The
Advocate
The Bicycle Alliance Advocates for Bicyclists and a Bicycle-Friendly Washington
The Bicycle Alliance’s Traffic
Signal Bill Becomes Law
During the last legislative session in Olympia, the Bicycle Alliance
lobbied hard for legislation addressing the issue of traffic control
systems not turning lights green for bicycles and motorcycles. We
succeeded with Senate Bill 5482 (Section 10).
The bill requires that vehicle traffic control systems be upgraded to
reliably detect both bikes and motorcycles. Districts must prioritize
upgrading on existing systems for which complaints were
submitted. They must also establish and publicize a procedure for
filing such complaints in writing or by e-mail, and must maintain
a record of them.
Now it’s up to us to let jurisdictions know when those two wheels
are not enough to turn the light green! While the detectors may
not get fixed immediately, due to tight budgets and limited
resources, citizen input is essential when budgets are being
prepared and expenditures need to be justified. In addition, our
feedback will help districts prioritize locations most in need of
adjustment.
Dave Janis, BAW Acting Executive Director, contacted several
jurisdictions around the state to find out how they are handling
the complaints. Here is a sampling of what he found:
• Seattle government has had a complaint system in place for
years and states the problem is typically fixed within 48 hours.
Have a complaint? E-mail it to traffic.signals@seattle.gov
• Richland will be publicizing the new law soon via their website
and possibly other means. If you have a complaint now, go to
the website www.ci.richland.wa.us and click “Submit a Service
Request.”
For state highways, contact the Washington State Department
of Transportation, identifying the specific location, either online
at wsdot.wa.gov/Contact/feedback.htm or in writing to: WSDOT
Customer Service, P. O. Box 47327, Olympia, WA 98504-7327
For city streets or county roads, contact the local municipality.
Again, please identify the specific location. These websites provide
contact information for local jurisdictions:
• Cities: mrsc.org/cityprofiles/citylist.aspx
• Counties: mrsc.org/byndmrsc/counties.aspx
Please share your experiences with us via email at
info@bicyclealliance.org.
SEPTEMBER 2009
Bikestation Improvements
Fuel Increased Usage
Improvements began immediately when early this year the
Bicycle Alliance took over management of the downtown Seattle
Bikestation, a 69-rack facility which had been largely underused
and littered with abandoned bikes. By the end of February,
Bikestation members received 24/7 access to the bathroom and
changing area, and 30 lockers were installed by mid-March. By
April, a repair stand and tools were made available to service plan
customers and—combined with
the existing vending machine
with emergency supplies, on-
site daytime mechanic and
cycling resource materials—this
completed the total support
package that bicycle commuters
now receive when they sign up
with Bikestation.
New customers began to sign
up immediately, and we have
since doubled the number
of registered Annual and Pay Per Use (PPU) plans. As of this
newsletter, 56 customers have signed up for a service plan. On
the average day, a couple of cyclists also take advantage of our
free short-term daytime parking. Countless others drop by for
mechanical assistance, bike maps and other cycling resources.
Mornings and evenings now bring Bikestation rush hours, and
several Bikestation customers have commented on the feeling of
community fostered among commuters using the facility to begin
or end their workday. One customer, Ryan Allen, comes by train
from Tacoma and then bicycles to his job at F5 on Elliott Avenue
West. Ryan appreciates the hybrid commute using public transit.
“Transferring to the in-city bus can sometimes take 40 minutes
waiting for the next connection. On a bike, I can make it to work
in a casual 15 minutes!”
When Ryan learned about Bikestation, he decided to become a
customer because Sound Transit only allows two to three bikes
per bus. On multiple occasions, he waited in the rain watching
buses go by with full bike racks.
“I needed a better solution, and Bikestation fit the bill. It's only
half a block from both the bus station and the train station. I get
a locker to hang my wet jacket, helmet, shoes and U-Lock,” said
Ryan. “Probably the best perk is the 24/7 access to the bathroom.
Taking care of business at 10 PM before those long bus rides to
Tacoma is essential!"
 The Advocate ( 2 ) September  2009

