Here’s a great recap of the Worst Day of the Year Ride.  I made some notes in brackets, otherwise the rest comes from Liz Calhoun, a Bike Ambassador, AABTS member and dedicated cyclist:

“Worst day of the Year Ride” Recap

By Liz Calhoun

The Worst Day of the Year Ride is actually a Portland, Oregon event (see how they do it: http://worstdayride.com), which has a limit of TWO THOUSAND riders. 

Our local version this year was sponsored by Wheels in Motion bike shop with edible contributions from Zingerman’s Deli and the “traditional” rousing wrap-up at Arbor Brewing Company. 

More than 100 riders attended; and that number was impressive, given the temperature, which topped out at about 32’ minus wind chill.  Nearly forty riders took the 40-mile challenge, which departed at 1pm and included AABTS members John Bain, Tom Barrett, Steve Dodge, Geoff Crosbie, and Michael Murray.  Crosbie, long-time Club member and Ride Captain of many rides, noted that the conditions for the 40 mile this year were vastly improved over those of a year ago.

[It should also be noted that Geoff is an employee of the Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce, where getDowntown resides]

A Mountain Bike “option” was also available to riders so inclined and equipped.  Another forty riders enjoyed the “Reindeer Ride” of 12 miles, staging at 2pm, and included Paul Alman, Joe Pavlovich, Tom Maher, and Doug and Elizabeth Tidd.  My ride, the “Snowshoe Hare Ride” of 6 miles, left at 2:30, with barely a dozen riders.  Not that the route was bad, but that conditions were such that many riders decided to take advantage of clear roads (comparatively) and ride the longer routes.

The event was distinguished by the presence of cycling celebrity Frank Bostwick, recently relocated to Ann Arbor, who was queuing up to ride with us Snowshoe Hares.  Frank stated in email prior to the event: “ I’ll be riding an old white Cannondale with drop handlebars. My white helmet has a red-flashing light.  I’m sure I have more white hair than anybody else on the ride.  Never fear.  I can still handle six miles.”  

And he was true to his word, at age 83 taking his place at the starting line with Ride Captain Pete Hines and yours truly, et al.  Frank is the author of the book “Upcountry Odyssey: Cycling Solo at 68 from Florida to Canada through the Appalachian Mountains” which details his 1,668-mile journey on bicycle from Florida to Canada, back when he was a young gallant.

Club member Klaus Wolter took part in the Mountain Bike Loop, and found it extremely challenging.   In his post-ride commentary to Ride Captain Ann Hunt, he stated:  “It was difficult.  I was told that included parts of ‘The Loop of Pain.’  I had NO idea that those trails existed in and around Ann Arbor!  Wow! Climbing a hill in Leslie Park, my legs let me know they had had enough of this and cramped up on me.  First time I’ve ever experienced that!”  Klaus noted that he’d be looking forward to the ride next year, although reflected that maybe the “City Loop” would be more appealing …

[It should also be noted that we all give Klaus Wolter credit for behaving in good getDowntown style --- in other words, he bicycled to the start of the ride and back from his home in Dexter!] 

This was my first year to ride the Worst Day ride.  I am by no means an all-weather cycle commuter or even a hardy mountain biker.  I ride a standard Trek FX7500 with standard mostly-slick road tires, and my biggest challenge was getting out of my neighborhood and downtown to Kerrytown.  Yeek!  Whoa, Dobbin!  Slewing sideways in the slushy aftermath of the snowfall the night before or kicking up foul sprays of salty roadmelt, I got an immediate introduction to what thousands of cycle commuters around the world deal with on a typical winter poke to or from work.

Most of the crew from Wheels in Motion were on hand at Kerrytown to welcome registrants, and Zingerman’s Deli provided carafes of thick hot chocolate and baskets of slabs of coffee cake.  DeWight Plotner, owner of Wheels in Motion, wife Vickie and daughter Chelsie gave the start a family-reunion-esque warmth that brightened up the gloom of the late-January day.  It was still pretty raw to be standing around in the wind, as I learned quickly, having arrived to be a volunteer-as-needed at noon.  At 12:30 I decided to go ride some part of the 6-mile ride to get a sense of the conditions.

