NCBC meeting notes - April '98

recorded by Tim Hunter

The April meeting was held, as usual, at the REI in Crossroads shopping center in Cary. 11 people attended. Club president Henri Bohl presided.

Bob Harper speaks on cycling activism

Henri introduced Bob Harper of the Triangle Greenways Council. Mr. Harper spoke on the work being done by the council and advised the attending club members on how to be politically active cyclists.

Greenways to stretch across Raleigh

Mr. Harper explained that greenways are usually constructed by developers in return for getting permits from the city. Typically these greenways aren't connected to each other, though. The mission of the Triangle Greenways Council is to convince the Triangle city governments to connect the greenways together. If this plan is executed, the connected greenways will stretch from Highway 64 to Umstead Park, said Harper. Several members protested that greenways are usually too crowded with walkers, strollers, and other users to be good for cycling. Mr. Harper said that, to the council, user-conflict issues such as this are success stories because it means that the greenways are being heavily used.

Triangle Transit Authority supports bikes

Harper noted that TTA buses currently have bike racks. The planned light rail service from Durham to Raleigh will include bike racks on the trains. The plan is to establish train stops at greenway crossings so that cyclists can ride on the greenways to get to and from the train.

Bicycle dealers unite

Harper is also working to get Triangle bicycle dealers to join the Capitol Area Bicycle Dealers Association. He pointed out that the dealers form a significant political group when united. However, Harper said, it is very difficult to get the dealers to work together because they are all suspicious of each other. He recommended that club members encourage the bike dealers to join CABDA when we visit. The chairman of CABDA is an NCBC club past-president, Gilbert Anderson.

Political advice

Harper said that talking to politicians face-to-face was the most effective, as are phone calls. He said we should simply "tell them what we want." He recommended taking photographs of both good - wide bike lanes - and bad - narrow or crowded shoulders - situations and showing the photographs to the politicians. He handed out a flyer showing the names and phone numbers of all the Raleigh City Council members and the Wake County Commissioners.

Other business

Henri noted that the club's new trailer had arrived and would be used at the upcoming Spring Rally.

Club webmaster and Spring Rally directory David Cole reported on the status of the Spring Rally, scheduled for April 19.

Vice-president Carol Schroeder said that she is working on a calendar of meeting topics and asked for input, ideas, and possible speakers. She said that she was considering as topics roadside maintenance, the politics of bicycling, and improving your physical performance.

Ex-club president Sheila Miller said that she was unable to find the meeting announcement in the April newsletter and asked that it be made more prominent. The attending members discussed surveying the membership for ideas and suggestions on improving meeting attendance. Carol agreed to produce a survey to be published in the newsletter.

Page maintained by David L. Cole and last revised on Friday, May 1, 1998.
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