Transportation - Rochester, NY area  

RochesterEnvironment.com

Consider how transportation, how we get around, effects our environment with climate change and pollution.    

 

Page Contents: Transportation NewsLinks | Transportation Discussions  |  Getting Around Rochester Today | Future Transportation in Rochester  | History of Transportation Rochester  |  Transportation Education  | Action for Rochester Transportation  | Bicycle Groups  | Light Rail Rochester  | Official Transportation Sites  | Transportation Documents |

 

Transportation issues, or Commuting, is important because of the fuel involved and its relation to Global Warming and our area's Air Quality.  Public transportation exists in Rochester, but proportionally not many use it though this way of commuting offers the best hope of reducing Global Warming gases, improving air quality, and reducing taxes because less maintenance will be required if we use few vehicles.  Also, we should look seriously at the possibility of bikes being an integral part of our community's commute to work. Rochester has too few city streets with no shoulders and many trails that could be connected for biking commuting.

Transportation IconAn integral part of any communities Transportation efforts must be the concept of Complete Streets so that the best and most efficient use of our streets can be made for pedestrians, bicyclers, and anyone who wants to get around. Complete Streets The streets of our cities and towns are an important part of the livability of our communities. They ought to be for everyone, whether young or old, motorist or bicyclist, walker or wheelchair user, bus rider or shopkeeper. But too many of our streets are designed only for speeding cars, or worse, creeping traffic jams. How does Rochester stack up as a Walable City?  Find out for yourself, take a Walkability test: How walkable is your community?

Rochester City & Monroe County, N.Y. Win "Honorable Mention" Bicycle Friendly Community Designation - Boulder Goes Platinum; 10 New Communities Earn Designation Biggest Round of Applications Since Program's Inception Ten new communities were honored with the League of American Bicyclists prestigious Bicycle Friendly Community designation. This was the program’s biggest application cycle to date—51 communities applied for the designation. There are one gold, one silver and eight bronze communities awarded, and 19 communities renewed their designations. Boulder, Colo., a renewing community, was promoted to Platinum, joining Portland, Ore. and Davis, Calif. as the only cities in the U.S. to have earned this top designation. --from League of American Bicyclists

 

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Transportation Discussions

Rochester, NY because of the Recession, Global Warming, Energy Issues, and much more is transforming the way we get around.  Get involved with our Transpiration future by joining in the discussion.

