Cycling Central » David McKay Wilson

An inspirational cycling journey, tonight in Armonk

David McKay Wilson — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:21:16 +0000

Come tonight to David Chen’s in Armonk to hear Westchester Cycle Club member Pearson Constantino’s story.
After two years of agonizing recovery from a life altering hit-and-run accident on Central Avenue in Hartsdale, WCC member Pearson Constantino, accompanied by his brother Pete, rode across America to make our roads safer and inspire more bicycling.

I rode with them from Albany one day in early October near the end of their journey and found their story so compelling. A documentary film, THE LONG RIDE BACK, is being made about Pearson’s inspirational comeback and the brothers’ epic ride by filmmaker Julia Wrona, Pearson’s wife. Please join us on Wednesday, November 12th to hear Julia and Pearson speak about this amazing journey and see photos and film clips from the documentary.

WCC has supported the project with a $1,000 donation.
Drinks are on you at 6:30 p.m., dinner will be served at 7:00 p.m. and our guests will take the floor at 7:30 p.m.

Please RSVP to the WCC Events page or email Leslie Schneider at Leslies28@msn.com so she can provide the restaurant with an accurate head count.
Location
David Chen’s Chinese Restaurant 85 Old Mt. Kisco Rd (NY128) Armonk

NYC cop injured in rumble strip accident

David McKay Wilson — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 21:32:20 +0000

Richard Wilt, a veteran cyclist and marathon runner has lived for many years on Boone Road in Yorktown, which intersects with Route 100.
He cycled down to Route 100 countless times for safe rides along the broad shoulder, past the Muscoot Reservoir and Muscoot Farm. But on June 26, Wilt had a terrible accident.
He came onto Route 100, wasnâ€™t prepared for the rumble strips the state DOT had installed a few months earlier, and lost control of his bike. He went down hard, face-first, on the pavement.
These pictures show what happened to Wilt, who has yet to fully heal from the accident, which chipped two teeth and split his lip so badly that he needed stitches to close it up. The New York City police sergeant still has issues with his jaw. And his teeth still need work.
Wilt has filed a notice of claims with the state of New York, the first step in the legal process to sue the state for compensation in the Court of Claims.
Wiltâ€™s accident came more than two months after the state Department of Transportation had received a legal notice from attorney Larry Braunstein that the state had created a dangerous situation on Route 100 by installing the rumble strips.
On April 14, Braunstein, a White Plains attorney, sent by certified mail a two-page letter, alerting the state to the dangers it created on Route 100.
â€œThe rumble strips are cut deep into the shoulder surface and when a bicycle, with narrow tires, passes over the rumble strips, the bicycle may become unstable, creating the possibility of the cyclist falling off of the bicycle onto the roadway, into the path of oncoming vehicles,â€ he wrote.
Braunstein added: â€œBy installing the rumble strips, the DOT has taken what was the safest stretch of road for cyclists in Westchester and, in the name of safety, created conditions that are dangerous. It is my sincere hope that no cyclists are injured or killed as a result of the Stateâ€™s misguided and uninformed action in installing the rumble strips.â€
Since Braunsteinâ€™s letter, at least four cyclists have been injured, with Wiltâ€™s the most serious. I fear there will be even more serious injuries if the state fails to pave over the rumble strips and restore the road for safe cycling.

Nice work if you can get it on Route 100 rumble strips

David McKay Wilson — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:50:58 +0000

