Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists Striving for Significant Advocacy Milestones in 2015

CAzBike pres.
Bob Beane

Bob is the Coalition's President. 

The Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists began in 1991 with a dream of developing an effective statewide bicycling advocacy organization/network in Arizona. When we consider that meant developing a functioning team across geography the size of New England, with 45% of New England’s population, this was no small task. Early on, the founders expanded the group to include members from metro-Phoenix and metro-Tucson. In more recent years, the CAzB built a leadership team that included advocates from Kingman and the Verde Valley. In 2014, the group expanded further to add board and advisory board members from Yuma and Flagstaff, and we have assisted and/or worked with advocates in Sierra Vista, Green Valley, Prescott and Casa Grande.

As we continue to broaden and strengthen the team, we are finding more ways to make a difference for bicyclists in Arizona. Here are a few examples of programs in progress or on the docket for 2015:

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CAzBike Membership ANNUAL Meeting: Sat Oct 18, 2014

When: Oct 18, 2014 Lunch 12-1PM, meeting 1-4PM
Where: Boulders on Broadway, Tempe
(Boulders is bike-friendly with indoor bike parking).

The Coalition will be springing for lunch and softdrinks (cash bar available)!

All members are cordially invited and encouraged to attend. The meeting is open to the public.
For space planning purposes, please drop us a line if you can attend, or you can respond to the facebook event.

Want to get involved? Check out are-you-new-face-of-bicycling-in-arizona for more info...

TENTATIVE Meeting Agenda:

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Meet Mark Aasmundstad

 Mark Aasmundstad At AZ Time 
Trial Championships, 2013

Introducing Mark Aasmundstad, Flagstaff Representative. 

Bicycling is a good way of spending time outside every day and it makes me feel so alive.  I like the rhythm, motion, intimacy and freedom of moving through landscapes on a bike.   Bicycling is an excellent way to meet great people, and helps me stay in touch with what is happening in my community.  Commuting by bike keeps me mindful of my health and it feels right to practice a cost effective, renewable, and sustainable way to get around.  Sometimes I ride on lunch breaks too to get the blood flowing, have a rolling chat with a friend, and to invigorate my senses and mind.  On the weekends I like to go for social rides and tour places that interest me.  Occasionally I’ll train for specific events to give myself a challenge and see how far discipline, practice and love can take me.   It’s amazing the places you can go on a bike, the people you can meet, and how a small commitment through a daily practice can provide a good base for overall health and for doing longer rides.

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Triggering Traffic Signals

video detector; humantransport.org 

Triggering "demand" traffic signals by bicycles has been has been a problem for time immemorial... However it looks as though newer technology is creating the opportunity for more effective sensing. In general the best chance you have of triggering a demand signal is to pull up to the stop line in the center of the lane.

We've all been there -- a traffic light that won't change.

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Savvy Cyclist Safety Class offered in Flagstaff

Be a savvy cyclist for Bike-to-Work Week!
The Savvy Cyclist class will help any bicyclist understand the basics of on-street cycling, learn how to ride safely and legally, and bike with confidence in any traffic situation.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014 5:00 to 6:30 pm
Flagstaff Medical Center
McGee Auditorium
1200 North Beaver Street

• .. Learn to ride safely and legally 
• .. Bike with confidence in any traffic situation 
• .. Understand basic principles of on-street cycling 
• .. Discover tips and tools for bicycle commuting 

Free of charge! And there will be a raffle for various bicycle safety gear after the class For more information, call 928 773 2080.
Thanks to FMC for sponsoring this Bike-to-Work Week event for the past 5 years

League Announces Spring 2014 Bicycle Friendly Communities

League Announces Spring 2014 Bicycle Friendly Communities

There have been no changes in Arizona communities;

Arizona communities currently enjoying BFC status are

• Gold -- Tucson/East Pima Region, Scottsdale
• Silver -- Tempe, and Flagstaff
• Bronze -- Chandler, Cottenwood, Gilbert, Mesa and Sedona

Arizona ranked 15th among Bicycle Friendly States

Kicking off National Bike Month, the League of American Bicyclists has released its latest ranking of Bicycle Friendly States. In the seventh annual assessment, Arizona ranked 15th nationally, slipping from 10th last year. Visit bikeleague.org/content/ranking to see how all the states ranked and individual states' report card with more details.

The Bicycle Friendly States ranking is based on a number of key indicators, including infrastructure and funding that provide on-the-ground bicycle facilities; education and encourage programs that promote cycling; and passage and enforcement of bicycle-friendly laws that make it safe and comfortable for people of all ages to ride.

Despite ranking 15th; Arizona has the 4th highest percentage of population living in in Bicycle Friendly Communities; see here for more about cities and towns in Arizona that are ranked bicycle friendly.
...

So what makes a state bicycle friendly? The League of American Bicyclists summed it up in two pages:     Attributes Of A Bicycle Friendly State and at www.bikeleague.org/states

ReinventPHX Canals

Canal Photo courtesy of
Roadboy's Travels

There was a major series of articles in the Arizona Republic spotlighting potential upgrades to Phoenix's canal infrastructure:

Dubbed Reinvent PHX, the project includes plans to transform areas where the canal crosses rail lines, creating urban hubs that celebrate the iconic waterways. Residents who have commented on the planning effort have listed canal development and improvements as a top priority...
 Bob Jenson, an avid biker who lives near the canal, said the ride is so unpleasant that he's avoided it for years, instead taking surface streets or heading north to the more commuter-friendly and scenic Arizona Canal. But Jenson sees major potential if Phoenix moves forward with plans to create a series of highly visible, safe crossings along the Grand Canal.
"It could be taken all the way down from my house to Tempe," said Jenson, vice president of the Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists. "One of our problems is we don't really have that much in the line of east-west connections" for bicyclists. Phoenix is studying areas where the Grand Canal crosses major streets, such as Seventh Avenue, Seventh Street and Indian School Road. The Street Transportation Department wants to turn the canal into a major corridor for bike riders and pedestrians to safely travel across the city.

Meet Eric Post

Eric Post

Eric is the Coalition's legal adviser. 

Eric generously supports the Coalition both with his legal expertise as well as financially. Eric is also a LCI (League Cycling Instructor) and is very active with the Tuscon-Pima County bicycling community.

Eric runs a law practice based in Tucson, with a focus area of representing cyclists who have been injured in collisions -- please visit his new site at ericpostlaw.com. The law Offices of Eric Post have been recognized by the League of American Bicyclists as a sliver-level bicycle friendly business (BFB).