NBW
Some of our old headlines...
Twins bike across Egypt over college break, for charity (2002/03)
Cannondale To File For Bankruptcy Protection (1/27/03)
Westerly-Watch Hill Report&Photos (9/02/01)
Scituate Ride Photo (8/30/01)
Part of Cape Cod Rail Trail to be Rebuilt (8/29/01)
Drummond
Double 2001
Report & Photos (6/17/01)
Cape Cod Commission Rt 6A Bike Map
LAB BikeFest 2002 Photos
Aug. 2-4, Amherst, MA
Rhody Round-up 2002 Photos
Sun., July 28, 2002, Jamestown, RI
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Headlines Archive
For the latest news, see the main
NBW page
or, for past columns & features, see the news
archive
| Rails-to-Trails Conservancy: TrailLink 2003 - Designing for the Future International Trails and Greenways Conference, Providence, RI, June 27-29, 2003. Rhode Island Foundation Leadership Development Grants may still be available to cover scholarships. Check the RTC web site at www.railtrails.org/traillink2003 for more info. |  |
May [was] National Bike Month!
Hopefully many of you participated in Bike-to-Work Week from May 12 - 16, and Bike-to-Work Day on Friday, May 16, as promoted by the League of American Bicyclists. Visit their site for some good reasons to ride a bike. The Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition (MassBike.org) had a full schedule of activities, while Providence's "Bike Downtown" coordinated a successful Bike to Work Day series of events on May 16th.
Federal Transportation Reauthorization Legislation Released (May '03)
The Administration's proposed reauthorization bill has been officially released. The title is "SAFETEA" (Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2003) and it is now posted at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/reauthorization/safetea.htm. Items of particular interest may include:
Sec. 1101. Authorization of Appropriations.
Sec. 1102. Obligation Ceiling.
Sec. 1103. Apportionments.
Sec. 1605. National Scenic Byways Program.
Sec. 1606. Recreational Trails Program.
Sec. 1611. Bicycle Transportation and Pedestrian Walkways.
Sec. 1617. Indemnification on Certain Railbanked Projects.
Sec. 1804. Federal Lands Highways Program.
Sec. 1810. Donations and Credits.
Sec. 1815. Assumption of Responsibility for Transportation Enhancements, Recreational Trails, and Transportation and Community and System Preservation Program Projects.
Sec. 1816. Transportation, Community, and System Preservation Program.
Note that if a topic in the existing legislation is not in the proposed SAFETEA legislation, it remains in effect. SAFETEA contains only CHANGES to the existing legislation (TEA-21—the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century—that funds most bicycle and pedestrian projects by dedicating a small percentage of federal highway spending, and which will expire on Sept. 30, 2003). It has been sent to the US Congress where the House and the Senate will pass their own bills. Changes between their bills will be negotiated and the President will sign the final version into law.
America Bikes (Oct. '02)
America Bikes is a coalition of individuals, businesses and organizations working to include good bicycle provisions in the 2003 federal transportation funding legislation. Their goals include a national Safe Routes to School program, building a bicycle-friendly transportation system and strengthening existing federal programs like Enhancements. Their October 2002 press release shows their efforts with, and support by congressional candidates. (Locally, read what Mass. Gubernatorial candidates and RI candidates said.)
Visit americabikes.org. Register to receive regular email updates and action alerts. For more info on the 2003 federal transportation bill (called "TEA-3"), see "TEA-21 Expires" notice, below. America Bikes is a project of eight major national bicycling organizations, including Bikes Belong who provides significant support to the organization.
Bicycling & Walking Articles in the Globe's Travel Section & MetroSports Boston
For armchair cyclists, and those awaiting warmer cycling weather, you may enjoy the articles in the Globe's Travel Section, from the 1/19/03 Boston Sunday Globe.
For the hikers out there, try the Cliff Walk and Mansions, "A rocky walk between Newport's mansions and the sea." or head out to Cape Cod, "Cape's winter beaches: empty of people, not wildlife." Per Globe policy to protect photographers' rights, no photos or graphics from the article are online (a pity, since they had some great shots, and as the Mississippi article also had an overview map). On the other hand, the Globe did include their "If you go..." sidebars, for further info.
In the January 2003 MetroSports Boston magazine, you'll enjoy two seasonal cycling articles:
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Taming the Temperature - Dress smart for winter cycling [Tips/Training section w/extra links]]
| It's Hunting Season... After bagging a deer (or colliding with one), bicyclists should exercise caution when bringing that deer home. The rider pictured on the right shows one way to do it. Reminder: off-road RI cyclists: wear orange during hunting season! "All users of state management areas, and all hunters statewide, must wear at least 200 square inches of solid daylight-fluorescent orange material through the end of the season, February 28. The fluorescent orange has to be worn above the waist, and must be visible from all directions." |
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Great ride, folks! Our thanks to the riders, who rode safely, to East Providence Cycle, for repairs and service at the start, the 25, and 75-mile checkpoints, to Yester'year Cyclery for hosting and servicing the 50 mile checkpoint, to Butch, who could change a tire in less than 2 minutes, and drove the Pedro's USA van along the course, to the local Police and Fire Departments, to the many volunteers who arranged for services, made PB&J sandwiches, distributed food, helped with parking, arrowing, rider registration & t-shirts, checkpoints, sag wagons, and sales, to Don Paiva, our volunteer coordinator, to Bill McIlmail for drawing the maps (as well as co-captaining the 50 checkpoint), to Liz & Monica Foulkes for coordinating rider sign-up and check-in, and to club president David Andrews, for making it all come together, and handling everything else. See you all in 2003! We'd love to hear from you! Send us your comments and suggestions regarding the TFCE, and stories (or interesting remarks overheard) during the TFCE 2002. Send them to: NBWTFCE@cox.net. |
Roving Photographer Matt's TFCE Photos |
Article
on the NBW, published in American
Profile magazine (2/24/02
Northeast issue):
Bicycle
Trailblazers
RIDOT Transportation Enhancement Program seeks proposals
Eligible projects include:
-
Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities
-
Safety and Educational Activities for Pedestrians and Bicyclists
-
Preservation of Abandoned Railway Corridors (including the conversion and use for pedestrian and bicycle trails)
TFCE
2001 Follow-up:
Participants
report on the good and the bad...
A great ride! Thanks go
out to: the TFCE staff and our many other volunteers (the arrowers,
PB&J makers, parking detail, registration & return check-in,
sag wagons, rest stops), Rob Foulkes and the East
Providence Cycle staff, Kim Camara and the Yester'year
Cyclery staff, our sports massage therapists, the Police Departments
along the route, the car drivers who passed by safely & with courtesy,
and above all, the riders that likewise behaved safely & courteously,
obeying the bicycle laws.
