Bicycle Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
August 2, 2011
noon
Attendees: Kelley Segars, Gene Fitzhugh, Anne Victoria, Shelagh Leutwiler, Jim Richards, David Harper, Ellen Zavisca, Mike and Paige Winck, John Witherspoon, Stephanie Welch, Erin Read, Ben Epperson, Monika Miller, Deb Haines
BAC openings
Kelley announced that there were three openings. She had invited Shelagh Leutwiler, David Harper and Deb Haines to submit applications, since all have been dedicated volunteers with the Bicycle Program. They agreed to serve. Kelley asked if anyone had someone else in mind, or any comments..
Updates
Education/encouragement
Bike classes
We had a bike class on July 24 with 9 people. A family of 5 wasn’t able to come, or else the class would have been very full. The next class is Aug 28. Kelley passed around flyers and asked people to post them at work or wherever they were going that has a space for posters. She will send them to bike shops.
Bicycling Ambassadors
About 30 people have been trained and about 20 actively volunteering. Kelley said she is going to try to get some at UT (students) for peer-to-peer education. There will be a booth at Market Square Farmers’ Market this Sat and in September. Will try to do other Farmers’ Markets like Harvest Park, UT and Laurel Church in Sept.
I Bike KNX pledge and helmet discount program
The pledge program has been going great with about 300 online pledges and more at booths. Currently there are no discounts and Kelley has been reaching out to businesses to try to get some added. The idea was to have discounts year-round, rotating. If anyone wants to help approach businesses, please let Kelley know. She has a flyer that you can take with you.
Drivers Ed presentations
The group did drivers ed presentations in Jan, and is about to do the fall presentations. If anyone wants to help, let Mike and Paige, or Kelley know. Last semester, it’s estimated we reached about 850 students with our share the road with bicyclists message. This is in Knox County, Maryville and Alcoa schools. Blount County doesn’t have drivers education. (Kelley has since found out Oak Ridge schools don’t either.)
Bicycle map
We are basically out of Knoxville-Knox County bicycle maps and about to reprint. Kelley is issuing a last call for revisions.
Brochure racks at all shops
We purchased brochure racks to hold the Biking 101 series, maps and other brochures for our Bicycling Ambassadors booth, and also took racks to all the local bike shops. We need volunteers to check on the racks occasionally and make sure there are no slots missing materials. The shops were also given a box of extras to refill the racks when empty. Please let me know if you want to sign up for a shop near you.
Bike Zoo—Mike & Paige
Biketopia—Anne
Cycology—David H.
TVB—Erin
New brochures
We have developed three new brochures. One is a back and front card on greenway etiquette for bicyclists and other greenway users. One is about the bike rack grant program and how to install bike racks properly. The last is called Ride Smart and is a very visual demonstration of the reasons to ride 3 – 4 feet from the curb and from parked cars. This can be used to educate bicyclists about lane positioning, and not riding the wrong way, and also for motorists when they express displeasure at bicyclists who take the lane or don’t ride all the way against the curb, or in a shoulder that is covered with debris.
UT bike safety campaign, rental program
UT dedicated some funding to a bike safety campaign. They have developed I Bike banners using UT students and will be putting brochure racks at UC, library, TRECS, with our Biking 101 brochures and other materials. We are getting route maps/flyers created based on the bike routes to UT/downtown from west, east, and north. These will be available along with the overall bike maps.
Evaluation
Bike counts
Will be counting in Sept or early Oct; could use some help; haven’t had a chance to look at spring counts yet because afternoon got cancelled due to storms
Events
Bike Month update
Bike Month went very well.
NBR
This will be the 11th annual Neighborhood Bike Ride. It’s going to be more festive than in the past, with helmet decorating beforehand for kids, and a short ride option for families with young kids or real beginners. The rest stop will be like a block party to keep kids entertained while those on the long route tour North Hills, then return for their rest stop. We will ask Three Rivers Market to cater the post-ride food, since their new store will be open right across from our ride start. (Baxter and Central again.) We’ll be starting at 10:30 a.m. instead of 10 a.m. but festivities will start at 9:30 a.m.
Next year, we plan to move NBR to May for Bike Month, probably in combination with the Bike Festival, on a Sunday afternoon on Market Square.
Engineering
Bike routes
City of Knoxville apparently didn’t order the bike route signs last May after all. They will make signs in-house for the west route first, then the other routes after one is completed.
Ellen gave an update on greenways. Papermill Bluff Greenway is open for use, but still has some work to do before the ribbon-cutting. Knox-Blount Greenway Phase I from the bridge to Marine Park should start construction soon and should be complete in 2012. Alcoa has two new greenways as well, in relation to the new bike/ped bridge.
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