Tim Darst has resigned from the CART board of directors, citing other commitments. We thank Tim for his service, and are proud of the work he did with us. Tim's recent projects include the Car Free Guides, and World Car Free Day, not to mention a willingness to help out an constructive attitude. Thank you, Tim!

Tim Darst with wife Angela Lincoln, pictured midway through is World Car Free Day bus riding marathon.

Calling all bicycle Planners and Engineers!

Dan Gutierrez presents Inclusive Planning and Design. This 90-minute presentation teaches Planners and Engineers to support the full cycling behavior spectrum. Dan is an engineer and a League Cycling Instructor for the LAB. There are three major topics:

1. Facilities Definitions and Terminology
2. Cycling Behavior Spectrum - How cyclists actually behave, going beyond Wilkerson's "A cyclist" "B cyclist" taxonomy.
3. The Importance of "Integrated" Cycling

Dan makes a compelling case using an innovative video filming technique to get people out of their chairs and thinking from a cyclist's eye view. I saw him in Texas last year, and it was very interesting. We're inviting cycling folks from Public Works, Parks, KIPDA, etc.

The Transportation Advocacy Trenches

Today I woke up around 9am. My wife, Katie, was already up and ahead of me in her morning cycle by 30 minutes or so.

Nothing is on the agenda until 1pm, so I catch up on email, and get time to call Stacey B at KIPDA about an upcoming talk CART & KBBC are putting on. She seems enthusiastic, more than I expected, which is gratifying.

Lunch is two tofu-bratwurst and Kool-Aid. That's more than I feel like eating now, but I'll be needing the calories shortly.

Today's central dilemma is how to be both at the TARC board meeting at 1pm, and the SITAG meeting three sunny-hot miles away at 2pm. The bus would be too slow. So I'll get to bike under time pressure and look somewhat presentable. So I choose my outfit for the day: Khakis and a wrinkly, but nice & cool short-sleeved shirt with a collar. I slather on the deoderant and hope I won't soak through anyway. I don my helmet, gloves, and leg bands, and roll up Broadway on my Trek Portland. This bike is rediculously overly-sporty, the transportation cyclists' equivalent of the mid-life-crisis Corvette.

The Car Free Guide to the Highlands has just been released! Click the image below to download the PDF. The printed pamphlets will hit the streets next month.

This week's LEO features an article about the Louisville Bicycle Summit with the quirky title "Barry the Bicycle rides again." David Morse of CART fame and Barry Zalph of Bicycling for Louisville are quoted and described, respectively.

The author had some interesting perspectives on the Summit.  I'm sure that there were ~250 different perspectives for each of the ~250 Summit participants. I know I had a different experience from the LEO author...for those who attended, did you?

Help Pass KY House Bill 88

Kentucky House Bill 88 would make it easier to prosecute reckless drivers who hit pedestrians and bicyclists. By making it clear that Kentucky will not tolerate reckless driving, HB 88 will make our roads safer for everyone and will encourage walking and bicycling.

How to Help

To pass House Bill 88, we need Rep. John Tilley, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, to take action on the bill at the Judiciary Committee next meeting. We're utilizing three tactics to achieve this:

The CART Quarterly Meeting on Friday is on, but due to the icestorm we're having to make a few changes. Dr Schimpeler can't present. Instead, we'll have a presentation on the P&L Commuter Rail Corridor, East-West Passenger bus service in Kentucky, One Road bike/ped protection, and so on.

The Clifton Center has heat and power, so please join us for a toasty presentation!

The two PAL passenger coaches are visible behind the engines in this photo from the PAL website.

On the morning of November the 8th, 2008, Jefferson, Hardin, and Meade counties will play host to something not seen in a generation in these areas: passenger rail service along the Paducah and Louisville Railway.

For one round trip only, there will be a commuter "inspection train" operating from Louisville, through Shively, West Point, Fort Knox, Mulldraugh, North Radcliff, Vine Grove, and Cecilia.

The trip is to draw attention to the huge economic potential that the Paducah and Louisville tracks hold in terms of adding capacity to Highway 31-W aka "Wide Wide Dixie Highway", one of the regions most congested corridors.

About the Inspection Train

Seating on the inspection train is going to be extremely limited, because we can use just the two passenger cars you see above. Because of that, seats are invitation only, and reserved for elected officeholders, transportation professionals, members of the media, and a small staff of volunteers, most of them FRA certified.

Update: New photo-op location added at Southwest Government Center - more info below the fold.