Annual Meeting
On Thursday, Oct 4 The Berkshire Bike Path Council will hold their annual meeting. This year we are encouraging all interested cycling advocates to join us as we prioritize our future efforts.
Our primary mission has been to advocate for a bike path from Vermont to Connecticut. We have supported local subcommittees by sharing resource information and advocating for funding. Our coordinated effort has ensured the contiguity of our route and helped develop a countywide Implementation Plan. Our advocacy efforts have enlisted TIP construction funding.
Our efforts have expanded to advocating for safe roads, supporting a variety of other path efforts, encouraging the use of adaptive cycling equipment, attending events to raise awareness about cycling, keeping cyclist and path advocates informed through the monthly newsletter, developing a cycling map and providing a strong voice when bike path efforts are challenged.
But with limited resources, we need to prioritize our goals and reassess our direction for the future. Please join us in this effort. Your ideas are important in this planning process. You can email suggestions (
info@berkshirebikepath.com) or attend the meeting Oct 4, 6:00 PM at 1 Fenn Street in the Berkshire Regional Planning office.
STOCKBRIDGE COMMUNITY RIDE - HOUSATONIC HERTIAGE WEEKEND EVENTS
On Sunday, September 23 at 9 AM the third annual Stockbridge Community Bike Ride will take place. MARK YOUR CALENDARS!! This year, the ride will be a part of the annual Heritage Walks Event sponsored by the The Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Association.
Meeting place will be the same as in the past; Town Office Building (east side), Main Street, Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
The Rides; Two rides will be offered. A short 8 mile loop with a few hills and a longer loop ride of about 25 miles which will extend into the neighboring towns of Lenox and Lee. Again there will be some hills but none of special note or great difficulty. Maps will be provided, and ride leaders will be on hand to assist in route navigation.
Rider Responsibility; All riders must wear helmets, agree to follow the rules of the road at all times, and assume full responsibility for their own personal safety during the event. Participants will be required to sign a waiver and hold harmless agreement. Children under the age of 18 may participate, but they must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who will sign a consent form.
Same Roads Same Rights Same Rules
A friend recently sent me this Pan Mass bumper sticker and I immediately wanted to share it with all road riders. Tim Jones' Aug.24 Berkshire Eagle article Share the Road addressed the "Five E's" promulgated by the League of American Bicyclists (ww.bikeleague.org) - engineering,( improving road design, smooth shoulders, well marked lanes, dedicated bike lanes) education ( knowing traffic laws), enforcement (holding motorist and cyclist equally responsible for following the rules), encouragement (getting more people to ride) and evaluation (measuring results of programs and planning for the future.) As cyclist and drivers we need to model the behavior we want to encourage to truly share the road.
Future Bike Path Funding
Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21) is the new Federal-aid highway bill that became law over the summer. . MAP-21 consolidated many programs and does not have earmarks (directed funding of specific projects), but does have the same amount of money going to states.
The Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to Schools, and Recreational Trails programs that funded the majority of bike projects are consolidated into a new Transportation Alternatives (TA) program. The TA program is funded at two-thirds of the three prior programs' levels. Other programs, like Scenic Byways, were eliminated. . The new bill does not change existing funding commitments for bike trail design and construction projects in Lee, Pittsfield, Adams, North Adams, and Williamstown.
The amount of Federal-Aid dedicated for bicycling is decreased by a third in MAP-21. However, the Commonwealth is not restricted to only spending TA funds on biking, it can augment TA eligible projects with other Federal programs like Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ). It remains critical for the Bike Path Council to advocate for increased funding, education, and outreach; for BRPC to plan a comprehensive multimodal transportation system that includes bicycles; and for our Cities and Towns to construct paths, add bike lanes, and improve safety on all roads for bicyclists. If bicycling continues to grow as a region-wide recreation, economic, and transportation objective, then we should keep getting projects funded. The Commonwealth's 'Complete Streets' policies also require Cities and Towns to integrate how bicyclists use roads that are fixed with state funds.
