Category: Biking Elsewhere

I have no idea if this will fit in a water bottle cage but it’s certainly more appropriate for cyclists then those stuck in traffic.

Continue reading “I love commuting”

Seven years ago, Mark Koltz was 260 lbs and had just been diagnosed with type-two diabetes and high blood pressure.
“That was my wake-up call,” said Koltz, who resides just outside of Baltimore, Maryland.
Koltz picked up a bicycle, lost 60 lbs and has since taken his bike more than 72,000 km. By August, he’ll have more than 77,000 km under his belt.
Koltz is participating in America By Bicycle’s Across America North Ride, a group ride that sees 50 cyclists ride almost 6,000 km across the northern U.S. and southern Canada over 50 days.
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Continue reading “Coast to coast for a cause”

This is SO the wrong question. Zero-sum games are rarely constructive and rarely ask the right questions. The issue for urban transportation planners isn’t, or shouldn’t be, “which mode is going to win”. The questions should be more along the lines of what is the balance we need achieve among the different modes; what are people trying to do in urban areas that transportation facilitates or enables? Transportation – even riding a bike – is rarely an end in itself; in fact it almost always imposes costs that individuals and the community end up paying for somehow: in time, or pollution, or energy consumption, etc.
We should be asking how we minimize the need to travel in urban areas; and how we minimize the impact and cost of urban travel – in part so that essential traffic, like deliveries and emergency services and Presidential motorcades (kidding…), doesn’t get stuck in traffic made up largely of single-occupant vehicles driving a mile or two down the street at not much more than walking pace. Just look at the madness we create for ourselves with the school trip: 20%-30% of morning rush-hour traffic in many metro areas consists of perfectly able-bodied kids being ferried to school by parents with better things to do with their time who won’t let their kids walk or ride their bikes to school because there are so many harried parents rushing their kids to school and the roads and sidewalks around the school aren’t safe. And frankly, many of the kids could use the exercise.
Continue reading “Andy Clarke responded to Will Bicyclists And Pedestrians Squeeze Out Cars?”

President Obama wants federal workers to take a bike, bus or subway to work more often and is ordering agencies to make their offices safer places to work.
Two White House memos issued this week aim to reduce the federal government’s environmental footprint and cut the number of workers compensation claims made by federal employees.
Obama signed orders on Tuesday requiring the government to cut its carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions from indirect sources, including employee commutes and travel, by 13 percent in 2020.
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Continue reading “Obama urges federal workers to commute less”

by BikeShopHub

Come on now.  I know that you think of yourself as a bike commuter. But all too often something gets in the way. As a small business owner who also likes calling himself a bike commuter, I’ve become quite familiar with all of the reasons (excuses) that it often seems much easier to take the car instead.

• “I was going to ride my bike but I was running late.”
• “I wanted to ride into work, but I had a flat tire.”
• “I wanted to ride but the weather was terrible out today.”
• “I wanted to ride my bike today, but I had too many things I needed to schlep into work.”

I believe that a way to describe the solution to these sorts of obstacles is figuring out how to normalize the experience of bike commuting. By this, I mean finding simple reliable solutions for overcoming the simple obstacles to commuting by bike.

To begin normalizing the bike commuting experience, I recommend first looking towards acquiring a basic level of reliable bike commuting equipment.  High quality bike touring tires (or commuter-specific tires) is the best place to start.  Other moves towards reliable, sturdy commuting equipment include installing a rear bike rack, a kickstand and lights. If the opportunity to choose or upgrade your drive train comes along, going with an internal geared hub would be a very positive step in this direction.

Normalizing the bike commuting route in relationship to weather can be very challenging.  For cycling in winter months, my number one recommendation is the combination of studded snow tires and fenders.  Put these on your bicycle and you’ll wonder why you ever stopped riding in the winter.  When it comes to clothes, investing in a breathable waterproof set of rain pants and a jacket will be one more step towards considering your bicycle as reliable consistent transportation.  Buy a quality set and store them in your bike panniers so they are ready when you need them.  I’m a big fan of Showers Pass rain gear.

