JULY 2014
PeopleForBikes, Iowa Bicycle Coalition Celebrate RAGBRAI® Partnership with $10,000 Donation
Last week, RAGBRAI, the largest multi-day U.S. bicycle touring event, and the Iowa Bicycle Coalition partnered with PeopleForBikes to encourage their riders to join the PeopleForBikes movement to make bicycling better for everyone. This year, Day 4 of the ride was named “PeopleForBikes Day” to raise awareness that every rider can play an important role in making each bike ride better. RAGBRAI and the Iowa Bicycle
Coalition supported a month-long campaign to encourage participants to become PeopleForBikes supporters and more than 8,000 people joined. PeopleForBikes promoted RAGBRAI online and maintained a staff presence and booth all week. They also donated $10,000 to the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, which is roughly one dollar
for each new PeopleForBikes member generated by the partnership.
PeopleForBikes President Tim Blumenthal said, “RAGBRAI is an amazing celebration of every element of bicycling—all united by goodwill, camaraderie and a daily sense of accomplishment. It’s the perfect place for PFB.” In its 42nd year, RAGBRAI is
the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. The seven-day ride across Iowa begins in Western Iowa somewhere on the Missouri River and ends in Eastern Iowa on the Mississippi River. The ride route changes each year. RAGBRAI draws tens of thousands of riders, who are every age, size, shape, and ability, and who ride bikes, trikes, tandems, recumbents, unicycles and everything in between.
Cedar Rapids Replaces Car Parking with On-Street Bike Corral
on-street bike corrals like this one.
The City of Cedar Rapids installed Iowa’s second on-street bike corral (photo attached). Installed in an effort to address the issue of cars and motor cycles parking between the City’s parklets on 3rd St and 2nd Ave, these 4 angled bike racks will provide parking for 8 cyclists in the space occupied by single motor vehicle.
It is hoped that this style of bike parking is enjoyed by citizens and local businesses. Locating the bike racks in this location resulted in no loss of motor vehicle parking
Lastly, Zins at 227 2nd Ave SE, in downtown Cedar Rapids, is graciously offering any cyclist who parks at the new corral a free desert with their order. I am sure this is a limited time offer so if you are interested, don’t hesitate to stop in. given the location of the two surrounding parklets. This was truly a win for everyone. Currently are no plans to attempt this style of bike
parking elsewhere in the Cedar Rapids metro. If this bike corral is a success and with surrounding community support, they would be happy to install more
Have a great weekend and if you have the time please stop by and check out the new on-street bike corral on 3rd St and 2nd Ave!
Iowa Bike Tech Tee Available Online $20.00 Get one of these great 100% poly A4 tech tees with Iowa Bike vertically on the front and the Iowa Bicycle Coalition logo on the back. Mens crew neck. Womens v-neck. These are great shirts for riding, working out, or casual. $5 shipping per item, lower 48 US states only. No exchanges. IOWA BICYCLIST | PAGE 2
Cedar Rapids Green Bike Lanes: Installation & Education Cedar Rapids became the FIRST City in Iowa to install green bike lanes, painting a demo section of 50 square feet of green at the intersection of 3rd Ave and 3rd Street SE on Wednesday, June 4. The demo was freely provided by paint manufacturer Ennis-Flint. The demo will provide the community with the opportunity to learn safety features of green bike lanes before the city considers more wide-spread implementation. Why Green Bike Lanes Matter Clearly marked bike lanes increase safety for drivers and cyclists, and will provide an eye-catching bike lane designation in addition to the already existing white bike lane lines, bicycle symbols painted on lanes, and bike signage visible on traffic signals. How They Work Green bike lanes are installed 50 feet in front of and after intersections to help highlight potential conflict areas, and encourage drivers making turns in the bike lane to be alert for people on bikes. Frequently Asked Questions on Bike Lanes: Q: Can cars travel on the bike lanes? A: Cars cannot use the green bike lane as a travel
lane; the green lanes designate safe areas for cyclists. Cars may move into the green bike lane when making a right-hand turn 50 feet from the intersection, when they are pulling into driveways, or when they are crossing the bike lane to park (after yielding to bikes). Buses can also temporarily move into the green bike lane when dropping off and picking up passengers. Q: When will more bike lanes start appearing? A: Later this summer or early fall, the demo bike lane on 3rd Ave and 3rd Street SE may be extended to 50 feet at the intersection. Additional green lanes 50 feet before and after the intersection will be added at the other three corners of the 3rd Ave and 3rd St junction (excluding the western lane of 3rd Ave, which does not currently have a bike lane). Twenty feet of green paint and a dashed bike lane will span the intersection to maintain bike lane continuity. As you approach an intersection, dashed bike lane lines will indicate areas where a car may enter to make a turn. Q: Will the paint be able to handle Midwest weather? A: Yes. The green paint is a Durable Liquid Pavement Marking that includes epoxy and Methyl Methacrylate (MMA) and includes anti-skid additives. Epoxies are adhesive, waterborne
acrylics that are typically applied as a paint or spray. This skid-resistant, textured paint is the approved color by the Federal Highway Administration, and will not require maintenance for 4 – 5 years. Q: How do green bike lanes increase safety for people on bikes? A: The bright green paint clearly calls attention to areas where cyclists may be riding, and encourages drivers to use extra caution. Two-thirds of all bike/car conflicts occur at intersections, where the green bike lanes call the most attention to drivers. Green lanes also help organize traffic on the road, encouraging bicyclists to position themselves more accurately as they travel across intersections. Q: What other cities are doing this? A:Minneapolis, Lincoln, Austin, St. Louis, in addition to larger cities like Seattle and Chicago.