  • Rochester's Bicycle Plan, why bother? - There’s still time (until August 31st) to comment on the Rochester Bicycling Master Plan: “While the plan will provide conceptual design and inventory work with respect to on-street bike lanes, it will also consider shared lane markings (sharrows), bicycle boulevards, bicycle parking, commuter facilities (e.g. showers, lockers), bicycle sharing, and more. ” But why bother, especially if you don’t have a bike, wouldn’t bike on our streets even if you did, and wish those who do bicycle would lend an air of predictability to their bicycling behavior? Before I bury my lead, let me say you should comment because bicycling as an alternative transportation is the transportation mode most likely to be acted upon by those who decide on such things in our region. I could quote a lot of boring statistics about how bicycling is healthier for you and better for our environment than driving your greenhouse-gas-emitting vehicle. But this you can probably figure out without a lot of supporting data. Data and reason are not the problems with changing our transportation behavior, motivation is.   more...
  • What if gasoline were $10 a gallon? There are many ways to get around Rochester that don’t use gasoline.  But the public is unlikely to use them—walking, bicycling, public transportation, hybrid electric, fuel cell, compressed natural gas, propane—until the price of gasoline goes up. Our infrastructure encourages the use of the gasoline fueled vehicle because there are streets everywhere that accommodate cars far better than bicyclists, slower moving electric vehicles, and even walking. In fact using our gas guzzlers to get from here to there seems so convenient that we are oblivious of the number of deaths on our streets each year and what they are doing to our environment. Besides the myriad of reasons most jump into their car to go from here to there, there stands out the most compelling reason, for when it changes it drastically limits use of the automobile, the price of gasoline. People don’t drive as much when the gasoline prices go up.  What if the gasoline price was $10 a gallon and not $2 and some change?  Seem preposterous?  Not so much.  Actually, our gasoline costs are absurdly low. Subsidies and many more factors keep our gasoline, thus our current transportation system, on an unsustainable path. How long can we ignore the true costs of gasoline?  What will happen if that price changes dramatically?  Got a backup plan?  Don’t believe me?  Check out the true cost of gasoline from an expert:   The Breakdown: What Is The True Cost Of Gas? | The Nation  more...
  • Bicycles as Transportation in Rochester: In these hard financial times, it’s hard to see any alternative transportation ideas take root—gas prices are down and alternative vehicles still too expensive for many. So, most are sticking with their gas-guzzler to get around. But in Rochester there is way to get around with vehicles and a transportation system that doesn’t pollute and doesn’t increase greenhouse gases.  The bicycle is being transformed in the Rochester region because, under the auspices of the Rochester Bicycle Master Plan, it will be easier and safer to ride your bicycle to those short distances from our homes that constitute most of the miles we actually ride.  This transportation option in our area is moving, check here to find out more: City of Rochester | Bicycle Master Plan Project "The City is developing a long-term master plan for bicycling infrastructure and services. Sprinkle Consulting (with SRF & Associates and EDR as subconsultants) was selected through a request for proposal process and is on board to produce a plan that will: identify best practices for bicycling infrastructure and services,  assess their feasibility for local application, identify appropriate locations for bicycle facilities, and recommend bicycle-supportive policies. While the plan will provide conceptual design and inventory work with respect to on-street bike lanes, it will also consider shared lane markings (sharrows), bicycle boulevards, bicycle parking, commuter facilities (e.g. showers, lockers), bicycle sharing, and more. While the City of Rochester and Monroe County received an "honorable mention" from the League of American Bicyclists' "Bicycle Friendly Communities" program in 2009, the goal is to achieve full "Bicycle Friendly Community" status from the group. Download the project's full scope of services. "  -from City of Rochester
  • Rochester bicycle boulevard ride a success Bicycle Boulevard demonstration ride in Rochester, NY Upper Monroe neighborhood Frank J. Regan On Sunday, May 23 at 1 PM in Cobbs Hill Park, over forty bicyclists began a bicycle boulevard demonstration ride through the Upper Monroe neighborhood in Rochester, New York. They were not racers, or members of a single bicycling club, or recruits for a charity ride. They were just ordinary folks finding out what a bicycle boulevard would look and feel like in our area. (May 29. 2010) Rochester Latest Breaking News by Trusted Local Experts
  • Bicycle Friendly Rochester - There are those who believe that Transportation in Rochester could be a bicycle friendly community as Copenhagen.  That would be something to behold. Check out: Streetfilms | Copenhagen’s Climate-Friendly, Bike-Friendly Streets "Tens of thousands of people from nearly every nation on earth have descended on Copenhagen this month for the UN climate summit. As the delegates try to piece together a framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, they're also absorbing lessons from one of the world's leading cities in sustainable transportation. In Copenhagen, fully 37 percent of commute trips are made by bike, and mode share among city residents alone is even higher. "
