Here's some good news for biking...cyclists will get more equal treatment from the IRS.

While the emergency relief/bail-out bill may not be popular, there is a provision included that is favorable to cyclists. The legislation will include a proposal by Senator Wyden and Congressman Blumenauer, both of Oregon, to provide some modest tax relief for those who use their bike to commute to work. While motorists may get employer provided fringe benefit for car parking or mileage reimbursement, there is no analogous benefit for cyclists recognized by the IRS. The legislation will allow employer-provided transportation fringe benefit to be considered tax-free income for bicycle commuters. The provision will encourage more cycling for transportation, treat cyclists fairly, address transportation priorities by reducing fuel demand, traffic pollution and congestion, while promoting good health.

Studies show that as cities and employers increase their support for cyclists, cycling increases, with all the energy, health, traffic congestion reductions and environmental benefits that go with it.

Also, as the number of cyclists increase, motorists become more alert to the presence of cyclists in the road and safety increases (as cycling in London increased 100%, 2000-2005, the cyclist accident rate fell 40%; Transport for London, quoted in the Wall Street Journal, 5/19/06).

This law is fundamentally sound tax policy because it puts employer subsidies for bicycle commuting on essentially the same tax footing as existing subsidies for employees who drive or use public transit. Further, employer-provided incentives for cycling may also reduce employer health insurance costs, by offering support for healthy activities.

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Lecture on the decline of sugar maple trees in the northeastern U.S. and links to air pollution by Holden Arboretum's Mary Topa.

Acer saccharum (sugar maple) is a keystone species in many forests of Northeastern and Midwestern United States, and Eastern Canada. Although recent surveys have shown that Acer saccharum is generally healthy throughout its range, sporadic declines have occurred during the last four decades in Ontario and Quebec, Wisconsin, Vermont, New York and Pennsylvania, and fewer seedlings appear to be maturing to adulthood. Topa, Holden’s director of research, will discuss potential causes of decline in urban trees, sugar bushes and forests, and why some forests are more susceptible than others. There will be light refreshments and time to speak with. Topa after the lecture. Registration requested.

More information.

During Cleveland Bicycle Week in May, organizers gathered information from area cyclists, learning what works, what doesn't and what people like about cycling in Northeast Ohio.

Here are some of their thoughts:

Fix the Roads!!: Cyclists care about good roads. No surprise there. Cyclists have historically cared about transportation, starting the "good roads" movement before there were cars. As we proceed through the 21st century, remember that in the 19th century, cyclists initiated the call for quality roads to serve the economy and population of a growing nation. So let's fix the potholes, clear the debris and glass that plague motorists and cyclists alike.

Who Rides?: Cyclists have a variety of goals, but the most frequent riders are commuters and those riding for recreation, health and fitness. The next largest groups were those on social visits and errands. People ride for their individual goals, but also, ride as a social activity. Cycling helps individuals and families have fun and enjoy the area's beautiful parks.

We Don't Fret About Motorists: Yes, many motorists don't seem to be aware of traffic laws that establish a cyclist right to use the roads, but it's a diversion to cite barriers between cyclists and motorists, at least from the cyclists point of view. Cyclists report they would ride more with safer bike lanes (82%), areas free from glass, debris and car doors, about 45% more than those who criticized motorists. Weather and poor road quality were cited by more than half of respondents, far more than those citing unsafe motorists.

The Mayor of Charleston, South Carolina clearly sees the value of bikes and local infrastructure, taking steps to add more cycling access on area bridges. Earlier, the South Carolina state transportation officials added bike access to a federally funded bridge, a step ODOT refused to consider. The federally funded bridge has proven to be so popular, they have even hosted wedding groups. Building on the success, the Mayor announced more plans for bikes on bridges.

Here's the information:

Win for Charleston, SC: Old Bridge to Be Retrofitted: According to the Charleston Moves E-News, "Mayor Joseph Riley has announced the city's plan to add a cantilevered 10-ft wide bicycle and pedestrian lane to the southernmost of the two Ashley River bridges." The bridge is the primary conduit for travel between the downtown Charleston and West Ashley, but has been a roadblock to cyclists and pedestrians. Charleston Moves has actively championed access for cyclists and pedestrians to this important bridge. They report that the City of Charleston is now seeking funding for construction.

http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/may/14/create_better_bridge_links40740/

Kevin Cronin
ClevelandBikes : When ClevelandBikes, Cleveland Benefits!
www.clevelandbikes.org

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HOW MANY DAYS CAN YOU AVOID COMMUTING ALONE, DURING THE WEEKS OF July 20th – August 2nd?

Carpool - Find a partner, even for just 1 day a week, using our free service at www.OhioRideshare.org.

Bike To Work and To Do Errands - View or print a FREE county bike route map at www.noaca.org/bikemaps.html

Ride the Bus - Visit www.noaca.org/cc2008.html for all the regional transit links Walk - No additional equipment needed!

Telecommute (Work from Home) - First time? This is a good week to try it!

Compressed Work-Week - Work four 10-hour days and take a day off!

Please share your commute story at www.noaca.org/cc2008.html and we will calculate the emissions you saved as a region!

Commuter Challenge 2008 is brought to you by the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency’s Air Quality Programs, Rideshare Program, and Bicycle Planning. NOACA is a regional transportation and environmental planning agency. For more info call (216) 241-2414 ext. 252 or 373.

