Any plans you had for bicycling the Green River Trail in the next few years are being sandbagged.
Crews are racing to erect a 3- to 4-foot high sandbag wall along the trail to help contain expected floodwaters in Kent and Tukwila if heavy rains strike the area this winter.
The work stems from problems at the Corps of Engineer's Howard Hanson Dam upstream, where engineers are concerned about the structural integrity of the dam. They'll be releasing more water to reduce pressure on the dam, which could mean flooding downstream in the Green River Valley.
The Green River Trail could be closed to bicycles for up to five years, if it takes the Corps that long to figure out how to solve and repair the problem. With the sandbags in the middle of the trail that sits on top of the levee, there's not enough room for safe usage by bike riders and pedestrians.
The less scenic, but more direct, north-south Interurban Trail is slated to remain open. …..
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/10/21/green-river-trail-will-be-closed-to-bikes-for-3-to-5-years/
The League of American Bicyclists named 15 more cities to its Bicycle-Friendly Community list this week, bringing the grand total to 124.
While cities named to the list over the past 14 years are predominantly from western states, the League trumpeted the fact that 10 of the 15 newest communities came from midwestern or eastern states.
The addition of the new communities means that 35 million of us live in Bicycle-Friendly Communities. And figures in the American Community Survey released recently by the US Census Bureau show that workers in bike-friendly communities commute by bicycle at more than double the national average…..
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/10/21/do-you-live-in-a-bicycle-friendly-community-yet-new-cities-named/
About 40 bike riders from across Canada are currently in the middle of a 3,100-mile relay ride to this weekend's LiveStrong Challenge in Austin.
Calling themselves Give to Live, the group crossed over to Port Angeles, Washington, from Vancouver on Oct. 12 as they began their 12-day bike tour to the heart of Texas.
[The video at left shows one of the teams tooling across the California desert from Bishop to Death Valley.]
The cyclists are split up among six teams, with each person averaging about 70 to 100 miles a day ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/10/20/canadians-bike-to-austin-for-livestrong-challenge/
Congratulations to Garmin Slipstream's sprinter Tyler Farrar.
The 25-year-old from Wenatchee, Washington, scored more points than any other US cyclist on the UCI's individual world rankings. Topping the virtual podium were Tour de France winner Alberto Contador, Alejandro Valverde and Samuel Sanchez, all from Spain.
Farrar has 9 first-place finishes in 2009 and won the Circuit Franco Belge and Delta Tour Zeeland stage races. He accumulated 212 points, to put him in 18th.
Comeback cyclist Lance Armstrong (Astana) finished 31st . ..
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/10/20/tyler-farrar-is-top-us-cyclist-on-world-ranking/
While a lot of attention is focused on making big cities more bicycle friendly, the next battle is being waged in the suburbs.
In South Jersey suburbs around Philadelphia, for instance, planners are going up against road networks built solely for the automobile, and bicyclists are facing motorists who don't look out for them. A regular bike commuter between Philadelphia and Cherry Hill, New Jersey, told the Philadelphia Inquirer:
“In Philadelphia there's a lot of volume, but maybe because [drivers] see more cyclists, they are more aware. Here (Cherry Hill) you really got to watch them, because they're not watching for you. …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/10/19/bicycling-improvements-face-challenges-in-suburbs/
Let's hope the bike racers competing in events on the 2010 National Racing Calendar aren't in it for the dough, because there's less prize money to go around this year.
USA Cycling says the overall prize list for the 27 bike races on this year's calendar is $981,310, down about $150,000 from last year's final total prize package.
The total amount is about $400,000 less than what was promised at the beginning of the 2009 season, but seven of those races fell off the calendar, reducing the total by about $250,000, says USA Cycling.
The calendar comprises 15 criteriums, 8 multi-stage races …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/10/17/less-prize-money-in-the-pot-for-usa-bike-racing-this-year/
Google Maps is looking for help in selecting places to send its StreetView trike.
Noting that some of the most interesting and scenic locales are not accessible by car, Google is accepting suggestions on what else should be featured on StreetView.
Of course, I'm thinking of nominating the most-used or most picturesque bike trails in the Pacific Northwest.
The Olympic Discovery Trail on the Olympic Peninsula comes to mind first, as it winds along between the Strait de Juan de Fuca on the north and the snowy peaks of the Olympic Mountains on the south. That's a picture of the trail east of Port Angeles where it skirts the seawall ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/10/16/tell-google-about-your-favorite-bike-trail-for-streetview/
Who doesn't like bike theft story with a happy ending. Here's one from Wellesley College in Massachusetts.
A college professor discovered that her much-loved Trek bicycle had been stolen from the front porch one night after she left it resting against her husband's locked-up bike.
Much distraught, she started hunting around on Craigslist the next morning for a replacement bike. Instead, she stumbled across a bike — not pictured — that matched the description of her bicycle. She contacted the seller using her husband's e-mail address, got a response. Then she went to the Wellesley Police.
The police believed her story, telephoned the seller, met him and arrested him. When the suspect saw police, he immediately said, “I know what this is about. It's about the bike.” ….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/10/16/stolen-bike-found-on-craigslist-for-the-umpteenth-time/
“Every part of the trail is fascinating.”
— A quote from Caitlin Truesdale, a ninth-grader at Pingree High School in Peabody, Massachusetts, who won the Bikeway Naming Essay Contest.
She chose to name the 4.6-mile trail the Peabody Independence Gateway. The bikeway has been in the works for 19 years. It cost $192,000 to design and $3 million to build.
The story in The Salem News doesn't explain why she chose the name …
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/10/16/quote-9th-grader-names-bikeway-in-massachusetts/
Electra Bicycles is recalling 6,400 bikes with front-mounted trays and baskets and Moser Enterprises is recalling 5,000 Schwalbe bike tires.
The bikes in the recall include the 2009 Delivery 3i, Delivery 8D, Holiday 3i, Holiday 8i and Surf 3i bicycles with front-mounted trays or baskets as well as trays or baskets sold separately.
The curret recall includes bikes that were part of a front tray recall earlier this year….
Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2009/10/14/recalls-schwalbe-bike-tires-and-bikes-with-front-baskets/
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