge Pedestrian Canopy Removal is also in RTD’s procurement office, and will be advertised for bids in the next month. The Sheridan pedestrian canopy was installed in 1987 for RTD patrons to cross over U.S. 36 to the Westminster Center Park-n-Ride located on the south side of U.S. 36. In the mid-1990’s, RTD constructed a pedestrian bridge over U.S. 36 to the east side of Sheridan Boulevard, providing a safer and better access for RTD patrons.
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RTD Launches Smart Card Pilot Program in Boulder
In May, RTD will pilot a Smart Card program on several routes in the Boulder area. This pilot program will last two weeks, and will give RTD a preliminary assessment of the technology.
Smart Card technology, which is used by transit agencies in many U.S. cities already (Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York City, Seattle, Washington DC), will make fare collection more convenient and streamlined for RTD passengers, and will make the distribution of fare products like monthly passes easier for commuters.
Currently, RTD is looking for 850 volunteer participants for the Smart Card pilot program. For the first pilot, participants should be Eco Pass holders, and must be willing to collect and report data on Smart Card/sticker use, to share email and phone contact information for follow-up by RTD, and to record and report observations. All information collected during the test phase will be completely confidential and contact information will be destroyed at the completion of the test phase.
RTD will pilot the following routes in the Boulder area:
If your organization is interested in participating in the pilot program, please contact Chris Cruz, RTD Smart Media Customer Service Call Center Supervisor, at RTD-SmartMedia@celinainc.com or call 303-299-CARD (2273).
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Member Spotlight: Boulder Area Realtor® Association
The Boulder Area Realtor ® Association has been a member of 36 Commuting Solutions since the organization’s founding in 1998. The Boulder Area Realtor® Association represents 1050 Realtors®in the Boulder County area, and has played an active role in educating members about changes in local, state, and national policies and trends since the association was founded in 1948.
The Boulder Area Realtor® Association is a member of the National Association of Realtors ®, which recently released data demonstrating a marked preference for “Smart Growth Communities” in home buyers. A survey of over 2,000 adult Americans considering a home purchase found that 77 percent of respondents would look for neighborhoods with pedestrian connectivity, and 50 percent would rather see transit improvements than new roads and developments.
“In representing area Realtors®, the Boulder Area Realtor® Association understands the integral role transportation plays in the market,” says Ken Hotard, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs. “The U.S. 36 TIGER/TIFIA project is an essential start to building a multi-modal highway. We are proud to support the U.S. 36 Coalition as it works to improve this crucial corridor.”
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Your Guide to Commuting by Bike, Part 1: Westminster Trail System
The City of Westminster has been expanding its off-street trail network since 1985, when Westminster voters approved a sales tax to fund park land acquisition and build regional trails. Twenty-six years later, Westminster boasts a wonderful system of trails: there are over 74 miles of off-street trails, connecting to Denver metro trails and other U.S. 36 communities. This trail system provides off-street connectivity throughout Westminster, and includes three major trail systems. Below is a guide to these three major Westminster Trails.
In May, the City of Westminster will demonstrate the importance of bicycling by approving the city’s firstbicycle master plan. This plan will pave the way to expand Westminster’s extensive off-street bicycle network to include new and safer on-road facilities. The Draft Bicycle Master Plan includes recommendations on connections to the existing trail system, way-finding signage, on-street facilities like pavement markings and signage, and bicycle parking.
RTD FlexPass Program
RTD’s FlexPass program provides a flexible way for employers to promote transit to their employees. The FlexPass program provides employers with the ability to purchase as many RTD monthly passes as they need, and includes up to 20% off the purchase price. Additionally, the number of passes purchased each month can vary, making the program even more flexible.
There are three different discounts available through the RTD FlexPass program:
Employers participate in the RTD FlexPass program by signing a 12-month agreement. This agreement does not state the number of passes that an employer must purchase or the minimum amount that an employer must spend, and only establishes the discounts that the employer will receive for the duration of the agreement.
If you are interested in the RTD FlexPass program, please contact Catherine atcatherine@36commutingsolutions.org.
What’s New with 36 Commuting Solutions
The May Steering Committee Meeting will be May 10 from 7:30 – 9:00 AM at the 1st BANK Center in the Mountain View Room. Please see the 2011 Meeting Schedule and Directions.
The Bike to Work Day website is open for registration to employer coordinators. You can register your organization using last year’s login or by registering for the first time. Employer coordinators establish their organization as a network for Bike to Work Day, allowing employees to affiliate and compete against other regional organizations for participation.
The U.S. 36 Coalition has achieved a great deal, but it is our members who make us strong. We need your support to advocate for U.S. 36 and RTD FasTracks completion.
Stay up-to-date on U.S. 36 advocacy, programs and sustainable travel options by liking the 36 Commuting Solutions Facebook page: www.facebook.com/36commutingsolutions. |
Two-Wheel Bliss: For SoBo-ites, Cycles R Us
Apr 8th
By Brigitte Furst, 8z Broker and Ben Corbett, 8z Contributing Editor
There are good reasons why, year after year, Boulder continues to rank as the “Smartest City in America,” and one of those reasons is because many of us use the bicycle as our main form of transportation. Which is why, in turn, we were ranked #3 in Bicyclingmagazine’s 2010 “Top-50 Bicycle-Friendly Cities in the U.S.” With almost 100 linear miles of bikeways stretching across the city limits, our town is geared for gear-heads of any stripe.
There are good reasons why, year after year, Boulder continues to rank as the “Smartest City in America,” and one of those reasons is because many of us use the bicycle as our main form of transportation. Which is why, in turn, we were ranked #3 in Bicyclingmagazine’s 2010 “Top-50 Bicycle-Friendly Cities in the U.S.” With almost 100 linear miles of bikeways stretching across the city limits, our town is geared for gear-heads of any stripe.
Let’s do the math. When traffic is stacked up during that five o’clock crunch along 28th Street and Broadway, as motorists are burning up a precious 45 minutes crawling home, their two-wheeled brethren are clearing the same distance in an easy 10-15 minutes.
For South Boulderites, with a designated bike lane within five blocks of almost every household, you’re never more than a minute or two away from a literal smorgasbord of linked paths that lead to any part of the city. From SoBo’s southernmost Greenbriar Blvd., west to Kendall Dr., north and south on Broadway, and through the heart of the community on Gillaspie Dr., the widened streets are highlighted by marked bicycle lanes that lead to a network of non-motorist multi-use paths, making any destination in town a snap.
Click here for a detailed bicycle map highlighting every bike route stretching across South Boulder and the rest of the city’s splendorous terrain. Oh, and hey. Got a flat? Brakes need tweaked? This map’s got it all. On top of every bicycle shop speckled across the city, it features all the underpasses and bridges, even the nearest public restrooms and water fountains! Every Boulder cyclist should have one of these tucked under their seat springs.
Posted on 4.7.2011 / SoBo / 0 Comments
