Benepe's Bike Blog

Alleged Terrorist Pimental Arrested in Washington Heights, NY

2011-11-20T17:18:00.000-08:00

An alleged terrorist bomber working as an independent agent was arrested in Washington Heights, NY yesterday afternoon before he could set off his first bombs, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced at a special news conference this evening.

Flanked by New York's Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Bloomberg announced the arrest of Jose Pimentel as a part of a long-running investigation of the alleged terrorist who had been working for the past two years to build bombs that he had been planning to test in mail boxes. Some of his potential full scale targets after the tests were to be concluded were said to be U.S. Postal Offices in New York, and a police station in Bayonne, NJ.

"The suspect was a so-called lone wolf, motivated by his own resentment of the presence of American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as inspired by Al Qaeda propaganda," said Bloomberg.

"He was not part of a larger conspiracy emanating from abroad...[and] he represents exactly the kind of threat FBI Director Robert Mueller and his experts have warned about, as American military and intelligence agencies have eroded Al Qaeda's ability to launch large-scale attacks."

A special undercover police unit had been monitoring Pimental recently, and decided to move in and make the arrest before the alleged terrorist could plant his first bomb. This was to be the 13th attempted attack in New York since 9/11, said the Mayor.

The 27-year-old Pimental from the Dominican Repunblic was said to have been influenced by the death of Anwar al-Awlaki to join the Jihad, and had fashioned several pipe bombs from materials he had bought from various Home Depots to avoid detection.

Those bomb parts included elbow joints used in normal plumbing, but which are instructed as ingredients for bomb making in Inspire Magazine, an Al Qaeda publication, in particular the issue, "How to Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of your Mom," according to Commissioner Kelly.

Pimental had allegedly also bought nails to act as shrapnel and drilled holes into the devices to make them work.

District Attorney Cyrus Vance said Pimental could face from 15 years to life if convicted of the charges of attempted terrorism.

A picture of Pimental working on one of his alleged bomb devices was showcased at the press conference: a man with glasses bent over his work at a desk. How the photo was obtained was not disclosed. Although Pimental is a U.S. citizen, he was unemployed and was planning a trip to Yemen. He recently divorced from his wife.

NY Times Suddenly Discovers Age-Old Bike Route

2011-10-21T07:20:00.000-07:00


An article in the NYT in 1897

The New York Times published a piece today about cyclists crossing the George Washington Bridge to ride to points north in New York and New Jersey.

The article pointed to the trip that has been taken by many millions of cyclists over the years, and has been said to be the most traveled bicycle route in the United States, almost as if they just started doing so yesterday.

It was another sign that the editors of the Times appear to recognize the growing importance of cycling in New York, yet still stubbornly resist hiring writers who know more than the average person about the sport.

The article sends broad hints that the Gray Old Lady is out of touch with the cycling community. This is surprising given the fact that they must have done a good job back in the day when Six Day racers were the norm at Madison Square Garden. The article left was published in the Times on Dec. 11, 1897--a time when cycling received its due.

The lack of real coverage affects the newspaper's credibility, which many cyclists have complained about privately on email exchanges over the past year, such as e-bikes, the mailing list started by Daniel Lieberman. Some have been so frustrated with either the lack of coverage, or stories that don't measure up to cyclists' standards they even started a private campaign to get a real cycling writer into the paper's revered halls.

The Times has skipped important events, like the first Gran Fondo, NY that took over the bottom level of the George Washington Bridge this past May, and had over 2,000 riders from around the world, including George Hincapie, professional cyclist for the BMC team. Of course BBB, this silly cycling based blog, covered that event, but so did that national and international paper called the Wall St. Journal.

This summer when I was covering the Tour de France for Cyclists International, I ran into Greg Bishop, the new reporter who was covering the event for the Times while Juliet Macur was on maternity leave.

Riders coming across the bridge in this year's first Gran Fondo, NY held in May. (C) Benepe

Bishop's experience in cycling? He had covered the National Football League. I felt for the guy as he struggled not only with the concepts of the most important bicycle race in the world, but also with the torturous logistics of following the tour which some journalists have said is worse than actually being in the competition.

When I commented to another journalist that I thought it strange that the NY Times would hire a football specialist to cover the technical sport of cycling --a sport Bishop had admittedly never competed in (and nor for that matter has Juliet Macur,) he said, "Well, the Times is written to a general audience."

I am sure Bishop did fine, but come on NY Times: are you telling us that there aren't enough journalists out there who do know cycling that you could hire? I know a few I could call from my Rolodex just sitting at my computer.

Plus that old excuse that the Times is a generalist newspaper and writes to the audience that might try cycling, just doesn't hold. That's like saying they'll pick a writer for the Middle East conflicts that only has experience writing about fashion in New York.

It is true that the NY Times is a "real" newspaper with trained journalists, and it could also be said that many writers for cycling have not had any formal training, and some indeed cannot even write properly. And I am not a great fan of the prevailing practice by cycling news outfits like Versus and VeloNews to employ ex-racers who know the sport but whose reporting skills are rudimentary and awkward.

Back to the article from today's paper: It starred Aaron Katin, a wonderful friend, a true-blood cyclist, and yes, a good example of someone who regularly rides across the George Washington Bridge from his home in Washington Heights. But there are others who exemplify the trip to the Nth degree, and for this article, the writer just skimmed the outer fringe of this massive group of addicted, two-wheeled sportsters.

We're not saying the writer was deficient, no, he did a great job. Nor even the editor. It's the big bosses at the Times who just don't seem to think that cycling deserves to be handled by people with real knowledge, nor do they want to provide the column space for in depth coverage.

Sadly, the Times' hit-or-miss approach to cycling is a real disservice to New York cyclists who continue to battle for safer conditions. Missing from this article was a hard look at just how difficult it is to get on and off the bridge, the many clubs that travel out of the city and why, the rides and where they are headed, and the personalities running the bike shops that service the bulk of the population (unfortunately not Manny's, though I am sure they appreciate the shout-out.)

Should we say we are happy they are giving space to cycling at all? Maybe. Their half-hearted job covering this diverse community has spawned an entire mini-market of online outfits that cater to the matters of the streets for two wheelers, like Benepe's Bike Blog, Streetsblog, BikeSnob, and Cyclists International, just to mention a handful. Even Gothamist and DNAInfo provide more cutting edge info for cyclists.

Update on Doug Daniele Memorial Ride

2011-09-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

The course for the Doug Daniele Memorial Ride on Sept. 11 has been changed.

Due to twigs, rocks and other debris on River Road (Hudson River Drive,) the ride will now leave from Strictly Bicycles and proceed north along Hudson Terrace, then Route 9W up to the Alpine Police Station in Alpine, NJ (about 7 miles).

The ride will still meet at 8:30 am with a prompt departure at 9 am from the Strictly Bicycles parking lot on Hudson Terrace and Myrtle Avenue.

The ride will proceed North along Hudson Terrace to Palisades Avenue (also known as Dyckman,) take a right on Route 9W, and proceed north.

When we reach Clinton, we will pick up riders from Tenafly, NJ who will be joining the group. Tenafly riders are expected to either wait for us on Clinton or more than 300 yards north of the Clinton/ 9W intersection on the shoulder. Those riders will take the lead if they are in front.

We will continue north until we reach the right hand turn to Palisades Parkway Commission headquarters.

We will turn right and proceed south down the hill about a half mile to the Palisades Parkway Commission headquarters.

There we will stop to give our remembrances of Doug. Anyone will be allowed to speak, and we will wait until the last person has had their say.

Then the ride will proceed informally up to Piermont, NY and Nyack, NY. Riders are encouraged to continue north in Doug's spirit after remembrances are spoken.

Drivers and others can meet us at the parkway headquarters. There is a parking lot there (which is small). If there is not enough parking you can park further south of the HQ on the side of the road.

Please call 917 723 9017 for questions, or email jbenepe@msn.com

Thanks so much everyone, and looking forward to seeing you there.

RULES of the RIDE:

NO MORE THAN TWO ABREAST. Please, we don't want any accidents.

Ride in formation, two at a time.

Wait for the group after lights have split the group.

Please stay within the white line area of the shoulder. If you cannot do this with two abreast, please single up.

Please, please do not ride to the left over the white line in the shoulder unless you look behind first for approaching cars

Please ladies and gentlemen, no racing. We will wait for the slowest rider. You can race your heart out later.

Memorial Ride Planned For Daniele on Sept. 11

2011-09-08T08:19:00.000-07:00

Doug Daniele in Nyack, NY courtesy of Nick Piscitelli

Cyclist Doug Daniele will be memorialized in a bicycle ride this weekend held in his honor.

Daniele was killed while riding his motorcycle on August 31 on Route 17 in Sloatsburg, NY when a motorist cut him off while trying to execute an illegal turn.

The ride will take place on Sept. 11, gathering at 8:30 am and leaving promptly at 9 am from Bruce Reynolds Boulevard and Hudson Terrace in Fort Lee, NJ, just south of the entrance to the George Washington Bridge.

Organizers attempted to plan the ride on anything other than 9/11, but when no other date became feasible, realized that Daniele himself would want to honor the date when so many Americans were killed in the World Trade Center towers disaster.

Happy riding days in 2009, Nick, Jen and Doug

The ride will proceed from the entrance of the Palisades Park roadway which is affectionately known as River Road but whose formal name is really Henry Hudson Drive, seven miles to the top of the Alpine Police Station hill. The ride will take a stop there for friends and fellow riders to to speak their remembrance about Daniele and 9/11.

The ride will end there, but riders are encouraged to continue as a less formal group to Piermont, NY and Nyack, NY.

Daniele was well known in New Jersey, partly because of his role as top salesman at D & C Honda in Tenafly, NJ, but also because he was a friendly guy who loved to ride his bikes whether they be road, mountain, or as he did earlier in life, BMX.

Daniele's mtn bike friends gathered on Sept. 1

Below is the full description of the Daniele Memorial 9/11 Ride

Date: Sunday, September 11 · 8:30am - 1 pm
Meet: On sidewalk north of entrance to River Road, between Fort Lee and Edgewater NJ just south of George Washington Bridge (Bruce Reynolds Blvd. and Hudson Terrace, Fort lee, NJ)

Doug Daniele and two other stooges

YES it is an auspicious and revered day, just like Doug would have liked it, to ride on this day for those who fell in the World Trade Towers disaster.

For those who do not know, Doug was an avid cyclist, a dear friend, and resident of Paramus NJ. He was cut off by an automobile while riding his motorcycle last Wed., resulting in his death. (See stories at http://benepesbikeblog.blogspot.com/ <http://benepesbikeblog.blogspot.com/> )

The ride leaves the top of the hill at 9 am, proceeds down the hill, enters the Palisades Park and travels north along the river to the Alpine Police Station. We are asked by the Palisades Park Commission to please ride single file when cars are passing, which will likely only be necessary past the second boat basin (about 3 miles in).

Some riders will be coming up from Tenafly, NJ, or from Strictly Bicycles. We will wait for them to arrive (they are supposed to leave Tenafly at 8:30 am).

Ride will go all the way to Alpine, NJ, (about 7 miles) where we will stop briefly to read or speak spontaneously about our wonderful friend who was killed by an automobile on August 31, around 2:30 pm in Sloatsburg, NY. Poetry or simple reflections welcome.

THIS RIDE IS NOT A RACE. Please leave your racing brain at home. (thanks, I know how hard it is). You can race from Alpine to Nyack if you like.

Some of us will continue on to Piermont, NY and Nyack, NY, but we will not expect everyone to stay together. For those who would like to stay together, there will be a regrouping at both destinations.

Ride home is on your own or with your friends. Personally I would like to ride with everyone up to Nyack, it just won’t be formal because of the way the road becomes narrow at State Line.

Email jbenepe@msn.com with more questions or call 917 723 9017. Rain Date: October 2, 2011.

Doug Daniele, Father, Cyclist, Motorcyclist, Person, Mourned

2011-09-03T19:45:00.000-07:00

Happier days in Paramus, NJ: Daniele and his sons and a friend

Motorist inexperience possible factor in fatal crash
Sept. 3, 2011
Doug Daniele, 48, of Bergen County, NJ was mourned yesterday and today by family, friends and acquaintances.

Daniele was killed in a tragic crash with a motorist on August 31 in Suffern, NY while riding his motorcycle.

The loss of Daniele who touched so many lives brought tears to the eyes of many who attended his wake on Friday held in Oradell, NJ and a mass in his honor today at the Church of the Annunciation in Paramus, NJ.

Many never thought this day would come because Daniele was the bedrock of their lives, his friends recounted. He was passionate, loving, and seemed to make just about everyone feel like they were the most important person in the world.

So it may have been no surprise at today's services when even grown men who looked like they were as tough as line backers sobbed alongside women dressed in black dresses and pearls. No eye was dry, no head was unbent as the Reverend spoke about the greatness of Daniele, and how his full life was intended to be a long one. "This was not God's plan," he said of Daniele's passing.

Daniele's wife Carol Sandorse Daniele spoke in a quiet voice, her face beautiful but clearly wracked since her husband's passing. She wore a black suit that seemed to both accentuate her petite frame and evoke the fragility of life.

In a moment that could tear any heart to pieces, but also render it whole through its tenderness, Daniele's three sons Michael 13, Joseph 10, and Jesse 30 now bereft of their father, laid a ceremonial cloth on his casket.

Beverly Cancellieri, Daniele's sister, also spoke about her brother with emotion breaking her composure and her words.

Though Daniele's life was not only about cycling, many who came to respect him had ridden with him either on a road bike, a mountain bike, or on a motorcycle.

After the mass, Daniele's fellow mountain bike cyclists acknowledged that he had been their clear leader, organizing them through the North Jersey Mountain Bike Association where he was the founder.

Some members of the NJMBA gathered at a local diner after the mass to pass around photos of their times together, to talk about his humor, to recount special moments and places, and most of all to try and feel better about the gnawing empty feeling in their stomachs that appeared when Daniele's soul left the earth.

Motorist Inexperience Possible Factor in Daniele Crash

Meanwhile the details of Daniele's crash with the 17-year-old motorist were still pending the outcome of a police investigation.

A spokesperson for the Ramapo Police Dept. confirmed that since the motorist was underage her name would not be released.

Speaking for the New York Department of Motor Vehicles, spokesman Nicholas Cantiello confirmed that it is illegal to move from the right hand lane to perform a left hand turn.

Because of her age, the motorist was most likely to have been operating the 2008 Honda Civic with a driver's permit. Under state law, she would have to be accompanied by a legal guardian or parent in the car, in this case, her mother in order to drive.

But Cantiello said that U-turns in general are not legal on state highways such as Route 17.

Stefan Koncz, a friend of Daniele who lives in the area of the incident and happened to pass by the scene of the incident that day said there was a break in the meridian that the driver was likely trying to reach when she turned to perform a U-turn.

Traffic in that portion of the roadway also begins to slow as it narrows and enters a 40 mile-per-hour speed zone, explained Koncz, so a properly performed U-turn may have been legal. But repeated calls to the Ramapo Accident Investigation team have not confirmed whether this driver will be summonsed for the turn.

The driver and her mother were overheard arguing loudly after the crash about how she was to have taken the turn, according to eye witnesses, each one allegedly with a different version of events.

Drivers involved in fatal incidents can be summonsed after the fact if the investigation finds that they broke the law, said Cantiello.

Though there is no word on whether the driver will be summonsed for her actions leading up to the crash, the motorist's age and inexperience may have played a part: Young drivers between the ages of 16 and 17 cause more crashes and fatalities than any other age group.

"Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for teens and the crash fatality rate is highest for 16 to 17 year olds within the first six months of getting their license," said NYS DMV Commissioner David J. Swarts in 2010.

Young drivers represent only 12 percent of all drivers, yet they account for 20 percent of drivers involved in crashes, said a report completed by his office. And 16 and 17-year-olds are three times more likely to be involved in a crash than the rest of the driving population, it concluded.

The problem is not a new one, and on February 22, 2010, legislators instituted additional hurdles for teens looking to obtain their driver's license in New York by requiring 50 hours of driving time in a car with a guardian (up from 20), and allowing only one other passenger in the vehicle (rather than two.)

Though many believe that drunk driving among teens is the leading cause of crashes, driver error, speeding and being distracted are the biggest causes, said the DMV in a statement.

But even these new requirements beg the question, how can any of this help if the parent doesn't have common sense and allows an inexperienced driver to operate on a state highway? And how does the new law prevent young people from committing errors of judgment while driving just because their parent is present? In two words: it doesn't.

Whether a parent allows their child to drive on a state highway is up to them, said Cantiello, even if it makes no sense at all to have an inexperienced driver on a fast road with many traffic challenges.

And though parents must accompany their children under the supervised driving rules, if a child commits an error--such as causing a fatality, the crash becomes part of the child's driving record, not the parent's, said Cantiello.

Depending on the outcome of the accident investigation in Daniele's crash, the driver will likely have to attend a special hearing on the crash, where her conduct will be evaluated. As a result, she could face misdemeanor charges, or delays anywhere from a year to several years in obtaining a driver's license.

The driver could also be facing criminal charges if the investigation finds that she broke any laws such as texting while driving, or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

On July 31, 2011 New York State Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's proposals for a national teen driver safety plan were approved by a key Senate committee. The legislation would set national standards for states to implement Graduated Drivers License (GDL) programs that prepare teens to be safe, responsible drivers, said a spokesperson for Gillibrand's office.

Still, none of the laws in the U.S. compare to some European restrictions on teen drivers, where graduated driving rules keep teens off the roads until they have proven that they know how to drive.

Well Known Local Cyclist Doug Daniele in Fatal Crash

2011-08-31T21:09:00.000-07:00

Daniele loved to use his I phone to take shots (2009)

Doug Daniele, 48. November 3, 1962 to August 31, 2011
First Reported: August 31, 2011 (edited version, Sept. 3, 2011)

Local cyclist Doug Daniele was killed today while riding a motorcycle when a motorist made a sudden left turn in front of him, causing him to crash and flip over the car.

Daniele, 48 was well known and beloved among many cyclists in the New Jersey region. He was traveling north on Route 17 in Suffern, NY on his 2011 Harley Davidson, when a 17-year-old female driver took a left turn from the far right lane, and Daniele traveled straight into her pathway.

The impact caused Daniele to flip over the top of the 2008 Honda Civic sometime between 2 and 2:30 pm near Sterling Mine Road in the Village of Sloatsburg, according to witnesses and police reports.

Another motorcyclist Paul Delmonico traveling with Daniele narrowly avoided the car, skidded to its right along the pavement, and suffered scrapes and other minor injuries.

Doug with his two sons and another friend riding a nice, long bike!

The motorist who is thought to have only had a learner's permit because of her age, had been attempting to complete a U-turn and misunderstood her mother's direction to "take a left now," instead of, "move into the left lane, then take a left," according to an eyewitness who saw the girl and her mother arguing after the crash.

Daniele was taken to the Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern where he was declared dead on arrival.

An accident investigation squad was called to the scene and closed down the area for five hours, according to Officer Walker of the Ramapo Police Department. No further details about Daniele's crash were available, said Walker, but an investigation of the causes of the crash is ongoing. The driver's name was not released because she is underage, said Ramapo police.

Word has traveled quickly up and down the stretches of Bergen County, New Jersey, and into Rockland County in New York State where Daniele used to ride his bicycle every Sunday and Wednesday, most often from his home in Paramus, NJ to Nyack, NY, a popular destination for cyclists.

Shock and disbelief followed by grief passed quickly from friend to friend.

Daniele in his backyard in 2009 modeling jerseys

A spontaneous gathering and outpouring of grief took place at Daniele's home this evening where his wife Carol Daniele, and two children Michael 13, and Joey, 10, spoke with friends. Jesse Obbsuth, Daniele's son from a previous marriage who is 30-years-old was also present at the Daniele home, as was Daniele's mother, other relatives and friends.

No one could believe that such a great man, as many of his friends referred to him today, could be gone. Daniele's reach extended not only among his numerous cycling buddies, but also among a large network of friends and acquaintances throughout Bergen County.

Daniele's Facebook page filled up quickly with notes of shock and sorrow from friends and acquaintances, childhood friends, cycling friends, motorcycling friends, and just people who loved to hang out with him.

BBB met Daniele for the first time some years ago. The first thing that anyone might tell you about the man was his eyes, which seemed to stare at you were of a bright golden green shade, and framed by abundant eyelashes.

Daniele also sported an impressive build, with massive shoulder muscles and a liberal sprinkling of tattoos. When he called, he often said,"So what's up?" in his characteristic gruff voice. If you ever felt unsafe on a bicycle because of aggressive drivers, you could ride with Daniele, and never have a worry because you knew he was fiercely protective of his friends.

But to Daniele, the bicycle was king. He told BBB that when he met his wife Carol the first thing he told her was, "I might as well tell you right up front, I ride my bicycle every weekend." But always the family man, Daniele was often seen pedaling with his whole clan up and down his street in Paramus, NJ.

Daniele was on his bicycle in the morning before he would later go out on his motorcycle with his new group of motorcycle pals: he bought his Harley five months ago, said Delmonico. That afternoon he was to take the family to the skate park said his wife Carol.

