Just a reminder…

Posted on August 6, 2010 by albemidji

As we are blessed with some beautiful weather this weekend and a fun event down by the water front (The Bemidji Dragon Boat Festival) I can’t help but notice the increased foot and bicycle traffic along with motor vehicle traffic. I love to see all of the locals and visitors out walking and biking because that is what we are working towards – a more walkable and bikeable community! However, I want you all to do it safely. So drivers, riders, and walkers all listen up for just a few tips to keep you all a little more safe:

  1. Motor vehicles must yield right of way to all pedestrians in a crosswalk at all times. I know you might be in a hurry or think that you’ll make the turn before they get to the end, but please just don’t try it. It’s terrifying for pedestrians.
  2. Bicyclists must act as a motor vehicle at all times. That means riding on the right side of the road with traffic (not against) and they must signal when making turns, changing lanes, and yes stopping. When brings me to my next point, stop signs. Because you are acting like a motor vehicle you must stop at all stop signs. I emphasize this because I see it happen way too often and I fear the day when I see an accident because of this carelessness. Bike signals
  3. Pedestrians, when walking on a road must walk against traffic (not with).
  4. If you are going to be riding bike at night wear bright clothing and have appropriate reflectors for your bike so you can be seen by drivers.
  5. Motor vehicles, (and I’m not picking on you here) but please recognize that you are not the only one’s out on the road. We all have a right to be out there walking, biking, and driving so lets try to do so harmoniously.

Enjoy the beautiful, fun weekend but do so safely. Give back to the environment and your health this weekend by walking or biking to the event instead of driving and trying to find a parking spot!

Have a great weekend!

 

Emily

Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Oh the troubles we face…

Posted on August 4, 2010 by albemidji

Today I came to the office and wanted to do something for Active Living. But what? I had hit a creative barrier. I was struggling to come up with a plan and then it hit me. I could take my creative barrier and use it to find a real barrier or unsafe area in Bemidji that might prevent a person from leading an active lifestyle.
Within about half an hour of hopping on my bike in downtown Bemidji I came across a section of sidewalk in the Irvingboro development area, on the shore of Lake Irving, which was in rough shape. As you can see in the picture the sidewalk is extremely uneven and overgrown with plants. The section of concrete that I was standing on when I took this picture was actually so crooked that my bike tipped right over onto the grass despite the kickstand.

This stretch is only about 50 feet long and the rest of the sidewalk and the road seemed to be in good condition.
If you look closely you can see lots of black specs on the sidewalk. Those are all goose droppings. This is something that absolutely no one, except maybe the geese, can control but it still contributes to a slippery and unhygienic sidewalk.
I thought this area was unsafe because if a person is out for an evening walk or on roller blades they may not see the uneven pavement. With sidewalks like this it can be difficult to get out and enjoy a neighborhood like Irvingboro without worrying about misplacing a foot and falling.
Overall I would rate this particular sidewalk as “unsafe” and in need of improvement. Without fixing this area this is a somewhat unappealing area to recreate in.

Dan Schueppert
 

Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Getting Physically Active: Let’s do it for the Kids!

Posted on August 2, 2010 by albemidji

Some random rants of the day…..

Multiple levels of synergy exist between health (physical and mental) and physical activity. A competing synergy also exists with the motor vehicle and transportation infrastructure. With only 2.2% of all Minnesota Transportation funding going to support bicycle and pedestrian projects, the motor vehicle has developed into something of a social normality. A certain stigma has been developed against individuals who walk, utilize transit, and bicycle for transportation because they might get in the way while we are driving, take up space that could be used by a motor vehicle, etc. I believe this unfortunate stigma is a direct link to our obesity and chronic health disease epidemic. Many cities are centered around the usage of a motor vehicle with many key destinations too far away for regular walking/biking. If walking and biking aren’t the safe, easy, accessible, and conveinant things to do – then they won’t be done. Finding a way to balance these issues is by promoting walking and bicycle events in your community such as Bike Bemidji and Simple Steps. Highlighting existing opportunities to be physically active in your community is a great way to educate the public. We do not want to TELL you that you need to be physically active, but just provide you with opportunities and let you decide what works best for you.  

So because of my previous correlation between infrastructure and physical activity, I would also like to discuss another; children and technology. We have entered into the Xbox/Playstation, computer, television centered era and children have begun to avoid the outdoors for indoor, stationary entertainent. Often pairing well with this stationary entertainment is not the nutritious of food.

