Today I was given a traffic ticket for being in the road.  I was on my way home and I was riding on Chinden headed West towards Meridian.  As I approached Castlebury (between Locust Grove and Meridian Rd.) I was pulled over by Ada County Sherrif's deputy Lim.  He informed me that I was not allowed to ride that far out in the road because I was impeding traffic: motorists had to pull into the passing lane to get around me.

If you missed the presentation by Justin Lucas at our quarterly members meeting in January on the new ACHD Bicycle Master Plan, you can now review it online and provide your comments. The final draft can be found at:

 http://www.achd.ada.id.us

The Idaho Transportation Department is seeking comments on bicycle and pedestrian mobility.  This survey is targeted at all citizens and also staff of governmental agencies that provide or maintain facilities for bicycling and walking. The survey is open through January 31, 2009. Thank you in advance for your participation. 

The Treasure Valley Cycling Alliance has adopted a new catch phrase to quickly communicate what we represent as an organization:

'Stronger communities and a better environment through safe cycling'

If you have ever tried to ride on Hill Road out by the Optimist Football fields on Saturdays, you know what an unsafe mess it is. Good news is that ACHD is going to address the problem before spring. Here is the message that I received from them this morning. Good stuff!

Dear Mr. Sledzieski,

Congratulations Boise! We were the third biggest city (attendance and contribution wise) to this years Tour de Fat bike festival.

 http://www.idahostatesman.com/outdoors/story/578596.html 

Join us for our first general members meeting for 2009. Justin Lucas of the Ada County Highway District will share the new ACHD Bicycle Master Plan. The general meeting will be held at the ACHD headquarters - 3775 Adams Street in Garden City on Thursday, January 15th beginning at 7:30. 

I recently learned that Brian Grieger, a good friend to the Idaho cycling community, has passed away. This is a tremendous loss for his family and for the cycling community.

Learn to interact positively and confidently with traffic and get tips for riding through intersections and negotiating with motorists -- designed for young riders, recreational cyclists, and commuters. Workshop covers bicycle traffic laws, lane positioning, riding strategies, basic equipment and maintenance, emergency maneuvers, and safety. Classroom-only session includes demonstrations of emergency maneuvers and basic maintenance.

Boise Bicyclists - were you aware that there is protected bike parking available in downtown Boise?  The Eastman and Capitol Terrace parking garages have bike racks in the structure near the parking attendant booth.  You can park your bikes where they will out of the weather and within sight of the attendant.  If you ride to downtown Boise, give it a try.  Beats locking your bike to a tree!