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City Council candidate Tim Leigh working to install 'Sharrows' on city's streets
(As of this posting, Colorado Springs City Council candidate Tim Leigh said he has commitments to purchase 74 Sharrows. He's looking for funds for 125 more and he needs your help.)
From Tim Leigh
I have written on numerous occasions that we need to take action (no more studies on this, please!) to start changing the culture in Colorado Springs so that it will naturally attract a young, creative class. To that point, I have a specific idea that we should immediately implement which could be a one of those catalysts for change.
I have been working with Nick Kittle, the Public Works Team Leader for the City on a program I call REIMAGINE Bike Lanes. Essentially, what I propose is that “auto drivers begin to culturally recognize and cooperatively share roadways with cyclists”.
And, I have an immediately-actionable, specific 1st route in mind: the round trip from Memorial Park to Manitou Springs. The shared roadway (branded as a Shareway) would be Pikes Peak Avenue & Colorado Avenue. (Starting at Union Boulevard, go west on Pikes Peak through the downtown to Cascade Avenue; then south to Colorado Avenue; then west on Colorado Avenue to Manitou Springs, to their west-end roundabout and back.) This is a low cost, simple idea that would make a huge statement about our community’s renewing cultural attitude.
Implementation is simple; we stamp the roadway with a stencil called a Sharrow Marking. A Sharrow Marking (Sharrow) is a 3 ½ feet X 8 feet road stencil that indicates a bike lane. Sharrows guide cyclists traveling along a “shared use travel lane” and reminds drivers to expect cyclists in the shared-use-travel-lane. Sharrows tell drivers they must wait for a safe opportunity or until an adjacent lane is available for passing. The point is, cars safely share-the-lane with cyclists and yield to cyclists who are in the shared lane. In this case, the shared-lane would be the outside lane (the lane next to the parked cars) going in each direction.
Forward looking cities across the globe have implemented programs like I’m describing. For example - Arlington, Va.; Boulder, Cambridge, Mass.; Denver, Ft. Collins, Brisbane, Australia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Paris, France; San Francisco, Calif.; Portland, Ore.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; and even, little Grand Forks, N.D.!
But, as energizing as this idea is, I have a problem with implementation and I need your help. There’s a nominal cost for this pilot program; there is a nominal cost to purchase individual Sharrows - $106 each plus installation.
To fully mark the shared-roadway from Union Boulevard to Manitou Springs we need to purchase 199 Sharrows – ergo, we need to raise $21,094. (In the manner of a true public/private partnership I have worked-out a deal with the city who will contribute nearly $18,000 in labor, equipment and materials to install the Sharrows - and will do so as soon as our order arrives.)
Our part is simple – we need to raise $21,094 to purchase the Sharrows! When we’ve done our part the city will do their part; they’ll handle the installation, and we’ll have made a powerful statement. Hoff & Leigh has committed to buying the 1st Sharrow. I have several other partners already. Will you help? Connect with me today.
By the way, this ain’t rocket science. 199 partners at $106 solves the problem; or someone with $5,000 or $10,000 or full-funding from any organization; anyone with a vested interest in cycling who would love to see the Quizno’s guys riding this route, or the USOC guys riding this route, or the myriad recreational riders riding this route, specifically folks visiting and staying at downtown lodging for example, or the guys who collect at Starbuck’s on Sunday for their weekly ride, or any cycling enthusiast. We need to take action today!
If we answer this call for a quick raise we can have this cycle route operational in 60 days!
This is how vision becomes reality! This is how we change the culture in our city!
Here is how you can help.
1. Send this information to all of your cycling friends.
2. Send your contribution to: Tim Leigh at: Shareway Project, Tim Leigh, 4445 Northpark Drive, Suite 200 Colorado Springs, Colo. 80907
Views: 412
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jon Severson on
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April,
When we do fundraisers out of the goodness of our heart we don't really have a lot of funds, read zero, to make up signs or be big city fundraiser organized. This event was a last minute effort thanks to the fact McCabes' loves cycling, we love cycling, and there was the Paris-Roubaix on that night which led us to tie it all in on a week's notice...there was no budget for even a $50 sign (which BTW is about what the cheapest option for such costs). We had planned to have a mock up there on site but alas it was delayed. Kinda how it goes sometimes. It's not always easy to go as planned.
Big part of last Sunday, which had one of the largest turnouts we had for such, was the awareness. 10% of sales went to the Sharrow project and all in all....a success. Sorry you felt like you were crashing a party, but don't worry in the world of cycling...when there is beer involved everyone is welcome!! :) (Think Allen can attest to that).
As far as the "Creative Class"....fear not, Colorado Springs Young Professionals (2400 member strong) is planning a fundraiser so should you be part of that 20/30 something demographic that will be a bit more organized and planned a bit further out. Join the Facebook group for Colorado Springs Young Professionals to be kept up to date on such. We'll be sharing on the Front Range Cyclist FB page and the FRC Website when we have time in our busy days to finish it. :)-Jon Severson
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Permalink Reply by April on
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Hi Allen - I appreciate the information on the public awareness campaign, but I want to be clear that my comments were not about public education but were instead, at least to a some degree, about connection with the community, which are two very different things. It's similar I guess to the difference between demanding respect and earning it in this case. The fundraiser (and events of that sort) are great opportunities to put human faces to the project, sign up advocates and volunteers, RAISE MONEY, and form bonds that translate into action. Those types of opportunities - lost in this case - cannot be replaced with one-directional information campaigns.
If you plan events of this variety, please alert on this forum. I would love to help out in some way.
