Capital District Transportation Committee
Bicycle and Pedestrian Task Force
Record of Meeting on April 21,
2009
Attendance: Jason
Purvis (CDTC), Nelson Ronsvalle (Town of Halfmoon),
Raj Malhotra (NYSDOT Region 1), Elaine Troy (NYSDOH), Jim Levy (WSA/Niskayuna
Resident), Don Odell (Albany Bicycling Coalition), Jen Ceponis (CDTC), Todd
Fabozzi (CDRPC), Mark Cashman (MHCC/LAB), Ivan Vamos (NYBC), Robert Cherry
(NYSDOT Region 1), Dan Rain (FORT), John “Jack” Madden (FORT), Martin Daley
(PTNY), Elizabeth Staubach (Albany County Executive’s Office), Devin Dalpoy (SSWAA/ Saratoga County Ad Hoc Trails Committee),
Mike Lyons (Town of Colonie), Jen Clunie (NYBC), Audrey Ball (Town of Malta),
Pat Kenneally (GPI), Jim Mearkle (Albany Coutny DPW)
1.0 New Business
1.1
Presentation--Albany
County--Helderberg
Trail – The proposed trail is approximately 9 miles in length with termini in
the Village of Voorheesville
and the City of Albany. There will be parking lots along the trail at
varying points, as well as at its terminus.
There are a total of 8 bridges along the trail, including a bride on New
Scotland which has received substantial damage and has been recommended for
replacement. Replacing bridge structures
violates the Railbanking agreement, but the county is
trying to work out this issue. The purchase agreement between the County and
the Railroad is currently going through.
The County has hired Greenman-Pedersen Inc.
(GPI) to design the trail and they have already completed the survey and
mapping and have begun the federal process.
A public meeting is schedule for June 17 at the Bethlehem
Town Hall. Information related to the trail project will
be located at www.albanycounty.com
and all comments can be sent to Mike Franchini (MFranchini@albanycounty.com) or
Jim Mearkle (JMearkle@albanycounty.com).
1.2
Bicycle Education--update – CDTC and the City of Albany
Planning Staff are working to together to develop a
strategy to distribute information on bicycle safety within the City. CDTC and the City have met with Jen Hogan
from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) to coordinate efforts and
brainstorm ides for graphics. J. Clunie
suggested CDTC look at New York City’s
“Look” Campaign as a model, and using public service announcements which are
free. It currently unclear how the
success of the campaign will be measured.
1.3
NYSMPO Conference – The annual New York State Metropolitan
Planning Organization Conference is scheduled for June 4-5 at the Crowne Plaza
in Albany, NY. The conference program and registration form can
be located on the NYSMPO website (www.nysmpo.org).
1.4
Transportation Enhancements Program (TEP)
– Governor Paterson announced the award of federal funding for transportation
projects through the TEP on April 2, 2009.
The Capital Region (not necessarily the “CDTC region”) received
traditional TEP funding for two projects, West
Brook Conservation Initiative (Lake George) and the Dix
Bridge Rehabilitation Project (co-owned by Saratoga
and Washington Counties). An additional two projects received funding
under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) including the Day Peckinpaugh Canal Motorship
(currently stationed in Albany) and
the Ticonderoga Train Trestle Conversion and Historic Trail Expansion (Ticonderoga). There was less money awarded to the region
this year than previous years and few projects within the CDTC region were
chosen. Overall, the announcement was
disappointing because it revealed problems within the selection process and
there were two few regionally significant bicycle and pedestrian projects. NYSDOT and CDTC are working on scheduling a
meeting to sort out the issues of the process and discuss how the program could
be changed. The Task Force discussed
their discontent with the lack of transparency in the process and the state’s
use of TEP funds for operation expenses. Many of the project candidates from the CDTC
region which were not chosen are eligible for the Energy Efficiency Block
Grants from the Department of Energy and encouraged to apply. More information on the grants can be found
at http://www.eecbg.energy.gov/,
applications are due May 26. Task force
members are encouraged to write letters to their local politicians to encourage
them to apply for these funds.
1.5
Local Project Updates
1.5.1 Albany Bicycle Master
Plan – The next public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 18 at the Albany
Public Library Main Branch on Washington Avenue. There will be a “drop-in” session to collect
information, fill out comment forms, etc. between 5:00
– 6:30 pm followed by a workshop and presentation at 6:30 – 8:00 pm. The Study Advisory Committee will be meeting
within the next few weeks. A connection
between the Helderberg Trail and Corning Preserve
will be explored. Additional information
and documents related to the study can be found at: http://www.cdtcmpo.org/linkage/materials/albbikeplan/feb09.htm. Comments may be emailed to: AlbanyBikePlan@cdtmpo.org.
1.6
They just don’t get it… - nothing to report.
1.7 Other New
Businesses
1.7.1
New Agenda Items or ideas for future meeting discussion/presentation topics
should be forwarded to Jason.
D.
Haller was unable to attend the meeting but sent Jason a note to advise everyone
that the Saratoga Healthy Transportation Network’s new website is up and
running and you should check it out: www.bikesaratoga.org.
J.
Viggiani was also unable to attend the meeting but asked Jason to pass on
information about the Mechanicville Bimodal Project. The Town of Clifton Park and Town of Halfmoon are trying to work with
the railroad to make a connection between the Bimodal Project and the Zim Smith Trail. J.
Madden commented that this is a challenge as the railroads are very concerned
about liability. Project updates will
continue as it progresses!
M.
Cashman – The League of American Bicyclists offers a variety of bicycle
education classes. For
more information check out their website: http://www.bikeleague.org/.
R.
Cherry – NYSDOT is currently working on making a pedestrian connection across
NYS Route 50 in Saratoga Springs,
near the Saratoga Springs State
Park.
