Bike Pittsburgh Message Board » Bike Advocacy and Safety » Comments, Ideas, and Action Alerts » Wed, June 16: Join the celebration of our Bronze Bike-Friendly Status with Mayor

Wed, June 16: Join the celebration of our Bronze Bike-Friendly Status with Mayor

12Started 2 months ago by erok                56 posts            Latest reply from rsprake               

  1. erok

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    Posted 2 months ago

    Hey everybody, please make it to this, take a lunch break and whathaveyou.

    It's real important that we have numbers at this to show that this important for the city and to constituents. It's a pretty big deal that the League is actually coming to town to present this, so let's be sure to welcome them too!

    The East End Food Coop will be providing some food for this too, for all of you that will be spending your lunch break with us.
    -----------------------
    Join us on Wednesday, June 16 to support cycling in Pittsburgh

    The League of American Cyclists is coming to town to present Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and the Pittsburgh cycling community with our “Bronze” bike friendly community award.

    From the Mayor’s office: “Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and community leaders invite you to save the date and celebrate this monumental designation as we chart the course for further bike-friendly improvements that will make our City even more livable.”

    Please join us to show our broad support for a bike-friendly Pittsburgh as we move toward “Gold” and beyond! We need to show that this is important not only for Pittsburgh, but for Pittsburghers! Make sure to be there so that the next time the League visits, you can look back and see where we came from.

    * Where: City/County Building Portico, 414 Grant St., Pittsburgh, PA 15219
    * When: 12:00 noon, Wed., June 16

    CLICK HERE for the blog post

  2. joeframbach

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    Posted 2 months ago

    Wed, June 16: Join the celebration of our Bronze Bike-Friendly Status despite Mayor

  3. erok

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    Posted 2 months ago

    i like the forward thinking language from the mayor's office. it's our job to make them stick to it

  4. erok

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    Posted 2 months ago

    forward as in "let's not just pat our selves on the back and say that the job is done"

  5. bikeygirl

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    Posted 2 months ago

    Coolness! Just 3 blocks away for me! I'll be there!

  6. rsprake

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    Posted 2 months ago

    Just sent an email to quizbot, cburch and two others who bike to our office that we should go together. At the very least I will be there.

  7. sloaps

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    Posted 2 months ago

    Murphy, for all his faults, was forward thinking. Urban hiking, biking, walking trails? Hot Metal Bridge? Brownfield remediation? Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy?

    Our current Mayor has plenty of initiatives to take credit for that Murphy started - for better or for worse... Always have to leave that hindsight 20/20 caveat.

  8. erok

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    Posted 2 months ago

    murphy def deserves credit, no doubt. he also straight up said to us that he doesn't like bikes on the roads, a pretty clear difference from Luke's approach of publicly and consistently supporting bikes on the road.

  9. erok

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    Posted 2 months ago

    and i'm not commenting on o'connor

  10. Mick

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    Posted 2 months ago

    Food provided? I am SOOO there!

  11. CPollack

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    Posted 2 months ago

    Possible bike ride after if there is enough people attending? Downtown will be a bit chaotic as it always is, but if i can leave work from Noon on, then i'm all for it!

  12. quizbot

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    Posted 2 months ago

    Cars and bikes share the road and must coexist. We will not tolerate violence or rage against cyclists or pedestrians.

    That was SF Mayor Gavin Newsom's statement after a rager took out 4 cyclists on June 2nd. Moving forward, it would be great to see Luke stand behind something similar. Go for the Gold!

  13. cburch

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    Posted 2 months ago

    yeah im in.

  14. stefb

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    Posted 2 months ago

    i will try to make it if i can get out of work for a lunch. doubtful though

  15. Kayla

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    Posted 2 months ago

    I'll be there, I'm down for a ride afterwards as well.

  16. edmonds59

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    Posted 2 months ago

    I'm almost hesitant to post this, but if I don't at least ask, I'll kick myself. I don't want to detract from the occasion, this is a notable achievement, but would it be inappropriate to wear a subtle and respectful black armband to the thing to remember those who haven't made it here with us? And the work that is left to be done? No commotion, just a reminder.
    Scott and Erok, this is kind of your day, I will totally respect your thoughts on this.

  17. StuInMcCandless

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    Posted 2 months ago

    I sure would like to hear an elected official committing to quintuple the number of bicycle parking facilities (i.e., racks) in the various city business districts, within a year or two.

  18. nottheocean

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    Posted 2 months ago

    I'm there.

  19. JZ

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    Posted 2 months ago

    How long is the ceremony? I can't take much time in the middle of the day, particularly factoring in travel time to/from, but I'd like to show support.

  20. ieverhart

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    Posted 2 months ago

    @JZ: I don't know for sure how long it will be, but I'd guess under half an hour. Probably closer to fifteen minutes.

