Last week The Damion Alexander Team shared thousands of photos from various rides and events around Tucson. To see the photos, Look at “The Damion Alexander Team” on facebook and please like it while you are there.
This list is a major time commitment and it is my pleasure to put it together. All I ask in return for the list is that you remember I’m A REALTOR. If you have a relationship with another REALTOR, I love loyalty and respect those relationships. However, if not, or if you need a second opinion, Please keep me in mind. Many agents spend money advertising for new business, some door knock and others cold call. My business is based on referrals from past clients and friends. The less time I have to do traditional prospecting the more I can do for the clients and friends you refer my team AND for the cycling community. For example: This list.
Ride from Pines to Spines off the northwest side of Mt. Lemmon.
Mt Lemmon
Sunday
Nov 30
3:00PM
5:30PM
22 miles and features 21 creek crossings, roughly 6000 ft. of descent and 1000 ft. of climb. Serious backcountry trail for half the ride so hiking will be expected.
Starting Dec.1st 12:01am through Dec. 7th 11:59pm we will be holding our first of many STRAVA challenges. Strava is an app/website that tracks your rides through GPS. We are challenging you to ride 175 miles (282 km) or more during the first week of December. Mileage will be tracked through the Ordinary Bikes Strava Club, so make sure to sign up on Strava.com and join our Strava club if you haven’t already.
Race Around the Farm
Sat Dec 6
1663 E Baseline RD
Gilbert, AZ
Matt DeMicco
mdemicco@cox.net
Dawn to Dusk an endurance mountain bike event
16 mile loop. Space is limited to 125 SOLO riders, 100 TWO-Person, 50 FOUR-Person and 10 CORPORATE entries
Sat Dec 6
16300 McDowell Mountain Park Dr.
Fountain Hills, AZ
Pemberton Trail
http://www.dcbaz.com/
Triple C CX
Sat/Sun
Dec 13-14
4600 N Silverbell Rd
Tucson, AZ
University of Arizona
Joseph Iuliano
jiuliano88@gmail.com
AZ Cross Series Finals
It’s mud, it’s dirt, it’s grass, it’s pavement, it’s on the bike off the bike
This list is a major time commitment and it is my pleasure to put it together. All I ask in return for the list is that you remember I’m A REALTOR. If you have a relationship with another REALTOR, I love loyalty and respect those relationships. However, if not, or if you need a second opinion, Please keep me in mind. Many agents spend money advertising for new business, others sit open houses or cold call. My business is based on referrals from past clients and friends. The less time I have to do traditional prospecting the more I can do for the cycling community. For example: this list.
This week and next many of the regular ride time are being pushed back to accommodate the sun. I try and verify the times, but some of the start times might be later.
I expect many of the standard Saturday rides will be opt to ride in El Tour De Tucson as well. Also, with Thanksgiving there may be a few rides that take the week off. I try and check every one of these. If you do any of these rides and see an error, please let me know.
This week we have a fraction of the regular rides as many cyclist will be at El Tour De Tucson and Thanksgiving is Thursday.
Happy Thanksgiving. Do yourself a HUGE favor. One you will truly be Thankful for. Sign up for another big Ridein the spring NOW in order to keep the motivation through the holidays. I see so many riders train for El Tour and as soon as they cross the finish line they don’t get back on the bike until next fall.
The Tour De Cure is March 1st. It has 50 and 100K rides. This is the motivation you are looking for to keep riding after El Tour De Tucson! If you use the Promotion Code The Damion Alexander Team you can waive the registration fee.
If you want to ensure you get this list, email Damion@DamionAlexander.com and put “ride list” in the subject.
This list is a major time commitment and it is my pleasure to put it together. All I ask in return for the list is that you remember I’m A REALTOR. If you have a relationship with another REALTOR, I love loyalty and respect those relationships. However, if not, or if you need a second opinion, Please keep me in mind. Many agents spend money advertising for new business, others sit open houses or cold call. My business is based on referrals from past clients and friends. The less time I have to do traditional prospecting the more I can do for the cycling community. For example: this list.
PLEASE NOTE- This is New category. ^^^^Road rides are above^^^^
What
Location
Date
Time
Time Distance
Speed
Contact- More Info
SAMBA AZ Trail – Sahuarita Rd
AZ Trail
Sat Nov 22 8:00AM
Ride the AZ Trail north from Sahuarita Road/Hwy 83 as far as we want to go. Alternate start location for Tucson riders at Pistol Hill. Two groups meet up at somewhere south of the cave and continue to Three Bridges.