Doug Daniele on 8/20/2011 with his new Harley

Many people knew Daniele from the Honda dealership in Tenafly, NJ where he had worked for many years and was a top salesman. "Buy your Honda from Doug," was a common refrain.

Daniele's other great passion after road biking was mountain biking, and any winter Sunday you could predict he was riding on one of the local mountains with his buddies.

One of Daniele's best friends since they grew up together in Fairview, NJ, Ted Demetrio, drove up from Philadelphia. "I guess I will be spending a lot of time in New Jersey over the next week or so," he said.

BBB will provide updates on the wake and funeral plans for Daniele, as well as more details on the incident.

Daniele was a great friend of BBB, and our hearts go out to his family. Words cannot convey how greatly he will be missed.

Cyclist Hurricane Preparedness in New York Region

2011-08-26T08:23:00.000-07:00

Cyclist in a Storm, painting by Brian Rolfe. (Sold)

August 26, 2011
As cyclists we like to think we will be the last person standing in the middle of any disaster, the only persons able to escape through traffic jams.

But as Hurricane Irene approaches this Saturday, BBB would like to state the obvious: don't do it.

As depicted in the painting above, 'Cyclist in a Storm," by Brian Rolfe, it's nice to imagine ourselves out there in the battering winds, enjoying the effects of nature as the rain pours down on us, and we carry on, like the animals on two wheels that we are. (Cyclist in a Storm is no longer available for sale but you can see Rolfe's other works on Facebook and meet him privately in New York.)

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a press conference this morning that he is prepared to shut down the subway system if the storm becomes too powerful and flooding is imminent.

Hurricane Irene's Center on August 24, Courtesy NASA

But should you find subways systems down, please don't travel outside on your bicycle.

Irene is headed our way later tonight and we are supposed to feel its full effect on Saturday night. Despite the dire forecasts, I have never seen the city hit with a catastrophic storm in my lifetime, and almost all major storms headed our way tend to peter out by the time they arrive on the shores of Battery Park City.

If in the event the city needlessly shuts down the MTA, and winds are not buffeting the buildings around you at 30 mph, then perhaps you could find yourself on empty streets enjoying a relatively safe bike ride.

In the meantime, we are reprinting here instructions from Info4Disasters.com. We think this list is a little but much, especially about the deep breathing instructions at the end, and the car centric reminders which we removed, but the basics are rudimentary. One thing they forgot to add: check all of these sites before the electricity goes out.

1. What you should do before the storm: The Mass Emergency Management Agency has released safety and preparatory measures to taken for Hurricane Irene - http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/weather/hurricane-safety-tips-20110824

Cyclist braving it in winds and rain--Netherlands

2. Is your location in the storm’s way? How severe is it likely to be? Find out with the National Weather Service’s Storm Risk Map - http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ssurge/risk/index.shtml?gm

3. Find out when the hurricane is likely to hit your area and the storm wind potentials: http://info4disasters.org/natural-disasters/hurricanes/tropical-updates/

4. Search for Red Cross shelters by region: http://app.redcross.org/nss-app/

5. Evacuation routes for your state For evacuation routes by state, refer to http://www.ibiblio.org/rcip//evacuationroutes.html

For up to date information on evacuation routes, listen to the radio, the TV or call
the state police.
-Local state police contact details available here -
http://www.statetroopersdirectory.com/#Menu
-The National Weather Service provides two types of Radio All Hazards audio on the Internet - http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/streamaudio.htm

6. Hospital lists for Affected areas by state/district
http://www.theagapecenter.com/Hospitals/

7. What NOT to do in the event of an incoming hurricane
-Do not ignore warnings if evacuation is necessary.
-Do not forget to have medication supply, including diabetes supplies & sugar tablets.
-Do not leave things loose outside...bring them in or tie securely. Strong winds can turn these into “weapons”.
-Do not take a storm of this possible magnitude lightly NO MATTER WHAT!

(we skipped no. 8: it was about living by the ocean.)

9. Quick To Do’s to remember
-Medicines, diabetes supplies, other health necessities. If you take multiple meds, carry an up-to-date list on your person. Put in plastic bags to protect from water.
-Have a supply of batteries, radio, flashlights, sterno, water, dry goods/food.
-Keep cell phones and laptops charged
-Bring things in from outside. If you can’t, then tie them down securely.
-If not boarding up, use masking tape across each window pane in an X to prevent possible shattering of glass.
-Use plastic bags that seal to protect medications, valuables & important
documents,
-Keep batteries in plastic bags also.
-Take your time & be prepared. This will ease your mind.
-Try to stay calm. Breathe deep and slow, in through nose, out through mouth to bring blood pressure down if necessary.

Candlelight Vigil for Axelrod To be Held

2011-08-23T12:33:00.000-07:00

A candlelight vigil will be held for Jeffrey Axelrod, the cyclist who was killed last Thursday when he was caught between a cement truck and an illegally parked car on Delancey Street.

The vigil will take place at 8 pm, tonight August 23, in Brooklyn. A flier being passed around reads, "We will be gathering at Cobble Hill Towers in the large courtyard (at Baltic & Hicks) to light candles in Jeff's honor on Tues, August 23 at 8 p.m. All neighbors and friends are welcome -- please bring a candle," reported the The Village Voice Blog.

Axelrod, 52, was a resident of Cobble Hill for 20 years. Last Thursday Axelrod was seen taking a right turn off Chrystie St. to Delancey, having trouble when he approached the back of a cement truck, and falling under the wheels of the truck.

BBB came out swinging when we saw media reports blaming Axelrod for the accident because he ran a red light, according to one witness, Jose Martinez. But whether he took the light or not had nothing to do with his accident, according to our analysis. Illegally parked cars however may have, as well as an obscured view of the space available. Police were also unable to provide further details about the incident, especially given that Axelrod was an experienced rider.

Wrote one of his friends anonymously to BBB, "As a good friend of Jeff's and someone who talked bikes and rode bikes with him over the years your post explains a lot of questions I have been going over in my mind since this tragedy. Jeff was an experienced cyclist and not one that would take a lot of chances. All cyclists in this city have close calls every day, for something like this to happen is completely out of character with the experienced city cyclist."

According to the police report, two other witnesses were at the scene, but no information has been made public regarding what they saw.

BBB has been unable to locate Martinez who could provide more clues, such as whether he saw Axelrod's movements continuously, or as he made the turn, and later, when he had trouble with the truck.

The driver of the truck belonging to ESG Transport, was not charged in the incident.

Jeffrey Axelrod Fatality: Illegally Parked Car, Blocked Vision Define Crash

2011-08-20T17:52:00.000-07:00

UPDATE, 8:15 pm August 20, 2011


The section where Axelrod was killed is for NO STANDING ANYTIME

Cyclist Jeffrey Axelrod, 52, of Brooklyn, NY was killed when he was crushed between the wheels of a cement truck on Thursday on Delancey Street.

Several media reports have said that Axelrod went through the red light, and then concluded that he was killed by the truck when he had trouble with his chain ring--because he went through the red light.

Reports also focus on the one witness account, cyclist Martinez, that Axelrod was “wobbly” and fell between the truck’s wheels. According to media reports, like this one from L Magazine, the cyclist is attributed the blame.

Something just didn't seem right to us, so we went back to examine the facts. What we found--or what has been pointed out by the cycling brains of New York City, is quite different than what has been reported.

Left and right placed lights present blind spots especially for cyclists riding behind a truck

For one, the media says that a witness named Martinez said that both the cyclist and the truck turned right, but that the cyclist turned right after the light turned red.

Really? How is that possible then that the cement truck and the cyclist were next to one another once they had turned?

Okay, let's assume the driver of the cement truck had come to a stop or was crawling along. Hard to believe, but possible.

If he had, then why would Axelrod have fallen under his wheels? Why was there not enough space between the truck and the parked car?

Another writer to e-bikes answers that question: because the parked car was not supposed to be there.

This is a fact that no journalist has brought to light--nor has that matter the NYPD or the city's Department of Transportation.

Writes Stephen Bauman: "One aspect of this accident has not been covered - the presence of illegally parked cars. The entire block was a no standing zone except for loading/unloading trucks, when the accident occurred. The media photos clearly show parked cars adjacent to and ahead of the cement truck."

DOT's list shows street all NO STANDING regs except trucks

Bauman, a retired electrical engineer who has twice ridden the Brest-Paris-Brest event (750 miles in 90 hours) and was one of the three founders of the Five Borough Bike Tour, brought to light the implications that illegally parked cars --that have not been towed--have for the safety of cyclists: "Parking regulations have a very low priority legally. They are not viewed as a "safety" issue. They do not generate points on a driver’s license. Illegally parked cars are most definitely a safety issue to cyclists, who must use the curb lanes," said Bauman. We haven't been able to check this by going to the scene, but the city's DOT does list the parking rules for every street, and we have been able to confirm that the cars were not supposed to be parked there.

A spokesman for the NYPD said the initial accident report noted that the cars parked in Axelrod's way were "Legally parked."

The turn (see right) off Chrystie to Delancey--see how truck would block the light

Traffic lights are also a hazard for cyclists, especially in how they are placed in New York City, and may have accounted for the cyclist not seeing that the light had changed.

Light placement does not follow the national standards because so many of them must be placed here, said Bauman. Consequently, with New York City lights, there will be blind zones where for a period of time you will not be able to see the traffic signal. If you look closely at the intersection (our shots from Google Earth,) you can see both lights on Chrystie St. are on the sides of the intersection (far right and far left)..

That blocked field of vision is worse for cyclists when they are approaching a changing light: "The slower you are the longer the time you will be in the blind zone, and for the cyclist, that is the amount of time for the light to turn red," said Bauman, who visited the site yesterday. "

But If a truck is in front of you it will block the red light the entire time, and you will never see it."

Now let's go back to our earlier assumption: that the cement truck turned when the light was green but the cyclist didn't. We kind of doubt that. Based on the logistics of the crash, the double parked car, and the placement of the accident, we think the truck cut the cyclist off when he turned, and the cyclist had no where to go, --saw the parked car which would squeeze him --got "wobbly" because he had to stop, and couldn't, and then was squeezed between the truck and the illegally parked car.

There are other possibilities, but none of them match what has been reported: (a) the cyclist and the truck went through the red light together, the truck cutting the cyclist off, who then got squeezed, ((b) neither went through the red light but the truck cut the cyclist off and he was slammed in between the illegally parked car and the truck; (c) the truck went through a changing light, as did the cyclist and when the cyclist turned the corner, was squeezed by the narrowing space between the truck and the illegally parked car.

One thing we do know: if the truck was in front of Martinez--the one witness, who was also on a bike, it is unlikely he could see the traffic signal until after the truck had turned.

Another Victim, More Bull in Axelrod Fatality

2011-08-20T05:45:00.000-07:00

Jeffrey Axelrod, 52, was killed by a cement truck on Delancey street on Thursday evening.

The event was covered by many of the Internet news gobblers who have seized on the "bicycle death" reporting angle like crocodiles in a crowded pool because they know how many hits they are going to get from concerned cyclists and hipsters. It's about the only time the Fixies from Williamsburg bother to read the news.

But the reporting is almost as bad as the news, and gives no justice to the person who has been killed, in this case Axelrod, who never had a chance to explain what happened when he was decimated by a massive cement truck.

I don't have time to review all the half-baked articles that are being circulated on the Internet, but I was surprised to find this kind of writing from the Gothamist which is normally a very well-respected media outlet with balanced reporting.

What I find really distressing about this article is that the writer allows all the false bull that the police and witnesses foist on them to be translated to paper.

The whole article sums up to the "fact" that he ran the red light, and that's why he is dead.

(this article has been altered based on new facts:)

First of all, the NYPD have not been able to confirm if the truck turned right from Chrystie Street to Delancey, the same route that the cyclist took. If he did, then the truck may have cut the cyclist off.
The one witness account by Jose Martinez that has been reported in the press does not state that Martinez was watching Axelrod the entire time, and there is a good likelihood that he wasn't. After Axelrod purportedly "went through the red light", what happened next that should make him fall behind and under the wheels of the truck? Would he have purposefully inserted himself between the truck and the parked car?
And if the truck did not make the turn, and was simply traveling west on Delancey, did it give him enough room when it passed? A small refresher course on the rules of the road:

§ 1122-a. Overtaking a bicycle.
The operator of a vehicle overtaking, from behind, a bicycle proceeding on the same side of a roadway shall pass to the left of such bicycle at a safe distance until safely clear thereof.

Reporters covering the "dead cyclists" beat should know every line of the New York State traffic law, and challenge police reports. (See our follow up story about the NYPD's accident report on Axelrod and its errors and omissions.)

Their challenges should be translated to paper, so no more excuses are propagated like bad DNA through the universe of understanding the mechanics of why cyclists are dying on the streets of New York.

But the "ran the red light" crap is really the ultimate.

BBB could even hear it in the voice of the spokesperson at the NYPD who added in their narrow responses that "the cyclist ran a red light," but could not answer any questions about the itinerary of the truck, nor the fact that the cars he was jammed by were parked illegally. Did they ticket those cars? OF COURSE NOT because in their report the cars were "legally parked."

"Running the red light" had nothing whatsoever to do with the cyclist's death, and only serves as a way to blame him when the truth is Axelrod was squeezed between the truck and the illegally parked car (see our follow up story)--- for some reason which is not known to us.

Summer Streets, Summer Fun

2011-08-08T07:07:00.000-07:00

Cycling down Park Ave.: What a breeze on a
bike! (c) Benepe/ BBB

August 6, 2011
New York City

Summer Streets is back, and so is the pleasure of riding down through the caverns and past gorgeous architecture of New York's Park Ave. without the noise, toxic emissions and danger of motor vehicles.

Cyclists waited at intersections when
told to: Hmm, wonder why?
(C) Benepe/ BBB

Thanks to an initiative started by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the closing of Park Ave. from 72nd Street down to the Brooklyn Bridge for the sole use by cyclists, pedestrians and runners was held on Saturday August 6, and will be repeated next Saturday August 13, and the following, August 20.

It's the fourth year in a row, and clearly no longer an experiment, but some cyclists are wondering, like BBB herself, why not close it the whole weekend with permanent barriers? All summer, too. Drivers can just take buses and trains or bikes into the city.

Rounding the corner at the old Pan Am Building
(c) Benepe/ BBB

New York is so much nicer without cars, and even traveling at a cyclist's snail pace among children and tourists, traveling the whole distance to the Brooklyn Bridge takes less time than if you were riding in a taxi! In fact, your legs don't even notice it, you're having so much fun.

It's also one of the few times in the city that cyclists obey traffic laws, and the reasons are numerous.

First, they don't have to compete with motorists for room, and there is little fear of being hit by one, thus, advancing through an intersection to "get ahead" of dangerous motorists who squeeze cyclists to the curb, is not an issue.

Secondly, they can ride for many blocks without fear, and without having to stop every two seconds to dismount for a red light.

This Saturday's event was a real pleaser with even more activities along the route than last year. We saw (but did not stop at) a major food court on 25th St., on the other side of Madison Square Park. No bikes were allowed inside, but surprise! There was bike parking.

Tommy Tan came from Shanghai to volunteer as part
of the Orientals group, (c) Benepe/ BBB

STOP! in the name of love! on 23rd St.
(c) Benepe/ BBB

Around 50th Street there was a giant dance-in, which seemed to attract a lot of people.

I preferred the bicycle as did many others.

Children of all ages joined in the fun because at all of the major intersections where car traffic was allowed to pass from East to West and vice versa, there were volunteers holding "STOP" and "GO" signs.

Benepe wearing a Hotvelociti bike dress
and Charlie McCorkell, owner of
Bicycle Habitat where you can buy one
(c) Benepe/ BBB

A major contingent from China had come for three weeks to staff the intersections. We caught up with 13-year-old Tommy Tan from Shanghai who came with a program called the Orientals. We could not find any information on the organization, but it appeared they provided a very large number of the orange-shirted crossing guards.

One of the major benefits of riding summer streets is that you can get a bike rental or roller blade rental for free, a boost for anyone who doesn't know where they would find a bike for the event.

Waiting for the light at Houston St.: Many children
rode Summer Streets on Saturday, because it's the only
safe place for them to ride other than the
West Side Greenway (c) Benepe/ BBB

Also listed among the activities that make Summer Streets more of a party than a bike ride are sand sculpting workshops and story telling by StoryCorps at Foley Square (near City Hall and the Brooklyn Bridge, at the bottom of the Summer Streets route,) rock climbing thanks to REI on Spring Street, and guacamole-making demos by Chipotle, the big restaurant chain, on 52nd St.

Fashionable helmets outside Bicycle Habitat
(c) Benepe/ BBB

Last year the city put up swimming pools, but despite the sweltering weather of about 90 degrees fahrenheit, we saw no pools this year.

Fashionable helmets were de rigueur with
this crowd, (c) Benepe/ BBB

Still it was evident that most people took the ride for its most basic pleasure, riding up and down Park Avenue when it is devoid of cars. We saw hundreds of New Yorkers decked out in their fashionable best, with the most variation in cycling helmets, especially among hip young women and men.

The biggest fashion accessory however was no helmet at all, even though free helmets were being given out along the course.

Or no helmet at all, which was often the case
(c) Benepe/ BBB

That might come in handy, for example when at 12:50 p.m., ten minutes before the close of Summer Streets, when thousands of cyclists were still on the course, a volunteer crossing guard had abandoned their post on the east side of 59th Street, and a child went barreling towards the intersection before I screamed STOP! three times.

None of us were really aware that car traffic was about to pass because the now familiar orange-shirted guard was gone.

I mentioned this to a New York police officer standing at the next corner with his hands in his pockets, and he shrugged in a bored way and did absolutely nothing.

Needless to say, a helmet would not help much in the case of a full car slam, especially for a small child on a small bicycle, whose height doesn't even reach the top grille of an SUV.

So word to the wise, watch the intersections yourself, and don't place all your trust in crossing guards, especially if you are traveling with children.

Serving up amazing dark coffee at La Colombe in Soho
(c) Benepe/ BBB

Speaking of helmets, we caught up with Russell Meddin and his son Alex who came in from Philadelphia to enjoy the ride and pass out cards about Bike Philly which is to take place on Sept. 11, 2011 (for some odd reason Transportation Alternatives would not help Meddin by putting his cards on their display.) We shared a flavorful cup of dark and fragrant coffee at La Colombe in Soho, and spoke to a woman who was visiting from Australia and reading the Wall St. Journal while just outside the doors was a world of bicycles.

She said bike share was not popular there because of a new mandatory helmet law that has been passed which had the negative effect of decreasing bike use. "What do we do, rent a helmet? That's gross," she said. "Or carry it around?"

An Italian made coffee cup at
La Colombe (c) Benepe/ BBB

Meddin agreed, quoting a recent study published in the British Medical Journal that argued that bike share in Barcelona saved 12 lives due to reduction in pollution, an increase in physical activity, and the replacement of cars with bicycles for a number of Barcelonians through the Bicing bike share.

We also stopped by Charlie McCorkell's shop Bicycle Habitat, where employees were providing free tune ups for cyclists (tips appreciated!)

We visited their gorgeous Trek Concept Shop where you can price out a new Trek, which BBB is predisposed to, having used a Madone 5.9 women's specific design to win many triathlons before the bike was run over by a motorist.

These bikes are fast, fast, fast (like lightening), but you can also get a tool around Trek bike for as low as $300, and it will be light and flexible.

Rosie knows how to travel in style in her mom's
Dutch contraption, (mom does all the pedaling)
(c) Benepe/ BBB

Yes, full disclosure, we are NOT subsidized or sponsored by Trek in any way, though Bicycle Habitat does carry Hotvelociti, those gorgeous bicycle jerseys for men and women, and bike dresses for women (or men as it may please you,) which are made by the same company that owns and publishes BBB.

In the photo above we are modeling one of this year's gorgeous bike dresses with matching shorts which you can find at the store. (Next week we will be wearing the Red Leopard backless bike-to-dinner-to-disco number which you can also find at Bicycle Habitat along with a big selection of men's cycling wear and bicycles.)

Morene Bangol outside Bicycle
Habitat and NYCC booth
(c) Benepe/ BBB

Outside of Charlie's shop we ran into Rosie and her mom on a fantastic little Dutch number--along with doggie too! What a way to go! Go Rosie, go Rosie, go Rossssiiiiieeeeee!

Charlie Collins bike-fixer extraordinaire outside
of the NYCC booth (c) Benepe/ BBB

And right next door, Ellen Jaffe president, and Charlie Collins, member of the New York Cycling Club had their booth next door to Bicycle Habitat's. Charlie was dutifully doing bike repairs too, and member Morene Bangol dropped by, fresh from a ride to Piermont in her purple jersey and matching sunglasses.

A great day had by all: We'll see you next Saturday when Summer Streets are open from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Meet with Your Friendly Police Tonight

2011-08-02T12:17:00.000-07:00

New York's Finest out in number on July 4, 2011
(c) Benepe

Once a year many police stations open their doors to the public on the first Tuesday of August, and New York City's are no exception.

Tonight, August 2, New York's finest will be holding community parties called "night outs against crime" that gives you dear citizen a chance to hobnob with your protectors, law enforcers, friends and potential irritants in person.

Though we checked the times in our hometown, the Upper West Side, there are fetes being held throughout the city.

