From the Chairman:

Summer is nearly gone and kids are heading back to school. As I write this I am, as many of you, overwhelmed by Hurricane Katrina’s destruction and devastation along the Gulf Coast(90,000 square miles). I don't believe I’ve ever seen such despair among the citizens of the USA in my lifetime. I spent two days at Ground Zero with my son Patrick on Sept 24-25 in ‘01 and there is no comparison. Words can’t express what is happening in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The best we can do is offer our prayers and send money down to the Red Cross, Salvation Army and others doing outstanding work. The USA will not be the same after Katrina. We all need to pull together to help these folks out. Locally folks are concerned about rising fuel costs and availability. Some of us remember the early ‘70's gas lines and odd/even days and many of us are returning to Bikes for transportation. We have received many calls about using Bikes again by the newspapers - will a Bike get you to work? The good thing is that we have more Bike facilities (bike lanes/trails/bus racks), than 1970 and can assure questioners that many more can ride their Bikes to work and school. Our whole energy crisis has to be addressed. We are never going to have enough fuel to  drive us out of this bad situation. We are burning 87 million barrels of oil everyday and the most we can obtain is 85 million barrels a day and those supply numbers are rapidly going down. As we have been saying for years here at CPABC - we have to build multi-modal transportation: Bus/Bike/Walk to lessen our dependency on oil and allow some of us to safely ride our Bikes, take mass transit, or even walk safely in our communities. Maybe this tragedy will be the wake-up call to put us on track.

This newsletter is full of good Bike/Ped stuff. Positive things are happening in our communities and around the state to lift your spirits a bit. Our map-making committee is hard at work, good folks are running for public office, NIH had a win with their bicycle entrance problem, a meeting with Neil Pedersen is set for 11-30, many more state Bike routes are being added, the Gov. speaks Bicycling and Sec. Flanagan actually rode a Bike for 6 miles in Frostburg. We did have 2 Bike deaths that shook us up and we try to explain our sadness at the passing of these good people.

Our next General Membership Meeting is Monday Sept. 12, 2005 at 7:00PM (change from 7:30PM) at REI. Mark your calendars and plan to attend. We would like to hear how you are doing and what you want your CPABC to discuss.

Thanks, Bill Kelly 

City of College Park Councilman Eric Olson Running for County Council

Eric Olson, our good friend and strong Bike/Ped supporter on the City Council of College Park for 8years is going to file for Tom Hendershott's (limited from serving more than two four year terms) seat on the Prince George's County Council. This council district covers half of the CPABC members, including ˝ of College Park (UofM) and all of PG south to the DC line east over the Beltway. Eric has asked for our support and wants to hold a bike ride on Saturday Oct. 15 with the help of Larry Black to meet biking folks and ask for their support.

CPABC North Central Color Coded Map Moving Along Nicely 

Your CPABC Map Making Committee has been meeting over Summer. The last meeting was August 16. Chris Pooley has the 16" by 18" map pretty much together (reviews still needed-for correctness, let us know if you can help!). Randy Mardres and Dan Hayes are pulling together the back of the map with safety and contact info for better/safer biking in this 140 square mile map area from the DC Line in Bladensburg 14 mile north to Laurel and 10 miles across east to west. We will hold another map meeting at the U of M on Wed. 9-21-05 at 7PM  -  Come help!

EPA Has the Best Bike Storage Facility in the Area

In the recent LAB (League of American Bicyclists) magazine Summer 2005 we were pleasantly surprised to the read Aaron Ferster's article “Caution-Biking to Work Can be Habitat Forming” about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) consistently ranking among the best places to work in the Federal Government. The EPA in DC on Penn Ave., a few blocks for the White House, has one of the best Bike commuting facilities in the U.S. It is in the Reagan Bldg (biggest bldg. in DC), and when the EPA moved their new headquarters there, Biking employees formed an Bicycle Advisory Board to look for opportunities to make Bike commuting attractive and encouraging. Pat Childers (CPABC), Ross Ruske and our own Barbara Klieforth (CPABC) started working with their leaders to see how they could attract more of their co-workers to bike to work. Secure Bike parking at work was the biggest need, along with showers and changing areas. The EPA cyclists designed the Bike Parking Room themselves, with over 100 parking spots, locker and showers. Many of us at CPABC used these wonderful facilities last March when the LAB Conference was hosted at the Reagan building. Thanks goes to Barbara Klieforth for this job well done and the great job she does with CPABC as our newsletter editor, along with Reuben Anderson. We are fortunate to have you folks working with us at CPABC!