NEWS from around the state

400 Port Townsend Students
Receive Bicycle Skills Training
Wenatchee Bicycle Update
The City of Port Townsend and the Port Townsend School District
began a bicyclist education program for 5th through 8th graders
in October 2008. The city received a three-part Washington State The Greater Wenatchee Bicycle Advisory Board now has a
Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Pedestrian and Bicycle representative from the City of East Wenatchee. Councilmember
Safety Grant. The funding provided for a pedestrian-activated David Bremmer will attend Bike Board meetings on behalf of
pedestrian refuge crossing of SR 20, speed radar indicators at the his city.
middle school, and the bicycle skills program.
The George Sellars Bridge, which spans the Columbia River
David McCulloch and Sergeant Troy Surber, League of American between Wenatchee and East Wenatchee, is getting a facelift.
Bicyclist (LAB) Cycling Instructors, implemented the bicyclist Phase one improvements include the addition of a bicycle and
education program with the help of P.E. teachers—reaching pedestrian crossing.
nearly 400 students in 2008 and 2009. Students received on-bike
and in-classroom instruction in addition to bicycle helmets. The
grant was used to purchase 30 bikes, a 16 ft. cargo trailer, teaching Volunteer Spotlight: Eileen Hyatt
materials, and bicycle helmets. Five school teachers completed the
Nearly 20 years ago, Eileen Hyatt attended a Spokane outreach
LAB Smart Cycling 101 course in preparation for classes.
meeting organized by the Bicycle Alliance of Washington. She and
The class schedules varied in instruction and duration: 5th graders other local advocates were assured that they were not alone in
had eight 45-minute sessions; 6th graders had four 1.5-hour their quest for a better cycling environment. Eileen has been an
sessions; 7th graders had one 2-hr session; and 8th graders had active BAW member ever since.
two 1.5-hour sessions. Volunteers from Port Townsend Bicycle
Eileen’s volunteer service is impressive! She has served on the
Association, the city’s Non-Motorized Transportation Advisory
Legislative Committee, helped plan the Footprints & Bike Tracks
Board, and parents and teachers were each critical in helping this
conference, and attended Bicycle Advocacy Day in Olympia several
program reach the students of Port Townsend.
times. She currently sits on the BAW Education Committee and is
The City and School District are committed to continuing the a member of the Board of Directors.
program. Many students became aware of the rules of the road
Eileen’s proudest moment
for the first time as they developed their bike handling skills. The
as an advocate was bringing
school district, parents, and teachers all expressed appreciation
together David and Martha
for the program.
Jones and the Bicycle
Alliance. When the Jones’
son Cooper was hit and
Transitions killed in a sanctioned bike
race near Spokane, they
After 25 years with the City of Seattle Department of Transportation,
wanted to do something
Pete Lagerwey has retired and is opening a Seattle office for Toole
to improve safety for all
Design Group, a multi-modal transportation consulting firm. Pete,
bicyclists. Working with the
a founding member of the Bicycle Alliance, has been instrumental
BAW, the Jones family was
in making the Seattle such a bike-friendly city. Thanks for all you
instrumental in the 1998
have done, Pete!
passage of the Cooper
And welcome to Grant Wencel, the City of Spokane’s first Bike- Jones Bicycle-Pedestrian
Pedestrian Coordinator. Formerly a city planner in Redmond, Safety Education Act.
Oregon, Grant stepped into to the newly-created position in
The most fun Eileen has as an advocate is empowering others to
mid-June.
ride their bikes safely around Spokane. With encouragement and
assistance from the BAW, she launched the successful Spokane Bike
Buddy program. “Helping riders find the best available route and
Do you have bike-related news to share with other cycling learn good traffic techniques is the most fun a rabid bike advocate
advocates around Washington State? Submit your story to could have!” she laughs.
Louise McGrody at louisemc@bicyclealliance.org.
 September  2009 ( 3 ) The Bicycle Alliance of Washington

