Volume 4, Issue 11 – December 26, 2005

“A Newsletter Published by Bike Pittsburgh to establish Pittsburgh as a city that is increasingly safe, accessible, and friendly to bicycle transportation.”

…::: HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM ALL OF US HERE AT BIKE PGH! :::…

In This Issue:

* Boulevard Of The Allies Bridge Replacement Follow-Up
* Announcing Lots Of New Membership Benefits
* Free Ride! Update
* Live. Learn. Ride. Dig. Eat. Drink. Be Merry.
* Reminder: New O’Connor Administration Commissions Available
* January 1st – Icycle Bicycle Ride
* Bike PGH! Year-End Appeal
* Upcoming Events

BOULEVARD OF THE ALLIES BRIDGE REPLACEMENT FOLLOW-UP

Nearly 50 people turned out on a cold, snowy evening earlier this month to attend a PennDOT public meeting which revealed final plans for the Boulevard of the Allies bridge replacement project. Attendees were comprised mainly of bicyclists, pedestrians, and local home and business owners. Many expressed concerns for the lack of perceived bicycle and pedestrian features. While PennDOT cannot promise to accommodate both cyclists and pedestrians this late in the project development process, they have indicated that they will work with us as the project moves forward.

Bike PGH! will continue to notify you of public meetings where you can get involved and provide feedback and opinions. Strong public attendance to these public participation meetings is key to ensuring that the roads are designed for all users, not just motorists.

ANNOUNCING LOTS OF NEW MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

Bike PGH! is pleased to announce that we have expanded the available benefits for our Members! Just visit our “Membership Benefits” section of the Bike PGH! website (http://www.bike-pgh.org) for the most up-to-date list. Recent organizations and shops which are offering benefits include: Big Bang Bikes, West Liberty Cycles, Gatto Cycles (in Point Breeze), Dirty Harry’s, Trizilla, Iron City Bikes, Enrico’s Tazza D’Oro, and East End Brewing Company.

These businesses all support Bike PGH! and our efforts to improve cycling conditions here in Pittsburgh. They’ll be happy to offer Bike PGH! special services and prices. If you’re not already a member of Bike PGH!, here is yet another reason to join! If you’re a local business and would like more information on offering services to our rapidly growing membership, simply email us at: (info@bike-pgh.org).

FREE RIDE! UPDATE

It’s been a busy winter for the Free Ride Recycle-A-Bike and our dedicated volunteers. In the early winter, we helped organize a shipment of bikes to New Orleans in response to the fuel and transportation difficulties after the tragic storm. The holiday season brought out scores of volunteers to refurbish children’s bikes. In two Sunday afternoon “build-a-thons,” we were able to make significant donations to two local groups in need of bicycles. The first donation of over thirty bikes went to the South Hills Interfaith Ministry, a group that works with refugee families from around the world who have relocated to the Pittsburgh area. The second donation of fifty children’s bikes went to the Tree of Hope, a Hill District based organization that works with victims’ families that have experienced a tragedy due to violence, such as the loss of a parent of sibling.

For the winter, we plan on keeping warm by getting the shop in tiptop shape and by building bikes in preparation for the inevitable springtime rush. For more information on Free Ride, visit: (http://www.freeridepgh.org).

LIVE. LEARN. RIDE. DIG. EAT. DRINK. BE MERRY.

This event is sponsored by and benefits the Pittsburgh Trails Advocacy Group (P.T.A.G.). Live. Learn. Ride. Dig. Eat. Drink. Be Merry. That’s the plan for the P.T.A.G. Gala year-end festivity, Sunday January 8th, in North Park, at the Old Boy Scout Cabin across from the lake on Ingomar (aka Wildwood) near the corner of Babcock Blvd.

We’ll start at 10:00am with a powerbreakfast of coffee and Allegro Hearth baked goods while IMBA’s Karl Rosengarth presents a valuable trailbuilding presentation.