I recently looked into a concept called Nature Deficit Disorder. This disorder is defined as a failure to develop a sense of connectedness with nature resulting from a lack of meaningful experiences with nature. This disorder often develops in children who are constantly indoors or inside motor vehicles. As noted by Paul K. Simpson, children who are deprived of contact with nature, begin to show deficits in motor and social skills as early as age 5. This is scary territory that we have entered into because of our actions. Children could potentially (and are) suffering physically and socially because of this disconnect with playing (physical activity) and the great outdoors. Our excellent Active Living Partners such as the City of Bemidji Parks and Recreation Department and Bike Bemidji are working together to offer some great opportunities for activity for kids such as World Wide Day of Play to be held this September. For only $5.00 you can bring your child down to the Bemidji Waterfront for fun and active event. There will bounce houses, bike rides, a bike parade with helmet decorating, interactive games, dance/fitness demos, many local businesses and so much more. This is an event you sure wont want to miss! Lets try to get the kids connected to the outdoors again with this fun event. Keep an eye out as the date gets closer for more information. I will post a list of activities for the day as it is confirmed.

Thanks for reading!

Emily

Leave a comment

What is Active Living?

Posted on July 28, 2010 by albemidji

Alright…lets back up. I think that we dove really quickly into blogging about our active living pursuits in the Bemidji Area and didn’t really take any time to explain what the heck active living is and why we are doing it. I’d like to use this blog to provide you with more information about what active living is and why we are so excited to be working on it.

What is Active Living?

"Active Living is a comprehensive approach to incorporating physical activity into daily routines."

So you’re probably asking yourself, what does that mean to me?

What this might mean to you is taking the stairs instead of the elevator, parking further away from stores for an extra walk, limiting the time you are spending on the couch with your kids and playing outdoors instead, biking or walking that 1-2 miles to the grocery store or work instead of driving your car, encouraging your children to walk or bike to school….and truly the list goes on. Any way you look at it physical activity can be incorporated into your daily life quite easily without even knowing it!

How did active living get started?

As part of an effort to encourage more physical activity, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota selected eight Minnesota communities to receive its Active Living Minnesota funding. The Bemidji Area was one of the selcted communites with HRDC (Headwaters Regional Development Commission) being the project lead. Blue Cross Blue Shield is supporting communities working to implement a comprehensive approach to support active living with a focus on environmental and policy change efforts.

Active Living Bemidji Vision

(When we look back in 20 years this is what we hope to see)

Through deliberate, collective action, Bemidji will be a place:

  • where there exists a mutual respect among all modes of transportation
  • that has been recognized nationally as a healthy place to live
  • that is as accessible for bicyclists and pedestrians as it is for motor vehicles
  • where physical activity is safe, easy, accessible, and a common occurence for residents
  • that has strong connections – allowing people to comfotably navigate to and from destinations in the community
  • where children can safely walk and bicycle to school

Why Bemidji?

Bemidji is popular place to live and visit because of such amenities as a walkable downtown, access to natural resources, and high quality parks and trails. Creating a community that is truly active living friendly will only add to the charm of Bemidji.

While bemidji boasts high quality natural resources, parks, and trails, there is also a general consensus among individuals and groups that there is a lack of safe connections between destinations. Two notable concerns include safety for children walking to area schools and crossing Highway 197.

Policy is major component of the active living initiative. Policy development will be critical to achieving sustainable change.

What we’ve been up to

The HRDC has made significant progress on active living over the past year. This whole effort started in the Bemidji Area with a robust planning process and is now in the first of four years of implementation. It has been exciting to see real change as people start to incorporate physical activity into their daily lives. There has been an ever-increasing "buzz" in the community around health, wellness and physical activity.

Successes!

With the help of our dedicated Active Living Bemidji Partnership, many real things have been accomplished:

  • Share the Road Signage along key routes
  • Active Living Bemidji Website
  • Social Media (Blogging, Facebook, Twitter)
  • Programs and Promotions (Simple Steps Bemidji, Passport for Fitness, Bike Bemidji events)

Lessons learned from both successes and challenges throughout the first year of implementation have been invaluable. These new skills have helped us completely rethink the traditional approach to transportation planning.

I hope that this provided you with a little bit of information of what active living is and why this initiative is so important in our community. If you would like more detailed information about Active Living Bemidji or view our comprehensive document please visit our website.

Thanks for reading!

 

Emily

           ebrooks@hrdc.org

 

 

 

Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Active Transportation Challenge (Update 5 of 15)

Posted on July 26, 2010 by albemidji

Diamond Point Park is truly a gem for the City of Bemidji. One of the really nice things about the park is that is is extremely accessible for bicyclists. The City of Bemidji built a trail last year using Federal Transportation Enhancement Funds connecting the waterfront (Paul and Babe) and Diamond Point Park. I’m not sure if there is a better place to be on a nice summer day in the City of Bemidji. There are all sorts of things to do in Diamond Point Park. Check out the City of Bemidji Parks and Recreation Website OR Become a Fan of Bemidji Parks and Recreation on Facebook for more information about events at Diamond Point Park and other parks in the City.

