Hello Spokespeople!

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This Saturday, Oct 1, will be a great day for a bike ride! Spokespeople will ride to the Green Lake PCC along some proposed routes for Neighborhood Greenways. We're getting into fall weather so we'll discuss effective lights and rain gear for winter biking when we stop at the PCC. If you have lights and rain gear you'd like to show off, please bring them along!

Details about this ride are on the Cascade Bike Club website and Facebook. You can see photos from many of our rides on Facebook too.

As we do on the first Saturday of every month, we leave from the south end of Wallingford Playfield at 42nd and Densmore at 2 p.m. Come a little before 2 so we can leave on time. We'll be back to our start point no later than 4 p.m. Most of the ride is on the road and there will be cars. You are always welcome to walk any hills you cannot ride. The October 1 ride will be led by Ride Leaders certified by Cascade Bicycle Club Michael Herschensohn and Cathy Tuttle.

An Editorial on Greenways by Cathy Tuttle

Some amazing, wonderful, and terrible things have been happening with people who bicycle in Seattle in the past month. The bad first, and then some possible solutions!

For the past four years, I have deliberately avoided talking about bicycle traffic accidents in this monthly post to Spokespeople because Spokespeople's mission has always been to encourage "reluctant" people to bicycle for short everyday errands and transportation. Repeating stories about people who have been killed or injured on bicycles is not a way to encourage a reluctant rider. The recent trio of bicycle rider deaths in Seattle has made me more of a militant in advocating for an immediate reassessment of how our overall transportation strategy must meet the needs of willing but wary Spokespeople riders. Indeed, I question how our entire community of skilled cyclists, reluctant riders, kids who walk and bike to school, people who walk their dogs, people who have near misses driving with bicycles on arterials, and slow moving freight, emergency service, and buses flow through our city. Many of our transportation decisions in the past few years have resulted in what should be avoidable conflicts on our shared roadways.

Since 2007, Spokespeople has had the motto of "linking people through neighborhoods along secure bike routes" and our "easy" monthly rides from Wallingford, View Ridge, West Seattle, Magnolia, Beacon have always been on "low-stress" streets. In the process, we have ridden and sometimes identified potential neighborhood greenways linking these neighborhoods. In the past four years we have learned that a focused neighborhood greenway strategy is what has built the efficient and far safer systems of many cities including Portland and Vancouver, B.C.

In the past month, we've upped the ante on Neighborhood Greenways. 

1) We've formed a "Greenway Organizers" group. Please join us! http://groups.google.com/group/seattle-greenways-organizers/

2) We've learned more and gotten active! The Seattle Department of Transportation hosted the Portland greenway planners Mark Lear and Greg Raisman for a several-day seminar Sept 21-23. Seattle Greenway Organizers grabbed an evening of Mark and Greg's time and packed a UW lecture hall on Sept 22. Here is the Facebook lecture description, a Powerpoint of Mark & Greg's slides, and most important, if this is a topic that interests you, a YouTube of their Lessons from Portland greenway presentation. What we learned: 1. The biggest safety beneficiaries of bike and pedestrian safety improvements are drivers of cars and trucks; 2. Greenways consistently receive broad and strong community support in Portland – from safety experts, auto clubs, drivers and truckers; 3. City Council Member Sally Bagshaw has pledged to make Neighborhood Greenways become a reality for Seattle. Big ask here: please let the rest of Seattle City Council and key SDOT staff know that you want greenways too!

richard.conlin@seattle.gov

Tom.rasmussen@seattle.gov

Jean.godden@seattle.gov

Sally.clark@seattle.gov

Tim.burgess@seattle.gov

Mike.obrien@seattle.gov

Bruce.harrell@seattle.gov

Nick.licata@seattle.gov

Sally.bagshaw@seattle.gov

Mike.mcginn@seattle.gov

Ethan.raup@seattle.gov

Peter.hahn@seattle.gov

3) We're getting greenways built! Segments of the Wallingford Greenway and Beacon BIKES Greenway are about to be implemented.

