Audio/Video of Albemarle BOS Candidates Forum Now on Cvilletomorrow.org
Courtesy of our friends at Cvilletomorrow.org, the Albemarle Board of Supervisors Candidates Forum we hosted on Thursday night at the Westminster Presbyterian Church (along with ASAP, PEC, and RCS) is now available in full audio and video - http://cvilletomorrow.typepad.com/charlottesville_tomorrow_/2009/10/county-final-forum.html . All six candidates came out and defended their views on growth, transportation, and the environment in front of a good-sized audience. Cvilletomorrow's coverage is excellent, so you can read the questions that were asked, and see exactly how the candidates in your district responded. This coverage allows you to use the forum as we intended it - to inform your decision on election day and to hold the winners accountable to their campaign!
Traffic lights in the City not detecting your bike?
Because I am a good law-abiding bicyclist, I stop at red lights. (Also, I dislike getting run over.) However, lots of Charlottesville traffic lights use magnetic detectors that aren't sensitive enough to detect my bike, even though it has a steel frame, making it tough to get a green light.
HAS THIS EVER HAPPENED TO YOU?
I've been in touch with the City's traffic engineer, who has made some tweaks but says they've done all they can with the existing system. Here's where you can help: the next step is to create a list of every City intersection where this happens. Then local government can spring into action, prepare priorities, look at budgets, etc.
So make a comment here with your nominees for traffic signals that don't detect bikes. Not if it just takes a long time. Only include it if you sit there and watch as other traffic gets a green light, but you never get one. Don't know if it's in the City? Include it anyway, although I'm not promising to do anything with VDOT-controlled signals right now.
PS - If you didn't notice, Google is looking for nominations for bike trails, pedestrian malls, campus paths, etc. to StreetView-ify with this trike they've built. Submit yours by 10/28.
HAS THIS EVER HAPPENED TO YOU?
I've been in touch with the City's traffic engineer, who has made some tweaks but says they've done all they can with the existing system. Here's where you can help: the next step is to create a list of every City intersection where this happens. Then local government can spring into action, prepare priorities, look at budgets, etc.
So make a comment here with your nominees for traffic signals that don't detect bikes. Not if it just takes a long time. Only include it if you sit there and watch as other traffic gets a green light, but you never get one. Don't know if it's in the City? Include it anyway, although I'm not promising to do anything with VDOT-controlled signals right now.
PS - If you didn't notice, Google is looking for nominations for bike trails, pedestrian malls, campus paths, etc. to StreetView-ify with this trike they've built. Submit yours by 10/28.
Suggestions Needed for New Bicycle Rack Locations
Charlottesville Transit Service is ready to move ahead with new bicycle racks at bus stations! They want to try and locate them in places where they would also be useful to other bicyclists, so they came to ACCT looking for specific suggestions. This is a great opportunity to put our local knowledge to work! Their focus is on the city, but they also want to know about needs in the County. Below are my initial thoughts on the topic - please add your suggestions or discuss mine before I send them all in on Wednesday, October 21!
Transit station - The west side of the transit station would be a great place for new bike racks. Alot of people approach the station from the mall or coming east down Water St, and the current bicycle racks are a little out of the way for them. I just went down there to take a look at the whole scene around the station, and low-and-behold, there were two bikes locked up to a trash can and a tree on the west side of the transit station (and none at the existing bike racks)! Specifically, I think locating the new racks closer to the road, on the grassy patch or next to the building, would be a good place because they would be visible and convenient for people coming either from the mall or from Water St., and close to both entrances.
Transit station - The west side of the transit station would be a great place for new bike racks. Alot of people approach the station from the mall or coming east down Water St, and the current bicycle racks are a little out of the way for them. I just went down there to take a look at the whole scene around the station, and low-and-behold, there were two bikes locked up to a trash can and a tree on the west side of the transit station (and none at the existing bike racks)! Specifically, I think locating the new racks closer to the road, on the grassy patch or next to the building, would be a good place because they would be visible and convenient for people coming either from the mall or from Water St., and close to both entrances.
The Corner - If there is any way you could upgrade the clunky yellow rack in front of Bodos/Starbucks, that has been an issue for years, and is also a very high-use area for bike parking. It is right next to bus stop at BofA and across the street from another one.
Tonsler Park - racks somewhere close to the entrance would serve the popular picnicking spot down by the sidewalk and the grills, and also the basketball courts there. Since this area is very popular with locals in the warm months, I would try to be sensitive to how people use the space when choosing an exact location so as not to encroach. And, if there aren't racks near the entrance of the community center there, there should be!
The Hospital - the racks in front of Jordan Hall (across the street from a bus stop) usually seem quite full.
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