I often enjoy bicycling to the park with Helga to let her run around for awhile. There are almost always other dogs there, so she has a good time too!

 

Matthew Dyrdahl
mdyrdahl@hrdc.org
 

Leave a comment

Have the intern do it (3/3)

Posted on July 26, 2010 by albemidji

**For those of you who may not have had a chance to read our previous blogs- let me catch you up. We challenged our summer intern to the task of utilizing our NEW Lake Bemidji Bicycle and Pedestrian Route Map to navigate his way around the lake and record his experiences utilizing the map, struggles with the trail, interesting sites, etc. This is the finale to his experience. I hope you enjoy it!**

 

Hey folks, this will be my last post about my trip around Lake Bemidji. I’ve only had three posts but I still hope that my small contribution to the Active Living Blog leaves you interested in the Bemidji area trails. Maybe my trilogy will even incline you to make your own trip around the lake.
Last week I left off at the entrance to the State Park. The trail in the park is an absolutely beautiful ride. The paved multi-use path was in great condition and there were even a few informational signs along the way marking historic sites.


………………………………………….
Instead of following the main road out of the park I opted for a partially paved route through the woods – I’d highly suggest it to anyone feeling adventurous. To find this little gem you need to hug the path along the lake, and look for a path that goes up a hill only a few feet from the lake. This route is a little more physically demanding than the rest of the Paul Bunyan Trail but if you’re walking or using a bicycle with gears it shouldn’t be any trouble.
If you take this path you’ll come out of the park across from the Bemidji Country Club and Golf Course.
Keep an eye out for traffic before crossing the road to get on the right side shoulder. Traffic tends to move fast. Not to mention that someone appearing out of the woods might be a little unexpected for most drivers!


The trail exit near the Country Club is the last of the true trail. From here on out I found myself using the wide shoulders of the roads suggested by the Active Living Map.
I stopped off at the newly renovated Diamond Point Park to use the restroom and refill my water bottle at the drinking fountain. If you have time, the chairs here are a comfortable vantage point to check out how far you’ve biked. Honestly I wasn’t sure if I had it in me to make it the whole way around but by the time I reached Diamond Point I was thoroughly satisfied. My only regret was that I didn’t bring my swimming suit so I could take a swim afterwards.

Here’s the view I saw before heading back the Active Living headquarters at the HRDC. The picture is a little dark, but from one tired intern’s perspective on the park’s lounge chairs it was an acceptable compromise for a few minutes rest.
I would like to continue writing about my bicycling adventures but my trilogy must come to an end. Personally, I’ve developed a new respect for the importance of staying active because of this challenge.

 


Dan Schueppert

"The Intern"

 

Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bicycle Myths, Busted!

Posted on July 23, 2010 by albemidji

There are a lot of great reasons to ride your bike (or even spend the money to buy one) some include:
-Cost efficiency
-Active transportation
-Exercise
-Reducing stress
-Reducing environmental pullutants
-and the list goes on!

We like to encourage as many people as possible to use their bicycles not only as a form of exercise and recreation but also as a from of active transporation to school, work, grocery shopping, etc. I would like to share with you some common bicycle myths (or excuses) that many people have for not riding a bike. Enjoy!

 

Myth 1: Biking requires too much gear
Busted: All that you really need for biking is a bike, helmet, and yourself. All of the fancy bicycle equipment is nice to have, but not always a necessity for all riders. If you are worried about the cost of a helmet, try attending one of our upcoming FREE Bike Bemidji events and get fitted for a little to no cost helmet.

Myth 2: It’s too costly to buy a bike
Busted: Buying a bike is actually far cheaper than owning a operating a motor vehicle. Think about it, a bike doesn’t need gas, oil changes, parking passes, and requires less expensive maintenance.

Myth 3: Biking takes too long
Busted: Biking does require a little extra time and planning, however, it might actually take less time to bike then it does drive depeding on traffic. And biking comes with an added bonus…you burn calories!

Myth 4: Biking is dangerous
Busted: Acting like a driver, being predictable, wearing a helmet, wearing bright colored clothes, being aware of your surrounding, anticipating driver behavior, making eye contact with drivers, signaling, and following traffic rules will all help improve your safety. The league of American Bicyclists

Myth 5: I don’t know how to maintain my bike
Busted: Your not alone! Many people don’t, but the skills required to do so are very easy to learn. There are many online how to videos and bike education courses that can help with this problem. If you’d rather have someone else do it we have some great resources in our area such as the Homeplace Bike and Ski Shop and the Bike Guy.

