Search :

BMX  ·  MTB  ·  Fixed  ·  Road  ·  Commuter  ·  Cruiser  ·  Vintage  ·  Gear  ·  Catalogs

Royal Oak OKs Non-Motorized Transportation Plan - YESS!!


New language in the city’s Master Plan is intended to make it safer and more convenient to walk, bike and use transit around town.

The City Commission on Monday moved to make Royal Oak a safer city in which walking and biking are incorporated into the city’s transportation plans.

Commissioners approved the Planning Commission’s recommendation to amend Royal Oak’s Master Plan to incorporate three new sections: the Non-Motorized Transportation Plan, the Woodward Avenue Transit-Oriented Development Corridor Study and the Rochester Road Access Management Plan.

Mayor Jim Ellison, who is also a member of the Planning Commission, said the goal is to incorporate three elements: a walkable community aspect, a transient-oriented aspect and Rochester Road access.

The Non-Motorized Transportation Plan received support from residents during the public comment period at Monday’s City Commission meeting. The plan is composed of recommendations for infrastructure improvements, policies and programs that are intended to make it safer and more convenient to walk, bike and use transit in Royal Oak.

This calls for a celebration!!


A group of bicyclists is going to celebrate the passing of the non-motorized plan.
Members of the community are invited to participate in a local celebration ride.

The organizer of the Non-Motorized Transportation Plan, Tom Regan noted, “If anyone wants to join in the celebration they can meet us at Lily’s Seafood, May 24th. We’re going to gather between 5 and 6 p.m. and head out from there.”

Read Full Article @ The Royal Oak Patch

Earth Day Motor City Becomes Cycle City - Forbes.com Before Henry Ford made cars, he rode bikes And now, bicyclists are staking their claim in the Motor City. Racing enthusiasts have brought back a long-abandoned velodrome. Cycling are gaining members, including one called Grown Men on Bikes, which has its own theme song. It’s easy to find a bike tour and tourism officials even took journalists on a ride around Detroit. On Sunday, which is Earth Day, the Detroit Tigers are jumping on the bandwagon. The team is hosting its first Ride to the Ballpark event, testing its theory that those people riding around the city also like to go to ball games. “Detroit has a very cool, strong cyclist culture,” Eli Bayless, the Tigers’ director of promotions and in-game operations, told our public media project Changing Gears Read Full Article @ Forbes.com

Earth Day Motor City Becomes Cycle City - Forbes.com

Before Henry Ford made cars, he rode bikes 
And now, bicyclists are staking their claim in the Motor City.

Racing enthusiasts have brought back a long-abandoned velodrome. Cycling are gaining members, including one called Grown Men on Bikes, which has its own theme song. It’s easy to find a bike tour and tourism officials even took journalists on a ride around Detroit.

On Sunday, which is Earth Day, the Detroit Tigers are jumping on the bandwagon. The team is hosting its first Ride to the Ballpark event, testing its theory that those people riding around the city also like to go to ball games. “Detroit has a very cool, strong cyclist culture,” Eli Bayless, the Tigers’ director of promotions and in-game operations, told our public media project Changing Gears

Read Full Article @ Forbes.com

Change.org Petition: Bikes on Michigan Amtrak Trains


IT’S IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO!
Setting goals as a community is essential for growth. Thats where you as a cyclists come in.

Last year on the Shop Blog, we posted news from Amtrak regarding built-in bike racks being implemented on Michigan Rails Cars for the summer of 2011 Here’s The Link. It was sort of big news for Michigan Cyclists - the thought of traveling to Chicago and other cities around the country via train + bicycle was exciting; it meant progress. See how it looks

But we later found out that Amtrak foiled on those Michigan plans..
Now is your chance to sign that progress in to action!

Sign The Petition Here

Study Finds Greenway Projects The Most Efficient Job Creator

Long appreciated by transportation planners for its construction of trails, sidewalks and bike lanes, public health professionals for allowing Americans to choose biking and walking for commuting and recreation, and local municipalities for reenergizing downtown shopping areas, the federal Transportation Enhancements (TE) program this week added yet another title its long list of accomplishments:
most cost effective job creator.

