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October 2012
We are a member supported non-profit working to improve bicycling access, safety and education in South Carolina. |
 Wondering what rides, races and rodeos are happening this weekend? Check out our calendar.
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We are only as strong as the members that support us, so please donate and be a part of our efforts today! |
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It should be no surprise to any of our members that we are not very happy with the new MAP-21 transportation bill. As the first such bill passed since 2009, it leaves much to be desired. Our national partners at the League of American Bicyclists and America Bikes have been working to disassemble and understand the bill's nuances. Findings are published here.
The good news is that the original intentions of Senators Cochran and Cardin was preserved, maintaining local control of Transportation Alternatives funding. State DOTs are fortunately ineligible for TA funds after concern that the bill would make them eligible for 50 percent, which would have taken away the local control that often has the passion that makes a community become truly bicycle friendly. Safe Routes to School coordinators are also eligible, and while nonprofits are not eligible for these dollars, they can partner with entities who are. The federal DOT will create a model MPO and State Grant process that will hopefully help the MPOs get their grant programs up and running more quickly.
Not surprisingly, the bad consists of funding cuts. The Safe Routes to School program is no longer completely federally funded, a huge blow for low-income communities. Additionally, non-infrastructure safety and education programs for adults are not eligible for TA funding, but alternate funding opportunities may be found under the Highway Safety Improvement Program and Surface Transportation Program. Education for kindergarten through eighth grade is funded under Safe Routes to School.
As we move forward, our main focus will be finding and engaging the state and local action vital to ensuring funding for biking and walking projects. We also cannot focus solely on TA funding; we must look to other, larger transportation programs that can accomodate alternative transportation projects. Along with the previously mentioned HSIP and STP funds, the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program can provide the dollars necessary not only for infrastructure but also for education, safety and encouragement. Advocacy Advance has more information on finding your way through MAP-21, and if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Amy.
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We Want More Bike/Ped Funding in South Carolina
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When the national percentage of biking and walking trips is 12%, the percentage of fatalities is 14% and the percentage of federal funding is 1.6%, there is something clearly wrong. As your statewide advocates, we are petitioning South Carolina leaders for equity in transportation funding in this state.
We want our representatives and decision makers to recognize the importance and benefits of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and to ensure that these projects get a proportional share of funding. As part of our work in the interests of you, our membership and constituents, we have drafted a letter that can be sent to your representatives. We have already sent it to numerous state officials, including the transportation secretary, governor, lieutenant governor and all seven SCDOT commissioners. In the letter, we asked for more bike facility funding and a proportional share of the pie. We hope you will join us in contacting your elected officials and adding your voice to the call for better bicycling in South Carolina! The full text of the letter can be found on our blog. If you have any questions, please contact Amy.
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Georgia-lina Bike Summit Recap
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The 2012 Georgia-lina Bike Summit is over, and we feel confident in saying it was a great success. We'd like to thank our Georgia partners for including us in the Summit; the experience has given us a wealth of ideas for future efforts and events.
Friday night, we heard Dennis Markatos-Soriano speak about the East Coast Greenway and its efforts to create an urban greenway connecting the entire eastern seaboard. South Carolina's coast makes up 291 miles of this greenway, and Dennis's goal is to have it completed by the time his son is grown to allow the next generation to enjoy bicycling and walking as a simple and practical form of transport. For such a large scale project like this to be completed, we need states and groups to work together, collaborate and share experiences, which just so happened to be the theme of the Summit.
Saturday kicked off with an opening address from BikeLaw.com's Peter Wilborn outlining the importance of bicyclists' rights and standing up for ourselves as we work to create safer roadways for all users. Randy DuTeau followed, representing both the Augusta Sports Council and Wheel Movement, and discussed the beginning of the two-state regional advocacy group, arising out of the tragedy of the death of his friend, Dr. Matthew Burke. We were treated to a keynote address from Jeff Miller, president and CEO of the Alliance for Biking and Walking, at lunch. The Alliance works to assist advocacy organizations from all over the country in their work, giving them a perspective that those of us working at the state or local levels don't often see. Jeff showed us what Georgia and South Carolina could become one day and gave us a new way to look at the real outcome we're working towards. For example, do we want bike lanes that protect parked cars, or parked cars that are used to protect bike lanes? The day ended with Brent Buice and our own Amy Johnson outlining the work of our two statewide organizations and highlighting each of our successes and challenges.
It was a pleasure to meet many of you at Outspokin' Bicycles that night and hear how excited and enthusiastic so many attendees were about what they'd learned during the day's many sessions and how they could use that to better their homes. The Coalition works best when it is just that, a coalition of groups and individuals working toward the same goal, and we were energized as well by those we met and connected with during the summit. We can't make any promises now that we'll be able to do such an event again next year, but we are weighing our options to determine how we can best bring something that so effectively spreads knowledge and passion for our own state. If you would like to give us your feedback, please go to this link and take the following short survey.
