Last week, the Temple Alumni Review published a nice article about my focus on making bike maps.  I’ve gotten lots of comments from people that I didn’t know were connected to Temple University.  Thanks Temple Review!

Related to work, I’ve been busy in New Jersey, working on a revision of the Burlington County Map and the New Jersey State Bicycle Map.  Public input is really important on the state map, so we’ve developed a user input website that I’m pleased with.  It will allow registered users to download drafts, comment, and then upload them.  There’s also a google map wiki for people to place points like bike shops and challenging intersections into an online database.  When the website is given the “OK” to go live, I’ll post something here.

Coming up later this month, I’m very excited to do some exploration of a bicycle tour route from Philadelphia to Washington DC.  I’m planning a fully supported bike tour for the week of September 12, 2011.  The daily mileage will be about 45 miles, giving cyclists lots of time to stop and enjoy national parks and sites along the way.  Just researching this is going to be wonderful.  I’ll spend a few days trying to find the most scenic, calming country roads.

This coming weekend is Jenkintown’s Arts and Brew Fest.  This should be the best Jenkintown Festival ever, and I’m looking forward to it.  As President of the Jenkintown Community Alliance, I get to work with some great people.

Coming up in October, I’ll be speaking about designing bicycle maps at the North American Cartographic Information Society’s annual meeting.

Pennypack Creek, Huntingdon Valley

Serenity is going on a short bike ride along quiet roads, sitting by a rushing stream, picking wild raspberries, and somehow feeling like you’ve been transported out of a mad traffic culture. That was a week ago already.

Having a farmer’s market in Jenkintown is also a wonderful thing.

Today at the farmer’s market, I had a nice conversation with a maple syrup vendor from near Green Lane Reservoir.  We were talking about tapping trees for syrup, shale drilling, the Perkiomen Bike Trail, and the financial aspects of owning farm land three hours away from where you live.

I also talked with Judy, who with her Husband Ed and son Matt, drive wonderful produce from their farm (Herrcastle Farm) to Jenkintown from Southwestern Lancaster County on Wednesdays.  Today’s harvest was really great, and I bought several cartons of golden cherry tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, plums, raspberries, fresh corn,  cantaloupe, etc.

My daughters really like raw milk for some reason… and cookies.  I guess you can’t beat this combination.  They also like the arts activities set up by the Abington Arts Center and the flute and violin music (especially the flute) of Erik and Jane Petersons.  I enjoyed their music too.

Farmers markets are a growing trend.  At the same time, I think there needs to be greater certainty that people will buy the great produce that the farmers spent all day harvesting and then another day selling.  I think it would be nice to help these farmers link up with my daughter’s daycare or with the Abington Friends School or with the Abington Hospital.  These are all places where people are going every day to work or pick up their kids, and if customers can order a bunch of produce online and pick it up someplace they are going anyway, the farmers wouldn’t be subjected to the weather fluctuations that affect sales.  If someone is driving three and a half hours round trip, and they are providing a great service to us, I hope they are selling what they’ve grown.

As much as I like our farmers market and bike rides, my focus is on my next bike map.  I’ve been researching and analyzing state bike maps, and I plan to present useful rough concepts for the New Jersey State Bike Map in a couple of weeks.  This will be a starting point for discussion that I think will lead to a useful, compelling map.

Later, she rode her sister’s smaller bike and got a better sense of balance.  She could put both feet down on the ground so she wouldn’t fall over.  Another short video:  “Easy to put feet down” method.

Fear is the biggest challenge in learning to ride a bike.  Creating a situation of confidence, as opposed to a challenge, leads to a happier little cyclist.  And, along with this, more relaxed parents.

Thanks Phil. Sandi and I love the "Amazing Race"

I have so much to write about, and this is the really busy season for me.  Thanks are in order.

First, to Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz and Earl Blumenauer.  I’m excited to see my Congresswoman team up with the esteemed Congressman from Portland, Oregon.  Below is a link of me with Congressman Blumenauer after we talked about bicycling to Baltimore and his upcoming trip to Philadelphia (and Jenkintown, I hope)

Short Video of Steve and the Congressman

Next, is the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and the League of American Bicyclists.  Sarah Clark-Stuart did a fantastic job coordinating things in DC.

