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Briefing: John Wayne Pioneer Trail

By Blake Trask | Published October 7, 2015

A vigorous conversation over the eastern stretch of the John Wayne Pioneer Trail sparks new opportunities to address local land owner interests and improvements to the trail for the long run.

As has been widely reported, in September local officials in Tekoa learned of a legislative effort to close down a roughly 120-mile portion of Washington state’s largest rail trail, the John Wayne Pioneer Trail. The Trail, which follows the old Milwaukee Road railroad right of way, runs from just outside North Bend to the Idaho border. Much of this corridor (over 200 miles) is part of Washington State Parks’ Iron Horse Trail State Park.

Following the initial news, many local residents and jurisdictions have voiced concern over the potential for permanent closure of this long-distance trail. The trail is significant as the longest rail trail in the nation. When developed, it has the potential to tie into numerous regional trail systems across the state, and to other states by connecting into Idaho’s 72-mile Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s and the 15-mile Route of the Hiawatha, which continues into Montana.

The John Wayne Pioneer Trail stretches across the state in purple. The orange trail that crosses it is the Columbia Plateau Trail.

The stated reasons for closure have included concerns over a lack of use of the trail, worries about trespassing, and liability. Since early September, meetings, including a September 30 community meeting in Tekoa have been held to express concerns about the closure. The Spokesman Review published a thoughtful editorial against the trail’s closure, noting the Trail’s potential for expanding bicycle travel and tourism into many smaller communities in Eastern Washington.

Washington Bikes is engaging with the many organizations, agencies, individuals, and elected officials involved in this unfolding conversation. Many parties are working to create a stakeholder process that incorporates the varied viewpoints and plans for the future of the John Wayne Pioneer Trail. Already, it is encouraging to see the many solutions that stakeholders have brought forward to address a diverse array of local issues and to enhance this incredible cross-state trail. Washington Bikes look forward to further engagement with stakeholders to find mutually beneficial solutions and strategies that could include new partnerships, as well as new investments to develop and maintain the trail.

Posted in Advocacy, Economic Impact, Funding/Policy, Issues & Advocacy, Legislature, News, Politics, Rural, Tourism, Trails, Transportation, Travel | Tagged John Wayne Trail, Tekoa, trails | 1 Comment

Hey, Ho, It’s Coffeeneuring We Go

By Barb Chamberlain | Published September 29, 2015

Yes-Ive-Heard-of-Decaf-Whats-Your-Point-Coffee-Cup-Pic-by-Barb-Chamberlain-WA-Bikes We’re rolling again with the bike challenge tailor-made for all you bike-riding coffee lovers and coffee-drinking bike lovers in the #1 Bicycle Friendly State. It’s coffeeneuring time again!

And by “challenge” we mean “excuse to go for leisurely weekend bike rides.” Seven coffee shops in seven weekends — nothing to it, right? That’s why this is the challenge for everyone. Saturday October 3 through Sunday November 15, follow the rules below if you want to make it official and/or win things.

New for 2015: Theme within a Theme! A theme within a theme is any additional theme you use to go coffeeneuring. Maybe that theme is “If you own more than one bike, ride all the bikes you own” suggested by Mr. Urban Adventure League or the @AstridBear “Tour de Kiosk” coffeeneuring theme she carried out in Seattle in 2014. This is an option, not a rule. Have fun. Maybe you want to go crazy with our Everyday Superhero auction theme and ride in costume.

[Tweet “I’m going #coffeeneuring by bike & you should too.”]

Coffeeneuring Rules

We’ll give you something to get started: Sign up for our e-news below and we’ll send you 7 “I arrived by bike” business cards you can leave at those coffee shops or anywhere else. (Supply limited so sign up now.)

The rules, repeated here from coffeeneuring creator Chasing Mailboxes for your convenience and with a couple of notes for our Washington twist:

Ride your bike to 7 different local coffee shops from Saturday October 3 through Sunday, November 15. Any place that sells coffee (or your preferred coffeeneuring-ish beverage) qualifies as a coffee shop.
- WA Bikes note: We’re serving coffee at our annual gala/auction Oct. 17 at the Seattle Marriott Waterfront. We figure we’re (sort of) selling coffee and you can totally count this if you bike to the event.
You may also coffeeneur to a Coffee Shop Without Walls. A Coffee Shop Without Walls is a place you ride to where you then proceed to make and/or drink coffee. The Coffee Shop Without Walls is geared toward the bike overnight or bike camping participant. It also captures farmers’ markets, festivals, and the like.
Only Saturday and Sunday rides qualify. Weekday rides are ineligible, unless one of the following applies to you: a. You have a job that does not have a Monday through Friday tour of duty. In that case, your days off are considered your weekend; or b. You are retired, in which case you may choose any two days to complete your coffeeneuring outings. No other exceptions, unless you can make a convincing case for one to Mary.
Only 1 coffee shop per day counts and a maximum of two rides per weekend. If you visit 7 coffee shops in one day, you may choose only one as a qualifying ride. And you may want to consider decaf.
Jot down a summary of your experience that includes: 1. where you went (address and website, if possible), 2. the date you went there, 3. what you drank 4. a detail or two about your coffeeneuring ride, including your assessment of the “bike friendliness” of the locale (bike parking notes always welcome); and 5. total mileage. Also, if you find any “must visit” coffee shops or tea places please share that as well.
Take a photo during your outing or some other evidence that you rode your bike for coffee, and submit it as verification.
- WA Bikes note: Don’t wait until the end to share pictures with us — tag with #WAbikes #coffeeneuring on Instagram.
Hot chocolate qualifies, as do tea beverages. Apple cider is also a coffeeneuring-approved beverage. Note: Drinks do not have to be hot! They just have to be coffeeneuring-ish type drinks.
You may not combine your coffeeneuring ride with any other ride such as an organized century, populaire, or brevet. You may, however, combine your coffeeneuring ride with a grocery run, ride to the gym, an informal ride with your friends, or other transportation/utility-oriented ride. (If you do an organized ride, you may do another, separate coffeeneuring ride on the same day, e.g., a pre- or post-event ride to get a latte either before or after your organized ride.)
- WA Bikes note: Note that this rule does not prevent you from organizing a coffeeneuring ride. If you do, add it to our Washington state bike events calendar and drop a note here and on our Facebook page to invite others.
Your ride must be at least two miles total, but there is no maximum so yes, you could ride 100 miles (or more!) for a cup of coffee.
- WA Bikes note: Setting off on a fall bike tour inspired by Cycling Sojourner Washington? Remember to check out the Coupon Companion for coffee shop deals, including stops like Cinnamon Twisp Bakery or Caffe La Boheme on Lopez Island. And if the coffee is worth riding 100 miles for, we really want to know about it.
There are no geographic limitations to the Coffeeneuring Challenge, except that your coffeeneuring must occur on planet Earth.
You have to go to 7 different locales, although you may ride to multiple locations of a chain, if necessary. For the Coffee Shop Without Walls, you must prepare and/or drink your coffee in different places. That means seven different campsites/locales.
Theme within a Theme! New for 2015. A theme within a theme is any additional theme you use to go coffeeneuring. Maybe that theme is “If you own more than one bike, ride all the bikes you own” suggested by Mr. Urban Adventure League or the @AstridBear “Tour de Kiosk” coffeeneuring theme she carried out in Seattle in 2014. This is an option, but not a fast rule so have fun with it as you see fit.
- WA Bikes note: If your theme involves exploring your town by bike, we’d love to get a route map and photos to run as a guest blog post. Coffee shops near art galleries? Coffee shops serving locally roasted coffee? Vegan organic gluten-free coffee shops? Show others your favorite places.
Deadline for submitting Coffeeneuring Challenge entries is whenever the clock strikes midnight in your area on November 25, 2014.
To become part of the worldwide coffeeneuring results: Send submissions to Mary: gersemalina-at-gmail.com. They may be in the form of links to blog writeups, screenshots of or links to your coffeeneuring Tweets, on-line photo galleries with accompanying narrative, Word documents with attached or embedded photos, or e-mail writeups and submissions with photos attached. NEW: If you complete the challenge as a group, you may provide one submission for all of you, provided you completed all rides together.
Provide all qualifying rides at the same time. That is, send all 7 together, NOT ride 1, ride 2, etc.
- WA Bikes note: Send it our way to Louise-at-WAbikes.org. Don’t wait until the end to send it to us. Write a post on your first weekend or your halfway point or some other memorable point and we’ll share some posts along the way to inspire others. We’d love to have a map, too, if you’ve put together a nice route someone else might enjoy. Tag @WAbikes #coffeeneuring on Twitter, #WAbikes #coffeeneuring on Instagram, and/or share on our Facebook page.
Prizes! You are eligible for a small prize from Chasing Mailboxes for finishing the challenge. Because of the increased interest in coffeeneuring, the premium will cost an amount TBD, which covers Mary’s costs. To purchase your prize, you may PayPal her at the gmail address above, or send your money by snail mail like Grandma used to do. Email Mary for her address.
- WA Bikes note: Everyone who submits a blog post or Instagram picture to us will be entered into our prize drawing to win one of several oh-so-appropriate WA Bikes coffee mugs.
Tara Rule and Canadian Thanksgiving: During Columbus Day weekend (October 10-12), you have three days to accomplish two qualifying coffeeneuring rides. (This is the Tara Rule.) Residents of Canada may use Canadian Thanksgiving in place of Columbus Day.
Vacation Rule: If you are on vacation during the coffeeneuring challenge, you may coffeeneur any two days of the week for the weeks you are on vacation.
Veterans Day Rule: You may coffeeneur on November 11, Veterans Day, INSTEAD of the previous Saturday or Sunday. Veterans are permitted to coffeeneur on November 11 in ADDITION to the weekend days, in recognition of their service.
Buying Beans Rule: You may use ONE of your seven coffeeneuring trips to purchase beans (or tea) from your local roaster or tea emporium for future consumption.

[Tweet “#Coffeeneuring=great excuse for a bike ride. Join us.”]