This list is a major time commitment and it is my pleasure to put it together. All I ask in return for the list is that you remember I’m A REALTOR. If you have a relationship with another REALTOR, I love loyalty and respect those relationships. However, if not, or if you need a second opinion, Please keep me in mind. Many agents spend money advertising for new business, others sit open houses or cold call. My business is based on referrals from past clients and friends. The less time I have to do traditional prospecting the more I can do for the cycling community. For example: this list.
There is a big change to the list this week. The Mountain Bike and Road Rides have been separated into different sections.
This Sunday there are 13 rides. One for everyone. The biggest challenge is deciding what bike and where to ride.
I’ll be at the El Grupo Fall Fondo. They still have room for a few more. I’m told that the swag bag is real nice. Add in a meal with Local beer from Iron Johns and it’s going to make for a great day.
At the same time for the downhill Mountain Bikers TORCA has a poker ride on Mt. Lemmon and the prizes include a trip to Whistler. You ride, you get cards, best hand wins.
At the same time the Sandbox Showdown will be riding through the washes of Tucson on Fatbikes. This ride brings out the most colorful characters in the bike world.
At the same time Old Pueblo MTB will be at Sweetwater Preserve to congratulate the OV MTB athletes on an incredible year at the High School Mountain Bike season.
At the same time GABA has 5 rides. At the same time…
This list is a major time commitment and it is my pleasure to put it together. All I ask in return for the list is that you remember I’m A REALTOR. If you have a relationship with another REALTOR, I love loyalty and respect those relationships. However, if not, or if you need a second opinion, Please keep me in mind. Many agents spend money advertising for new business, others sit open houses or cold call. My business is based on referrals from past clients and friends. The less time I have to do traditional prospecting the more I can do for the cycling community. For example: this list.
This list is provided as a courtesy. It is all public information that is put here to make life easier for those looking for a bike ride. Biking can be dangerous. People crash, they break bones, get bloody, have road rash, destroy bikes and even worse. The Damion Alexander Team is not responsible for any of these rides or anything that happens on these rides. By going on a bike ride you are choosing to make a choice in your life, one that will most likely lead to a healthy and happy life. However, if the unfortunate does happen, it was your choice to go and not Damion Alexander, The Damion Alexander Team or anyone else that made you do it.
If you want to ensure you receive the ride list please email damion@damionalexander.com and put ride list in the subject. The format is a little different and easier to read in the email.
We have officially entered Bike Season for the masses. This week the list includes 24 unique rides.
This week I put some miles in the saddle house hunting with a client from Colorado. I also gave them a tour of 50 year trail and the Urban Assault. If you have a friend moving this way who is a Cyclist, I am The Cycling Realtor and The Cyclists Realtor. Even if it is not looking at the homes on bikes, I’ll give them an introduction to what Tucson offers like no one else. Thanks in advance for all your real estate referrals.
The Silverbell Century is a great warm-up ride for El Tour de Tucson! It comes at a time when your training needs to intensify for the last time before the great event
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Ride a portion of El Tour route on northwest side, with long stretches of straight flat roads.
This list is a major time commitment and it is my pleasure to put it together. All I ask in return for the list is that you remember I’m A REALTOR. If you have a relationship with another REALTOR, I love loyalty and respect those relationships. However, if not, or if you need a second opinion, Please keep me in mind. Many agents spend money advertising for new business, others sit open houses or cold call. My business is based on referrals from past clients and friends. The less time I have to do traditional prospecting the more I can do for the cycling community. For example: this list.
This past weekend Tucson had an incredible day for pedaling. It started with the GABA Bike Swap and continued with Cyclovia Tucson, Cyclocross and adult beverages at Tap and Bottle and in the parking lot of Ordinary Bike Shop.
I posted on my facebook page over 800 images of the day in 14 Albums. The links are below or look at The Damion Alexander Team on facebook.
These photos are a major time commitment and it is my pleasure to take the photos and share them with you. All I ask in return for the photos is that you remember I’m A REALTOR. If you have a relationship with another REALTOR, I love loyalty and respect those relationships. However, if not, or if you need a second opinion, Please keep me in mind. Many agents spend money advertising for new business, others sit open houses or cold call. My business is based on referrals from past clients and friends. The less time I have to do traditional prospecting the more I can do for the cycling community. For example: these photo albums.
Please let me know if you see anything that needs changing on the list or if you have an event or ride that is missing.
With many of the events listed in the Event section they have a need for volunteers. Volunteering can often be more fun than the actual ride and as Bike Patrol you still get to ride. It definitely will give you a different prospective on what it takes to make all of the events happen. Also, I know how expensive it can be to enter races and for some it is financially impossible to pay, but by giving time it allows you to still participate. I’m mentioning this now as there was a call for Bike Patrol for the Colossal Vail 50/50 in November. El Grupo also relies heavily on the generosity of the community both in time and donations. So, please get involved and help make Southern Arizona the best cycling community it can be.
