| The Clif Bar 2 Mile Challenge Tour Comes to Carson City on Wednesday, Aug 13th! |
 | | Photo Courtesy Clif Bar |
The promoters for the Clif Bar 2 Mile Challenge recently contacted Jeff at Bike Carson to see if making Carson City a stop on their tour would be a good idea. He said YES! Carson City may not be big, but this is precisely why this campaign is such a good idea here. Whether you live or work in Carson City, many of your daily errands and trips can easily be done by bicycle or on foot.
Here’s a quote from Clif Bar:
Did you know 40% of US urban travel is 2 miles or less? Ride your bike to fight global warming. The bio-diesel powered Clif Bar 2MC bus will be onsite to help educate everyone on the benefits of riding your bike within 2 miles of your home or work to conduct errands versus driving! Those participating in the 2 mile challenge will help all of us cut down on our carbon footprints! Be sure to stop by and check out the bus and for your chance to win some prizes! While you’re here don’t forget to grab your Clif Bar sample to fuel up with.
Some of the details of the tour are still developing, but it looks like they will be setting up in the Mills Park / Community Center area. The Clif Bar 2MC crew wants to show a cycling film to raise some money for a local advocacy group. I thought admission donations would be a perfect fund raiser for Muscle Powered! The movie will be shown at the Bob Boldrick theater at the Carson City Community Center at at 7pm. The cycling film to be shown is Seasons, an independent biking movie from The Collective.
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| BIKE IN CARSON CITY'S DOWNTOWN THIS SUMMER |
Carson City is trying to pump up some downtown energy this summer with events, concerts, a farmer's market, "Pop-up Park" and more. Tammy Westergard from the City's economic development department wanted us to be sure to know that bikes are included - here's the pitch:
Bike the Blue Line - 2.5 Mile Path
Park and Pedal
When: Saturdays Mornings, June - Oct
Time: 9:00am to 1:00pm
Where: N. Curry St. across from Purple Avocado, before Adele's
Pedal around Carson City's historic Kit Carson Blue Line Trail through Carson City's residential homes district on a beautiful Saturday morning and arrive at the Curry St. Promenade, biking your way to: Farmers Market, Green Thumb Alley, Telegraph Square family Pop-up Park and the Brewey Arts Center!
Put your bike on JAC and get off at the Old Carson Tahoe Hospital and bike into the Ann & Curry St. Parking lot to start the Blue Line Tour. Or, drive to the Ann St. parking lot and start your bike tour into Carson City's historic district.
Tammy's working on getting some beach cruisers available for rent, but til then it's bring your own bikes.
Some beach cruzers available.
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| downtowncarsoncity.com |
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| LATEST SUMMER WALKS AND RIDES - CHECK THEM OUT |
Walk leader Donna Inversin writes about the summer's walk schedule, "Let’s make this a summer of exploration; I have yet to do many of these walks myself." See her walks under "events."
Ride leader Kelly Clark sent in some ambitious rides - check them out at right.
Why does Muscle Powered lead rides and walks anyway? We thought that if we get people walking and riding we can not only have fun, stay fit and make friends, but appreciate how good - or not - Carson City is for biking and walking. Kelly and Donna are the latest in a series of dedicated leaders. Anyone want to fill in for them sometime? Contact us if so. (You can use the contact link on home page)
As a reminder:
Walkers and riders must be a Muscle Powered members, may join at the beginning of the walk. Family $20.00 annual
Individual $15.00 annual
Student/Senior $10.00 annual
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| BIKE TO WORK WEEK |
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Great weather, good turnout. Jeff and Jeff did a fantastic job. Here's a picture of the bikes at the end-of-the-week party at Firkin and Fox. Wouldn't it be nice to see this many bikes in Carson all the time? It almost looks civilized...
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| CARSON CITY'S NEW REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN |
Muscle Powered members Anne Macquarie and Sue Newberry are members of an "advisory workgroup" that has been set up by the Carson Area Metropolitan Planning Agency (CAMPO) to work with CAMPO staff on revising the Regional Transportation Plan. So why is this important? It's an opportunity for Sue and Anne to to make sure that CAMPO continues to recognize that bicycle and pedestrian facilities are a part of our transportation plan. And that's important because what's not in the plan - doesn't get built or funded.
In the next advisory workgroup meeting, CAMPO staff are "soliciting and discussing potential projects for inclusion in the Regional Transportation Plan." We have been encouraged to "submit our ideas for potential transportation improvements to be considered for the CAMPO area during the update of the RTP."