It was back in the muck and salt spray, and I noticed that crud was caking up smartly between the rear forks of my bike.  Cars passed me on Main Street, putting more salt spray in my space.  I turned off onto Lake Shore Dr. heading toward Bandemer Park and saw immediately that slushy snow covered the railroad crossing there.  The Bandemer Trail itself was white and wet … and the wooden bridge across the Huron up to Whitmore Lake/Barton Drive pretty dicey for a bike.  I rode the short loop and made it back to Kerrytown by the start of the long ride at 1pm.

Having endured watching numerous other cyclists depart, it was with teeth-chattering relief that finally, at 2:30 and an end to coffee cake and hot chocolate, I followed as Pete led the Snowshoe Hares off on the 6-mile route.  We were honored to have DeWight and Vickie and Chelsie Plotner in our group.  You know you’re in good hands when the sponsor and his family are in your peloton: the situation can’t be all that bad.

Our route was familiar to Breakfast Ride veterans — down Fourth past Wheeler Park, to Main and then right onto Long Shore to the Bandemer Park trail, which had melted quite a bit since I scouted it two hours earlier.  The grey river perfectly complemented the grey slush under our tires, and the steely clouds overhead.  There was a bit of a wind, to drop the temperature nicely.  We wound through Bandemer and then onto Barton Dr. to avoid the long wooden boardwalk section on the high bank of the river.  From Barton we traveled up to Hilldale.  An oncoming motorist on Barton very courteously motioned us all to complete our left turn as a group, and we waved and shouted “THANK YOU!” in response.  We finally came to the Hilldale bike/walk trail at which point the hardiest cyclists went on through – DeWight, Vickie, and Chelsie – and Pete led the rest of us Snowshoe Hares to Cloverdale to Stellar and so to Pontiac Trail.  Past Northside School and out Barton to Plymouth we continued, then Broadway, and back to Fifth and Kerrytown, where we stopped to count riders.  And from there we proceeded to Arbor Brewing Company where Mark Epstein and Wells Henderson of Wheels in Motion were minding the bike racks as Cycle Parking Valets, all complimentary.

Whatever the temperature and conditions outside Arbor Brewing Company, inside it was PACKED with cyclists, and more arrived steadily between 4 and 6pm.  That dashing rogue Frank Bostwick bought me a pint of Stout – I imagine he’d autograph a copy of his book for me, too (and for YOU, too, if you ask him).  I got into a spirited discussion with Tom Maher about this venerable Newsletter (Lynda, we need article submission guidelines!) and then chatted up Geoff Crosbie about his Appalachian State sweatshirt.  By the time I left, the Plotners were closing down our reserved section of the Brewing Company, and the number of rigs on the racks outside was down to a bare dozen.

It should be noted that unlike most every other invitational that AABTS members are likely to ride this year, the Worst Day of the Year ride is completely FREE.  There are no fees involved with the ride.  Unless you have Frank Bostwick buying your beer for you, however, you *do* have to pay for your own brew at Arbor Brewing Company.  When I talked about the ride with DeWight Plotner afterwards, he was still glowing from the number of participants.  “It’s about fun, about the spirit of ‘Worst Day,’” he emphasized.  To be sure, folks in Portland, Oregon, are not likely to experience a nice (nasty) punishing Great Lakes snowfall the night before, or during, the ride.  The Pacific Northwest tends to witness few ice storms, or monstrous snowdrifts, or cars going gingerly through slush over a freezing roadbed.   But these are conditions that many cyclists experience as a matter of course, sometimes without real alternatives: those who depend on their rigs as a means of transportation to their places of employment.   As much as “Worst Day” was meant as Sunday recreation, I, personally, couldn’t help but go home in the fading daylight with an increased respect for those cyclists who commute rather than tour.   

FYI:Any cyclists out there?  We need you!

I am working on my master’s project in the Urban Planning department,
and I have created a survey that I ask you to take a look at.  It can
be found at the link below, and should take no more than 5 minutes to
complete.  Your input is sorely needed, and your participation will
have a direct impact on bike planning at U of M.  You are invited to
participate whether or not you ride a bike.

http://sitemaker.umich.edu/bikes

Please complete only ONE of the questionnaires posted on this website. 

Thanks for participating, and let me know if you have any questions or
comments.

Go Blue.

Jake Aftergood

University of Michigan, Urban and Regional Planning

This begins an occasional series of blog posts where I give suggested alternative commuting options to the downtown from a particular location. My hope is that if you live near the intersection I mention these options could work for you.

Please feel free to email me (getdowntown@annarborchamber.org) with suggested locations.