When it comes to being able to deal with all the stuff that life throws at you, keeping a bike cargo trailer around is certainly worth considering. Or if transporting loads is a nearly constant part of your routine, a longtail bike is an even better way to go.  What comes up in your life that makes you consider taking the car instead of driving?  Here are a few of my recent potential bike commuting deal breakers from the past couple of weeks:

• “I’ve got to bring in brownies and that set of accounting books.”
• “I should stop off to pick up those cleaning supplies along the way.”
• “I should bring home my dirty dishes and extra clothes piling up on the shelf next to my desk.”
• “I need to bring in my power drill and tool set.”

When you hit these stumbling blocks can you say “Good thing I’ve got a bike cargo trailer to pile it all in.”  Or instead, “Umm I think I’ll just drive.”

If you haven’t made the leap already, maybe now is the time to help normalize your bike commuting routine by investing in a bike trailer or longtail bike.  My favorite new bike commuter trailer is the new Burley Travoy, based on its multi-use aspect and very clever design. From the bike commuting perspective, I also recommend the Carry Freedom City for it’s convenient fold-ability and the Wandertec BONGO for it’s open-platform, large-load multi usability.

Despite my own recent effort towards normalizing my bike commuting routine, the demands of running a small business have caught up with me and I’ve been compelled to commute with my pickup. My current excuse? Well we have recently moved our business, Bike Shop Hub, from behind my house to about three miles away in downtown Flagstaff.  With this move, I’ve been shuffling all sorts of stuff back and forth from our old location to our new location.   For example, the other day, I had to bring in some rakes, shovels, a ladder and some plywood.  I suppose I could get a Bikes-at-Work trailer. Even the combination of a longtail bike and a bike cargo trailer might do the trick for quite a few of the recent loads I’ve had to deal with.  I’ll admit it though, more often than not, I took the easy way out and went with the pickup.  These experiences make me appreciate the dilemma of moms with kids and all their stuff, tradesmen with their tools and materials, all types of business owners, and everybody else that has to shuffle around stuff on a daily basis.

So, how can those of us with the best intention to bike commute, normalize bike commuting when there is always a significant amount of bulk that needs to be transported to and fro?  Part of my normalization is accepting the fact that I’ll probably drive once or twice a week and beginning to plan around it.  I attempt to maximize my driving time by condensing as many of my large loads into my weekly pickup trips as possible.

Lately, I’ve been considering an additional attempt to further normalize my ability to consistently bike commute, by adding in an electric bike hub motor into the equation.  I’ve been considering electric assist from several angles, mainly speed, consistency and increased cargo capacity:

• The electric assist will likely help normalize my commute by speeding it up a bit.  I often deal with a very strong headwind on the way to work that can add up to 10 minutes to my commute time.
• Electric assist will help compensate with an additional power boost.  Personally, arriving to work slightly disheveled or sweaty from a hard commute is not a personal concern of mine, but it certainly is to many bike commuters
• By setting my bicycle up with an electric assist, it becomes more feasible to consider always bringing a bike cargo trailer with me (the trunk of my bike) whether I need it or not.  The electric assist will normalize my bike commute by eliminating having to decide whether I bring my bike trailer or not.  I will just always have it.

My other thought was to switch my main commuter over to a longtail bike like the Surly Big Dummy setup with an electric kit like the Bionx system or the Stoke Monkey.  This would also have the normalizing effect in that I would always have plenty of capacity for cargo or even a passenger.  I could use my bike cargo trailer when I really have a lot to carry as well, increasing my standard bike commuting payload as well.

Adding electric and cargo capacity to the bike commuting equation while offering some great benefits does complicate the system–taking away from some of the brilliant simplicity that makes it the tool of choice for many bike commuters.  Electricity and cargo capacity add cost, maintenance requirements, size and complexity to your transportation solution.  The comparison of these factors to a basic bicycle makes them daunting.  But comparing them to the complexity of an automobile makes them seem quite appealing.  And if the goal is to eliminate those nagging excuses that come up to “drive instead” they become quite intelligent and accessible solutions.