Do YOU have any bike or ped project that you think should be a part of our 20-year transportation plan? Leave a comment AT CAMPO's website - link below...
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| http://www.carson-city.nv.us/Index.aspx?page=1813 |
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| Law Enforcement/Cyclist Meeting a success |
The big Northern Nevada Law Enforcement/Cyclist Meeting was held last Tuesday February 8 at the Washoe County Sheriff’s office (actually, the jail – there were a number of nervous bicyclists joking about the meeting venue) Terry McAfee of the Nevada Bicycle Coalition and Procrastinating Pedalers did an excellent job of organizing the meeting and keeping it on track. Washoe County Sheriff Michael Haley and Reno Police Chief Michael Poehlman were there, along with about sixteen other officers representing the Washoe County sheriff, Carson City sheriff, Reno and Sparks police departments, Nevada Highway Patrol, and more.
Over fifty cyclists including members of Reno Wheelmen, Reno Bike Project, Muscle Powered, Procrastinating Pedalers, Alta Alpina, and more attended. It was standing room only in the sheriff’s briefing room.
The meeting was respectful on both sides....TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE GO TO THE NEW MUSCLE POWERED BLOG - LINK BELOW. COMMENTS WELCOME
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| http://musclepowered.wordpress.com/ |
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| 2007 ANNUAL REPORT AVAILABLE |
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For the first time this year Muscle Powered has prepared an annual report - we are accomplishing so much more each year we thought it was time to keep better track. Check it out on the Newsletters page.
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| 2008 ANNUAL MEETING AND NEW BLOG |
Muscle Powered held its 2008 annual meeting a couple of weeks ago and we've got a full plate for this year: bike to work week, westside mountain bike trail, a famly walking guide to Carson City called, tentatively, "We Can..Walk Carson City" holiday bike donations for kids, and more. Jeff Moser, our new publicity guy, jumped right on his to-do list and made a new blog site for Muscle Powered - here's the link
Come blog with us..
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| http://musclepowered.wordpress.com/ |
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| GREAT BASIN PARTY/RALLY FOR GLOBAL WARMING WISE LEADERSHIP |
 | | Step It Up, Nevada! |
50 people showed up at Comma Coffee on Saturday, November 3 to take part in conversations about global warming's effects on Nevada wildlife, proposed coal-fired powerplants in eastern Nevada, ways to build sustainable communities locally, and more. Kids made posters. People brought cookies and June Joplin provided coffee. Nevada Assembywoman Sheila Leslie gave a rousing speech - and we all took at picture which will be delivered to Congressman Dean Heller to show that his constituents are looking for action on global warming at the local, state, and national level.
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| URBAN LAND INSTITUTE LOOKS AT CARSON CITY |
 | | An image of what Carson Street might look like, someday... |
Carson’s City’s downtown redevelopment plans were the subject of a “Project Analysis Session” at the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI’s) October meeting in Las Vegas. Founded in 1936, the ULI is one of the world’s foremost groups of real estate and urban planning professionals, with over 34,000 members worldwide. So it is a big deal that Carson City’s downtown plans were reviewed by the ULI panel. When it comes to real estate development, these people know what they’re talking about.
Muscle Powered president Anne Macquarie traveled to Las Vegas to sit in on the session. In the 2-hour review, panelists covered a range of issues about downtown Carson City including the prospects for downtown housing and the need for a “catalyst” redevelopment project to kick-start the revitalization of downtown. What struck Anne, though, was how often the panelists talked about, you guessed it, bicycling and walking. They asked why there wasn’t a bike path between Western Nevada College and downtown. They said 14-to-16 ft sidewalks were key to making downtown pedestrian-friendly and attractive. They said the City had to pay attention to walking and bicycling connections between the downtown and existing neighborhoods.
All this isn’t new, of course. In fact, it’s standard practice in successful downtowns. But Anne was glad that all the Carson City decisionmakers in attendance – about 40 of them, from City staff and supervisors to Chamber of Commerce, to education professionals - heard it, not from Muscle Powered as usual, but from a panel of successful real estate developers.
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| http://www.downtowncarsoncity.com/index.html |
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| NEW MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAIL? |
 | | The trail might go this way... |
Local mountain biker and trail builder Jeff Potter came to Muscle Powered’s last board meeting and presented his plan to build a singletrack mountain bike trail on the west side of Carson City between Kings Canyon and Ash Canyon. Jeff asked if we would support the idea, and we said, “Sure!” Jeff plans to build the trail to International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) standards roughly along the alignment of a trail shown on Carson City’s recently-adopted Pathways Plan.
