Port Authority Statement Supports Cycling

Wow, this is HUGE, especially if you are a cyclist. The Century Road Club Association covered the Port Authority of NY/NJ's statement which "called for systematic planning for the incorporation of bicycling in the regional transportation network."

The following is a copy of the Port Authority's statement taken from The Century Road Club Association. 

THE PORT AUTHORITY OF NEW YORK & NEW JERSEY
PORT AUTHORITY NEWS BULLETIN
Office of the Executive Director

Bulletin #10-05

March 29, 2010

Bicycling is a rapidly growing mode of transportation and the New York-New Jersey region is facing increased demand for expanded bicycle infrastructure, safer bicycle routes, access to transit connections and secure parking facilities. While we recognize that many Port Authority facilities currently provide some accommodations for bicycle users, we need to prepare more systematically for the growing use of bicycles as a mode of travel within the regional transportation system.

On February 25, 2010, the Board of Commissioners adopted the following policy:
In keeping with its mission to meet the critical transportation needs of the bi-state region, the Port Authority supports bicycling as an important and sustainable mode of travel. It seeks to provide its customers, tenants, visitors and employees with safe and convenient bicycle access and secure bicycle parking at its facilities, wherever operationally and financially feasible.

The Board also authorized the Executive Director to take the following steps to advance the goals of this policy:

Integrate improved bicycle access, safe bicycle lanes, and secure bicycle parking and storage into existing Port Authority buildings and facilities, owned or operated by the Port Authority.

Ensure that design guidelines for new construction and major renovations include sufficient bicycle access, storage, and related amenities to meet emerging demand.

Develop multimodal transit hubs that encourage biking and walking.

Remove any unnecessary restrictions on bicycle access, and promote the safe coexistence of motor vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians at Port Authority facilities.

Encourage tenants to expand bicycle access and accommodations.

Coordinate bicycle facility improvements and intermodal connections with regional planning organizations, other regional transportation providers, and local governments to promote safe and seamless travel throughout the region.

The Chief Operating Officer, Chief of Capital Planning, and Chief of Real Estate and Development will be responsible for ensuring that the agency takes the preliminary steps necessary to implement this policy and will periodically report to me on the agency’s progress. They will also review interim bicycle master plans and provide final versions for my approval by September 30, 2010. Affected staff will soon receive additional information and guidance from them directly.

I encourage all Port Authority staff to make the most of this opportunity to creatively meet the region’s emerging transportation needs, advance the agency’s environmental commitments and contribute to a more sustainable regional transportation system. We will be able to better serve our customers, foster positive relationships with our communities, and contribute to improved employee health. I look forward to seeing a wide range of plans for meeting these objectives, and to sharing them with the region.

//Original Signed By//

Christopher O. Ward
Executive Director 

Overall I like the initiatives they plan to take and I think that anything to help reduce the use of cars and congestion on the roads is worthy. I wonder when we will see official plans to put these words into action and how long it will take. I hope the Port Authority will work to quickly more forward with these initiatives because, while words are nice, it is action that counts (Please excuse my cynical tone, I am a New Yorker after all and my faith is the Port Authority is not as strong as it could be). 

To read the rest of the article go to The Century Road Club Association. 

Calling all Mountain Bikers

Hey Mountain Bikers,

I'd like to direct you to a great blog that has in turn directed me to a lot of good resources... NYC Mountain Bike Blog. I love reading about their weekend rides and they always provide great ideas for future outings... plus kudos to them, they ride in the snow!

Some of the resources I have discovered through this blog are as follows:

The New York City Mountain Bikers Meetup Group - This is a group "for anyone that shares a passion for mountain biking and trail riding." They welcome all levels and offer a great deal of diversity in their rides and locations.

New York City Mountain Bike Association - Founded in 2005 their mission is to build and maintain trails in the five boroughs of New York City, advocate for the sport, and foster a community of mountain bikers in the City. The website has information on trails and other resources.

I encourage you to follow the NYC Mountain Bike Blog and check out the two websites.

Happy Riding! 

Looking for a Place to Park Your Bike?

