Issue No. 240  l   May 15, 2008   l   Providence, Rhode Island

 

Mayor Cicilline Appoints Seasoned Veteran to Lead the Parks Department
Robert McMahon credited with playing a major role in helping to build a neighborhood parks system in Providence

 

Mayor David N. Cicilline today appointed Deputy Parks Director Robert McMahon to the position of Superintendent of the Parks Department.  McMahon, a 22-year veteran of the Parks Department, has managed over 70 neighborhood park improvement projects, played a major role in the reorganization of the Parks Department and built strong relationships with vital neighborhood and community partners.

“Bob McMahon is an outstanding professional who has a keen understanding of what it takes to sustain and improve our beautiful parks system,” said Mayor Cicilline.  “He’s played an extraordinary role transforming our neighborhood parks, while gaining the trust and respect of employees and residents alike.  He is the perfect person to take the Parks Department to the next level of excellence.”

“I am extremely proud of the work we’ve done to build a beautiful parks system that has become an integral part of our neighborhoods,” said McMahon.  “A clean park teeming with residents and activity is more than just a nice place to visit – it is an indicator of a healthy vibrant community."

As Parks Superintendent, McMahon will manage approximately 200 full-time and seasonal employees and oversee a nearly $8 million budget, numerous grants and other Parks Department revenue sources.  He fills the position left vacant by Alix Ogden, who was named Director of Operations earlier this year.

As Deputy Parks Superintendent since 1986, McMahon managed the design and construction of more than 70 neighborhood park improvements projects, including the construction of the African exhibits at Roger Williams Park, renovation of the Menagerie building, the Fox Point Community Garden and the construction of new playgrounds and new soccer fields.  McMahon was a key player in the reorganization of the Parks Department to ensure more efficient delivery of service.   He also played a critical role in the development and operations of the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center, the largest indoor public display garden in New England, and significantly increased attendance at the Bank of America Skating Center through improved programming.  

Before joining the City of Providence, McMahon served as the first executive director of Keep Providence Beautiful (now GroundWork Providence) for four years.  He also worked as a city planner in Brockton and Cambridge, Massachusetts from 1975 to 1982.  He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Brown University in Political Science and a Master’s degree in City Planning from the University of Rhode Island.

The Providence Parks system consists of more than 100 neighborhood parks and the Botanical Center, Museum of Natural History, Roger Williams Park Zoo, North Burial Grounds, Morsili Tennis Center, Triggs Golf Course and the Bank of America City Center.

     
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PEMA & RI Health Department to Conduct Public Health Emergency Exercise

May 17th emergency preparedness drill to simulate the mass distribution of medications or vaccines to the public


The City of Providence Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), in partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Health, will conduct an emergency disaster exercise simulating a response to a public health emergency on Saturday, May 17 from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. at Mount Pleasant High School, 434 Mount Pleasant Avenue.  

According to PEMA Director Peter T. Gaynor, the purpose of the Medical Point of Dispensing (M-POD) exercise is to provide emergency response personnel from the City of Providence with the opportunity to test their ability to bring together resources, activate a POD location and distribute medications and vaccines to residents as quickly and effectively as possible.  Local response agencies and volunteer organizations, integral to the preparation and execution of a POD, were involved in the planning of the exercise.  During the exercise, they will have the opportunity to perform their roles as they would during an actual emergency.  

The exercise is expected to involve 150+ participants from various state and local agencies.  Funding for municipalities to develop and revise their Point of Distribution plans and conduct these exercises is provided by the RI Department of Health utilizing federal funding from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under the Cities Readiness Initiative (CRI) program.   

If you are interested in obtaining more information about this upcoming drill or providing media coverage please contact Christopher DeGrave (401-228-8000) by May 14th, 2008. 

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Pedal Your Way to Bike to Work Day on May 16!

 

Across the United States cities are gearing up for the 52nd Annual National Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 16, 2008.  Providence will be hosting its own press conference and festivities for Bike to Work Day.  Taking place at Bank of America City Center in downtown Providence, bicyclists will convene at the skating rink entrance at 7:00am for refreshments and kick-off press conference at 7:30am.  
Providence Mayor David Cicilline, Richard Godfrey, Director of Rhode Island Housing and Chair of The Providence Foundation Bike to Work and College Committee, and Mike Lewis, Director of the RI Department of Transportation, will lead the way to the event as they cycle into downtown for the press event.  Joining Mayor Cicilline at the podium will be Richard Godfrey, Mike Lewis, Chris Wilhite of the Sierra Club (RI Chapter), and Providence City Council member John Lombardi.
   

Breakfast and refreshments will be served to cyclists from 7:00am until 10:00am. At 3:00pm the skating rink comes alive with bicycle-related vendors providing safety tips and demonstrations, local environmental organizations, information about upcoming bicycle signage and lane striping, Rack n’ Ride demonstrations by RIPTA, refreshments, a bike raffle and entertainment.

