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When ClevelandBikes, Cleveland Benefits!

Formed in 2003, ClevelandBikes is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing and promoting all forms of bicycling as economical and healthful recreation, sport and transportation and committed to advancing the rights of Northeastern Ohio cyclists to use the roads and trails. ClevelandBikes serves as an information resource for cyclists, planners, engineers and others seeking input from the cycling community.

Cyclists -- we are your advocates, working to change Northeast Ohio

and make your community a better place for all cyclists!  

CrankMail News! From its inception, ClevelandBikes committed to continuing the publication of CrankMail, a magazine enjoyed by thousands of Northern Ohio cycling enthusiasts for over thirty years.  In order to meet our commitment, ClevelandBikes has agreed to take on the role of Managing Editor, as well as Publisher.  We value the tremendous contribution of previous editors, who worked tirelessly, but we need your help to expand, improve and continue to meet the needs of Northern Ohio cyclists.  Please let us know your thoughts, recommendations and how you can feel you can help keep CrankMail moving forward. Contact kevin@clevelandbikes.org.

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Join ClevelandBikes and receive a year's subscription to Crankmail, the voice of cycling for over 35 years, free!

                         P.O. Box 5446 * Cleveland, Ohio * 44111

Silent Ride to Honor and Respect those Killed or Injured While Riding:  Thanks for those joinnig the hundreds of rides and thousands of riders across the country and aroud the world who drew attention to the issues of road safety.  Locally, the group rode in Cleveland and Garfield Heights, including the site  of a 2007 cycling fataility.  The rides illustrate that safety on the road and motorist education is a critical, ongoing priority,

Cleveland Bicycle Week:  Thank you for joining us for the biggest gathering of cycling interests and activities ever in Northeast Ohio as we celebrate, educate and collaborate for a stronger cycling community. There are still some important activities that we have added to the list of activities (after all, it is national Bike Month), so I hope you can continue to join us.  Whether you bicycle for transportation, recreation, health or sport, did in the past, or want to again in the future, we have something for you.For a detailed schedule, you can visit the Cleveland Bicycle Week website.

Bike to Work Rides: We are working on new "Bike to Work" plans and encourage you to register for through the "bike buddy" website offered by the Ohio Department of Transportation and NOACA to match riders, based on their routes.  Check out the Bike Buddy website here to create your account!   We hope to have additional news and information on bike commuting ideas later this summer. Be your own renewable fuel (just add water) and save some of that $3 or $4 /gallon gas money! 

Promoting Safety on the Roads:  We're always looking for new ways to promote safety on the road.  Here's a quirky little PSA from Great Britain to promote safety for cyclists ....  Let me know what you think!

Earth Day Events at the Zoo: Plans are underway to improve the bike parking option at the Cleveland Zoo.  In addition  to a temporary bike station and free bike parking, ClevelandBikes will assist in leading rides to the Zoo from a variety of community locations. To download the registration form, go here. To learn more, visit the Earth day Coalition's EarthFest website. We are encouraging the Zoo to approve a new, bike parking site, closer to the entrance. In a letter to the Vern Hartenburg, Zoo Executive Director, we  wrote:  "ClevelandBikes is promoting the creation of bike parking facilities all around the city and views Earth Day as an important opportunity to promote riding for transportation, recreation sport and health. The closer the facility is to the entrance, the more visitors we can greet, describe the activity and promote fun, safe riding. A parking facility near the entrance reminds those who choose to use a car, that there are other options.  "Close-in" bike parking acknowledges individuals and families choosing to bicycle for their effort to support the Earth Day principal of conservation,  Our volunteers look forward to participating in zoo events to promote riding, safety and good health, helping to create a greener, healthier community."

The NOACA Governing Board, the leaders of the nine counties that are Northeast Ohio, approved the Regional Bike Transportation Plan n March 14th. This project has taken years to develop and while individuals can disagree about specifics, it's good to have government agencies acknowedge that cycling is an important element of transportation. If you want to see the report, visit: www.noaca.org/finalbikeplan.pdf.

From the NOACA Executive Summary: The five goals that were adopted in the 1997 Bicycle Plan to make bicycling a more viable transportation choice remain in this document, with some minor word changes. These are NOACA’s goals for bicycle transportation:
1. Create a regional network of safe bikeways and supporting bicycle facilities.
2. Increase bicycle planning and provision of facilities at the local level.
3. Increase bicycle ridership in the region, in particular, for transportation.
4. Promote safer bicycling in the region and reduce accidents.
5. Encourage involvement of the private sector and other support for bicycling for transportation and recreation.

Each of the five goals have strategies associated with them, many of which have been implemented. Some of the strategies include conducting bikeway planning and design workshops, producing bicycle transportation maps, and conducting a “Bicycle Friendly Community” campaign.