Normalizing the bike routine doesn’t have to be as complicated as buying lots of gear and switching to an electric bike.  These solutions will certainly have a return on investment if implemented thoughtfully.  But I suggest that before making major purchases and changes, perhaps try some basic and very simple adjustments to the daily routine.

• Wake up 20 minutes earlier.
• Do some maintenance checks on your bike when you arrive home from work so that your bike is ready for work.
• Make sure that your commuting gear is organized and ready to go.
• Always remember to enjoy the ride.

Josh Lipton is founder and President of BikeShopHub.com a network of online specialty cyclinrg shops as well as the editor of UtilityCycling.org.

by Ben Fried

Continue reading “On the 20th Anniversary of ADA, Too Many Streets Remain Inaccessible”

by Annie Weisner
Picture yourself outside of town, driving along a midsize country road. You’re going more slowly than normal, carrying a heavy load, looking for your turn, or trying to keep your kids from fighting in the backseat. Abruptly, another driver overtakes you, blaring their horn. You move over to the right to allow them to pass. They do, still laying on the horn, coming up on your left side. As they pass, they pull from the left lane into yours, intentionally grazing your car, then speeding off. As you pull over to assess the damage, you manage to get a picture of their license plate with your phone. You call the police, relieved that no one’s hurt.
What would you expect to happen? With a picture of the driver’s license plate and a description of the car, would you expect the aggressive driver to be held accountable? Would you expect charges to be filed in response to such an intentionally dangerous act? Would you expect the police to question the owner of the car? Or would you expect, a month later, to be told your case is hopeless?
Now, imagine yourself in the same scenario, but riding a bicycle. About a month ago, a group of cyclists in Champaign County found themselves in this exact situation.
AGGRESSION OUT OF NOWHERE
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Dornick recounts what the police told him. “The police officer drove to the [home of] the owner of the car. They saw the car parked at his house. They knocked on the door and there was no answer. They looked at the car and said there was no damage to the car, and they went home. And that was the entire investigation of the case. To my knowledge — and we followed up on this many times — no one was actually ever questioned or spoken to.“
And that was it. Dornick and Higley were told there was nothing else the police could do, despite having never spoken with the owner of the vehicle. Their investigation ended with that unopened door.
When contacted for this article, Champaign County Sheriff Dan Walsh explained things differently. “The investigation is still being actively worked,“ Walsh stated in an email. “Since this is an ongoing investigation, I have no further comment for right now.“
Ed. note: We attempted to rectify this apparent contradiction with Sheriff Walsh yesterday afternoon, but did not get a response by the time the article posted. We’ll insert any response that we receive as it arrives.
The official reason given to Higley and Dornick was the lack of an eyewitness who could identify the driver from a line-up. Due to the heavily tinted windows of the car and the aggressive speed at which it overtook the riders, none of the cyclists got a clear view of the driver. Without cooperation or a confession from the driver, it is likely that a visual ID would be necessary for a criminal case to proceed. In this case, however, the owner of the vehicle was never interviewed, leaving a multitude of questions unanswered. Was the owner driving at the time of the hit, and if not, would the owner come forward with the name of the driver? Would the driver confess, given the weight of evidence against him and the large number of eyewitnesses? Why didn’t the deputies attempt to elicit a confession?
FIVE SURGERIES LATER, STILL NO SATISFACTION
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“So [the sheriff’s department] contacted the people, and they of course said, ‘No, I didn’t do it.‘ And that was the last that they did.“
Sheriff Walsh stated, once again in an email, “I do not believe sufficient facts exist to criminally charge an individual concerning this incident and, barring something unusual happening, I do not think this situation will change.“
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“A lot of the reason that bikes have a really bad reputation and people don’t respect bikes is that people don’t ride in a manner that gets bikes respect,“ says Dornick. As a motorist, “it’s hard to justify taking time out of your day, going all out of your way to make sure this cyclist is safe when he doesn’t care what he’s doing with you. It’s definitely mutual. We need some cooperation, and hopefully we don’t have to have someone get hurt before it starts happening.“
Continue reading “UPDATE: Aggressive hit-and-runs unresolved”

The Ann Arbor City Council unanimously approved a new pedestrian safety ordinance Monday night that gives walkers and bicyclists the upper hand when trying to brave traffic to cross city streets.
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“The major change is that you’re not required to risk one of your limbs to claim the right to the crosswalk,” Hohnke said. “So that if you’re intending to enter the crosswalk, if you’re about to enter the crosswalk, it now gives police officers the discretion to say (to motorists), ‘Hey, you know that person wanted to get into the crosswalk, and I’m going to ask you to provide them the right of way to do that.'”