  • Walk? Walking for bipeds was “the cat’s pajamas” for four millions years. That is, putting humanity’s one hairy foot before another got us around just fine. Then, within a relatively short period of time, our species took to climbing on other animals’ backs, floating stuff on water, then the wheel, which brought on carts, trains, and then we took to the skies. But mostly, since the horseless carriage, autos get us around. In fact, the car culture so dictates transportation in the United States that few of us, even when the distance is short, walk. more...
  • Complete Streets An integral part of any communities Transportation efforts must be the concept of Complete Streets so that the best and most efficient use of our streets can be made for pedestrians, bicyclers, and anyone who wants to get around. Complete Streets The streets of our cities and towns are an important part of the livability of our communities. They ought to be for everyone, whether young or old, motorist or bicyclist, walker or wheelchair user, bus rider or shopkeeper. But too many of our streets are designed only for speeding cars, or worse, creeping traffic jams. more...
  • How Walkable is Rochester, NY? Walking is a great way to get around and it's Transportation. Take your own survey and find out how Walkable Rochester is: Walkability Checklist --from Partnership for a Walkable America The Partnership for a Walkable America (PWA) is a national coalition working to improve the conditions for walking in America and to increase the number of Americans who walk regularly. The members are national governmental agencies and non-profit organizations concerned about three main areas: Health, Safety and the Environment. more...
  • Getting Up to Snuff on High Speed Rail: National Public Radio has offered a great series on High Speed Raid across the country.  Because this mode of transportation may be coming to our area, because of the Obama’s desire to help communities with jobs and help our environment, this series of programs is especially useful.  It’s not all happy talk.  Getting High Speed Raid is complicated and involves many aspects, but other communities have done it.  Learn from them.  Check it out: On The Fast Track? The Obama administration is pushing the development of high-speed-rail lines, claiming that ultrafast trains would ease traffic, help the environment and boost the economy. Critics question those claims — and say the United States has a long way to go to catch up with other countries' rail travel. NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts : NPR  more...
  • Help biking in Rochester, help our area's environment Increasing bicycling for the Rochester, NY area will reduce air pollution, positively affect your health, decrease traffic on our streets and give you a chance to smell our roses and see our sites.  Check out this site and help out getting more bike to more people.     R Community Bikes: Rochester, New York "R Community Bikes is a grassroots, 501(c)3 organization that collects and repairs used bicycles for distribution, free of charge, to Rochester, NY's most needy children and adults. Our mission is meeting the basic transportation needs of those in the community who depend on bikes for recreation as well as for transport to work, school, rehabilitation programs, and training sessions. more...
  • Get There By Bike - Get the Map. Bike to work, to that festival, that trail, or just about anywhere you want to go in Rochester by using the map: Genesee Transportation Council - TIP Greater Rochester Area Bicycling Map Now Available | The Greater Rochester Area Bicycling Map, prepared by the Genesee Transportation Council utilizing road ratings provided by volunteer members of the Rochester Bicycling Club, is now available.   The ratings represent the opinions of experienced bicyclists on the rideability of major roads based on existing road conditions and features such as pavement width and quality, traffic volumes, presence and type of shoulders, and posted speed limits. more...
  • New Transportation idea in Rochester This could change Rochester's concept of Transportation, check it out: Rochester Greenway The Rochester Greenway "A revolutionary all-weather alternative energy transitway for bikes, e-vehicles, joggers, and skaters connecting RIT, U of R, and MCC, downtown Rochester. Three Opportunities, One Big Idea." more...
  • Limited Transportation Choices Few things strike more dread in the American heart than being told that our choices are going to be limited. We are an “in the Pursuit of Happiness” kind of people. The day after President Obama was elected many gun owners feared that their right to bear arms was going to be compromised and acted accordingly. "Everybody was scared he was going to take the ammo away or he was going to tax it out of sight on the prices," Dury says. "So people started stocking up, buying half a lifetime to a lifetime supply of ammo all at one time." Apr-07-2009, “All Things Considered”  more...
  • Getting Around Tomorrow A recent poll in Rochester on high-speed rail (3/20/09 Rochester Business Journal ) showed Rochesterians favoring this flashy mode of travel. Proponents say it will create jobs, reduced air pollution, and get us around more quickly. There are other ideas floating around town as federal dollars float in, including funds to develop hydrogen fuel. Realistically, most if not all that fed money will be used for fixing and updating our highway infrastructure. Road construction and bridge repair are shovel-ready; already in regional budgets, and they are going to create immediate jobs. For the time being, traveling around Rochester will not leap suddenly into the breath-taking fictional world of the Jetsons.  more...
  • It Ain’t Over ‘Till It’s Over: Rochester and Monroe County receive a coveted “Honorable Mention” Bicycle Friendly Award and it shows our community cares about people getting around our city safely on non-polluting transportation. Hopefully, winning this award, which brings together the efforts of the City of Rochester, the County of Monroe, the NYS Department of Transportation, The Genesee Transportation Council, and the Rochester Bicycling Club and others to improve our streets for an environmentally safe mode of transportation. more...

