I would like to invite everyone to view some of the many funny and enlightening videos on Streetfilms, a sister site to this one which you can jump to by the icon at the top of the page.  I haven’t figured out how to successfully embed these videos in this blog, so until then check out that site for yourselves. 

Two of my favorites are “Bike Box!” which shows an innovative way towns and cities are helping to give cyclists more visibility and easier left turning at intersections. To boot, it shows Green bike lanes, my favorite kind! After watching this video you may find yourself shouting Bike Box! at random points throughout the day. 

The other video I love is “Hal Grades Your Bike Locking - Again!” where this funny guy goes around with a cameraman and inspects people’s bike locking jobs- poking fun at each in turn and explaining how he would steal the bike if he were a thief.  Quite an eye opener to a slapdash bike-locker such as myself. 

If you find any favorites of your own, post them here to the comments! 

Project:  Bike Lane Feasibility Study.  July, August 09. 

Details- I will conduct a bike lane feasibility study for Collings and Haddon Avenues as an independent study.  My advisor is Dr. James Dunn, a transportation policy expert.

Project:  Bicycle and Pedestrian Action Plan.  September-November 09. 

Details- This is where the input of the community becomes crucial. This second independent study will center around specific suggestions for areas most urgently in need of improvement.  For example, a dangerous crosswalk.  Nonexistent or inadequate bike racks. An online and (in limited amounts) paper survey will become available for residents AND all users of Collingswood roads. 

Project:  Safe Routes to School Campaign.  Projected for Spring 2010-Infinity.

Details- Many parents have expressed interest in changing the Board of Education’s policy on bicycling to school.  This should be a town-wide effort to be really effective.  Parents, start organizing yourselves and pressuring your PTA’s.  There will be more information about this in future blogs.  Feel free to start discussion threads.

Project:  Connection of bike lanes to East Coast Greenways.  Ongoing. 

Details- Greenways are continuous cycling routes from one green space to another.  For example, a signed bike route from the Delaware River to the Cooper River to Knight Park, to Newton Lake Park and so on. 

Project: Education and Encouragement.  Ongoing.

Sky’s the limit! Classes on bike safety, rules of the road, bike rider’s fashion shows, classes for motorists on driving safely near cyclists and pedestrians, what makes a town pedestrian friendly, ride your bike to school, walking school bus, etc etc.  Suggestions and instructors needed!

Project: Collingswood Bike-Share. Ongoing.

This is Collingswood’s pioneering bike program, saving bikes from the landfill and offering them at a nominal rental fee to Collingswood residents, as well as tune ups! See the Bike-Share “Page” on this site for the details of the program.

And as many other initiatives as there are people eager to create the town they want to live in!

Long -Term Goals:

For the Borough of Collingswood to implement a Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan that has its basis in the residents of Collingswood.  For that Master Plan to be comprehensive and subject to review and amendment at regular intervals so that it may change with the changing times and continue to be improved. 

For bicyclists and pedestrians to be welcome as equal users of the roads, to increase safety, promote healthy lifestyles, reduce fossil fuel pollution, alleviate the town’s parking problems, encourage shopping at local businesses, and make Collingswood a model of innovation for surrounding towns to emulate. 

Hello!

Welcome to your community discussion page and clearinghouse for all things bike/ped!

This group is by invitation only, the only requirement for being added as a member is that you have a desire to increase bicycle and pedestrian accomodations in Collingswood. 

We have a blog page, which is where I will post updates.

We also have a discussion page where members can discuss issues of interest to them.  My only guidelines for the discussion page are: 

1) Keep it polite. I will ruthlessly remove people who write nasty things. Thank you.

 2) Stay on the topic of bike and pedestrian issues.  Don’t give in to the temptation to talk about anything and everything related to Collingswood.  Focus, people, focus!

***Important note: If you do not want to get an automatic email every time someone posts a discussion message, then go into Discussion and change your Preferences to either “daily digest” or “web only”.

Finally, thank you for your interest in our wonderful little community.  Words + Action= Change!

Stella Bonaparte (group facilitator)