Documents released this week by the state Department of Transportation show that Paleen Construction Corp. in Somers was paid over $40,000 for two days work to gouge out four miles of rumble strips on Route 100 in Yorktown and Somers.
The questionable highway â€œsafetyâ€ project has created dangers for cyclists on what used to be one of the safest stretches of state road in Westchester County. Just this week, we learned of a fourth cyclist who was injured on the road.
State policy restricts rumble strips to limited access highway, where they can alert drowsy drivers who have veered onto the shoulder. The policy allows them on two-lane roads in cases where there is a proven history of drift-off road accidents. Data shows there were seven such accidents over six years, hardly a proven history. The data also shows that this stretch of Route 100 is twice as safe as the average state road.
Paleen Construction, whose offices are on Route 100 a few miles north of the disputed project, was paid $41,723 for the work, which took two days to complete. A look at the documents provides a glimpse at how your tax dollars were spent.
The state paid Paleen $24,549 to use its milling machine on the road for a day. Paleen received an additional $13,138 to apply a water-based emulsion sealant to the asphalt, which has already begun to seriously deteriorate, with several potholes developing before the freeze-thaw cycle.
Two laborers worked two days on the job. Paleen charged the state $56.89 an hour per worker for their time. Two flag persons were also there for two days. Paleen charged the state $43.14 an hour for each flag personâ€™s time.
Paleen received $900 to haul away 100 cubic yards of asphalt millings to the DOT yard on Route 100.
The injured cyclist, Richard Wilt, lives on Boone Road, which intersects Route 100 in Yorktown. He was riding down to Route 100 on June 26 when he hit the rumble strips unexpectedly. Itâ€™s a road that he has ridden on for years, but wasnâ€™t prepared for the roadway gouges. He went down hard, smacked his face on the pavement, chipped two teeth and split his lip so badly it took three stitches to close.
He recently filed a notice of claim with the state of New York, which is the first step in the legal process that will take him to the state Court of Claims in hopes that he can get his medical bills covered.

Cycle commuters finally win in DC

David McKay Wilson — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:56:47 +0000

This just came across my desk from the NY Bicycle Coalition –
After seven long years, the Bicycle Commuter Tax Provision has finally passed both the House and Senate as part of the financial bailout package. President Bush has said that he is eager to sign the legislation. â€œWe are delighted that the Bicycle Commuter Benefits Act has passed after a lengthy and persistent campaign spearheaded by Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR),â€ said League President Andy Clarke. â€œBicycle commuters will now be extended similar benefits to people who take transit and drive to work â€“ itâ€™s an equitable and sensible incentive to encourage greater energy independence, improve air quality and health, and even help tackle climate change. Thanks to everyone who has helped reach this milestone, especially Walter Finch and Mele Williams, our government relations staff over the years who have worked tirelessly with Congressman Blumenauer, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and many others in Congress.â€

Bicycle Commuter Tax Provision
Actual Language as Signed into Law
SEC. 211. TRANSPORTATION FRINGE BENEFIT TO BICYCLE COMMUTERS.

(a) In General- Paragraph (1) of section 132(f) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`(D) Any qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement.’.

(b) Limitation on Exclusion- Paragraph (2) of section 132(f) is amended by striking `and’ at the end of subparagraph (A), by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (B) and inserting `, and’, and by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

`(C) the applicable annual limitation in the case of any qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement.’.

`(F) DEFINITIONS RELATED TO BICYCLE COMMUTING REIMBURSEMENT-

`(i) QUALIFIED BICYCLE COMMUTING REIMBURSEMENT- The term `qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement’ means, with respect to any calendar year, any employer reimbursement during the 15-month period beginning with the first day of such calendar year for reasonable expenses incurred by the employee during such calendar year for the purchase of a bicycle and bicycle improvements, repair, and storage, if such bicycle is regularly used for travel between the employee’s residence and place of employment.

`(ii) APPLICABLE ANNUAL LIMITATION- The term `applicable annual limitation’ means, with respect to any employee for any calendar year, the product of $20 multiplied by the number of qualified bicycle commuting months during such year.

`(iii) QUALIFIED BICYCLE COMMUTING MONTH- The term `qualified bicycle commuting month’ means, with respect to any employee, any month during which such employee—
`(I) regularly uses the bicycle for a substantial portion of the travel between the employee’s residence and place of employment, and

`(II) does not receive any benefit described in subparagraph (A), (B), or© of paragraph (1).’.

