Help make Amtrak friendly for travelers with bicycles.  Please sign the petition.

Dear Amtrak: Cyclists like us want to help you be successful — if you’d only let us!

For several years, the Virginia Bicycling Federation has been asking Amtrak to make it easier to take our bikes on their trains.  We think its a win for Amtrak by increasing ridership, and a win for cyclists who would like to carry their bikes to destinations for touring, recreation, or making the final connection on their trips, excursions and vacations.

As things stand now, if a person wants to carry their bike on a train in Virginia, they must disassemble the bike and box it — a hassle at best, but a deal breaker for someone who isn’t handy with a wrench.   For someone not mechanically inclined, they would need to take a trip to a bike shop to break their bike down and box it —  which, of course, precludes riding your bike to the train station — and do the same at their destination.  A deal breaker for all but the most dedicated.

You then must pay a special handling fee to Amtrak to transport the bike.

Multiply all this by two for the return trip home.

I think most would agree this is a hassle.

We’ve asked Amtrak to reconsider their policy and carry unboxed bikes — heaven forbid — but have been told  they would need need new, high-tech baggage cars make this difficult situation work.

According to Jay McArthur,  Amtrak’s Principal Officer for Policy and Development:

Roll-on/roll-off bicycle carriage is not possible at this time on our Crescent and Silver Service routes which run through Virginia to and from New Orleans and Florida.  This service is provided on a small number of Amtrak services, primarily those where states have provided short-distance equipment that features low-level boarding and bicycle racks in cars that are accessible to passengers.  The equipment on these trains does not feature low-level boarding nor is there space for bicycles without taking away space already used for coach seats or racks for other passengers’ carry-on bags.  There is a baggage car, but the doors and floor of that car are three-to-four feet above platform level, the car is not accessible to passengers, and the car does not have bicycle racks

Fast forward to 1955. [continue reading…]

The 2011 Tour de France is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in years. Enjoy that excitement with fellow cyclists in Richmond at a finale celebration and ride this Sunday, July 24, at Home Team Grill in the Fan district (1630 W. Main Street).

We’ll gather at 9am to watch the final stage, and the sprint down the Champs Elysees. Then we’ll head out on victory ride of our own.

We’ll ride eastward, toward Varina, with two options: 45 miles at A and B pace, and 20 miles at C pace.

This event is hosted jointly by the Virginia Bicycling Federation and Richmond 2015, who are behind the effort to bring the World Road Cycling Championships to Richmond.

If you can’t make it to the event, you can still help Richmond 2015 by signing the pledge, and buying (and wearing) their T-shirt — which will also be available at the event.

View Larger Map

Roanoke has a new map for its greenway system, including the Roanoke River Greenway and Lick Run Greenway, which run along the river and and out to the Valley View Mall; also the Mill Mountain Greenway, Tinker Creek Greenway, Wolf Creek Greenway, Murry Run Greenway, and the Hanging Rock Battlefield Trail.

Zoom in and click on any of the blue lines that represent a greenway. A popup will appear, with a link to a PDF map of that greenway — which you can then print to take with you.

This is a really nice map. So nice, that it received an Excellence in Regional Transportation Award from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO).

According to NADO President Tim Ware, “Such initiatives are central to fostering economic growth in our nation’s communities by promoting effective transportation networks.”

We agree. We’d also like to offer our thanks, and congratulations, to the Roanoke Valley Allegheny Regional Commission, for doing such a great job.

Dear Virginia Safe Routes to School Partners,

Our partners at the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth and Prevention Connections have opened up registration for their Weight of the State conference, which deals with childhood obesity prevention.

I encourage you to consider participating in this important conference.

Robert J. Williams
Safe Routes to School Coordinator
VDOT Central Office
804.371.4868
robertj.williams@vdot.virginia.gov