Promoting a healthy ride for energy independence, Bike to Work Day seeks to raise awareness about bicycling as a healthy and viable transportation alternative.  Among the goals of Bike to Work Day are to help reduce traffic congestion, reduce the demand for parking, reduce air pollution and make Providence a better place to live and work.  The American Automobile Association cites that the estimated cost to own and operate a vehicle in 2008 is $8,121 – a $298 increase from last year.  While the costs for automobile maintenance, insurance and depreciation have actually decreased from 2007, higher prices at the fuel pump have more than offset these savings and pushed the overall costs of vehicle ownership and operation higher.

“Riding a bicycle or RIPTA bus to work everyday represents one of the strongest actions a commuter can take to reduce global warming pollution and our dependence on oil,” said Chris Wilhite , Sierra Club Rhode Island Chapter Director. “By making it safer and easier for cyclists to commute to work, Cool Cities like Providence can be significant leaders in ensuring that Narragansett Bay stays cool enough for its fisheries and wildlife.”

To help promote and support bicycle commuting in Providence, The Providence Foundation and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) have invested in the installation of over 100 bicycle hitches throughout downtown Providence including locations at the Amtrak Station, Bank of America City Center and Exchange Terrace.   The City of Providence Department of Planning and Development has completed plans for the signing of bicycle routes along many of Providence’s thoroughfares.  It is expected that this project will be completed this fall.  Bike lanes will be striped on Blackstone Boulevard and Broadway in addition to bike route signage on the following streets: Elmwood Avenue, Broadway, Smith Street, Charles Street, and Hope Street.

Bike to Work Day is funded by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) through a grant from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program (CMAQ) of the US Department of Transportation (USDOT).  Administrative and organizational support is provided by The Providence Foundation.  The Providence Bicycle Coalition, an advocacy group of citizen-cyclists who work to promote and enable bicycling as a healthy, enjoyable, efficient and environmentally friendly mode of transportation in and around Providence, is organizing this year’s Bike to Work Day event with the US Open Cycling Foundation.

For more information on Providence’s Bike to Work Day and for information on RIDOT’s Bike RI program visit www.dot.state.ri.us/bikeri/. For information on what The Providence Bicycle Coalition is doing to support bicycling in Providence visit www.bikeprovidence.org.  And, for more information about the efforts of the RI Chapter of the Sierra Club to support and promote clean, affordable transportation alternatives, please visit www.rhodeisland.sierraclub.org.

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Feature: My City

Providence Bicycle Coalition’s Mark Dieterich Gears Up To “Think Outside the Car”
  

As gas prices continue to soar, more and more commuters might be inclined to hit the road less taken.  For some, that might mean taking the bus to work.  For others, like Mark Dieterich, who’s been biking everyday now for the past three years from his home in Bristol to his office at Brown University, “transportational cycling” is the way to go. 
  
For him, it’s a lifestyle change that has given him a chance to stay healthy, while taking in all that nature offers along the East Bay bike path.  The idea of sitting boxed up in a car amidst congested traffic is something he no longer tolerates.  But as a bike commuter, he quickly discovered that sharing the road with the larger, more dominant motor vehicles is a relationship that still needs to coalesce.

So just a little over a year ago, he and a group of other seasoned commuter-cyclists, and avid bike-riders alike, got together to form The Providence Bicycle Coalition, a more cohesive entity that meets to share ideas and strategize over the future of bicycling in Providence. 

When did you start bicycling?
I seriously started bicycling three years ago, which is a time I ignored the weather and just went out on the bike.  Before that I did it once in awhile and was working up slowly.  I also ran into another coworker here at Brown who was very big into transportational cycling and might have convinced me that I could actually do this everyday and change my lifestyle.
 

Do you bike to work often?
Pretty much everyday! I’ve switched now to biking to work everyday. 

How long does it take you to commute to work by bike from Bristol to Providence?
About an hour, door to door.  With all the delays happening on the Washington Bridge, it’s a wash coming in on the bike. 

Do you ride along the path?
It depends.  I pretty much ride the East Bay bike path to work.  It gets busy in the afternoons around this time of year so I’ll ride the back streets home.  It’s great to have the bike path there.

What does transportational cycling mean?
For trips that I don’t need to take the car for, I take my bike.  I don’t care how fast I get there.  That’s not as important as getting there safely.  I love the fact that there are many bike paths in Rhode Island. Even when it starts getting busy, I’d rather weave the paths where there are people riding their bikes too, enjoying the weather and the day, to get to places I want to go.  But if you want to get there fast, it’s probably not the way to go.

What about bicycling do you enjoy most?
I could have the most stressful day at work and by the time I get home I’m in a good mood again.  I don’t have to worry about gym memberships anymore! I just go out and bike.  And on great days like these when it’s sunny, you can’t beat it.  At the time of year when I ride home in the dark, I get to see amazing sunsets.  You’re out in the fresh air with the birds - it’s great!