Myth 6: I’m too out of shape to ride
Busted: Riding will help you get back into shape! The great thing about biking is that it requires little exertion to keep you moving. The average person walks about 3mph when a bicyclists averages 10mph with half the work needed. In the beginning you may need to walk you bike up hills, but as your biking skills are polished you will be riding up hills in no time! You should check with your Doctor first before any activity to make sure it is right for you!

Myth 7: It’s too far to commute to work
Busted: Easy fix. Try riding one way and then taking transit home or catching a ride with someone and vice versa. You could also purchase a bike rack for your car (I’ve seen them as low at $39.99) and drive in to town, park your car, and ride your bike in to work the rest of the way.
 

Myth 8: I’ll get sweaty
Busted: Unfortunately this one is somewhat unavoidable, but you can ride slower to avoid excessive perspiration or ride in the morning when it is cooler. Usually when riding you’ll catch a nice breeze to cool you down (especially when riding the trail around Lake Bemidji. Map

Myth 9: My work clothes will get sweaty and wrinkled.
Busted: If you are using your bike to commute to work I suggest bringing a seperate change of clothes along or installing a clothes rack in your office to keep work clothes at work and avoid those nasty wrinkles.


Myth 10: There is no bicycle parking at my work
Busted: If there isn’t any bicycle parking, try stashing your bike in your office or a storage closet and encourage your boss to purchase a bike rack.

 

Trouble finding extra funds to purchase a bike? Contact Diane with Shifting Gears Bicycles, a local non-profit bicycle restoration business that helps to get people on nice bikes for little cost! pitdi@paulbunyan.net

 

Thanks for reading! Have a great weekend!

Emily Brooks
               ebrooks@hrdc.org

 

Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Danger! Pedestrian Crossing

Posted on July 20, 2010 by albemidji

 

 

Why our efforts are so important

As we pursue lasting policy in support of Active Living in the Bemidji Area a few instances have made it clear to me why our efforts are so important.

We often discuss the concepts and policies of "Complete Streets" and equitable transportation in many of our Active Living Partnership meeting and I begin to wonder if people truely see the severity of the probles associated with transportation design and poor driving. The odds are clearly stacked against pedestrians and bicyclists with only 2.2 percent of Federal Transportation funding going to support pedestrian and bicycle projects in Minnesota. What this unequal distribution of funds really means is a lack of neccessary sidewalks, pedestrian and bicycle signage, bike lanes, marked crosswalks, and overall safety.

I ran across a news article today that left me stunned, but also reinforces what we are trying to accomplish through our active living efforts. The title of the article, "Cyclists death spurs renewed push for a "Complete Streets" policy in Huntsville. Bicyclist Sharon Bayler, 52, died after her bicycle was struck by a pickup in May 2010. Sharon’s tragic death came only a month after her husband’s death who was also killed while bicycling. The driver who stuck Bayler reported no seeing her when he rounded the curve behind her.

It is a sad but true reality that these accidents happen when most could be prevented with adequate amenities for bicyclists/pedestrians and education about the rules of the road for motorists and bicyclists/pedestrians.

Another Incidence

Today while coming back from my lunch break I noticed an elderly man waiting to cross the street at the stoplight. The light turned green which alterted the the gentleman that is was safe to walk and alerted the driver who was waiting to take a right turn that they could both do so. The elderly gentleman began crossing and the car abruptly took off nearly striking him. The man had to quickly jump backwards to avoid the car. As the driver sped off I asked myself the question, "If a pedestrian can’t feel safe in a crosswalk, where should they feel safe?"

Just a refresher course. If you are waiting to turn left or right at a stop light or stop sign, you must ALWAYS yield right of way to any pedestrians in the crosswalk no matter what.

The Takeaway

-In 2008, 25 pedestrians in Minnesota were killed and 867 were injured.

-The most commonly cited contributing factors to pedestrian crashes are inattention and failure to yield right of way.

So as you get into your car, or on your bike, or walk home today I hope that you think about these two stories and consider these two questions:

1) Look at the road you are on, would you feel safe here as a pedestrian, bicyclists, and a motor vehicle? If not, why? What could be improved? (Please feel free to write in on what road you are on)

2) If you could change one thing in Bemidji pertaining to safety for all modes of transportation, what would it be?

I would really enjoy hearing from some of you and look forward to hearing some of your ideas that you may have. Please feel free to send me an email at ebrooks@hrdc.org.