Below are the details for Manhattan's Upper West Side, courtesy of the office of New York Councilwoman Gale Brewer:

The 24th Precinct, which covers West 110th Street to West 86th Street between Central Park West and the Hudson River, will hold its National Night Out at the Happy Warrior Playground at West 98th Street and Amsterdam Avenue from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The 20th Precinct, whose territory spans from West 59th Street to West 86th Street between Central Park West and the Hudson River, will celebrate at Verdi Square Park between Broadway and Amsterdam at West 73rd Street from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The Midtown North Precinct, which covers the area south of West 59th Street celebrates National Night Out in Hell’s Kitchen Park, 10th Avenue between 47th Street and 48th Street from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The Police Service Area (PSA) 6, which patrols the NYCHA developments in the 6th Council District, celebrates on West 127 Street between 7th Avenue and 8th Avenue from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. 212-694-7723/7724.

While visiting with your local police, you can weigh in on their measures this year to curb bad cyclist behavior by issuing more tickets.

Police car parked in bike lane in upper
Manhattan earlier this year (c) Benep

Perhaps you can ask your local police how many tickets they are issuing to cyclists versus motorists, since they have never answered my numerous Freedom of Information Legal requests asking for same (it's been about 6 months since I asked for the same numbers that the NY Post, that wonderful Murdoch-owned newspaper was able to obtain the same day they asked for it: must have been part of their quid pro quo system.)

You might also ask them how they are working to improve cycling SAFETY in the city: just how exactly are they doing that? Since that is also a question they have failed to answer. And, also, why are they not ticketing people with illegal faster and heavier electric bikes?

Finally, you could ask them kindly to stop parking in the bike lanes, so that at least when we are trying to get around town in them, we don't have to go out into traffic to be hit by cars.

If that doesn't keep the conversation going, you could also try and quote from Ed Koch's letter to the editor in the NY Times in which he calls the undercover police bike sale sting shameful.

Not that we agree with the ex-Mayor of New York, but it does raise the issue of who here is the real criminal and why aren't we going after the bankers, lawyers, and real estate brokers who perpetrated a much greater crime on New Yorkers? Good question.

A Traffic Enforcement Agent doing the right
thing and ticketing motorists parked
in the bike lane earlier this year (c) Benepe

In all seriousness folks, this is a good opportunity to build bridges with your local NYPD. Maybe you think it does not matter, it does help for police to hear our side of the story when we are not on the other side of receiving a ticket and pissed off.

Also, it gives you an opportunity to speak to officers who are on bike patrol and commiserate about the lousy way cyclists are treated by motorists in the city: that will give them pause to reflect on their experiences, which they may share up the decision making ladder.

Benepe's Bike Blog attempted to find a central location where you could identify your local precinct's night out, but the central NYPD agency said this came under the Mayor's office, and the Mayor's office only has information on those Night Outs that Mayor Michael Bloomberg will be attending.

Those are in the five boroughs and are as follows:

· 5:15 PM , Speaks at 43rd Precinct National Night Out Against Crime, Metropolitan Oval, Union Port Road at Metropolitan Avenue, BRONX

· 6:00 PM, Speaks at 106th Precinct National Night Out Against Crime, Centerville Playground, Albert Road between 96th Street and Centerville Street, QUEENS

· 6:45 PM, Speaks at 88th Precinct National Night Out Against Crime, Fort Greene Park, DeKalb Avenue at Washington Park, BROOKLYN

· 7:30 PM, Speaks at 10th Precinct National Night Out Against Crime, Chelsea Waterside Park, West 23rd Street at 11th Avenue, MANHATTAN

· 8:15 PM, Speaks at Staten Island Precincts National Night Out Against Crime, Midland Beach Promenade, Father Capadanno Boulevard at Iroquios Avenue, STATEN ISLAND

New York's Independence Day Delivers with a BANG!

2011-07-05T20:42:00.000-07:00

July 4, 2011
All photos copyrighted by Jen Benepe

Waiting for the fireworks on 23rd St. and 11th Avenue (c) Benepe

New York City's July 4th celebration went all out to surprise and delight thousands yesterday.

Explosions rattled up and down the Hudson River in magnificent formations resembling at one time bursts of colorful flowers, at another gigantic chrysanthemum blossoms, and still other times radiating sprays of red, white and blue bouquets.

Sponsored by Macy's since 1976, this show featured six barges from 23rd to 72nd Streets on the west side, setting off coordinated blasts of artistic explosions to music that was being broadcast on television and locally at piers along the river.

Crowds behind the barricade: 23rd was the one street where
Hudson River Greenway was closed to the public (C) Benepe

Beyonce was a featured singer before the start of the show, and TV cameras and screens posted along the pier on 23rd street showed the songstress in glamourous, wind swept poses as she belted out her song for all of New York to hear.

BBB donned her nicest red, Marc Jacobs dress for the occasion and picked up a bunch of flowers and totted along a bag full of picnic fixings that I had prepared for BBB's step mom's birthday--celebrated two days early with fireworks.

On the subway a little girl sat down next to me and I asked her if she was going to the fireworks: "Yes, and I am going to hear Beyonce!" she said excitedly.

Young girls watching Beyonce perform on flat screens (C) benepe

Beyonce proved to be a real crowd pleaser with mostly young girls whose faces were pasted to the TV flat screens set up along the pier on 23rd St.

Super duper Bomb Sniffing Dog (VID) (C) Benepe

The green grass on the piers and along the parks facing the Hudson were lush and clean and free of dog refuse thanks to a Hudson Parks Conservancy policy of not allowing pets on certain sections.

That meant you could shed your sandals and feel the cool grass between your toes with impunity, a rare pleasure in New York City.

Of course we did see one dog, it was the super-duper bomb sniffing dog whom I stopped to have a conversation with. He had his paws folded in the most elegant way, and when I looked in his eyes, I swear I could tell immediately that the dog was more intelligent than I.

His eyes were a clear light brown, and he looked at me with a steady gaze as if he were looking right through me, not in a menacing way, but quite friendly, nevertheless intensely, not moving a muscle.

NY's Finest were everywhere and very friendly (C) Benepe

If we had had a staring contest, he surely would have won. I quite got that he was a VID (a Very Important Dog), even before I learned his occupation.

The pier we went to was not accessible to the general pubic, I regret to say. This was fair because it contained the control tower for the fireworks, the TV cameras and equipment for broadcast, and was right across from the stage that would house Ms. Beyonce.

Nature's own fireworks before the fireworks
this photo is unaltered! (C) Benepe

And anyway, the public was told 23rd St. would not be accessible, but the rest of the Hudson River drive was. Those who were allowed were press (myself), Macy's employees, and others involved in the operation.

Not to mention an audience handpicked to roar with delight when the MC said anything remotely funny, and to respond to all of his commands, such as "Sing along with Beyonce now."

Picnicking on the Grass (c) Benepe

As the sun was setting the entire scene took on first yellow striated hues, then orange, then pink, and it was a lovely scene to behold: hundreds, no thousands of New Yorkers sitting peacefully on the grass waiting for the fun to begin. Mind you, no photoshopping has been performed on these pictures!

It suddenly dawned on me: this was America, the land of the free, and it didn't strike me in any way ridiculous that therefore millions of people from around the globe would like to come live here, away from fear, discrimination, and economic destitution.

More than 157 languages are spoken in New York, and despite the fact that I was brought up here, and don't feel in any way subjective when I say this, I must say it really is the greatest city in the world. And what an honor to live here, be here, and be among its people.

Hizzoner Mayor Michael Bloomberg made an appearance in an unbuttoned, tieless, pink patterned shirt, his face looking relaxed. He welcomed photographs with members of the firework audience, including one trio: a young man with his girlfriend and her mother introduced himself as "someone you met at my school yesterday," and Bloomberg gamely said to the mother, "So which one of you is the daughter?"

What a mensch! Here he was in full relief mixing with the hoi poloi, including yours truly.

Hizzoner is a mensch (c) Benepe

I introduced myself and he asked me "So what do you do for a living?" I refrained from asking for a job and told him I had a business writing about cycling and another business making cycling clothing (www.hotvelociti.com, might as well just come out and say it).

He mentioned that he wrote an email to DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik Khan yesterday noting that New York streets are safer than ever for cyclists, with more pathways and bike lanes than ever before.

I refrained from telling him what I thought about that, or about the fact that I had only briefly contemplated coming down to the fireworks by bicycle.

What a shame: how many people piled into cars afterwards and were stuck in traffic jams leaving town I would not even begin to be able to tell you: all I know is I saw them stuck when we left after the fireworks display.

Taking pictures of taking pictures of fireworks (c) Benepe

New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly was also there in a (slightly) more relaxed version of himself accompanied by his wife Veronica Kelly. I could tell by the look on his face that he had little interest in mixing with the hoi poloi, afterall that isn't his job, but I did introduce myself to his wife.

I neglected to mention to either of them how I truly felt about the number of police vehicles being parked in bike lanes, especially in ear shot of Hizzoner.

What I probably should have done was compliment the fine force of Blue out doing crowd control. I have never seen such a huge number of people in such a good mood, not breaking the law.

Looking up river from 23rd Street (c) Benepe

Entirely NOT in a sarcastic tone, I was most impressed by the city's Finest guarding just about every corner, and their manner with the public which was friendly and helpful. There is no doubt that the NYPD were critical in helping pull off this fireworks display without incident.

And did I mention the fireworks? They were the most splendid, the most dramatic, the loudest and the scariest, the most fantastic, colorful, undulating, exploding, constantly surprising, variegating, most interesting fireworks I have ever seen or heard for that matter.

Fireworks reflected off this building on 24th St. (C) Benepe

Everyone seemed similarly transfixed, though I have noticed a new tendency to take photos instead of enjoying something with your own eyes, a disease which appears to have gripped the population under the age of 50 like a cancer, so that everyone in front of me either had their camera or the cell phone in front of their face, and few were enjoying the sheer pleasure of just watching the display. Including me.

The lights of the explosions were reflecting on the giant building on 24th St., an old leftover from old New York, with magnificent ripples of colors on its windows. Morag sat on one of the benches by herself, on the other side of the pier from the crowd, and the light reflected on her too.

A fireboat fanned out its water like a peacock (c) Benepe

Later we also ran into Mark Mugnos who used to work at the city's sports commission but has now landed as chief of Citywide Special Events. (Wow!)

Now I must add a few factoids about the fireworks display itself. There were 45,000 pounds of explosives used, consisting of 40,000 shells, 15,000 fireworks, all flying as high as 600 feet in the air. There were eight times as many combined 'works' used last night than in 2008--and it showed. This is also the first year that Macy's used what are called Ghost shells which appear and then reappear in the sky: you'll know what I am talking about if you closely watched the finale.

You can't argue that these aren't some of New York's FINEST Finest
(c) Benepe

The 'works were shot off of six 290-foot barges, and it took two years to create the materials, write the accompanying music, and organize the event--which came and went in 27 minutes.

After it was all over, Morag showed me her garden on 25th Street where she and several other volunteers clear weeds and plant flowers and natural vegetation along a stretch of the Hudson River Greenway.

After that we meandered along the still closed roadways until we got to 22nd Street, where I was gratified to see that the Edison Parking Corporation was offering bike parking for $20 a month, or $1.00 a day right under neath the Highline.

Bike Parking under the Highline: America is Great (c)
Benepe

What is $1.00 any more? You had better grab that deal while it lasts: Now that is a VERY good reason to love New York, love America and thank the heavens that progress is arriving, even if in small measures day by day.

And if you are not excited about that, then you are just an old curmudgeon!

Trust Fox News to Smear Armstrong

2011-06-15T07:15:00.000-07:00

Tyler Hamilton in 2007: He alleged
on 60 Minutes that he saw Lance
doping

Fox News did it again. This time their target wasn't a liberal pol trying to save Medicare for the elderly. No this time their arrows are aimed directly at cancer-fundraising cycling giant and seven time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong.

In their usual slumming manner, Fox created a headline with the word "Tainted," for an article liberally sprinkled with allegations by a Fox commentator, in guess where, Australia, in a sad grab for eyeballs while throwing no new light on an ongoing Federal witch hunt of the embattled Yellow Jersey winner.

"The continual and damning allegations of doping levelled [sic] against seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong is tainting the present and future of cycling, Fox commentator Scott McGrory delcared," wrote Christopher Boyd for Fox.

The article also makes allusions without explanation to a supposed "heated" interchange in a Colorado restaurant between Tyler Hamilton, Armstrong's previous U.S. Postal team member who alleged on CBS-TV's 60 Minutes that he had seen Armstrong doping, and Armstrong.

Hamilton made the doping allegations at the same time that he was launching his new book. Fox News infers that the restaurant exchange was akin to witness tampering during a federal investigation.

The New York Times reported that Jodi Larner, the owner of the Cache Cache restaurant where Armstrong is alleged to have told Hamilton that his lawyers would make his life "a living hell," was being subpoenaed for a video tape from a surveillance camera.

Unlike the Fox News characterization of a vicious spat, Larner told the Times that the tape was not going to help the FBI much because the exchange occurred in the restaurant's bar area, and was a non-event, not more than a passing conversation.

"I wish I had the incident on tape, the whole world could see what happened between Tyler and Lance, and shut up about it already, it was a non-event," said Larner. According to a more in depth story about the incident by ESPN's Bonnie Ford, there wasn't even an argument at all, and Hamilton's lawyers seized on the incident to create more PR for Hamilton in light of his new book release.

This kind of hogwash is what is to be expected of Fox News, but we never expected them to be so perilously close to a scandal rag like TMZ in their sports "coverage," if you can call it that.

Never mind that Armstrong has never been found to be positive for performance enhancing drugs or high levels of blood doping that the investigation by Federal dog sniffer Jeffrey Notvitsky is looking for.

Lance being interviewed in 2009 after Stage 4
of the Tour de France

Well Fox has that covered: According to McGrory, the testing wasn't so good in those days.

Doesn't that mean that McGrory, gold medal winner in the Madison track events of the Olympics in 2000, which is now 11 years ago, also was not subjected to the same lack of today's controls?

Not that we think McGrory was doping. We do know he spent one year competing on the same level as Armstrong with the Mapei QuickStep team from 2001 to 2002, and never in a race the same level of the Tour de France.

Which is exactly the point. If all the riders had the same access to the same drugs at the same time, and all of them weren't tested for those particular drugs, why is it that one man won, over and over again?

Said one cyclist I was riding with two days ago, "Lance went to every stage and rode that stage not once, but three or four times in preparation. Other riders didn't even ride the stage once, they just looked at the map."

What was Armstrong's reaction to Hamilton's public 60 Minutes allegations? "20+ year career, 500 drug controls worldwide, in and out of competition. Never a failed test. I rest my case," he wrote on Twitter.

Scott McGrory reporting (from Twitter)

Anyone whose has watched Armstrong ride a Tour has seen how he approached each stage methodically and strategically, staying back in unimportant stages, and pushing for distance at opportune moments, much like a chess player.

We are not saying that Armstrong never doped, and we aren't saying that he did. What we are saying is there is no evidence that he did, except some ex-cyclists with (unfortunately) lesser past and current careers who have been brought out like horses at an auction by the press.

What's more Tyler Hamilton failed doping tests three times, in 2004 after winning the gold medal for the time trial in the Olympics, at the 2004 Vuelta a Espana, for which he was suspended two years, and then again in 2009, when he was banned for eight years from cycling competition, effectively ending his cycling career.

What's sad are the news organizations who are using these riders to "allege" while making no effort on their own to do real investigative stories.

And the final worse thing of all? Hamilton's PR folks who have failed to make a high ranking Google result for his new book--not to be found anywhere in the top 10.

Save an Animal's Life: Drive Slowly

2011-06-12T09:31:00.000-07:00

A black furry rabbit at the farmer's market: yes, they
come in all sizes, colors and furs

It's summer now, and animals are crossing the roads in record numbers, hunting for food and water.

Many of them are being killed by automobiles. Yesterday as I was riding one of my favorite routes in the Catskills, I saw a bird on the side of the road struggling for its life.

I picked it up, hoping to save it from death by giving it water. Little did I know it had been hit by a car, and its neck was broken. I watched the poor animal struggling for life, gasping for breath, opening and closing her beak noiselessly, evidently in huge pain, in shock of the state of pain it was in.

Then she quietly died in my hand. She stopped opening her beak, her small eyes closed slowly, and her head slumped to the side. Small gray thing, it hardly knew a year of life. I laid it down in a soft, safe spot by the side of the road, in a small garden.

A month ago, I was riding along Piermont Road just about to enter Sparkill, when a small squirrel ran out and just barely was hit by my wheel.

But driving swiftly on the other side of the road was a large SUV. He didn't even slow or brake as his wheel crushed the skull of the squirrel. I saw her face, in the moment when he crushed her, of pain, surprise, shock.

Another cute bunny: please save their lives and drive slowly

The driver wasn't even looking. Nor was the driver behind him. Both of them were speeding on this small road teaming with wildlife. Even though I had screamed and motioned for him to slow down just as he was approaching, and after he killed her, the driver didn't slow or stop.

I stopped my bike, went back and found the squirrel on the side of the road. I found her in the final moments of life. Her breasts were full--she was leaving behind an entire family of babies. Like the bird, she struggled in the last gasping moments for another breath of the only life she would know. Was she thinking of her babies or just in excruciating pain? Hard to say.

It never ceases to amaze me in this society how little animals seem to count to the general population. Animals are routinely raised and killed to serve our massive appetites for meat, most of which we really don't need. Their minds, hearts, feelings, and lives mean nothing to us as we pick up slices of their carcasses on the meat shelves in the supermarket.

And don't kid yourself, if you eat meat from the farmer's market, it's still a life that went to feed your mouth.

This fawn was killed on Rte. 9W near state line in 2010. Its
carcass lay by the side of the road for days.

That insensitivity extends to our roadways in the cruelest way, because the animal's death is not being used to sustain another life. The senselessness is lost on most drivers, who believe that it is their right to drive as fast as they want to make it --minutes? maybe seconds? earlier to their next appointment.

Here in the Catskills, as in Sparkill, drivers routinely speed along roads their music blasting, their motors roaring, where deer, opossum, squirrels, rabbits, birds of all kinds, turtles, and scores of other animals routinely cross the roads hunting for food and water.

The manufacturing of vehicles into bigger and bigger monstrosities, higher from the ground, to help the driver imagine that they are lording over the road, stretches the distance even further from wild life who are trying to cross. It also makes their lives more foreign to drivers, and in many cases, makes them less visible as well.

So many times when I drive down roads, and birds dip quickly in front of my car, I have time to brake. But not if there is someone behind me driving five feet from my back wheel.

So dear readers, please consider for this summer, a slower and more gentle approach to the road for our dear friends, animals, living creatures, feelers of pain and pleasure, essential creatures to our habitat.

Please consider them and drive slowly.

Too Hot on a Bike

2011-06-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

Pin up girl on bike painted by Harry Ekman in the 1960's

A few days ago the Gothamist published a story about a visitor from Holland who was allegedly warned that she would be ticketed for wearing a skirt on her bicycle.

A photograph showing her in a very short, flouncy mini skirt suggested that when riding, there would not be much to the imagination--i.e, either full crotch-shot whether wearing under garments or not.

So I am afraid in this matter, we have to side with the police---I mean what was she thinking? After all he didn't give her a ticket, but maybe he saw her riding with full crotch in view!

Unfortunately city code states that indecency whether off or on the bike will not be tolerated. Such as walking down the street in your underwear, a public offense.

I mean what if it was a guy wearing a skirt and flashing his underwear?

Well, we really don't agree with the police. However, it does stand to reason that a little modesty is expected either on or off the bike.

What if you walked down the street letting the wind blow your dress up over your hips every second, without trying to hold them down? It's likely soon someone would be asking you to come home and pose for their new found passion for porno photography.

Still, let's be reasonable folks. That girl was pretty tame if we compare her to other examples in history, like the one above. This rendering is by artist Harry Ekman who painted renderings of pin up girls mostly in the 1960's offers a lot more to think about, (thanks to a posting in Facebook by Ana Amelio Martino.) And we like the bike a lot more too.

While we are at is, we just thought we would mention this site we stumbled across thanks to a Tweet pick up.

On the RidesABike blog you can see all kinds of famous people riding bikes. For now, this is to give cycling legitimacy.

In the future, cycling will give people legitimacy. In fact, that line is already being blurred as we speak.

Local Bike Club to Host Bergen Bike Tour June 5

2011-05-29T19:15:00.000-07:00

Annual Event raises money for local charity

May 30, 2011

By Ted Semegran

Join as any as 500 to 600 cyclists this Sunday, June 5 for the Bergen County Bicycle Tour.

This is the seventh year the Bicycle Touring Club of North Jersey has sponsored a major cycling event through more than 18 towns in Bergen County.

It enables cyclists of all skills, young, old, practiced or beginner, to take part in the activities and see parts of New Jersey that they have never seen, with distances ranging from 5 miles to 45.

Cycling the distance should make you feel good in more ways than one, because the money raised will be donated to the Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon, a locally-run charity to send gifts to the solders in Afghanistan.

