Education through Creating Healthy Communities Program

Submitted by keith.webb on

We Are Traffic recently completed a project with the Lucas County Health Department through its' Creating Healthy Communities Program.

We held a Lunch N' Learn at Promedica Ebeid Institute on October 19th with an Educational Bike Ride the following day, with a goal of teaching participants "How to Ride Safely With Traffic". The classroom portion focused on law pertaining to bicyclists and motorist while the bike ride provided exposure to "real-world" examples of both good and bad infrastructure. We also introduced the GOHIO program that provides incentives for bicyclists and other who give up "single-occupancy vehicles".

The project also provided funding for new bike racks and a self-repair or "Fix-It" stand to be installed next to Promedica Market on the Green and Ebeid Institute.

There is a bike share station nearby that provides parking for bike share bikes. We hope to add bike racks near other stations to allow for routine bike parking for those who have their own ride! If you'd like to help as a volunteer or financially, please contact us!

New Bancroft Bike Lanes

Submitted by keith.webb on

Cyclists now have a new section of bike lanes on Bancroft Road near UT, between Secor and Parkside Blvd <Map>. Many thanks to the City of Toledo for including this section of Bancroft on the Toledo Bike Plan, and for including recommendation on the buffer design from We Are Traffic. We contacted the City of Toledo engineering department back in August of 2016 after a project review with the TMACOG Pedestiran & Bikeways Committee. The original design, a "Door Zone Bike Lane" or DZBL, would have placed cyclists in the path of opening car doors with the high potential of injury or death. We Are Traffic shared best practices used by other municipalities, including one that places a buffer between the bike lane and on-street parking. City engineers David Dysard and Gary Stookey were both receptive to incorporate the buffer between the on-street parking and bike lane.

Thank you City of Toledo!  Now let's complete the open segments on Bancroft to complete the corridor to Downtown Toledo!

 

Cycling Without Age Toledo

The Right To Wind In Your Hair

Donate to Cycling Without Age

Please consider making a donation to support this program! Thanks to our generous donors, we have our first bike and trailer, with hopes to add a second bike for next season. Donations are made to Maumee Valley Adventurers, a 501c3 non-profit (tax receipt available).

Cycling Without Age is a movement started in 2012 by Ole Kassow. Ole wanted to help the elderly get back on their bicycles, but he had to find a solution to their limited mobility. The answer was a trishaw and he started offering free bike rides to the local nursing home residents.

He then got in touch with a civil society consultant from the City of Copenhagen, Dorthe Pedersen (now Cycling Without Age), who was intrigued by the idea and together they bought the first 5 trishaws and launched Cycling Without Age, which has now spread to all corners of Denmark, and since 2015 to another 38 countries around the world.

We are working with Maumee Valley Adventurers and other local partners to bring this program to the greater Toledo area, for more information on how you can get involved, contact keith@WeAreTraffic.org

Dorr Street Bridge Closure over I-75

Submitted by keith.webb on

For commuters using Dorr Street, you'll have to take another route over I-75 for most of 2019. According to ODOT, the bridge just west of Washington Street is scheduled to be under reconstruction for ~300 days so we can expect completion around November 2019. The Nebraska Street bridge is an alternative for more southern transits. Otherwise take Collingwood Blvd over I-75 to make your way to/from Downtown Toledo!

Michigan’s Safe Passing Law Goes into Effect 9/27/18

Submitted by keith.webb on

Starting today, Thursday September 27, drivers must give a minimum of 3-feet of room while passing bicyclists on Michigan roadways. This new Public Act was passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and was signed into law by Governor Snyder on June, 29 2018.   

PA 279 of 2018 requires a motorist attempting to overtake a bicyclist traveling in the same direction to give at least three feet to the left of the bicyclist as they pass until they have safely passed the bicyclist. The motorist may drive to the left of the center of the highway to pass a bicyclist if it is safe to do so, regardless of if the vehicle is in a no-passing zone.

Working with our membership and in partnership with key organizational partners, LMB led the charge to enact this common-sense legislation aimed at improving bicycle safety for all. We would like to once again thank all of our members, donors, and partners for helping us make this happen.

Learn more about the new law and the excellent work of LMB:  <CLICK HERE>

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