Improve Bike

Program,
Coalition Tells
PaDOT
I n t v o r e c e n t letters t o S e c r e t a r y Thomas
Larson of t h e Pennsylvania Department of
Transportation, t h e C o a l i t i o n h a s proposed
s e v e r a l c h a n g e s t o make h i s a g e n c p more
e f f e c t i v e i n helping bicycle use throughout
the state.
The s t e p s i n c l u d e r e a c t i v a t i n g
t h e s t a t e ' s bicycle advisory committee.
p u t t i n g b i c y c l i s t s on s t a t e w i d e b o d i e s concerned v i t h transportation policy. training
PaDOT s t a f f e r s i n b i c y c l e - r e l a t e d p l a n n i n g
a n d d e s i g n . i n c l u d i n g new m e a s u r e s ( s u c h a s
b i c y c l e - s e n s i t i v e l o o p d e t e c t o r s ) i n PaDOT
highvay planning, and u n d e r t a k i n g a j o i n t
e f f o r t betveen h i s agencp and t h e b i c y c l e
community t o improve t h e s t a t e v e h i c l e code's
bicycle provisions.
The C o a l i t i o n w i l l r e p o r t t o b i c y c l i s t s i n
t h e Philadelphia region a s t h i s e f f o r t g e t s
u n d e r way. B i c y c l i s t s a r o u n d t h e s t a t e w i l l
be a b l e t o g e t i n v o l v e d i n p u s h i n g f o r t h e s e
changes through t h e Bicycling Federation of
P e n n s y l v a n i a . t h e s t a t e w i d e advocacy group.

A l l bicyclists i n the Philadelphia region

a r e i n v i t e d -- no. u r g e d ! -- t o s h o w u p a t
t h e Art Museum s t e p s o n S u n d a y m o r n i n g , May
1 9 ( r e g i s t r a t i o n i s f r o m 8:00 t o 8 : 3 0 a.m.)
t o t a k e p a r t i n t h e 5 t h a n n u a l Freedom V a l l e y
Bike-a-Thon.
O r g a n i z e d by t h e S i e r r a C l u b
a n d s u p p o r t e d by many o t h e r g r o u p s . t h i s r i d e
is d e s i g n e d t o r a i s e money f o r t h e c o m p l e t i o n
o f t h e P h i l a d e l p h i a - V a l l e y Forge bikeway.
T h i s year's r i d e w i l l be a m o d e r a t e l y
p a c e d 5 0 m i l e l o o p t o V a l l e y F o r g e a n d back.
T h e r e w i l l b e many p r i z e s a n d a w a r d s , a n d a l l
b i c y c l i s t s who b r i n g i n s p o n s o r c o n t r i b u t i o n s
o f $ 2 5 o r m o r e w i l l g e t Free r e g i s t r a t i o n a n d
an a t t r a c t i v e safety vest.
Entry f e e is $10
(tax deductible).
For r e g i s t r a t i o n f o r m s and
p o s t e r s v i s i t your l o c a l b i k e shop; f o r more
i n f o r m a t i o n . c a l l 215/565-9845.

Coalition Meets
Every First

Demonstrations,
Lawsuit Weighed
for Airport Line
.

