Every Bicycle Counts Report

The League of American Bicyclists have released a new report detailing fatal traffic crashes that involved a bicycle across the nation over the course of a year. The results include a breakdown of collision type and the charges the driver had to face, as well as a Call to Action for the U.S. DOT to make biking and walking a safe mode of transportation.

Find the report and the link to take action here: http://bikeleague.org/content/new-report-every-bicyclist-counts

"Walking School Buses" Fight Childhood Obesity and Improve Attendance

Walking School Buses are catching on across the country. Led by a parent volunteer, these programs give kids a safe opportunity to walk to school with their friends, while increasing their daily physical activity. CBS News recently published an article about nation-wide Walking School Buses here. You can learn more about local Walking School Buses at Helena's neighborhood schools by contacting our local Safe Routes to School program.

Recycle Your Cycle Community Bike Swap

The 4^th Annual Recycle Your Cycle Community Bike Swap on May 4th was a success! A fundraiser for Safe Routes to School, the swap is an opportunity for the community to sell and buy used bikes just in time for summer. Due to growing demand, this year the swap was moved to the Lewis & Clark County Fairgrounds 4H Building. This allowed more space for more bikes, as well as parts, gear, and clothing. The facility also provided shelter from iffy spring weather, which has been an issue for the swap in the past.

S.A.V.E.’s Transportation VISTA, Allison Batch, was the 2014 event chair. She notes, “We had a great turn out on both sides of the swap, of people selling and buying. With the new location and increased community outreach, we were able to sell almost five times as many bikes as last year. There’s a ton of community support in Helena for this event, and I think it will continue to grow every year.”

The swap brought in over $900 for Helena's Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program through consignment fees and donated items. The benefit was especially important this year, as SRTS was not awarded funding through MDT's Transportation Alternatives program, and these may be the only funds available to continue the SRTS program next year. Safe Routes to School promotes safe biking and walking for kids through educational materials, the Bike Walk to School Challenge, and holding bike rodeos for kids coordinated with the Bookmobile.

HATS Grant Funding Article in IR

This article in the IR details the second round grant funding received by Lewis & Clark County through the National Transit Planning 4 All Initiative. The grant will make it possible to hire three consultant teams to focus on four service areas in Helena Area Transit Service (HATS) operations, and make recommendations for sustainable future improvements to the service.
http://helenair.com/news/local/fed-funds-to-enable-bus-service-dialog-to-continue/article_d17aa99a-d8cf-11e3-8c11-0019bb2963f4.html

First Public Meeting for the Helena Area Long Range Transportation Plan

The first public meeting for the Helena Area Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) 2014 Update was held last night at the City County Building. There was a fairly good turn out, with 30-40 community members in attendance. The meeting began with a short presentation by the consultants for the LRTP on the process for writing the plan, then broke out into two separate work stations for motorized and non-motorized issues.

Some themes that emerged included issues with railroad crossings, unsafe bicycle crossings, public transit needs, and snow removal maintenance. Sidewalks, both maintenance and installation, were brought up in both the motorized and non-motorized sessions. Increasing connections into the North Valley were also discussed in both work stations.

The LRTP will be written by the end of the year, and will inform transportation decisions over the next ten years for the Helena Area. If you missed the public meeting, you can still give input by contacting the Project Manager, Jeff Key with Robert Peccia & Associates. There is also a Non-Motorized Survey being collected to gauge users of these modes. Find more information about the Plan at HelenaAreaLRTP.com.

Former S.A.V.E. VISTA working hard in Reno!

Matthew Cramer, S.A.V.E.'s previous Transportation VISTA, has continued his work in the multi-modal world with another VISTA project in Reno, NV. Serving with the Reno Bike Project, Matthew's project made the local paper for pairing bikes with people in need. Read the article here: http://www.rgj.com/story/life/2014/05/05/biggest-little-commuter-program-puts-people-road/8608913/