  21. salty

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    Posted 2 months ago

    I'll be there unless the weather fails to cooperate - anyone else riding in from Oakland/Shadyside?

  22. erok

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    Posted 2 months ago

    I'd say it'll be about a half hour, like ian said. apparently, they will be ceremoniously replacing the crappy bike rack in the portico with a good one too.

    also @edmonds. i'd say roll with it if you're feeling it. you don't seem to be going with hijacking the event in mind, and i appreciate that. i think that it's important to recognize that this crap still happens.

    i'd say if you end up talking to the media, try to have your "soundbite" ready beforehand - and make sure to stick to it. you seem reasoned enough to come up with something articulate

  23. Swalfoort

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    Posted 2 months ago

    I'll be there. I am just finishing up a rough guide to bicycle parking downtown. Based on a few field surveys completed last week only about 55 percent of all public rack space downtown is being utilized. While many racks are at 100 percent occupancy, or greater, many racks had no bicycles at all. I'll be sure to have our rough guide available at the event tomorrow. I am putting it together to demonstrate the need for more, better and safer parking downtown.

  24. edmonds59

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    Posted 2 months ago

    erok, cool. I do not intend at all to seek any media, but if anyone asks, I'll say it's a wonderful occasion of recognition for the city, but I want to remember Donald Parker, Melissa Mazur, Joseph Geary, Ruihui Lin, and others who can't be there. I just don't want anyone to forget. Lots of work to be done.

  25. salty

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    Posted 2 months ago

    If anyone wants to ride from Oakland, I'm meeting ieverhart at 11:35 in front of the church on 5th and Craig. We're planning to take 5th.

  26. rsprake

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    Posted 2 months ago

    Leaving from the strip tentatively around 11:30 from 29th and Liberty.

  27. Kayla

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    Posted 2 months ago

    @salty--unless the weather is bad (read: rain okay, storming not ok), i'll meet at the church too.

  28. cburch

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    Posted 2 months ago

    dammit, i have been scheduled for a meeting from 11:30-12:30. hopefully it gets moved, if not i guess i will have to miss this too...

  29. dwillen

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    Posted 2 months ago

    salty, ieverhart, kayla:

    Depending on how work is going, I might join you guys.

  30. Noah Mustion

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    Posted 2 months ago

    I'll probably join. I get 45 minutes for lunch so I hope I can nosh too.

  31. rsprake

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    Posted 2 months ago

    Where exactly is this? Is it outside?

  32. erok

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    Posted 2 months ago

    in the city/county portico, so it's outside, but covered

  33. salty

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    Posted 2 months ago

    @kayla, @dwillen - cool, at the moment I'm still planning to go but if it's pouring I may wuss out. I'll try to get to the church at 11:30, I'm wearing a blue bike-pgh t-shirt (and maybe a yellow rain jacket)

  34. rachel_ding

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    Posted 2 months ago

    i'm going, rain or shine!

  35. joeframbach

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    Posted 2 months ago

    I'll be there too. I lost my bike lock key, so hopefully I won't have to lock it somewhere.

  36. Marko82

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    Posted 2 months ago

    I'll be there.

  37. bikeygirl

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    Posted 2 months ago

    This is so close to me I'm just walking.... don't hate me 'cause of it!

    ps: no rain clouds in sight!

  38. edmonds59

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    Posted 2 months ago

    Ha ha, yeah, I bused today. Don't hate.

  39. rsprake

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    Posted 2 months ago

    I was interviewed by Vince Sims right after the event about the bronze status and the recent violence. If it airs I hope I don't sound like an idiot.

  40. Noah Mustion

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    Posted 2 months ago

    Mmm. Apples and Clif bars.

    Big props to Scott for mentioning the East End violence during his speech, on camera. Seriously, THANK YOU.

  41. rachel_ding

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    Posted 2 months ago

    Anyone have any links to news videos about this? My boss just texted me 'cause she saw some of us standing behind Scott while he was being interviewed by Channel 4... can't find any videos yet, though.

  42. ieverhart

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    Posted 2 months ago

    KDKA has this video: http://kdka.com/video/?id=73410@kdka.dayport.com

    I, uh, feature.

    WPXI also covers the events: http://www.wpxi.com/news/23924865/detail.html

    In other news, don't ride the double yellow and then pepper spray someone when he calls you out on it: http://www.wpxi.com/news/23924713/detail.html

  43. lolly

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    Posted 2 months ago

    Carrying celebratory balloons on my rack seemed like a good idea until the wind started blowing. Never again.

  44. rachel_ding

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    Posted 2 months ago

    I'm bummed that the WPXI video very heavily overshadowed how cool of an achievement this is by talking mostly about the attacks... I expected them to do this a bit, but I wish they had reported better about how far we've come in improvements.

    The KDKA video is better, for sure...

  45. erok

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    Posted 2 months ago

    i like the "Bike Pittsburgh officials say...."

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