The start site for the event is Lot B of Bergen Community College at 400 Paramus Rd. The 45-mile ride starts at 8:00 AM, the 25 mile ride at 8:30 AM and the 12 mile ride at 9:00 AM. A 5-mile flat, family-friendly ride for kids of all ages starts at 10:30 AM.

The cost to join the event is $15 day of the event or $10 if you get in your registration before June 2. Go to BTCNJ.com to register.

At last year’s ride participants rode through18 different towns in Bergen County. There is nothing more spectacular than the 75 or more parents and children on bikes leaving Bergen Community College at 10:30 AM escorted by a Bergen County policeman on motorcycle. The faces of the parents and kids, when they return, having successfully completed the course is also wonderful. Most rode on the road for the first time.

Why did we choose Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon as our charity? Well, the son of one of our board members, Diane McNally, was in Afghanistan and was getting goodies from a New Jersey-based charity. We later learned Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon charity was being run by a Bergen County resident, Alan Krutchkoff.

This fit perfectly with our interest in supporting locally managed and relevant charities. Our club, for example, donates significant money from our Ramapo Rally event to Ridgewood based Camp Sunshine, a camp for disadvantaged kids.

Last year, the Bergen County Bicycle Tour had over 600 cyclists.

Like last year, this year when cyclists come in from their rides they will be served goodies like hot dogs, oatmeal cookies and drinks. A raffle will be held with bike-related prizes.

A rest stop at Cyclesport in Park Ridge for the 25 and 45-mile riders will have goodies as well.

Last year’s event netted about $3600 for the charity. The club kicked in the remaining $400 to make it an even $4,000 check for Adopt-a-Solider Platoon.

We are continuing with our $10 pre-registration fee (need to register by June 2). Go to BTCNJ.com and get the details to either register with Active.com and/or send in a form to our PO Box in Haworth.

Be and Angel Ride for a Cause: AngelRide 2011

2011-05-18T09:18:00.000-07:00

May 18, 2011, Written by Maura Casey
Editor, Jen Benepe
In 2002, Mystic businessman Fred Brooke wanted to help the family of Angel Uihlein, an 11-year-old girl with leukemia. The best way, he decided, would be to collect pledges for a swim across Long Island Sound.
And it worked; after swimming six hours a day for eight days, he raised $35,000 to help the family.
That gueling physical feat helped Angel get a life-saving bone transplant and she’s now a healthy 20-year-old studying to be a nurse. And it was a transformative experience for Brooke.
The simple idea, to transform the lives of young children aged 7 to 15 suffering from debilitating conditions, also helped actor Paul Newman start the Hole in the Wall Gang camp in 1988, a place where they could relax, have fun, live their lives like children really should, and at no cost to the parents.

Film actor Newman who appeared in major box office successes films like “Cool Hand Luke,” and “The Sting” died in 2008, but he said he wanted children who were suffering to have the opportunity to “hike, fish, and raise a little hell.”

Newman was also a very successful humanitarian, and created food company Newman’s Own, which donated all of its post-tax profits to charity, which exceeded $300 million from 1982 to August 2010 according to the company’s website.
One day Brooke attended a fundraising event for the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp and realized he could take his small, one-person challenge, and replicate it on a bigger scale.
His effort has now been translated into one of Connecticut’s iconic outdoor events: the AngelRide, a demanding two-day, 135-mile ride over rolling Connecticut countryside.
“The first day is an eye-opener,” said Mickey Gilliland, manager of Rose City Cycle in Bozrah, CT, and a veteran of two rides who says the hills can be daunting. “I ride a lot, and I was tired,” he said.

And in exchange for all the fun suffering, the organization asks cyclists to raise money to help bring a virtual Hole in the Wall Gang Camp to hospitalized kids who can’t make it to the camp itself. (See a little video about the outreach program here.)

This year’s eighth annual ride which will take place May 28-29, starting in Norfolk in Connecticut’s Northwest Corner and ending in Mystic along the state’s shoreline.
The physical effort of the ride underscores the cause, bringing a fun camp experience to kids who are suffering. “The camp gives the kids whatever they need that medicine can’t give,” said Brooke. This is what inspired him when he met Angel Uihlein.
“She couldn’t use half of her body. She had a cane. And she got up and said, ‘When I was 7 years old, I was given about six months to live. But then I attended camp and I decided after a week there, I could do anything I wanted to.’ She’s now a senior at Harvard,” Brooke said.
The route brings riders the easiest and safest way from northwest Connecticut, not far from the Berkshires of Massachusetts, to Mystic, CT according to the organizers. Two-day riders must raise a minimum of $1,000; those who ride for only one day are responsible to raise $500. (Currently the two-day program is sold out at 235 riders, but cyclists can opt to do 50 miles the second day.)
The first 225 riders of the two-day journey make up the only outside group allowed to stay overnight at the original Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford, Conn., which is now one of 11 Hole in the Wall camps around the world, including locations in Florida, California, New York and North Carolina.

Among the riders are many family members of children staying in the camps, or others affiliated with the program that want to show their support.
Set up to look like a town in the great Old West of America’s pioneering days, Newman wanted the spot to be a summer haven for children struggling with diseases ranging from sickle cell anemia to cancer.
“We help to restore joy and laughter in a time often laden with fear, stress, and uncertainty,” says the organization’s website.
Some children are too sick to make it to camp, even though they have a full staff of doctors, nurses and a 24-hour medical clinic.
Others become ill during times of year when the nearest camps are closed. That’s where the outreach program kicks in and the organization sends its best counselors to visit thousands of kids who are staying in hospitals.
The challenging ride supports the outreach program that brings happiness and joy to children, said Brooke. Last year the event raised nearly $500,000 in funding.
The first day the route is 85 miles, from Norfolk to the Ashford camp, with rest stops, food and drink every 20 miles. Vans carrying luggage and gear pass riders every 20 minutes to let them know they are never far from support.
The exertion is worth it, said Gilliland: “They take such good care of us, and when you pull into the rest stops you get such a welcome you feel like you are winning the Tour de France.”
The evening of the first day riders can stay at the Ashford camp, complete with massages to soothe aches and pains, entertainment, and plenty to eat: “The food is so good it’s the only bike ride you might get fat on,” said another cyclist Fairfield, CT resident, Martha Smiles.
Those who don’t want to bike the entire two days can participate in one of the smaller legs the second day. Adults can join the pack at the camp Sunday morning to enjoy breakfast before heading out for the final 50-mile ride to Mystic. Young adults 11-15 can join adult companions at the 25-mile rest stop. Kids 7-11-years-old can pick up the ride for the last six miles. Each leg has minimal fundraising requirements.
The finish line features a picnic for 1,500 people, entertainment, and activities for kids. The race is supported by 350 volunteers – about one volunteer per participant, said the organizers. More than 20 motorcyclists will escort the ride, traveling to intersections to hold traffic for safety, and helping riders in need along the way.
Wrote Newman before he died: “I’ve been accused of compassion, of altruism, of devotion to Christian, Hebrew, and Muslim ethic, but however desperate I am to claim ownership of a high ideal, I cannot. I wanted, I think, to acknowledge Luck; the chance of it, the benevolence of it in my life, and the brutality of it in the lives of others, made especially savage for children because they may not be allowed the good fortune of a lifetime to correct it.”
For more information or to sign up, go to www.angelride.org or call 203/777-0522.

New York Gran Fondo Wows (c)

2011-05-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

Pro rider George Hincapie was at the start and rode at least to Piermont,
NY (other sightings have been reported)

May 9, 2011
All Photos, Benepe (c)
Yesterday's long anticipated Gran Fondo New York made even the fittest riders exhausted, and brought surprising results in all fields.

For one, the race format, which has its roots in Italy, brought many Italians to start line, most of them exceptionally fit, ready for their American adventure and perhaps one could say, much more experienced in the art of Gran Fondoism.

Clayton Barrows in his Rite Aid days

Riders from 54 other countries were also represented at the Gran (103 miles) and Medio (65 miles) Fondos, the first of their kind to come to the New York area.

But it was an American who won the 103-mile distance's timed climbs: Clayton Barrows, a 28-year-old and ex-pro rider from the Rite Aid team who now competes with a local club.

"We didn't ride very hard between the climbs, but when we got to them I just went as hard as I could," said Barrows. "A race like the Gran Fondo is really great because it gives us a chance to be exposed to riders outside of the race community," he added.

Barrows who is studying for his PhD in energy engineering at Pennsylvania State University came in with a time of 24:53:97 over four challenging hills, including Perkin's Drive in Harriman State Park, and Buckberg Mountain Road in Tomkins Cove.

His New York-based amateur team, Stan's No Tubes/ AXA Equitable, affiliated with the Century Road Club Association, also clinched the team title with a combined climb time of 1:43:47:65.

Capt. Mahon riding to the race from Fort Lee, NJ on an empty highway--wheeee!

Known more for his prowess at criteriums, Barrows won last year's Grant's Tomb Crit which draws mostly local riders. He came in 12th at last year's Tour of the Battenkill in upstate New York, a 60-mile race with similarly challenging climbs to the New York Gran Fondo.

Marti Shea, 48, was the first place finisher for the women, completing the climbs in 29:17:66, only five minutes more than Barrows who is 20 years younger.

A previous Olympic trial runner, Shea said yesterday's race was relaxing in between the climbs: "I took advantage of the whole day and had fun," she said, stopping at all the rest stops and talking to fellow riders. Nevertheless don't be fooled by Shea's casual comments: she won the Hill Climb Series, a hill climbing race over several northeastern mountains for 2010 and 2009, as well as several other hill climbing events over the past six years.

Shea was also 28th overall in the combined men's and women's fields. Shea's husband, Joe Tonan, 46, was second in his age group, and both will now qualify in the top ten percent finishers to attend the UCI World Championships in Belgium this fall.

The first riders coming across the bridge--what a rush!

Shea confounded the race timers at the finish who thought a mistake had been made when they read her age. Owner of Select Fitness, a training company in Marblehead, MA., Shea said she completes 10 to 15 bike races a year but this was the first Gran Fondo she had ever done.

The first climb of the day on Henry Hudson Drive

Yesterday's Gran Fondo event included more than 1,100 finishers in the 103-mile race, and over 200 finishers in the Medio Fondo. The longer race included four challenging mountain climbs, and the first for all racers was over Little Tor mountain on Central Highway that took riders from New City and dropped them down into West Haverstraw on the other side.

What mattered was not the overall time that took cyclists to complete the tour, but the time riders spent going up timed climbs, two for the medio fondo, four for the gran fondo.

Cynthia and Nikolaus Ware at the first timer

"It was great watching the first guy come up all by himself, then suddenly there was a whoosh and a wave of riders came up behind him," said Cynthia Ware who was noting times and numbers at the start of the first climb with her son Nikolaus and fiance Robert Youngz. Asked if she enjoyed working at the race for Super Race Systems, a race timing company, on Mother's Day, she said, "I love it, it's been huge fun." Her son Nikolaus agreed.

BBB also did the race just to see how challenging it was. There was no doubt that from the beginning to the end, the race organizers Lidia and Uli Fluhme were determined to surprise, delight, and yes, challenge the racers.

It started out inauspiciously, with a beautifully empty second level of the George Washington Bridge.

I rode to the race in the opposite direction with Captain Bob Mahon of the Clarkstown Police, entering the course from Fort Lee, and coming to the front of the start line inside the bridge (that was a cool trick that I bet a bunch of you will try next time.)

At the start line was a surprise visit from BMC-team pro racer George Hincapie who showed up all smiles but apparently may have left the course before the finish (his whereabouts at the finish or his total time have not been confirmed yet by the organizers.)

The first rest stop in Piermont, NY where riders had bagels, drinks, bananas and other snacks

Hincapie's time was not reported in the final results, but it's not unusual for race promoters to bring in big names for a race, and for those riders to take off before the event is finished. Nevertheless, Hincapie's presence, combined with the first-ever closed bridge cycling event offered a stimulating start to the cool 55-degree weather.

And these organizers would not disappoint.

From the beginning not one hill was left undisturbed. Instead of taking the mostly flat Route 9W, the course took riders along what is casually called "River Road," and formally known as Henry Hudson Drive, a 7-mile, north-bound hilly route that starts in Fort Lee, NJ, and ends in a killer, one kilometer climb to the top of Alpine Drive in Alpine, NJ.

The Piermont Fire Dept. was there to assist too

And that was just the beginning.

After a relatively easy eight more miles to the first rest stop in Piermont, NY, a favorite destination for many local cyclists, the race began its climbing stages in earnest, first through Nyack, back up to Route 9W, over Hook Mountain, then over to South Mountain Road in New City, NY via Routes 9W and 23.

On Hook Mountain I took a few minutes to appreciate the fact that hand cyclist JohnTartaglio, 24, was doing the 103-mile course.

At Central Highway/ Little Tor, the wheat were separated from the chaff, including yours truly who used the excuse of having to stop and take photos to get off the bike. My legs felt like they were churning not butter but lead, and I kept looking at the road wondering where the steepness was coming from since it didn't look so bad.

The second timers of the climb were located at the top, but some riders were so exhausted they didn't care as they rolled their bikes casually over them---while walking.

John Tartaglio, hand cyclist cresting Hook Mountain

Anyone doing the 65-mile Medio Fondo had to descend another two miles into West Haverstraw, and then climb back up the other side of Central Highway/ Little Tor, and it suddenly occurred to me that maybe Uli and Lidia Fluhme belonged to the Secret Society of Unintentional Torturers.

Yes, it's a made up name, but I kept wondering what kind of personalities these two had, to take normal people up these roads. It became an internal back and forth dialogue of "You can do this, no you can't," accompanied by severe pain.

Cyclists at start of Little Tor

The joke was on us, but so were the benefits, since such a Gran Fondo could never live up to its name if it were anything other than Grand. And with finishing would surely come boasting rights. And I would be damned if I didn't finish.

On the way down the other side of Central Highway and on my way to the second rest stop in Haverstraw, I passed my colleague Captain Bob Mahon who was on his way back up the mountain already, and way too cheerily called out to me from the corner.

If I had had my druthers I would have skipped this part altogether, especially the climb back up from the town, where unbridled SUV drivers pushed me to the curb and dangerously into the open drains alongside the road, but no biggie I didn't go down. I just wish SUV drivers could exchange places with us for one day and see how obnoxious they can be.

I am not sure why, but after the turn up the mountain, a woman driving a car called out to me and asked if I needed help: I said, "Yes, could you drive me to the top," I said, but she probably thought I was joking and drove on.

A nice touch were the signs marking the climbs with Italian names. This one said "Colle della Punta Rocciosa," average (grade) 8.4%, Max (grade) 14%, 280 feet."

I haven't forgotten that the average grade on Mont Ventoux, one of the steepest climbs in the Tour de France is less than the max on the Colle della Punta Rocciosa, and even Mont Ventoux felt easier than this.

Cyclist at West Haverstraw rest stop

After making the trip back along South Mountain Road, the route became much more direct, passing through New City, Blauvelt and Strawtown Road before turning left in West Nyack.

The roads along this portion were extremely beautiful, though also at times remarkably lonely. I remembered riding these routes before with my Colombian cycling friends and was grateful because I knew the way.

And though the route going up to Haverstraw was well marked, with numerous police and other volunteers holding traffic and showing us the way, the return was not as well marked and at one intersection the officer seemed to be daydreaming.

There I nearly got mowed down by crossing cars. However, almost all the towns reported that the race went off very well.

Cyclists should be mindful to never curse at or harbor negative thoughts for the police in any of these towns in the future (red light tickets and otherwise), because the officers did a terrific job guiding drivers and keeping the roads open for cyclists to pass safely and smoothly through intersections.

If anything, the Gran Fondo brought police and cyclists together in harmony.

One cyclist riding, the other walking up Central Highway/
Little Tor

Still, I kept checking to make sure I was on the right track, and occasionally I passed other riders wearing the now ubiquitous black Gran Fondo uniform that came with the entry fee, many of whom were dropping like flies along the roadside.

The return was an exercise in how not to quit: In Palisades, NY, with no food or water, and legs feeling like plaster, I almost called a friend for a ride home, but realized I hadn't eaten or drunk enough and stopped for a breather.

Despite the terrific organization of the route and the placement of the four rest stops, the last rest stop came too late and in a skippable location, at the valley of a hill right before the entrance to IBM in Palisades.

I am sure the organizers had had no choice but to put it there, but by then I had already been out of fluids and food for about 12 miles, and I could not imagine climbing another hill from a dead start. I opted to fly up the hill instead of stopping, and then take a break at the Market in Palisades, NY for ice and iced tea--with the emphasis on ice.

Antonio Spaggiare, 46, after finishing 103 miles

Another small blunder occurred at the turn back onto River Road at Alpine, NJ, where I missed the signs and saw no one directing traffic. A word to the wise: always read and memorize the race course before you leave home.

Franco Spaggiare, 77. After 65 miles he
rode to Central Park in Manhattan

There were many surprises to this race. For one, I did not think I could finish and I did. But there were so many other accomplishments much greater than my own.

Among them was Antonio Spaggiare, 46, and his father Franco, 77, of Sant' Agostino, Italy.

Antonio who completed the longer course said he does on average 10 Gran Fondos a year, and this was one was "Really hard."

Group from Italy loving the event at finish line represented co-sponsor Avis Faenza

The elder Spaggiare, appearing fresh as a daisy after riding 65 miles, asked me in Italian how he could get to Central Park to do more biking. A race-worker switched from English to almost perfect Italian to give him instructions on how to get there--another 6 miles from River Road, which would bring his total mileage to over 71 for one day. Not to mention there was another steep climb leading out of the park before he reached the GWB.

With them was an entire entourage of Italian women representing a race co-sponsor.

Among the women who finished the race there was 67-year old Melinda Beige from Park City who finished the 103-mile course.

Michal Seidenman of Tenafly, NJ completed the 103-mile course, and said she tracked over 8,000 feet of climbing in the day, with a time of 0:50:37:69. Riding with her friends from the Bicycle Touring Club of North Jersey, Michal said, "It was a great event, I definitely will do it again next year!"

Both among men and women, the largest number of competitors were in the 44 to 49 age group.
Captain Robert Mahon who helped organize volunteers and police officers for the New City section also participated in the 65-mile distance.

He said after four hours he began to realize that maybe he needed new cycling shoes his feet hurt so much. "I've done 50 miles a number of times before, and this was the hardest cycling I have ever done," said Mahon who only stopped once to eat a cookie.

And although most of the race was pretty safe, only five accidents have been reported so far.

Descending the hill from State Line to Palisades, NY, a male rider was injured with a broken collarbone or wrist when he collided with three other unhurt riders. Sonya Harum who was working inside the Market adjacent to the crash at the time said, "It was pretty terrifying," as she described a four-person crash, with cyclists skidding more than 20 feet. "We all kind of ran out to help," she said. The rider who was hurt has not been identified and was taken to Nyack Hospital, confirmed Sargeant Sullivan of the Orangetown Police Dept.

At the finish line in Palisades Park, Henry Hudson Drive

Later, three cyclists went off the mountain on their descent south on Central Highway, one breaking his collarbone, the second hurting his back, and the third losing consciousness. Two of those riders were hospitalized, the third refused medical attention, according to Mahon.

A fifth, unidentified male rider sustained minor injuries in Piermont, NY and was taken to Nyack Hospital, according to Officer Gaynor of the Piermont Police Dept.

No word still on the 10 percent top finishers who will be qualifying for the UCI World Championships, but those results should be up shortly on the Gran Fondo site.

An Italian Tradition Comes to New York

2011-05-02T22:01:00.000-07:00

Riders of the 100-mile Gran Fondo will need to ride to Bear Mountain and back, largely on Route 9W

May 2, 2011. Photos, Gran Fondo NY.
A grand Italian tradition is coming to New York on May 8 and will include a star appearance by Italian rider Gilberto Simoni, kissy-face with Miss Italy 2009 and her sister, gifts from a pasta sauce maker, and prizes that include two Pinarello bicycles.

The event is New York’s first Gran Fondo, a race format that originated about 40 years ago in Italy and is now being brought to the tri-state region by a Pole and a German who have a great love for cycling

The style of race, a mass start with mixed fields in many cases combining men and women of all ages with some professional riders has risen to huge appeal in Italy, and is now catching on in the new world.

Uli Fluhme once raced with Gerolsteiner

“We decided that New York really needed this,” said co-organizer Ulrich “Uli” Fluhme who had ridden several Gran Fondos in Italy with his wife Lidia. “We have the races in Central Park, and big tours like the Five Boro Bike Tour, but we really needed something in between with a real challenge,” he added.

The George Washington Bridge will be the start

The top 10 percent finishers of the mixed format race that is a combination of a regular road race and a tour will gain automatic placement in the World Amateur Championships that will take place in Belgium this September 10 to 11.

Computer chips that riders wear will determine their times on four challenging climbs scattered through the 103-mile stretch from the start at the George Washington Bridge to Perkins Drive at Bear Mountain, plus a few bangers on the way back to the finish in Fort Lee, NJ.

Using the climbs to time racers saved the organizers from having to time the whole race which they said was too difficult to arrange in New York, but also allows riders the luxury of riding together, male and female, and all ages groups, a total of nine from 18 to 65 and over in social empathy during the non-timed sections.

