Montgomery Bicycling Conference May 14
Reminder: The Montgomery Bicycling Conference is this weekend. WABA Board Member Casey Anderson joins other County cyclists, advocates, and interested residents in discussing the future of cycling in Montgomery County.
MONTGOMERY BICYCLING (For ALL of US) CONFERENCE
DATE: Saturday, May 14, 8:40 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
PLACE: 1st Floor Auditorium, Executive Office Building, 101 Monroe Street, Rockville. Enter building through the black glass doors of the cafeteria, ground level facing Jefferson St. & the COB garage.
PARKING: free in COB Public Parking garage accessed from Monroe St. or eastbound Jefferson
Objective: to bring together elected and appointed officials, bicyclists and bicycle advocates to brainstorm on how to get more ordinary people to use bicycles for routine trips such as commuting to transit and work, running errands, traveling to entertainment and recreation destinations and getting to and from school and after-school activities.
Schedule
8:40 Sign in, coffee & light refreshments, viewing of James Mackay’s film, “International Scan on Pedestrian & Bicyclist Safety & Mobility” filmed in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Film will also be shown during intermission and at end.
9:00 a.m. Welcome Remarks and Charge – Peggy Dennis, President, MCCF
9:05 Safe Bicycling in Montgomery County
Montgomery County Pedestrian & Traffic Safety Advisory Committee: Steve Friedman
Maryland Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee: John Wetmore, member
Montgomery Park Police: Chief Darien Manley,
9:25 Policies, Planning & Implementation for Bicycling – Where We Are Today?
9:25 M-NC/PPC – Planning Office – David Anspacher
9:45 M-NC/PPC – Parks Office – Charles Kines
10:05 Montgomery County DOT – County Bike Coordinator – Gail Tait-Nouri
10:25 Maryland DOT – Michael Jackson – Director of Bicycle & Pedestrian Access
10:40 Maryland SHA – Dustin Kuzan, Bicycle & Pedestrian Coordinator
10:50 WMATA – Matthew Zych, Long Range Planning Office
11:00 15 minute break for coffee/tea/juice
11:15 – MCDOT –Nadji Kirby – Coordinator: Safe Routes to School Program
11:30 – City of Rockville – Case Study of a Bicycle-Friendly Municipality, Nancy Breen,
Chair, Rockville Bike Advisory Committee
11:45 Where Do We Want to Go? Advocates Visions for the Future of Cycling:
Casey Anderson – Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) Board member
Richard Layman – Bicycle Advocate and Planner
12:15 What Do We Need To Do To Get There? – Action Planning for Most Effective Improvements – Moderator, Robert Patten, Toole Design Group
12:45 Wrap-Up and Closing Remarks: Francoise Carrier, Chairman, Maryland-National Capital/Park & Planning Commission & Valerie Ervin, President, County Council
1:00 Conference Ends – break for lunch
2:00 BYOB Bike tour of Rockville (see next page or reverse for details)
*subject to last minute additions and changes
BICYCLE TOUR OF BICYCLE-FRIENDLY ROCKVILLE
2:00 Bill Michie of the Rockville Citizens Bicycle Advisory Committee will lead a Bike Tour of Rockville. Bring Your Own Bike (BYOB). The bike ride begins at 2:00 PM meeting at the small asphalt area by the entrance to the Council Parking Garage on E. Jefferson Street and Monroe Street. This is directly across Monroe Street from the Jury Parking Lot where the Farmers Markets are held on Saturday mornings during late spring and summer.
The ride will familiarize us with on-road bike routes, bike paths, the MilleniumTrail,
cut-throughs, signage and bridges. The purpose is to demonstrate to riders how such facilities create safe bicycling routes that are suitable for many everyday trips.
How long the bike ride will take depends on the capabilities of the least able cyclist. The route Bill has in mind has hills that people who have biked very little may find difficult. But novices should rest assured that Bill will not leave the slowest and least fit behind.
The proposed route for the ride is:
START at E. Jefferson Street & Monroe Street
SOUTH on Monroe Street
LEFT on Cabin John Parkway
STRAIGHT onto the bike path where Cabin John Parkway ends at Leverton Road
RIGHT onto the Millennium Trail at Wootton Parkway
CROSS Seven Locks Road to remain on the Millennium rail
CROSS Falls Road to remain on the Millennium Trail
RIGHT onto Hurley Avenue
RIGHT onto Watts Branch Parkway
BEAR LEFT onto Friendship Bridge over I-270
WALK bikes across Nelson Street & then W. Montgomery Ave at traffic light
STRAIGHT on sidewalk along Nelson Street
RIGHT onto Anderson Ave
FOLLOW signs to Town Center using the on-street route.
GATHER at Town Square to answer any questions.
BIKE towards the Movie Theatre and then Monroe Street to return to START
Bill will stop several times during the ride to point out various features that enable and enrich safe bicycling. He will stress that most adult bike trips for everyday purposes should be much shorter and easier than this bike tour. He will also stress that short bike trips can be done in everyday clothing — not the high-tech cycling gear he normally wears.