December 7, 2009 – NPR covers utilitarian cargo bikes
NPR looks at the new interest in bakfiets (dutch box bikes) that Americans are finding perfect for totting children, groceries and other odds and ends.
November 15, 2009 – New Bikes Belong Survey: The Size & Impact of Road Riding Events
Recreational road bicycling events are popular all across the United States. Participants are inspired by the opportunities to improve fitness, have fun, and raise money and awareness for a variety of important causes. Bikes Belong conducted a survey of U.S. recreational bike-event promoters in order to estimate the size, number, and direct economic impact of these rides in 2008, and also to learn more about how these events benefit communities and causes nationwide. Read the report here.
November 2009 – New Report: Dangerous by Design
Dangerous by Design, the new report on pedestrian safety from Transportation for America and the Surface Transportation Policy Project, finds that ‘incomplete’ streets are a major culprit in the deaths of thousands of Americans every year. More than 40% of pedestrian fatalities in 2007 and 2008 occurred where no crosswalk was available. The report also calls attention to the low levels of investment of federal funds in pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure – less than 1.5 percent of federal transportation dollars over the last few years.
October 21, 2009 - New Study: Bicycle Infrastructure Improves Safety
A recent literature review found that using bicycle facilities (on-road routes and marked bike lanes and off-road bike paths) posed lower safety risks than riding on sidewalks or multi-use trails and that major roads are more hazardous to bicyclists and minor roads. Researchers point to these early indications as a basis for providing improved bicycling conditions, though additional research is needed on a greater variety of infrastructure.
October 13, 2009 - A very sad story from Texas – In September, a motorist killed a couple riding on their tandem. The news is tragic. And the response from the authorities is downright maddening.
Deputy Chief Bennett told News 4 WOAI the office’s hands are tied. He said under current law, unless a driver is drunk or high, it is difficult to prove recklessness. And legally, charges can not be filed for “an unfortunate accident.”
“Was he texting? Was he on the phone? What was the issue? Why was he distracted? Why did he go off the road? Driver inattention…is basically what it amounts to,” Deputy Chief Bennett said. “And there’s nothing we can do about drivers not paying attention.”
This is an excellent reason for why we need to amend the Municipal Code and the Alaska Statute to require a mandatory 3-foot passing buffer between motorists and bicyclists.
October 12, 2009 – How to Get More Bicyclists on the Road
An emerging body of research suggests that a superior strategy to increase pedal pushing could be had by asking the perennial question: What do women want?
October 6, 2009 – Where bikes are headed
A look at the current styles and trends of bikes.
August 25, 2009 – New project seeks to bring global best practices to U.S. bicycling
One of the primary challenges facing current U.S. bicycling infrastructure is the lack of tools for quickly evaluating and adapting state-of-the-art international practices in roadway design. Bikes Belong is launching an ambitious Bicycling Design Best Practices Project. The goal is to improve U.S. bicycling infrastructure by encouraging the implementation of innovative, successful models of bike facility design, engineering and promotion—many of them developed in northern Europe.
August 24, 2009 - Unsafe Urban Neighborhoods Linked to Teen Weight
According to an Aug. 24th Reuters Health article, “Living in an urban neighborhood that feels unsafe may be a factor in a teen’s risk for being overweight, hints a study of public high school students in Boston, Massachusetts. Of the 1,140 students surveyed, nearly 12 percent said they rarely felt safe in their neighborhood and 9 percent said they never felt safe in their neighborhood. These students were about 1.2-times more likely to be overweight or at risk for becoming overweight compared with students who said they sometimes or always felt safe (44 percent) or always felt safe (36 percent), researchers report in the online journal Public Health, published by BioMed Central.
“The risk for being overweight was in excess of 1.5 times among students who listed their race as ‘other’ — Asian, South Asian, American Indian, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders — and said they never or rarely felt safe. That adolescents feel unsafe in their neighborhoods ‘is concerning on its own,’ Dustin T. Duncan, a doctoral candidate at Harvard School of Public Health, noted in an email to Reuters Health. That neighborhood safety may be a factor in overweight among teens is doubly concerning, he added…”
August 18, 2009 – Walkable Neighborhoods are Worth More
New study shows that people will pay more for walkable neighborhoods.
Are people really willing to pay more to live in a place where they can do daily errands on foot, rather than in a car?
According to their new report, “Walking the Walk,” (pdf link) the answer is an emphatic yes: people value walkable neighborhoods so much that, holding everything else constant, each additional Walk Score point adds somewhere between $500 and $3,000 to the value of a home. In Seattle — the only Northwest city for which there’s data — a point of walkability adds about $1,400 to home values.
August 18, 2009 – Surge in Bicycle Commuting!’
Trek president John Burke says bicycle commuting and recreational cycling have surged in the United States in recent years, and he has the numbers to prove it. And what supports this rise? Safer bicycling…
Trek’s director of product development and marketing, Joe Vadeboncoeur, told BikeRadar. “The real reason that more people ride bikes in Europe than in the USA is because there are more safe places to ride…. If our towns and communities were connected with more paths and bike lanes, more people would ride; it’s very simple,” Vadeboncoeur said.
August 2009 – Bikes Belongs drops the numbers.
