T.A. StreetBeat

T.A. StreetBeat

July 1st, 2009

Council Member Liu is keeping bikes out of buildings. Take Action!

Articles and Actions

Bikes in Buildings Bill--Almost a Law

forward this e-mail to a friend

Events and Alerts

5th Annual T.A. Summer Benefit
Biking Rules PSA Contest
East Side Committee Meeting
BRT Online Survey
Calling All Jackson Heights Advocates!
Manhattan CB 7 to Talk Protected Bicycle Lanes on the UWS
Volunteer at the NYC Century

T.A. in the News

"T.A. is the workhorse of the everything-but-cars lobby, which means it supports bicycling, walking, public transit, and all the changes needed to make those activities less dangerous and more efficient. A better membership is hard to come by."

-Paul Caine in The Onion's Decider, 6/22

Bikes in Buildings Bill--Almost a Law

Council Member John Liu at a Bikes in Buildings rally.

It looks like John Liu is flip-flopping on the Bike Access to Buildings bill.

When T.A. started this most recent campaign for bicycle access to commercial buildings, Council Member Liu stood with us on the steps of City Hall. He spoke at our rally and welcomed the groundbreaking Intro. 871 into his Transportation Committee. Now, after two favorable hearings, something has changed.

On July 1st, the New York City Council was expected to pass the Bicycle Access to Buildings bill by an overwhelming majority, opening the door to thousands of would-be bike commuters by dealing with the number one deterrent to riding: fear of theft. After three years, things looked to be lined up for the bill to pass through Liu's Transportation Committee to a resounding 'yes' on the Council floor. But, that clearly didn't happen. To make a long, confusing story short, Liu has now decided that the Bicycle Access to Buildings bill may not belong in his committee at all, despite the previous eight months of work by his transportation committee staff, involving extensive discussions with the DOT, DOB, Mayor's Office, REBNY and community advocates. This development will, at best, push back a full vote on the legislation to the city Council's July stated meeting. Why the sudden change of heart?

John Liu, City Council Transportation Committee Chair and 2010 Comptroller Candidate, needs to hear from you that he should pass the Bicycle Access to Buildings bill.

5th Annual T.A. Summer Benefit

Transportation Alternatives cordially invites you to celebrate a year of remarkable victories for biking, walking and public transit! More than just a great party, T.A.'s Summer Benefit is our biggest annual gathering of the all-stars of livable streets advocacy.

Our keynote speaker will be Nobel Laureate Dr. Harold Varmus, president of the Sloan-Kettering Memorial Cancer Center, and co-chair of the Council of Advisors on Science and Technology in the Obama Administration. Hailed by GQ magazine as a "rock star of science," Dr. Varmus is a daily bike commuter and a member of T.A.'s Advisory Committee.

This year we honor Noah Budnick with the David Gurin Award for Improving Biking and Walking in New York City and present the Prospect Park Youth Advocates with the Award for Best Advocacy Campaign.

Tickets are going fast! Please RSVP to reserve your seat.

T.A. Summer Benefit
Tuesday July 21st
6:30 pm
Brooklyn Brewery
79 North 11th Street
Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Biking Rules PSA Contest

Do you have what it takes to make a PSA for safer streets? Biking Rules, the website with a new street code for NYC cyclists, is holding a contest to see who can make a public service announcement that will win hearts, minds and smiles. For contest details and submission information, visit BikingRules.org/PSA.

East Side Committee Meeting

T.A. has kicked off an exciting new campaign focused on winning better biking, walking and transit on the East Side of Manhattan. Join us for our next East Side Volunteer Committee meeting, when we will discuss our finalized petition for safer streets on Manhattan's East Side, develop our outreach plan and set some more concrete goals for the rest of the year.

East Side Committee Meeting
Tuesday, July 7th
6:30-8 pm
The Puck Building
295 Lafayette, 2nd Floor (just south of Houston)
Manhattan

BRT Online Survey

BRT for NYC?

Throughout May and June, the New York City Department of Transportation and MTA New York City Transit held seven public workshops on the future of Bus Rapid Transit in New York City. To continue this public dialogue, DOT and NYCT have developed an online survey that enables citizens and interested groups to provide additional input on New York City's transit needs and on potential future BRT services.

Click here to access the survey.

Calling All Jackson Heights Advocates!

Speak up for safer streets, better bike lanes and sustainable transportation in Jackson Heights.

Speak up for safer streets, better bike lanes and sustainable transportation in Jackson Heights at DOT's community transportation workshop. This workshop is part of a neighborhood-wide study on transportation and pedestrian safety and will help the agency create a long-term plan.

NYC DOT's Jackson Heights Transportation Workshop
Thursday, July 16th
6:30-8:30 pm
White Castle Headquarters
69-01 34th Avenue
Queens

Manhattan CB 7 to Talk Protected Bicycle Lanes on the UWS

After many months of outreach and advocacy, members of the UWS Streets Renaissance Campaign will discuss the benefits of bringing protected bike lanes to the neighborhood with the CB7 Transportation Committee. Please email Lisa Sladkus at lisa@transalt.org if you would like to attend--every voice counts.

Manhattan Community Board 7 Meeting
Tuesday, July 14th
7 pm
250 West 87th Street
Manhattan

Volunteer at the NYC Century

Volunteers are there to help.

Are you friendly? Can you balance well on your bike while keeping an eye on traffic and talking to fellow riders? Can you whip out PB&J sandwiches in the blink of an eye? Are you curious about what it's like to wear a reflective vest?

If you considered answering "yes" to any of those questions, then you've got to sign up as a volunteer for this year's NYC Century Bike Tour! It's the 20th Anniversary--the perfect year to celebrate your history of volunteering, or the best time time to jump in and help out for the first time.

Please check out all the different ways that volunteers help keep this all-urban century ride rolling and choose the one that best suits you. If you have questions about volunteering, don't hesitate to call Elena at 212-629-8080 or email volunteer@transalt.org.

We'll have a marshal training session and some rest stop pow-wows as the tour approaches, so you'll be well-equipped for the big day. Now's the perfect time to join our growing group of bike tour volunteers as we take T.A.'s advocacy to the streets and help spread positivity and safety throughout the boroughs.