Coffeeneuring on Social Media

Twitter hashtag: #coffeeneuring
Flickr Coffeeneuring group
Coffeeneurs group on Facebook
Blogging: Mary will do periodic roundups of blog posts about coffeeneuring at Chasing Mailboxes. We’ll do that for Washington bike blogs here so send us your link via email, Twitter, or a comment here.
Instagram: Tag your photos #WAbikes #coffeeneuring and they’ll show up on our Instagram page.
YouTube: If you really get into this and make a video of your expeditions, let us know and we’ll favorite it on our YouTube channel

The other side of the card features a short message about the economic benefits of biking customers. For example, “10 bicycling customers can fit into 1 car parking spot.”

Coffee Shops, Get Involved!

If you want to invite biking customers to your front door, sign up on the form below and tell us why you’re a great bike destination, along with any special offer you want us to highlight. We’ll include you in our social media so coffeeneurers can hunt down your two-wheel deal.

The Origins of Coffeeneuring

A randonneuring bike blogger from the other Washington, Mary Gersemalina at Chasing Mailboxes, put together the rules and launched coffeeneuring in 2011. Now in its fifth year, it’s perfect for our Washington.

Bikes Mean Business Cards

The cards, developed by Cascade Bicycle Club and sporting our logo and theirs, provide a brief message illustrating why bikes mean business and help inspire business owners to be bike-friendly. If you don’t want to wait for the mail and you’re in the Seattle area, stop by our Pioneer Square bike gift shop/offices at 314 1st Ave. South, sign up for our e-news, and we’ll give them to you on the spot.

Sign Up to Get Awesome “Bikes Mean Business” Cards

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Posted in Encouragement, Events, News | Comments Off

Green River Gorge Ride

By Guest Blogger | Published September 24, 2015

A long ride through south King County — with treats. Another in our series by Nancy Yu.

We’ve made our way south to the city of Auburn for a ride through Green River Valley. This route tours the towns of Covington, Ravensdale, Kanaskat, and Cumberland to the Green River Gorge with a stop at the Black Diamond Bakery.

We exit the Auburn Game Farm Park for the short climb up Riverwalk Dr SE to Auburn Way S; the main thoroughfare of town. The turn on M St SE takes us over to the other side of town on SE Auburn Black Diamond Rd.

SE Green Valley Rd follows along the Green River for 7.3 flat miles through the Muckleshoot Prairie. This area is home to rich open agricultural farmlands, horse farms/ranches, tree farms and goat farms.

yu-aubrun-green-river-ride-cornfields

The short steep climb up 218th Ave SE takes us to SE Auburn Black Diamond Rd. The next 6+ miles on SE Auburn Black Diamond Rd and Kent Black Diamond Rd SE takes us through the wooded residential ranch and tract style neighborhoods towards Lake Meridian.

We cross under WA-18 to Covington Way SE; this is the business/shopping district of Covington with the usual big box stores; Costco, Fred Meyer and the smaller chain stores/restaurants-Safeway, Subway and of course Starbucks. SE Covington Sawyer Rd leads us through more wooded neighborhoods and small businesses.

The turn on 216th Ave SE leads us through more austere neighborhoods near Lake Sawyer. The road goes thru three name changes as it exits the residential areas and enters the thick forests surrounding Lake Sawyer Regional Park.

The 1.3 miles on Roberts Dr takes us to the civic center area of Black Diamond out to the other end at the red Farmers Market. The turn on 3rd Ave/WA-169 continues through a short section of businesses, a mobile home park and an industrial area near the edge of town.

Maple Valley Black Diamond Rd SE leads us to the Four Corners in Maple Valley and Ken green-river-trail-Yu-Bp t; it’s a very busy area with shopping centers and a business district. SE Kent Kangley Rd goes pass the green forests of Danville Goergetown Open Space and continues out through Ravensdale Retreat Nature Area.

We head south on Retreat-Kanaskat Rd; this road goes pass the lake front homes around Retreat Lake to the wooded areas out to the large energy substation. We cross the RR tracks on Cumberland Kanaskat Rd and ride along the Green River for a quick in and out through the towns of Kanaskat and Palmer. The road continues through the country with open meadows and acreage ranches and farmhouses to the next town — Cumberland.

yu-greenriver-auburn-horses

We exit Cumberland on Veaszie Cumberland Rd SE; this road leads us out-of-town towards Deep Lake and to the rural countryside with open ranches, farm houses and agricultural fields.

The stretch of road leading up to the climb up Stanridge Hill on SE 392nd St has phenomenal views of the iconic Mount Rainier sitting high as the backdrop to this gorgeous country setting!

From WA-69 N/264th Ave SE, we take Enumclaw Franklin Rd SE for the next 3.9 miles up to SE Green River Gorge Rd. This is beautiful section of road with minimal to no traffic; it goes through the forests surrounding Black Diamond Bridge State Park,Green River Gorge State Park and the Green River Gorge Conservation Area. Take a moment to stop and view the deep Green River Gorge at the overpass area-it’s a pretty awesome sight!

yu-auburn-green-river-ride

SE Green River Gorge Rd/293rd Ave SE goes on for the next few miles and changes to SE Green River Gorge/Franklin Howard Rd and Lawson St for the last 1.2 miles into Black Diamond. A little jog around town will take you to the Historic Black Diamond Bakery on Railroad Ave.