Also called the Ël Tour De Tucson Training Ride” The most popular GABA bicycle ride in Southern Arizona! Three options are available for riders from novice to very experienced cyclists: 42.8, 82 and 101 miles!
The Silverbell Century is a great warm-up ride for El Tour de Tucson! It comes at a time when your training needs to intensify for the last time before the great event
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Ride a portion of El Tour route on northwest side, with long stretches of straight flat roads.
This list is a major time commitment and it is my pleasure to put it together. All I ask in return for the list is that you remember I’m A REALTOR. If you have a relationship with another REALTOR, I love loyalty and respect those relationships. However, if not, or if you need a second opinion, Please keep me in mind. Many agents spend money advertising for new business, others sit open houses or cold call. My business is based on referrals from past clients and friends. The less time I have to do traditional prospecting the more I can do for the cycling community. For example: this list.
Lorena Evans, Brendan Lyons, Rep. Ethan Orr and Senator Steve Farley meeting with Deputy Gutierrez to discuss bike safety laws.
50 weeks ago I went to UAMC- Diamonds Children center to see Brendan Lyons after he was in a collision on his bike while riding his bike on East Sunrise. A few days later I orchestrated the media and a meeting in Brendan’s hospital room with Senator Steve Farley and Representative Ethan Orr to discuss laws for cyclist safety. As a result, we introduced 4 bills in the state legislature last year. Unfortunately, not even one made it out of committee. Brendan and I have spent hundreds of hours in the past year trying to find ways to make cycling safer. Yesterday, El Tour de Tucson announced that Brendan and his girlfriend, Lorena Evans, who was also in the collision, are the honoree for the 2014 El Tour De Tucson. Wednesday night, at 9:30 Brendan called me and told me that he had met with Office Art Gutierrez, who was struck from behind this week and at UAMC. After burning the midnight oil, Thursday morning, life came full circle and I found myself at UAMC with the media, Rep Orr, Senator Farley, Brendan and Lorena. This time in the hospital room we also had Pima County Sherriff Deputy Art Gutierrez, his daughter, Cynthia, girlfriend, Delia, as well as some of the Sherriff Department brass.
Brendan asked the Deputy if he would like his story shared. Like so many people who serve our country, Art was willing to put his personal suffering aside if it might help save someone else.
His daughter Cynthia and son Alex are also cyclist. They recently rode in El Tour De Mesa as a family and finished in about 3 and a half hours. Cynthia was the first member of the family to get into cycling 7 years ago. Art got on the bike because of her 5 years ago. She recalled with a smile that in the first El Tour she rode with her Dad that it took them 8 hours. In 2013 they had shaved over an hour and a half off that time. Alex got on the bike last year and this year they were expecting to be even faster. Delia also caught the bike fever and recently bought a bicycle.
The details of the accident are only too familiar. A driver came up behind the Deputy and struck his Bike from Behind. Statistically, this type of collision is the most common to result in a death. All things considered, it looks as if Deputy Gutierrez got off with only “minor” injuries ( If spending days in the hospital and not knowing when you will be released are minor) He has no recollection of the actual collision and woke up in the hospital.
The following is from the interviews Deputy Gutierrez:
Deputy Gutierrez, much like Brendan after his accident talked a lot about how safety is every ones responsibility. Both the cyclist and the motorist.
He said it was “surprising” waking up at UAMC, he had no clue what had happened.
He is “hurting, sore, his body hurts, feeling down, but feels fortunate that he is here. Fortunate to be alive. To know he will recover. Thankful for his family and his co-workers. “
He has no broken bones, but possibly had a small stroke that has led to a lack of feeling on the right side of his body. He has road rash all over his body.
When asked if he was going to get back on his bike he replied “as soon as I can, It is something I really enjoy, I want to go back”.
Asked about the accident and who was at fault and how the Sherriff Department would investigate he said that the Dept. will do a full investigation but that he has no recollection of what happened. A full investigation will be conducted to determine who was at fault. He stated again that sometimes it is the cyclist, but that the investigation will determine the fault.
The driver did stick around after the collision.
The collision was on Tanque Verde between Houghton and Tanque Verde Loop. He was on his way to ride up Mt. Lemmon to mile 4 or 5. He had only gone about 3 miles on his ride.
When asked about stricter laws for motorist he said “there is a lot of impatience with todays drivers and not just with cyclist but with pedestrians … and with social media, people distracted constantly talking on the phone, texting, doing whatever they do… I see it every day as a patrol officer, I see it every day, but I also see the bikes making the same mistakes being dangerous and the pedestrians J walking and can’t wait,… we need to be more patient. What the drivers need to understand is they are in a 4000 pound piece of moving machinery, if you hit a person they lose.”