 

Bke Month

 

Getting Around the Rochester Area Today:

Check these sites for the variety of ways you can get around Rochester, NY today--without your automobile that is.

  • RGRTA Until the late 1960's, Rochester's public transportation needs were met by the profit-driven private sector. Mass transit in Rochester began in 1825 when the Rochester and Canal Railroad Company was established to provide passenger and freight service along the Genesee River. Large horse-drawn vehicles were in operation by the 1850's and in 1889 electric streetcars began service. The first buses operated as early as 1905. Rochester City Lines started service in 1923 but soon went bankrupt. A mass transportation system was re-established in 1938 by Rochester Transit Corporation. Ridership had increased to 10 million before financial difficulties led the City of Rochester to take over the company, renaming it Rochester Transit Service or RTS, which would later be known as Regional Transit Service.
  • CarPoolConnect.com Recently commuters have made carpooling one of the most popular ways of saving money and the environment by sharing a ride to and from their destination. Carpools are incredibly simple to arrange. With carpoolconnect.com anyone wishing to find fellow commuters to carpool with can easily perform a search for someone in their area and contact them directly through the site. This is accomplished without compromising any ones security. All communication happens through carpoolconnect.com's messaging service.
  • CarPoolWorld.com Welcome to carpoolworld.com, the world's first global and precise carpool matching system! This website makes it easy for everyone, everywhere, at any time, to find perfect matches for any trip, including your daily commute!
  • Get Your Walk Score - A Walkability Score For Any Address "We help you find a walkable place to live by calculating a Walk Score for any address.
  • Bike Trails, Paths & Routes From Over 40 Countries at Bikely.com Put very simply, Bikely helps cyclists share knowledge of good bicycle routes. It can be quite tricky traversing a car dominated city by bicycle, particularly when you need to travel an unknown route to a new destination. But the chances are, someone has cycled that way before you. Bikely makes it easy for him or her to show you the best way.  Check out some biking routes for Rochester--Find Bike Trails at Bikely.com
  • Learn about the growing movement to increase the healthy benefits of walking to school and reducing the risk. Safe Routes to School National Partnership  "The Safe Routes to School National Partnership is a network of more than 400 nonprofit organizations, government agencies, schools, and professionals working together to advance the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) movement in the United States. SRTS can provide a variety of important benefits to children and their communities, including increasing physical activity, reducing traffic congestion, improving air quality, and enhancing neighborhood safety. "
  • Capital Coexist "CAPITAL COEXIST is a localized education campaign geared towards cyclists and motorists safely coexisting when using the region’s roadways.  This project was developed by the Capital District Transportation Committee (CDTC) in response to the recently completed Albany Bicycle Master Plan and public requests for bicycle education and safety information.  It is anticipated that the Capital Coexist website will become the clearinghouse for bicycle education material in the Capital Region; a one-stop location for bicycle  educational material, safety tips, current bicycle projects and events.  Please check back often as information will be continuously updated! " 

 


GRATS: Greater Rochester Active Transportation System. Photo by Professor Jon Schull, interim Director, Center for Student Innovation at Rochester institute of Technology.
Rochester bike commuting, the tipping point

Remember when you were a kid and used to watch water drops form? You’d stare at a point where a water drop was building, then after a while a tipping point would be reached and the drop would, well…, drop. Magic didn’t cause it; it was physics and surface tension and (not to bore you) things were building up.

Something like that is occurring in Rochester, NY on alternative transportation. Things are building up. 1. The public’s desire to do something about Climate Change. 2. Rochester, NY’s location at the confluence of several major off-road trails. 3. Many influential organizations willing to work together to solve the transportation conundrum facing us. 4. A five-mile direct trail from Rochester Institute of Technology, Genesee Valley Park, the University of Rochester, and downtown Rochester. All of this is coming together in a new concept by Professor Jon Schull, interim Director, Center for Student Innovation at Rochester institute of Technology. The concept is called GRATS: Greater Rochester Active Transportation System.   more...

(Above scripts from Dynamic Drive)

Getting Around the Rochester area in the Future

There are changes in the air as our Transportation needs come up against funding, climate change, and energy use.  Choices for Transportation options in the future will be different.

