PSP Rides to Second Place in
Valley Bike Month Challenge
 

Our friends at Valley Metro like bikes all the time, but they throw us extra love in April and call it Valley Bike Month. Intended for commuters in Maricopa County, Valley Bike Month is special because all bike trips count toward prizes – not just rides to and from work. In addition to supporting events all over the Valley, there are extra contests and a Valley Bike Month exclusive challenge over at ShareTheRide.com.

The Phoenix Spokes People team was in second place with 373 recorded trips as of the writing of this article. The ZolaCoasters blew past all the teams with 620 recorded trips among their 11-person team. All together, the 32 participating teams logged over 28,000 miles. And that's only from 217 participants. Just think what we could achieve next year with more participants and better bike infrastructure! Onward!

SURVEY:

Tell Maricopa County
Biking is Good for You! 

The 2023 Maricopa County Community Health Assessment Survey is out and has several key questions related to safe areas to bike, walk or use alternative transportation.

Some questions have additional boxes for you to add information or, ahem, perhaps wax rhapsodic about how safe bicycle routes can elevate an entire community's overall health and well-being. This is a great opportunity for impactful advocacy since these surveys directly impact how the county, state, and even federal government allocates funding.

We strongly urge you to take this important survey and leverage this opportunity to share how and why access to safe biking, walking, and alternative transportation is important to you. 

Phoenix is looking to expand light rail service from downtown to the Arizona State Capitol and we need you to attend the meeting and share your thoughts about it.

Attend the meeting on Saturday, May 13, at 10 a.m. You can attend in person at the Neighborhood Ministries in Building G, located at 1918 W. Van Buren Street. If you can’t make the meeting, submit a comment online until May 30 at valleymetro.org/capex.

It’s important to ensure the city keeps cyclists in mind when it determines its lane configuration and new stop locations with any new project. After all, biking to the light rail is one of the best ways to get around.
 

Valley Bike Month 
Second Saturday Ride
 

Ah, Saturday. No better day to rise and ride! Specifically, ride on over to Short Leash Hot Dogs, located at 4221 N. 7th Ave., for our Second Saturday Ride on May 13th. 

We'll meet at 8 a.m., have coffee and/or a doughnut, and maybe a drink if that's your thing. We roll about 9 a.m.-ish. 

We'll take a short ride around town where no one gets left behind and all fitness levels are welcome.

Then it's back to Short Leash Hot Dogs where most of us grab a bite, have a drink, and hang out for a while.

We'd like to give a shout-out to Short Leash Hot Dogs, who aren't officially open until 9 a.m. but accommodate us every month. Even if you can't make the PSP ride, do yourself a favor and stop by this great restaurant. This wonderful local business supports our cycling community so let's return the favor.

See more on our Facebook page.

Tempe Bicycle Action Group
Needs Your Support! 
 

Our friends in neighboring Tempe, the Tempe Bicycle Action Group, are advocating for several important projects and would welcome your support. Head over to their website for current project updates and advocacy opportunities. 

Currently, the group is excited about the recently-approved Reflector BIKEiT route that was recently approved and entering its design phase. 

The 3.5-mile route will start roughly at Warner Road, near the ASU Research Campus. It will then go all the way to the US-60 bike/pedestrian bridge. The project calls for a slew of bicycle safety infrastructure ranging from protected bike lanes to raised medians. 

Be sure to check out TBAG's website regularly for more updates and advocacy. We're all in this together! 

Vote for our new Board at the
May Public Meeting
 

Phoenix Spokes People will hold elections for our new Board of Directors this month! We're so excited about the 11 nominations we’ve received! All are talented individuals ready to help make Phoenix a better place to ride a bike -- learn who they are here. PSP members will receive a separate e-mail with the link to our Google voting form. The voting deadline is Friday, May 26th at 11:59 p.m. 

It's too late to run for an open seat, but it's not too late to become a member and vote.

Or, just join us at our May 23^rd online meeting! It's at 10 a.m. and you can join with this Google Meet link. 

Why Can't We Do That?!

Buses Don’t Just Move People,
They Can Fight Climate Change 
 

A recent article in Scientific American made an excellent case for how the maligned bus could be a hero in the fight against climate change…if the buses are electric, reliable, and have short layovers (or headway) for transfers. Oh, and if people actually rode them.

That may sound like an EPA wish list, but the article cites a successful example: Seattle. When the city experienced profound growth and the inevitable increase in traffic congestion, it addressed the issue by expanding its King County bus service. Downtown traffic decreased by 10 percent and effectively cut emissions in the process, too.

Why can’t we do that? The answer lies less in infrastructure and funding (though yes, those are important) and more in bus ridership’s PR problem. In some cities here and in many across Europe, riding the bus is a very average-person-thing-to-do. Excellent bus service is considered critical infrastructure.

Here in America, and especially in cities like Phoenix, riding the bus is perceived as what people with no other choice have to do. To be fair, that is frequently the case, particularly for those with disabilities or who can't afford a car. 

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Buses could be a public luxury. When done correctly, more people will ride the bus even if they have a vehicle available to them. It’s time Phoenix started viewing cities like Seattle as an example to be followed, not the exception to the rule.

Vision Zero Subcommittee Holds First Meeting

 

Last month, on April 20, the Phoenix Vision Zero subcommittee held its first meeting. Obviously, Phoenix Spokes People attended to ask questions, advocate for actual action and learn more about how the city of Phoenix plans to implement this key component of its Road Safety Action Plan.

It’s fair to say we have some concerns. It’s clear the committee members are mainly concerned Phoenicians who sincerely want to see better, safer travel options for all road users.

However, we worry there could be an over-emphasis on community action and studies. To be clear, PSP is all about advocacy and well-informed, data-driven decisions. However, there comes a time when the rubber hits the road (literally, in our case). We need the Road Safety Action Plan to be just that – a plan for tangible, real-world action. That means installing protected bike lanes, implementing changes to traffic signals and crosswalks, and making the changes necessary to protect all road users.

Further, subcommittee meetings are scheduled to be quarterly. We're skeptical of how much infrastructure change can really occur with only four meetings a year. We would prefer the Vision Zero subcommittee meet monthly. This would keep up the momentum and perhaps spur more infrastructure improvements. 

We urge you to attend every Vision Zero subcommittee meeting and encourage city leaders to take concrete action in implementing this crucial (and already funded) component of the Road Safety Action Plan. We’ll certainly be there and hope you join us.

Become a PSP Member

• A fan of friendly, casual bike events? 
• Wanting better bicycle infrastructure and safer streets? 
• Looking for fun, impactful volunteer activities?