Riding A Bicycle Can be Dangerous, Sometimes Deadly

I have to write this article as your Chairman at CPABC. And it is the hardest article I have pulled together on how riding your Bike and doing what many of enjoy best can be dangerous. I have been riding a Bike for nearly sixty years and have always known/felt/experienced that injury or even death could result from what I love most as an exercise. No only do I ride, but my wife Sue rides, all four of our adults kids, their spouses and nine of our wonderful grandkids ride, totaling 19. I take my responsibility as Chairman of the CPABC very seriously and realize that I, along with the CPABC Folks are encouraging folks to do/promote Bicycling as a great form of exercise and improved health and knowing that it can be dangerous. The danger has been very personal to us in the Kelly Family in that we lost one of our brother-in-laws, Ken McCoy in Davis, Calf. on Aug.10, 2005 killed while riding his Bike in Petaluma, Calif. Ken was 55 years old, an elementary school teacher and much loved by my sister Mary and their two children Seamus and Meghan.

One month before Ken's death, on July 10, we lost a good friend Tom Bruni age 54 from Baltimore. Tom was a master Bike builder, professional Bike mechanic, a great Bike/Ped advocate and a wonderful volunteer who worked endlessly at making Biking safer/better in Maryland. I worked with Tom on the One Less Car (OLC) board and other advocacy work around the state. Tom was riding with his wife in Westminster on a Sunday afternoon and ran into the side of a van at an intersection. We are not totally sure how these accidents happen but can feel the pain of their families when they lose a loved one. Our sadness will lessen with time, but we have to continue our efforts to keep bicyclists safe and let our friends on Bikes know that the good parts of riding a Bike far outweigh the dangers. I know the dangers myself, but advocating others to ride Bikes is a little more difficult after these accidents. Our ten year old granddaughter, Kayleen, took a ‘header’ going downhill on her bike in Ellicott City a few weeks back, has lots of bruises, but no broken bones. I have to tell you I feel her and her parents’ pain and shared responsibility. I hope we all keep riding our Bikes, with helmets, bright clothes and as safely as we can. One last point - remember the right brake handle on your Bike operates the rear brake and should be used first and more strongly than the left (the front brake). If you must take a hand of your bike's handlebars - to signal or get a drink from your water bottle use your left hand so you will have your right hand ready to apply good safer braking instantly. Thank you all who commented on these Biking accidents.

   The Oxon Hill Bicycle & Trail Club-OHTBC Offers Great Biking Opportunities! 

In talking about taking Bike rides along the Northern Central Rail Trail, I also want to make sure your know about the wonderful and interesting  Bike rides The Oxon Hill Bicycle & Trail Club (OHBTC) sponsors. OHBTC is one of the oldest and most active riding clubs in the Md/DC/Va area and has rides almost every day of the week. Folks are always asking us at CPABC about rides, but we only do one awareness ride a year now, our Maryland 500-last Sunday in April, and spend just about all our time/effort on advocacy work. Many of us in CPABC belong to and ride on the OHBTC rides. Dues are only $15.00 per year and they publish a wonderful monthly newsletter (Spoken 'N' Word) full of ride schedules and Bicycle happenings in the area. Jim & Jane Hudnall, long-time members of CPABC, are the spark plugs at OHBTC along with Club Pres. Kevin Colvin and all the ride leaders and make OHBTC about the best Bicycle Club in the area. On August 6 Sue and I, along with 76 members of the OHBTC, attended the Annual Club Picnic in Huntington, MD in Calvert Co. and biked between the Patuxent River and the Chesapeake Bay along beautiful Southern Maryland roads. They had rides (maps, cue sheets, rest stops) starting at 10 miles-15 miles 20 miles and 40 miles for all rider levels. If you want to expand your riding, check-out the OHBTC group, you will not be disappointed. They have casual rides, class D 5 to 15 miles speed 8 to 10 MPH, class C Rides 30 miles or less 10 to 12 MPH, class CC easy touring  12 to 13 MPH, class B 13 to 15 MPH, class A 15 to 17 MPH and class AA 17 to 19 MPH. They have road captains who lead the rides and ensure your comfort and fun on these rides. You can check the OHBTC website at ohbike.org or our CPABC website cpabc.org click links or email info@ohbike.org or give Jim or Jane Hudnall a call at 301/567-0089. 