We'd like to give a special thanks to the following South Carolinians who gave excellent presentations at the Summit: Frank Babel, Jeanette Ball, Pamela Wood Browne, John Cock, Jean Crowther, Tanya DeOliveira, Jennifer Dory, Charles Fox and Vonnie Gilreath. And thanks to SCDOT's Tom Dodds for attending; in addition, we thank SCDOT Commissioner Craig Forrest for his sincere intentions to be there, if not for a family obligation.
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Once again, persistence pays off. We have been actively searching for and working towards a solution to the rumble stripping problem on our state's bicycle routes. SCDOT rendered some formerly perfect bikeways unusable or significantly less safe by what is intended to be a lifesaving measure for a driver.
Working snugly between a rock and a hard place, we once again attempted to find a compromise, be it in the design of the strips themselves or the process by which the roads were selected. Because it has been decades since our official state bicycle routes were updated, SCDOT was working off of wildly outdated information. In our most recent communication with a representative of SCDOT, we learned that the transportation agency will allow us to submit our list of preferred recreational bike routes- much more current information than they've been using. Using these routes as a filter for the rumble strip list, SCDOT should be able to identify conflict areas easier and contact us to discuss a compromise. We will be bringing opinions of local groups into these discussions to ensure we know what is going on out there on the actual roads. In a further victory, SCDOT has also agreed to use Bike Master Plans from all local planning entities to filter further rumbling in the same way.
We are still a good way off from smooth sailing over the rumbled bike routes, but as we move forward in our function to act as a connection between the state agency and local bicyclists, we are optimistic that there will be a real difference in how these routes are handled. For more information on the rumble strip issue and its history, please visit our blog.
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Gov. Haley Preserves Recreational Trails Program Funding
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In a time when we are too frequently facing attempts to slash funding for bike and pedestrian projects, we are always pleased when we can report good news. Governor Nikki Haley, along with 47 of her fellow governors, has decided to preserve the Recreation Trails Program.
This program allows states to use federal funding to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related facilities for both motorized and non-motorized use. These uses go far beyond only bicycling; examples include hiking, biking, in-line skating, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, off-road motorcycling and all-terrain vehicle riding. These funds are part of the Federal Highway Trust Fund, and are a portion of the motor fuel excise tax from fuel used for off-highway motorcycles and light trucks as well as off-highway recreation by snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles. MAP-21 reauthorized funding through 2013 and 2014 as part of the Transportation Alternatives program, but unfortunately allowed governors the chance to opt out of this very beneficial funding source.
Thanks to the dedication of you and people like you who told the governors that recreational trails program was important to their constituents, and all states except Florida and Kansas will continue receiving RTP funds at the 2009 levels. This is a victory, and how often do we get the opportunity to thank those who realized the importance of recreational trails and decided to work with us? We recommend sending Governor Haley a message thanking her for choosing to continue RTP funding and showing her that she has not only a vocal bicycling constituency in this state but also a courteous one.
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Rock Hill Named SC's 6th Bicycle Friendly Community
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The Bicycle Friendly America program is a great benchmarking tool to determine how well a state is doing in terms of accommodating bicycling not only from the statewide level, but also at the community, business and university levels. While South Carolina trails behind other states at in terms of bicycle safety, our bike friendly ranking- 32nd- shows us in a much better position and demonstrates that we are all working to improve the state. In the particular climate of challenges we face, much of this work must happen from the ground up, which is why we are thrilled to announce that Rock Hill was awarded a bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community designation this past month, making it our sixth in the state.
Rock Hill's establishment of a Bicycle and Pedestrian Task Force, public/private partnership to provide cycling facilities at the Rock Hill Outdoor Center- including South Carolina's only velodrome- and the citizen engagement thanks to the Planning Department that led to the draft College Town Area Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan all played a large role in winning the city this award. The BFC designation supports city plans for trails and greenways; a strategic plan to enhance connectivity through well-planned streets, trails and greenway systems; and initiatives to fight obesity and chronic disease. The Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department submitted the BFC application with assistance from the Bike/Ped Task Force, the city's Planning Department and the Rock Hill Bicycle Club. The city's BFC status is valid for four years, and Rock Hill can apply for an increased designation level at that time. They will receive detailed feedback so that they can continue to improve and become even more bicycle friendly.
Also recognized by the League this month are two new Bicycle Friendly Businesses. The Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery in Greenville and Bees Ferry Veterinary Hospital in Charleston were both awarded a bronze-level designation. The Children's Museum of the Upstate in Greenville received an honorable mention. We hope you share our excitement at these announcements; our goal for 2013 is to get a 7th BFC and even more BFBs!
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Hilton Head Pushes to Become More Bike Friendly in 2012
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It has been over a year since Hilton Head became our highest-ranking Bicycle Friendly Community at the silver level. The island has not been content to rest on its laurels, however, and has kept very busy during the past year. Local board member Frank Babel tells us that they have continued to improve their 5 E's (engineering, education, enforcement, encouragement and evaluation and planning) in an effort to maintain their top status.
