BikeAllentown Ride to Emmaus Farmers’ Market, 10/10 at 10am

This Sunday, BikeAllentown is organizing a bike ride from Cedar Creek Park in Allentown to the Emmaus Farmers’ Market. With October already here, time is running out to go check out one of the best farmers’ markets in the Lehigh Valley — so get out there if you can.

The ride will be an easy-paced, 6-miler each way, and it will go through the parkway and side streets. There will be plenty of time to walk around the market and to shop before heading back.

When: October 10th, 10:00 AM.
Where: Cedar Creek Park, at the swimming pool parking lot, just off of Ott St. (9:45 ride start at Seegers Union for Muhlenberg students).

Reminder: Please bring along a basket, backpack or trailer to carry produce and goods from the market. Also remember to bring a lock.

Strawberries at Emmaus Farmers' Market

Questions? See the flyer and contact John Sharpe at bikeallentown@gmail.com.

PA Guilty of Supporting Cuts in Bike/Pedestrian Funding

This story is going around the smart growth blogosphere today and it’s making me realize just how much work we all have left in Pennsylvania. Angie Schmitt of Streetsblog reports:

Last week, Tanya reported that many states have disproportionately raided their bicycle and pedestrian funds to pay for $2.2 billion rescinded by the feds.

Today the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia brings us an example of two guilty states. New Jersey and Pennsylvania hewed to the tendency among state DOTs to target Transportation Enhancements funds, which support active transportation investments, for cuts.

The Bicycle Coalition is encouraging readers to send a letter to their governor protesting states’ low prioritization of pedestrians and cyclists. To see if your governor should be hearing from you, check out this guide from the Rails to Trails Conservancy.

Please contact Gov. Rendell today, as well as your local legislators, to let them know how you feel about cuts in bicycle and pedestrian transportation funding. Our transportation network should be all-inclusive and should provide choice for all people. Cutting funding for bike/pedestrian transportation projects only perpetuates a car-dependent culture.

The Culture of Physical Activity

Why are Colorado’s residents less likely to be obese than residents of other states? It might be the culture of physical activity. So states a recent New York Times article on the topic of rising obesity rates.

But why is there such a strong culture there? It could have something to do with the prevalence of bike and walk paths — which provide one disincentive to get out of the car. Less reliance on a car provides more opportunity to move. This claim is further buttressed by the fact that Washington, DC also has low obesity rates and a good portion of the District’s residents rely on public transportation to commute.

So what can be said for Pennsylvania? Perhaps we should invest more money into our public transportation system. It seems that the public needs incentives to become active — and more effective transportation planning can provide those incentives.

To learn more about RenewLV’s work on transportation, visit our Sustainable Transportation Initiative page.

reminder: RenewLV Brown-Bag Session on Bicycling in the Lehigh Valley, Tomorrow

RenewLV’s next brown-bag session will be held TOMORROW, Friday, May 21st, 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. in the Community Room of Allentown Center Square, 15 North 7th Street, Allentown (entrance faces corner of 7th St and Hamilton St). The topic for this brown-bag session is Bicycling in the Lehigh Valley. Leaders from regional and state bicycling groups will discuss the opportunities and challenges that face the bicycling community in the Lehigh Valley. The session will include brief presentations from panelists, followed by plenty of time for discussion.

Our panel for this session is:

• Steve Schmitt, Coalition for Appropriate Transportation (CAT)
• John Schubert, Pennsylvania Pedalcycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee
• John Sharpe, Bike Allentown

I hope you’ll bring a lunch (perhaps from one of the downtown dining establishments) and join us this Friday. RenewLV will be recording this session and making it available to listen on our website. Check out past brown-bag session recordings on RenewLV’s Multimedia page.

If you would like additional information, or have any questions about the event, feel free to contact Beata Bujalska at bbujalska@renewlv.org or 484-893-1062.