For more information:

www.completestreets.org

www.sharetheroadmn.org

www.mn2020.org

Emily

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Trail Wayfinding: Utilizing the Lake Bemidji Bicycle and Pedestrian Route Map

Posted on July 7, 2010 by albemidji

Trail Wayfinding: Utilizing the Lake Bemidji Bicycle and Pedestrian Route Map

Have the intern do it! Part 2/3

This is Dan Schueppert reporting in on the next installment of my three part series. For those that may not have seen my previous blog post, I was challenged to bicycle around Lake Bemidji using only the new Active Living Pedestrian and Bicycle Route Map to find my way.

For most of the ride I was on the Paul Bunyan Trail. It’s a paved multi-use path lined with trees and sided by Lake Bemidji. With the exception of a few roads and driveways this leg of the trail is virtually uninterrupted. While I was biking I realized that Bemidji has really come a long way since I graduated from BHS in ’07. It’s still the same pleasant town that i grew up in; the difference is now that with all the new opportunities (like new bike routes) I feel drawn to the areas for reasons beyond it being my hometown.

While you’re on the Paul Bunyan Trail it’s easy to forget that even as pedestrians, bicyclists, or roller bladders that we need to be aware of other poeple and animals, along the trail. I actually found it a little tough not to lose myself in the natural beauty of the ride at some places. In my case, I was reminded of how important it is to be aware of my surroundings when I was startled by some movement in a field and almost went face first into a bush. Without even noticing it, I had come across a group of whitetail deer not more than 50 years from the trail head. I was fast enough to snap a picture of one before it ran away.

As I made my way towards the north end of the lake I came across this intersection in the pucture. If you’re planing a bike or jog around Lake Bemidji keep an eye out for this spot. I had some trouble matching this trail offshoot with the route on the map. If you plan on going around the lake I would suggest you take this turn or you might end up on a narrow shoulder lane of Birchmont Beach Road instead of scenic trail through the Lake Bemidji State Park.
Thanks for reading. I will be posting the final chapter of the trilogy next week.

 

Dan Schueppert

Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Driving the wrong way down a one-way road…

Posted on June 29, 2010 by albemidji

Active Transportation Challenge: (Update 4 of 15)
 

Driving the wrong way down a one-way road…I was driving my car (I know, I know – I’m supposed to be biking) a few days ago when all-of-a-sudden a car turned south bound into a one way northbound lane (known as the “one way pairs”, just south of the downtown core). This was a fairly eye opening experience. Everyone driving north immediately reacted by braking and/or moving over to the right lane. My guess is that the confused driver was likely a visitor to Bemidji and got mixed up briefly.

It seems fairly reasonable to assume that nearly everybody understands the basic motor vehicle laws, such as driving on the right side of the road…but what about bicycling? Would people have the same reaction if the vehicle described above was a bicycle?

Probably not…

So this brings me to the point of this blog: there are fairly clear expectations and laws for bicyclists too! You can decrease the chances of a crash or a confusing encounter by considering two concepts: Share-the-Road and Share-the-Trail.

Share-the-Road
The website www.sharetheroadmn.org outlines eight “Rules of the Road” that can help save lives by helping people understand how to bicycle on the road safely. Knowing these rules could also help you avoid a crash by understanding how bicyclists ought to behave – even if you don’t own a bicycle.

1) Bicyclists may ride on all Minnesota roads, except where restricted
2) Bicyclists should ride on the road, and must ride in the same direction as traffic
3) Motorists must at all times maintain a three-foot clearance when passing a bicyclist
4) Bicyclists must obey all traffic control signs and signals, just as motorists
5) Motorists and bicyclists must yield the right-of-way to each other
6) Bicyclist must signal their turns and should ride in a predictably manner
7) Bicyclists must use a headlight and rear reflectors when it’s dark – to increase visibility, add a rear flashing light
8) Bicyclists should always wear helmets

Share the Trail

Share the Trail rules help maintain order on multi-use trails. The following are rules to follow when bicycling, rollerblading, jogging, etc. on area multi-use trails:

1) Stay on the designated trail
2) Be sure to wear a helmet
3) Keep to the right so others can pass
4) Keep all pets on leashes
5) Pack out all garbage and litter
6) Respect adjoining landowners rights and privacy
7) Warn other trail users when passing by giving an audible signal

Hopefully one day drivers of cars and bicycylists will be equally as shocked when a bicyclist turns the wrong way on a one way road as I was the other day when a car did…

Matthew Dyrdahl
                 mdyrdahl@hrdc.org

 

 

Tagged , , | Leave a comment