(d) Constructive Receipt of Benefit- Paragraph (4) of section 132(f) is amended by inserting `(other than a qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement)’ after `qualified transportation fringe’.

(e) Effective Date- The amendments made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2008.

Six-day bike event planned for Rochester

David McKay Wilson — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 11:34:22 +0000

Organizers of the Rochester Twilight Omnium recently announced that the event would expand into a six-day, UCI-ranked 2.2 event for 2009. The race, which was three-days this year, will cover six stages next year through the Western New York and Finger Lakes regions of upstate New York from August 8th through August 13th, 2009.

The original event began in 2004 as the Saturn Rochester Twilight Criterium and has experienced exponential growth each year in all areas, including spectator attendance and economic impact. “2008’s three-day Rochester Omnium was designed specifically as a platform to introduce the Tour de New York. The planning has been in the works for several years and we’re incredibly excited to launch the six-day Tour,” said Scott Page, the event’s Executive Director. “The long term plan for the Tour de New York is to explore different areas of New York State each year for a portion of the event.”

Professional cyclists, including Olympic, World and National Champions, will compete in the following stages of the Tour de New York:

Rochester Twilight Criterium – Saturday, August 8th, 2009
Individual Time Trial â€“ Sunday, August 9th, 2009
Genesee Valley Park Road Race – Monday, August 10th, 2009
Ellicottville Circuit Race – Tuesday, August 11th, 2009
Warsaw Road Race – Wednesday August 12th, 2009
Pittsford Road Race – Thursday, August 13th, 2009

For more information, contact Full Moon Vista Bike & Sport, 180 St. Paul St., Rochester NY 14604, 585.546.4030, or visit http://www.fullmoonvista.com .

Why the rumble strips on Route 100 must be paved over

David McKay Wilson — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:11:07 +0000

Here are the remarks I made at the rumble strip rally on Route 100.

