Bike/Walk Alliance for Missoula

Labor Day PEDal Fest!

July 2008

BWAM is in the process of organizing a  Missoula Bike/Walk festival to replace New Belgium's former Tour de Fat festival. Our intent is for a more family friendly Walk and Bike-oriented festival on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, August 30, 2008. We have reserved Caras Park for this event and have several local organizations participating as co-sponsors; MIST, Mountain Bike Missoula, and Missoula in Motion, with active involvement from several local bike and equipment merchants.

We have settled on the name “PEDal Festival,” accentuating the PEDestrian as well as  pedaling cyclists. We will begin at 12:00 p.m. with a bike parade and continue till approximately 8:00 p.m. We will have beverage vendors, food vendors, information tables for local bike and walk organizations, the Safety Team will perform, bands, and other performers to add to the festival atmosphere. MIST will provide parts, pieces, and tools for bike repair/building. In the planning stage is a bike rodeo, as availability of a variety of fun cycles to try out.

We are currently seeking volunteer performers to provide family oriented entertainment during the event. If you know of any jugglers, clowns, bands, performers of short skits, etc. who might be willing to participate, please contact Erin Kautz, or ask the individual to contact Erin @ events@bikewalkmissoula.org for additional information.

Watch for continuing updates about this event.

Orange Street Comments Please

July 2008

The city and state have striped some temporary 4-foot lanes for cyclists on the busy stretch of Orange between the Clark Fork River and 6th street. We appreciate the effort, but consensus is they are too narrow to be safe and comfortable. Please try them out if you haven't yet, and if you agree they need to be wider, write an email now to Steve King (SKing@ci.missoula.mt.us) and Dwayne Kailey (dkailey@mt.gov), thanking them for the lanes but asking them to narrow the center turn lane by a foot and the adjacent lanes by the few inches needed to provide a full 5-foot bike lane. Please write this week, as it won't be long before the final re-striping of lanes will be done.

Bicycle Benefits Comes to Missoula

July 2008

Bicycle Benefits is a progressive bicycling program designed to reward individuals and businesses for their commitment to cleaner air, personal health, and the use of pedaling energy in order to create a more sustainable community. The program's continual growth decreases parking demand, increases helmet use, and improves cyclists' safety and health by putting more people on bikes.

Check out this organization's website and found out how you can get discounts at cool Missoula retailers and restaurants just by biking there!

Bicycle Benefits: http://www.bicyclebenefits.org

In Memoriam

June 2008

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Robert Bremer, who was killed while riding his bicycle on N. Reserve St. on June 19th. You can read about this tragedy in the Missoulian.

BWAM members are looking into the reasons for this collision. Another cycling fatality on N. Reserve St. raises even more concerns about the proposed changes (see "Reserve/Mullan Still Up in the Air" at bottom) to bike lanes and pedestrian street crossings at Reserve and Mullan streets.

Local High School Students Get Creative and Lend a Hand for Parking and Peace

June 2008

Thanks to Hellgate High School Senior Service Day volunteers, the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center's bike racks are no longer crowded by the parked cars. The clever bicycle parts, painted rocks and posts create a cute parking barrier plus a path leading to a space established for bicycle parking. Good bicycle parking facilities are an enhancement to any establishment and say to bicyclists, "Welcome!"

I See London, I See France, I See that the French Know How to Pass!

June 2008

BWAM Founding member and former board member, Geraldine Carter, sent us these pictures of signs she saw during a bicycle tour in France. The sign informs drivers that France law requires giving bicyclists at least 1.5 meters of clearance when passing.

Geraldine is also a co-founder for Climate Ride 2008, a non-profit ride to raise awareness of global warming and renewable energy. 100 riders will pedal 320 miles from New York City to Washington D.C., starting on September 20th. To join this rider or sponsor a rider, please visit the organization's website.

Wouldn't This Be Nice?

June 2008

A BWAM member sent this to us recently. With gas prices as high as they are now, and as high as they're expected to rise, this cartoon may not be too far from the truth.

Biking/Walking Become Focal Points in Local Planning Initiatives

May 2008

Missoula is exploding right now with planning exercises aimed at figuring out how to improve our quality of life and how to allocate future financial resources. What is encouraging is how popular biking and walking have been at different public sessions to gather input. Also, the consultants and staff working on future plans have cited better walking and biking systems as essential elements. For example, a new report from the Office of Planning and Grants on long-range transportation calls for land use planning and investments that would favor walking and biking facilities.

In other news, at a meeting of nearly 300 people on ideas for the downtown master plan, the consultants stated that bicycling facilities were critical to the success of downtown’s future and that they really wanted to push the envelope for all types of cyclists. They even called for physically separated “cycle-tracks” on Higgins and Broadway Streets – an idea that drew mixed reviews from cyclists, along with calls for a 3-lane Higgins and a 2-lane Higgins Bridge with a wide promenade on the western side overlooking the Clark Fork River and Brennan’s Wave

Finally, there is another upcoming set of meetings on “urban fringe development areas”, which will include discussion of future city development scenarios. Attend if you can, and if you’re interested in these planning exercises, email Jim Sayer on BWAM’s board

Missoula Ride of Silence 2008

May 21, 2008

POST RIDE UPDATE: The weather held for us, and we assembled about 60 riders. Thanks to all who participated in this event! Special thanks to Big Dipper Ice Cream and Bayern Brewery - two great post-event stops!