Enumclaw Black Diamond Rd SE/WA-169 takes us to SE Green Valley Rd for the Green River crossing on 212th Way SE and to the short steep climb up Whitney Hill.

SE 384th St takes us through the rural ranchlands around Muckleshoot Prairie; this road jogs along the edge of the Muckleshoot Indian Reservation with multiple name changes.

For the return to the Game Farm Park, we take Auburn Way S to Riverwalk Dr SE and drop down to 29th St SE and R St SE.

For dinner, we stayed in Auburn and went to Pho Dinh Restaurantfor some Vietnamese beef and chicken noodle soup-it was all good!

This route has a little bit of city and lots of scenic roads with miles and miles of idyllic country landscapes. The majestic Mount Rainier is never too far away!

Garmin Stats:
78.73 Miles with 3717′ of elevation gain
Max elevation: 886′
Max grade: 13%
Terrain: Rolling with a few short steep climbs

Weather: WONDERFUL! Sunny and clear with tamps ranging from the low 60’s to the low 80’s. S winds with 82% humidity. Click here to view an interactive version of this map: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/3340030.

Guest blogger Nancy Yu writes about her bike travels at Ride Chronicles. She says, “I loved cycling around Washington. It’s a beautiful state with a wonderful network of trails and bike-friendly people. I ride to explore and love sharing my findings! I hope the write-ups and pictures will inspire those who can to get out there and enjoy the natural beauty of all that is available to us.”

Posted in Adventure, Auburn, Enumclaw, Food, King County, News | Tagged Auburn, bike touring, bike travel, Covington, Cumberland, food, Kanasgat, Kent, Mount Rainier, Ravensdale | Comments Off

Vision, Collaboration Make Bike Skills 101 a Success

By Guest Blogger | Published September 23, 2015

Today’s story comes to us from our friends at Bike Clark County.

Vancouver Parks & Recreation, Bike Clark County, and National Park Service Partnership Result in Summer Bike Camps

Dreaming big and a spirit of collaboration brought Vancouver Parks and Recreation, Bike Clark County, and Fort Vancouver National Historic Site together in a unique partnership that successfully paired bicycling and youth fitness. It all came together as Bike Skills 101, a series of four week-long day camps for kids ages 6 to 14 in July 2015.

There is an old proverb that says, “Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan”. Apparently no one associated with Bike Skills 101 got the memo, because each partner was quick to point out how crucial the other partners were to making it all work. Or maybe this is just what a great partnership looks like: each partner recognizing how working together can optimize the strengths, abilities, and outcomes of the whole. This partnership had federal, municipal, non-profit organizations, and volunteers seamlessly integrated in pursuit of a common goal to help kids have fun and be safe while riding their bicycles.

The idea originated sometime in 2013 with City of Vancouver Parks and Recreation Department employee Jen Thomas and Bike Clark County President Eric Giacchino.

“We talked about how cool it would be for the youth in the area to have a camp in the summer where they could learn bike safety,” Thomas said but the idea didn’t progress beyond that until a year later when Eric suggested they present the idea to the Vancouver Parks Director. The proposal was approved, “Then the work began,” said Thomas. She indicated that a key to launching the program was when Fort Vancouver National Historic Site offered space at the Historic Reserve to house the camps. The space was Building 410, a bare bones facility that is situated along a multiple use pedestrian and bicycle path that provides an ideal location for riders to try out their new skills.

Bike Clark County provided use of their fleet of bicycles from the Safe Routes to School programs for participants that did not have their own bicycle, as well as a team of well trained volunteer mechanics to ensure that all bicycles used were safe and functional. Registration and instruction was handled by Vancouver Parks and Recreation Department.

The camps were run by Heidi Marshall, the Fitness Coordinator at both the Firstenburg and Marshall Community Centers. Despite her busy work schedule, Marshall was excited to step up to run Bike Skills 101, “I thought it was a perfect fit. Bikes go hand in hand with recreation, fitness, and exercise.”

The camp had 80 kids in its first season with a goal of introducing “kids to fun outdoor exercise, maintenance, and road skills on a bike,” according to Marshall. They used a combination of the League of American Bicyclists Traffic Skills 101 and Safe Routes to School national curriculums to teach kids basic rules of the road, bicycle safety checks, and riding skills. The morning sessions were spent with classroom time and the afternoons focused on practical skills and eventually longer rides.

After finding the location, the most daunting challenge in kicking off the camps was, “Finding the perfect team to run it, which we did. They did a wonderful job and I hope that we will see them running the camp again next year,” said Marshall.

Bike Skills 101 Instructor Hannah Gunter agrees, “A pilot program always has challenges, but we had a great staff and support to overcome them.”

Giacchino recognizes how critical the partnership was, “The relationships with The Fort and Parks and Rec was the key. Bike Clark County had all the equipment and technical expertise but we needed these other organizations to bring it all together”.

He also recognized the critical role that Bike Clark County volunteer mechanics played in making the Camps run smoothly, “The shop guys were key to making this thing work. Without them keeping the bikes rolling we wouldn’t have been able to have a bike safety camp.”

