April 2018

New Access to University Parks Trail

Submitted by keith.webb on

There will soon be a new connector to the University Parks Trail from Reynolds Road, just south of Central Avenue. Please join us in thanking Promedica who owns the land and is paying for the improvements to connect the Wildwood Complex to the U/P Trail. Based on the activity, the project will complete within May and provides a formal connection to Reynolds south of Central.



Overland Trail Public Meeting April 19, 7pm

Submitted by keith.webb on

The City of Toledo is hosting a neighborhood meeting for the Overland Trail -- Community Asset Maps and Interpretive Signage. This is an opportunity to share your thoughts on:

  • Areas of Interest
  • Significant Structures
  • Hidden Gems
  • Local History
  • Biking Toledo

Join us at the Eleanor Kahle Senior Center, 1315 Hillcrest Ave, Toledo, OH 43612
Click on graphic for flyer

New Bike Racks installed at Sylvania Library

Submitted by keith.webb on


It is great to see the new bike racks being installed today at the Sylvania Library, currently under renovation. We attended several public meetings and asked for improved bike parking at the new library. Please join us in thanking the Toledo-Lucas County Library for providing routine accommodations for cyclists at their libraries. Infrastructure improvements can take a long time, requiring patience, diligence and sometimes just plain luck. We would also like to thank the general contractor, The Spieker Company, who actually took the time to call us for installation guidance today (this is rare). Lastly, we appreciate  HBM Architects and Stough and Stough Architects for including the bike racks in the plans.

What Cyclists Need to Know About Trucks

Submitted by keith.webb on

Many thanks for the great resources produced by Keri Caffrey and the folks at Cycling Savvy. This is a 2-minute video that every cyclist should watch...please watch it!

What Cyclists Need to Know About Trucks from Keri Caffrey on Vimeo.

Large vehicles present special hazards you need to understand.

The simple but essential rule is:
never ever… ride along the right side of a large truck

Do not pass a truck on the right.

If a truck passes you and then slows, or stops next you at an intersection, do not stay beside it. Do what you need to do to not be there.

To explain why, we’ll show you how trucks turn, where their drivers must look, where they can’t see, and how large vehicles hide you from other drivers. In order to keep the trailer from rolling up over the sidewalk, truck drivers must start from farther left, then pull forward - sometimes having to drive into the oncoming lane for the cross street. This initially makes it look like the truck is going straight. As the truck is making the turn, the driver must watch any pedestrians on either end of the crosswalk, as well as the vehicle at the front of the queue for the cross street. A bicyclist riding along the curb or in a bike lane would most likely be in one of the trucks huge blind spots. Sadly, too many cyclists that get into the situation never see it coming. The off-tracking trailer comes across very quickly, and the only escape is to immediately jump off the bike and run to the right. Hanging back will keep you out of this danger zone. But while a cyclist who hangs back isn’t trapped in the sweep of the trailer, she would be screened from view of any on-coming drivers preparing to turn left.

The savvy cyclist will move to the left side of the lane behind the truck, so she has the best vantage to see and be seen by other drivers.