He would like to see something done for the texting and the cell phone use for drivers. Personally he finds it annoying and sees it all the time. “Driving is a privilege, not a right.”
One thing that was very clear during the interview was how level headed and patient he is. He understands that the solution is patients and understanding with efforts from everyone who uses the roads. Perhaps if everyone can have a mindset like that, we could truly create an environment that is safer for everyone. I’m so thankful that Deputy Art Gutierrez will make a full recovery and hope his spirit and ideas will spread throughout the Pima County Sherriff Dept.
In the past few weeks I’ve been having many conversations with other riders about being nice when you are on the bike. This conversation is coming up in response to tacks on the road, cars buzzing us, the sheriff pulling over the shootout. To define nice, I’ll explain what I have been seeing that in Not Nice. Stopping anywhere and everywhere to urinate, running red lights and stop signs, leaving tubes and CO2 cartridges on the side of the road, littering nutrition wrappers, groups blocking traffic and taking the entire road, and many reckless acts of riding into the road.
A friend warned me not to blog anything bad about the Shootout or “suffer the consequences of alienating the cycling world”. As a Real Estate agent trying to appeal to the cycling world as the base of my referral network ( yes- I will show homes on bikes), I really don’t want to do anything to call out this group in a bad way, but it is so clear that some of these actions are hurting our overall credibility in the community.
This afternoon I saw a post on facebook from Chloë Black that addressed this exact issue. I love seeing it come from someone who is a transplant to Tucson, was once a visitor, has raced as a pro, is a coach and has given back as much to Tucson as a Bike Ambassador as anyone I know ( and I know everyone). Her post was:
Dear Visiting Cyclists to Tucson (“Pro” or not),
It’s super awesome to have you all here during the winter. I use to be just like you, escaping harsh winters for the lovely roads of Tucson. I just have a small request, but it would make a HUGE impact on our community. Tucson & Pima County work really hard to make life better for bicyclists. I mean REALLY hard! There is a massive effort from some really dedicated people to keep improving our experience here as well as our safety. This community is actually a national leader in this area!
Every time you blow through a red light or stop sign, or pee in front of someones home like the world is your toilet, or throw your trash & punctured tubes on the side of the road, or cut off traffic in a way that is really super rude & dangerous (for yourself, mostly), and you know how it goes…..we are all ambassadors of our cycling community. And while you are here, you are part of our community.
Anyway, I know this is preachy, but it’d be super awesome if while you are here, your presence elevates our image like I know it can! Cheers!
I think Chloe left off one important part. If you are a local, this should count double for you. Also, if you are a local and wear a team kit, it should be triple.
If we want others to respect us and allocate more infrastructure for cyclist it has to start with us being good stewards of the sport. So please, play nice:-)
This is a more of a mini novel than a blog. It contains the interview with Brendan Lyons and Lorena Evans about a collision with a car on October 4, 2013 . Also, interviews with Senator Farley and Representative Orr about what bike laws we might be able to create in the next legislative session.. My break down on why this all came together. Having been there for the entire time and seeing the final news reports, it is incredible how 45 minutes is condensed into a 2 minute segment. I tried to omit nothing to give a more in depth perspective (perhaps too much).
My good friend Brendan Lyons was hit by a car while riding his bike last week with his girlfriend Lorena Evans. Lorena got off easy with a broken wrist (at least that’s all that I know she hurt). Brendan on the other hand ended up In the Hospital and is still there.
Brendan is a fire fighter with rural metro and the founder of Look!Save a life/ Arizona This is what Brendon says s the purpose of Look! “Look! Save a Life / Arizona is a campaign to promote cycling safety and awareness. Many cyclists are unaware of, or choose not to ride according to the laws which govern the use of public roads. Most drivers only expect to see other cars on the road, or even deny the right of cyclists to be on the road at all. (Or worse yet, feel cyclists should not be on the roads at all.) That creates a disconnection between what drivers expect and what cyclists do on the road. These problems culminate in at best, apathy towards cyclists, and at worst, deliberate, hostile, unsafe, and possibly fatal confrontations between drivers and cyclists. My hope is to “Realize that we can not change personalities, but to help in better changing the “attitudes” drivers and cyclists have for one another.”
I went to visit Brendan at UAMC Diamond’s Children in his hospital room. For some time I have helped him manage the facebook page for Look! Save a Life. I have known many cyclist who have spent time in ER and the hospital, but this is the first time I went down to see if I could help (I’ve never been a huge fan of hospitals, I was told as a kid the best way to stay healthy was to avoid hospitals and I have been living that lifestyle).