Muscle Powered will help Jeff in working with the City and Forest Service (over whose land the proposed trail will pass) and, potentially, in getting funding for the project. Muscle Powered’s Anne Macquarie has volunteered to help with the environmental documentation that will be required. And Muscle Powered has become a member of the International Mountain Bike Association.
Jeff is an expert trail builder, so any Muscle Powered members or others who want to build trails with a pro – here’s your chance.
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| KIDS BIKE RODEO |
Muscle Powered and the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) held a kids bike rodeo on October 13 in the north Carson Wal Mart parking lot. After the rodeo kids rode the bike path along the north Carson freeway. It was a great event with co-sponsors and volunteers including NDOT, Muscle Powered, Jamba Juice, Carson City Parks and Recreation Department, Bike Habitat, and the Office of Traffic Safety. A dozen members of the Carson High School Environmental Club were also present as volunteer course monitors.
Carson City Mayor Marv Teixeira, Supervisor Robin Williamson, and NDOT Director Susan Martinovich took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially inaugurate the year-old freeway path.
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| NEVADA BICYCLE COALITION FORMED |
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A statewide Nevada Bicycle Coalition is now being formed, thanks to the diligent efforts of Terry McAfee and Heidi Littenburg of Reno. Many other staes have statewide coalitions to advocate for better conditions for bicycling - one of our most nonpolluting, efficient and healthy transportation modes. It's good news that Nevada now has one too.
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| UPDATED BIKE MAP COMPLETED May, 2007 |
Muscle Powered has completed an updated Bike Route Map and Safe Cycling Guide for Carson City. Project manager Arlene Richartz labored successfully to have it printed and distributed by Bike to Work Week. The map shows new and revised bike routes around town; on the back page are safe riding tips.
The maps were funded with a grant from the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety and the Nevada Bicycle Advisory Board, Carson City Parks and Recreation Department, and business sponsors. Maps are available free at map sponsors including the Carson City Parks and Recreation Department, City Cafe Bakery, B'Sgetti's restaurant, Carson City Convention and Visitor's Bureau, Millard Realty, Med Direct Urgent Care, The Sporting Rage, Flume Trail Bikes, Bike Habitat, Bike Smith, Bicycle Authority, Judy Plume Realty, Carson Lanes, Procrastinating Pedalers, Alta Alpina Cycling Club, the Reno Wheelmen, For Body and Soul Therapeutic Massage, Bauer and Holmes Dentistry, Bike the West, John Cobbey Insurance, and Nevada State Bank.
Thank you to all our funders and sponsors for making this map available to Carson City. Safe riding to all!
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| RIDE OF SILENCE - May 2007 |
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Carson City's first RIDE OF SILENCE - an event to remember bicyclists and pedestrians killed or injured in crashes with motor vehicles - was held on Wednesday, May 16 as part of Bike to Work Week. About 18 participants rode a slow, silent, 10-mile loop around Carson City. Here's a picture of some of the participants.
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| MEXICAN DITCH PROJECT |
Muscle Powered has been working with Carson City and the local branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers to build a bridge over the Mexican Ditch in eastern Carson City to link together two portions of the Mexican Ditch Trail. Muscle Powered president Anne Macquarie wrote grants to get funding to buy a prefab bridge; Chas Macquarie drew up initial plans, and ASCE members have contributed surveying, design, and geotech work. Here's a picture of a City-owned backhoe digging up a sample for the geotechnical investigation.
we find out next month if we got the grants for bridge construction. If we did, look for a new bridge there by the end of the year!
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| CARSON CITY'S FIRST ALLEYCAT RACE HELD IN AUGUST |
Carson City resident Stephen Maples, 18, (on crutches in the picture)has wanted for quite a while to take part in an alleycat* race, but when he broke his ankle a couple of weeks ago he realized he couldn't be in one of those wild bike races for a while, so he decided to organize one instead.
Carson City's first alleycat race had about eighteen participants who took various routes to destinations including the library, the old K-Mart, and Sunset Park, where they picked up tokens (colored popsickle sticks) and raced back to the finish at Carriage Square Park. Bud Kop took first place in about 27 minutes, followed by Charlie Macquarie in second. Trevor Birba and Jack Jacquette unfortunately crashed into each other in front of the library, but injuries were minor, consisting of road rash and a bent front wheel. Their last-place finishes were met with cheers from the other participants.
* Alleycat races, originally and for the most part still put on by and for bicycle messengers, are semi anarchic bicycle scavenger hunts where each participant is given a “manifest” indicating several checkpoint and set loose on the streets of a city to take the fastest route he or she can find to each checkpoint then back to the start/finish.