Under the previous ordinance, Hohnke said, even if a pedestrian was waiting several minutes to enter a crosswalk, police had no opportunity to help them.
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Continue reading “Pedestrians no longer have to play "Frogger" “

[B’ Spokes: Note Maryland’s pedestrian fatality rate has increased from 1.75 per 100,000 population in 2004 to 2.06 in 2008 (last reported year) and the percentage of traffic fatalities that involved pedestrains went from 15% to 20%.]

from Greater Greater Washington by Ken Archer

Traffic is the leading cause of death among children worldwide and the leading cause of death among 1-34 year olds in the United States. So, why isn’t traffic considered the top threat to public health by the CDC, WHO and federal, state and local governments?

Photo by Diana Beideman on Flickr.

Why don’t officials approach traffic reduction with the same urgency that they approach, say, tobacco or malnutrition? The answer can be found in the CDC’s publications on injury prevention.

CDC’s research and prevention efforts target this serious public health problem. We focus on improving car and booster seat and seat belt use and reducing impaired driving, and helping groups at risk: child passengers, teen drivers, and older adult drivers.

The CDC, NIH and other agencies focus on traffic safety as the preventable cause of death, not traffic itself. WHO’s recommendations for addressing traffic fatalities are “speed, alcohol, seat-belts and child restraints, helmets, and visibility.”

The flaw in this exclusive focus on traffic safety is that increased safety only matters when vehicle miles traveled (VMT) are kept static or reduced. Instead, safety improvements that reduce fatalities per VMT have been offset by rising VMT.

Investments in traffic safety finally began to matter in 2004. According to the Brookings Institution, “driving, as measured by national VMT, began to plateau as far back as 2004 and dropped in 2007 for the first time since 1980,” obviously due to rising gas prices. As a result, the rate of traffic fatalities per 100,000 population finally began a much steeper decline in 2004 compared to earlier periods when safety improvements had been largely undermined by VMT increases.

But did this demonstrate the urgency of reducing traffic? Not according to NHTSA Administrator David Strickland, who said the following in a press release celebrating the decline:

This continuing decline in highway deaths is encouraging, but our work is far from over. We want to see those numbers drop further. We will not stop as long as there are still lives lost on our nation’s highways. We must continue our efforts to ensure seat belts are always used and stay focused on reducing distracted and impaired driving.

Attributing the recent decline in traffic fatalities solely or primarily to safety improvements is not only sloppy statistics given that safety improvements have lead to steady declines in fatalities per VMT for decades. It also sends the wrong message — people can feel safe driving, as driving itself is not part of the problem — a message which will only increase VMT further and bring a halt to reductions in traffic fatalities.

Attributing the declining fatality rate to safety improvements also allows the myth to perpetuate that moving to the suburbs is safer than living in the city, a myth that, left unchallenged, increases VMT and undermines safety improvements. This myth was exposed by the New York City Department of Health, which recently revealed that their low VMT per child made NYC a much safer place for children than the rest of the country.

So why does the CDC, WHO, NIH, NHTSA and probably every other public health agency treat poor traffic safety as the preventable cause of the top killer of children worldwide, and not traffic as well? And how many children will have to die for this to change? Are we serious about public health? The sooner we start demanding honesty about the causes of the top killer of children here and abroad the better, because during the 2 minutes you spent reading this article, another child died in a traffic collision.

Continue reading “Traffic reduction: An urgent public health priority”

by washcycle

Continue reading “What will you do with your extra year?”