Aaron Gibson has been volunteering for Bike Clark County as a mechanic and bike maintenance shop manager for the last three years. He sees his donated time as well worth it, “Once you do what we do and truly see the joy on these kids’ faces, you know you’re truly making a difference.” He feels that the program would be even more successful if Bike Clark County could grow into having paid staff and a brick and mortar shop space, “If I could ask for anything it would be a legitimate bike shop, open seven days a week, in the heart of Clark County….we could send hundreds of kids through camps each year.”

Looking To the Future

All of the partners are looking forward to building on the success of this year and growing the program. “I have a vision for it. I’d love to see it grow and see it become an even stronger and more wonderful program serving our community,” saidTracy Fortmann, Superintendent of the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.

Giacchino shares this vision, “I’d love to see year round, expanded programs for kids and adults also. Tracy envisioned even higher levels of camps like bike touring. The Fort is the perfect place to do all this. My dream would be to find someone to help us make improvements on Building 410 at the Fort to really take things to the next level. We could have a regional bike destination there with a small bike shop, bike rentals, and even a hostel upstairs for bike tourists!”

“I am excited to see the growth and changes for next year,” said Marshall, noting the need for some structural changes like expanding the camp for four to six weeks and separating into two separate camps based on participant age with half-day camps for kids ages 6-10 and full day camps for those 11-14.

She also notes some practical needs. This year’s camps overlapped with extremely hot weather with many days in the 90s and even several 100 degree days with no air conditioning or other amenities She would like to see volunteers to support the staff, a building makeover, and a full size refrigerator with a freezer.

Posted in Education, Kids | Tagged education, kids, Safe Routes to School, Safety Education, Vancouver | Comments Off

Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals Names Barb Chamberlain Nonprofit Professional of the Year

By Louise McGrody | Published September 17, 2015

Barb-Chamberlain-bike-WABikes-car-1_030215 The Association of Pedestrian & Bicycle Professionals (APBP) announced the winners of its annual awards program to honor excellence in the profession. Four Professional of the Year awards will be presented at its annual meeting in St. Louis on September 30, 2015.

The Professional of the Year Awards recognize the achievements of four pedestrian and bicycle professionals made during the 12-month period between the summer of 2014 and the summer of 2015—one private sector professional, one public sector professional, one nonprofit sector professional and one young professional under the age of 30.

James Wilson, Executive Director of Bike Delaware, nominated Chamberlain, saying, “Barb Chamberlain’s leadership at Washington Bikes in 2015 set the stage for citizens, advocates and policy makers to work together to achieve a significant funding and policy victory. The Washington State Legislature dedicated nearly $40 million per biennium for the next 16 years for bicycling and Safe Routes to School projects. In addition, it funded the Complete Streets Grant Program at $106 million. May this achievement in a state ranked as the #1 Bicycle Friendly State in the U.S. for eight straight years lead to a peloton of other state legislatures in pursuit!”

The 2015 Professional of the Year-Public Sector goes to Sean Co for his work as a Transportation Planner at the Metropolitan Transportation Committee. Mr. Co is now with the Toole Design Group. Jessie Holzer, Mobility Deputy, Office of Councilmember Mike Bonin, City of Los Angeles, received the coveted Young Professional of the Year award. Jessica Roberts, Principal, Alta Planning, received the Private Sector Professional of the Year award.

The 2015 APBP Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Deb Hubsmith, Founder of the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, at a private ceremony at her home just prior to her death on August 18. APBP is very grateful to APBP member Wendi Kallins for making the presentation to her long-time colleague and friend. Ms. Hubsmith was an inspiration to all APBP members.

The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes individuals who have made a substantial commitment to the profession and who have shown excellence in the field of bicycle and pedestrian planning, design, advocacy, and/or education. The award distinguishes those whose vision and determination have made their communities better places to bicycle and walk and who inspire others to succeed.

Sean Co served on the planning committee for Moving Active Transportation to Higher Ground: Opportunities for Accelerating the Assessment of Health Impacts conference in April 2015. There, he shared his work to develop one of the first methodologies to assess the health impacts of active transportation projects for the Bay Area Regional Transportation Plan. Sean played a key role in implementing the MTC’s Complete Streets Policy as part of MTC’s One Bay Area Grant, a $320 million dollar program that resulted in 58 new complete streets resolutions and 34 general plans meeting complete streets requirements.

Jessie Holzer was nominated by her peers for this award because of her trademark enthusiasm and passion for her work in active transportation. She has been instrumental in delivering Mayor Garcetti’s and Councilmember Bonin’s vision for the Venice Boulevard Great Street Project. Jessie actively advanced the Young Professional program at APBP through her hands-on work with the 2014-2015 Mentorship Initiative. She co-founded the APBP SoCal/LA chapter. Jessie has applied her dual Masters degrees in City and Regional Planning and Transportation Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, to rise quickly in her field.