These are just some of the appeals of the Italian-style mass race which could be one of the most ambitious undertakings that has already attracted 2,000 entrants, many of them blasé New Yorkers who have seen and ridden just about everything, as well as cyclists from 55 other countries.

The start of a Gran Fondo in Italy earlier this year that Lidia and Uli Fluhme completed

The other major appeal is the introduction of the first Gran Fondo, which translates to Long Endurance, for New York, a tradition that grips Italy from the spring months through September and sometimes draws as many as 11,000 riders, among them the most famous, Gran Fondo Nove Colli (Nine Hills).

What’s more, the organizers managed to convince the officials from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to close a portion of the lower level of the George Washington Bridge and oncoming ramps for the race start, an act that has never before been accomplished for a bike race in known history. How did they do it? “Lidia’s persistence,” said Mr. Fluhme. The closing off of the ramp leading to the bridge on 165th and Riverside Drive as well as the two lower level lanes will cost the organizers about $10,000, a fee which includes laying down carpets so cyclists' wheels don't get stuck in the grating.

"The Port Authority is really happy to be involved in the Gran Fondo,” said Mr. Fluhme. Seventy other policeman had to be hired overtime for road closures along the route, among them along the stretch through New City, NY, the site of the Little Tor climb, and where avid road cyclist and Clarkstown police captain Bob Mahon will be organizing his force to police the event.

Lidia Fluhme at a Gran Fondo in Italy this spring

Little Tor is just one of the climbs that give even the most experienced weekend riders groans of pain, because it has the appearance and feel of a vertical wall. Buckberg Mountain Road in Tomkins Cove is a climb that looks and feels almost as hard even if it isn’t.

"That climb is really hard," said Nyack Bike Shop owner Jim Skelley. He knows, his house is on the road, and he has to climb it on every return from Harriman State Park.

Two distances will be offered, the “Gran Fondo” distance of 100 miles, and the “Medio Fondo” a mere 65 miles. Both races will have timed climbs, the only portion of the “race” which is timed, but only the Gran Fondo top 10 to 20 percent climbers will be eligible to qualify for the International Cycling Union’s 2011 Amateur World Championships, said Fluhme.

The Fluhmes took racers on pre-race training rides all spring along the arduous route

The rest of the ride can be done in a social fashion as long as riders make the cut off. "Him and her" categories are also included so couples can compete together, and the organizers also have a team competition category. Riders are paying handsomely for this torture with fees of $231 for the full distance, and $184 for the lesser distance.

Those fees are pretty hefty compared to prices people pay in Italy, from $30 to $70 per event, but Fluhme said the prices reflect the cost of road closings, racing chips, permits and jerseys which become more expensive when you order closer to the event (riders who signed on earlier received discounts, and paid $195 and $165 before processing fees).

A rider on a training ride this spring

Those kind of fees however stand to pay off well for fondo organizers in the U.S. who with efficiencies could earn from $50,000 to $200,000 a race.

The handsome pay explains the sudden explosion of Gran Fondos in the U.S. with stiff competition from a series put on by another organizer with events in California, Florida, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia this year, fondos that are co-sponsored by Colnago bicycles.

But the fees also compare well to the growth in the outdoor race industry. The New York City Triathlon costs $400 per entrant, the NYC Marathon $270 per person, and the Iron Man NYC for 2012 is expected to cost close to $1,000 per competitor.

American based Fondo organizers also gain from the pre-race commercial expositions.

New York's will be held at the Roseland Ballroom on Friday and Saturday, with booths going for a minimum of $2,000 a piece for bicycle retailers and suppliers who want to reach the cycling market in the city.

That rate is on par with the cost of booths at Interbike, the biggest commercial bike show in the U.S. that attracts approximately 20,000 visitors for its three-day event held annually in Las Vegas.

That price is a pass on for rent, furniture, Internet, lighting and security, said Ms. Fluhme who said that the expo was not to make money but to give exhibitors a chance to show their wares.

Mr. Fluhme says his Gran Fondo overall this year will be an investment and may not even break even. In any event he says his event is a competition while the majority of Gran Fondos in the U.S. are not.

Despite high entry costs, the new format promises to unleash a flurry of fondos across America, perhaps each claiming to be "the" U.S. based fondo (Colnago's fondo website is called Gran Fondo USA, which gives the appearance that it is the only fondo game in the U.S.) It's unclear if there can be more than one fondo held in any one city, but given the complexity of organizing them, so far it's been first come, first served.

Participants will also be amply rewarded by the experience, a great loss of weight in one day, guest appearances and many participant goodies.

For one the whole aura of a mass ride adds an element of fun to the day. One blogger April Pedersen Santinon describes the Italian Gran Fondos in a way that makes them sound like one big cycling party.

In addition to participation by climbing specialist, two-time Giro D’Italia winner ex-pro rider Gilberto Simoni, the event will also be attended by Claudio Chiapucci three time podium placer at the Tour de France. Both riders were implicated in doping scandals during their hey dey, Simoni for cocaine, a charge that was eventually cleared.

Chiapucci was known to be a client of Dr. Francesco Conconi, an infamous provider of banned performance enhancing substances to the cycling profession. Conconi was found “morally guilty” of drug use but never convicted, according to several news sources.

A jersey is part of the package

Regardless of the drug implications in their pasts, both riders will prove to be substantial pulls for Americans who have never ridden in the field alongside such iconic racers of European ilk. Just the anticipation of riding with this crowd of seasoned racers gave some registrants a thrill.

Along with the famous Italian riders will be one surprise appearance by a previous American pro whose identity will not be revealed until the day of the race.

Part of the Italian tradition, to not allow riders to go home empty handed means that the Gran Fondo NY will be heavily stacked with promoters wanting a stronger connection with the U.S. cycling market. For that honor they’ll be handing out goods generously, including goodies from Pinarello bicycles (for the two overall winners), Mavic (carbon wheelset,) Campagnolo (Chorus gruppo,) Limar helmets, Diadora riding shoes, Selle San Marco seats, and Gioradana apparel—not to mention Delverde Pasta, Lucini pasta sauce, and Erin Baker cookies.

Documenting this first ever event for New York will be television crews from Bike Show TV, and a host of other Italian journalists eager to capture their tradition being played out on American soil.

Heavy competition from other Gran Fondo organizers in the U.S. and other countries outside of Italy have led to comparisons and claims about what makes a real Gran Fondo.

Mr. Fluhme who himself once raced professionally for Gerolsteiner in Germany left racing for a job as a lawyer in finance, and now at the age of 36, has come full circle and left his UBS banking job for cycling. “In Italy the level of competition at the Gran Fondos is really hard, and that is what we are trying to bring here."

If you want to read more about Gran Fondos in Italy, read Ms. Santinon's blog Gran Fondos and Other Big Rides. She'll give you the pros and cons of this cycling format in full detail.

Where Bicycles and Beauty (and Money) Intersect

2011-04-07T18:06:00.000-07:00

Charlie Kristine models a KGS/Passoni custom bicycle,
(c) Kevin Saunders

KGS bikes shared with us their latest promotional shots for the hand-made Passoni frames that they sell.

These shots are the tamest of the bunch, too beautiful to pass up. So we ask you dear reader, which is more beautiful, the model, the frame, or you can't say--they both win?

If there was anything better to sell a high end bicycle--these go for between $25,000 and $30,000 each--I am not sure what it is. Other than having Lance Armstrong's sweat all over it, or perhaps the bike he rode to glory on in any of the seven Tour de France wins.

Kevin Saunders, owner of KGS Bikes (who has not provided any incentive to this website to publish this information,) said the photos show the first of the four custom KGS/ Passoni bicycles to come into the United States since he became the stateside dealer.

The owners of the four bikes, two couples, flew to San Antonio, TX, where KGS is based, "found their true bicycle positions, and then [we] used that data to design bicycles specifically for use in the Colorado Rockies," said Saunders.

Saunders said these bikes are built to suit the riders' preferences, in this case to be ridden in the mountains. Therefore they have more stable steering and longer wheelbases. All of the bikes have Campagnolo Super Record 11 components and Lightweight wheels (by CarbonSports), with tubular tires.

But of course, you're not looking at the model, 29-year-old Charlie Kristine, you're looking at the frame, right?

Charlie Kristine models a KGS/Passoni custom bicycle,
(c) Kevin Saunders

KGS designs about 40 custom Parlee, Passoni and Cyfac bicycles a year.

Though Saunder's shots are a bit racy for some, he is very philosophical about undressing the ladies in bike shots: "We have no problem in this country showing murder and violence in the media, but when it comes to nudity, all of a sudden there is something wrong with it." Indeed.

Next, can you send in some shots of hot guys holding up their bikes? Oh never mind, attendance at any bike race--especially a cross race-- will take care of that!

Which leads us to our own philosophical question: If everyone paid as much for their bicycle as they do for a car, they'd be a lot more interested in riding their bicycles to work every day. And even much more so with the likes of Charlie Kristine in front of them.

Kevin can be reached at this email address. KGS is also on Facebook and just about every other social media site you can think of.

If you're nice, he might share with you some of the other photographs he took, some of which can be seen on Flickr. We won't publish the Flickr address here, because the contents of it makes us blush, but you can email him yourself if you are interested.

Previous DOT Chief Abducted by Pedicab Bandits

2011-04-01T19:53:00.000-07:00

April 1, 2011

One of the pedicab abductors bore a striking resemblance
to current DOT commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, here
pictured at the National Bike Summit in DC in March, 2011
(c) Aaron Marks

A previous commissioner of transportation for the city of New York was abducted by two bandits driving a pedicab today.

BBB was researching the Prospect Park West bike lane when we spottted Iris Weinshall outside her building. As we approached, we witnessed a man and a woman pull up in a M****n R****w pedicab at about 8:30 A.M., grab Weinshall on the arm, and shove her into the pedicab.

One of the drivers was a man and about 5 foot 9 tall, wore wire rimmed glasses and was dressed in a suit and tie. The woman, a tall, slim brunette wearing a black suit was pedaling in high heels: the two were going as fast as possible, heading for the Prospect Park West bike lane.

Weinshall served as previous transportation commissioner under Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Last month her name emerged in connection with a lawsuit by a group in Prospect Park against the current DOT commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan for the installation of the Prospect Park West bike lane.

The plaintiffs for the lawsuit identify themselves as the Concerned Seniors of Prospect Park, and their spokesperson is Louise Hainline.

Iris Weinshall in a pic as Vice Chancellor at City
College in New York (c) CUNY

Apparently Ms. Hainline had been videotaping activity on the bike lane from her roof and was gathering proof that no cyclists were using it during the winter months, when it was covered with snow and ice, or when it was minus 25 degrees outside (which apparently it was any of, or all three together most of the last four months.)

As Weinshall was whisked along the Prospect Park Bike Lane she was screaming, but no police came to her aid possibly because the two drivers stopped at a red light. Our city's finest nearby were busy ticketing another cyclist who had not stopped at the red light.

As the trio stopped it gave BBB enough time to catch up and the opportunity to ask Weinshall why she was screaming. Was she upset about being abducted?

"No," she said, shaking her head.

Was she upset about being in a pedicab?

"No," she glared.

Was she upset about being forced to ride in the very lane that she didn't think was appropriate for her neighborhood, and would prefer was ripped out?

"No," she rolled her eyes, didn't we realize the media had made a big deal out of something that she barely thought about from day to day?

So then why was she screaming?

Weinshall said her abductors had told her they were taking her to Hainline's house to watch video footage of the bike lane.

Needless to say: April Fools!

Have Bicycle, Will Flee

2011-03-25T06:18:00.000-07:00

By now everyone in New York City should have realized that we live within 50 miles of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant.

This realization has perhaps raised its ugly head again since the awful catastrophe in Japan, with no less than six Tokyo Electric Fukishima reactors suffering breakdowns and emitting harmful levels of radiation that have affected people, food, air, and water.

The workers in those plants will probably be very sick, and may die. The unknown is how many other people who lived near the plant--and that includes up to 90 miles where the wind blew harmful radiation, will be affected.

What's maddening is that the officials at Japan's nuclear agency deemed the safety precautions taken by Tokyo Electric to be sufficient, just as the American Nuclear Regulatory Commission has given their seal of approval to the much aged Indian Point Power Plant. The final license renewal was completed in December, 2010.

Not much has been said about the Buchanan, NY based plant since it had a series of leaks about 10 years ago, when as a journalism student at Columbia University I did a story about the age and fitness of the plant and the area's evacuation plans.

At the time, the plant was already considered old. It had recently been taken over by Entergy Corporation which had gone on a buying spree across America scooping up old plants and making them more efficient by firing excess staff and streamlining operations.

But already then there had been several leaks, some into the air, and some into our very own Hudson River. Concerned local residents stocked up on Potassium Iodide in case of a major leak. But most of all, concerned citizens said that in the event of a major leak at Indian Point, the evacuation plans will yield not fleeing people--but a parking lot.

Riverkeeper, an advocacy organization that focuses on the environment along the Hudson River stated, "Due to Indian Point’s vulnerability to terrorism, a laundry list of safety problems, the storage of 1500 tons of radioactive waste onsite, and the lack of a workable evacuation plan, Riverkeeper has been working toward the permanent shutdown of the Indian Point nuclear power plant."

Now with the breakdown of the Japanese reactors, Riverkeeper is calling for the immediate shutdown of Indian Point. The group is not without its power brokers, with Robert Kennedy Jr. acting as their primary counsel.

Since I wrote that story in 2002, it was my greatest concern to protect myself and my family, arming myself with a bicycle (which I already had) and a trailer for young ones who can't ride.

As it turns out, any major explosion or breakdown at Indian Point will create gridlock of epic proportions all the way up and down the northeastern corridor. The best way to flee will be by bicycle.

My advice is this: if you don't already have a bicycle--get one. Learn to ride, and make sure everyone in your family is suitably outfitted, either with a trailer for smaller children, tricycles or pedicabs for the older person in your family, and trailers for your belongings. Just think if it this way: if nothing happens at least you'll lose some weight.

We're not hysterical, crisis-driven, negativity forecasters: just realistic.

New Yorkers ask Capitol Law Makers to Retain Bike Funding

2011-03-11T10:25:00.000-08:00

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Cyclists from all over the U.S. converged on Washington this week to discuss the state of cycling at the National Bike Summit. And their message to lawmakers on Thursday was, if you have to cut any budgets, don't cut ours.

And while the headlines grabbed the hearings by Peter King (R-Dist 3, Long Island), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, about the radicalization of American Muslims, people were dying on our roads and highways in droves.


Rep. Peter King (R-NY) Chairman of House Homeland Security

In New York State alone in 2009, there were more than 5,600 accidents between cyclists and motorists, resulting in 29 deaths of people on bikes, and the death of one motorist.

In that same year, the last year for which statistics are available, more than 14,800 pedestrians were injured by cars, and 302 people were killed by motorists, according to the New York State Dept. of Motor Vehicles.

King's district on Long Island hosts some of the most dangerous roads for cycling and walking in the state. Long island also hosts many roads where motorized traffic comes to a grinding halt every day at rush hour, costing the area millions of dollars in gas costs, business lost, and lost hours of a person's life.

Obesity costs the United States $147 billion dollars, and New York State $7.6 billion a year according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control.

The problem of obesity is reaching epic proportions for children and adolescents, whose numbers have tripled over the past three decades. Currently, a third of New York State's children are obese or overweight.

Being severely overweight has serious health consequences: cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and a shortened life span.

Hazelhoff and McCorkell waiting to meet with an aide from Rep. Rangel's office (C) BBB

But these killers are semi invisible to both the media and lawmakers because the deaths and costs occur daily and on a constant basis, and don't carry the shock or the marketing capital of a terrorist strike.

This is the battle that cycling advocates have to face when bringing their message to the steps of the Capitol: though bicycling efforts may be boring to you, they are very important to us.

And with cost-cutting a major message of members of Congress, cycling advocates like Charlie McCorkell, pounded the pavement to ask our elected officials to please keep federal funds where they are, and if you have to cut, cut from other budgets that offer less bang for the buck.

McCorkell owns the Bicycle Habitat bike store in New York City and has been active in bicycle advocacy since his early 20's when he worked with Transportation Alternatives to make cycling more accessible in the city. He rode his Soho S fixed gear Trek a little over a mile in the pouring rain to the Rayburn building:"It took half an hour for my pants to dry," he said.

Dressed uncharacteristically in a tie and formal shirt, he walked down the flag-decked halls of the Rayburn Building to visit the offices of Reps. Jerrold Nadler and Charlie Rangel.

With him was Aja Hazelhoff, a representative from the New York City based advocacy group, Transportation Alternatives: she was armed with statistics and numbers about how much cycling contributes to the economy, and how much more we will be able to achieve by backing alternative transportation measures.

Seated on the standard issue leather couches and arm chairs in Jerrold Nadler's office (D- Dist 8), the two spoke with James Owens, Nadler's legislative assistant, an elegant red-haired man who sported a beard and was immaculately dressed in a pressed glen plaid suit.

Mind you, congresspersons and their aides hear all kinds of things all day from constituents, special interest groups, advocates and lobbyists, and competition for ears and eyeballs is fierce. Hazelhoff and McCorkell had but 15 minutes to get across the idea that a cyclist only requires only 1.5 percent of federal transportation dollars, when 12 percent of all trips are made on a bike or two legs.

The Hallway to Rep. King's office (c) BBB

For one, Hazelhoff and McCorkell were looking for continued support for the $117 million that pays for Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS), helps build bike trails and pathways, and supports cycling education and advocacy. With a push for cost-cutting in federal spending, all of those programs face the hachet.

Hazelhoff explained it makes more sense to continue to fund cycling spending at the same level, because the more people you have on a bicycle, the more money you save in health costs, gas costs, and in highway maintenance.

BBB was there and could not help asking Owens for assistance in supporting the bike lanes in New York City--at least in terms of backing the efforts of DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik Khan publicly in light of recent negative feedback from various local communities.

Back in hallway I was chided for speaking out about an issue that wasn't in Nadler's district, though the bike lanes in his district along Ninth Avenue, could always become an issue if the backlash spread through the city. Already on Columbus Avenue between 86th and 72nd Sts., retailers who have not seen the value of the bike lanes recently installed there have complained vocally to the city's local lawmakers. Clearly though, the Capitol is not for neophytes like BBB.

On to the next office of Rep. Charlie Rangel, we were waiting outside in the hallway while scores of other special interest groups passed, some from CARE, others wearing white medical jackets representing the pharmaceutical industry, and still others in amalgam groups of five or seven, in ties and jackets, skirts and heels clicking down the stone hallways, coming to have their voices heard.

Nancy Maier, publisher of Pedaling.com joined Hazelhoff and McCorkell for the meeting with Marion "Butch" Johnson, an amiable Congressional Fellow from Rangel's office (D-Dist. 15). He listened attentively as McCorkell described the 200,000 bicycle commuters in New York, and how cycling has had a "vast economic impact" on the city.

Two delegates from Bike Summit getting their shoes shined in the Cannon Bldg Basment

Both Nadler and Rangel supported the Transportation Enhancements bill which provided monies for cycling and cycling infrastructure improvements, so their empathy was a given: but could we depend on them to fight for level funding? Rangel, noted Hazelhoff, was one of the first in Congress to adopt a Safe Routes to School Program in his district (he has two now.)

Steve Faust, a transportation planning guru came into the meeting 5 minutes late and asked for continued help on specific projects like the Putnam Line, a rail to trail project in which has never been completed, and talked up a storm about the Kingsbridge Bike Park which had been opened by the NYC Parks Dept. in upper Manhattan.

The Cannon Building at Capitol Hill

Maier added that this was one park that really serviced kids in the community and kept them from getting into trouble otherwise. Faust also put in a word for what he said was his "lifelong" fight, to add a bike lane to the Verazzano Bridge--- a bridge that is parenthetically many miles away from Rangel's district.

Never mind that, the personal messages provided some color for the legislative aides that need something to go back to the Congressman about. When Hazelhoff mentioned the Tour de Bronx, Johnson asked her what date it was so Rangel could attend. Inviting our representatives to specific events is an important element of showing them virtually how the cycling community works.

Neither New York nor New Jersey were fully represented at the Bike Summit, so some of our group had to deliver the message to representatives outside of our own districts. I delivered messages to Rep. Maurice Hinchey who represents an area upstate where my family spends their summers, Steve Israel (D-Dist 2), and Peter King (R-Dist 3).

New York City Chooses Bike-Share Finalists

2011-03-10T03:43:00.000-08:00

Washington, DC, National Bike Summit

Two bike-share companies have been short-listed as finalists to provide bike-share systems to the city of New York: B-Cycle and Public Bike System (Bixi).

Neither company would provide official confirmation of the choice, and the city's Department of Transportation also would not confirm the selections.

However, the choices for the two finalists, who will now be asked to set up demonstrations of their bike-share system prior to final selection by the DOT, did become known to BBB through private discussions at the National Bike Summit being held in Washington, DC this week. There was no word on a third finalist that would compete as was mentioned as a possibility in the DOT's request for proposal, and it appears no third company will be chosen.

B-Cycle is sponsored by Trek Bicycles Corp., a private company based in Madison, WI, while Public Bike System is a non-profit bike-share company based in Quebec, Canada.