Tax Breaks for Canadian Cyclists:   Here's some interesting news from the north. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announced plans to exempt bikes (up to $1000) and helmets from provincial sales tax, starting in December.  This is even a bigger exemption than a US version would be, given the 12% sales tax rate.   McGuinty said,  "We want to encourage more Ontarians - young and young-at-heart - to get outdoors, spend time riding bikes as a family and with friends, or to try riding to work if possible, leaving the car at home ... Together, we're building a culture of health and well-being across Ontario by encouraging more families to embrace active living." Click the link above for the Canadian newswire story.

Improving Public Safety: Please join us in making your community a safer place to ride, by educating your local officials.   ClevelandBIkes members include leading safety advocates, Fred Oswald and Cal Kichick, who were key reformers in the 2006 bicycle law reform effort,   To learn about cycling safety, visit these safety pages.  To learn more how you can help, visit our transportation safety project. 

Administration Criticizes Cycling in Gas Tax Debate: The August 15th PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer featured an interview by Gwen Ifill with Transportation Secretary Mary Peters. Commenting about a possible gas tax increase, the Secretary repeated President Bush's response: 'No, there can be no tax increase because Congress is wasting the money they already get,' citing "bicycle paths" as a prime example of the waste because bicycles are not a transportation use of the gas tax money.  The League of American Bicyclists posted a response, criticizing the Administration for attacking Minnesota Representative Jim Oberstar's for his support for cycling, the Minneapolis bridge repair efforts and steps to raise all the funding for transportation maintenance. Click here to read the LAB's response. If you want to let the Secretary know your views, you can visit the agency website and leave a message here.

Cyclist-Motorist Accident Injures Cyclist Representative Michael Skindell:

We share everybody's horror about the accident and injuries to State Rep. Michael Skindell and am very glad to hear he's in the hospital and receiving appropriate care. From the description, the motorist is clearly at fault for cutting off the cyclist to make a left turn. It's certainly fortunate that the cyclist's helmet helped, but it's far better to stay out of accidents in the first place. This also presents an opportunity for public education, reminding motorists about cyclists' right to the road.  Read the story,  This is an opportunity to remind motorists that a cyclist is directed under the law to ride towards the right side of the road, but only if it's safe to do so and is the direction the cyclist is going. If the right side of the road is riddled with glass, debris, potholes, a "turn only" lane or includes a parked car that may open a door, a cyclist should move to the center lane in order to operate safely. There is a need for motorist education about cyclists' obligation use the roadway. Cyclists, other than young children, operating vehicles under the laws of all 50 states, are directed to use the roadway (other than freeways).

I am also very troubled by some of the posts on websites of major daily newspapers that suggest action, such as blaring horns or cutting off cyclists, is an appropriate message to cyclists lawfully riding in the roadway. 

Share the Road, It's the Law!

Bicycle Village, Was a Popular Destination for Ingenuity Festival, with bike art, riding safety classes, stunt ridnng, Big Screen Tour de France and More:  ClevelandBikes and the Ohio City Bicycle Co-Op hosted Bicycle bike plan.htmVillage to celebrate cycling arts, health and culture at the July Ingenuity Festival. The 216 Bicycle Demonstration Team, the official bicycle stunt team of Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park, thrilled Sunday crowds with their stunt riding, German dancers manipulated and amplified sound through their costumes, kids (and adults) just loved the bike art opportunities and we finally just stopped counting the number of people taking their picture with John Ranally's fabulous artwork, the Hippogrif!  See more. 

Policy News: 

Cleveland Adopts Bike Plan:  ClevelandBikes supports the Cleveland Planning Commission and it's action to approve a City Bike Plan, a big step forward in creating a more bike friendly community.  The Bike Cleveland Plan is the first comprehensive plan to incorporate cycling for health, recreation and transportation. ClevelandBikes shares the City's goals of working to increase bike ridership, connect neighborhoods and parks and open spaces to create a better regional transportations system, improve public health, air quality and the environment and commits to continue to work with the City to ensure that plan implementation promotes riding and national best safety practices.

ClevelandBikes joins with RTA in announcing a six month evaluation period, during which RTA will end restrictions to allow bicycles on trains during all hours of the regular day (for more information about the policy and special events days, contact RTA), expanding the partnership between public transportation and bicycling. We're pleased RTA acknowledge what its own data shows: that cyclists and the public can share the train, as well as share the road

Cyclists are making progress with federal legislation in Congress, as well. This month, legislation to provide support for cyclists, support long extended to motorists, was incorporated into the House-passed energy legislation. The bill would provide money for trails and tax benefits for those who burn calories, not gasoline. What's it cost to commute by car? Learn here!

Commuting and Tourism:  Planning for a ClevelandBikes Bicycle Station in Cleveland's Gateway Neighborhood.  To learn about how a ClevelandBikes bicycle station can help residents, click here!

Green Future for NE Ohio:  ClevelandBikes works to secure funding for the last six miles of the Towpath Trail into Downtown Cleveland.

Bike Safety Month:  Cleveland "White Bikes" offer a safety message on the streets.  This year, supporters have even asked that they keep th bikes up throughout the summer, as a safety reminder. We're happy to oblige! Ride safely everyone!