Cyclists identify county road sign priorities

Over the past several weeks, some of the cyclists who use Linn County roads suggested the priority areas listed below for installation of Share the Road signs.

Image by frippy via Flickr

These recommendations are being passed along to the C.R. Bicycle Advisory Committee (a few in-town roads are included on the list) and to the Linn County Board of Supervisors and county engineer.

• Airport Road
• Alburnett Road
• Alice Road
• Blairs Ferry Road between Cedar Rapids and Palo
• Buffalo Ridge Road
• C Avenue between Blairs Ferry Road and County Home Road
• Center Point Road between Hiawatha and Center Point
• Central City Road between Center Point and Central City
• County Home Road between Center Point Road and Highway 13
• County Home Road between Highway 13 and Stone City Road
• Edgewood Road over the Cedar River bridge
• Ellis Road
• Ely Road between Cedar Rapids and Ely
• Highway 94 between Cedar Rapids and Palo
• Lewis Bottom Road between Palo and Center Point
• Mount Vernon Road between Highway 13 and Mount Vernon
• Sutliff Road (X-20) between Mount Vernon and Solon

Have additional suggestions or thoughts on which of these should get signs first?

Comment here and I’ll pass the info along.

Pedal on.

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Cycling group will match gifts for trail work, STR signs

The Hawkeye Bicycle Association will match members’ donations and give up to $2,500 to each of two fund-raising efforts in Linn County.

1. One is the Linn County Trails Association’s capital campaign to pave the Cedar Valley Nature Trail from County Home Road to Lafayette.
2. HBA members and other cyclists also are raising money to buy and install Share the Road signs on Linn County roads.

To make sure donations are matched by HBA, members should use the donation forms available on the HBA website. (Checks for both projects are payable to LCTA. You’ll see that on the form.)

If you’re not an HBA member (consider joining?) or you simply prefer to donate to the trail-paving project directly, go to the LCTA website and you can make your donation online.

In either case, donate by the end of the year to deduct your gift for tax year 2009.

Pedal on.

* * *

Full disclosure: I’m an LCTA board member and HBA member and want someone to buy me some trail paving and an STR sign for Christmas.

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Linn supervisors to talk cycling and county roads

Linn County supervisors will be discussing cycling on county roads at their Nov. 16 meeting.

If you can’t make it that Monday at 9 a.m., Supervisor Linda Langston said at an open house today, be sure to let the supervisors know your thoughts ahead of time.

Meeting place: old Steve & Barry’s building at Westdale Mall – 2500 Edgewood Road SW.

They’re expecting to have some information about cost of bike lanes, signage, funding sources and I’m not sure what else. (The terminology can be confusing. If you see “trails” on the agenda for that meeting, it means bike lanes. Other times, it might mean “trails” as in Cedar Valley Nature Trail.)

You want improved safety on these roads, cycling public? Now’s the time to speak up.

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Find hit-run driver, make Linn roads safer

Image by frippy via Flickr

Let’s hope Joseph Richey recovers quickly from his injuries after being hit by a motorist who left the scene Thursday evening.

Let’s also hope that:

• The driver is caught soon and held accountable.
• Our fellow citizens will be more aware of their responsibilities when operating their motor vehicles (not to mention more careful).
• Our county supervisors will help make that happen by following through – and soon – on previous statements of interest in making our roads safer for bicycling.

I sent them the following message this morning after reading about the County Home Road incident, and will post any responses I get. Linda Langston and Lu Barron both had said recently that they would discuss “Share the Road” issues with our county engineer.

Linda and Lu, I’m sure you’ve heard about this incident by now:

http://gazetteonline.com/breaking-news/2009/09/18/police-looking-for-driver-in-hit-and-run-near-whittier

I realize that “Share the Road” signs and other education efforts will not eliminate all accidents and irresponsible driving. However, I think much can be done to make people more aware of their responsibilities and improve the safety of our roads.

What have you heard back from the county engineer on the subject? What are you prepared to do to protect our safety?

If other supervisors would like to respond, that would be appreciated.

I’m sure the supervisors would like to hear from you, too.

Here’s a link to the information you need.

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They dig our district and want to plant us some trees

Trees Forever and Alliant Energy want to know where they should plant some trees.