Trek's president John Burke, spoke at the closing plenary of the summit, and clearly has a strong track record when developing partnerships. B-Cycle currently has smaller systems set up in Denver, CO, Chicago, IL, Des Moines, IA and San Antonio, TX, and will be rolling out programs soon in Louisville, KY, Broward County, FL and Hawaii.

The New York bike-share however recommends that the finalist set up 10,000 bikes and 600 stations in Manhattan by the end of 2012, and expand further into outer boroughs in following years, making it the largest bike-share system in North America. Paris's Velib system run by JC Decaux is the best known bike-share system, and is currently the largest system in Europe, hosting 24,000 bikes.

Sadik-Khan at the Bike Summit

Trek has long been known to make ambitious and successful marketing alliances, such as their support of Lance Armstrong and his Livestrong team, and now their backing of two major bike racers, Andy and Frank Schleck.

The Schleck brothers will be joined in the Luxembourg based team by time trial great Fabian Cancellara. As a trio, the riders will provide a serious challenge to Alberto Contador, who won last year's Tour de France.

But perhaps because Trek recognizes the growing opportunity that bicycle share systems pose as they grow in cities around the world, as well as the threat to traditional bike sales, the company is now moving quickly to respond to city requests for proposals.

New York's bike-share RFP however was a challenging one. It was the first of its kind to expect much more of suppliers, and give back so much less.

The DOT requests a revenue share model with the City, and also asks that the supplier provide maintenance and provide compensation for the use of public space, such as parking spaces. At the same time, the department asked that no supplier use more than minimal advertising, a barrier to entry so great that two major companies, Cemusa of Spain and JC Decaux of France did not submit bids.

Officials in those two companies who spoke off the record because they were not authorized to speak on the topic said that the New York City bid set an "impossible" financial bar to achieve.

That statement is even all the more interesting given Public Bike System's financial model, which up to now has been non-profit. New York's tough requirements will force the company to start making money on advertising, even if ultimately they continue to be structured as a non-profit.

Public Bike System, who rolled out their first bike-share program in Montreal, also has bike-share programs in London with 6,000 bikes, Melbourne, Australia (650 bikes), Minneapolis, MN, (600 bikes), and Washington, DC (1,100 bikes). The company also has smaller systems on the Washington State University campus, and at the corporate campus of RIM.

Team from Recycle a Bicycle at National Bike Summit

New Public Bike System programs will also be opening in Boston, MA, and Chatanooga, TN, said a representative for Alta, a consulting and operations partner of Public Bike System.

But neither of these two companies have ever supplied or run a bike-share as large as the one proposed for New York, and their inexperience may well have had to do with their willingness to submit proposals matching the city's requirements.

In the case of Public Bike System, all of their systems are either paid for directly by the cities they work with, or have been underwritten by loans guaranteed by public entities in those cities.

In London and Montreal, both systems are paid for by the cities themselves, and $5M in capital funding for the Washington, DC program was provided through the Federal Highway Administration. Operating costs for the DC program of approximately $2.3M per year are born by the city itself, and are only partially offset by membership and usage fees.

Which begs the question: should public bicycle transportation be privately run? Currently the city of New York does not expect its subways, buses or trains to be funded by private companies or even to run on a profit. To expect a fledgling bicycle share system to do what no other major transportation system in the city is doing provides an ambitious and unprecedented challenge for both of the two finalists.

The news comes at the heels of a lawsuit by a group of seniors in Brooklyn, NY over the Prospect Park bike lane which was recently installed by the department of transportation.

Although the local Community Board 6 had asked DOT to come in with a plan to reduce motorist speeding, and cut down on bicyclists riding on sidewalks and in the wrong direction, and then subsequently approved the plan, residents opposed to the new bike lane have hired Jim Walden of Gibson Dunn to challenge it.

Bixi Bikes at the National Bike Summit

Walden says the city presented misleading facts regarding the results of safety measurements taken after the lane was implemented. 'It was abundantly clear that crashes and injuries were not down," he said. He also said the city failed to conduct an environmental review of the area, and although it agreed to release data is did not do so until after it had presented its final numbers to the Community Board.

So far the city has not commented on the lawsuit, but said their plan reduced traffic speed, reduced crashes and injuries of cyclists and pedestrians, and responded to the community's concerns.
Speaking at the opening plenary of the Bike Summit, DOT commissioner Janette Sadik Khan said "It's wonderful to be here this morning and with so many friends," perhaps an indirect reference to the fact that many New Yorkers have turned their backs on her.

Sadik-Khan responded indirectly to the criticism of late when she spoke about the new bike lanes in Prospect Park and elsewhere: "They have created really dramatic changes, controversial things like reduce speeding and taking cyclists off the sidewalks."

Acknowledging the role that Mayor Michael Bloomberg has played in opening up New York to its bicycle potential she also noted, "It's hard and its painstaking work, and there are unexpected setbacks and unexpected events--but that's to be expected."

Needless to say, among friends, Sadik Khan's words were met with thundering applause.

NJ Bike-Walk Summit Inspires, Highlights Challenges

2011-03-01T12:50:00.000-08:00

Prof. Pucher shows highest fatality and injury rates for US cyclists and pedestrians

"Women are an indicator species" Prof. John Pucher, Rutgers University

The second New Jersey summit of its kind for cycling and walking lovers, advocates, and other folks was held this past Saturday.

Pulled together by the New Jersey Bike Walk Coalition had two clear messages: whatever we can do to improve cycling and walking conditions is necessary, but getting it done will take a lot of work.

It's no surprise to most bike-ped advocates in New Jersey, or in the U.S. for that matter, that changing conditions for cyclist and pedestrians is difficult. John Pucher made that point loud and clear in his keynote address held over wraps and vegetable chips at the historicTrenton, New Jersey Masonic Lodge.

Prof. Pucher shows outrageous conditions for pedestrians on local bridge

A professor in urban planning and policy development at Rutgers University, Pucher's provocative address demonstrated how other countries like Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands are far ahead of the U.S. in providing safe cycling and pedestrian access. His charts on health, safety and obesity gave an indication that compared to those three countries, the U.S. is a sad and distant cousin.

What's more, Pucher noted that "women are especially sensitive to safety, more than men," which helps explain why cycling is the U.S. is dominated by young males. "Women are an indicator species: if you don't see a lot of women cycling, then you are not doing the right thing."

Dr. Cheryl Allen Munley brought an e-bike to demo

One reason women don't ride here as much as they could, it's not safe said Pucher. Fatality and injury rates are much higher in the United States. Conversely, in Denmark, 55% of all bike trips are made by women.

"It's a matter of social justice: we need to make it safer and more convenient for any New Jerseyan," to ride or walk, he said noting that in those European cities, neither "age, sex, skill level or dollars" prevent anyone from getting on a bicycle. What's more, those countries give independence to the elderly, where over half of the trips by those 65 and over are by walking or cycling.

"Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands weren't always so safe," Pucher said. In the 1950's and 1960's there was a sizable decline in cycling because of the growth of the automobile. But since those countries adopted a purposeful policy to decrease their reliance on the almighty car and improve bike/ walk facilities, "there has been an 80 percent decrease in cycling fatalities," he noted.

What's more, the experience of those cities show that "as levels of cycling increases, injury and fatality rates per trip and per kilometer travel fall dramatically." Conversely, injuries and fatalities in the U.S. are much higher per bike trip taken, he noted.

A flyer from the Morris Area Freewheelers

But as he spoke, Pucher interjected comments regaling the lack of safety even in his own town of New Brunswick. Pucher does not own a car and gets around by bicycle, walking and public transportation he said proudly, drawing a round of applause from the audience. But he does so often at his own peril, he noted, citing multiple intersections and areas where motorists don't even stop when he is in the crosswalk, a fault due partly to poor design and partly to lack of sufficient law enforcement.

Pucher also pointed out the "best pedestrian crossing in New Brunswick," where flashing lights embedded in the sidewalk, cross hatching, and a raised area demarcating the crossing made it obvious that cars had to stop. "Twenty percent of cars went through anyway," he said, "but WOW, if we could get more crosswalks like that, I would be very, very happy."

Inspiration Comes from the Heart

Peter Bilton, previously a member of the Alan M. Voorhees transportation center at Rutger's and now a principal at the Civic Eye Collaborative, opened the summit with a message that the key to increasing cycling is "happiness": making people happy will bring them out on their bikes.

Rich Averill discussing Collingswood Bike Share

The layered complexity of that statement became more obvious as the summit's speakers delivered their addresses. First off was Rich Everill who started off a "library method" bike share program in Collingswood, NJ. Because the town is only two square miles, the program has one central location, and is open two days a week.

With 200 bikes donated from people's unused or outworn bicycles, the program charges users only $25 a year to use the brightly-green painted bikes. "The program injected 200 bikes into the community that would otherwise be sitting in a garage," said Everill. It also brought people of different backgrounds together, and allowed some who did not own a car or without access to bike shops (there are none in Collingswood itself), to ride bikes. Nearby bike shops were also asked to help repair the bicycles at a cost, but children in the neighborhood were inspired to come in and learn bike repair, said Everill.

A rider from the 2009 Morristown Halloween Ride

Kendra Arnold of Morristown Critical Mass and or Morristown Bike Ride charmed the crowd with her stories about a critical mass bike ride which she started in 2007, and evolved to a 3.54-mile monthly bike ride for all to come and join.

The first rides went off despite then Mayor Donald Cresitelo's objections to putting bike lanes in Morristown. "He called it "the stupidest thing he had ever heard," said Arnold, "because men in their thousand dollar suits and women who did not want to mess up their hair, would not want to ride to work."

(In 2010, the former Morristown mayor was ordered to pay an $11,375 fine for alleged campaign finance violations during his 2005 mayoral run, according to the Election Law Enforcement Commission.)

That was in 2007, and the monthly ride has been a tremendous success since then, attracting on average 200 riders, and enjoying free police entourages for safety. It might be enough to provoke jealousy from cyclists taking place in critical mass events in New York where they are going through a period of harassment from police. "We keep going through red lights after the green and the police don't seem to mind," said Arnold.

The ride uses themes to attract non-cyclists, like the Zombie ride: "Maybe they don't want to ride but they do want to be a zombie," said Arnold to laughter. In 2008, even a police chief and several council members ignored the mayor's negative pronouncement by showing up regularly, and soon the ride became a safe place for children to ride around town said Arnold.

The ride also features after-parties, a vegan food truck, chalk-out contests, bike-in movies, and is a regular location for politicians to show up and hand out buttons and tee shirts for their campaigns. Needless to say the new mayor of Morristown, Timothy Dougherty likes the ride, said Arnold. Marty's Reliable Cycle Shop has been a strong supporter of the event, and hosts several Youtube videos of the event on their site.

Laura Torchio discusses BikeWalk Montclair

Laura Torchio spoke about the Bike and Walk program in Montclair, NJ, an area that is surrounded by highways and byways and indeed to the outside observer, seems impenetrable to the average cyclist. Their goal is to "advocate, educate and encourage," and in the last festival over 1,000 people attended said Torchio.

The program appears to gain much of its success from the imaginative use that the non-profit 501 (c) organization puts to use, like a Crossing Guard Appreciation Day, when crossing guards are given "flowers, coffee, and hugs," a Fourth of July parade using bikes, on foot and stilts, a Critical Manner, Courteous Mass on each Friday of the month, Bike to Work days, a Tour de Montclair on May 15th, and the moniker, "Bikes and Feet on Every Street."

BikeWalk Montclair also enjoys the blessing of their town council, and for the first time the council has applied for Complete Streets status from the New Jersey department of transportation. "This was the carrot that allowed us to go for the gold," said Torchio.

Kendra Arnold

Complete Streets is a designation by the NJ DOT that a town or locality provides "safe access for all users by designing and operating a comprehensive, integrated, connected multi‐modal network of transportation options."

But as Ms. Arnold noted at the question and answer section of her presentation, New Jersey towns are very competitive, and once one town has applied for Complete Streets, others will follow. "I want to win," quipped Arnold.

Later this week: presentations by Sharon Roerty, National Center for Biking and Walking; Leigh Ann Von Hagen, Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center; Jeff Peel, League of American Bicyclists; Sheree Davis, New Jersey Dept. of Transportation; Elizabeth Thompson, North Jersey Planning Authority; and Summit Wrap up with Mike Dannemiller, RBA Group.

Long Beach Drops Bicycle Registration: Implications for NYC

2011-02-09T17:55:00.000-08:00

The city council of Long Beach, California voted yesterday to eliminate a law that required residents to register their bicycles. And so they were one more down, more to go, according to recent history at cities around the United States who have dropped similar legislation.

The failure of the bike registration law in a smaller, less complex community has importance for New York City because politicians here have lately been calling for a new law requiring residents to register their bicycles. Queens Councilmember Eric Ulrich introduced the legislation this January that would require ID's be carried by bicycle users as an effort to cut down on errant biker behavior.

New York already suffers from a serious "scofflaw" image among all traffic users, starting with motorists, to taxi drivers, truckers, motorcyclists and on down to cyclists too, so imagining that a program unsuccessful in a tidy place like California would succeed here begs for a fanciful imagination.

With mandatory registration passed into law, 1,000 cyclists in Long Beach were given $400 tickets last year. Dubbed as "the most bicycle friendly city in the world," the city soon found itself with a failed program, and costs for running the licensing program greatly surpassing its revenue, reported the LA Times. The vast majority of cyclists in the city did not have their bikes registered at all.

Bike registration in Long Beach was supposed to give law enforcement officials a way to track down stolen bikes. But so few cyclists participate in the programs that many cities, including Los Angeles, have done away with them completely. Registration in Long Beach will now become voluntary instead of obligatory, with city officials suggesting instead that cyclists list their bikes online with the National Bike Registry.

New York already has a voluntary registration program administered by the New York Police Department. If you bring your bike to a local precinct they will provide you with a registration number that can be etched into the bottom of the bottom bracket. If your bike is stolen the ID can be tracked through the NYPD's database back to you as the rightful owner.

Ulrich's move was intended to also put an extra yoke on cyclists by making them more responsible for errant behavior, such as running red lights. But by introducing the legislation he also joined a chorus of pols mostly hailing from Queens and Brooklyn, against bike lanes, bicycle riders and the city Department of Transportation's efforts to improve conditions for this form of transportation.

His move was largely seen by cyclists and advocates as prejudicial when he was quoted saying that riders do not carry any form of identification, because “they’re in Spandex or whatnot," and are "involved in accidents." To imply that cyclists are responsible for a greater share or even an equal share of accidents to motorists made Ulrich an enemy on cycling e-boards around the city.

Calls to the Department of Public Information at the NY Police department for correct statistics regarding tickets issued to motorists and cyclists by BBB were not returned.

Another reason DOT commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan is meeting such resistance for new street design is that her department's measures threaten motorists with fewer parking spaces, a huge factor in the outer boros, admitted some boro representatives off the record to BBB. Already community boards and business improvement districts in the two boros say that they do not have enough parking spaces, and the changes have come at them without their input.

Drivers have also complained that they cannot manuever easily with many of the new street designs that allow for bike lanes and pedestrian islands. Even previous DOT commissioner Iris Weinshall has publicly spoken out against the Prospect Park West bike lane. Others from Brooklyn--many of them car owners, have said that the new lane is dangerous and makes crossing the street harder for people with children. They make no mention of the hundreds of cars, however, that also making street crossing so difficult across the city.

But some cyclists welcome registration. Said one long time cyclist who was hit by a truck more than 20 years ago when riding his bicycle, "What's wrong with [bike] registration? It might actually help us establish official status, and help us when we want things done our way."

More Bike Lane Backlash Along Columbus Avenue

2011-02-06T21:30:00.000-08:00

Map of Columbus Ave. Courtesy of Columbus Ave. BID

A majority of businesses came down heavily on the redesign of Columbus Avenue that includes a bike lane, said a study commissioned by a coalition of local politicians.

The results of the study showed that 72 percent of the 36 businesses surveyed between 96th and 77th Sts. were not in favor of the new design whose central element includes bike lanes, primarily because of the reduction in motorist parking. The study was commissioned by a coalition which includes the Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, Councilwoman Gale Brewer, Community Board 7 and several others.

In addition to a protected bicycle lane, the new design included a floating parking lane, pedestrian refuges and a buffer zone.

No mention was made of the lack of bike parking in the survey, which is slim to none, and could help explain why so many people depend on their cars for independent transit. Although BBB has not yet obtained a copy of the survey, there is a good chance it did not include a question about whether store owners thought more people would bike instead of drive if the perception was they could do so safely, as well as park their bike securely in front of the store of their choice to make purchases.

In an indication that it will take more effort than humanly possible to bring New York firmly into a sustainable 21st Century, more than 85% of the store owners complained about reduced space for parking and loading, increased parking tickets received by vendors and customers, and increases in traffic and congestion.

Ironically, shopping on a bike is a no brainer, if only there were more bike lanes which were deemed safe by riders, if there were more secure bike parking along shopping corridors, and if more bikes were safely equipped for carrying cargo, such as groceries and shopping bags--these facts according to many New Yorkers and potential customers in informal survey of cyclists by BBB.

Others in the coalition called the Columbus Avenue Working Group's (CAWG) who coordinated to develop and deliver the survey include State Senator Tom Duane, Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal, and Upper West Side Streets Renaissance.

The development follows close on the heels of heavy criticism of the bike lane along the west side of Prospect Park in Brooklyn by politicians, despite positive feedback for the lane from a majority of local residents. Former city Department of Transportation Commissioner Iris Weinshall was among those who criticized the bike lane, while the city's current DOT management has reported that accidents have declined since the lane was put in.

Car crashes along Prospect Park West have fallen 16% since the lane went in last summer - and crashes that cause injuries are down 63%, reported the NY Daily News. From last July to December, there were 25 crashes, down from an average of 29.7 every six months before that. Only two of the crashes involved injuries.

Councilwoman Brewer who has proven in the past to be a progressive voice in the city said the survey was an attempt to work out some of the growing pains of bike lanes on Columbus Ave., but that she believes ultimately, "the bike lanes will be a lasting benefit to merchants, residents, and riders, and make the West Side a better place to live and work.”

A study of Columbus Avenue completed in 2007 which is available on the Columbus Ave. BID site, concluded that the area was not a "complete street" because it did not safely accommodate pedestrians, cyclists and children and functioned primarily for the right of way of motorists and trucks.

When Community Board 7 voted last June in favor of the DOT's plan for a redesign, local resident and actor Matthew Modine of "Full Metal Jacket," was reported to have spoken in favor of the bike lanes.

Said Mel Wymore, Chair of Community Board 7, "Our challenge is to include all stakeholders in developing and implementing designs that work for everyone."

Closter Police Seek Hit and Run Driver

2011-01-28T15:01:00.000-08:00

Police are asking anyone with information about a hit-and-run accident near the intersection of Closter Dock Road and Piermont Road to contact them.

The accident occurred at 2:27 p.m. Monday, January 25, police said Tuesday. A 16-year-old boy was injured and taken to Hackensack University Medical Center for treatment, police said.

More at http://bit.ly/dIP8Ux

In Contemplation of Dr. Martin Luther King

2011-01-17T20:33:00.000-08:00

My family lived through the civil rights era. So I have a very strong attachment to everything that Dr. Martin Luther King achieved for African Americans and every other single U.S. citizens who has not had equality.

We have always believed strongly in the civil rights of every human being, and it is a part of my blood. My stepfather, Stefan Sharff was a filmmaker: he made a pivotal film about Dr. King's third 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama for voting equality.

Today Dr. King's speeches have been on the radio all day, and 25 years after his death, his words still bring tears to my eyes. He realized that he was being targeted when he said in his famous speech the day before his assassination in Memphis, TN, "I don't mind, because I have been to the top of the mountain, and I have seen the promised land...I am not worried, my eyes have seen the coming of the Lord." His words were powerful, and one can see, even today how his words would be scary to a racist white person.

"Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today my friend, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. ...I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live up to the meaning of its creed....All men are created equal."

But even today, the promised land has not been realized.

Two things have not changed enough in this country since the murder of one of the greatest civil rights leaders this country has ever known: crazy losers like Jared Loughner and James Earl Ray are still able to buy guns easily, and African Americans still have not achieved the power and equality that they deserve as human beings.

Dr. King making his famous promised land speech the night before he was killed.

Yes, we do have a president who is part African American. But the effects of covert and overt racism continue to exist, against African Americans, people of Hispanic origin, and against anyone of color, not to mention people of different religions.

Let me add to that, women who are also not considered equal in this society, except when it comes to doing more than our fair share of housework, raising children, voting and paying taxes. We are still not paid as much or given the same weight as men in society.

Pic: Dr. King leading the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965

A recent report by the Economic Policy Institute found that employment disparities still exist between whites and blacks. In the current recession, the unemployment rate for whites has averaged 5.5%, for blacks, 9.9%. That rate is worse for black men who continue to find racism in the white-dominated work place.

What's worse, as African American children grow up, 45% slide backwards economically, and move to the poorest group as adults, compared with 16% of white children.

More must be done to rid this country of hatred, and importantly to restrict the access to guns. And much, much more needs to be done to improve equality. We have not come far enough.

Listen to Dr. King's speech in full, thanks to Barbara Steinberg.