CPABC at Dedication of the Allegheny Trail

On Wednesday, August 24, 2005 many of our CPABC members made the 150 mile drive to Frostburg, Md. to help Governor Robert Erhlich cut the ribbon for the opening of a new section of the Allegheny Highlands Trail, a six mile stretch of crushed stones from the new Hope Road Trailhead to Woodcock Hollow. We all biked the new section along with Secretary of Transportation, Robert Flanagan (first time seeing him on a bike!). The Governor's schedule did not allow him to bike but he did speak in support of better Biking in Maryland, of teaching his 5 year-old son, Drew, to ride a Bike at the Gov. Mansion, and how the New Tea-Lu-12 Fed. money would enhance Bike/Ped improvements. We also had a chance to ride on the Western Maryland Steam Railroad, (bringing our Bikes aboard), a coal/steam powered locomotive that runs parallel to the trail from Cumberland to Frostburg. The new trail segment is part of the Great Allegheny Passage (atatrail.org), a 150 mile scenic biking and hiking trail connecting Cumberland, MD and Pittsburgh, PA with a 52 mile branch to the Pittsburgh International Airport. The connection between the Passage and the C & O Canal Towpath in Cumberland should be completed in 2006, creating a continuous non-motorized corridor from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC. Although this trail is not yet finished, 103 continuous miles from Meyersdale to McKeesport have been completed, making the Great Allegheny Passage the longest multiple use rail-trail in the East! Soon you will be able to Bike the 184.5 miles of the C&O Canal Trail DC to Cumberland and then to Pittsburgh. The 350 miles continuous trail (DC to Pittsburgh) is also a segment of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail. This trail will extend eventually from DC to Point Lookout where the Potomac River meets the Chesapeake Bay, making it almost 700 miles long. Folks attending this important event were: Jim & Jane Hudnall, Barbara Klieforth, Bill Kelly, David Whitaker, Michael Jackson, John Wetmore and about 200 Bikers from all around the state and PA. The best part was seeing Sec. Flanagan smiling as having great fun cycling through the mountains with many of his co-workers and elected officials and hearing the Governor say such great words about making Maryland Better for Bike/Ped travel. A great time was had by all!

Victory at NIH

The National Institutes of Health in Bethesda was about to severely restrict Bikes on campus until its own Bike Commuter Club, led by Angela Atwood-Moore, intervened. Under Homeland Security pretenses, NIH was going to disallow bicycles to pass through vehicle gates and force bike commuters to enter through awkward, time consuming new pedestrian turnstiles. The Bicycle Club got busy and got emails flowing, finally convincing higher-ups that the Bicycle, a vehicle in all 50 states, should be able to use the main gates along with auto traffic. Bikes will now be allowed to travel on the roadways along with car traffic.