See the ride in the Photo Gallery

As part of National Bike Month, BWAM is coordinating a Ride of Silence in Missoula. In 2007, rides occurred in 272 cities in 50 states and 15 countries. The Ride of Silence was begun in 2003 and has three primary goals: to honor those who have been injured or killed by motor vehicles while cycling, running or walking on public roadways; to raise awareness that cyclists and pedestrians are here; and to promote the concept that all road users must share the road and take responsibility for safety.

The Missoula Ride of Silence, which is free for all participants, will take place on Wednesday, May 21st, meeting at Caras Park in downtown Missoula at 6:45 p.m. for a slow-paced, short, easy ride to roll out at 7:00. The ride is approximately four miles, will involve riding short distances on Higgins, 5th Street, Russell and Broadway, and asks its cyclists to ride no faster than 10-12 mph. Riders must wear bike helmets and obey all traffic controls, and will be asked to sign a waiver before the ride begins. Anyone interested in safe cycling in and around Missoula is welcome and encouraged to attend.

The event is being coordinated by the Bike/Walk Alliance of Missoula (BWAM), a non-profit, member-driven organization created to improve the safety, health and enjoyment of the Five Valley area by promoting and enhancing bicycling and walking for everyday transportation and recreation. National Bike Month is coordinated by The League of American Bicyclists, with the goal of promoting the importance of bike safety and encouraging more awareness of cyclists on city streets and other roadways.

More information about the Ride of Silence in general can be found at www.rideofsilence.org.

Missoula Obtains Silver Level Bike Friendly Community Status

May 2008

Congratulations to the Garden City!  The League of American Bicyclists has designated Missoula a Bicycle Friendly Community once again at the Silver level. BWAM kicked this effort off in January by asking Mayor Engen to seek this designation. The Mayor passed it to the city’s Bike/Pedestrian Board. A Bike/Ped Board member (and also a BWAM member), Archie McMillan, did most of the work in assembling the very long application – which was announced in Washington DC this week at the beginning of National Bike Month. Now how about we get going on the Gold Level? Visit the League of American Bicyclists for more information.

Liquid Planet Supports BWAM during National Bike Month with "Velo Valencia" Special

May 2008

Liquid Planet has agreed to donate $.50 from each sale of the Velo Valencia, a special white chocolate mocha with orange zest and a dash of cinnamon and sugar, to BWAM. This special drink will be available at all Liquid Planet locations in Missoula for the month of May, which is National Bike Month. Please support Liquid Planet and BWAM by purchasing the Velo Valencia today! See Liquid Planet's official Velo Valencia advertisement here.  UPDATE: Thanks to everyone who supported Liquid Planet and BWAM  in May. Nearly 300 "Velo Valencia" drinks were sold!

Russell Street Reactions

May 2008

The City of Missoula hosted a neighborhood meeting on April 16^th on what looks like the state’s proposal (endorsed by the city’s Public Works Department) for a 5 lane Russell Street blasting through many neighborhoods, demolishing up to 48 homes and businesses, and creating a loud, unfriendly divide in the middle of Missoula. The neighborhood response? Very negative.

Moreover, the state’s proposal ignores eight years of citizen input, including formal planning sessions in 2000-2001, that call for a neighborhood-friendly, narrower road. While the city and state funnel many hundreds of thousands of dollars to consultants to plan another unpopular Reserve Street, members of BWAM and Missoula Advocates for Sustainable Transportation (MAST) are developing a schematic for a safer, quieter roadway that relies on citizen input, serves all users and does not threaten Missoula’s quality of life. Jordan Hess is taking the lead in drafting the schematic.

Contact Jordan at wjordanhess@gmail.com or John Wolverton at yodelingdog@hotmail.com for more information.

Travelon Gamelon by Richard Lerman Toured Missoula Streets April 19, 2008

May 2008

Travelon Gamelon hit the streets of Missoula early Saturday morning April 19 as a beginning event for BWBW 2008.

Approximately 20 amplified bicycles with another 40 "Promenade" participants departed the Missoula Art Museum and toured the north side of Missoula proceeding across the bike/pedestrian railroad overpass, the California Street bridge to Bernices Bakery then a loop Higgins to South Ave to Arthur and then to Bonner Park for a 3-bike Gamelon concert. Richard Lerman developed the artistic concept and technical execution. The Missoula production was co-sponsored by: Missoula Art Museum, Adventure Cycling, Bernices's Bakery, Bike/Walk Alliance for Missoula, Free Cycles Missoula, Historical Museum at Fort Missoula, and the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture.

Reserve/Mullan Still Up in the Air

May 2008

Despite positive press in the Missoulian, it’s still uncertain news on the proposed changes in the intersection at Reserve and Mullan Streets – in fact, potentially really bad news for cyclists, walkers, and taxpayers. With pressure from BWAM and others, the Montana Department of Transportation is now keeping bike lanes on north-bound Reserve. However, those lanes are narrower (next to fast-moving traffic). Also, the same proposal will remove altogether the existing bike lanes on Mullan heading west of Reserve – an important growth area in the city. Also, it appears that pedestrian safety islands will be removed, making it more hazardous for walkers to cross Reserve. All of this for an extra left turn lane on Reserve to Wal-Mart. To top it all off? The cost of this proposal is $420,000, a huge amount! The county originally promised $150,000 for this project – who’s going to pick up the rest of the tab for a questionable project that will jeopardize cyclists and walkers? BWAM members Marta Meengs and Jim Sayer are tracking this and trying to get answers.

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