So in honor of everyone wears green day, I thought I would share an awesome tip from Transportation Alternatives (a really worthy and important organization) to help make living a greener life a little easier. Because not everyone is allowed to take your bike inside buildings or restaurants and you might not want to chain your bike to the nearest parking sign, Transportation Alternatives has been kind enough to compile a list of bike parking garages all over the city.

For your convenience I have copied the list below, but please go and check out the original list here.

Manhattan 
85 4th Ave (at 10th St.) - Secure bike room $25 per month 
888 Eighth Avenue (at 53rd Street) - $10 per 10 hours 
J & S Rent-A-Locker, 147 W. 35th Street (b/w Broadway amd 7th ave) - $5 per day 
105 Essex Street (b/w Delancey and Rivington) 
80 Pine Street (West side of Water Street b/w Pine and Maiden) 
Best Parking, 310 W. 40th Street (b/w 8th and 9th) - $15 per hour 
Central Parking, 224 Mulberry Street (b/w Prince and Spring) - $40 per month 
Chelnik Parking, 200 E. 27th Street (at 3rd Avenue) - $6.50 per hour, $206 per month 
Chelnik Parking, 425 Park Avenue (at 55th Street) - $23 per hour 
FastPark, 49 W. 38th Street (at 9th Avenue) - $20 per day 
Gallant Parking, 182 E. 95th Street (at 3rd Avenue) - $21 per day 
Impark, 55 Water Street (south of William Street) - $30 per month for non-tenants 
Kinney System, 345 W. 58th Street (at 8th Avenue) - $37 per day, $16 per hour 
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 5th Avenue (at 82nd Street) - open during museum hours

Brooklyn -Currently there are no garages listed in Brooklyn.

The Bronx
Jerome Avenue at Gun Hill Road
Jerome Avenue at 190th Street

Queens
Court Square (near Jackson Ave.)
90th Avenue (bet. Parsons Blvd. & 160th Street)
Archer Ave. at 165th Street
Queens Borough Hall
Queens Plaza South at Jackson Avenue

They don't list any for Brooklyn... but I have a feeling there must be at least one or two there and they also don't list any for Staten Island. Does anyone know of any garages either in Brooklyn or on Staten Island? Or do you know of any that aren't listed on Transportation Alternatives website?

That's all for now folks! I hope everyone has a chance to go outside and enjoy the day! Don't forget to wear your green, go watch the St. Patrick's Day Parade (on Fifth from 42nd to 86th Streets, from 11am-4pm), and enjoy the unseasonably warm weather we have been given.

Happy St. Partick's Day Everyone!

Cool Tool- Map My Run

Hey Everyone!

Sorry I've been MIA for a few days... a nasty stomach bug took me out.

Before I got my Garmin one of the hardest things for me to do was track the distance of my runs accurately. That is until I stumbled upon this fun tool, Map My Run. It was one of the easiest tools to learn to use. Although it can be slow to load and a little finicky at times, I found those drawbacks to be well worth it as it is FREE and works everywhere that Google Maps works (read: even on trails in Upstate NY or CT).

 Image of a saved run in through Van Courtland Park on Map My Run

It also lists favorite routes of people in your neighborhood and in the city (for an example, see the above image). This is also great if you are a cyclist and looking to measure your distance.

So if you don't have a Garmin, Polar, or iPhone try this tool out and I hope it helps you in your workouts.

Grabbing gear online, the way to go!

So one of the questions my friends in the city are constantly asking me is, "Where should I buy my outdoor gear?" It is not too easy in the City to find great places that have the specific outdoor gear items you are looking for, especially at a reasonable price. This becomes even more true if you looking for more technical items such as climbing shoes and rope or say a kayaking skirt. Of course there is Paragon Sports on 18th and Broadway, a plethora of Models locations and a few other specialty shops. But if those stores don't have what you are looking for, you can be somewhat out of luck.

A fantastic solution? Backcountry.com and their outlet store.

They sell everything from tents, to cycling clothes, to snow boots, to skis and snowboards, to car racks. Their customer service is great, shipping is inexpensive, they have a lot of different brands and options to choose from and they have a lenient return policy, which is always helpful when ordering by mail.

So checkout Backcountry.com out and let me know what you think.