Here's a letter that we want you to use as a greenprint for your community re: better
roadways. Contact the person identfied on the list of local contacts we gave you, get a
list of road projects scheduled in your town, and cut and paste relative information. You
can say "and the CT Bicycle Coalition is offering itself as an advisor, etc., as set
forth in the following letter. Then we roll out the Second Great Movement for Better
American Roads in your town. We hope, no, expect to hear from you soon.
Ride On, georgette
April 30,1999
Mr. Arthur Miller
Director, DPW
City of Hartford
525 Main St.
Hartford, CT 06105
Dear Arthur,
This letter is written concerning road recontruction projects to be financed
under the City's $10 million bond passed last November. Several of the streets identified
for reconstruction are located along the historic Hartford Parks Bike Tour route, and/or
have been identified by the City Planning Department as commuter bikeways. Please let me
know if you have not yet received the colorized maps of these routes from Planning.
The roads authorized under the bond package and other sources with which we are
immediately concernd include Granby, Sigourney, Zion, and Park Sts; and Newington Avenue.
We ask you to please consider the bicycle touring and commuting roads networks as
represented on Planning's maps on an ongoing basis.
The perfect time, from an engineering and economical persepective, to make road
improvements for bicycle transportation is when road reconstruction is already planned and
financed. Connecticut Bicycle Coalition is offering itself at this opportune time as an
advisor to help the Department improve our roads for all types of users.
We believe the objectives of increasing bicycle transportation, whether it be
for commuting to work or school or to run errands, rolls over advancing other public
health, safety, and well-fare objectives. Unforunately, too often newly paved roads roll
over those objectives, encouraging yet more cars to travel faster in wider lanes. Some
simple design considerations, including but not limited to installation of asphalt lip
curbing "bike tire friendly" storm grates vehicular travel lanes striped to
posted speed limits (10.5 ft. for 30mph/AAHSTO) "Share the Road" signage each
and together create a de facto "bike facility" without any like or special
designation or additional maintenance requirements.
Quadruple the Engineering effort - with Enforcement of existing traffic law,
Education of the general public, Encouragement by the three sectors to increase biking,
and Expanding the economy of local bicycle enterprise - and Hartford will be poised to
reclaim its identity as a bicycle cultured community. Colonel Albert A. Pope, our
compatriot from Boston not only is the "father of the American Bicycle
Industry," he also is the founder of the Great Movement for better American Roads.
Ironic that it was cyclists who were the first advocates for pavement. We are eager to
work with you and DPW to set in motion the Second Great Movement for Better American
Roads.
I look forward to your response. Thank you very much. Best regards.
Sincerely,
Georgette Yaindl
Executive Director
cc:/
City Councilman Lou Watkins
City Councilman Eugenio Caro
City Manager Saundra Kee Borges
HPD Chief Joe Croughwell
City Transportation Director Bhupen Patel
City PLanner Gerry Maine
Chair, CRCOG Bike Subcommittee Anita Mielert
CRCOG transportation Planner Tom Maziarz