From Morris Warren

What a summer. Hot hot hot, gas prices and tempers up but, worse, it has gone too fast. Thank God for the cool Canadian breezes so I can get outside on the bike instead of the one inside. However, the rash of bike accidents is scary and is causing me to review my riding habits. I promise to wear bright clothing and yellow helmet so I can be seen rather than the dark black colors that disappear in the morning or evening gloom or are hard to see even in daylight. I once wrote an article entitled "Bikers Show Your Ass", but nobody would print it.  I advised wearing one of those bright reflective aprons so our hinnies could be seen for miles. Bikers are supposed to be sophisticated and smart, but forget that, they must been seen, so why don't they dress accordingly? On the other hand I believe many bikers are struck because the auto driver forgets that people steer to where they are looking. This tendency is enhanced by drugs and alcohol orrrrrr some of those great looking biker girls who are probably the most in peril. Bike lanes and trails are certainly preferred.     Speaking of trails it looks like the Feds will give us more money for trails under the new appropriations. We can use it to finally connect all the trail pieces to make a solid bike system to connect our state for emergency use (as parts were used on 9/11), provide alternate transportation to reduce gas use, but also provide safe obesity fighting opportunities for adults and students that might find themselves actually having to provide their own gas free transportation. God forbid. 

WB&A Trail Progressing

The WB&A is progressing south from Odenton and  north from its terminus at Race Track Road. AA County should have the trail completed from Odenton to Patuxent Rd ( to connect with Crofton) by next year and PG County should have the extension to Patuxent River finished  by next year also. The final push will be to overwhelm  those  that falsely claims they own the railroad right of way and then  the counties can be finally joined. Development along the WB&A is a real concern  particularly along Mockingbird Lane where the  development entrances don't seem to be as agreed upon when MNCPPC and the biker groups gave the OK to cross the trail. I remember that the developers would build entrances on which the trail was raised and motorists had to stop. That seems to have been forgotten. HELP. Morris

Anyone wanting to read David T. Whitaker's "Up This Hill and Down," his entertaining account of riding the 3 State/3 Mountain Challenge Century out of Chattanooga, Tennessee, please go to  www.chattbike.com/events/3_state/2005/Uphillanddown.htm

 Transportation Bill Authorizes $4 Billion for Biking & Walking

According to Bike Belongs, the new federal transportation Bill that President George Bush signed on Aug. 10 will make Bicycling safer, more convenient, and more fun for all Americans. The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act-A Legacy for Users( SAFETEA-LU), authorizes as much as $4 Billion over six years in new federal spending on bike paths, trails, and related programs-including $612 Million for a national Safe Routes To School (SRTS) program. This transportation Bill should be at least $1 billion better for bicycling than the last TEA-21 Bill that passed in 1998. It took a combined effort of all Bike/Ped groups nationwide to get SAFETEA-LU Bill passed by Congress and signed by President Bush. Hopefully this funding will keep Bike/Ped travel growing and getting better and safer across the country, more important than ever with rising gasoline prices, now topping $3 a gallon.

Rhode Island Ave Bike Shoulders Nearing Completion in College Park

It is with great pleasure that we relate that the shoulders of Rhode Island Ave. from Greenbelt Rd. north to Paducah Rd. (N. College Park Boundary) are being widened and spot-paved to accommodate 4' to 5' Bike lanes on each side. When we founded CPABC in 1988, we asked the City of College Park and Prince George's Co. to put Bike lanes on busy Rhode Island Ave (‘main street’ in North College Park). Only after years of pleading have they been installed to the great appreciation by the hundreds of cyclists who travel Rhode Island Ave. every day around the City and to the UofM. The City used POS Funds and Rec Trails Funds to install the lanes and city matching funds were added to get the $150,000 to complete the project. We asked the city to work with the County's Public Works-DPW&T, since Rhode Island Ave. is a County Rd, to extend the Bike Lanes from Paducah Rd. at least up to Sunnyside Ave. for a better safer route into Beltsville. We are hoping County Councilman Tom Dernoga will help us extend the Rhode Island Ave. Lanes further north. We want to thank Mayor Steve Brayman, Councilmen John Krouse, Bob Catlin and Eric Olson for working so hard to make this success story happen. Another job well done towards happy and safer Biking!