Looking Back at First Major Snow, Complaining all the Way

2011-01-02T09:56:00.000-08:00

It's been six days since that major snowstorm that hit us like a sudden slap on the face from a spurned lover. With rain now decimating much of the snow, it pays to look back to see how well we handled the first white dumping of the season.

Based on newspaper and radio reports, as well as direct observation, it's been six days of complaining, whining, wheezing and an overblown media frenzy.

And I've come to the conclusion that Big Apple residents are the most unrealistic, least independent, most infantile, and worst of all, most self-entitled population in the Universe. Add to that, lazy and selfish.

Let's start with the media who displayed the worst behavior of all when they made a big deal out of the fact that the city's department of sanitation couldn't clear all of the streets in New York City magically overnight, and instantly the next morning.

The snowbanks are higher than the dog---at least twice as high.

Here is one of the headlines from the New York Times, " Plowed, Yes. Salted. Sure. Cleared? That's Murkey.", and "As Storm's Impact Chastens Bloomberg, the City Struggles to Recover."

Why all of a sudden is it Mayor Michael Bloomberg's fault if too much snow is dumped on New York? And do people really expect everything to be "normal" a day after a massive snow fall --in some places snow drifts up to 40 inches--when they can't even be bothered to clean their own sidewalks? The media might have been better off focusing on all the winter sports being played.

Or maybe they should have focused on those home owners who clear their driveways, but don't have enough time to clear the sidewalk for pedestrians.

A snow plow driver is doing his job, but the residents aren't

Those same people won't clear the portion that leads to the street crossing so after walking past their building, you are forced into a massive snowbank that not even a Yeti from the steppes of Eurasia could get over.

Or how about the streets where half the owners have cleared their walks and the other half haven't, so you are forced into the now cleared roadway that has room only for one car? One slip and you're dead.

Then there was the thousands of irresponsible, selfish motorists who took to the streets in what appeared to be one of the worst snow falls in history, promptly got stuck and left their cars stranded, so even if they wanted to, department of sanitation snowplows could not get through.

Pic: A person walks down a major roadway because none of the sidewalks have been cleared in North Bergen, NJ where up to 40 inches of snow fell

I bet those car owners were the first ones to call 311 and complain that the street that they were blocking hadn't been plowed.

Best of all, there's the City Council calling once again for hearings on "what happened" during this snow storm. We don't need an investigation wasting taxpayer money to see that a lot of snow requires that the inhabitants of New York stop expecting that everything will come back to "normal" in five hours.

An intersection where none of the residents cleared their walks, and walking on the streets became a necessity

Considering that the snow came during the holidays, perhaps it was divine intervention to get people to stop their capitalist mantra for three full days (three full days,) and relax by becoming children again with their children.

And if you think it was bad in New York, let's take a quick look at New Jersey. Perhaps North Bergen suffered from more snowfall than New York. Though snowplows were quick to make their rounds in the early morning hours, residents were even quicker to drive out in their Ferragamos and Lexus's only to get stuck on the very first corner they drove through.

Pic: Snow country Japan, where snow accumulation can reach 18 feet

Personally I have never seen a more unprepared, clueless bunch of people in my life: not one had a pair of snow boots on, and their cars weren't even equipped with snow tires or all wheel drive. They stepped in frustrating agony on their gas pedals as their wheels spun them deeper into snowbanks.

Worst of all, Bergen County residents chose to clear their driveways, but left their walkways completely uncleared, as if for some magical reason, all pedestrians had ceased to exist.

Walking from A to Z became an exercise in crossing the street in front of careening vehicles just to get to a spot that was clear--for five feet, only to cross again two minutes later, then give up and walk down the middle of the street.
And there is no "311" to get busy in New Jersey. Complaints to town halls are unheeded, and walks never get cleared.

Pic: A typical village in the snow country of Japan where they can be snowed in for months

There is nothing that would cure this self-entitled, selfish phenomenon better than a winter-long stay in a nice cold place like Siberia, where winter temperatures can reach -50 degrees--Centigrade.
Or perhaps a visit to the mountainous region of Switzerland, where snowbanks can be as high as the roof of a building, and you don't see the ground from about November to March, where buildings grow about 10 to 15 feet once the snow melts.

Or parts of Japan, where snow is dumped upon snow, upon snow, and residents spend time cleaning their roofs, not their driveways, so they can walk down the "street"of packed snow. In the area called Snow Country, residents are required to clear their roofs of snow, called Yuki-hori. Residents of Uonuma, Yuzawa, Tokamachi, Tsunan in Niigata, Sakae in Nagano and Minakami in Gunma are proud of their average snow accumulation of 18 feet, and advertise snowfall as a tourist attraction.

Sadly in New York, ambulances could not get down small side streets, thanks in part to the many reckless citizens who tried to drive in the storm and abandoned their vehicles.

Perhaps for the future, an investment in cross country skis or snow shoes for many of our population, including EMS crews, would be fitting. A better attitude would also help.

In Lieu of Cycling, A New Year's Day Ski

2011-01-01T20:55:00.000-08:00

All pics by Jen Benepe (c)
January 1, 2011
It snowed about 40 inches on the west side of the Hudson River five days ago: snow still lingered in big piles on both sides of the roads. Even drivers had difficulty manuevering around the leftover snow, and this was enough for me to decide that riding my bike would not be safe.

Pic: Ana at the beginning of the Tallman Mountain State Park Trail

So what is a cyclist to do when there is snow, and possibly ice on the roads? To mark New Year's day mother earth blessed New Yorkers and New Jerseyans with 49-degree weather and sunshine. Like religious converts flocking to the temple of the sun, cyclists were out on the roads, on their usual jaunt from the George Washington Bridge, to Piermont and Nyack, NY.

But the question is how safe is it to ride when there is melting snow and the accompanying icy patches so difficult to see, often forcing riders even further out into the roadway. Drivers seldom understand the need for cyclists to move over the white markings separating the shoulders from the roadway on major thoroughfares such as Route 9W that stretches from Palisades Ave. in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, to Nyack, NY and points north.

And that is what I witnessed today on my drive up to go cross country skiing at Tallman Park: cyclists riding in the middle of 9W, a move that is not likely to be interpreted well by most drivers.

Camille Savoy was 54 when he was hit and killed by a female driver on Route 9W in November 2008. Poor weather and a heavy fallen leaves condition that day may have contributed to the driver smashing into him from behind.

It's for reasons like these that I chose to ski when there is a lot of snow narrowing the roads, melting snow, the possibility of ice, or other factors that could lead to an accident.

So Ana Banana and myself suited ourselves up for a nice jaunt through Tallman Mountain State Park in Palisades, NY, one town south of Piermont, NY which is a mecca for cyclists in the summertime.

Ana wore her purple Ralph Lauren cashmere sweater which I bought on sale last year. It's part of her distinctive collection of apparel which not only keeps her warm but allows me to find her at a distance.

It's always difficult predicting how long a small, 20-lb dog will last on a snowy trail, so I brought along a carrying bag in case she got too cold. But we also put on her red latex snow boots which help prevent her paws from becoming embedded with snow, and make running and walking a lot easier for long periods of time.

I wore a cycling jacket and a layer underneath which was too warm and made my torso way too hot for the rest of the two- hour ski. I wore no hat or gloves and was comfortable on my extremities. Interestingly enough, you can wear less clothing when you ski than when you ride a bike even though the two sports tend to require some of the same clothing layer weights.

We started from the southern parking lot which is not marked, but is about 20 feet north of the newly revamped gas station cum snack shack on the right side of the road as you travel north from Palisades, NY: Unfortunately the rest stop has been closed since early fall due to fumes from the old gas station overwhelming workers inside the small building.

Pic: A snow biker on the top of Piermont Overlook, Tallman Park

The park entrance is reachable both by automobile and by Coach USA bus service, either the 9A or the 9T which can be caught every hour each from either the 177th George Washington Bridge bus station or the 42nd St. Port Authority bus station. All you need to do is ask the driver to drop you at the intersection of Oak Tree Road and Route 9W and then walk the quarter mile north to the park entrance.

Since I have never tried taking skis on the bus, I would suggest skiers wrap theirs in garbage bags or other unidentifiable bags and wrappers so as not to be asked to use the bus company's expensive carrying boxes which are only available at the bus station on 42nd st--a huge inconvenience if you happen to be boarding the bus and the driver tells you to go four flights down to buy a box.

And so we started out: Five miles of packed snow, interspersed by pleasant conversation with other skiers, walkers, and dogs.

We saw big dogs, little dogs, medium dogs and all kinds of owners. A small girl who could not have been more than 10-years-old was holding onto a 200-lb dog who was pulling her in all directions. We even saw a guy mountain biking with fat tires on the snowy path.

Another couple was skiing with their Saint Bernard who was totally in his element, grinning and slobbering from ear to ear and stumbling playfully in the snow with his heavy body.

For the first time in a long time Ana Banana was able to do the entire 5-mile course that runs from the parking lot to the access road of the northern parking lot, and then up the hill to the Piermont Overlook (and back). This was probably due to the warmer weather. She also took to bathing in the snow, snurgling her nose into the wet, white drifts, then rubbing her whole body in them.

On the way out, Ana lost one of her red boots. Every person we ran into from then on mentioned she was missing a boot. One person even offered to help us find it. We saw it on the way back, a nice glossy little bootie in the middle of the track.

On the way back we decided to take one of the marked back paths that runs past the dried up waterways where ducks and other wildlife often converge in the spring and fall when they are filled with water. Other than avoiding some rocks and tree stumps, this was one of the highlights of the trip.

Afterwards we drove into Piermont, NY for a cup of tea and some conversation at Bunberry's which was one of two establishments open in town. While there we ran into many cycling friends including Jim Skelley, owner of Nyack Bicycle shop and Alyssa Rashish, long time rider and graphic artist. We also got a chance to read the New York Times (Ana only reads the sports section.)

Pic: the top of Tallman Park (Piermont Outlook)

Since we returned home, Ana has been sleeping like a log: she is even snoring now, dreaming of her big adventure in the snow-filled Tallman Park.

It was definitely a day of wonderful adventure. Maybe tomorrow we will tackle the Alpine Golf Course in Alpine, NJ!

Bike Lane Backlash, NJ Bike-Ped Webinar in 2011

2010-12-23T07:05:00.000-08:00

In the news today, a local author and blogger, JP Partland responds to an anti-bicycle editorial in the New York Times.

Pic: Police cars parked in bike lane in Hudson Heights this year (Benepe, (C))

He wrote, "A few cyclists running red lights are not a public menace. On the other hand, people driving 6,000-pound cars while talking on cellphones, speeding, running red lights, turning without signaling and so on are. Any meaningful crackdown on scofflaws should begin with getting car and truck drivers to obey traffic laws. "

But to add fire to the flames, that old curmudgeon, Norman Stiesel, (the one whom Mr. Benepe pointed out in his reporting two weeks ago on BBB, as someone who truly lacks vision,) cosigned his name to a letter that once again, made flaming claims that the new bike lane on Prospect Park West has created a three time increase in collisions between drivers and cyclists--a claim that he shows no accompanying data for.

In addition he states that there are not the numbers of cyclists the DOT predicts using the lane; DOH Mr. Stiesel, it's 25 degrees outside! And did you forget the old adage, 'build it and they will come?' What's more, in his lack of knowledge about cycling and traffic calming, Stiesel claims that with less room for cars and more room for cyclists, there will be more accidents. But he fails to recognize that with more cyclists there will be fewer cars, and cyclists take up less space. Once again, Stiesel got it all wrong.

We'll have to weigh in here on the New York Times editorial. For one, it's clear the writer has no idea what it is like to ride in New York City. Perhaps because they are too scared to. No wonder, three, four and five ton vehicles traveling well beyond the speed limit, barreling down the avenues with no care or consequence should they hit and kill or maim you.

Once again, the New York Times misses the point entirely. There is no way to insure cyclist safety without creating safe bike lanes, and cyclists WILL go on the sidewalks if the streets are not safe for them.

They cite Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer's mini-research study--showing, "741 instances of pedestrians blocking bike lanes; more than 275 vehicles blocking bike lanes, including a school bus and pedicabs; 331 cyclists going the wrong way; 237 cyclists running red lights; and 42 cyclists riding on sidewalks."

But they fail to point out the hundreds of thousands of trucks, cars and other heavy vehicles running red lights, speeding, making turns in front of cyclists, cutting them off, buzzing them, and sometimes purposely trying to hit them--an offense that is still very difficult to punish by law.

Pic: A real bike path in Bruges, Belgium. Photo, Katie Lambden, (c).

Let's start with the heavy hitters, and go from there, shall we? I propose a law that makes it a crime to hit a cyclist: Now it's just called an incident, in varying degrees, and criminal culpability is extremely difficult to obtain unless the driver is drunk--and tested for drunkenness on the spot, which rarely occurs unless there is a death.

Now wouldn't that be novel? Then we would see a lot fewer cyclists on the sidewalks, going the wrong way, or doing anything that they are doing to protect their bodies from death and dismemberment.

Pic: Exclusive bike lane in the Netherlands.

Also in the introduction to the Opinion Pages of the NYT, the writer implies that Mayor Koch's bike lane plans failed. Noted Steve Faust in a reply to the paper that although Koch's plan to demarcate the lanes with barriers failed, the painted lanes themselves still exist and were never removed. "Reports of bike lanes death were greatly exaggerated - to our propaganda loss," wrote Faust to ebikes, a private New York email exchange founded and run by Daniel Lieberman.

Faust's detailed explanation of what happened to the bike lanes during the Koch administration is worthy of note, since the mythology that they failed has superseded any mention that they survived.

Four Part Webinar Offered by Rutgers on Bike-Ped Planning

Also a four part Webinar series on community health and transportation planning was announced today by the Rutger's center in charge of helping transform New Jersey's complex cycling and pedestrian issues.

The series is sponsored by the American Public Health Association and will cover the many ways transportation systems impact public health, said a representative from the New Jersey Safe Routes to School Resource Center.

They will feature speakers from across the nation talking about state and local programs that consider health and equity in transportation planning, the health benefits of active transportation, health impact assessment tools, and innovative programs to prevent roadway deaths and injuries.

And if you register for any session, your registration is good for the whole series. To register, visit this link.

For more information contact the New Jersey Safe Routes to School Resource Center at the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, Rutgers University, 33 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, telephone: (732) 932-6812.

City Bike Lane Hearings Make Mockery of Cyclists

2010-12-13T09:36:00.000-08:00

By Barry Benepe and Jen Benepe

It wasn't just the hearings on bikes lanes in New York held Dec. 9 that made a mockery of cyclists. It was also the public officials elected to insure a fair process, and the "schmeadership" in Brooklyn that brought to mind the old fashioned thuggery of New York before the days of political reform.

It was as if the Old Tammany Hall had come back to life just like the nightmare of Scrooge's Christmas past in the form of borough president Marty Markowitz who thundered his way through the proceedings in opposition to bike lanes in Brooklyn. He sounded as if he were the sole voice of the borough, reported Barry Benepe. "He talks like a mob boss, and he wasn't interested in what anyone else thought."

Markowitz's disgraceful performance was followed up by an equally prejudiced portrayal against the only salvation for bicycle transportation in the city in an almost hour-long diatribe spouting unsupported "facts" by Norman Stiesel who calls himself an "eco" consultant and goes around tooting his title as "First Deputy Mayor", a title that has not been his for many, many years.

"The entire process appeared to be staged for the benefits of the loudmouths" Markowitz and Stiesel, said Benepe referring to the City Council's hearing on bicycle infrastructure in the city.

The pols' testimony and questioning of Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, including statements from city council members, took over two hours and after they were finished Chair Vacca gave only 2 minutes each to cyclists and other pedestrians to speak, who had come at 9 AM in the morning and waited until 2 PM to give their testimony. "Hurry up, you only have 2 more seconds," he barked to the hoi poloi, some who had waited for 7 hours for their chance to educate the city council members.

But those city council members who were elected by New Yorkers to listen to what we have to say started leaving soon after the pols had finished, leaving an empty dais for New Yorkers to talk to.

"The city council turned the process of a public hearing on its head by using it as a forum for their opinions to be heard rather than the opinions of the public, and the chair (Transportation Committee Chair and Councilman Vacca) was the worst of all by putting forth his opinions in the form of questions, what a lot of politicians do when they want to dominate the argument," said Benepe.

Transportation Committee Chair Vacca said that bicycle lanes create a "trade-off," crowding out motorists and parking spaces, a notion that has not been supported by fact, since no study has been done on the matter, at least to the knowledge of this reporter.

"Most of the [other] council members tried to pretend the issue was important, but didn't even seem to understand what bike lanes were, and they sounded equivocal about the whole thing," said Benepe.

Seventy-one people had signed up to speak, but only 45 people actually had the opportunity, with 42 of them in favor of bike lanes.

Pic: Ken Coughlin speaking a couple of years ago in Central Park

Besides Markowitz and Steisel, only three other people came to speak against bike lanes in the city, but many of our elected leaders only heard the negatives because they were gone when the positives started to roll in. It was unclear if a video camera in front of the speaker's spot was actually catching the testimonies, or worse, if any of the lawmakers who left would take the time to watch the video later.

The New Yorkers who spoke in favor of bike lanes "were so good it was pathetic how the city council abandoned the hearings," continued Benepe. "It was really discourteous and rude, and they were hostile [in their questions] to the Department of Transportation [Janette Sadik-Khan] as well."

Among the council members who were an exception were Gale Brewer (D- Dist. 6), Van Bramer (D-Dist. 26), Daniel Garodnick (D-Dist. 4), Brad Lander (D-Dist.39), and Letitia James (D-Dist. 35) . Council woman James stayed the longest and Vacca stayed to the end, probably because as chair, he had to.

"Letitia James was the only forthright supporter of bike lanes, clearly and without conditions," said Benepe. "She was a voice of sanity and she was considered in her comments."

Showing just how out of touch our leaders are from our needs, among the New Yorkers who did speak in favor of bike lanes was Nancy Gruskin whose husband was hit and killed by a cyclist. She wanted more care exercised by cyclists, and more order on the road. Then there was also a man who was hit by a truck when he was on his bicycle, a 13-year-old who spoke eloquently about the need for bike lanes, and a man who showed with photographs how he had lost 35 pounds by riding his bicycle to work.

Also among the pro bike lane speakers was Ken Coughlin who has long spearheaded the effort to reduce car use in Central Park on behalf of Transportation Alternatives.

Coughlin said that as a member of Community Board 7 in Manhattan he and his fellow board colleagues had asked the DOT to come up with a suitable bike lane along Columbus Avenue for their neighborhood on the upper west side.

More than 100 people from his hood voted in favor of the bike lanes, said Couglin, showing that it was "hardly a case of an imperial administration foisting bike lanes on a district with no community input," a comment directed at the oft-repeated notion that New Yorker's don't want bike lanes.

That mythology has been perpetrated by an handful of negative voices that by all appearances, do not represent the majority.

As much as those in favor talked about health benefits, Markowitz and Stiesel--and some members of the City Council--showed their antediluvian thinking by being against them. "I think it was very instructive that the two people who spoke against bike lanes were overweight," concluded Benepe.

Jessica Lappin (D-Dist. 5), representative of the upper east side said that she had heard "countless stories of people being hit and killed," by bicycles.

But none of the relatives of those dead pedestrians came to talk against bike lanes, possibly because there has only been 11 such reported deaths in New York City over a nine year period, and at least one of them not the direct result of the crash, such as the man who died of a heart attack after a bicycle delivery man crashed into him.

Conversely, an average of 250 to 300 people are killed in crashes every year in New York City, said Transportation Alternatives spokesperson Kim Martineau. Over a 9-year period that would amount to about 2,200 people killed by cars over the same time period while 11 pedestrians died as a result of crashes with cyclists.

In the four year period between 2005 and 2009, New York City experienced 1,467 traffic fatalities. During that time, annual fatalities went down by 20% from 321 in 2005 to 256 in 2009. But pedestrians accounted for half of traffic fatalities (52%), followed by motor vehicle occupants (29%), motorcyclists (11%), and bicyclists (7%), according to a study by the NYC Department of Health which was published this November. "While bicycle-on-pedestrian crashes are a concern, they are overall a small part of the problem; cars are mostly what kill pedestrians in NYC," concluded Martineau.

And it wasn't just our elected officials who made a mockery of the democratic process: the New York Daily News editorial staff --whose reporters left along with most media before the positive testimonies were heard, harped on the fact that a couple of questions from Vacca had stumped DOT commissioner Janette Sadik Khan, mainly the precise number of people who cycle on city streets every day.

"They wouldn't be able to count that anyway, it's too expensive" said Benepe. "The important part is not the number of people, it is the safety of people. Even if the number of cyclists is only one, you don't want them to be killed. You don't eliminate sidewalks because there is only one pedestrian on the block," he noted.

Still the backwards thinking of the Daily News editorial staff didn't sway other NYDN journalists who reported one day earlier that most Brooklynites are in favor of the new Prospect Park bike lanes according to a survey initiated by Councilmembers Brad Lander (D-Park Slope) and Steve Levin (D-Gowanus).