Welcome to all the cyclists who came out in todayâ€™s wet weather to protest the state Department of Transportationâ€™s installation of rumble strips on Route 100, which used to be one of the regionâ€™s safest state roads to ride upon.
The installation of rumble strips on Route 100, between routes 118 and 100 in Yorktown and Somers, has created a public safety hazard for cyclists in the region. For many years, this four-mile stretch of road has been a destination for cyclists, who enjoy the gentle terrain, wide shoulders, and spectacular vistas by the Croton Reservoir. At least three cyclists have gone down on the rumble strips, and it seems certain that a cyclist will be seriously injured from this highway â€œsafetyâ€ project, which has actually made the road more dangerous.
I want to thank all who helped with the rally â€“ Kevan Full, who helped conceive it; Robert Olsson who designed the t-shirts, ride leaders James Rather, John Coppinger, Harvey Loeb, Tom Viola and Jeff Gitlin; Katie Marshall who made signs, and Lauren Press who helped with the shirts, and the entire Westchestr Cycle Board, who supported the venture. Also thanks to Sen. Vinnie Leibell who has been an ally for us in this fight. He was with us from the start, sending a letter to the DOT on April 2 asking for a response to our concerns. County Legislator Mike Kaplowitz has called on the state to consider repaving the road. And Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano spoke on Friday to Joan Dupont, director of DOTâ€™s Region Eight office in Poughkeepsie, expressing his concerns for the safety of cyclists on Route 100, where the countyâ€™s Muscoot Farm welcomes hundreds of visitors each week.
There is something that stinks about this project. Not only has it created a dangerous situation for cyclists, which I predict will lead to serious injury. But this project was conceived with scant planning and poor professional judgment. Meanwhile the state Department of Transportation has continue to stonewall in our attempt to figure out exactly how, and why, our government squandered $41,000 of our money on this travesty of a public works project.
A Westchester Cycle Club investigation has found that the state installed the strips â€“ at the cost of $41,000 – in contravention of DOT policy. The policy states the rumble strips, which are intended to awaken drowsy drivers and prevent whatâ€™s called drift-off-road accidents, should be installed on limited-access highways, like parkways or interstates, during construction or reconstruction.
The policy warns of the dangers of installing the strips on two-lane roads frequented by cyclists. It states the DOT could consider rumble strips on â€œlimited stretches of highway or specific locations with a proven history of drift-off-road accidents, in advance of bridges where the shoulder substantially narrows, at gore areas (triangular intersections), and as short warning strips on the outside of curves that follow long tangents.â€
Accident data shows there just seven such accidents caused by fatigued or drowsy drivers in six years, hardly a proven record. Thatâ€™s not the kind of â€œproven historyâ€ to justify the extraordinary measure of installing rumble strips on a two-lane road.
If that is the state DOTâ€™s standard for installing rumble strips, then New York state cyclists should brace themselves for a bumpy ride over the next several years.
The accident data provided by DOT showed that this four-mile stretch of Route 100 in Yorktown and Somers is safe, and getting considerably safer. From 2001 to 2004, there were 1.02 accidents per million miles traveled. From 2004 to 2007, there were 0.6 accidents per million miles traveled, a 42 percent drop. The statewide average on two-lane roads is 1.45 accidents per million miles traveled.
So the most recent data available to the state DOT show that Route 100, between Route 118 and Route 35, is more than twice as safe as the average road in New York. The data here should not have driven the state DOT officials to install rumble strips on Route 100.
When I shared these facts with DOT regional director Joan Dupont, and her assistant, Mike Cotton, Cotton said the DOT didnâ€™t base its decision upon accident data but on a sense that there was a conflict between motorists, cyclists, and the fishermen who have shared the road quite well for years. There is no evidence of any such conflict. Over six years, there was one collision between a cyclists and a motorist.
Heavily redacted emails from DOT regional engineer Michael J. McBride revealed that the strips were installed after McBride, and two of his employees, were rear-ended on Route 100 as they turned into the DOT regional facility. The emails were only released after I was forced to appeal to the DOTâ€™s general counsel in Albany under the state Freedom of Information Law. I knew the emails existed. But the regional office declined to release them originally under a request.
What did the regional office want to keep secret? The emails show that McBride ordered 700 feet of rumble strips around the DOT facility entrance. But the state contractor installed 43,000 feet of rumble strips, and was paid about $41,000 for the job. The state said there was no documentation indicating who authorized roughly 42,000 feet of rumble strips.
If these accidents had happened at a private residence or a private business, the state might have put up a No Left Turn sign there because turning left at the DOT facility was dangerous. Or they might have figured out how to squeeze in a left turn lane if they were insistent on turning left there. But they wouldnâ€™t have installed rumble strips.
Now cyclists are getting injured and I fear there will be a serious injury soon. Christine Dasa of Mount Kisco went down on Aug. 12 when she rode over the rumble strips to avoid a car legally parked on the shoulder. She lost control of her bike and went down in the travel lane, where cars and trucks speed by at 55 miles an hour.
Christine was lucky that she wasnâ€™t knocked out and ended up laying there in the travel lane. But I guarantee you that someone will suffer a serious injury if something isnâ€™t done soon.
The breaks in the rumble strips, which were a concession to cyclists, arenâ€™t much help. They were installed every tenth-of-a-mile to give cyclists a rumble-free way to avoid parked cars. But using the breaks with traffic is very dangerous. They are short, so you have to make turn into the traffic lane to use them. Creating a situation in which you have cyclists turning into the travel lane, with cars and trucks traveling 55 miles an hour, creates a dangerous situation.
The rumble strips have already begun to deteriorate, and potholes are developing among the rumble strips, even before the winter freeze-thaw cycle opened up more craters on the once-smoothly paved road. The DOT has yet to attend to the potholes. And it will be interesting to see if they bring the rumble strip machine back to put ruts in the pothole-repairs.
I know it will be expensive to pave over the rumble strips. It will cost more than the $41,000 already wasted by the state on the hastily conceived plan this spring. But the alternative promises to be even costlier for the stateâ€™s taxpayers if a cyclist is seriously injured on Route 100. WCC member and attorney Michael Allen, of Shapiro Forman Allen & Sava of Manhattan, put the state on notice on June 25 that the DOT has created an â€œextremely hazardous situationâ€ along Route 100 in Yorktown and Somers.
â€œThe cost of restoring the road surface is minor compared to the danger than the DOT has created, not to mention the cost of potential lawsuits should someone be seriously hurt as a result of the DOTâ€™s actions,â€ warned Allen, a Westchester Cycle Club member, in a June 25 letter to DOT Region 8 Regional Director Joan DuPont. â€œThe potential cost to the DOT could increase exponentially if it is in fact the case that the installation of the rumble strips was done in violations of the DOTâ€™s own rules and regulations.â€