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| BIKE RACK DONATIONS FROM HELEN CLOSE FOUNDATION AND DR. COLLEEN LYONS |
Thank you to the Helen Close Charitable Foundation and Colleen Lyons, MD for donations toward bike racks in Carson City.
The Helen Close Charitable Foundation of Reno NV awarded a grant of $2,500 for Muscle Powered to fabricate and install bike racks in Carson City.
Colleen Lyons, MD of Carson City purchased two Muscle Powered bike racks to donate to the new Carson Tahoe Hospital in Carson City.
Muscle Powered has been contacted by many local organizations over the past year requesting bike racks. Without the supporters like the Helen Close Charitable Foundation and Colleen Lyons, it would not be possible to fulfill the desires of those who want to make Carson City a more walkable and bikeable city.
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| SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PILOT PROGRAM COMPLETED |
MUSCLE POWERED'S Safe-Routes-to-School Pilot Project implemented at Mark Twain and at Seeliger Elementary Schools in Carson City for 2005-2006 produced mixed results.
A major obstacle was the lack of active SR2S committee members. At each school, the principal, a teacher, and one or two parents attended most monthly meetings, but most of the committee work fell on one or two individuals. Parents and teachers are just too busy.
Event days at both schools were very successful.
Mark Twain celebrated its “Walk-‘n-Roll-to-School Day” on Friday, May 12. Mark Twain provided free refreshments to all walkers and bikers upon arrival at the school cafeteria on May 12. An astounding 60% (389) of Mark Twain’s 630 students walked or biked to school on the beautiful, sunny morning, compared with 22% (144) on a normal day (baseline survey was taken in April)
Seeliger held its event day on Tuesday, May 23. With 80% of teachers returning their classroom surveys, over 42% of Seeliger's students walked or biked to school on event day--compared to our baseline survey of 17% on a normal school day.
Seeliger sent out announcements prior to event day to inform students of designated routes and departure times. RSVP’s were requested for those wishing to purchase breakfast. Muscle Powered members (Joe and Michelle Peltier) donated fresh fruits that were available at the check-in tables that morning. While none of the invited politicians attended, a surprise visit was made by the Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Mary Pierczynski, who helped other volunteers greet arriving students fill out tickets for giveaway prizes that were distributed later in the day. The principal and P.E. teacher led a “bike train” before and after school. In addition, several parents were stationed at various intersections at 7:35am and walked students to school. Volunteers on foot and on bicycles monitored the designated routes to escort latecomers to school.
Clearly, the high participation rates show the potential for more children walking or biking to school on a regular basis. It is also important to note that many students indicated that they enjoyed walking to school.
- From Arleen Richartz, Safe routes to School Coordinator
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| National Trails Day Cleanup at Lompa Wetlands |
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In Muscle Powered's first National Trails Day event, Jenny, Barry, Howard, and Anne stand beside Carson City's community cleanup trailer and some of the trash they collected from the Lompa Lane wetlands in Carson City.
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| Movie Night a Hit |
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Fifty people showed up to watch "The End of Suburbia" on March 30 at the Brewery Arts Center's Donald W. Reynolds Theater. Some great discussions took place afterwards. Muscle Powered now has a DVD of the film. If you're a Muscle Powered member and want to borrow it, send us an email. Show it to a group of friends! Thanks to the BAC for the use of the room and for John Procaccini's technical assistance.
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| NDOT ESTIMATES 1,000 WALK CARSON FREEWAY |
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And many Muscle Powered members were there: here's a picture. Wouldn't it be great to see this many people out walking all the time?
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| BIKE RACK INSTALLED AT COMMA COFFEE |
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Muscle Powered board member Joe Peltier installed a perky yellow bike rack in the Comma Coffee Courtyard yesterday (10/13/05) while Muscle Powered members and Nevada Appeal reporters looked on. The rack goes great with the eclectic decor of Comma Coffee, and owner June Joplin is very pleased with it. (see photo). This is the first in Muscle Powered's bike rack donation campaign. This one was funded with membership dues, but we are now readying a grant application to fund more, and we hope to have them all over town. We'll make a bike-friendly community out of Carson City yet...
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| CARLESS IN CARSON CITY |
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Muscle Powered member Anne Macquarie has vowed to spend the month of October carless in Carson City, to celebrate Carson's City's finally getting a public transportation system. Can she do it? Will she get run over by a crazy driver while biking home from her yoga class? Will she make her friends and family feel guilty enough to join her? Will it be healthy? And most important -will it be fun? Find out on her BLOG at this website on the Opinion page...
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