Jessica Roberts’ work with clients combines education, encouragement and equity in innovative TDM programs. Her “out-of-the-box approach” was highlighted by her Pecha Kucha talk delivered in Haiku about Kidical Mass as a change agent at the 2014 Pro Walk / Pro Bike / Pro Place conference. Nominators lauded her collaborative work with community leaders to “develop smart, effective programs that inspire people to change their transportation habits” as well as her willingness to share her expertise as a guest lecturer at Portland State University, on social media and via list serves (e.g., APBP and the Bike Equity Network).

APBP Executive Director Kit Keller noted, “This year’s five award winners illustrate the range of skills, talents and abilities in our profession. Their peers recognized and nominated them because of their significant accomplishments.”

About APBP

The Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals provides onsite and virtual education and networking for active transportation. APBP is the only professional membership organization for the discipline of pedestrian and bicycle transportation. APBP members are employees of all levels of government, consulting firms and non-profits; they work in the fields of engineering, planning, architecture, landscape architecture, police, safety, health and promotion and specialize in making places walkable and bicycle-friendly. Students may join APBP. A growing number of APBP chapters offer enlivened networking opportunities for professionals and students alike. For more information about the association, visit www.apbp.org.

The Washington State chapter of APBP was the first local chapter established in the US, founded in 2013 with the participation of Washington Bikes, Feet First, and representatives of local design, planning and engineering firms.

Posted in Advocacy, News | Comments Off

It’s Time for 5th Grade Bicycle Poster Contest!

By Louise McGrody | Published September 16, 2015

Most of us first experience the joy of riding a bike as children. It’s exhilarating, a taste of freedom!

That connection we develop with bicycling can last a lifetime. It’s a way to spend time with friends and family. It’s a mode of transport to school and work. It’s a way to recreate and stay fit. It’s a vehicle to explore the neighborhood, parks, and the world.

It’s that lifetime connection to cycling that has inspired the theme for this year’s 5th Grade National Bicycle Poster Contest: #longfortheride.

First Place poster for WA in 2014

Saris is again sponsoring the 5th Grade National Bicycle Poster Contest and Washington Bikes is calling on our schools to participate in this fun event! Students are invited to create a poster illustrating what they love about the bicycle—a great classroom activity.

Each participating school selects their own winner and submits the poster to Washington Bikes for the State Contest. Submissions from the schools are due by October 21. The state winner will be entered into the national contest. Email Louise@wabikes.org if your school is participating in the contest. Contest rules can be found here.

Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 finishers in the State Contest:

First Place: Schwinn bicycle, Schwinn helmet and Schwinn bell
Second Place: Schwinn helmet and Schwinn bell
Third Place: Schwinn helmet

One national winner will receive a three day/two night trip for two (parent/guardian and child) to Washington DC for the 2016 National Bike Summit. The national winner’s school will receive bike parking and The Hub, an interactive system to encourage active commuting.

This is the fifth year that Saris and Washington Bikes have organized National Bicycle Poster Contest. Past Washington state contest winners have included students from Battle Ground and Port Angeles. Information about past winners can be found on our Bicycle Poster Contest page.

Check here for poster contest rules.

Email Louise@wabikes.org if your school is participating in the contest. Your school’s poster submission must be received by Washington Bikes by October 21.

Posted in Asotin County, Encouragement, Kids | Tagged bicycle poster contest, encouragement, kids | Comments Off

Riding to the Top of the Olympic Peninsula on Hurricane Ridge

By Josh Cohen | Published September 15, 2015

Feel like a champion for having ticked off a beautiful ride that includes one of the best climbs in America.

Distance: 80.7 Miles
Elevation gain: 8,270 feet of climbing
Good for: intermediate to advanced riders
Highlights: challenging climbing, fantastic scenery, 17.5 mile descent

It’s easy to see why Hurricane Ridge is the tourist destination it is. It rises to an elevation of 5,242 feet and provides a spectacular and unique view of the Olympic Mountains at the top. And, given that the 17.5-mile climb to the top starts in Port Angeles (elevation 34 feet), it’s easy to see why cyclists come from all around to test themselves on Hurricane Ridge Road. The Global Cycling Network recently named it one of the Top 10 road climbs in America.

If you’re just riding Hurricane Ridge, you don’t really need a guide. Park at the base of Hurricane Ridge Rd, point your bike up, suffer for a few hours of climbing, enjoy the views, enjoy the descent. But if you’re coming from a ways away, it’s nice to extend the ride by parking in Sequim and riding the relatively-flat and very scenic Olympic Discovery Trail to and from the climb.

There is a free public parking lot with restrooms on Sequim Ave just north of Washington St (and half a block from Hurricane Coffee Company). It makes for a very convenient starting point for cyclists driving from out of town.

Start heading north on Sequim Ave for .5 miles. Immediately after crossing Hendrickson Ave, take a left onto the Olympic Discovery Trail. After another .5 miles take a right onto 5^th Ave. Unfortunately a flood on the Dungeness River damaged a key bridge and cyclists must detour 3 miles around it for the time being.

