On Thursday, June 7, 2012, a car crossed the centerline on a rural Elkhart County road and hit two cyclists head-on, killing them both. One died at the scene, the other died hours later in an area hospital from blunt force trauma to his chest. The driver of the car was allegedly high on Methamphetamine. He is currently sitting in jail, awaiting trial on two counts of “causing the death of another person while operating a vehicle, under the influence of a controlled substance”: Class B felonies. He is a resident of Goshen, and faces up to 40 years in prison for the counts. The teens were David Anglemyer, 18, and Daniel Runion, 19, of Goshen. They were best of buddies.
The families are still trying to cope with the losses, both emotional and financial. A benefit is being held at Hansen’s Holiday Skating Rink, 28736 CR 20, Elkhart, IN on Sunday, November 18, 2012 from 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Proceeds will help the boy’s families raise the money needed to cover funeral costs and other additional expenses. Daniel was an avid roller skater, and according to Christie, his sister, the skating rink was his “fav place in the world”.
The grand opening for the Northside Bike/Ped Trail is scheduled for 10:00 AM Friday, November 2. Mayors Pete Buttigieg of South Bend and Dave Wood of Mishawaka will join in the event, which will be held at the former intersection of Logan St. and Northside Blvd. Limited parking is available on Northside Blvd with more on 36th Street between Northside and Pleasant St. The best parking for folks wanting to ride the ceremonial opener should ‘park and ride’ from the Veterans Park lot on Northside Blvd. just below and east of the Twyckenham bridge. (Remember: Twyckenham goes OVER the Blvd. and does not intersect.)
Northside Blvd. has a completely new look, as it is no longer a through street, and is useful only to local residents and those enjoying the bike/ped trail. The historic depression-era stone walls have been neatly restored, and attractive lighting complements the entire trail.
A short ride is scheduled to help celebrate the opening, and the public is invited to bring their bikes and join in.
A much used bike corridor in St. Joseph County is getting either a bike lane or bike paths. Juniper Road is one of the few streets that allow cyclists to cross the I-80/90 Toll Road and it is also a popular gateway to the Notre Dame campus from the north.
On Tuesday, the county Board of Commissioners gave the project the go-ahead, and Andy Kostielney, a commissioner said he is hopeful the work can begin by early next year.
Michiana has joined a national effort to collect biking and walking usage data. Volunteers are needed to maintain this effort, and make South Bend and Michiana a leader in healthful recreation and non-motorized transportation. The next count dates are Sept 11, 12 & 13. Volunteers for one or all three dates are welcome.
One of the greatest challenges facing the bicycle and pedestrian field is the lack of documentation on usage and demand. Without accurate and consistent demand
The 4th Annual Bike Michiana for Hospice ride will be held September 16, 2012. The rides venture through the scenic beauty of South Bend – home to the University of Notre Dame – and the surrounding Michiana area. The various routes will take you by forests, gently rolling hills, lakes, vineyards and wineries.
The City of South Bend, along with bicycle advocates has begun the process of collecting non-motorized traffic counts. On June 14, from 5:00 until 7:00 pm, eight volunteers joined the South Bend Bicycle Coordinator staff in conducting the counts at eight sites in and around South Bend.
All of the count sites were in South Bend, except for Juniper Road, which is in St. Joseph County, just north of the Notre Dame campus. All of the South Bend sites are on a Bike/Ped path or on a street with striped bike lanes; Juniper road was selected, largely because it is slated to be upgraded for safer bicycle traffic in the near future, and this count will make a good baseline. These same sites will be counted periodically, and additional sites will be added in the future. Volunteer counters were recruited from the Bike Michiana Coalition, Bike the Bend, and Indiana University at South Bend. In order to expand the program, additional volunteers will be needed.
With this count, Michiana is partnering and sharing data with the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Project whose effort provides a consistent model of ongoing data collection for use by planners, governments, and bicycle and pedestrian professionals.
More than 500,000 American employees now work at a Bicycle Friendly Business (BFB), thanks to visionary leadership in the private and public sector. On April 18, the League of American Bicyclists announced 67 new BFBs, who joined the ranks of the 412 local businesses, government agencies and Fortune 500 companies that are transforming the American workplace. Over 3,000 of those employees and 3 of the businesses are located in Michiana.
“These leaders are at the forefront of a movement to make American businesses more competitive, sustainable and attractive to the best and brightest employees,” said Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists. “An investment in bicycling enhances employee health, increases sustainability and improves the bottom line.” Read the rest of this entry »
Ride with Mayor Allan Kauffman on Monday, May 14, to kick off Goshen’s Bicycle-to-Work Week. The City’s Week is May 14-18, and the Maple City Bicycle Advisory Committee (MCBAC) is encouraging people in Goshen to consider the possibility of biking to work that week.
As a way to kick off the week, the MCBAC has asked Goshen Mayor Allan Kauffman to lead an after-work “Mayor’s Ride” on Monday, May 14. Any interested cyclist is welcome to join the 4.5 mile ride. Last year the first Mayor’s Ride attracted about thirty riders. Read the rest of this entry »
About 70 cyclists, along with over a dozen walkers/runners, and motor vehicles joined in the procession meant to draw attention to the need for all users to share the roadway and crosswalks. The procession concluded at the County-City building in downtown South Bend where there was a press conference, and short speeches by local dignitaries. The gathered crowd seemed especially inspired by the words of Yatish Yoshi, the chairman of the event. I am re-printing his speech below, and it is well worth reading.
A few years back (2005 if my memory serves me correctly), area cyclists joined the National Bike to Work week with a local event centered at the College Football Hall of Fame. Organizers provided coffee, Danish pastry, and a selection of healthful fruits as bikers stopped off on their way to work. Since then…wow. The activities during Bike Month have exploded. Below, I am listing the Michiana events that come to mind, and I’m asking readers to add those I was not aware of, or have overlooked.
On Thursday, June 7, 2012, a car crossed the centerline on a rural Elkhart County road and hit two cyclists head-on, killing them both. One died at the scene, the other died hours later in an area hospital from blunt force trauma to his chest. The driver of the car was allegedly high on Methamphetamine. He is currently sitting in jail, awaiting trial on two counts of “causing the death of another person while operating a vehicle, under the influence of a controlled substance”: Class B felonies. He is a resident of Goshen, and faces up to 40 years in prison for the counts. The teens were David Anglemyer, 18, and Daniel Runion, 19, of Goshen. They were best of buddies.
Bike Michiana 
Share the Road…Every Life Counts procession was a success
Posted by Paul Taylor on May 5, 2012
About 70 cyclists, along with over a dozen walkers/runners, and motor vehicles joined in the procession meant to draw attention to the need for all users to share the roadway and crosswalks. The procession concluded at the County-City building in downtown South Bend where there was a press conference, and short speeches by local dignitaries. The gathered crowd seemed especially inspired by the words of Yatish Yoshi, the chairman of the event. I am re-printing his speech below, and it is well worth reading.
Read the rest of this entry »
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