We’ll first start with one I know well since I live close to it

If you live by Liberty and Stadium on the West Side of Ann Arbor

Walk: It’s about 1.5 miles from Liberty and Stadium to Main Street. So, depending on how far away you are from this intersection and where you office is, it could take between 25-45 minutes to walk to work. If you combine your walk with a ride on the Link it could take less time to get to the other side of downtown.

Bike: The nice thing about Liberty is that there is a bike lane from Stadium to First street (There are also Bike Lanes on Stadium itself from Pauline to Maple). So if you rode your bike on Liberty, you’d be using a bike lane. It will take you about 10-20 minutes to bike to work depending on where in town you work.

There are lots of Bike Hoops downtown and also covered bike parking at many parking structures. If you have an extra nice bike, you can also consider a Bike Locker, which you can get through getDowntown. You can also put your bike on AATA buses so you can bike to one location and take the bus for the rest of your commute.

Bus: and speaking of buses, there are a couple of buses that go downtown Liberty into town:
12A (click here for more info): This bus goes from the Blake Transit Center, up Miller, and then down Liberty. You would take this to get to the downtown. The bus runs every 30 min from 6:48am until 5:48pm and then runs every hour from 5:48pm until 9:48pm. The schedule varies on the weekend, so refer to a Ride Guide or the online schedule. This bus will drop you off at the Blake Transit Center.
12B (click here for more info): This bus goes from the Blake Transit Center, up Liberty and then down to Miller. You would take this to get home from the downtown. It runs a similar schedule to the 12A. Check your Ride Guide for more details or the online schedule.
12UL (click here for more info): This is a peak hour bus that goes down Liberty to the UM Campus by way of Huron Street. It does not go to the Blake Transit Center. This bus runs every half hour from 6:31am-9:26am and the from 4:23pm-6:08pm. There is no weekend service.

Other buses to consider that also run in the area are the 8, the 9, the 9U and the 12UM

Carpooling: Chances are, another downtown worker lives in the area that you could carpool with. For more info on finding a carpool partner, check out the getDowntown Share a Ride page. Also, if you are on Facebook, you can see who else is in your neighborhood and works in the downtown and email them personally to see if they’d like to carpool sometime.

Who’s commuting: I’ve seen Homeless Dave riding his bike on Liberty. I also bike on this street. I’ve seen folks from Suwanee Springs, Bennett Optometry, and Ten Thousand Villages on the bus. Joe Morehouse of the Ann Arbor DDA walks to work on Liberty.

From Chris Fellows, UM Parking and Transportation Services Administrative Intern:

“I’m the current intern with Parking and Transportation right now.  If you know of any UM employees interested in taking a potential express bus from Chelsea (AATA), please let me know as I am trying to gain support/ridership for this. ”

Chris notes that there is a possibility that the UM will subsidize this bus for UM employees.

Please send your thoughts and comments to cfellows@med.umich.edu

For more information on the bus: http://blog.mlive.com/annarbornews/2008/01/chelseaann_arbor_bus_in_the_wo.html

FYI:

AATA announces schedule changes

ANN ARBOR, MI – The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA) will implement the following transit service changes starting on Sunday, January 27, 2008:

Route 2 – Plymouth (change previously implemented)

To accommodate a change in the Greenhills school schedule, the afternoon trip which previously arrived at Greenhills at 2:52 p.m. now serves Glacier Hills, while the trip which used to arrive at Glacier Hills at 3:22 p.m. now serves Greenhills.

Route 12UM – Miller-University

To improve on-time performance, timepoints for the first two afternoon trips will change to earlier service, as follows: Michigan League, 2:28 and 3:00 p.m.; University Hospital, 2:34 and 3:06 p.m.; Miller and Newport, 2:44 and 2:52 p.m.; and the Miller Road Park & Ride Lot, 2:48 p.m.

Route 36 – Wolverine Tower Shuttle

New routing south of the State Street Commuter Lot will operate as follows:

Evening routing starting at Briarwood will take Briarwood Circle, Plaza Drive, Eisenhower Blvd., Boardwalk Drive, Oakbrook Drive and State Street, then resume its regular routing.

Maple Village Park & Ride Lot

Because AATA has been unable to reach an agreement with the management of Maple Village, Park & Ride service will no longer be available at that location. AATA encourages passengers to find alternatives such as the Miller Road Park & Ride Lot on Miller Road at M-14.