  • Clean Transportation: You’ve decided to go for that new Hybrid vehicle but you don’t know how they work, what the choices are, or how to compare one hybrid from another.  This site might help you our: Hybrid Center Scorecard The UCS Hybrid Scorecard is the first comprehensive listing of hybrid vehicles available on the US market. Vehicles are scored on both environmental performance and value, easing the burden on the planet and your pocketbook. --from Union of Concerned Scientiests
  • What will Rochester's Transportation future look like?  Get a glimpse with Rochester's Master Plan  City of Rochester | RFP - Rochester Bicycle Master Plan The Rochester Bicycle Master Plan will examine best practices in bicycle infrastructure and services, assess their feasibility for application locally, identify appropriate locations for bicycle facilities, and recommend bicycle-supportive policies. The Plan will complement the TIP project by providing conceptual design and inventory work with respect to on-street bicycle lanes. However, this Plan is not limited to bicycle lanes; additional bicycling infrastructure and services to be considered include shared lane markings (sharrows), bicycle boulevards, bicycle parking, commuter facilities (e.g., showers, lockers, etc.), bicycle sharing, and more. The City of Rochester and Monroe County recently received an “honorable mention” from the League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly Communities Program; the City has a goal of achieving full Bicycle Friendly Community status. This Master Plan will provide the City with a framework for meeting this goal. --from City of Rochester
  • Walking School Bus Studies show that fewer children are walking and biking to school, and more children are at risk of becoming overweight. Changing behaviors of children and parents require creative solutions that are safe and fun. Implementing a walking school bus can be both.
  • This could change Rochester's concept of Transportation, check it out: Rochester Greenway The Rochester Greenway A revolutionary all-weather alternative energy transitway for bikes, e-vehicles, joggers, and skaters connecting RIT, U of R, and MCC, downtown Rochester. Three Opportunities, One Big Idea.
  • Rochester Regional Rail | Google Groups "This group is intended to further the discussion and implementation of a sustainable and efficient mass transportation system in the Rochester New York region.   While the center of a system is in the city of Rochester, the focus is on the region due to the greater community benefit.
  • Program: Nation-wide Discretionary Grant Program for High-Speed Rail (HSR)  "In April, President Obama released a strategic plan outlining his vision for high-speed rail. The plan identifies $13 billion in federal funds -- $8 billion in the Recovery Act and $5 billion requested in the President's budget -- to jump-start a potential world-class passenger rail system and sets the direction of transportation policy for the future." --from NYSDOT Home
  • Alternative fuel for that alternative vehicle:  Climate Change is changing our environment and one way to save money, protect yourself from those fluctuating gasoline prices, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions is to change how you get around.  That will be easier in the future.  So, you’re thinking of buying an alternative vehicle or converting your existing vehicle to an alternative one--Biodiesel (B20 and above); Compressed Natural Gas (CNG); Electric; Ethanol (E85); Hydrogen; Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG); Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Propane)—but you don’t know where to get it.  Check out this: Alternative Fuels and Advanced Vehicles Data Center: Alternative Fueling Station Locator  -from the Department of Energy

Find your route by bicycle:" Visit http://maps.google.com/biking to try out this new feature. Biking directions for Google Maps is currently in Beta. Follow the League's news feed on the new Google feature on the League's Blog, Facebook and Twitter. If you have any further questions, contact Meghan Cahill at 202.822.1333 or meghan@bikeleague.org.

 

Rochester Transportation History

Rochester has had a unique transportation history

Transportation Education

Website that address the issue of Transportation with implications for our area. 