At 11:30am we’ll go for a ride, or perhaps a hike or ski depending on the weather.

At 1:30pm we’ll come back and enjoy some food, soft drinks courtesy of Allegheny County Parks and some Troeg’s beer while we discuss plans for 2006.

Then we’ll celebrate a year of good deeds in our local parks by presenting the top trail workers and everyone else with prizes galore, courtesy of Dirt Rag Magazine, Hoss Technical Gear, Speedgoat, and other sources yet to be confirmed.

Come one, come all, let’s get involved!

For more information on this event, contact P.T.A.G. via email: (ptag@bike-pgh.org).

Event Day: Sunday, January 8th
Location: North Park, Old Boy Scout Cabin near Babcock Blvd.
Time: 10:00am
Cost: $FREE!

REMINDER: NEW O’CONNOR ADMINISTRATION COMMISSIONS AVAILABLE

Pittsburgh’s next mayor, Bob O’Connor, is looking for concerned citizens to join the city’s various boards and commissions. This is a great opportunity for members of the bicycling community to get involved and influence the city to move in positive directions. Information about how to apply is available at: (http://www.boboconnorformayor.com/applications.asp). Go ahead and look through to find positions which match your interests and experience; it would be great to have people advocating for sustainable transportation on as many commissions as possible. Here is a rundown of some of the commissions most relevant to biking:

Art Commission: They must approve anything which goes in the public right of way, such as bike racks.

City Planning Commission: They deal with all issues related to the city’s development. This includes many transit issues, and it is important that they consider the bike community when making decisions. The Department of City Planning has an ambitious Bicycling Plan, and committee members could encourage work on this plan, which includes improved bike infrastructure, such as bike lanes and bike racks.

City-County Taskforce on Disabilities: Bikers and the disabled share a lot of concerns. These communities can work together for safer transport for all of us relying on non-automotive transit. We also share specific infrastructure concerns, such as safe access to bridges.

Economic Development Commission: Access to jobs is an important economic issue. Bicycling is a healthy, inexpensive, and efficient way to get to work, and can be encouraged by making it easier and safer. Improving cycling conditions will improve the city’s economy, and these considerations must be voiced.

Parking Authority: Parking a bike requires significantly less room than parking a car. We should expand the notion of parking to include parking of bikes, and increase available bike parking throughout the city, especially downtown. The Authority has a broad mission to improve the economy, and Authority members might advocate for decreasing the underlying causes of the shortage of parking and using the city’s space to benefit as many citizens as possible.

Southwest Regional Planning Commission: They are involved in using transportation funds for regional projects. Members of this commission could encourage use towards equitable and sustainable transport, such as expanded bicycle infrastructure.

Sports and Exhibition Authority: They work on development projects and facility operation related to sports, including biking.

Youth Commission: Safe transport to school and recreation is important for Pittsburgh’s youth. Biking is a great way for kids to get around and get exercise, but may be overlooked or deemed unsafe due to road conditions. Adult cyclists can advocate for tomorrow’s adult cyclists.

Additionally, the Design Review and Housing Commissions would benefit from participants with an eye towards bicycling.

Please notify Bike PGH! if you plan on applying so we can keep track. Some people might be interested in more than one committee, and this way we could inform them if there are any particularly relevant positions for which no bike advocate has yet applied, and others where bike advocates have already applied. To let us know what you are applying for just send an email to: (info@bike-pgh.org).