Even with the pain meds, I could see the grimace on his face every few sentences, but his mind was clear and we had a very long conversation. We talked about what he remembered from the crash, nothing. My favorite topic after a bike crash. How was his bike? Shattered in 13 plus pieces. Where it happened? Sunrise heading East before Kolb. One point was very clear. He wanted to find a way to make this into a positive experience. The question he wanted to know was how could he help save even one life or prevent one collision as a result of his current situation. The conversation went to how Look! Save a Life could get recognition and use his misfortune for the benefit of the community. We went over the downside to being public, but he was set on doing anything that could to save someone from the anguish he was going through.
Together we discussed what he wanted to see. Laws that really protect cyclist! A state wide no texting while driving law! A hands free law!!!!! Expanding the 3 foot to a 5 foot wide passing law and more teeth and penalties for cars who hit a cyclist.
After we had the idea the rest fell on me. Fortunately, I have great political connections on both sides of the isle in the state legislator and know the Representatives and Senators who believe in protecting the safety of cyclist. ( If anyone has 1ooK and want’s to support me for a year I’ll become a full time bike lobbyist for the state of Arizona) Both Senator Steve Farley and Representative Ethan Orr were willing to shuffle their schedules to meet with Brendan to talk about the laws we discussed.
With the assistance of Katie Riley from UAMC and Grant Cesarck from Rural metro we were able to coordinate the logistics of bringing news crews in the hospital and to get a press release out. THANK YOU Katie and Grant!
Everything went very well and KVOA and KGUN both sent crews out. KOLD was not able to make it, but we might do another interview in a few days. AZ Daily Star sent a reporter as well. Senator Farley, Representative Orr, Karen Mlawsky, CEO of UAMC, Andy Theodorou, MD, Chief Medical Officer of UAMC all attended the meeting.
Senator Farley, Representative Orr, Lorena Evans, Brendan Lyons, Karen Mlawsky, Andy Theodorou, MD.
Prior to the media being allowed in Brendan had an opportunity to talk to the others about what he wanted to accomplish. What hit me was that everyone in the room except Dr. Theodorou ride bikes on a regular basis. The conversation was really preaching to the choir and it seemed that not only was everyone in agreement but that it was more of a brainstorming session. Dr. Theodorou had many points to ad from his prospective in the hospital and seeing so many patients who were in collisions. One point everyone really agreed on, WEAR A HELMET! Brendan would be dead, no question, if he was not wearing his lid.
Even before the actual interview began it appeared that Brendan would grimace in pain while talking. I thought, What type of a person is willing to expose themselves to this when they are hurting so much? My answer is, a public servant of the highest caliber. He is the fire fighter through and through. A man who is willing to sacrifice himself for the good of the many. I cried a few times listening to his passionate speech.
The interview: Surrounded by Farley and Orr with Lorena next to him on the bed the news crews took turns interviewing Brendan. I TOOK THE BEST NOTES I COULD. I DID NOT EMBELISH AT ALL, BUT I’M NOT A GOOD SECRETARY AND EXACT WORDING MIGHT BE OFF.
Brendan Lyons: On Friday, We were on a training ride for El Tour de Tucson in the bike lane, a very wide bike lane, Lorena was on the left of the lane and we were struck from behind. That is all I remember.
KVOA :A picture tells a thousand words, How are you doing with all of this?(she pointed at the bike)
BL: As you can see I suffered some serious injury and I’m very fortunate to be here to talk to you. Because I was wearing a helmet I’m here today.
KVOA: You mentioned you were a fire Fighter.
BL: It puts taking care of people on a whole. I need to take care of myself and my girlfriend now. Hopefully, by talking to you today, I can help save lives and I can help people.
KVOA: What do you want cyclist and drivers to take form this?
BL: If I was not wearing a helmet, hands down, I would be dead. My helmet was crushed in and I would be dead. Follow the rules of the road. Don’t oppose traffic. Ride in the bike lane. Ride with the flow of traffic. For drivers, Most important, keep your hands on the wheel and pay attention. Get off the phone, don’t text , two seconds with your hands off the wheel can kill someone.
KGUN: You said you advocate for riders safety with Look! Save a Life, did you ever think you would be in this position?
BL: I never believed this. I hoped that I could help share the mission of keeping people safe. This is a two way street. This is not an attack on drivers. I want drivers to pay attention. Give a little extra space. Even if it is a 3 foot law, give five feet. There is no reason not to give space. To have a big truck blow by you in a bike lane is hard to comprehend if you are not a cyclist.
KGUN: Why are you doing this?