Alex Doty, Breen Goodwin, and Hans Van Naerssen (the new League President)

Thank you to the Maryland State Bicycle Coodinator, Michael Jackson, for giving me a reason to bike 50 miles between DC and Baltimore.

En route from DC to Baltimore (a 4 1/2 hr ride)

Here is a link to the route I took:

Thank you to Pennsylvania’s First Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator, Dave Bachman. Brian Sanders is the new Bike/Ped Coordinator. State Representative Rick Geist, from Altoona, presented Dave with a citation. He didn’t read the whole thing, but it probably says, “Dave, you’re a cool dude, and you did a great job” (in official-speak, of course). Dave did bike across the US one summer.

Rep. Rick Geist with Dave Bachman

Thanks to google for coming out with google maps for bicycling. I find it really useful. And I look forward to incorporating this into my projects.

Google maps team member demonstrating the new bicycle routing.

On March 1, My daughter Jessica and I are going to my cousin’s presentation in New York City. Here’s a video of my cousin David with Matt Lauer from last summer during the Olympics.

While I’m thinking of New York, I’ve got to register for the Five Borough Bike Ride this week.

Jeff Appeltans (and Lara) have been doing very cool things in Philadelphia when it comes to bicycling.  I probably met Jeff through the Bicycle Coalition or TimeCycle Couriers many years ago.  He’s always taken positive steps to promote bicycling in Philadelphia.

Some of the proceeds from the jerseys Jeff sells (above)  benefit Neighborhood Bike Works and the Philadelphia Mountain Biking Association.   These Jerseys and others are available at http://gocycling.com.

We were talking on the phone today and Jeff mentioned Big Al, Big Al’s website, bicyclebaby.com, and Big Al’s annual “Spring Classic” loop bicycle ride around Philadelphia that is coming up. The ride is modeled after Paris-Roubiax, hence the name “Spring Classic”.  Jeff said it has  actually been happening for over 20 years, maybe even 25!  Big Al lives here in Jenkintown and is forever taking photographs and bicycling around.

I sent Jeff a NE Pennsylvania Bicycle and Hiking Map the other day.  We had fun talking about Wayne County and all of the incredible bicycling there.  He’s researched this area extensively, and I spent a little time there this fall while field checking the map.  As Jeff talked me through his travels, I enjoyed hearing about his favorite roads between Hawley, PA and Hancock, NY.   Jeff also showed me a good alternate route to Bicycle PA Route Y that I’ll want to add to the Route Y Maps.

I also mentioned to Jeff, “You’ve got to meet Jim Sayer, the Executive Director of Adventure Cycling.”  And interestingly I found myself telling Jim a few hours later, “You’ve got to meet Jeff Appeltans at the National Bike Summit“.

Spring is a busy season.  Yesterday I just got copies of the Martin County, Florida map that I just updated.  Currently I’m working on edits to maps of the Delaware River Scenic Byway and of San Mateo County, FL.  Over the next couple of weeks Gerry and I will design maps for people to use in DC when they meet with their Congressional Representatives.  I may edit some maps in the Midwest, and I’ll be working on projects in New York.

About three dozen volunteers helped spread piles of gravel to repave the surface of the trail, filling mud holes and evening things out. Present were DRCC staff, members of the Local 30 Roofers Union, community members, and U.S. Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz. It took just over an hour to complete the task – about half the time expected. With shovels, rakes, and wheelbarrows, volunteers worked enthusiastically in the mild weather, right next to the river.

By recognizing some of the common types of crashes that occur with cars, it’s easier to be careful, know how to avoid them, and ultimately get where you are going safely.

The examples below (although not exhaustive) also show the importance of making sure you are visible and predictable – the more cars can see you (especially at night!) and know what you’re doing, the safer you will be,

http://bikephl.bicyclecoalition.org/2009/12/common-car-bicycle-crashes-to-watch-out.html