  • How safe is it to cross the streets in New York State? Mean Streets 2003 -Pedestrian Safety, Health and Federal Transportation Spending -STPP's "Mean Streets 2002" report is the latest study in a series that looks at the perils facing pedestrians, why where you live matters, and how states aren't spending enough to fix the problem. The new study ranks per capita deaths and spending by metro area for the first time, and finds children, the elderly and African-Americans at particularly high risk.
  • BikeToWork.com  BikeToWork.com is a web page devoted to bicycle commuting.
  • Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center: In June of 1999, the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) was established with funding from the US Department of Transportation to connect communities with the information and resources they need to create safe places for walking and bicycling. The Center is a program of the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center in cooperation with the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals.
  • Help vehicle users to get used to bikes on our streets Critical Mass: The worldwide web-wheel of the organized coincidence known as Critical Mass. Critical Mass is a monthly event occurring in hundreds of cities worldwide. Cyclists ride in a group through the city streets to celebrate cycling, fossil-fuel-free transportation, redefining of the social space of our cities and reclaim autonomy in an automobile dominated society. It's loads of fun too. The revolution is riding a bike! ROCHESTER CRITICAL MASS BIKE RIDE!! Meet every last Friday of the month at 5:15 to ride at 5:30 at the Church of the Annunciation, 962 East Ave. Critical Mass is a monthly bicycle ride assert cyclists' right to the road. The idea started in San Francisco in September 1992, and quickly spread to cities all over the world. Critical Mass is a monthly worldwide two-hour (more or less), non-athletic, non-competitive, free bike ride to educate the auto-bound to the simplicity of travel by bicycle and to draw attention to the rights of urban cyclists. ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE IS ENCOURAGED TO COME RIDE WITH US! IT'S FUN, IT'S OUTDOORS - LET'S SHOW ROCHESTER THAT CYCLISTS ARE EVERYWHERE!   
  • It cost a little, but maybe you'll buy a green car: GreenerCars.com: ACEEE's Green Book Online Make a difference -- for your health and the health of the planet -- by using GreenerCars.com to comparison shop with the environment in mind. Our low-cost subscriptions will let you look up Green Scores for every car, van, pickup, and SUV on the market. It's worth spending a little "green" to get the information you need to make an eco-conscious car choice. Why isn't GreenerCars.com free?
  • Find out about fixing our transportation infrastructure: Transportation For America Transportation for America has formed a broad coalition of housing, environmental, public health, urban planning, transportation, equitable development, and other organizations. We’re all seeking to align our national, state, and local transportation policies with an array of issues like economic opportunity, climate change, energy security, health, housing and community development.
  • Bicycle Commuting - E-Files - Sierra Club Almost everyone thinks that it would be nice to ride a bike to work, and the health benefits to both the rider and the environment are undeniable. Unfortunately, many people find the logistics (especially dealing with traffic) daunting or downright frightening. Here's how to make riding to work less nerve-racking and more enjoyable.
  • Commuting by bike is great for the environment, Transportation, and great for your health.  But, it's a change and if you are considering it, bone up on some recommendations.  Here's a site that will help Commute by Bike | Tips, Hints, Reviews and Safety for Bike Commuters  Especially, check out Commuting 101 | Commute by Bike
  • Bicycle Boulevards: Bicycle Boulevards are: - Low-traffic neighborhood streets that have been optimized for bicycling. They provide direct, attractive routes for bikes. - Quieter, prettier, and healthier than busy, car-filled streets - Welcoming to kids, families and novice cyclists, and attractive for all kinds of cyclists - Extremely safe (many have zero crashes over the last decade) - Healthy, with noticeably cleaner air than busy streets
  • YouTube - B2 Power Means Bicycle Boulevards
  • City of Boulder, Colorado -- Official Web Site - Platinum Level Bicycle Friendly Community Status Award Video by Streetfilms - Could Rochester, New York be as bicycle friendly as Boulder, Colorado.
  • Streetsblog New York City » Streetfilms: Contra-Flow Biking in Boulder Find out about Contra-Flow.

 

GTC - Rochester Bicycle MapYou've been waiting for it, now it's here: Recently updated and extremely well designed, use this map to get around Monroe County by bike.

This bicycling Map is Now available in all Monroe County Bicycle Shops.   Map produced by: Genesee Transportation Council

The mission of the Genesee Transportation Council is to maximize the contribution of the transportation system to the social and economic vitality of the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region Address: City Place ● 50 West Main Street ● Suite 8112 ● Rochester, NY 14614-1227 Phone:  (585) 232-6240 ● Fax:  (585) 262-3106

 

Transportation Action

Get involved with Transportation issues in the Rochester, NY area

  • R Community Bikes: Rochester, New York R Community Bikes is a grassroots, 501(c)3 organization that collects and repairs used bicycles for distribution, free of charge, to Rochester, NY's most needy children and adults. Our mission is meeting the basic transportation needs of those in the community who depend on bikes for recreation as well as for transport to work, school, rehabilitation programs, and training sessions. For this segment of the population, both quality of life and the ability to participate in our community are greatly enhanced when our mission is achieved. R Community Bikes also provides a venue for the Rochester bicycling community to conduct educational programs relative to bicycle safety and maintenance.
  • Sierra Club Transportation Committee Slowly, beginning with our popular 2008 Transportation Forum back in April, we at the Rochester group have been building a Rochester-area transportation policy and hopefully a transportation committee.  - from Rochester Regional Group Sierra Club | Sierra Club

 

Rochester, NY area Bicycling Groups

Rochester, NY has many Bicycling Group who ride, commute, and advocate for alternative transportation for our area

