The Bicyclist Safety Act has been signed by the governor, and will take effect July 1.
IMBA reports:
Bell Bike Helmets and the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) have announced the 12 finalists for the 2014 Bell Built Grants: $100,000 in technical assistance money put up by Bell for three bike projects to be built in 2014 by IMBA Trail Solutions. Public voting to choose the winners begins April 7 and ends May 18, with winners announced May 19.
Stand by to cast your vote! [continue reading…]
REGISTRATION DEADLINE FOR THE CONFERENCE IS MARCH 25th.
Leaders Gather to Share Transportation Best Practices
WHAT – On Thursday, March 27th, from 8:00 to 4:00, The Cabell Brand Center and RIDE Solutions will host the first annual Sustainable Transportation Summit at Virginia Tech School of Medicine and Research Institute. The all-day summit will provide a broad educational program that will touch on the economic, environmental, and social value of implementing and encouraging transportation choice in the region. Keynote speakers include Nicholas Donohue, Virginia Deputy Secretary of Transportation, and Walter Kulash, Livable Transportation Movement. The program will be valuable to planners, transportation professionals, elected officials, business leaders, public health officials and community advocates. Presentations will offer best practices, incentives, and success stories from within and outside the Roanoke Valley to show how investments in sustainable mobility options can improve a region’s vitality and economic competitiveness.
CONFERENCE HOSTS – The Cabell Brand Center for Global Poverty and Resource Sustainability Studies is a non-profit organization founding in 1987, and has been providing education and outreach for over 25 years. Ride Solutions provides alternative transportation options – ridesharing (carpooling and vanpooling), biking, public transit, walking, and guaranteed ride home services – to residents living within the greater New River and Roanoke Valleys and Region 2000 regions of southwestern Virginia. For more information, go to:http://ridesolutions.org
REGISTRATION – For more information and to register for the Sustainable Transportation Summit, please visit the Cabell Brand Center website at: www.cabellbrandcenter.org
COST – Registration is $25 and includes a continental breakfast and lunch featuring locally sourced foods and beverages.
CONTACT – Questions? Write Jeremy Holmes of RIDE Solutions at jholmes@rvarc.org
26 year old Michael Jenkins has been arrested and charged with felony hit and run for fleeing the scene of the crash that killed bicyclist Sean M. McQuaid on Rt. 122 near Rt. 24, around 8:30pm Friday, March 21. Two hours later, firefighters responded to a call about a house and truck on fire at Jenkins’ home, where he may have been trying to burn the evidence.
When firefighters arrived at the Snowberry Hill home a little after 10:20 p.m. Friday, they found Jenkins’ pickup truck on fire in the driveway. The house was not on fire.
As firefighters tried to put the truck fire out, Jenkins allegedly started pushing firefighters and throwing objects at their vehicles.
He is charged with being intoxicated in public, felony assault on a firefighter, and maliciously throwing missiles at an occupied vehicle. The Bedford County Sheriff’s Office believes the truck was intentionally set on fire.
Jenkins has also been charged with felony hit-and-run for an accident that killed 53-year-old Sean McQuaid about two hours before the truck fire was reported. Investigators say McQuaid was riding his bike south on Route 122 near Route 24 on Friday night around 8:30 p.m. when he was hit by a car. Investigators say Jenkins left the scene of the accident.
Anyone with information about the hit-and-run incident is asked to call Virginia State Police at 1-800-542-5959.
Update: a suspect, Michael Jenkins, has been arrested.
A bicyclist has died following a hit and run crash Friday evening, Mar. 21 in Bedford County. If you or anyone you know were in the area of Moneta Rd. and Stewartsville Rd. at around 8:30pm, and have any information that may pertain to this crash, especially about a late model Ford Edge SUV, please contact the State Police.
“Sean M. McQuaid, age 53, of Cape Canaveral, Florida was traveling southbound on Route 122 when he was struck from behind by a vehicle that fled the scene. McQuaid was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
The Virginia State Police are still looking for a suspect vehicle identified as a newer model Ford Edge sport utility vehicle that fled the scene.
Anyone having information regarding this hit and run accident should contact the Virginia State Police at 1-800-542-5959.”
Bike lanes to be painted on King St.
Photo by Alexandria Dept. of Transportation and Environmental Services
After a long day’s debate with 70 speakers on the docket, Alexandria City Council voted 7-0 to approve the King St. Bicycle Lanes and Pedestrian Improvements project.
A few King St. residents who were — understandably — upset about losing street parking in front of their homes, left no stone unturned in bringing up arguments against the project; even using the Wall Street Journal as a soapbox. But local bike advocates carefully addressed each challenge over the course of several months. And today the City Council saw fit to uphold its own Complete Streets policy, and fix an important broken link in the local bike-ped network.
Alternate routes were considered, and may still be more appealing to some cyclists. But most will still use King St. to travel westward from Old Town and the King St. Metro station, and they must be accommodated.
With no bike lanes on King St., cyclists are using the narrow sidewalks.
Special thanks to the members of Alexandria’s Bike-Ped Adviscory Committee, WABA’s Greg Billing, WABA’s 300-plus members in Alexandria, and everyone else who wrote to let the Council know how important a route King St. is for bicycling, both locally and regionally.
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