Bad roads

On a recent 65 mile bike ride through southern Elkhart County and northern Kosciusko County, I was reminded again to the deplorable condition of our country roads. I'm not the first to say it, but I think it's true:  their condition is a disgrace. As I rode, I mentally graded the roads and calculate how much of the ride was on each surface:

• Excellent -- Smooth surface with few if any patches or cracks -- 10%
• Good -- Smooth surface with a few patches and cracks -- 20%
• Poor -- Rough surface from patches, cracks, crumbling edge -- 40% 
• Terrible -- Very rough surface from patches, cracks, general disrepair -- 30 %

My calculations are very unscientific, but I feel certain that over half the roads I rode on were poor or terrible. 

At the same time, I wonder to what degree the poor county roads encourages cyclists to ride the trails where they do not encounter the constant bumps, patches, cracked pavement and the dreaded chip-sealed surfaces so common on our county roads. I know that when I planned my birthday ride last year, I decided to do the entire ride on the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail and MapleHeart just so that I could avoid the rough roads. My birthday ride is supposed to be a celebration and a thing to enjoy, so why spoil it by spending the day of a 70-mile ride dodging patches and cracks. Why not instead enjoy the smoother ride of these trails, while not without occasional bumps, is infinitely smoother than most county roads.

Sept. 2 is Air Quality Action Day

The Indiana Dept. of Environmental Management has declared Sept. 2, 2015 an Air Quality Action Day for St. Joseph and Elkhart Counties. Meteorologists forecast that weather conditions will be conducive to high levels of ozone pollution. Actions you can take to help lower emissions that contribute to the formation of ozone include: Bike, walk, carpool or take the bus; perform regular vehicle maintenance; conserve fuel by combining trips; refuel your car in the evening; reduce engine idling time.

if you have questions or would like more information actions you can take to clean the air, contact MACOG at: 574-287-1829 or 574-674-8894.

Regional Active Transportation Connectivity Plan

The Summer 2015 MACOG newsletter, the "MACOGazetter" includes an article on the Regional Active Transportation Connectivity Plan.  This plan came out of a desire to give greater visibility to bicycle and pedestrian needs this year than would be possible in the major planning process called "Michiana on the Move: 2040 Transportation Plan."

What is significant about this plan is that it gives major emphasis to cycling and walking as valid modes of transportation, and it asks for input from the community for the plan.

"This plan will build upon the work each local public agency has done to develop a comprehensive active transportation (bicycle and pedestrian network. Much like the 2040 Transportation Plan, this plan will look at long-term goals and projects."

"This plan will analyze existing active transportation networks in order to assess the quality of the facilities and identify gaps. Many parts of the region have access to quality active transportation options, while other areas are missing this key transportation option. Through outreach and working with stakeholders, the plan will create a vision for active transportation in the region and suggest implementatiion strategies for communities.

If you are interested in being involved in the planning process, please send an email to macogdir@macog.com with the subject line Active Transportation Connectivity Plan."

The article goes on to explain what active transportation is. Note how they link healthy people with healthy places:

"Active transportation is the means of getting around that is powered by human energy, primarily walking and bicycling. Active transportation offer the promise of improving the health of our people and places we live.

• Healthy People:  America faces n obesity crisis, with more than two-thirds of American adults either overweight or obese. By making walking and biking safe and convenient, we can make it much easier for people to build routine physical activities into their daily lives.
• Healthy Environment: Enabling people to walk or bike for some of their short trips can go a long way in helping our communities efficiently address numerous environmental challenges, from air pollution to climate change.
• Healthy economy: Active transportation systems also foster economic health by creating dynamic connected communities with a high quality of life that catalyzes small business development, increases property values, sparks tourism and encourages corporate investment that attracts a talented, highly educated workforce. Active transportation also offers economic benefits to families by providing transportation options that don't require consuming gasoline at $3 per gallon.
• Mobility for all: Near--universal reliance on the automobile for transportation leaves many people out of the equation, stuck with no way to get around. Children, the elderly, the visually impaired or otherwise physically challenged, those with lower incomes, or those who simply choose to not have access to a car, are among the groups that benefit most when opportunities to safely walk or bicycle are improved."

Chip sealed roads

Every time I see a road that has been chip sealed, I take comfort in the fact that the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail will never been resurfaced with such a bicycle-unfriendly surface.

Street work in Shipshewana impacts parking

Mike Sutter, Shipshewana Town Manager, reported at the Pumpkinvine Advisory Committee meeting Aug. 11 that construction on several town streets will make it more difficult for people to park at the Wolfe Building and to navigate through town to the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail.

The work is being done on Morton Street where the Wolfe Building is located.

From early August to early September, the work will be on Morton St. from North Street to Main Street. Because of this work, it will be difficult to park at the Town Hall (Wolfe Building).

From Sept. 8 to the end of November, the work will be on Morton St. from Main St. to East Middlebury St.

Sutter indicated that there is plenty of parking at the town ball fields off  N 735 W east of town.

Additional (though unofficial) parking is available west of the Subway restaurant and at the Shipshewana-Scott Elementary School on evenings and weekends. 

John Yoder
President
Friends of the Pumpkinvine

Trail use

It is always encouraging to see people on the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail, and it is even more encouraging to see groups suing the trail as a destination for a group outing.

Last Saturday, Aug. 8, I was with a group riding from Goshen to Aunt Karen's in Middlebury for breakfast when I saw people in red shirts helping bikers safely cross County Road 127 north of Goshen. It appeared that there was some sort of organized ride going on. I knew that Aug. 8 was also the day of the Amish Land & Lakes ride, but I was fairly sure that they did not come that far south with their routes.

I then began to see other riders in red shirts, so when the opportunity presented itself, I asked one of them what group they were with. They said that they were from a Baptist Church in Elkhart.

I continued on toward Middlebury on County Road 35 -- the gap in the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail -- when I saw a large group of people and at least a dozen cars at the small Pumpkinvine Nature Trail parking lot at County Road 35. This parking lot was designed to hold six or seven cars, and it was jam packed with twice that many. I'm not sure what the group was doing -- whether they were meeting riders at the end of their ride or just getting ready to start a ride. I'm guessing they were supporters waiting for riders from Goshen, because when we returned 90 minutes later, they were gone.

How gratifying it is to see groups like this using the trail for a group event.

Thursday walk on the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail

Organizers of the Maple City Walk are sponsoring free weekly community walks on the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail every Thursday at 6 p.m. starting from the Abshire Park Cabin in Goshen. Walkers go from Abshire Park  to CR 28 and back, distance of 3.5 miles but are welcome to turn back earlier or walk farther if they'd like. The first walk was May 21. The walks are open to everyone, especially those who want to prepare for the annual Maple City Walk which will be held Sept 19.  #pvwalk

The 7th annual Maple City Walk will include a choice of a 10K, half marathon and full marathon walk starting at the Power House Park in downtown Goshen, and continuing on to the Maple City Greenway and the Pumpkinvine Trail. 

For more information about the Maple City Walk go to www.cityonthego.org  , e-mail juliagautsche@goshencity.com , or call 574-596-1632.  Also, like Maple City Walk on Facebook.