Tuesday, July 10, 2012

SBL Rides and Skills

From the Southern Bicycle League via Be Active Decatur...

On Friday, July 13th they will lead a bike ride through Arabia Mountain.

Come and ride The Path through the nature preserve, over the covered bridge to Lake Alexander and onto the newest spur, South Rockdale River Trail. Shady trail with lots of wildlife. Bring water and snacks as there are no store stops on the trail. About 30 miles with moderate hills at a 10 mph avg. Call Kelly Bilak for more info 404.831.4247. Starting point Stonecrest Mall parking lot between Kohl's and the Hyatt Place. Look for the Gold F150. Happy Hour after ride at Buffalo Wild Wings at the Mall.

On Saturday, July 14th in Decatur they will hold a Group Bike Riding Skills Clinic at Glennwood Academy:

RIDE LEADERS Mike Masters and Mike Sheehan will host an intro group riding skills clinic. Meet at Glennwood Academy, 440 East Ponce De Leon Avenue, Decatur GA 30030, ready to ride at 1:30pm. The clinic starts with a group discussion covering the basics of bike safety, rules of the road, and group riding skills. There will be time for questions and answers on a variety of cycling topics before the ride begins. Following the group discussion, we will put theory into practice on a 5 mile group ride around Decatur. Participants are encouraged to reconvene at Fellini's Pizza after the ride for refreshments and socializing (333 Commerce Drive, Decatur). This clinic is intended for beginner to intermediate cyclists who want to improve their group riding skills and get connected to the local cycling community. The clinic is appropriate for adult cyclists who have achieved at least a minimum level of cycling ability. For example, before attending this clinic you should: Know how to ride your bike, Know how to operate the brakes and stop your bike, Know how to change gears on your bike, Know how to inflate the tires on your bike, Be able to ride your bike in its current condition at least 10 miles, and be ready to meet new people, learn new skills, and have some fun. No clinic if it is raining or below 40 degrees.

Monday, July 9, 2012

Parking Ticket

It was nice to see that a car has a ticket for blocking the bike lane (I picked up the ticket and checked). Although I wonder how long a car has to be parked in the bike lane before it gets a ticket. For example, the car behind is not ticketed.

Olympic Transportation

I found this from a Mobility Matters newsletter that The Midtown Transportation Solutions sends out. It was interesting to note the differences in 16 years. Read on...

Olympic Transportation Then and Now:

A Tale of Two Cities

The countdown is on for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. With the London opening ceremonies drawing near, a final push for preparations is underway. One of the major undertakings has been a $15 billion investment of revamping the transportation system through London. By contrast, Atlanta spent $2 billion total on the 1996 Olympics.

Some of the major initiatives in London to ensure the greenest Olympic Games:

* Parking will only be available for officials and the disabled.
* Commuters receive free access to public transit throughout the day of an event.
* Two high speed trains: the Olympic Javelin can reach 140 mph and will run every 7 minutes, carrying 25,000 passengers per hour. The EuroStar helps long distance commuters from France into London.
* Car-sharing, carpooling, bike sharing and additional buses to relieve street traffic.
* A 39-mile ribbon of fast lanes and shortcuts in London has been engineered to transport the 80,000 athletes and members of the Games' inner circle.

In preparation for the 1996 Olympics, three MARTA stations opened, adjustments were made to trains to allow more standing room, Express parking lots were added outside the perimeter, and major downtown employers introduced clean commute methods that Midtown Transportation Solutions (MTS) encourages, like carpooling, flex-time and teleworking, which helped keep street traffic manageable.