JANUARY 1ST – ICYCLE BICYCLE RIDE

This event is sponsored by the Western Pennsylvania Wheelmen (http://www.wpwbikeclub.org). The Icycle Bicycle ride will meander around Pittsburgh with stops at various coffee shops. The first stop, if people want, will be the “Mickey Dee’s” in the strip where WPW will provide coffee and hot chocolate. From there, weather permitting, the ride will hit the south side trail from Station Square south to trails end. Coming back there will be another stop for coffee at Caribou Coffee (bring money) in the Southside Works. After that stop, the ride will continue over the Fort Pitt and Fort Duquesne Bridges, weather permitting down along the Ohio, using the new connector that has been completed between Heinz Field and the Science Center, to the end of the trail. Coming back the ride will head to Washington’s Landing, crossing back over the Allegheny at either the 31st or 16th street Bridges. The pace will be leisurely and the ride is suitable for all bikes – road, mountain, hybrid, and recumbent. If the weather is nice and people want the ride can continue to Squirrel Hill and the Visitor’s Center at Schenley Park before heading back to the Strip. Pray for nice weather!

For more information on this event, contact P.T.A.G. via email: (ptag@bike-pgh.org).

Event Day: Sunday, January 1st
Location: 31st and Penn Avenue (in the Strip District)
Time: 10:30am
Cost: $FREE!

BIKE PGH! YEAR-END APPEAL

As a supporter of Bike PGH! you know that the work that we’re doing is important to both you and our community. We want to take a few moments and remind you of some of our important accomplishments this past year and ask that you support us with an end-of-year tax-deductible gift of your financial support. Your contribution will help us to maintain our current efforts in to 2006, and is our most important source of income.

Here is a short list of some of our more important accomplishments this past year:

* Continued work with the City of Pittsburgh to expand and improve bicycle infrastructure
* Working with the Port Authority to begin improving and expanding the “Rack and Roll” bikes on buses program
* Launching of the Bike PGH! hub of mapHub (http://www.maphub.org)
* Continued placement of bike racks around Pittsburgh
* Expansion of Free Ride! (http://www.freeridepgh.org) and P.T.A.G. (http://bikepgh.org/ptag.html)

Many employers offer a matching gift program; check to see if your employer will match your gift. This is a great way to stretch your contribution to us even farther! Please be sure to include your mailing address, phone number, and email address so that we may send you a receipt. Send your year-end gift to:

Bike Pgh!
Year-End Appeal
33 Terminal Way
Pittsburgh, PA 152219

Thank you for your continued support!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Here is a listing of upcoming cycling events in the Pittsburgh Region. For complete details, visit the Bike Pittsburgh website: www.Bike-Pgh.org and click on the “Events & Activities” section.

January 1st – Icycle Bicycle Ride
January 8th – Live. Learn. Ride. Dig. Eat. Drink. Be Merry.
January 27th – Critical Mass

Join Pittsburgh’s fun and exciting bicycling community by becoming a member of Bike PGH! Meet cool people, find out about all bike-related happenings in town, and help us transform Pittsburgh into a better and more vibrant place to live, work, and ride by becoming a member starting at only $25 per year. With your tax-deductible donation you will receive a Membership Card good for discounts with participating bike shops and organizations, priority invitations and discounts to special Bike PGH-sponsored parties and events, and the satisfaction that you are making a difference for all of us. For details, go to the Bike PGH website: http://www.Bike-Pgh.org and click on Become A Member. Join us today!

Post the miles that you ride on the Bike Pittsburgh website in the Community & Classifieds area! Just send us your monthly mileage, and if you want your name to be available as an email link to: miles@Bike-Pgh.org

“The Bike Pittsburgh eMessenger” is an electronic newsletter published about once a month. Previous issues of “The eMessenger (formerly called The Leader)” can be found on the Bike Pittsburgh website in the section called “Newsletters”. Bike Pittsburgh, Inc. does not rent, sell, or make available any personal information, including email addresses, which you may send to Bike Pittsburgh. If you would like to be removed from the distribution list, simply email: remove@Bike-Pgh.org and request to be removed. movies porn full free lengthgagging movieshellraiser movielady movies soniatheater movie loewsplot movie spoilerssex movie scenes realadult movies Mapyoung star porn christineand porn cockren christopherchristy canon pornporn canyon christychristy pornstar canyon escortchristy morgon porn staryoung christy pornporn girls chubby Map