It was cold. How cold, you ask? So cold that the steam coming from the hot crust of the fresh pizza froze on the underside of the lid. Well, maybe it wasn’t that cold.
No matter the temperature, Delaware County Cycling Committee (“DCCC”) members Michael Broennle, Parker Snowe, and Dominick Zuppo met with Committee Chair David Bennett on February 17th to review current projects and plan for the coming year. The meeting was called to order at 7:45 P.M. and the minutes from the previous meeting were read and approved.
Collegiate Initiatives. One of the more exciting developments in our community is the growing interest of area college students in the many benefits of cycling. For example, Anna Baeth, a Swarthmore College undergraduate, has formed the Chester Neighborhood Bike Works (“CNBW”). Housed on the third floor of the city’s YMCA, the CNBW “works to promote bicycling as an accessible transportation alternative.” And the Villanova University Cycling Team organized an alumni ride last fall and seeks to encourage more campus residents to ride their bikes.
At Haverford College, Parker, as Executive Director of the Center for Peace and Global Citizenship, described a series of upcoming events designed to advocate the use of the bicycle as transportation both on and off campus. These include the March 5th discussion “A Sustainable Transportation Future” lead by our own John Madera, a bike repair clinic hosted by Kevin Meehan, another DCCC member and co-owner of the M&M Two Wheelers bicycle shop, and a three-part classroom and on-road series entitled “Smart Cycling 101,” also lead by John. These programs will promote cycling to the student body and encourage the college’s professional and administrative staff, many of whom live not far from campus, to cycle to class or work.
Bike to Work Week/Day. This year’s celebration of the bicycle as an alternate means of transportation, sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists, will be held the week of May 11th. Louis Hufnagle, our new contact at the Delaware County Transportation Management Agency, will help coordinate the Media, PA event. The Committee discussed plans to host events at the Swarthmore (lead by Larry Green and Peter Schmidt) and Lansdowne (David) SEPTA stations. Haverford College also plans to host a Ride to Campus event, chaired by Claudia Kent. The Committee will coordinate the assembly of materials to hand out during these events.
East Coast Greenway. The Pennsylvania Committee for the East Coast Greenway (“ECG”) will hold a summit on March 27th. Members of state and local governments invited to attend the meeting, as well as the general public, will learn about the current status of the ECG. Venues considered for the summit include the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum (“John Heinz NWR”).
In addition to the summit, two planning meetings occurred in recent months. In the city of Chester, consultant Ray Ott led a review of the current plans for that community, including the possible purchase of a railroad right-of-way for off-road sections of the permanent greenway. David and Michael continue their work developing the temporary section of the ECG. In the borough of Trainer, improvements to Routes 13 and 291 and signage to include bicycle lanes, formed following the removal of some parking lanes, were discussed.
Chester Neighborhood Bike Works. The team at the CNBW plans to hold some teaching sessions this spring. And an on-road bike ride is planned for March. Members of the Delaware Valley Bicycle Club (“DVBC”) will help route the ride.
Darby Creek Greenway. David will help the Darby Creek Valley Association (“DCVA”) celebrate its 25th anniversary by leading a bicycle ride around the John Heinz NWR.
Environmental Summit at John Heinz NWR. The Delco Concerned Citizens for Environmental Change (“DCCEC”) with host its Fourth Annual Environmental Summit on Saturday, February 22nd. Speakers include Congressman Joe Sestak and State Representative Greg Vitali.
Chester Creek Branch Rail Trail. The Friends of the Chester Creek Branch held a community meeting on December 15th to review the latest results of the Phase I engineering study. At that meeting, the Friends explained that more funds are needed to complete the study.
Having completed our agenda items and half of the pizza, Dominick moved and Michael seconded for adjournment at 8:46 P.M.
Minutes respectfully submitted by Dominick Zuppo, Committee Secretary, on February 24, 2009.
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