A study released this week by the American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials and the Transportation Research Board found that, dollar for dollar, TE projects that were part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) generated more jobs than any other form of ARRA transportation construction.

“This study confirms what we have learned through our work in communities all over the country –trails create jobs and spark economic revitalization,” says RTC President Keith Laughlin. “As we see here, this is in part due to the proportionately greater labor requirement in their construction, but also because of their positive impact on the health and appeal of communities of all size. These findings demonstrate the importance of RTC’s commitment to protect the Transportation Enhancements program.”

Read The Full Article

News: Iran may impose long-term EU oil sales ban

Reuters Jan 29th:

Iran is considering banning all oil exports to the European Union (EU) for five to 15 years, a senior Iranian lawmaker was quoted as saying on Sunday, while its deputy oil minister said prices would surge if the EU stopped importing Iranian crude.

Iranian lawmakers had been expected to debate a bill on Sunday to ban exports of Iranian crude to Europe in a move calculated to hit ailing European economies before an EU-wide ban on any Iranian oil comes into effect in July.

Suggested increase projected at $150 a barrel!!

See Also

RIDE RIDE RIDE YOUR BIKE!!!

Insider News | Bike Products Price Increase This Spring

Every few years the industry increases the price of tubes and tires. This is one of those years. The thing is customers usually don’t find out about the price increase until after it happens. You can point to inflation, supply and demand, rising oil prices; whatever the reason, tube prices are going up around $5 and tires $10-20. Thats actually a big increase considering that the current tube prices are around $7 a pop!

And not only are the tire prices increasing but almost all bike manufactures are increasing the price of their bikes. Manufactures include Jamis, Redline, Torker, Trek, Specialized, GT, just to name a few. So new bike prices will be increasing around a hundred bucks!!!

We’re telling you this so you can stock up on the cheaper tubes and tires and hopefully it will get you on a new bike before the spring-summer price increase. Save a hundred bucks…

(qbp.com, jbimporters.com)

Vote For Downtown Ferndale Bike Shop!!!

Detroit’s HOUR magazine hosting their 2012 BEST-OF
Vote for the Downtown Ferndale Bike Shop!
Ballot open until March 15th

Vote Here

The Huffington Post - Detroit’s Complete Streets Coalition

It seems like a simple ideal: Roadways should be safe for all users, whether they drive, ride public transit, bike or walk. But Detroit is ranked the 12th-most dangerous metro area for pedestrians in the country, so the area has a long road ahead.

In April 2010, Detroit received a federally-funded grant from the Michigan Department of Community Health that supports the effort to fortify “Complete Street” policies, which state that pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all kinds are to have safe access along all complete street roadways.

Next year Detroit will see the beginning stages of the North-South Complete Street Greenway which connects Cass Tech High School to The Fisher Building; Second Ave. and Third St. will be converted into two-way streets with bike lanes.

And The Detroit Complete Streets Coalition is leading the way. It’s an all-star team comprised of many advocacy groups, including the Michigan Trails & Greenways Alliance, Department of Public Works, City Planning Commission, Detroit Department of Transportation, Detroit Police Department, Detroit Food & Fitness Collaborative, Wayne State University, City Connect Detroit, Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance, Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, Transit Riders United and plenty of committed community advocates.

“Detroit’s the best city I’ve ever ridden!” Todd Scott, Detroit Greenways Coordinator for the Michigan Trails & Greenway Alliance said “Almost all the projects are occurring because of local efforts made by people who want to see it happen.” 

Read More

UPS Was Founded by two teenagers with a bicycle and $100 bucks

United Parcel Service Founder James Casey

In 1907 19-year-old James Casey founded the American Messenger Company, later known as United Parcel Service (UPS) in Seattle, Washington with $100 borrowed from a friend. He served as president, CEO and Chairman. Claude Ryan was his business associate and his messengers included a few local teenagers and his brother George. His motto was 
“The Best Service and The Lowest Rates!”

All deliveries were made on foot and on bikes. Sweet!!

As of 2008 UPS started hiring bike delivery people in Vancouver and Washington cities like Portland, Salem, Eugene & Medford..


(Source: Wikipedia.org, BikePortland.com, SloBikeLane.Wordpress.com)