IBC Sponsored Events: August 31 Gran Gable Fondo [Iowa City/Coralville] January 23, 2015 Iowa Bicycle Summit [Des Moines] January 24, 2015 Iowa Bike Expo [Des Moines] January 24, 2015 RAGBRAI Route Announcement Party [Des Moines] February 7, 2015 BRR [Perry] April 7, 2015 Legislative Bike Ride [Des Moines]
IOWA BICYCLIST | PAGE 3
Iowa Bicycle Coalition Staff Reports Executive Director Mark Wyatt
Membership Ali Winn
I was able to attend the Dubuque County Board of Supervisors meeting on July 28. The Board is proposing an ordinance to regulate bicycle events. Bicyclists and event organizers were on hand to give input to the Board of Supervisors. No one spoke in favor of the ordinance.
winter where conservation was notified. The newspaper had a quote from the sheriffs’ office stating they hear about most events by phone. Finally, the board referred to an uptick in event requests, which they must be getting notified if they have realized an uptick.
The ordinance will require a fee of $50 to apply for permission to hold an event six weeks in advance of the event date. An event could be denied and the money, minus any time the county put into the decision would be reimbursed. The county would have two weeks to make the decision. Event organizers would have to pay for any staff time in planning the event, as well as restroom facilities and traffic controls. Participants will be required to wear numbers. Finally, the county would be indemnified from any legal negligence.
We were also told about complaints from neighbors that were received by the board. Not about event safety, but about getting out of driveways.
We weren’t given a clear reason to why the ordinance was neccesary. The first reason was the sheriff wasn’t notified for events, but the one event they cited was a trail event in the
This ordinance is very similar to one passed in Iowa County, Wisconsin. There are some differences including a sunset clause in May 2015. The Iowa Code does allow for regulation of bicycle operations, but it cannot conflict with 321.234 - same rights and duties section. So if an ordinance is in place, it has to vehicle neutral.
Events...and lots of them. This summer I have been busy traveling to various bike rides and wellness fairs/expos across Iowa increasing awareness of our organization. Luckily, it has been perfect weather for biking this summer. My journeys have taken me from the far northwest corner of the state in Rock Valley for the RAGBRAI Expo to the buffs of Dubuque for the TOMRV bicycle ride. It is great to see new members joining our initiative while catching up with current members that stop by our booth. My first summer at IBC has been an adventure and I look forward to seeing everyone at future rides.
But the bigger concern is what is the problem this tries to solve. We will keep an eye on this issue.
Join the Iowa Bicycle Coalition Today! STEP 1
Your name and information.
STEP 2
Choose your donation amount.
Name: __________________________________________
Automatic monthly donation of $_______
Address: _________________________________________
Or, a single donation of $_______
City/St/Zip: ______________________________________ Email: __________________________________________ Phone: __________________________________________ Number of Household Members: ____________________
STEP 3
Enter your payment information.
Enclose a check to payable to the Iowa Bicycle Coalition. Pay by credit card. Card # ________ _______ ________ ________ EXP DATE ________ SIGNATURE ______________________________