John Wauro, vice president of the Linn County Trails Association, explained in a blast to the membership:

Trees Forever along with Alliant Energy has announced a program called “We Dig Your District” to plant trees in each of the five Cedar Rapids City Council Districts.  They are asking for suggestions for locations (including trails) that could benefit from a few well-placed trees.  See [the Trees Forever web site] for more information.

LCTA would like to submit suggestions for one or more of the council districts.  Please send me trail locations, trail parking lots or other trail related locations that additional trees would contribute to a healthier and more beautiful community.  Include a description of what makes this location special and how trees would make a difference at this site. Alternatively, you are welcome to submit your suggestion directly to Trees Forever as described on their web site.

Important:  The deadline for submission is February 25!

To help the LCTA get more trees along the trails, send your ideas to jcwauer@gmail.com and send them soon.

Join the LCTA, while you’re at it, and thank these folks for getting things done.

Those trails didn’t just happen, you know.

Sac & Fox Trail rideable, but…

from the LCTA website

Something got me wondering about trail conditions around here the other day, so I asked Geoff Eastburn about them. He’s a bicycle racer, among other things, and soon to be president of the Linn County Trails Association (LCTA).

Here’s what he told me about the Sac & Fox Trail, which runs near Indian Creek and the Cedar River and was hit hard by the June flood:

I have ridden it multiple times since the flood and it is very rideable, with a couple of qualifications. It is more primitive than prior to the flood and there are large sand dunes near the Otis Road parking lot end of the trail. The Mt. Vernon road bridge/underpass is still out mandating the use of the street level bridge. A mountain bike would be best, but it can be done on a cross bike by more skilled riders. Frankly, it is a lot more fun now. It harkens me back to the early days on the S&F when it was a muddy double-track.

The Sac & Fox Trail winds through far southeast Cedar Rapids then parallels Otis Road from the Indian Creek Nature Center toward downtown within sight of the Cedar River. It’s popular with walkers, cyclists, horseback riders and cross-country skiers. I hope to learn more soon about what it will take to get it back in pre-flood shape.

The LCTA website has some raw numbers that help tell the dramatic story of that flood’s impact, thanks to the counters placed at key points on the trails and to the volunteers who report the numbers. Users passing the counter at Sokol Park dropped by about 3,000 for June and July 2008 compared to those same months in 2007.

As you may have heard, the flood took away a large chunk of trail just south of the park. Look for more on that here soon.

Meantime, take a look at the raw numbers for yourself.

Pedal on.

Supervisor candidates’ views in on making roads safer for bicycling

Linn County supervisor candidates Houser, Erceg and Rosenthal came through with their responses to this question:

If you are elected, what will you do to make our roads safer for the bicycling public?

A reminder asking them to respond by midnight Saturday seemed to do the trick. (The other candidates responded earlier.)

Caution: While they all responded, not everyone directly addressed the question.

For example, Jim Houser mostly talked about his support for trails before adding something about wide shoulders. Mr. Erceg maintains that our county roads are mostly gravel and therefore unsuitable for bicycling. (Huh?)

Mr. Rosenthal’s response was similar to some others, focusing on bike lanes.

I should note that some who have studied bicycling would dispute the assumption that bike lanes improve safety. More on that another time.

The candidates’ responses aren’t likely to change anyone’s mind about how to cast their vote on Election Day. Don’t be surprised, however, if the winners are asked on occasion what they’re actually doing to make our roads safer.

Click here to see the candidates’ responses.

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Linn supervisor candidates cite bike lanes, education; some don’t respond

It’s been several days since I asked candidates for Linn County supervisor to respond to the question:

If you are elected, what will you do to make our roads safer for the bicycling public?

So far, six of the nine candidates have answered. Their responses seem to indicate that most of them recognize the need to do something, and most specifically mentioned that bike lanes should be added. Education of motorists and cyclists is another common theme. Click here to see the responses.

Of the three that have not answered the question so far, only Eric Rosenthal actually did respond to my e-mail. He cited a family problem that was occupying his time and he hoped to provide information at some point. It was nice that he acknowledged the question.

John Erceg and James Houser offered no response at all, despite follow-up messages I sent to them. Of course, they have no obligation to answer my questions, but ignoring them actually is a response. I take it to mean that they do not share my concern and will do nothing at all to address it if elected.

I’m particularly disappointed to not hear from incumbent Houser, but he has ignored cycling-related questions I have sent him in the past. This tells me he doesn’t feel the need to respond to the people who elected him.

I’d love to hear differently before Election Day.

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