BL:I’m doing this to potentially save lives. I’m a fire fighter. I care about people. I genuinely care about people. I don’t want to see anyone else hurt or killed. I’m doing this to save lives.
KVOA: Anything else you want to say?
When I see my bicycle I do not know why I am here. I should be dead. I keep thinking that over and over. We are both incredibly lucky to still be alive.
KGUN: Fellow riders are they offering support?
BL: Fellow riders, fellow fire fighters, people I don’t even know have been coming forward. Put a smile on your face and pay attention to the road.
KVOA: You have been working with some local leaders. Can you talk about this?
BL: People don’t understand why there are so many cyclist here. We have the weather, we have the infrastructure. There are hundreds of mile of roads in Tucson and Pima county with adequate bike lanes, but there needs to be more, there is a 55 mile loop being built, if we don’t have the laws that support this we are doing a disservice to not only cyclist, not only to cyclist but to Firefighters, Doctors, Police offices, Mothers, Fathers, sons and daughters, we are doing disservice to your family members. There is a law that if you hit a cyclist in a bike lane that it is a $500 fine, if you kill him it is a $1000 fine, but in part of Arizona you can be fined $2500 for feeding a wild animal. Where is the human element? It is really disheartening.
KVOA: And this is something you are going to work on changing?
BL: Absolutely. Perhaps Arizona can adopt the California law on no texting and hands free devices only? There is no reason not to be paying attention to the road
KVOA: So what are you going to do now? You obviously focus on recovery
BL: I’m going to focus on my recovery, and advocacy. Focusing on helping people and getting better. Focus on Tucson being better. We don’t need to follow other states. We can step up. We are a huge cycling Mecca. We can set the example for other states. Take care of your brother. Pay attention to drivers as well.
KVOA: Lorena, Do you want to say anything on your experience or hearing him say he should not be here?
LE: It’s hard, I remember everything and he does not. I saw him on the ground and honestly thought he was dead. I’m thankful we are both alive and here and able to heal to move forward from this.
KVOA: I’m getting the impression from listening to you that this is not going to stop you from getting on the bike?
BL: Still going to get on a bicycle! Still going to ride! Still going to be safe! Still going to look out for traffic! I’m a driver as well. I pay taxes. I helped pay for these bike lanes. It’s wonderful to have a means to be healthy and ride to work, It’s good on the economy. Absolutely, I’m still going to ride a bike.
KVOA: Anything else you want to ad?
BL: I’d also like to see any laws that are implemented to be added into the driver education test. Many people just don’t know the laws. It needs to start in the high school.
END BL Interview. Start Steve Farley Interview.
KVOA: Tell me what brought you here with us today?
SF: Traffic safety has been one of the top priorities in the legislator. Jan 2007 I was the first legislator in the country to introduce a bill to ban driving while texting for anyone, Here in Arizona we are now one of the last state in the county that has no law for texting while driving for anybody, but we also collect no data on our accident reports. I’m tireless on this because over the course of my seven years in the legislator I’ve had many families and people who were hurt, injured, killed, come to my office and tell me about inattentive driving. We have to stop this. We have to save lives.
KVOA: What does Brendan and Lorena’s story show us?
SF: There is a huge problem. If you talk to anyone in the ER here ,firefighters, first responders, they have seen countless examples of the carnage that happens when people indulge in distracted driving. There is nothing that says you can’t stop distracted drivers right now, and that is one thing I want to emphasis. Every time you are doing a story out here about these types of things, you are saving lives, But when you put a law in place against certain practices that are dangerous then you strengthen that little cop in our head that says “don’t do it.” You put in in the driver education curriculum, So that every kid and every person who learns to drive understands it is unacceptable to do and we need a law, we need everyone to look at the road ahead of you. We have to get that message to everyone we need a law, we need education and we need enforcement.
KVOA: And those will be the basis of laws as we see going into the next legislative session?
SF: I will never stop that effort. I have seen the type of pain you have seen here today. It is so preventable. It does not need to happen.
KGUN: Tucson is one of the best cycling community, isn’t it ironic our laws don’t reflect it?
SF: It is ironic. Too often you have seen peoples ideology, partisan stuff get injected into this, this is not a Republican or Democrat thing, this is a life saving thing, The distracted driver does not look at your political ideology when he runs you over.
End Steve Farley Interview
KVOA You mentioned you are a cyclist yourself. This must have hit close to home for you.
EO: You are incredibly vulnerable out there and what a lot of drivers don’t understand is a bump or tap that might scratch their paint may kill someone.
KVOA: So what are you hoping to accomplish here by getting Brendans story out there?