  • BikeRochester.com: This site mainly contains information and links to 'all things' bicycling in the Genesee Valley Region, the Finger Lakes Region, and Rochester, NY.
    Rochester Bicycling Club     "Rochester’s Recreational Cycling Source - Dedicated to promote cycling for health and well being."
  • Bicycling.com Major resources for all things bikes, including magazine.
    Cycle Rochester
  • RocBike.com "I started RocBike.com to chronicle my adventures as a cyclist and bike commuter in Rochester, NY, a mid-sized city on the southern shore of Lake Ontario. My idea was to write about the rides, the idiots, the joys, the brushes with death, and the daily challenge that is being a bicycle rider. After just a few days, though, I started to see more potential for the site. Now I’m interested in making it a gathering place for bike advocacy and shared experience here in the Flower City. RocBike.com can be an online zocalo (town square) for cycling and bike activism in Rochester, from Critical Mass to citywide bike tours to the everyday experiences of cyclists just like me."
  • Huggers Ski Club Pedal Power:
  • Rochester Bicycling Club Exercise outdoors without polluting by biking with others.  This site has a RBC Events Calendar, newsletter about all their events, and even an Adopt-A-Highway Program.   Don't forget to check the weather before you go.
  • haring the Road with Bicycles Whether running errands, commuting to work, or exercising, more and more people are riding bicycles in Connecticut. Under Connecticut General Statutes, a bicycle is considered a vehicle with the same rights and responsibilities as cars, trucks, buses, and other vehicles that travel on public roadways. Courtesy, predictability, and visibility are important factors in “sharing the road” with many types of vehicles.--form Connecticut Bicycle Coalition, Inc
  • New York Bicycling Coalition  Advocacy and Education The Board and staff of NYBC is committed to staying lean and "on the edge" - which means that we envision our evolving website to be our main communication and community building tool. Who needs an office when you can create an effective interactive website?
  • National Center for Bicycling and Walking: This site is designed to support the activities and initiatives of people working across the country, in their professional work and private lives, to make America a better place to walk and to bicycle. We present informational resources, and outline actions government agencies, non-governmental organization and individuals can take to improve the environment for bicycling and walking. The site focuses on issues of public health, including physical activity promotion, chronic disease prevention and environmental health, as well as transportation, land use, public safety and injury prevention.
  • League of American Bicyclists: The League of American Bicyclists promotes bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation and works through advocacy and education for a bicycle-friendly America. The League represents the interests of the nation's 42 million cyclists. With a current membership of 300,000 affiliated cyclists, including 40,000 individuals and 600 affiliated organizations, the League works to bring better bicycling to your community.
  • PPOLNEWS Is Your Free Press Release Distribution Center for news and information related to the cycling Industry "The purpose of this site is to act as a place where businesses, individuals and clubs can post news and press releases related to the Bicycle Trade, and Bicycle Activities. We then distribute your news to the media, the public, search engines and other Web sites on your behalf. This will then increase the public's awareness of your message."
  • Bike Trails, Paths & Routes From Over 40 Countries at Bikely.com Put very simply, Bikely helps cyclists share knowledge of good bicycle routes. It can be quite tricky traversing a car dominated city by bicycle, particularly when you need to travel an unknown route to a new destination. But the chances are, someone has cycled that way before you. Bikely makes it easy for him or her to show you the best way.  Check out some biking routes for Rochester--Find Bike Trails at Bikely.com
  • Western New York Mountain Bicycling Association WNYMBA is an acronym for the Western New York Mountain Biking Association. This organization was formed in 1992 in reverse the trend of trail closings throughout Western New York. Our primary mission is to stop trail closures, work toward improving access to existing trails and the construction of new trails. We do this through mountain bike advocacy, trail maintenance work, and rider education. With your help, we have been successful in these efforts, and have some great riding opportunities in Western New York today.
  • Rochester Cycling Alliance: Complete Streets The RCA is an organization which works to create better cycling infrastructure and a stronger voice for cyclists in Rochester, NY.

 

 


Bicycle Boulevard demonstration ride beginning at Cobbs Hill Park "Photo: Frank J. Regan".Rochester bicycle boulevard ride a success

On Sunday, May 23 at 1 PM in Cobbs Hill Park, over forty bicyclists began a bicycle boulevard demonstration ride through the Upper Monroe neighborhood in Rochester, New York. They were not racers, or members of a single bicycling club, or recruits for a charity ride. They were just ordinary folks finding out what a bicycle boulevard would look and feel like in our area.   more...

