Hitler on Jax Advocacy & Tweed

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Koula Gets Her Groove On

Bike Jax has been growing steadily over the last 4 years and while that growth has meant more time spent in meetings about bikes and parking bikes than actually blogging about bikes. It has also meant meeting a greater number people that want to get involved with bicycle advocacy. I'm happy to post this intro written by Koula Redmond, Bike Jax's newest board member as Bike Jax is moving to non-profit status.

Koula is a local Potter who is currently setting shop in the new CoRK Arts District and will be a contributing writer here along with Abhishek which most of you already know from here and most recently from here.

How I got Started
By Koula Redmond

When I first got into biking as an adult, I wasn’t even aware that all these different kinds of styles of bicycling existed. I started riding a beach cruiser style bike around the neighborhood, but wasn’t comfortable riding in the road; when my husband wanted to try trail riding, I tried too and quickly realized it wasn’t for me. I loved being on two wheels, but the dirt and tree roots was just not my thing. It wasn’t until I started riding a road bike on a paved trails that I got really comfortable riding a bike as an adult. Finally I found a bike that was comfortable and that fit my tiny frame and I discovered that I actually kind of liked riding a bike. I started riding the Jacksonville/Baldwin Rail Trail more often and I got accustomed to starting and stopping with some semblance of gracefulness, and also learned to hold a line while controlling my speed. At the few intersections with cars, I grew accustomed to interfacing with traffic once and awhile, too. But, riding on a trail and seeing the same scenery started to get to me. Chucking my bike in the back of my car became a hassle. So, I started riding around my neighborhood on my road bike. I explored my neighborhood and the ones surrounding it by not really having a destination in mind; sometimes I consulted a map, and I would stay within reasonable distance of my house, but I loved being able to wander to wherever looked interesting. 

Pretty soon, riding to a destination close to home within the urban core became the norm, but the road bike started becoming less and less practical when I started carrying my heavy laptop in a messenger bag, or when I thought about doing a quick grocery run. At this point, I stumbled upon and started devouring the Copenhagenize and Cycle Chic blogs, and it was all over- I really wanted a dutch-style bike. Step-through frame, basket, fenders, internal hub, generator lights, rear rack-- yes, please!  Most of all, I wanted a bike that would allow me to sit up straight so my neck and wrists would get a break during longer rides. So, I did some research and ordered a Pashley Princess Sovereign sight unseen from the fine bike-loving gents at Nest Living.

        I was in love with this new freedom bicycling afforded me. I would take little trips to the local cafés with my laptop and my knitting project, or make a quick run to the grocery store. It started to make sense to replace my little neighborhood car trips with the bike, and eventually I just got into the habit of parking my car in the driveway for the entire weekend. Every Saturday, my post work-week treat became a nice ride to the Riverside Arts Market. I would go alone usually, and enjoy the early morning fresh air and quiet, leisurely ride. One of the biggest perks of going to RAM was parking at the Bike Valet, where I knew my (new, expensive-for-me) bike was safe. One day, I realized the valet was quite busy, and only one guy was running it. So, I asked Matt if he needed help, showed up a couple weeks later, and have been helping out almost every Saturday since then.


        The more I used cycling as a means to get from point A to point B, the more I started noticing that there were some aspects of bicycling as transportation in Jacksonville that were less than optimal. Like how biking around Jacksonville isn’t so easy if you step a foot outside the urban core. One almost need balls of steel to ride vehicularly in Jacksonville, and must not mind sharing personal space with car traffic. So, I started reading more, and every Saturday I’d ask Matt more questions. Instead of answering me directly, he usually suggested that I read some more or read something different, and those answers were perfect. The more I read, the more I wanted to help with this enigmatic thing called bicycle advocacy. When I started riding a bike more and more, I never expected for bikes to become such a large part of my life. But, that’s where I come from and the rest, they say, is history!

Velocity Now Taking Applications in Jax

I just heard from Velocity Headquarters in Grand Rapids and they are now officially accepting resume's for the wheel manufacturing operations here in Jacksonville. Here is the info as I received it:

"We’ll be conducting interviews in Jacksonville during the last week of January.  Please send resumes to matt@velocityusa.com.  We’ll be calling for interviews next week.  We are in need of skilled workers with strong mechanical aptitude who can perform precision assembly of bicycle rims, as well as packaging, sorting, cleaning and general factory work. Positions start in February and are full time with flexible hours. Benefits available"


Where will they be located? Le's just say, if you're in the Urban Core, it's a very easy commute by bike or even foot. This is a really big feather in the cycling community to have such an outstanding company as Velocity manufacturing their wheels here. Get your resume in soon.

Bike Valet + Passive Advocacy = Economic Impact

The third season of the Bike Jax Bike Valet at Riverside Arts Market (RAM) just concluded this past Saturday. It has taken 3 years, but I actually think folks have finally started figuring out how much easier and more convenient it is to ride a bike to the market than it is to drive and find parking.

I've mentioned this in prior posts, but the goal of the bike valet is simply to provide the infrastructure and let people figure it out on their own. No proselytizing about what to ride, how to ride, or what to wear. Each season, more and more people are figuring it out and this year we have doubled the number bikes parked over the previous year. Not only have we double the amount of bikes parked, we have noticed that the majority of those bikes now sport baskets, racks, and panniers to carry their haul of fresh veggies and local art home.

