commuterDude: Advocacy Alert

April 7, 2009

Advocacy Alert - take action!

CommuterDude Readers; From our friends and champions at MoBikeFed:

Please take a look at the below and respond - regardless of what side of the line you live, KS or MO, this benefits us ALL:

Take a moment, and click on the link shown below:

Take two minutes, and make a difference!

Do you think good, safe walking and bicycling facilities (should) be included on all new MoDOT roads?

Didn't like it when MoDOT Director Pete Rahn personally shut down Missouri's Complete Streets initiative?

Here's your chance to give MoDOT a message right where it counts:

A group called the Missouri Transportation Alliance is currently taking public feedback as they start to create a plan to deal with MoDOT's current massive funding shortfall.

This is the same group who wrote and passed Amendment 3 in 2004.

Now they are at it again. They are open to the idea of including funding for things like bicycling, walking, and complete streets.

But they can't do it unless we **ask**!

This is really a two minute job--you can send them one short sentence: "I support bicycling and walking."

I have talked with Jewell Patek, who organized the campaign that led Amendment 3 to be passed by nearly a 90% margin.

He said the question they must answer, before including any proposals supportive of bicycling and walking: Is there support in Missouri for including bicycling & walking?

Are there votes?

They just can't include bicycling and walking unless people are really asking for it. If we ask, it will be difficult for them to say no.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease, so let's squeak!

http://mobikefed.org/2009/01/28-jan-2009-should-modots-future.php

This one initiative will have more affect on the future direction of MoDOT than all others we are currently working on, put together.

So please do take a moment to respond!

--Brent

director@mobikefed.org

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What is bicycle commuting?

Simply put, bicycle commuting is the act of travelling to a place of work or education by bicycle. In many areas it is common to combine bicycle commuting with public transport. Worldwide, the bicycle remains the most common commuter vehicle, and bicycle riding the second most common form of commuting, second only to walking. While the absolute number of bicycles in existence globally is unknown, it is clear that significantly more bicycles are manufactured than automobiles. In the United States about 40% of automobile trips are two miles or less; using a bicycle for these short trips can reduce your emissions and expenses. If you live within ten miles of work, you could save thousands of dollars in fuel, insurance and automotive maintenance costs each year. This webpage seeks to highlight bicycling as a viable transportation platform and a fun, exciting, healthful way to improve your life! Visit the commuting links below and get started today!

What is Randonneuring?

The French term "randonnée" loosely translates as a long tour or ramble along a defined route, and persons embarking as such are dubbed "randonneurs". In cycling, the term defines a hard-riding enthusiast attempting a long-distance randonnée (called a "brevet", usually 200 kilometers or greater) within a certain time allotment. Non-competitive by design, randonneuring encourages camaraderie: riders test themselves against the clock, the weather, and a challenging route - but not each other. Randonneuring's ethos embodies self-sufficiency and mental toughness; support vehicles are not allowed and brevets are held regardless of weather. Randonneurs USA (RUSA) organizes brevets in the United States under the auspices of the Audax Club Parisien (ACP) and the Randonneurs Mondiaux (RM), and rider's results are recognized world-wide. This website seeks to highlight the excitement and challenge of long-distance bicycle riding by sharing personal ride accounts, with the hope of growing the sport. If this type of bicycle riding interests you and you'd like to find out more, visit the RUSA webpage to find rides in your area!

For ride announcements and discussions on randonneuring in the greater Kansas City area, visit KC Ultra Cycling, and join the KC Ultra-Cycling Email List:

Subscribe to KCUC

Email:

Visit this group

Courtesy Randonneurs USA

What is Ultra-Marathon Cycling?

Just as the 26.2-mile marathon represents a benchmark for runners, bicyclists generally consider the "century", riding 100-miles, a worthy endurance challenge. Ultra-marathon cycling involves exceeding that benchmark, often several times over, offering the long-distance challenge of randonnuering with a more competitive flavor. This is the world of 24-hour races, double-centuries, and beyond. Where randonneuring rewards all finishers equally and emphasizes self-sufficiency, ultra-racers compete for time and placing, maximizing speed by utilizing support crews for hand-ups and fast repairs. Event courses can be long and scenic, but may take the form of many laps of a looped course. Winning ultra-distance events requires the rare combination of endurance and a high average speed. Randonneuring and Ultra-Marathon often complement one another: brevets can offer base-training to prepare for racing, and fast randonneurs often enter ultra events for a new challenge. Visit the World Ultra Cycling Association's website for more information.

Courtesy World Ultra Cycling Association

April 7, 2009

Advocacy Alert - take action!

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