After .5 miles on 5^th, take a left onto Old Olympic Highway. Stay on this for 2.7 mile then take a left onto Heath Rd. After another 1.3 miles take a right to rejoin the Olympic Discovery Trail. You’ll spend the next 16 miles on the trail winding through lovely forests, farmland, and eventually right along the Strait of Juan de Fuca as you get near Port Angeles. Most of the trail is relatively flat railroad grade, but there are a few punchy rollers thrown into the mix. None of them are long, but it’s a bit surprising if you’re used to the Burke Gilman or Centennial Trails.

At mile 21 you’ll reach Francis Street Park in downtown Port Angeles. This is your signal to get off the trail. Take a left onto Francis and climb west into town. After .3 miles take a left onto 1^st St then your immediate next right onto Race St.

Though you’re not yet on Hurricane Ridge Rd, this is where the climb starts. You’ll climb out of downtown for about a mile as Race St becomes Mt. Angeles Rd. After .2 miles on Mt. Angeles, hang a slight right to continue on Hurricane Ridge Rd. You’ll climb for about 5 miles before you get a nice excuse to rest for a second at the park tollbooth. It’s $7 per cyclist entering the park, so bring some cash.

From there you’ve got 12 more miles of steady 5-8 percent grade climb ahead of you. Assuming you’re a mere mortal, you can expect at least two hours of climbing from the start of Hurricane Ridge Road. It is undeniably a slog and, if you’re anything like me, there will be times that you’re singing to yourself or doing weird math to calculate how far you’ve got left to climb or questioning why you even like riding bikes.

On the plus side there are fantastic views all along the way. At the start of the climb you’ll be riding through beautiful forests and past the occasional snow melt waterfall (depending on the time of year). As you climb higher and higher the trees start thinning out and eventually you get above tree line and into the alpine. As you progress, the views of the valleys and peaks off to your left get more and more spectacular. It’s well worth the suffering.

And eventually you get to the top! Spend some time taking in the stunning, panoramic views, refuel with snacks in the visitors center, then get ready for the other reward for your hours of climbing. The twisty, winding descent back to Port Angeles is thrilling. It can also be a little spooky when you catch a view of the steep drop offs to your right in your peripheral or some impatient RV driver picks a terrible time to pass. But for the most part people are respectful and the descent is a ton of fun.

Once you’re back to town it’s simply a matter of retracing your steps on the Olympic Discovery Trail 20 miles back to Sequim. Those 20 miles can feel like a bit of drag after that monster climb, but you’ll be back before you know it and feeling like a champion for having ticked off a beautiful ride that includes one of America’s best climbs.

Posted in Adventure, Olympic Peninsula, Port Angeles, Rides, Rural | Comments Off

Rep. Rick Larsen Leads House to Protect Transportation Alternatives Funding

By Blake Trask | Published September 10, 2015

Today Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-2) led all US House of Representatives Democrats on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in requesting funding for a popular program that supports community investments in infrastructure for better biking and walking.

On Labor Day 2015, Representative Larsen joined Washington Bikes, elected officials, and business and organization representatives from Snohomish and Skagit counties on a bike ride along the Centennial Trail.

Larsen and his colleagues asked Committee Ranking Member Peter DeFazio and Highways and Transit Subcommittee Ranking Member Eleanor Holmes Norton for their continued support of the Transportation Alternatives Program. The letter outlined the clear benefits and rationale for sustaining this funding as the House considers reauthorizing federal transportation funding moving forward.

“Less than 2 percent of federal transportation funding goes to the Transportation Alternatives Program, which funds bike and pedestrian projects. But communities leverage these small funds to get big results. To make sure safety comes first for everyone who uses our roads, whether they bike, bus, drive or walk, local communities need these resources to invest in bike lanes, sidewalks and trails. Better bike and pedestrian infrastructure not only improves safety, it benefits people’s quality of life by cutting down on traffic congestion and pollution,” Larsen said.

Right now the House of Representatives is deliberating whether to consider a multiyear reauthorization or a short-term funding patch as it develops a longer transportation funding package.

Representative Larsen with supporters of better bicycling at the Nakashima Trailhead on the Centennial Trail

Washington Bikes thanks Representative Larsen for his leadership to protect this critical Transportation Alternatives funding that in Washington state supports Safe Routes to School projects, as well as numerous critical biking and walking projects chosen by local jurisdictions statewide.

“Representative Larsen gets it,” said Washington Bikes Executive Director Barb Chamberlain. “He sees that these smart investments in biking improve the health and safety of Washington children, and also grow local economies statewide. Local communities are clamoring for better bicycling connections that open towns and cities up to the $3.1 billion in annual spending that bicycle riders contribute to Washington state’s economy. Preserving the Transportation Alternatives Program does just that.”

This leadership for safer streets isn’t new from the Congressman who represents much of the northern portion of Puget Sound. Late last year he led a request to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to learn more about the trends and causes of collisions involving pedestrians and bicycles and to make recommendations about improving safety on our streets.

His interest in making better cycling connections has led him to events at the Guemes Channel Trail, and on Monday he spent a few hours on a bike ride with Washington Bikes and Snohomish and Skagit county representatives to see the Centennial Trail and to learn about the potential in trail extensions on the Whitehorse Trail, and north to Skagit County and south to King County.

