Andrew Dollard and the RCA address City council

Andrew Dollard writes,

Greeting fellow pedallers,

Here's an update on recent goings-on with the Rochester Cycling Alliance:

Last night (Monday) the RCA made its public debut at a meeting of the Rochester City Council, where Chris, Jon, and I (Andy) all spoke in support of better facilities for cycling. We also spoke with Alinda Drury, the coordinator of Mayor Duffy's Green Team, who will be an important ally. Also - there appears to be a fair amount of interest in my remarks at the meeting, so I've attached them to this email. [And I append them below--Jon]

In addition, we've learned that the City of Rochester is developing a Bicycle Master Plan to be completed by February 2011. The City has issued a request for proposals from planning and engineering firms, and will begin the process of evaluating the proposals at the end of this month. Along the way there will be many opportunities for public input. It will be a great way to have cyclists' voices heard in the city planning process, and the RCA will be there. More information is available on the city's website at http://ci.rochester.ny.us/article.aspx?id=8589940474

Good evening. My name is Andrew Dollard. Im a resident of the City of Rochester and Im here tonight as a member of the Rochester Cycling Alliance, which Chris spoke about earlier.

We started the RCA because were passionate about cycling and we believe that bicycles are the ideal form of urban transportation. We see in cycling an alternative to noisy, congested roadways and polluted air, to urban sprawl and dependence on oil. Riding a bike is beneficial to the body and the spirit, and it allows a person to experience the city in a way thats not possible in a car.

But when we ride through Rochester, we see a lot of unmet potential in our cycling infrastructure. Rochester is blessed with many things which could create a great cycling city: natural corridors along the Erie Canal and the Genesee River; an energetic, talented pool of young people at our colleges and universities; and an active community of cycling organizations and businesses.
But not all of the pieces are in place. Our river trails are disconnected and in parts not suitable for cycling. Theres currently no adequate cycling route from RIT and the U of R to the downtown area. Theres a lack of bicycle lanes and bicycle parking facilities in the city. And as far as we can tell, the cycling community is under-represented in the city planning process.
We see opportunity here. Bicycle infrastructure is far less expensive than automobile infrastructure, and far more rewarding in terms of public health and quality of living. Moreover, cycling is an opportunity to help create a real renaissance in our community.
Every year thousands of students come to Rochester to attend our educational institutions, but most will leave when their studies are done. Building a truly bike-friendly city will make Rochester an even more attractive place for people to start their families and their careers.

Weve spent millions of dollars over the years on projects to revitalize this city the High Falls district, the fast ferry, Renaissance Square and theyve gotten us nowhere. But with cycling we have a chance to reimagine city living and remind people of the innovation and energy that Rochester has. And we dont have to break the bank to do it.

Weve already begun to reach out to the citys engineering department to work with them on the development of a bicycle master plan and the improvement of our cycling infrastructure. Were here tonight to encourage the city council to continue to support these efforts and to consider the potential of a bicycle-friendly policy to help revitalize and reenergize the city of Rochester.
Many of the pieces are already in place; all thats needed is action in a few key areas. It wont cost much, and the potential dividends are enormous.

Thank you for your time.