B i c y c l e P a r k i n g : Build It and They will Bike

by Every Day, BAW Commute Specialist
The Pacific Intermountain Parking & Transportation Associaton’s
(PIPTA) conference in July proved to be a consciousness raising
experience for me. Keynote speaker Dr. Donald Shoup, author of
The High Cost of Free Parking, opened my eyes to two things. First,
effective parking management can be a form of environmental
stewardship. Second, irrefutable research data—such as 32% of
traffic is caused by vehicles looking for parking, as cited in his
book—can give you political power. Dr. Shoup has three amazingly
simple ideas about reversing our parking “urban planning
disaster”: charge performance-based prices for curb parking;
reduce or eliminate off-street parking, and transform communities
through the curbside parking revenues generated within them.
My contribution to the debate was a Power Point presentation
on bicycle parking facilities entitled “Bicycle Parking: Build It and
They Will Bike.” It gave an overview of how increased availability
of bicycle parking, as well as other bicycle infrastructure, is
instrumental in getting citizens to bicycle.
I had always thought of Copenhagen as an ideal model for a bike-
centric transportation culture. I researched the parallels between
the transportation cultures in Europe and the USA, and discovered
that this perceived ‘Utopia’ was not always bike-centric, and in
fact, twenty years ago was very much like America in its cultural
dependence on the automobile. The single determining factor
in creating the type of bike-centric culture found in cities like
Copenhagen was a commitment from the government to change
transportation priorities towards Bike/Ped, and away from internal
combustion. Their master plans spelled out bicycle parking as
second only to bike paths in importance. The very few available
surveys I found documenting the perceived needs of American
cyclists affirmed that we would bike more if there were more
secure and safer places to park.
The PIPTA conference made me want to join in researching and
updating the data we have on bicyclists in America, and of course,
to use this information as a powerful tool to help the Bike Alliance
influence change in Washington.
Dav i d B y r ne : C i t i es , B i c y cles ,
an d the F u t u r e
o f G ett i ng A r o u n d
Most of us know David Byrne as the lead singer of the Talking
Heads, but he is also an avid urban cyclist and the author of the
soon-to-be-released book Bicycle Diaries. The book chronicles
Byrne’s experiences and perceptions as he cycles in some of the
densest urban environments in the world.
Byrne is taking his cycling evangelism on the road with a multi-
city tour which includes a September 28 appearance at Town Hall
in Seattle. He will be joined on stage by the Bicycle Alliance’s
Dave Janis and other local advocates and planners. The event
is sponsored by the Elliott Bay Book Company and Seattle Arts
& Lectures.
Tickets are $30 and available at brownpapertickets.com, 800/838-
3006, and at Elliott Bay Book Company. Ticket price includes a
pre-signed copy of Bicycle Diaries, to be obtained at entry on
September 28.

Share the Road license plates available at any vehicle licensing office or get a mail-in application at BicycleAlliance.org

WASHINGTO
N
YES!
BK

I would like to become a member of

the Bicycle Alliance of Washington

 $35 Individual Name

 $60 Family
Address
 $100 Patron
 $250 Sustaining City, State, Zip
 $500 Life
Phone
 $15 Student/Senior or Living Lightly
 Your preferred amount $ E-mail Send checks payable to:
Bicycle Alliance of Washington
 $150 Affiliate (clubs, businesses, organizations) Please charge my: PO Box 2904
 I am already a member – this is a renewal.  American Express  Visa  MasterCard Seattle, WA 98111
 I am interested in monthly giving. Card # Expires
The Bicycle Alliance occasionally
 I would like to volunteer.
Signature exchanges its mailing list with
 I would like to receive e-mail alerts. organizations involved in similar
 I would like information on commuting by bicycle.  My check is enclosed issues. If you DO NOT want to
 My gift will be matched by my employer: have your name exchanged,
Employer form included. please check here. 

Thank you! The Bicycle Alliance of Washington is a 501(c)(3) organization. Your donation is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
The Advocate ( 4 ) September  2009

Tour Wine Countries of the World…

in Tacoma!
17 th Annual Bicycle Alliance Auction
The Bicycle Alliance of Washington and Wildside
October 24, 2009
Wine invite you to a wine tasting benefit!
5:30–9:30 pm
Seattle Center Fisher Pavilion Saturday, Sept 12, 2009
Tickets: 5:00-7:00 pm
$75 each or a table of 10 for $750 Wildside Wine

Be PROAct ive! “The Room Next Door”

$70/$700 if purchased by September 30. 610 S Oxford in Tacoma
Use online ticket form, mail in your reservation, or call
Donna Govro at 206.224.9252 x300. $35 Admission benefits Bicycle Alliance of Washington

Space is limited—purchase in advance!

Make a donation to the auction using our online
RSVP to Louise McGrody at the BAW,
donation form at www.bicyclealliance.org/auction 206.224.9252 x303 or louisemc@bicyclealliance.org.
or call Louise McGrody at 206.224.9252 x303.

T hanks to our generous sponsors:
Vulcan  •  Boeing  •  John Duggan, Cycling Attorney
REI  •  Pike Brewing Company  •  Kat Marriner|Graphic Design
Bicycle Alliance Seeking New Board Members
Interested parties can make inquiries and applicants should email
BAWboard@bicyclealliance.org by September 30 to request a board
candidate application. Check our website for more details.

Non-Profit Org
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Seattle, WA
Permit No. 4826

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