(Above scripts from Dynamic Drive)

Rochester Light Rail

Many groups still advocate for a light rail system in the Rochester, NY area

  • Welcome to Rochester Trolley & Rail Formed in early 2003 and incorporated August 2003 as a NYS Railroad Corporation, we're a new company that will develop, own and operate a heritage rail-based trolley and streetcar system for the Greater Rochester area. We have an executive team developed, and every day we're working on developing great community partnerships to move this endeavor forward. We are targeting an underserved and/or unserved market, creating jobs, economic development, community revitalization, and leveraging a unique mode of transportation to run across town.
  • United States Light Rail Transit System Web Sites Light Rail is lightweight passenger rail cars operating singly (or in short, usually two-car, trains) on fixed rails in right-of-way that is not separated from other traffic for much of the way. Light rail vehicles are driven electrically with power being drawn from an overhead electric line via a trolley or a pantograph. Also known as "streetcar," "tramway," "trolley car."
    Special Report: Bicycle Commuting A Commuting Guide for Employers, from Self-Propelled City.
  • Rochester Rail Transit:  The RRTC is a not-for-profit, grassroots citizen's group dedicated to exploring and promoting the opportunities of rail transit in the greater Rochester, NY area. The goals of the Rochester Rail Transit Committee are: Inform community leaders about rail transit options and their benefits Educate the public about the benefits and possibilities of rail transit. Promote all modes of transit, including bus transit.

Official Transportation Resources

For answers to transportation question, go to the prime sources for transportation issues in our area

  • Genesee Transportation Council The mission of the Genesee Transportation Council is to maximize the contribution of the transportation system to the social and economic vitality of the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region Address: City Place ● 50 West Main Street ● Suite 8112 ● Rochester, NY 14614-1227 Phone:  (585) 232-6240 ● Fax:  (585) 262-3106
  • The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) is an operating administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The Bureau is headed by a Director appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. BTS started operations in December 1992, and is required by the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991 to improve the knowledge base for public decision making, and to improve public awareness of the nation's transportation system and its consequences.
  • Rochester Rail Transit Committee  The RRTC is a §501c not-for-profit, grassroots citizen's group dedicated to exploring and promoting the opportunities of rail transit in the greater Rochester, NY area. The goals of the Rochester Rail Transit Committee are to: Inform community leaders about rail transit options and their benefits, Educate the public about the benefits and possibilities of rail transit Promote all modes of transit, including bus transit
  • New York State Department of Transportation It is the mission of the New York State Department of Transportation to ensure our customers - those who live, work and travel in New York State -- have a safe, efficient, balanced and environmentally sound transportation system.  
  • walkinginfo.org: PBIC 15-Year Status Report "This report is the third status update to the National Bicycling and Walking Study, originally published in 1994 as an assessment of bicycling and walking as transportation modes in the United States. Following the 5-year status report (1999) and 10-year status report (2004), the 15-year update measures the progress made toward the original goals of lowering the number of fatalities while increasing the percentage of trips made by bicycling and walking. Injury and fatality statistics are presented to measure this progress, as well as results from surveys related to travel habits. The 15-year report, unlike its two predecessors, examines a range of efforts to increase bicycling and walking in the United States. Programs at the Federal, State, and local levels are included, as well as case studies on best practices. Finally, the report makes recommendations for research, policy, and other measures that can be taken to meet the goals of the original study. " walkinginfo.org
  • City of Rochester | Bicycle Master Plan Project "The City is developing a long-term master plan for bicycling infrastructure and services. Sprinkle Consulting (with SRF & Associates and EDR as subconsultants) was selected through a request for proposal process and is on board to produce a plan that will: identify best practices for bicycling infrastructure and services,  assess their feasibility for local application, identify appropriate locations for bicycle facilities, and recommend bicycle-supportive policies. While the plan will provide conceptual design and inventory work with respect to on-street bike lanes, it will also consider shared lane markings (sharrows), bicycle boulevards, bicycle parking, commuter facilities (e.g. showers, lockers), bicycle sharing, and more. While the City of Rochester and Monroe County received an "honorable mention" from the League of American Bicyclists' "Bicycle Friendly Communities" program in 2009, the goal is to achieve full "Bicycle Friendly Community" status from the group. Download the project's full scope of services. "  -from City of Rochester

 

Transportation Documents

As I come across pertinent transportation online documents, I'll pass them along.

  • Sharing the Road New York State Bicycle and Pedestrian Laws --from NYS DOT        Adults and children are bicycling and walking in increasing numbers in New York State for transportation and recreation. To be as safe as possible, all motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians should be familiar with the sections of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law that apply to them. These are the laws that apply to bicyclists and pedestrians on public highways and paths. Motorists also are reminded to obey the law, and to respect bicyclists, pedestrians and other motorists. Unless otherwise indicated, the section numbers in parentheses are from the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law. All referenced sections of the law are printed in the back of this booklet.