April 22 is Earth Day, and one of the best ways to honor it is to ride a bike. The US Secretary of Transportation agrees, with his blog post today, “Bicycling is an important factor in less carbon-intensive commuting.” So dust off the bike today and take it for a spin — if not today, then soon.
If you’re not going to use your bike, please pass it along to someone who will. The US has the highest number of bikes per household of any country, yet one of the lowest rates of bike use.
Bikes for the World is a project of WABA, bringing America’s unused bikes to appreciative new owners in the developing world. Also consider donating your unused bikes to a local bike co-op or community bike workshop.
Reduce, re-use, recycle!
As the Pilot Online reports, a bicyclist was killed on Shore Dr. in Virginia Beach on the morning of April 19. Daniel Wayne Hersh was headed east on Shore Dr. near Starfish Rd. when he was struck by the right side of a Ford Explorer, also headed east (ie, sideswiped). No charges were filed against the driver of the Explorer.
Under Virginia law, a driver of an overtaking vehicle must wait until it is safe to pass, then pass with at least 2 feet of clearance. Bicycles are vehicles under Virginia law.
There will be a Daniel Hersh Memorial Ride on Sunday, April 26, 8am, at Conte’s Bicycles on Laskin Road in Virginia Beach. Cyclists are requested to wear black or white. A ghost bike will be placed on Shore Drive in memory of Daniel Hersh.
Potholes are an annoyance for all road users, but are a serious hazard for bicyclists. We wonder why they don’t get fixed. Often it’s because no one has bothered to report them!
Please report dangerous potholes and road debris. Call VDOT’s road problem hotline at 1-800-367-ROAD, or use the form at VDOT’s Report a Road Problem web page.
You should also report broken pavement, washouts, malfunctioning traffic signals, or anything else that could be a hazard.
In-town roads are usually the responsibility of city and town governments. Every bike club should make available the contact information for their local public works departments.
Each year VBF sponsors the Cross-State Ride to raise awareness of US Bike Routes 1 and 76, and to promote bicycle-oriented tourism in Virginia. This year we’ll be riding Bike 76, from Breaks Interstate Park on the Kentucky border, to Chickahominy Riverfront Park in Yorktown. It will be a 2-week tour with sagged camping.
As always, you’re encouraged to join us for any portion of the tour. We especially like day riders to join us as we ride through your area. Please try to schedule a ride-along ride for your bike club! Note the weekend side trip May 15-16 on the Virginia Creeper Trail, also a great chance for you to join us.
We haven’t finalized everything, but here’s the itinerary, as of April 19:
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Mark your calendars for the 2009 East Coasters Cycling Double Header, the Wilderness Road Ride and Mountains of Misery, May 23 &24 (Memorial Day weekend).
New for 2009: the Wilderness Road Ride will benefit the New River Valley Agency on Aging, and Mountains of Misery will feature an all-new start procedure. Register online or by mail, using the links at the (also new) Cycling Double Header website. Register soon: prices go up May 7, and Mountains of Misery is likely to sell out (the limit is 500 riders). Wilderness Road Ride has no limit, so feel free to show up and ride.
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