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Hi Jon - I also appreciate your response and look forward to more events advocating this cause! And I can help you out with that sign making...Michael's sells poster board for about $1.50 a sheet. Maybe you already have a marker? If anyone were to scoff at your homemade and cost-saving approach, let me have a word with them! :-) But I doubt that would be the case here in our down-to-earth town. And, while I appreciate the "everyone is welcome" attitude, nothing says "don't bug us" like sitting at the back of the bar (which I assume is where all this great turnout was?). There were about 40 empty spots right up at the front of the place when we got there around 4:30pm. Just sayin'...
Jon Severson said:
April,
When we do fundraisers out of the goodness of our heart we don't really have a lot of funds, read zero, to make up signs or be big city fundraiser organized. This event was a last minute effort thanks to the fact McCabes' loves cycling, we love cycling, and there was the Paris-Roubaix on that night which led us to tie it all in on a week's notice...there was no budget for even a $50 sign (which BTW is about what the cheapest option for such costs). We had planned to have a mock up there on site but alas it was delayed. Kinda how it goes sometimes. It's not always easy to go as planned.
Big part of last Sunday, which had one of the largest turnouts we had for such, was the awareness. 10% of sales went to the Sharrow project and all in all....a success. Sorry you felt like you were crashing a party, but don't worry in the world of cycling...when there is beer involved everyone is welcome!! :) (Think Allen can attest to that).
As far as the "Creative Class"....fear not, Colorado Springs Young Professionals (2400 member strong) is planning a fundraiser so should you be part of that 20/30 something demographic that will be a bit more organized and planned a bit further out. Join the Facebook group for Colorado Springs Young Professionals to be kept up to date on such. We'll be sharing on the Front Range Cyclist FB page and the FRC Website when we have time in our busy days to finish it. :)-Jon Severson
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April,
Not everyone was at the back of the bar, we had a 3-4 tables of people at least up by the front TV as well.
Sent you an add request, send me a message and let's sit down and talk sometime. We definetly can always use more help with such things. But my every day work I barely get to see friends and not even in Colorado Springs much...even going to Michael's for posterboard is not only something I don't think of...but simply don't have time to even do it. Plus if you see my hand writing....probably a bad idea. LOL. I created the fundraiser because for me, the basics like that on short notice are easy...I know Greg well and he's probably the most supportive cycling biz outside the bike biz in town. It was basically one talk with Tim on the phone, one text message to Greg, then post away while on a conference call and done. Love to have you on to help with other projects down the road. We have had a few people reach out to help over last few weeks on things like this and the Colorado Springs Cruisers (which is at McCabes every Tuesday starting next month), and be happy to let you have some creative freedom in helping out. In the end, it's all the number of hands you can get on deck.
-Jon
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Permalink Reply by Allen Beauchamp on
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I think everyone reading this would agree.
April is hired! Thank you April for your up front willingness to be a part of it all. I agree, it is about a connected community and Colorado Springs is definitely lacking in this regards on so many fronts.
We do have an amazing cycling community and many of us are working to bring it together. It's a long-term project and anything that you can see that would help in that respect, please do not hesitate to bring it to the attention via PikesPeakSports, a great clearing house for ideas.
My info on the education campaign were directly solely at the sharrow project which is ongoing. It is being approached by the city, several volunteer groups and non-profits. I know that we will end up with a great product in the end that will have an impact city-wide, there are a lot of passionate people giving of their time and energy towards it.
You should meet my wife CeCe, she is the queen of homemade signage that rocks...you seem to share the same amazing creative side. I'm "the hanger" :)
Thanks for the discussion, it's going to be great summer!
Allen
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Yeah, we were chatting with some people who sat down near us once the race coverage began. No one ever mentioned the Sharrow project and we just assumed by the nature of the conversation that they were just cycling enthusiasts there for the show. Just FYI we took up the whole long table (with the bench) that was closest to the large TV in the front. 6 adults + 2 kids. I hope at least that our food purchases went toward the event! But like I mentioned, there was no one identifiable to give what was, collectively, our $318 dollars to. 50 people at a bar look like...50 people at a bar. And that's really my point, here, not to say you should have thrown a black tie affair! :-)
Jon Severson said:April,
Not everyone was at the back of the bar, we had a 3-4 tables of people at least up by the front TV as well.
Sent you an add request, send me a message and let's sit down and talk sometime. We definetly can always use more help with such things. But my every day work I barely get to see friends and not even in Colorado Springs much...even going to Michael's for posterboard is not only something I don't think of...but simply don't have time to even do it. Plus if you see my hand writing....probably a bad idea. LOL. I created the fundraiser because for me, the basics like that on short notice are easy...I know Greg well and he's probably the most supportive cycling biz outside the bike biz in town. It was basically one talk with Tim on the phone, one text message to Greg, then post away while on a conference call and done. Love to have you on to help with other projects down the road. We have had a few people reach out to help over last few weeks on things like this and the Colorado Springs Cruisers (which is at McCabes every Tuesday starting next month), and be happy to let you have some creative freedom in helping out. In the end, it's all the number of hands you can get on deck.
-Jon
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Permalink Reply by Tim Bergsten on
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Just want to say thanks to all for using PikesPeakSports.us for this discussion. This is one of the reasons why we created the site.
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Thanks Jon and Allen for the insights and feedback. I appreciate the time you've taken to respond to my comments. (And thanks to Tim, et al, for the forum!) I'm happy to help out however possibly including make signs :-) although my handwriting might be comparable to Jon's. I'll send a separate note with email, etc. for whatever volunteer list you have.
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