A f t e r more t h a n a y e a r of e f f o r t t o a s s u r e
t h a t b i c y c l e s w i l l be c a r r i e d on t h e P h i l a d e l p h i a A i r p o r t H i g h S p e e d L i n e when i t o p e n s
t h i s s p r i n g , t h e C o a l i t i o n s t i l l h a s n o t been
a b l e t o g e t a c o m m i t m e n t f r o m t h e SEPTA
management.
T e s t i f y i n g b e f o r e P h i l a d e l p h i a C i t y Counc i l on March 25, Ralph H i r s c h a s k e d t h e
C o u n c i l "to s e r v e a s t h e b i c y c l i s t s ' advoc a t e " i n s u p p o r t of t h e proposal t h a t r e g u l a r
b i c y c l e s be p e r m i t t e d on t h e a i r p o r t l i n e .
"We d o n ' t e x p e c t l a r g e n u m b e r s of b i c y c l e s t o
be c a r r i e d . " H i r a c h t o l d t h e C o u n c i l .
"An
occasional t r a v e l e r t o o r from t h e a i r p o r t
w i l l need t o b r i n g h i s o r h e r b i c y c l e aboard,
a n d a s a f e p l a c e f o r t h a t p u r p o s e e x i s t s on
t h e v e s t i b u l e o f t h e t r a i n ' s l a s t car."
Some
C o u n c i l membera. i n c l u d i n g t r a n s p o r t a t i o n
c o m m i t t e e c h a i r m a n Ed S c h w a r t z , s e e m e d s y m p a t h e t i c but have n o t y e t committed themselves
t o any s p e c i f i c a c t i o n i n s u p p o r t of t h e
bicycliats.
The C o a l i t i o n h a s r e t a i n e d a l a w y e r and is
c o l l e c t i n g money t o pay f o r p o t e n t i a l l e g a l
a c t i o n a g a i n s t SEPTA ( s e v e r a l h u n d r e d d o l l a r s
h a s a l r e a d y been s p e n t on p r e l i m i n a r y l e g a l
work).
P l e a s e s e n d y o u r c o n t r i b u t i o n t o P.O.
Box 8 1 9 4 , P h i l a d e l p h i a , PA 1 9 1 0 1 , p a y a b l e t o
" B i c y c l e C o a l i t i o n - A i r p o r t L i n e Fund".
The p o s s i b i l i t y of v a r i o u s f o r m s of d i r e c t
s i t - i n s a n d t h e l i k e -- a t s t a t i o n s
action
o f t h e a i r p o r t l i n e is a l s o b e i n g e x p l o r e d .
B i c y c l i s t s who w o u l d l i k e t o t a k e p a r t ( a t
t h e p o t e n t i a l r i s k , it m u s t be u n d e r s t o o d , of
being a r r e s t e d and charged w i t h , say. d i s o r d e r l y conduct) should c a l l John Dowlin,
215/222-1253.

--

City to Study
~ r a n s i t w a ~Future
~s
T h e C i t y o f P h i l a d e l p h i a h a s s e t up a t a s k
f o r c e t o consider t h e f u t u r e of t h e Chestnut
S t r e e t T r a n s i t w a g , and a c o n s u l t a n t is t o be
h i r e d t h i s s p r i n g t o a n a l y z e a l t e r n a t i v e s and
p r e p a r e plans. The B i c y c l e C o a l i t i o n w i l l
h a v e a s e a t on t h e t a s k f o r c e :
Bob P i e r s o n
w i l l serve a s the Coalition's representative.

Regular monthly meetings of t h e Bicycle

C o a l i t i o n a r e h e l d o n t h e f i r s t Monday o f
e a c h month a t w h a t o n e p l a n n e r h a s x a l l e d
"the m o s t a c c e s s i b l e l o c a t i o n on t h e E a s t e r n
Philadelphia's 3 0 t h S t r e e t s t a seaboard"
t i o n . T h e m e e t i n g s a r e i n t h e b a c k room o f
T. J. A p p l e b e e ' s r e s t a u r a n t f r o m 6 ( s h a r p ! )
T h i s s p r i n g ' s m e e t i n g s w i l l be.
t o 7:30 pm.
o n A p r i l 1 , May 6 a n d J u n e 3.
Each m e e t i n g d e a l s w i t h a s p e c i a l i a s u e
o r s u b j e c t (e.g. b i c y c l i n g a n d t h e d r u n k
d r i v e r , t h e b i c y c l e - r a i l r o a d l i n k . and s o
All
o n ) a n d a l s o t a k e s up c u r r e n t b u s i n e s s .
b i c y c l i s t s a r e urged t o come and t a k e p a r t
i n the Coalition's decisions.

Tired of
Broken Glass?