EO: We have been working in a bi-partisanship way with the South West Community on a series of bike safety protection laws. Had these laws been in place, now, we might not be here today.
KVOA: And what sort of laws are we talking about here?
EO: The laws we need to look at are expanding the 3 foot rule passing law to 5 foot rule, allow helmet cams to be used as evidence, looking at how cyclist start and stop at 4 way stop signs to make sure you don’t create wrecks among groups of cyclist (A very nice way of saying Idaho stop- way to sneak that one in there Ethan. Love the way you worded it.)
KVOA: Is that what you will be focusing on come the next session
OE: I will. But the other thing I want to do is meet with cyclist around the state to work on platinum recognition and international standards and to get other cyclist ideas to incorporate them into legislation.
KVOA: And you said this is a joint effort and it does not matter on the party. Are you in this together?
EO: It does not matter what party you are in. Doing the right thing, that knows no partisanship. And when it comes to saving a life, when it comes to protecting our community, and enhancing our quality of life, It’s just common sense.
KVOA: Have you had any close calls when you are on the bike?
EO: Certainly. I have had cars that will literally pass within a few inches of me and then go around a pot hole 10 feet in front of me., if a pot hole is more valuable than a human life, something is wrong.
KVOA: We talked about drivers. Do you feel there is some improvement that can be made on the cyclist side as well?
EO: I think it is about communication. If we are building all of these bike lanes. We need to connect all the bike lanes. We have the infrastructure. There has to be an understanding of what cyclist bring to the economy and what we bring to the quality of life.
KVOA: And when you said economy, we have el tour coming up, it’s a huge community here.
EO: When you think of it, all of our resorts, they need amenities that bring people here and cycling is big business. We need to understand what the cyclist bring to the economy.
End of Ethan Orr Interview.
Some of the video was not as clear as I would have likes. I tried to be as accurate as possible, but omitted some points that I could not make out or were overly redundant. It has been a long day, both pulling this off as well as selling real estate. I do appreciate any feedback, especially if you read everything and made it this far;-)
This month I was in Colorado working(riding my bike) and missed the BAC meeting. The following are a condensed version of the DRAFT minutes.
DRAFT Tucson-Pima County Bicycle Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes Wednesday, September 11th, 2013 Himmel Park Library 1035 N. Treat Ave. Tucson, AZ 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM Prepared and Submitted by Kylie Walzak
Call to Public – Don Melhado – US Cycling Association. Seeking BAC for Velodrome support to the PC Bond Committee. Mr. Melhado is deeply involved in racing, for the past 30 years. Not here to tell you that the Velodrome is something the entire community will benefit from, but it will provide a venue for Tucson’s youth to train and will provide Tucson with a building that will highlight Tucson’s leadership role as a cycling-mecca for pro/semi pro racing. A facility like the Velodrome will draw international attention, including many people from northern Mexico. Mr. Melhado asks BAC to give support for the facility (Velodrome), which is a multi-use facility (and presumably can be used for other sports), at the upcoming public hearing.
Law Enforcement Staff Reports from TPD and PCSD – Sgt. Fernandez, TPD – Four accidents, two of which were cyclist only. Two were vehicle crashes, no major injuries. Two hit and runs, no major injuries. Park and University lights are on and there has been some confusion – there is targeted education occurring at that intersection. Enforcement may come later.
Old Spanish Trail at Houghton– cyclist hit from behind, 3 days in ICU. Eric Post asks Fernandez if he knows anything about that incident
Marana and Twin Peaks – hydraulic fluid sprayed on bike lane and rider went down.
Rohrer – tacks on Catalina Hwy continue. PC deputies are actively investigating. Reminds riders to call in suspicious activity. Rider and a patrol car made contact, traffic person is reviewing the case. Town of Marana is doing a great job cleaning up the landfill area on Tangerine.
Facilities Subcommittees Re-establishment & New Member New members are encouraged to join subcommittees, like the facilities subcom., which is in the process of being reorganized and formalized. Education Subcommittee has been dormant since Karilyn Roach had to resign from the BAC. Any member interested in advising govt’s on things like PSA’s, messaging, and outreach are encouraged to ask the Chair about reviving that subcommittee. Call for volunteers for subcommittees? Allen Kulwin volunteers for the Facilities Subcommittee Reminder that if you don’t receive a formal agenda from Karen Rahn, the meeting is not officially happening.
Bike Share Programs – An Overview of Trends in the USKylie Walzak present a summary of latest research regarding Bike Share programs across the US. Submits Motion (below), discussion followed. Questions about funding sources, consultation fees, need for strategic planning for locating stations, and issues of equity.
Motion: BAC will write a letter to local governments urging COT, PCDOT and PAG to investigate creative funding sources for a regional Bike Share program sooner rather than later.