Wearing the Primal bibs, and loving it

David McKay Wilson — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:25:01 +0000

Do real men wear bibs? And if they do, why do they wear them?
Thatâ€™s the question I was asking this week after I tried a pair of Primal Wearâ€™s latest bib shorts. When I arrived in Albany to write a profile on cross-country cyclists Pearson and Pete Constantino, they scoffed at my attire. Both had worn baggy mountain bike shorts from Oregon to Albany, and they couldnâ€™t see why anyone would wear a pair of shorts that made you have to take off your shirt when he had to hit the loo.
But after riding 25 miles east with them that morning, I can report that these Primal bib shorts were well worth the effort. The new Primal bibs give your entire mid-section more support out on the road. The muscle compression from Lyrca supports the muscles and makes it so you donâ€™t get fatigued quite as quickly. The form-fitting bib hugs you in all the right places. And the well-positioned chamois kept me positioned just right on my seat.
Primalâ€™s chamois, which is made in Switzerland, contains silver ions, which kill bacteria and helps prevent saddle sores. There are four layers of foam on these bibs and they could have come in handy for the Transportation Alternatives Century in early September that left my rear rather raw.

Rumbling at the Rumble Strip Rally

David McKay Wilson — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:28:29 +0000

Thanks to all the riders who came for yesterday’s Rumble Strip Rally and Protest Ride along Route 100 in Yorktown. There were about 40 of us out there letting the state DOT know that it’s time for them to fix the serious safety problem the agency created by installing the rumble strips on a stretch of road that is arguably the best known four miles for cyclists in all of Westchester.
The rally generated a goodly amount of press coverage. Here’s The Journal News story
As I reviewed my file of documents gathered over the previous six months, I was impressed by how the state Department of Transportation has fought to keep this issue from the public eye. The state refused to disclose many documents when I first made a Freedom of Information request this spring. And even the emails from DOT regional engineer Michael J. McBride, which finally released under order by the DOTâ€™s general counsel, were heavily redacted.
For example, in one McBride email, dated Oct. 1, McBride states that three DOT employees were injured, including himself. But for some reason, the state redacted who that email was sent to.
Another email sent on March 26, is apparently written by McBride. But both the sender and recipientâ€™s name are blacked out, as are the subject of the email and discussion of issues involving the rumble strips. In this email, McBride states, â€œI predicted this type of complaint.â€ But the state doesnâ€™t want us to know the nature of that complaint, which was most likely spelled out in the blacked out section on the same email.
Then there was the Jan. 12, 2007 email which appears to be written by McBride. The sender and recipient lines are blacked out as is the subject line. It leaves me wondering what the DOT is hiding.
Also, due to the weather Sunday morning, we had to cancel the six multi-level rides and pizza tailgater. My apologies to those who showed up looking for pizza. I had to make the call at 10.30 whether to move forward with the food. It was still raining. We were still going to have the rally but I had no idea how many would show up in the rain. I didn’t see all that much fun eating pizza in the rain. So I canceled the pizza order. At the rally, I suggested that we hold a protest ride each month until they pave in the rumble strips. I know riding in the late fall and winter isn’t at the top of everyone’s list. But I think it would be a good thing to keep the pressure on, in a low-key kind of way.