J.
Clunie – The NYBC is hosting a Traffic Skills 101 Class May 1-2 at the SUNY
Albany Downtown Campus, 135 Washington Avenue
between S. Lake and Robin Streets, Draper Hall Rm 147. If
interested, the course fee is $50 and you must RSVP to Claire Nolan via cbnolou@yahoo.com or (518)209-6477 no later
than April 27th.
P.
Kenneally – GPI is working on the Geyser Road
trail project which is a connection between Saratoga
Springs and the Town of Milton
along Geyser Road. GPI is beginning another trail project in the
Town of Wilton.
N.
Ronsvalle – A committee met to evaluate consultant proposals for the Mohawk
Towpath Connection and chose Erdman Anthony.
An official announcement of the consultant selection is anticipated
later in the week.
E.
Troy – The NYSDOH Healthy Heart
Program announced funding for 12 projects in NYS, 7 of which are bicycle and
pedestrian related programs. For the
full list please visit: http://www.health.state.ny.us/press/releases/2009/2009-04-14_healthy_heart_program_awards.htm.
J.
Purvis advised the Task Force that Teresa LaSalle
is continuing to work on the map update.
2.0 Upcoming
Events
The next CDTC
Bicycle and Pedestrian Task Force meeting is scheduled for May 12, 2009 @ 4:30
PM.
2.1 May is Bike Month!
Check out some
of these exciting Bike Month events in the Capital Region:
Grand Tour: Bicycle, Transportation &
Trail Art Exhibit – May 1-22
The Upstate Artists
Guild, 247 Lark St., Albany
NY 12210
is hosting a bicycle themed art exhibit to benefit the Albany Bicycle Coalition
and the New York Bicycling Coalition.
For more information visit www.upstateartistsguild.org
or email Rebecca.schoonmaker@uagmembers.org.
“Two Wheels Good” Bike Film Festival – May
8
The Sanctuary for Independent Media, 3361 6th Ave., Troy; 7 PM. Collection celebrates all aspects of bicycle
culture, from competitive mountain biking to urban “alleycat”
racing to daily commuting, bike polo, and Critical Mass. Selection includes a variety of filmmakers
and spans genres from documentary to narrative, animation to sports, art &
music videos. Co-sponsored by NYBC and Troy Bike Rescue; valet bike parking
available. Admission
by suggested donation. See www.mediasanctuary.org for details and
directions.
Bike to Albany’s Tulip Festival. – May
8 -10
A highly
anticipated spring tradition, over 200,000 tulip bulbs will blossom into a sea
of colors amidst of thousands of attendees Mother’s Day weekend in Washington
Park. The City of Albany
is taking a step forward to promote green initiatives and reduce congestion on
the roadways by encouraging attendees to RIDE, rather than drive, to the
event. Designated racks and valet
bicycle parking and will be available at the Willett & Madison Ave. entrance
and featured as part of the Tulip Festival
Wellness Garden,
promoting wellness of mind, body, spirit, and planet. Steiner’s Sports will be on-hand to offer
free safety checks and quick tune-ups to keep you rolling. Visit http://www.albanyevents.org
for full schedule of activities.
VEER the movie – May 14
8PM. The Spectrum 8 Theaters (Albany). Special one-time screening
of new documentary of the Portland, OR cycling community.
Sponsors include: CK Cycles,
Steiner’s Sports, The Downtube, The Dead Presidents
Lounge, Bomber’s Burritos, Lark Tavern, 518prints.com, UrbanVelo.org. $6/($5 for ABC
members). Membership is free and you can
sign up at the door. ABC will also be
collecting $$ donations for the KONA AFRICA BIKE PROGRAM. Note:
group ride leaving Washington Park
@ 7:30 pm.
National Bike to Work
Day – May 15
Sponsored by the
League of American Bicyclists, individuals across the country are encouraged to
commute to work by bike. The Saratoga
Healthy Transportation Network is sponsoring the “First Annual” Saratoga Bike To Work Challenge.
Companies with offices/workplaces in Saratoga
County are encouraged to form Bike To Work Teams and compete for the highly coveted “The Gear
Head Trophy.” To register, go to www.healthytransportation.org. For more information and resources on bicycle
commuting, visit www.nybc.net.
Saratoga Bike to Work Day Challenge – May 15th
Saratoga Healthy
Transportation Network is sponsoring the first annual Saratoga Bike to Work Day
Challenge. Companies with offices or workplaces in Saratoga
County are encouraged to form Bike
to Work teams for Bike to Work Day on Friday,
May 15, 2009.
The coveted Gear
Head trophy will be awarded to the employee group with the highest percentage
of participation. Register here: http://www.sportssignup.com/Saratoga-Healthy-Transportation-Network-Online-Registration.start.
Club Picnic, Ride and Swap Meet – May
16
10AM, Colonie
Town Park. The Mohawk Hudson Cycling Club invites all
local cyclists & their families to come celebrate Capital Bike Month with
the club and meet some new cyclists/friends.
Rides of varying categories (casual, tour, mountain
bike); potluck lunch; post-ride swap meet. Consult the Ride Calendar on http://webmhcc.org for full details.
Capital District Ride of Silence – May
20
The Mohawk
Hudson Cycling Club will lead a 12 mile, slow paces ride passing ghost bikes to
honor cyclists killed or injured in collisions with automobiles in the Capital
District. The ride promotes a culture of
safety awareness and mutual respect on the road. Registration is free, a helmet is required
and the ride will take place rain or shine.
Ride begins at 6pm at the
Corning Preserve in Albany.
For your entertainment – How aware are
you of cyclists? Check out this British
commercial from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTv4yD6BKlA.