Posted in Advocacy, Arlington, Economic Impact, Federal, Funding/Policy, Infrastructure, Issues & Advocacy, News, Safe Routes to School, Skagit County, Snohomish County, Tourism, Trails, Transportation | Comments Off

Remembering Jerry Baker

By Louise McGrody | Published September 10, 2015

One of many Jerry Baker images shared on Facebook.

The Washington cycling community feels a lot smaller today. Jerry Baker, the godfather of northwest cycling, passed away in Philadelphia after a brief illness.

I first met Jerry in 1994 when I joined the staff of Washington Bikes (then Northwest Bicycle Federation). He phoned me during my first week on the job to introduce himself as a board member and welcome me to the organization. I liked the man immediately!

Not long after that, Jerry dropped by the office to chat about bicycling. He painted a picture of the Washington bike scene in great detail for me. He told me stories about his cycling life, the early days of Cascade Bicycle Club, helping to found Washington Bikes, his involvement in cycling events, and more. When I asked him how he knew so much about the bike world, he casually acknowledged that he was in the thick of it.

And he was in the thick of it. Jerry’s vision, leadership and passion helped shape the bike scene in our state. Washington Bikes, Cascade Bicycle Club and Marymoor Velodrome Association all claim Jerry Baker as an important founder to our respective organizations. He has influenced so many facets of bicycling, from bike clubs and bike advocacy to bike racing and cyclocross. For northwest cycling, he was THE MAN.

Tributes, an outpouring of affection, thanks and sadness at the loss of Jerry are appearing in social media. He leaves a hole in the hearts of many. Our thoughts are with wife Spot and family.

Ride on, JB.

You can read a Cascade Bicycle Club profile on Jerry Baker from earlier this year.

Posted in News, People | 2 Comments

30 Days of Biking September 2015: Are You In?

By Barb Chamberlain | Published September 1, 2015

Kidical Mass ride in Wenatchee. Kidical Massive worldwide is Sept. 19 — another great excuse to roll.

We’ve egged you on for 30 Days of Biking before in April 2014 and 2015. This informal challenge has one point: Riding your bike every day. Its creators aren’t doing anything official to promote it for September, although they have in the past. We’re just picking up on the suggestion via Twitter that we push it out there to see what happens.

Riding every day in September in Washington is going to present more challenges in some parts of the state than in others. We have hundreds of thousands of acres burned and burning. People have lost homes, businesses, pets, and loved ones. Western Washington went from abnormal heat to wet and windy pretty much overnight.

So why bother?

Five reasons:

The National Bike Challenge, which started in April, runs through September. This is the last month to get some miles in and make them count in that setting.
The annual statewide bike/pedestrian count takes place Sept. 29 – Oct. 1 so you’ll be warming up all month for the riding days when volunteers around the state are collecting data that helps in our state policy work and the efforts of local advocates.
Coffeeneuring is coming. Another fun, informal, just-because challenge, this year it’s Oct. 3 – Nov. 21. We’ll again encourage you to explore by bike to consume 7 cups in 7 weeks (any seasonally suitable beverage, not just coffee) as we did in 2014. You know you loved it; the participation showed on Twitter. Think of 30 Days of Biking as your training rides for those arduous coffee-shop expeditions.
It keeps you going past the “easy” months, when the weather typically rewards getting outside, and into the tougher shoulder months. As one recent research study showed, people who choose to bike or walk for their commute are significantly more emotionally committed to their transportation choices than are people who drive or take transit.
You’re up for it! When we promoted it in April we saw plenty of participation on Twitter and on Instagram.

Recycle Shop weekly ride in Ellensburg.

Every ride, no matter how short, counts. If you have to ride your bike around the block in the dark after you get home late on a day that for some reason didn’t include riding, you do it just to check the box. Trainer time counts too; it’s about turning the wheels. The many bike clubs around Washington state organize rides that can give you some company; check them out even if you’ve never ridden with a group.

Bonus Reason #6: Prizes and Stuff

Pledge to ride and then tell us how you’re doing via comments here, on our Facebook page, or on Twitter, Instagram and Vine with the tag #30daysofbiking and #WAbikes. On Twitter include @WAbikes in your tweet. Share a link here if you write about this on your own blog, or consider writing a guest post for us about your experience.

When you talk about it we’ll enter you in a drawing. Your prize could be a WA Bikes coffee mug, snazzy made-in-Yakima 100% recycled aluminum water bottle, coaster that says “I Bike WA,” or something else. Just remember to tag us.

And while you’re at it, remember to #WavebackWA. In addition to being the most Bicycle Friendly State, let’s make it the Friendliest Bike State.

Sign up with us and we’ll also send you some snazzy “I Arrived by Bike” business cards that you can leave behind when you make a stop along the way.

[Tweet “I’m riding #30DaysofBiking in September. Join me! #WAbikes”]

BikesMeanBusiness_backlogo7

When you sign up you can also request our pocket guide to Washington state bike laws, our “Drive Aware” brochure (great to share with a non-bicycling friend or co-worker), and our “Go By Bike” tips on bike commuting.

Sign Up to Get Awesome “Bikes Mean Business” Cards and More

Put #30DaysofBiking in the comment form on the field to be entered in the prize drawing.