4) We're planning for more greenways! University Greenways has a Meet-up and community "route walk" on Sunday Oct 9 at 10am. Details on UGreenways Facebook or e-mail eli@ugreenways.org (206 313 1914)

5) We're in the news. The PI, the Seattle Times, the Economist, the Stranger, Crosscut, Cascade Bike Club blog, the Sun Break, and the Ballard News Tribune have published articles about safe streets and greenway solutions. Keep a lookout in the coming weeks for a KUOW show, a major Seattle Times article, and more.

The Seattle Bike Blog has written a great deal about Greenways and they hosted a moving Safe Streets Social ride on September 24, right after Moving Planet Seattle, in memory of the three cyclists recently killed on Seattle streets.

6) Prop 1, the Streets for All legislation, is a promised source of funding for greenways that needs our support.

now back to our ride info...

Spokespeople Rides Nuts and Bolts 

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE come no later than 1:45 if you are new to riding on the road, new to riding in groups, or if you need any help with adjusting your helmet or bike. 

Spokespeople rides leave at 2 p.m. from the SOUTH end of Wallingford Playfield (at Densmore and N 42nd next to Hamilton Middle School) on the first Saturday of EVERY month and ride on the road in traffic to an adjacent urban center. New riders are welcome -- in fact, getting new riders comfortable with riding on the road is the reason we do the rides! Please also call a day in advance if you'd like to buy a good quality helmet from us for $10 and we'll bring our sack of helmets. Helmets are required on all of our rides. If there is heavy rain, we won't do the ride.    

What if it rains?  Only heavy rain will cancel Spokespeople rides. We'll decide by noon on the day of the ride. Give a call if you plan to come and don't know if the ride is on. Expert commuters, please join us. We need you! As our rides grow larger, we welcome good bicyclists like you who can offer encouragement and model good road riding techniques for new, returning and reluctant cyclists. This is a Bike Smart Seattle ride. All ages and skill levels are welcome. All Spokespeople rides are led by Cascade Bicycle Club certified ride leaders.

Contact information. If you want more information about rides or about Spokespeople, please contact us!  Keep happy and keep pedaling!

Cathy Tuttle (206)547-9569/ (206)713-6269 cathy.tuttle@gmail.com

October's Spokespeople Ride Leaders:

Michael Herschensohn (206)412-0702 mh982501@gmail.com

Michael Snyder (206)781-7221 msnyder@zserf.com (now on the Cascade Bike Club Board!)

Jim Mathieu (206)769-2700 jim@nlwinc.com

Stu Hennessey (206)938-3322 alkistu@hotmail.com

facebook.com/spokespeople/

twitter.com/spokespeople/

www.spokespeople.us Spokespeople rides on the 1st Saturday of every month (since March 2007) linking people through neighborhoods along secure bike routes article in Worldchanging on Spokespeople 

And a big shout-out to our Spokespeople webmaster Barbara at Black Widow Web Development who created and updates our site monthly! 

Cycle Links.

More Bike Rides

West Seattle Spokespeople Hill Climbing 101. Sun 10/2 11am. The best way to get better at climbing hills is by climbing hills. Of course there is a lot of technique involved, so this ride is being offered to share some hill climbing techniques. We will ride varying degrees of West Seattle inclines and work on individual pacing, gear selection and technique. Ride leaves from Alki Bike and Board, 2606 California Ave SW in West Seattle at 11 a.m. sharp. Stu Hennessey leads. http://www.cascade.org/EandR/Activities_Calendar_RDetail.cfm?eventID=16364

Ride with Light Oct 4 and Oct 18 Pedal through neighborhoods within an eight-mile vicinity of Gas Works Park and stop at points of interest. Ride begins at 1:15 pm at Gas Works and will return to Gas Works by or before 4:00 P.M. "If we do ride hills, we'll do it slowly." Seniors and new riders welcome. http://www.cascade.org/EandR/Activities_Calendar_RDetail.cfm?eventID=16342 and http://www.cascade.org/EandR/Activities_Calendar_RDetail.cfm?eventID=16343

SPOKES Bones to Bones Halloween Ride Sun 10/30 Noon Start at the Sammamish River Park in Bothell. "We will check a couple of cemetaries in Bothell and Woodinville to get the Halloween ghoulish feel. Maybe toast bygones at a local coffee shop." http://www.cbcspokes.org http://www.cascade.org/EandR/Activities_Calendar_RDetail.cfm?eventID=16388

**Shine On Seattle is holding a benefit ride to fund community solar projects in Seattle schools on Sunday Oct 9 at 8 am This easy family ride starts from Gas Works Park. http://shineonseattle.org/Shine_On_Seattle/Welcome.html

Bike Environment           

WalkScore just launched GeekWire, a great tool to figure out timing of your commute, whether you drive, walk, bike or use transit.

