Tag Archives: Webster Village Board

One more chance to vote on the bike racks

10 Jun

A few weeks ago I posted a blog about how the Village of Webster will be installing four new bike racks this summer. Village Board members will have the final decision on where they’ll be placed, but have invited input from the community to help them guide their decision.

I created a survey suggesting nine different locations throughout the village. Thank you to everyone who has taken a minute to fill it out (and it really only takes a minute). To date I’ve received 44 responses, but would love to get some more.

Here’s an update on what people have been telling me so far:

bike rack 1

The top two most popular locations so far for the bike racks with the Town of Webster logo are 1) in front of Barry’s Old School Irish/The Garage Sale Store and 2) in Veterans Park. Running a close third is a spot in front of Village Hall.

bike rack 2

The top two most popular locations for the racks with the bike insignia are 1) in the parking lot somewhere near Village Bakery and 2) in front of Barry’s/The Garage Sale Store. Those two spots are tied for first, and there’s not a close third.

I will be presenting my findings at the Village Board meeting later this week, so now’s the time to weigh in with your opinion if you’d like to. To read more about how the bike racks came to be, click here to go to my original blog. Or click here to go directly to the survey. It really only takes a minute.

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email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram

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An update on the bike racks

17 May

A little more than a week ago I posted a blog about how the Village of Webster will be installing four new bike racks this summer. Village Board members will have the final decision on where they’ll be placed, but have invited input from the community to help them guide their decision.

So I created a survey suggesting nine different locations throughout the village. Thank you to everyone who has taken a minute to fill it out (and it really only takes a minute). I’ve gotten 36 responses so far, but would love to have a lot more before I present my findings to the Board in a few weeks.

Here’s an update on what people have been telling me so far:

bike rack 1* The top two most popular locations so far for the bike racks with the Town of Webster logo are 1) in front of Barry’s Old School Irish/The Garage Sale Store and 2) in Veterans Park. Running a close third is a spot in front of Village Hall.

bike rack 2

* The top two most popular locations for the racks with the bike insignia are 1) in the parking lot somewhere near Village Bakery and 2) in front of Barry’s/The Garage Sale Store. There is not a close third in this race yet.

If you’d like to weigh in with your opinion, there’s still plenty of time. To read more about how the bike racks came to be, click here to go to my original blog. Or click here to go directly to the survey.

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email me at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

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Village gets charged up

29 Aug

charge 1

The Village of Webster has just taken a very big eco-friendly step.

Just this week, the village installed a new EV charging station for electric cars, located in the village parking lot behind Village Hall and the fire station. It will fully charge a car in about six hours (faster than home charging) and it has two ports, so that two cars can use it at the same time. It works with an app called EVConnect, which drivers download on their phones.

Village Mayor Darrell Byerts said that installation of the charging station is part of a charge 2broader plan to make the village a “greener” community, and perhaps nab a New York State grant.

“This brings the Village a step closer to being a Clean Energy Community and eligible for a $5000 grant,” Byerts wrote in an email.

“I have been in favor and an advocate of a charging station in the Village since seeing one at the Port of Rochester and a public parking lot in Venice, Florida,” Byerts added. “We join a growing number of local communities that are providing service for the new electric vehicles.  In fact, we are investigating and considering the future purchase of electric vehicles for Village use.”

“It is exciting to be able to now service vehicles in the heart of the downtown business area.”

Final details are still being worked out, including hours of operation, how long cars can stay connected, and whether there’s a charge to use it (no pun intended). These details will be discussed at the upcoming Village Board workshop on Tuesday Sept. 4 and regular Village Board meeting on Thursday Sept. 13. So if you’d like to weigh in on any of those topics, you should try to attend one of those meetings.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

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Update on the bike racks

15 Jun

As promised, I did attend the Webster Village Board meeting last night and said my piece about the need for more bike racks in the village. I am pleased to report that the idea was well received. Actually, it appears that Jake Swingly, Superintendent of Public Works, has already done some legwork on the idea.

In the discussion that followed my presentation, Swingly said that after the idea was first proposed a month or two ago, he had done some investigating to see what kinds of bike racks were available for purchase and what they cost.

What he found out is 1) they cost “a lot to really a lot” and 2) they can be as simple as just a hitching post design to pretty much any shape you might want from an animal to a martini glass.

Swingly also thought that installing bike racks might present a marketing opportunity. He suggested working with the BID to have the village logo or other message laser-cut into them.

There was also discussion about where the racks might be installed — down by Veteran’s Park and in front of Smith Insurance at four corners were mentioned — and how they would have to be removable since winter salt application would destroy them.

Nothing much was decided last night. But I was encouraged that Swingly has already looked into the issue, and that the board members seemed to think it was a good idea. I’m hoping that there’s now some momentum, and perhaps later this summer we village cyclists will have someplace — or several places — to park our bikes when we go into town for a pizza or a pint or a concert.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram

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Village bicyclists, unite!

14 Jun
bikes

Dunkin’ Donuts on North Ave. could use its own bike rack, evidenced last June when my husband and I went for coffee one Sunday morning.

At a recent gathering of our Barry’s (Pub) Runners club, a running buddy and I were discussing how the Village of Webster could really use some bike racks.

The only one we have in town right now (and you probably don’t even know it’s there) is a small one on Lapham Park at the corner of East Main, outside where Mac 5 Bikes used to be. Not big enough for more than one — maybe two — bikes, and not very convenient.

I’d love to see a bike rack installed at the gazebo park, one outside Barry’s or Smith Insurance across the street, maybe even one in front of Village Hall.

I’m going to propose just that tonight (Thursday) at the Village Board meeting, and I invite any and all other village biking fans to join me in support. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Village Meeting Hall, 29 South Ave. You can enter off of South, or behind the building off of the parking lot.

And yes, I’ll be riding my bike there.

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email me  at missyblog@gmail.com. “Like” this blog on Facebook and follow me on Twitter and Instagram

You can also get email notifications every time I post a new blog by using the “Follow Me” link on the right side of this page.

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