Teaching Children (and Sometimes Adults) to Ride a Bicycle

We at CPABC are asked many times by the public what is the best and safest way to teach children and sometime adults how to ride a Bike. Just about all of us have instructed our children and now grandkids how to start riding a Bike after you take off the training wheels. Even Governor Erhlich related at the Allegheny Trail Dedication on 8-24 about his dad teaching him in Arbutus and the Gov teaching his son Drew how to ride a Bike at the Governor's mansion in Annapolis. The first and most important is to use a small bike so the child can place his feet on the ground to maintain control of the Bike. We've found that you treat the Bike more like a scooter than a Bike by removing the pedals and crank. A 2005 Adventure Cyclists magazine explained the same method, calling it the bike-scooting-boogie. The parent need not put a hand on the child at all: Simply take off the training wheels and pedals (crank removal optional), lower the seat allowing both feet to touch ground from the sitting position and then have the child scoot around on the Bike. This helps the child get the feel of balance on their own. Once they are balancing, have them try picking their feet up off the ground and turning. This idea was started by the Bicycle Coalition of Maine. It works, takes a lot trepidation out of teaching a child to ride - and is hands-off and free! 

CPABC Meeting with Neil Pedersen - Wed. Nov. 30

We are pleased to announce that Neil Pedersen, Administrator of SHA, has agreed to meet with us again on Wednesday November 30, 2005 7:30AM to 9:00AM at the IKEA Store in College Park. We last met with Neil on April 22, 2005 with close to 30 attending to discuss important Bike/Ped Issues with Neil and the SHA Staffers. At these meetings we explore ways to see how we can better work together with the citizens/planners/elected officials to keep Bike/Ped Travel in the forefront in the Maryland Transportation Systems. Neil is quite busy and we are fortunate to have his ear and attention for 1 1/2 hours because he has really kept the Bike/Ped Element on track and moving ahead at/with SHA. Mark your calendars for 11-30-05 and plan to attend.

President Bush Rides with Lance Armstrong

President Bush was an avid jogger until 2 years ago when his knees gave-out and he switched to Mountain Biking. Our president riding his Bike on a regular base for fun and exercise does more than anything we could do to convey that riding a Bicycle is as popular as eating apple pie and should be encouraged. And then to invite Lance Armstrong to ride with him on his ranch  in Crawford, Texas on their Mountain Bikes just adds more to bring Biking into the mainstream of America. Thank goodness we have a president and a World Biker, Lance Armstrong strongly promoting our cause of getting more folks to thinks about Biking around their neighborhoods and maybe to work. With gasoline approaching $5.00 per gallon, Biking is looking better.

SHA Considering Lifting Bike Ban on Route #50/301 on the Eastern Shore

CPABC got a letter of support off to Neil Pedersen supporting the lifting of the Bicycle Ban on Route #50/301 in Queen Anne Co. from the Bay Bridge/Kent Island northeast 28 miles to Delaware border. We received a letter back from Neil thanking us. He stated that SHA is considering lifting the Bike Ban from Rte #18 to Delaware and that sections of US#50 will be designated Bicycle Route from Rte 301 to Ocean City in the near future. Harvey Mueller, Bike/Ped Coordinator at SHA, is working to have close to 500 miles marked and signed as bike lanes and hopefully 1000 miles of State Highways signed bikeways in the coming years.. There is great progress here and we appreciate the good work Neil and SHA are doing along with many of the staffers/planners at SHA.

University of Maryland Commuters Open House on Wednesday September 21

CPABC has again been asked by the UofM Commuter Connection Group to set-up at their Annual Fair to showcase commuting to campus without your auto, by: Bus, Bike, Ride Share, Rollerblading/Skate Board and Walking. We will be going to set-up on Wednesday September 21, 2005 on McKeldon Green from 10:00AM to 4:00PM to inform/discuss with the students/faculty that there are good ways to get to campus from the surrounding neighborhoods without always driving your cars. Hope you can join-us for a few hours on 9-21 at the UofM.

Bicycles Selling Like Hotcakes in US Bike Shops.