I've recently become quite interested in zoning for bicycles, building a robust and sustainable bicycle economy, and making sure businesses incorporate bicycle infrastructure. This recent New York Times article focuses on how Portland has zoned for bikes. And, Elly Blue at Grist continues to write article after article about bicycles and building local economy.

Transportation Agendas and Legislation. 

Learn more about bicycle policy at the Bike Alliance blog. Thanks to Bicycle Alliance, Cascade Bike Club and other groups for their hard work on helping to move forward ped/bike transportation bills through their  Agenda for Better Transportation Choices.

The Puget Sound Ped-Bike Regional Board holds open public meetings in Seattle on the 3rd Wed of each month from 10-noon at 1011 Western Ave #500.

Way To Go Walk Bike Ride. The City of Seattle is eager to have you participate in their contest to reduce drive alone car trips and walk, bike, and ride transit more often. Learn more and sign up for prizes here. 

Bike Culture

MOVING PLANET SEATTLE 9/24 featured many of the fabulous Seattle bicycle and alternative transportation community. Hundreds of cyclists packed a fun day-long event at South Lake Union led by many Spokespeople Ride Leaders from Capitol Hill, Ballard, Wallingford, Ravenna, West Seattle, Columbia City, and Northeast Seattle. Moving Planet Seattle Partners & Supporters included:  350.org, 350 Washington State, aLIVe: a Low Impact Vehicle, Beacon BIKES, The Bike Share Group, Bike Works, Cascade Bicycle Club, Center For Wooden Boats, Climate Solutions, CoolMom, Dutch Bike Seattle, Earth Ministry, Electric Bikes NW, Family Bikes EXPO, FamilyRides, FeetFirst, Fuse, Haulin Colin, Home Performance Collaborative, Maryhill Ratz Skateboarders, NW E-Bike, NW Ecobuilding, Salish Sea Trading Coop, SCALLOPS- Sustainable Communities ALL Over Puget Sound, Seattle City Council, Seattle Dept of Transportation, Seattle Dutch Bike Company Seattle Electric Bike, Seattle Electric Vehicles Association, Seattle Flying Dragon Boat Club, Seattle Office of Sustainability & Environment, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle Department of Parks & Recreation, Seattle Neighborhood Greenways, Seattle Unity Earth Care Team, Shine On Seattle, Sierra Club, Skate Like a Girl, Spokespeople, Sustainable West Seattle Tool Library, Seattle Solar Cooking, Transit Riders Union, Transportation for WA, Surf Ballard, Transit Riders Union, Twice Balanced Zumba, Undriving, Urban Surf, Washington Environmental Council, WASUP Yoga, YES! Magazine, Yoga for Bikers, Zero Waste Seattle and more groups that found ways to walk bike, boat, bus, carpool, skate,wheelchair, skip, & dance their way to South Lake Union on Sept 24 for Moving Planet Seattle without using "much" fossil fuel. Find out more on Twitter, Facebook and at http://www.moving-planet.org/seattle

Ballard News Tribune features an occasional interesting bike column by The Riding Reporter Anne-Marije Rook.

Anyone thinking about easy rides, everyday rides, and riding with kids should take a look at Seattle bike writer Madi Carlson at Family Ride. See her practical posts, most recently about riding with kids in the rain, that feature great photos of Madi and her two little boys.

My anarchist heart is made joyful by this YouTube of a woman in stylish flats deciding to paint her own crosswalk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dmhkdh6tZE

Cycle tracks will abound in Utopia.
-H.G. Wells