Are you into stats? Want to impress friends and family with all the statistics that demonstrate all the benefits of bicycling? Bikes Belong recently launched a new, searchable database of statistics on the benefits of bicycling. Covering topics from economic benefits to safety, the new database also has a quick one-page resource.
August 2009 – New Guidebook: Fundamentals of Bicycle Boulevard Planning and Design
Not sure what bicycle boulevards are? Alta Planning has teamed up with the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation at Portland State University to create the Fundamentals of Bicycle Boulevard Planning and Design Guidebook. Bicycle boulevards are low-volume and low-speed roads that have been optimized for bicycle travel through signage, pavement markings, intersection treatment, and traffic calming. Motor vehicles access is maintained, though through traffic is discouraged.
Aug. 10, 2009 – The Associated Press Covers Complete Streets
As New Mexican bicyclists rally to have the state Department of Transportation consider their safety when constructing and repairing roads, the national need for complete streets draws more attention. The Associated Press this week reported on the growing number of Americans who are going to work, to school, and to the shops by foot, bike, and public transportation and the increased need to provide them with safe traveling conditions.
August 8, 2009 – Boston Tries to Shed Longtime Reputation as Cyclists’ Minefield.
In the spring of 2009, BCA brought up Nicole Freedman, Boston’s bike czar, to discuss the efforts Boston is taking to transform the city from worst to best for bicyclists. The city, with strong leadership, is already seeing gains and is setting itself upon a path that will aide Boston in its efforts to become truly bike friendly. The Ney York Times recently ran this story on Boston’s efforts.
August 2009 – New Report: The Transportation Prescription
PolicyLink and Prevention Institute report that smarter transportation policy could make our communities healthier and more economically vibrant. Promoting public transportation, biking, and walking will dramatically cut down on diseases like asthma, obesity, and diabetes while also giving low-income communities the access they need to jobs, parks, and doctors visits. Their new report, The Transportation Prescription: Bold New Ideas for Healthy, Equitable Transportation Reform in America, provides guidance on healthy, equitable transportation policies and presents a collection of policies and programs that can improve health and transportation in underserved communities while simultaneously creating economic opportunities.
July 28, 2009 – New Report Released: Moving Cooler
Moving Cooler, recently released by the Urban Land Institute and parters, examines strategies to lower greenhouse gases (GHG) in the transportation sector. In its discussion of land use and smart growth strategies, the report examines non-motorized transportation strategies that would increase bicycling and walking through adoption of complete streets policies. Bicycling and walking are included with land use and smart growth strategies as one of the six strategy “bundles” to reduce GHG; this bundle also has the benefits of providing more transportation choices and improving public health.
Copenhagen the ultimate bike-friendly city
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Bicycling to save money
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California study links connected street networks to lower traffic fatalities
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AASHTO’s Report to the President: Design Complete Streets
Read about it
Report: Smart Transportation Investment for Economic Stimulus
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Report: How States Encourage Bicycling and Walking
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Roundabouts aren’t just for cars anymore.
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New report identifies keys to safer roads
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The National Park Service takes internal step to reduce emissions by encouraging staff to bike
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One Street, an international bicycle advocacy organization, has just launched Bed and Bike America, a new program bringing more sustainability into the tourism sector by creating an international network that helps bike tourists find welcoming places to stay.
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Inauguration transportation mode of choice? With hundreds of thousands descending upon the nation’s capital, a simple mode of transportation proved most effective: The bike
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Economic stimulus bill update
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After 8 years, Massachusetts passes Bike Safety bill
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A Bicycle Evangelist with the wind now at his back
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Anchorage velomobile commuter gets media
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NYC transforming the urban environment
MUST READ!
National Bicycle Route Network moves forward
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National Bike/Walk Survey Results
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With Free Bikes, Challenging Car Culture on Campus
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What makes a state bicycle friendly?
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Afghani mine survivors open bike messenger service
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The League of American Bicyclists explains the Bicycle Commuter Benefits Act
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Study finds that Ohio bike trail boosts property values
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The Portland Water Bureau recently released PSA.
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NPR’s Marketplace discusses commuter bikes
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What to look for when buying a home – how about a “bikeable commute.”
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New bike commuters hit the classroom, then the road
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Bicycle parking seen as a cost-effective way to reinvigorate a struggling downtown
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Kicking Into High Gear: Nation’s Largest Bike-Sharing Program Debuts at Democratic National Convention
See Bike Sharing
Cyclists And Drivers Vie For Space On The Road
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Electric bikes selling briskly as gas prices climb
Electric Story
Electric bike offers green urban commuting option
Electric Options
Electric Bikes Remove Strain Of Riding
Electric Help
Bike Mania! CBS covers commuting
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Bike Mania 1.0! NBC covers commuting
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Green Bike Project launched in Seattle
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Bike-Sharing Gets Smart
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Portland to unveil Eye to Eye Campaign
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Colleges peddle bikes to car-loving students
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Bikes are Good for Our Community – Clear Channel promotes bicycle use:
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Health care company touts bikes in new ad:
Thrive
San Francisco bike plan implementation ironically put on hold while city reviews environmental impacts of fewer cars and more bikes
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What are sharrows?
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Watch where you ride – get doored and get ticketed
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Moving Targets
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NPR covers bike commuting
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Sitka has become the first Bike Friendly Community in Alaska.
Press release
Sitka’s home page
Sad news from DC
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