According to News Paper articles Americans purchased more Bicycles than new autos and trucks combined in the last year, and all without employee discounts or zero percent financing. "Our sales have almost tripled in the last couple of years" says Bob Ippolito, executive president at Pacific Bicycle, the largest Bicycle distributor in the United States. The company, which is owned by Canadian Dorel, sold 5 million Bicycles last year, ranging in price from $50 to several thousands dollars. "Sales are the best we've had in five years/" says Ron Lippner, vice president of Cadillac Bicycle at Kent International, a private company that manufactures and sells more than 1 million Bikes a year. Lippner was unable to provide company sales figures. "This  exceptional year has a lot to do with Lance Armstrong's success from beating cancer and his cycling events-a lot of people are trying cycling again" he added. Armstrong, 33 won his seventh consecutive Tour de France race last month and has been called the greatest rider of his generation. As a result of Armstrong's cancer[awareness efforts-his foundation has raised more than $51 million  by selling his yellow LiveStrong wristbands-and triumphs on the Bike, more Americans are taking up cycling for leisure as well as racing. Armstrong's inttternational success also filters down to the local bike shop's economy when customers want to wear what he wears-helmet, gloves, shoes or even yellow winner's jersey. The biggest trend I've notice is movement toward comfort Bikes by the baby boomer crowd- Bicycles with an upright position)Ana a comfortable seat) said Michael Espejo, president of CadillacBikeStore.com. Bike sales and Bike Equipment is $5 to $6 Billion business per year, sad Tim Blumental, industry specialists and executive director of Bikes Belong, a national industry association. Bicycle Sales are near an all-time high with 19 million sold last year-close to the 20 million sold during the oil embargo in the early 1970's. "We're seeing continued popularity with Bicycles" a Wal-Mart spokeswoman said. Top sellers include the familiar, all-purpose Schwinn and the Wal-Mart own brand. Bicycling in the United Sates shows no signs of waning. With oil prices at an all-time high and the nation's obesity epidemic raging, more people are riding their Bikes to work. Last month , Congress passed a transportation Bill that allocates more than $3.5 Billion in federal funds to create pathways through 2009. Story by Rasha Elass

Try Riding the Northern Central Railroad Trail/Gunpowder Falls Sate Park

Since moving to Ellicott City in the Spring, Sue and I have been trying to keep our Bike rides going. We really miss the routes in the College Park Area from our front door to almost anywhere. We don't have the convenience or safety of starting out from our front door any more, but must put our Bikes in the van to Bike Safely. We would like to suggest that you check-out the Northern Central Rail Trail-NCRT, north the Baltimore Beltway Route #695 on the east side of Route #83 heading up to York Penna. The trail is about 40 miles long-20 miles in Maryland and 20 miles in Penna. This trail is built upon a historic railroad line, the second oldest railroad in the country. It predates the Civil War-1861-65, Abraham Lincoln traveled on the funeral train for the delivery of his famous "Gettysburg Address" and after his assassination used this railway to transport his body back to Illinois. Hurricane Agnes did massive damage to the railroad in 1972 and caused it end. The trail is mostly level-slight up-grade heading north, of crushed stones, nicely tree shaded with many interesting stops. Travel Rt. #83 north of the Baltimore Beltway to Exit #20 Hunt Valley Exit  and head east to York Road, head south to Ashland Rd.  and then east to a nice Parking Area to start your ride. For further info call the Gunpowder Falls State Park -#410-592-2897 Try this trail out you will enjoy yourself!

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS: 

Tues. Sept. 6,2005 Bike Mapping Session 7:00PM REI www.cpabc.org 

Mon. Sept. 12, 2005  CPABC Meeting 7:00PM College Park REI www.cpabc.org 

Wed. Sept. 21,2005 Commuter Day/Fair UofM 10:00AM to 4:00PH www.cpabc.org

Sat. Oct. 15, 2005 ATHA Bike ride postponed to the Spring of 2006

Wed. Nov. 30, 2005 Meeting with Neil Pedersen 7:30AM to 9:00AM IKEA

Mon Dec, 5, 2005 CPABC Meeting REI 7:00PM www.cpabc.org 

Wed. Feb.1, 2006 9th Annual Bike/Ped Symposium Annapolis www.onelesscar.org