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CYCLEGRAM i s t h e n e w s l e t t e r o f t h e B i c y c l e
C o a l i t i o n of t h e Delaware Valley, a n o n p r o f i t
citizens' organization advocating t h e use of
t h e bicycle f o r everyday transportation.
B e n e f i t s i n c l u d e CYCLEGRAM. b i c y c l e r o u t i n g s e r v i c e , d i s c o u n t s a t many b i c y c l e s h o p s
in the region. Coalition publications (the
"Cycle 8 Recycle" c a l e n d a r , r e p r i n t s of
important a r t i c l e s , etc.), i n v i t a t i o n s t o t h e
C o a l i t i o n ' s s e r i e s of s p e c i a l e v e n t s , and o f
c o u r s e t h e g r e a t s a t i s f a c t i o n t h a t comes from
h e l p i n g a good c a u s e .
Annual membership d u e s a r e :
[ ] $10 Friend of Cycling
[ ] $ 2 0 Good F r i e n d
[ ] $15 Cycling Family
[ ] $50 Best F r i e n d of Cycling
To j o i n , s e n d y o u r n a m e , a d d r e s s , p h o n e
n u m b e r ( s ) a n d c h e c k o r money o r d e r t o :
B i c y c l e C o a l i t i o n of t h e Delaware Valley,
P.O. Box 8 1 9 4 , P h i l a d e l p h i a . PA 19101.
NAME ( p l e a s e p r i n t )

Go for House
Bill 479
are

Yes. t h e r o a d s
cleaner i n the states
t h a t have b o t t l e d e p o s i t s , b i c y c l i s t s have
found. P e n n s y l v a n i a would become t h e t e n t h
s t a t e t o r e q u i r e d e p o s i t s on b e e r a n d s o d a
c a n s and b o t t l e s (made o f p l a s t i c , g l a s s o r
m e t a l ) i f House B i l l 479 becomes law. The
b i l l f a c e s strong opposition from b o t t l e r s
and some u n i o n s which m i s t a k e n l y c l a i m t h a t
many i p b s w o u l d b e l o s t i f i t i s e n a c t e d .
You c a n h e l p by w r i t i n g t o y o u r own s t a t e
representative (State Capitol. Harrisburg,
PA 1 7 1 2 0 ) a s k i n g h i m o r h e r t o s u p p o r t H o u s e
B i l l 479.
P o i n t o u t t h a t broken g l a s s on t h e
streets is a s a f e t y h a z a r d ; a l s o t h a t it
c a u s e s you u n n e c e s s a r y c o s t s f o r t h e r e p l a c e I f you d o n ' t
ment of r u i n e d t i r e s and tubes.
h a p p e n t o know y o u r r e p r e s e n t a t i v e ' s name.
c a l l t h e P h i l a d e l p h i a o f f i c e o f t h e League o f
Women V o t e r s , 6 2 7 - 7 9 3 7 , w e e k d a y s 9 t o 4:30.
P l e a s e w r i t e NOW.
A f e w l i n e s f r o m you
When y o u r s t a t e
c a n make & b i g d i f f e r e n c e !
r e p r e s e n t a t i v e r e p l i e s , s e n d t h e l e t t e r on t o
t h e C o a l i t i o n , Box 8 1 9 4 , P h i l a d e l p h i a , PA
19101.
Andy J o n e s i s c o o r d i n a t i n g t h i s
c a m p a i g n f o r t h e C o a l i t i o n . I f you'd l i k e t o
h e l p , c a l l Andy a t 2 1 5 / 5 4 5 - 5 9 6 5 e v e n i n g s o r
w e e k e n d s . o r d r o p h i m a n o t e c / o Box 8 1 9 4 .

ADDRESS

PHONE NUMBERS(S)

TYPE OF VOLUNTEER WORK YOU CAN HELP US WITH

How to Get Debris

off the Park Drives
W h e t h e r you c a l l i t E a s t R i v e r D r i v e o r
K e l l y Drive, broken g l a s s and o t h e r d e b r i s on
i t s r o a d w a y i s bad n e w s f o r t h e b i c y c l i s t .
C a l l Mr. Bowman a t 6 8 6 - 8 8 3 2 f o r c l e a n i n g
s e r v i c e on K e l l y Drive.
To g e t d e b r i s
r e m o v e d f r o m t h e West R i v e r D r i v e . c a l l Mr.
S i n g l e t o n a t 6 8 6 - 1 7 7 6 , e x t . 74201.

ADDITIONAL PROJECTS YOU WANT TO SUGGEST:

C o n t r i b u t o r s t o t h i s i s s u e o f CYCLEGRAM:
J i m C a s t e l l a n , John Dowlin, Ralph Hirsch,
S u s a n McAninley.