I get to the point where I get amazingly frustrated sitting in traffic now.  There’s no traffic to deal with when you’re on the bike path.  For the most part if you’re riding on roads, you just go on your own pace.  You get stopped at lights once in awhile but there’s nothing like gridlock for a bicycle.  It just doesn’t happen.

Tell us about the Providence Bicycle Coalition.
It began as a gripe fest.  The reason that we gathered is because we were all a little frustrated about the different voices around, the different little advocacy groups, but it seemed like no one was talking to each other.  And also, more importantly, it seemed that no one was talking to the local and state government. 

What we try to do is bring the groups together.  So we brought the existing bicycle advocacy groups, the local bike shops that serve Providence, and we involved the DOT.  The EPA is on board and some organizations like the RI Sierra Club.  Basically anybody that has a vested interest in bicycling we try to bring together once a month now. 

We talk about issues on how to make cycling better.  We’d like to expand and address all of Rhode Island but our focus right now is Providence.  It’s the hardest place to bike because it’s the densest and there are a lot of cars.  But we thought it’s also manageable. I think it’s a good time to get in with gas prices going up certainly doesn’t hurt us and we’re starting to make some inroads.  But the main thing is communication. 

What is the importance of having a group of “citizen-cyclists” organized in a city like Providence?
I think first and foremost, the people that are biking in some ways know what’s best for the future direction.  You can have city planners come in and try to make the best educated guesses but for the most part, they don’t know where people are coming and going from.  They don’t know what the current issues are that cyclists are facing. 

For example, the Washington Bridge is out.  The pedestrian walkway which people used to cycle on there’s a big hunk of it missing now.  Also with the weight limit going down on the Pawtucket Bridge, we’re pushing all of that traffic onto Division Street, which was another way that cyclists were able to get into Providence.  And, within a couple of weeks, they’re going to start construction on the Henderson Bridge – which is the last remaining path from the East to come into Providence. 

The main thing is that we have people with their feet on the ground with good ideas on what we really need and what will make the best solutions.

Tell us about some of the goals of the Coalition.
Our website (www.bikeprovidence.org) contains great information.  Our main goal is focusing on transportational cycling, trying to get more bikes on the road in Providence, making it more possible for people to bike rather than get in their cars, and getting around safely. 

Something that will become very important is this thing called Sharrows.  They are lane markers that are now found in cities like Portland, OR, San Francisco, and Denver.  The symbol typically has arrows facing the direction that traffic is flowing, with a silhouette of a bicyclist underneath. They actually place these sharrow lanes outside of what’s called the ‘door zone,’ where there’s room enough to open your door where you’re parked without hitting or getting hit by a bike passing by. 

It’s definitely better than taking away parking spaces to make room for dedicated bike lanes.
 
Where do you see transportational cycling falling into the bigger picture of greening up our environment?
I think it should be one of the main players! There are very few people still who realize how effective a bicycle can be.  For example, the makers of QuickBar have launched a two-mile bike challenge, which urges the public to ride their bike, or walk, for any trip they take that’s under two miles.  Why? because two miles is one of the least efficient distances for a car to go. 

How does a day like “Bike to Work Day,” which is this Friday, speak to those aren’t regular bike commuters?
One of the things we’re offering this year is something called a bike train.  We chose five sites and signed up seasoned bike commuters that know each route to lead the trains. They’re going to proceed along a pre-planned route and be at certain points at certain times.  So we want to target those people who are just uncomfortable or unsure about it and try to get them going.  So I think Bike to Work Day is great for that kind of person. 

I also think it increases visibility in general.  If you can get a pack of bikes behaving nicely, going by, people see it.  And especially you’ve got people who are stuck in traffic and they see these bikes progressing just as fast as the vehicles, they realize, ‘hey wait a minute, I could be out there too exercising on this gorgeous day rather than sitting in my car!’

What are your hopes for the future of bike commuting in Providence?
I would love to have people bike anywhere they wanted to.  Public facilities for bike parking would be great, too.  Innovative ideas like the bike trees they have in Europe, and bike share programs, like the one they’re about to launch in Washington, DC, are ideas that I think Providence should take on in the future.
 
To learn more about the Providence Bicycle Coalition, go to www.bikeprovidence.org.  Remember also, don’t be left out in traffic this Friday as Providence celebrates Bike To Work Day tomorrow, May 16th.  Bicyclists are invited to convene at the Bank of America City Center at 7:00 a.m.  The Mayor and other officials will lead the way to the event in the morning, and at 3:00 p.m., the skating rink will come alive with vendor and information booths, raffles and entertainment to celebrate Bike to Work Day.  Bike to Work Day is funded by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) through a grant from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program (CMAQ) of the US Department of Transportation (USDOT).  Administrative and organizational support is provided by The Providence Foundation.

  

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