Photos by Kaven Full

Rumble-Strip Rally on Route 100 set for Sunday

David McKay Wilson — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:35:02 +0000

Weather looks sunny for Sunday’s multi-level ride and protest rally against the DOT rumble-strip installation. It starts and ends at the lot at the intersection of Routes 118 and 100 in Yorktown.
We’re meeting at 9 a.m. for the rides â€“ there are six levels of rides planned, which will be back by 11.30. Ride leaders are James Rather (A), myself (BPlus), John Coppinger (B), Harvey Loeb (CPlus), Tom Viola© , Jeff Gitlin (D). Then we will head off at 11.45 for the 8-mile loop on Route 100. We’ll be back at the intersection for speeches and pizza. Bring your folding chairs and tell your friends.
We still need some help for the event. We need some folks there at 8.45 to help with parking, to make sure we keep the lot clear enough for the chairs and speeches, and that the cars parking along Route 100 are far enough toward the curb to keep space for the cyclists.
We could also use someone with skills with a video camera to film the event and help us put up a clip on YouTube.
Your presence at the rally will be very important. I talked to DOT official Mike Cotton yesterday, and he said they are still reviewing the issue. He said they have an “open mind” on whether they will repave the road. We need to show up in force to tell the DOT they made a very bad mistake on Route 100. The DOT needs to acknowledge that they made a mistake. It’s time to restore the road for safe cycling.
As Robert Olsson so aptly put on our limited edition protest Tshirts â€“ “UN-RUMBLE ROUTE 100!”

Rumble Strip Protest Rescheduled due to rain

David McKay Wilson — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 18:49:33 +0000

Due to the predicted rain tomorrow, weâ€™ve rescheduled the Route 100 Rumble Strip Protest Rally to Sunday, Oct. 5. The delay has been beneficial. It gave me and Kevan Full the time to dream up a multi-level ride as part of the Route 100 Rumble Strip Protest. I figure we might as well have one of those friendly Westchester Cycle Club get- togethers to precede the rally to bring us all together.
And hereâ€™s an important update on our struggle with the state DOT. Regional Director Joan Dupont in June promised to review the stateâ€™s action and have a decision by Sept. 1. Here we are 26 days later and still no word. I called two days ago and still no word back from Ms. Dupont. The optimistic in me interprets this to mean that the state is taking us seriously and is still trying to figure out how to make the road safe again. The pessimist in me says that the DOT, which has a reputation for doing what it pleases, wherever it pleases, has simply blown us off. And thatâ€™s despite the fact that more than 50 WCC members wrote letters asking that the road be repaved; two WCC members who are attorneys put the state on notice that they have created a dangerous situation on Route 100 and now have increased liability because theyâ€™ve been so notified; Westchester County Legislator Mike Kaplowitz of Somers has asked the state to consider repaving the road; and at least three cyclists have been injured on the road , including two who hit the pavement so hard that they were taken by ambulance to local hospitals for treatment.
Hereâ€™s how it will work, and as itâ€™s all developing on the fly, please check the ride board to get the latest. Weâ€™ll meet at 9 a.m. at the corner of Routes 118 and 100. Weâ€™ll have all level rides, and they will get back by 11.30. At 11.45, weâ€™ll do our protest ride, all together, along the 8-mile loop. Weâ€™ll be back to the corner lot by 12.30 for speeches about the DOT actions as well as how cycling is a part of the Lower Hudson Valleyâ€™s sustainable future.
By the way, the t-shirts we have printed up for the event are striking. They were designed by Robert Olsson, who joined WCC last month and was one of the organizers of the successful Croton Bike Week. Robert designs book covers for Random House, and his design is eye-catching and direct, and very New York – the shirt is black and the print is in white.
â€œUn-Rumble Route 100!â€ the shirt declares. â€œRumble Ruts = Accidents – Restore the road for safe cycling.â€
We did a small run of 40 shirts for the rally so be sure to get their early to get one to wear.