The idea of passive advocacy is a simple one. Give the public a popular destination with safe and secure bicycle parking, and they will come. Our thought in the beginning was that if we got folks to ride their bikes to RAM on Saturdays, they will eventually notice they are passing the grocery story, the drug store, and schools, along with all their favorite places to dine. The added benefit is that many are also able to see their work place in downtown from the site of RAM under the Fuller Warren Bridge and figure out that bike commuting to work is a real possibility. And you know what happened? Just as the majority of bikes now have some way to carry cargo, those people are using the lowly bicycle to run their daily errands instead of getting in a car. There's actually a rush hour on the Northbank Riverwalk along the banks of the St Johns now between Riverside/Avondale and Downtown. Admittedly, it's a  small rush hour, but it's there and growing.

The bike valet has grown from an operation that one person could comfortably run, and now requires a multitude of volunteers. With all those new volunteers we were able to brach out of RAM and provide free and securing bike valet services for the Jacksonville Film Festival and the SORBAJax Movie event.

The numbers? We parked 3393 bikes this season. Of those parked 78% left the market with some type of purchase. A percentage of those that didn't have packages with them when they left, were there just for lunch from one of the many food vendors. So we roughly figure the bike valet brought in an economic impact of just under $34,000. We are basing those figures on every person parking a bike spending $10 either on food, art or fresh veggies from the farmers. Some of you may point out that some of the money would be there if the bike valet wasn't there, and sure, it would. In questioning regular users of the bike valet if having it made a difference in how often they visited the market, each person replied that they would still visit by car, just not nearly as often.

Those numbers may look small in print, but the I'm sure the effect of those numbers on the the artists, farmers, and food venders made a huge difference in their pockets.

I would take this opportunity to thank everyone that volunteered. The success of the bike valet program couldn't work without you guys and gals.

I also need to thank the sponsors of the bike valet this year. Without your support we could never have even opened the bike valet. Thank you.

Intuition Ale Works

Nest-Living

Personalized Bike Plates

Lakeshore Bicycles & Fitness

Bicycle Clinic

Here is short little recap of a few of the people and bikes we met this year. Thank you all for a very successful year. We're looking forward to a much more busy 2012!

How Young is Too Young? Who is to Blame When it Goes Bad?

Saturday Evening (Nov. 26) 13 year old Brien Alvezios was killed riding his bike along Branan Field Road in Clay County. The driver fled the scene, Florida Highway Patrol are searching for the driver and if you have any information please contact FHP.


As per usual, comments on the Times-Union Article point at the cyclist as the fault. Despite the article providing little to no information other than location, time of incident, and that the driver fled the scene (no details at all are given about the young cyclist other than his age and condition), there is a fair amount of questioning as to why a teenager is out riding his bike at night. But one comment left on the Bike Jax Facebook has haunted me since I read it. The comment that sent shivers down my spine was, "Maybe they'll charge his parents." I instantly recalled articles from earlier this year where parents were threatened with removal by Child Protective Services for allowing their child to ride a bike to school. Or the Atlanta mother charged with Vehicular Homicide when her child was struck and killed while they attempted to cross a 4 lane highway without crosswalks. Yes, lets put the blame on the parents for inadequately designed roads.


SInce we don't have completed details and all the information, we are left to assumptions. So let's assume this young cyclist did everything correctly. He was wearing a helmet (required by FL law for those under 16), was wearing light colored clothing ( not required by FL law for any age), had both front & rear lights, was controlling the lane since the lane is of substandard width as pictured below. (F.S. 316.2065)

I have yet to find any law or statute governing what time of day or night a parent can or cannot allow a child to ride his/her bike. Assuming that this young man did everything correctly given the situation, who is at fault? The driver who fled the scene most certainly is. But are they alone in blame? The parents for allowing their child to ride a bike at night? The child himself?....Maybe we should look deeper into who's really at fault.


First and foremost in my mind is FDOT. They designed and maintain the road. Utility poles are usually a very good indicator right-of-ways. Notice the amount of room on the right side of this road for any type of infrastructure in the way bike lanes, multi-use path, or even sidewalk that may have prevented this tragedy. But I'm willing to bet that extra space is being reserved for additional travel lanes. Because it's far more important to move cars than people. 


Second is the County itself for allowing this road to built in the manor it is, without regard to pedestrians or cyclists.


But, are these agencies really to blame? Perhaps if city, county and state governments  hands weren't tied by something that within the road planning and design groups is known simply as, "The Manual." To the laymen it's the The MUTCD or the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. This manual dictates every part of your driving habits and experience on every road you travel on. There is almost nothing contained in it that cover bicycle infrastructure and the safety of cyclist or pedestrians. This manual is completely about the movement of the automobile. Maybe the blame should be laid on the purveyors of this Manual.


Maybe the blame should be spread around? Maybe a little goes to Club Riders, vehicular cyclists and the Florida Bicycle Association. Club riders and vehicular cyclists for fighting any type of cycling infrastructure that will take them off the road and keeping children them. FBA for not doing enough to promote cycling as transportation and it's continued support of bicycles as recreation and toys along with the promotion of the culture of fear. 


Maybe the the blame goes even deeper, maybe we should take a look at the colleges and universities that teach our planners, designers and engineers to be manual reading zombies who are incapable of thinking outside of the box.


I do know one thing for sure, the family of Brien Alvezios have suffered a great loss as has all the friends and families of everyone who has lost someone to bad or inattentive drivers or lacking road design. And it will continue to happen until cities, counties and state governments wake the hell up and design infrastructure to move people and not cars.


If better design isn't put into our roads we will be reading more of this ☞ recent study shows every death on america's road 2001 - 2009.

I'm  aware that I am opening a can of worms with some of my statements above. But I do so in the hopes of creating a dialog. Let's talk about it, who is or isn't at fault for this and all other tragic losses of life while using our roadways? Who's to blame for the current state of bicycling culture and the total lack of infrastructure for both cyclists and pedestrians? How young is too young ride a bike alone on our streets?