"Despite vocal complaints since the city installed the two-way bike lane in March, the survey found a solid majority want to keep the lane - with 54% opting to keep it as it is and 24% to keep it with some changes. Only 22% wanted to scrap it," r eported Daily News writer Erin Durkin.

About Barry Benepe:
Mr. Benepe is most well known for starting New York City's Greenmarkets, bringing fresh farm produce directly to consumers.
But he was also one of the founding members of Transportation Alternatives and had a direct hand in helping close Central Park to motor vehicles.
In 1966, one day after a defeat of the measure to close the park drives to cars on Sundays, Benepe and his colleagues at Transportation Alternatives laid down their bicycles in front of motorists to prevent them from entering.
Soon after the measure to ban cars one day a week--on Sundays-- was passed. That soon was increased to Saturdays, and then decades later, with the help of many new faces to TA, like Ken Coughlin and a city administration under Mayor Mike Bloomberg more receptive to alternative transit ideas, increased to most daylight hours during the week.
Benepe also took part in mass bike rides through the city every day that drew 5,000 cyclists at a time.
Among his fellow upstarts were Charles Komanoff, Charlie McCorkell, Steve Faust, Ken Coughlin and countless others who now form the backbone of the cycling movement in New York City.
Benepe is an AIA/ AIP in architecture and city planning and has spent a good deal of his life working on alternative transportation, traffic calming design, and other initiatives to improve life in towns and cities in the northeast U.S.

Memorial Services Held for NYCC Cyclist

2010-12-05T14:31:00.000-08:00

Services were held in Queens today for a member of the New York Cycle Club who was killed by a hit and run motorist on November 29.

Maxim Vickers was riding in Old Westbury, Ct., when he was struck by 20-year-old Priya Nanda, a Plainview college student, who after hitting the cyclist, didn't stop till she got to a Staples where she bought some supplies.

Vickers was pronounced dead at the Nassau University Medical Center at 6:12 pm.

The service celebrating the 59-year-old's life was held at the Mount Carmel Cemetery in Queens according to his younger brother Daniel Vickers, 51.

This is the third NYCC member to be killed by a motorist according to another member who posted to the club's online forum. The other two members were Steve Schuetze and Stan Oldak, said the poster.

Maxim was known to have cycled across parts of Europe, including England and Latvia, and completed Paris-Brest twice, a 1200-km ride that cyclists must complete in 90 hours from Paris to Brest, and then back again.

"Maxim was very active with the NYCC in the '80s and early '90s. Back then, he rode frequently with the 'A' riders, and was a regular at NYCC meetings and social events. In recent years, he preferred to ride alone," wrote Chris Mailing and Arlene Brimer in a joint message to NYCC members.

Vickers was hit from behind by Nanda who left the scene of the accident, but was tracked down by police in a Jericho Staples parking lot. A fragment from the mirror on her car that was damaged in the crash helped police identify the car and driver.

Nanda told police that "the guy on the bike . . . tried to cut me off," that she hit him, and that "I was nervous and kept driving," according to a report in Newsday by Matthew Chayes.

Nanda is charged with felony leaving the scene of a deadly accident. She was arraigned Tuesday at First District Court in Hempstead, and is free on $10,000 bond or $5,000 cash bail and due back in court Jan. 7, said the newspaper.

Cyclo-Cross Hits Long Island This Weekend

2010-11-17T10:59:00.000-08:00

Photos by Anthony Skorochoads (c)
For both days this weekend, cyclocross will come to Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, NY. Likened by its sponsors to "steeplechase on two wheels," competitors will use road racing bicycles outfitted with knobby tires, and in the tough spots--rises, steps and large indentations--competitors will have to get off, and run with their bikes on their shoulders.

Whitmore Landscaping's Super Cross Cup, or more familiarly known as Whitmore's, will take place over Saturday and Sunday with beginner to pro categories and --the race organizers say, accommodations for all ages (though somehow I doubt there will be age categories for 14 and under and 80 and over.)

The races make up the final two events of the Mid-Atlantic Cyclocross Cup series, attracting top regional and national-class racers as well as a few overseas professionals looking for series points, team cup standings, and cash prizes. Gavi Epstein of CRCA/ Foundation told BBB that he plans to compete in the event for at least one of the two days.

For the previous eight years, the Whitmore Landscaping Super Cross Cup was held in tony Southampton. But due to construction, a last-minute change of venue was necessary said race promoter Myles Romanow, adding, "the new course is high-speed [and] both difficult and spectator-friendly." Visitors are welcome.

The racing begins Saturday November 20th at 10am and runs through 4pm. Sunday's race program begins at 9 am and finishes at 3:30pm. There will be an announcer, music, and plenty of food and drink. One of the expected food vendors is the New York City-based Wafels& Dinges.

Myles Romanow, (631)287-2087
J .P. Partland , (212)316-1582

RELEVANT LINKS

Kissena Cycling Club website
with race info:
http://www.kissena.info

Registration page: http://www.bikereg.com/events/Register.asp?EventID=11907

Wikipedia on Cyclocross
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclo-cross

Active.com on cyclocross
http://www.active.com/mountainbiking/Articles/Cyclocross-101.htm

Videos showing cyclocross racing
http://www.crosstube.net/

Italian Police Raid Home of RadioShack's Yaroslav Popovych

2010-11-15T10:25:00.000-08:00

Police raided the Milan home of Lance Armstrong RadioShack teammate Yaroslav Popovych in search of performance enhancing drugs, according to Italian media.

The timing of the raid was notable as Ukrainian Popovych appeared in front of a grand jury in Los Angeles on Nov. 3 as part of an open investigation into doping in cycling.

Police and custom officials raided the house in Tuscany on Thursday and seized computers and mobile phones along with unspecified substances.

Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport reported that the search warrant was issued by public prosecutor Benedetto Roberti, who is leading several doping investigations in Italy.

Popovych has been working as a teammate of Armstrong's since their days at Discovery Channel, also riding alongside the seven-time tour winner on the Astana and RadioShack teams.

Popovych's lawyer Ken Miller told the Associated Press of the grand jury appearance but declined to give further details.

In recent weeks, the federal prosecutors have subpoenaed several of Armstrong's former teammates and associates including coach Allen Lim and Oakley representative Stephanie McIlvain.

As usual, no comment from Federal investigators about the investigation which is headed by Food and Drug Administration agent Jeff Novitzky.

Ironically in their coverage of the raid, ESPN displayed a very prominent ad featuring Lance Armstrong promoting FRS Healthy Energy , with a big title, "Tired of Being Tired?"

Yes, we are tired, tired of this investigation--no, witch hunt-- going after the most tested rider in the world (Armstrong), who has been tested at all times of the day, morning, noon and night, in all regions of the world, by surprise, at a moment's notice. There is no more testing done possibly in any other sport in the world than there is of pro cyclists, thanks to progressive action by the world cycling organization the UCI.

Despite rigorous, if not truly invasive testing of Armstrong (and hundreds of other pro cyclists who have made it), this is not the first time that a witch hunt has organized with such ferocity against Armstrong.

He's been dogged by doubters, naysayers, witch hunters, media hunters, and their ilk since he started winning the Tour de France the first time in the 1990's. What about Miguel Indurain? Eddy Merckx? What about opening investigations of them? It's never too late, you know. In fact, let's raid all the homes of all cyclists, in the world! That would be a real pay off! (Well it could yield some cheaters, but I think our point is made.)

And let's let all the professional ball players be--because you know, they are too busy with their billion dollar mansions, racing cars, illicit girlfriends and ecstasy parties to take performance enhancing drugs.

The 30-year-old Popovych turned professional in 2002 with the Landbouwkrediet-Colnago Team after becoming the first and only amateur to win the silver medal and then the gold medal in the U23 UCI World Road Race Championships in successive years (2000 and 2001), according to the RadioShack team site. Popovych has also raced professionally for Silence-Lotto.

KGS Bikes Takes on Frame Builder Passoni

2010-11-03T11:22:00.000-07:00

KGS Bikes, a custom bicycle design studio owned by Kevin Saunders, has announced that they are going to be the exclusive custom U.S. bicycle dealer for Passoni of Italy.

Saunders said he conducted research among people who worked in the cycling business in Italy and found that Passoni was "the Italian equivalent of Parlee in the U.S.," though Passoni uses titanium in the manufacture of their frames, and Parlee uses Carbon. "Passoni's quality and attention to detail are similar, and I feel confident at this level of bicycle that I am providing the best for the customer, " said Saunders.

KGS Bikes is now using Passoni, Parlee, Eriksen, Co-Motion and Zinn for their designed KGS bikes built to spec for premium customers. To make room for their new supplier, Saunders confirmed that the studio will no longer be specifying Formigli frames for their custom bicycles.

Two of KGS's most recent Passoni customers will be spending more than $25,000 each for their completed bike packages, and will use the bicycles to tour Italy. "The frame alone will be $10,000," said Saunders whose least expensive bike package rolls out the door for $7,000. Passoni's most expensive built bike was sold for 40,000 Euros (about $52,000) this year.

KGS Bikes specializes in the premium bicycle market, which attracts a very specific clientele. "The type of client who buys a $25 K bike has had success in life, is over 40 and would rather buy one bike and have it last 20 to 30 years rather than buy a new bike every few years," said Saunders.

Despite a world wide recession, many of the one percent of the world's wealthiest people have turned to bicycles as their new status toys, replacing the BMWs, Ferraris, and Lamborghinis of years past. A bicycle that costs more than most cars, but also establishes the rider as possessing a bike equivalent to a pro, takes status toys to a whole new level.

And then there's the Baby Boomer factor: "Once you get over 40, the value of your time while you are riding a bike exceeds the cost of the bike because your time is worth more," said Saunders. It's no secret that Baby Boomers make more money than other segments of the population because they are in their prime income earning years, and make up a greater percentage of the total world count. As they reach retirement age, their knees also give out, making cycling the preferred sport over stress-related exercise like running.

Saunders invested heavily to expand his reach during the recession and expects to sell 50 fully built bicycles, and 150 Frame-Ups--which includes the frame built to spec, and all the other parts that make the bike a custom fit including the headset, stem, handlebars, brake levers, saddle and seat post-- in the next year.

The clients picking up the new Passonis already have two Parlees at their home outside of the U.S., and will keep their Passonis at their U.S. home in Colorado.

Both Passoni and Parlee design bikes that will last 20 years when the rider is doing an average of 12,000 miles per year--for a total of 240,000 miles--a distance that most cyclists can only dream about.

Although the two clients--let's call them Frank and Judy--won't be doing 12,000 miles this year on either bicycle, they are demanding customers with a chauffeur who drives behind them when they ride so that they won't be mugged while in motion (they live in a country where the wealthy are often kidnapped and held for ransom.)

"They get on these things and ride the wheels of of them," said Saunders using a southern expression that doesn't mean the wheels actually come off.

The Passoni's frame geometry is perfect for the couple, both of whom have relatively short arms lengths for their body height, said Saunders. "Frank" was an active soccer athlete growing up and had a bad shoulder injury so he has to ride with a shorter reach because of his injury, he added.

The Balance Point Positioning System (TM) that Saunders developed over 20 years he says will give the rider a perfect position on the bike. He then draws the whole bike in Computer Assisted Design and sends it to the frame builder. "And that's the difference, that's what people are paying for," he said.

Saunders started a business in aviation manufacturing where he designed a clip-in medical transport system that was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration. Partly because of this experience and his long term experience with bicycles, Saunders believes he is able to determine what is well made and what isn't when visiting a bicycle frame builder.

Frank and Judy also convinced another couple who they are riding with in Italy, to purchase the same bicycle packages from Saunders.

Nelson Leaves Team Lipstick to Form NJ Venture

2010-10-25T12:15:00.000-07:00

Fifteen-year veteran women's cycling and fitness coach Emma Nelson has left Team Lipstick to start her own venture, Team WE of Women's Edge Sports, LLC.

The company is based in New Jersey and has been joined by a business partner Griff Long.

Nelson had been working with Team Lipstick's Laura Cozik who had become the local name and face for women's triathlete training in the New York and New Jersey area.

"It was originally my idea to start the program in New Jersey," said Nelson who had added the chapter to the Lipstick business. "But I wasn't able to provide the flexibility of programming and pricing to my athletes under the Lipstick program, so I decided to go out on my own," she noted.

Nelson, who started the new venture in September, also wanted to provide a more fully-rounded coaching program and a higher degree of autonomy for her coaches.

“It's less about racing, and more about health, fitness, balance, and camaraderie,” she said.

Although she is a previous elite road racer, Nelson has taken the racing requirement out of the equation so that cyclists, runners, and swimmers can work towards their goals, but race only if they want to.

Cozik's swim coach Lisa Picek has also left Lipstick for the position of aquatics director at Team WE, whose coaching team includes Andy Nelson, Nelson's husband, and Mara Miller, a two-time national road cycling champion.

Though Team Lipstick did not invent or even re-focus the attention on women’s training—19-time national cycling champion Betsy Davis was doing that back in the 1990’s long before Cozik had ever raced a triathlon, Cozik had rekindled a local interest on women’s racing by building a business around them.

She also attracted attention to her program by training CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta and six other people for a triahlon (they finished.)

“She has definitely tapped into something unique," said Nelson, "but it was a temporary monopoly, and competition is good for the customer.”

Tara Cioffi said she couldn’t even clip into the pedals when she originally starting working with Nelson to lose weight. Her original goal was “just to finish a triathlon,” she wrote in an email.

But since completing the Diamond Girl Triathlon on August 28 she has lost 10 pounds and adjusted her point of view. “Initially I went into training thinking that I don't have to go fast, I just have to “go.” But that philosophy has changed: I know I can finish, [and] now I want to finish faster,” she wrote.

No doubt about it, triathlon racing has had a growth spurt that defies the recession of the last two years.

Annual membership in the USA Triathlon group that governs triathlon racing has grown from 19,060 in 1999 to 100,674 in 2007. And women who made up 27 percent of all triathlete members in 1999, now make up 37 percent. Races, camps and clinics have also doubled from 1,541 in 2004 to 3,115 in 2009, according to the organization.

Participation in triathlons has grown to 1.2 million Americans taking part in at least one on-road triathlon in 2009, 51.4 percent greater than in 2007 (798,000), according to a May 2010 study by the Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association.

The greatest growth among members and participants have been among the 35-39 and 40-44 age groups—prime ages for expanding tummy and hip lines, areas that women generally complain about when most of their exercise might be walking from their car, to their job, to their car again, and hitting the sofa at night to watch a bit of television. Even New Yorkers in that age group see a rise in their tummy and butt lines that can be frustrating.

Team WE will now compete head on with Team Lipstick who says they are "New York City's largest and most successful all-female triathlon team,” according to their website.

The claim is hard to substantiate since Lipstick offers no explanation about how they arrived at it --no stats or race results are available to compare to other groups of racing women, though Lipstick’s "about us" page states that, "every one of our athletes had a strong finish line effort, with one placement on the podium."

The Century Road Club Association, the Five Borough Bike Club, the New York Cycle Club and several other New York-based racing and recreational bike clubs have many more female race members, often performing at high levels of competition, though those groups do not publish their statistics based on gender.

The focus on women is not new, though it is growing in importance. Other training camps, like Mike Fraysse Sports have been focusing on women since the 1970’s, and began focusing on triathlons in the last decade, said their president and previous head of the US Cycling Federation, Mike Fraysse. His camp has produced at least one Ironman winner, Barbara Buenahora, and Betsy Davis, once national elite coach for women, coaches for his triathlon camp in Argentina.

Nelson said she can also provide the right coaching attention to New Jersey residents because she lives there. Based on her contacts, several retailers including Park Ridge Cycle Sport, the Tenafly Bicycle Workshop, Albert's Westwood Cycle , and Strictly Bicycles in Fort Lee, NJ have offered support and discounts to her more than 20 team members.

Team WE is currently in the middle of their 10-week fall training program and winter training begins in December. Prices start at $200 for 10-12 weeks for weekly coaching sessions, to $1500 for five coached sessions per week for a full beginner triathlon program.

Still competition in the women’s triathlon market could be stiff. In 2009 Cozik’s image soared when she became the Athletic Director for the CNN Fit Nation Triathlon Challenge. It was quite a sprint up to the top for Cozik, whose only previous experience was 10 years as a competitive ballroom dancer and finishing in her first triathlon in 2008, according to her website. An email to Cozik for comment was not answered by press time.

If you were anywhere near Route 9W, a busy cyclist corridor from the George Washington Bridge, to Nyack, NY, you would see the team's ubiquitous orange, white, and black uniforms traveling north and south.

Nelson expects her team to be right up there with Team Lipstick, and perhaps to surpass it: "I am starting with New Jersey--who knows from there," she said. Watch out, guys!

Cancer Organizer in Hospital as Cyclists Ride

2010-10-11T18:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday about 50 cyclists took to the roads to raise money for cancer research while in strange twist of fate, the leader and organizer of the event lay in the hospital with a spinal injury that he sustained while riding the same route only a week ago.

Pic: the group before the send off: and a facsimile of a contribution to the cause. (c) Benepe.

Two other bicycle accidents occurred during the actual event on Sunday, though in both cases the cyclists were not seriously injured.

Kenneth Youner organized the Spokes of Hope ride that took riders some 40 miles through northern New Jersey and New York City on Sunday with a message to help fund research that will cure cancer.

Meanwhile Youner lay in the intensive care unit of Hackensack Hospital, the first stop along the cyclists' route, with a damaged spine that he sustained when he ran over a loose twig that lodged in his wheel and caused him to fall. The accident occurred at a spot that was along the same route to the hospital from Englewood.

BBB rode to the gathering spot at 8 am on Sunday, freezing practically to death bombing down Booth Avenue to Englewood Hospital in Englewood. Other cyclists stood shivering in the early morning cold that soon became a day filled with sunshine and good spirits.

A hospital dog listens carefully to the speech by Dr. Forte. (c) Benepe

Youner's wife Cecile died of cancer in November 2008, but even before her death, the couple had started the Cecile and Ken Youner Cancer Foundation to raise funds for cancer research.

In a brief interview with Ken before his accident last week, he told BBB that the group gives money to doctors whom he believes are on the breaking edge of cancer research.
Below: registering for the event.
One of those beneficiaries, Dr. Francis Forte, was present at the parking lot to send off cyclists. Forte said he was involved in research in the use of a vaccine that could eliminate cancer in 72 hours.

That vaccine has already been through a mice-efficacy phase, but was now ready to be tested on humans who have been diagnosed with incurable cancer, but are strong enough to withstand a new treatment.

Bill Kennedy and his wife Diana Kennedy of Udderly Smooth, one of the event's sponsors handed out Cliff bars and samples of their skin moisturizers outside their truck which had been painted white and black to look like a giant cow.

Assemblyman Gordon Johnson who came to give a send off to the cyclists said he supports the foundation because, "I feel cancer can be cured with the right funding." Johnson's mother had breast cancer at age of 94, and he gets himself checked every year, he noted.

Pic: Nate Morgenstern who led the ride (c) Benepe

Nate Morgenstern, a friend of Youner's who had mapped the ride led the group at a quick "B" pace along the back roads from Englewood to Hackensack, a ride made all the more safe and pleasant by the presence of Englewood Police Officer Ronald Kalomeris who sped to intersections ahead of the group to block traffic.

Kalomeris who is a bike instructor in the Englewood PD said he was a rider last year in the Spokes of Hope ride. As we passed through the intersections feeling safe and protected, cyclists called out their thanks to Kalomeris.

It was sheer joy to ride through those same intersections that I have driven in a car, and to learn how quickly and easily we reached Hackensack by bike. It pointed to the need, parenthetically, for safe bike lanes which at this time, do not exist on this route.

Dr. Forte speaks while Jason Youner, Youner's son, videotapes in the Englewood Hospital parking lot (c) Benepe.

We were greeted by the staff at Englewood hospital with water and more Cliff Bars. Dr. Michael Harris, head of the oncology unit for pediatrics and Dr. Anthony Mato, member of the Lymphoma Division were there to give a cancer pep talk. The doctors joined Morgenstern in a trip upstairs to the ICU to report the success of the ride to Youner.

Deb Gemmell had traveled all the way from Waterloo, Ontario Canada with her husband Jonathan Pearce to attend the ride. A breast and lymphodemia cancer survivor, Gemmell said she was here "to support Dr. Youner."

Gemmell and Pearce before the start of the ride (c) Benepe

Because of her cancer, Gemmell is unable to lean forward on a regular bike, and uses a recumbent bike with an electric assist motor mounted in the back for steep hills.

Also among us was 13-year-old Andrew Gates who rode his skateboard effusively and with great strokes of energy around and through the much older cyclists. "He's going to beat us there," said one.

As we turned back towards Englewood, and then Manhattan, cyclists joked that they were going to lasso themselves to the back of Gemmell's bike once we reached the steep and unrelenting hill that would take us from Englewood to Route 9W.

A few deer jumping across the road gave us some nice suburban competition. The group then took the George Washington Bridge across the Hudson River to the west side Greenway, and proceeded down to Mt. Sinai on the upper east side in Manhattan. After returning to Englewood, those who made a donation of $120 were treated to a kosher meal at the Youner household.

As of press time, still no word on whether Youner is still in intensive care, nor of his medium term prognosis.

More pics posted on Flickr.