Hilton Head already boasts an extensive network of pathways for bicyclists, and the town keeps adding to them. Over past year, they have added pathways, signage, signals, crosswalks and bike parking, while updating what was already there. The island has created a comprehensive five-year pathways capital plan with a projected budget of $11 million to keep the network growing through the 2013-2017 period.
As a resort area, Hilton Head faces a slightly different brand of enforcement challenges than other parts of the state. Tourists don't always look up our bicycle laws before coming here, and we don't want to chase them away with citations and fines right off the bat. To this end, the island has enlisted volunteer "Biking Ambassadors" to provide a kinder touch to enforcement with tourists. The town has also collaborated with the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office to educate deputies on the bike laws. Safety has also improved, with bike/car crashes down approximately 50 percent at the town's most dangerous bicycling intersections. This improvement is due to an evaluation of the sheriff office's incident report and resulting infrastructure improvements.
Hilton Head is a reminder that attaining BFC status isn't an endgame. It's a challenge to improve, and to continue improving. With the introduction of the diamond level, the League has shown they intend to keep moving the finish line to encourage us to keep pushing forward and becoming better and better for bicycling. We are pleased to see that Hilton Head is stepping up to that challenge already.
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Penny Sales Tax on Ballot in Richland County
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Columbia is a Bicycle Friendly Community, but it certainly doesn't feel like it. As residents of our capitol city, that is a sentiment we hear almost daily. The city and its new Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee have been making efforts to improve- there are now five bike corrals downtown and sharrows cutting through USC's campus. However, these improvements are piecemeal and often feel scattered. The city wants to encourage bicycling, but they don't know how to do so or how they would fund it. The BPAC is helping with the why as it works to develop a bicycle master plan, but the money presents a trickier problem. With the federal funding for alternative transportation at risk of being slashed at the state level, we can look locally for ways to pay for projects that will greatly improve our streets. The proposed penny sales tax referendum on the ballot Tuesday presents just that opportunity. The penny failed by a narrow margin two years ago, but is back now because it is clear from the state of our roads that the gas tax (one of the lowest in the nation) is not enough to even maintain our roads, let alone improve them.
If passed, this sales tax will bring in $1.07 billion over its 22-year life for roads, public transit, sidewalks, bike lanes and nature trails. A full 8 percent of this tax will go towards biking and walking, and while we'd love a larger slice of the pie, it's still miles ahead of the federal standard of 1.6 percent. These funds will help connect recreational trails into a true greenway network and put bicycle infrastructure on the ground, encouraging people to bike and improving safety as people do so. Another 25 percent will go to the woefully underfunded and inadequate bus system to ensure its survival and growth past this year, and a healthy public transit system is key to a viable and convenient bicycle network. We are optimistic for the opportunities this penny presents for Richland County and hope you are as well.
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AARP Commends Greenville Complete Street Policy
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Older Americans are increasingly being left behind by an infrastructure system and transportation culture that won't admit it needs an update. We've worked with AARP in the past to hold Complete Streets workshops, and this article about Greenville's Complete Street policy serves as a reminder that biking and walking issues go beyond bicycling-focused organizations.
Older adults who cannot cross a street as quickly as they once could or who cannot drive anymore stand to benefit immensely from completing the streets. Longer waiting times at intersections, better signage and safe refuges in medians all serve to aid all vulnerable road users. We mentioned South Carolina's low bicycling safety ranking earlier in this newsletter, but we do tend to rank high in some areas. When these areas are obesity levels, number of people with diabetes and stroke death rate, we'd much rather see the trend reversed. With more Complete Streets policies making it safer and easier for seniors to walk, bike and simply get moving, we have hope that these numbers will decrease.
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CRSA Named "Ride Center" by IMBA
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There was some big news that came out of the Georgia-lina Bike Summit for Augusta residents and off-road bicyclists in the region: the Central Savannah River Area has been named a Ride Center by the International Mountain Bicycling Association. The CRSA joins just 10 communities worldwide that have been awarded this honor, including Park City, Utah and Taupo, New Zealand. The 150 miles of off-road riding opportunities was the basis of the decision; the 17 trails in the area range across 5 counties. The Forks Area Trail System also played no small part in winning this designation; this "infamous" trail system consists of 36 miles in the Sumter National Forest.
Ride Centers are IMBA's Model Trail recognition for mountain bike facilities on a large scale that suit all levels of riders. Communities and other eligible groups must be invited to apply for the designation and are evaluated on clear criteria. This is not the first time Augusta has welcomed IMBA's attention- the city hosted the IMBA World Summit in 2010. Obviously IMBA saw something special in the area, and we were thrilled to be there when the prestigious honor was announced. It's exciting to have a world-renowned mountain biking destination right in our backyard!
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Your share the road license plate supports our bicycle programs and initiatives. If you don't already own one, and are looking for an easy way to support our work and bicycling in South Carolina, then please purchase a plate at your local DMV office today!
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Thank you for your support!
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