The AATA Board of Directors will be seeking public input in the near future on possible service reductions and additions proposed to take effect in late August.

Complete details on AATA routes and schedules are available at 734.996.0400, on AATA’s web site, www.TheRide.org, and in alternative format upon request.

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr day I am reminded of the Montgomery Bus Boycott.   It was during this boycott  (which also involved the late Detroiter Rosa Parks) that King rose to prominence.  The Boycott also featured predominately in Harry Belafonte’s song “Back of the bus”:

If you miss me at the back of the bus
You can’t find me nowhere
Oh come on over to the front of the bus
Because I’ll be riding up there
I’ll be riding up there, I’ll be riding up there
Come on over to the front of the bus
Because I’ll be riding up there 

As someone who was born post-segregation, it’s hard for me to imagine a bus ride without people of all races.  I’ve never lived in a time when people of color could only sit in certain places on the bus.  I take for granted that the bus is in some ways a place where all races come together in a public space to talk, read, laugh, or just stare out the window.

I am grateful for the work and efforts of men like King and women like Parks on this special memorial day, but know we still have far to go.

I will remember today that public transportation is something that we should all have access to, regardless of the color of our skin or the money in our pocket.  Because if we can’t get get every citizen to the grocery store (or a job), we’ve still got a long ways to go.

In Ann Arbor, we are privileged to have a public transportation system that continues to improve and an unprecedented number of people using it.  Let’s be thankful for what we have . . . and continue to push for more.

Looking for a chance to volunteer tonight?  Here’s how you can help out:
Greeter for Winter Bike Skills Class: There will be a Winter Bike Skills class starting at 6:00pm at the City of Ann Arbor’s Police Garage at City Hall. If someone can meet me at the Police Garage at 5:45pm we can help make sure people know where to go for this event.  To volunteer, email  me at nancy@annarborchamber.org

Help at Commuting Social:  There is also a Winter Commuting Social tonight from 8-10pm at the Arbor Brewing Company’s Tap Room.  If someone can meet we at Arbor Brewing Company at 7:30ish and help me set up and greet people, that would be great.  Email me at nancy@annarborchamber.org to help out.

Just let me know if you can help out.  Please feel free to pass this note along to others who might be interested in helping out.

So I’ve been walking to work these past few days because my bike has a flat. And on two separate occasions as I was walking to and from work I was able to stop and give someone directions.

It reminded me of why I like to walk sometimes. It means I can help someone out in a way that is hard when I am zooming by in a car. I like being able to be there for someone. It’s nice.

Want to know:

• Where to shop for winter weather gear in downtown Ann Arbor?
• How much it actually costs to drive your car to work every day?
• How much you could save trying an alternative commute?
• How you can get in shape through active commuting?

Read about all of this and more in the January 2008 issue of the Commuter Connection: Click here to view

Some of you might have noticed the spiffy AATA bus with the plants and bug on it.  AATA recently asked community members to name the bug for a chance to win an iphone.  While the sole employee of getDowntown could not enter the contest, if I had my say, the bug’s name would be Trippy.

Here’s what the AATA has to say about the contest and the winner (photo at left):

After receiving more than 200 entries in its contest to “Name That Bug”, the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA) now has a moniker for its new hybrid electric bus mascot.

Brittany Koprowicz of Dearborn was the winning entrant after submitting “Scooter” as the name. Her entry was chosen as the winning name to reflect the Eco Bug’s happy personality and active mission to move the community forward in an environmentally friendly way.

Ms. Koprowicz reported that she was “very excited” to have her entry selected and explained why she entered, saying, “My brother drives a school bus in Hamtramck and is a supporter of public transportation and encouraged me to enter the contest, as he was really excited about the new buses in Ann Arbor.”

“I think that the new hybrid buses are a very good thing for the city and more places should be thinking of our ecosystem when planning for transit.”

According to AATA Manager of Maintenance Terry Black, “AATA expects to use 67,600 gallons less diesel fuel, saving close to $2.5 million in fuel costs, over the 12-year life expectancy of the vehicles.”

Because they burn much less fuel, the buses contribute significantly to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions believed to contribute to global warming.

In the months ahead, Scooter will represent AATA in promoting AATA’s hybrid electric buses and other efforts that AATA will make to reduce its impact on the environment and to encourage others to be more Earth-friendly.

So next time you see that cute little bug drive buy, don’t forget to way and say “Hi Scooter!”