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Explorer Lecture Series with Harriet Washington:  The history of medical research with African Americans remained largely unexplored until journalist Harriet Washington published the book Medical Apartheid, the product of years of research into long-undisturbed medical journals and experimental reports. Using this work and many arresting, rarely seen images, she discusses the science and ethics behind this long-neglected chapter in the history of medicine, which paralleled American culture at large. She also demonstrates how for centuries, racist mythology, economics and politics trumped scientific and medical discipline – and how this history can serve as a cautionary tale.

Ticket information.

Too often, we talk about cycling as important for public health, recreation and transportation, but this New York Times story below demonstrates that support for cycling is a sound regional economic strategy as well. The article, based on activities in Portland, Oregon, illustrates how support for cycling translates into business growth and opportunity, as well as creating an attractive, desirable place to live and work. This is an important lesson for the region of CLE+ IN PORTLAND, CULTIVATING A CULTURE OF TWO WHEELS NEW YORK TIMES By WILLIAM YARDLEY November 5, 2007 PORTLAND, Ore. — Susan Peithman did not have a job lined up when she moved here in September to pursue a career in "nonmotorized transportation." No worries, she figured; the market here is strong. "In so many ways, it's the center," Ms. Peithman, 26, explained. "Bike City, U.S.A." Cyclists have long revered Portland for its bicycle-friendly culture and infrastructure, including the network of bike lanes that the city began planning in the early 1970s. Now, riders are helping the city build a cycling economy. There are, of course, huge national companies like Nike and Columbia Sportswear that have headquarters here and sell some cycling-related products, and there are well-known brands like Team Estrogen, which sells cycling clothing for women online from a Portland suburb. Yet in a city often uncomfortable with corporate gloss, what is most distinctive about the emerging cycling industry here is the growing number of smaller businesses, whether bike frame builders or clothing makers, that often extol recycling as much as cycling, sustainability as much as success. Here's the full story: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/05/us/05bike.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

I recently attended a “Learn and Groove” session on September 17th in the Great Lakes Brewing Co. beer garden presented by City Fresh and The New Agrarian Center. The session welcomed guests to learn about permaculture techniques used to restore degraded land around the world from Australian expert Darren Doherty.

Darren comes from Bendigo, in Australia, near Melbourne. He, his wife and their three children have been traveling on a self-funded tour of the world teaching in lectures and hands-on instruction the power of the permaculture movement. Darren spoke about going beyond sustainable to regenerative farms. These farms feature water preservation and reliance on few outside resources.

A key aspect to the farming techniques he discussed is the use of the keyline system which cuts into soil but doesn’t break it up; building more soil depth and allowing it to hold more water. Using gradually deeper lines, the roots are cut down and carbon is released into the soil. In three seasons, land that was un-plantable can have eighteen inches of fertile top soil. The technique was developed by Alan Yeoman who discusses in his book Priority One his theory that “we could reverse global warming in ten years. The key is to get the worlds' grass back into active production by the use of herbivores (a la buffalo).”^₁

An initial major planning and land-shaping activity takes place to ensure all water is stored and distributed through the farm with no run-off from the property of water or soil. This includes the use of strategically placed ponds (he calls them dams), often in key points which are natural places water will gather. The land is then shaped into a series of parallel rows, using plow patterns to distribute water evenly over the property, using gravity as much as possible.

Around the time “An Inconvenient Truth” was barnstorming the nation, senior leaders at the Cleveland Clinic had a revelation. “They became acutely aware of climate change and reducing the Clinic’s impact,” Christina Vernon Ayers, the newly appointed director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Office for a Healthy Environment, explains how her department and the new push to green the healthcare giant’s buildings and operations began this year.

Ayers spent the last year and a half in The Clinic’s facilities department where she developed a reputation as a champion of green ideas. This month, she begins focusing full time on the process of measuring and reducing what is undeniably a huge carbon footprint (as one might expect from an organization with 35,000 employees and thousands of customers coming to call). The work began in earnest when Clinic CEO Toby Cosgrove arranged for renowned green architect Bill McDonough to visit last May for a public speech followed by a private work session with Clinic top brass. From that meeting, Ayers organized the Clinic’s goals into four areas:

• Healthy buildings, especially creating a green building policy
• Healthy operations, such as recycling and reducing energy use
• Better buying, as in using the Clinic’s power as a major buyer to influence what it purchases; and
• Finding champions and innovators within the organization

“My belief is the best way to inspire change is to foster ownership and innovation by those who know what they do best,” Ayers says. “I’m not interested in telling any of our hospitals ‘do this or that’, but to help them understand what we do on our campus and leave it up to them to innovate. I don’t have a list of what every hospital has to do or what a green hospital is. We have a lot of innovative people who work here—let’s put all this brain power to work.”

On September 30th, the Kamm's Corners Farmers Market (KCFM) will host Mark Donahue of the Delaware North Companies (caterer to the Terrace Club) as its guest celebrity chef around 11:00 a.m. The Stokes Brothers, an inventive blues-rock trio will be perform live music, and staff from River's Edge will do a Tai Chi demonstration beginning around 10:30 a.m. The KCFM will also feature Sue & Bob Tischler of Yarn Knit by Sue who will demonstrate knitting and crocheting techniques around 1:00 p.m. 

The KCFM is a uniques farmers market that features weekly health and wellness education, live music entertainment, cooking demonstrations as well as fresh, local food.  The market is open every Sunday through October 21st from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and is conveniently located off Lorain Avenue at West 168th Street in the municipal parking lot behind Walgreens.  It is FREE and open to the public.