Motion is approved unanimously.
Strategic Highway Safety Plan UpdatePlan updates specific deficiencies in AZ with regard to cycling and safety. Gabe Thum reports from recent meetings with ADOT. Letter in our packet is asking the State to leave some discretion to local governments in deciding how best to spend highway safety money.
Ensuring the funds are spent appropriately… replace with “safety improvements are directly related to a data-driven process.”Motion to approve letter as amended. Approved unanimously
Bicycle-related Bond Project Grouping Process
Review of all of the Bike related projects still being considered in the Bond Package. The intent of tonight’s discussion is to provide input to the Bond Committee from the BAC about what our priorities as a BAC are.
David BW presents on recent bond projects related to cycling
Bicycle Education Center (Velodrome): Most recent memo to the Bond Committee does not include this project. This was in the June, 2013 memo, but not in memo from August 5th, 2013.
Oro Valley, Cañada del Oro: Catalina, Big Wash connecting to Rancho Vistoso, north side of CDO. This will connect La Cholla to La Cañada.
Marana Linear Park (Barnett): extends from I-10 W. Frontage road to just beyond the town’s municipal complex.
Tucson Urban Greenways: Most recent memo to the Bond Committee does not include this project. This was in the June, 2013 memo, but not in memo from August 5th, 2013.
South Tucson El Paso Greenway: This project has been in planning since 1989. South Tucson has been waiting for their share of projects for a long time.
Loop Gaps (acquisition, construction, several parts): Design and construction of soil cement bank protection along both banks of the Santa Cruz River between Sunset Road and Ina Road. Provides for stabilization for an area of the Santa Cruz River that has been heavily mined by sand and gravel operations.
CAP Trail (Avra Valley): Uses Central Arizona Canal Project and put bicycle paths on either side. Looking for a connection over the Tucson Mountains to the Loop. Estimates this project at $10m. Currently asking for $10m on this Bond. 27 miles. Can be viewed as an alternative to Sandario Rd. which has seen increased vehicular traffic and subsequently has driven recreational (road) cyclists from that road. On the other hand, this particular project seems geared towards a single user group (road riders) and does not rank high in terms of being built for multiple users, commuters, etc.
Oro Valley Trailheads: $600k, trailheads to benefit Mountain Bicycling somewhat and hikers/walkers.
Marana Heritage River Park: Tangerine Farms Road, accessible from I-10.
All members of the BAC get the opportunity to rank the existing projects by placing numbered stickers next to priority projects. Reminder that the letter will be written with low, medium, high priorities – not a numerical value.
Motion approved unanimously to write the letter as outlined in the packet.
Staff Reports
Matt Zoll, Pima County – Safety outreach plan with Bike Ambassadors for outreach along the Streetcar corridor. Trailhead dedication for Roy Schoonover, December. Southside Loop projects under design, should go to construction in January. Outreach work with low income youth on southside and Flowing Wells. UA Bike station going well. “Michigan left” for east/west at Ina and Oracle, try it out before you do it. Safety and diversion classes are full.
Nancy Ellis, Oro Valley – Updating biannual bike plan.
Brian Varney, Marana – Creating short list for the TAP projects.
Gabe Thum, PAG – Bike/Ped Subcommittee met. Tucson Bikeway maps coming in. Look for official announcements for Bike Count, mid-October.
University of Arizona – UAPD has been very active educating and issuing citations. Streetcar track crashes are prominent. Sept. 18th is next UABAC meeting.Bike Share usage on campus is 90% per day.
Subcommittee Reports
Downtown / University Facilities (David Bachman-Williams) – Would like to change name to “Urban Core” Facilities. Monday Sept. 16th 3:30 pm.
Enforcement (Colin Forbes) – No meeting last month. Next mtg is Sept. 26th. Need more people!
Executive (Ian Johnson) – We talked about items for the agenda. Anthony Foxx came out and said recently that the FHWA supports the use of NACTO. Always send Ian agenda items.
GABA (Wayne Cullop) – Tumamcacori ride will be slightly different this year.
Downtown Links (Kylie Walzak) – Met last Monday to report on the work of the Bike/Ped Subcommittee. Next meeting will be corridor bike/walk through with the engineer team.
Living Streets Alliance (Kylie Walzak) – Gary Fisher event is Sept. 25th and Architecture on Wheels Hike and Bike Tour is Sept. 29th.
Broadway Task Force (Naomi McIsaac) – Latest meeting was exciting, considering adding a Cycle Track to the Broadway cross-section. Please join Naomi on Sept. 26th community meeting. It’s a really good opportunity to provide input on the priorities of the entire corridor.
