Recreational cycling generates $1.5 billion in economic activity a year in Wisconsin, according to a first-of-its-kind study.
The figures, which include dollars produced by the state’s bicycle manufacturing, sales and services industry, suggest cycling has as much impact on the state’s economy as deer hunting.
"I don’t think folks in Wisconsin appreciate just how important (biking) is in the state’s economy," said state Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, who commissioned the study. "We make a lot more bikes here than we do cars."
…
The report on cycling found:
• 49 percent of Wisconsin residents enjoy bicycling for recreation, making it among the most popular outdoor activities in the state, according a 2006 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources study.
• Bicycle recreation currently supports more than $924 million in tourism and resident spending each year, of which nearly $533 million is direct impact occurring annually, such as travel, equipment sales and restaurant expenditures.
• Bicyclists from other states spend more than $535 million a year.
• Increasing nonresident bicycling by 20 percent has the potential to increase economic activity by more than $107 million dollars and create 1,528 full-time-equivalent jobs, mostly in retail, lodging and food service.
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It Was Just One Of Those Things
By : Rick Bernardi
“I didn’t see him.”
It’s the most common excuse negligent drivers make after colliding with a cyclist. And it makes no difference whether the cyclist is wearing bright colors or "lit up like a Christmas tree"—negligent drivers will still utter these four words after hitting the cyclist. Except, of course, in the Netherlands, where the presumption of liability encourages drivers to be more careful about seeing cyclists.
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A One of a Kind Walking, Biking School Opens in Canada
With the dawn of the new year, a newly opened elementary school in Ontario is heralded as the nation’s first school that requires nearly all of its students to get to and from school using their own two feet.
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White House Goes After Oil And Gas Subsidies–Again
[Another nail in the coffin of "Car’s pay for roads."]
"On energy matters, the big eye-catcher is the fact that White House wants to scrap some $36.5 billion in tax breaks for fossil-fuel producers over the next decade:"
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Bike Locker Space is nearly 6X as costly as Car Parking Space
by
If WMATA increases the bike locker fee to $200 a year it will then be nearly six times more expensive to park a bike per square foot than to park a car. Car parking for the year is $660. But, as pointed out in the brochure of the company who makes the bike locker
you can fit nine of our bike lockers in one car parking space – that’s enough parking to hold eighteen bikes.
So that same parking space could generate $3600year if dedicated to bike lockers. Even at the old price WMATA was making a killing of $1260 per car parking space. Metro is not considering raising the price of automobile parking I should note.
Again, I support performance parking for bike lockers, but that involves actually knowing which lockers are being used and which are not. Where there is a waiting list, raise prices gradually, and use some of the new revenue to install more bike lockers or double-tiered ones at places like Eastern Market where there’s a waiting list. Where there is no waiting list, lower prices.
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The Fitzgerald at UB Midtown to Become Baltimore’s Largest LEED(R) Certified Residential Development
GREENBELT, Md., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ — The Bozzuto Group today announced The Fitzgerald at UB Midtown is on track to become the most sizeable LEED certified apartment community in the Baltimore area.
The development, comprised of 275 apartments, 24,000 square feet of street-level retail and a 1,245 space parking garage, is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and is being constructed to attain LEED certification. The Fitzgerald garage opened on January 11th, residential leasing will commence in March, and retail will begin to deliver in early summer.
"As a longtime multifamily developer, we have for many years believed that growth can be both economically and environmentally sound," said Tom Bozzuto, CEO of The Bozzuto Group. "We believe The Fitzgerald takes that notion to the next level."
To achieve LEED certification, The Fitzgerald’s sustainability strategy includes implementing a number of environmentally-conscious design features, construction tactics, water efficiency technologies and air quality practices.
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Elkton, Maryland Bike Plan: UPDATE
WILMAPCO is working with the Town of Elkton to develop a bicycle plan to expand the existing transportation system, support economic activity and growth, and improve quality of life for Town residents and visitors. The Elkton Bicycle Plan will introduce a proposed coordinated bicycle network, which will connect residents with surrounding neighborhoods, the downtown central business district, and other key destinations, along with improvements for bike facilities such as bike racks and signage. This Plan is being developed with the participation of an advisory committee comprised of Town, County and State officials, and citizen advocates. One key task in the planning process is identifying the network, in which cyclist’s input will be most valuable. Thus, those who bike in Elkton are encouraged to fill out a Field Worksheet and/or map the route (available online) that they take in and around Town. This input will help to identify improvements that can be made along bike routes, and will be used to better prioritize corridors for improvements. To give input, join the Advisory Committee or email Dave Gula: dgula@wilmapco.org for more information. This is your chance to help create some of the very first Bicycle Friendly Communities in the North East US, and it can only happen with cyclist participation.
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Mobile Garden Rail Car To Be Tacked on To Chicago Transit System
LaHood Talks Budget: Cyclist will have to continue to supplement car centric roads to the tune $11 billion
Well OK it’s not just cyclists but everyone who contributes to the general fund which cyclists are a part. But the point is cars are not paying their own way as often asserted.
>>"One topic of particular interest was the White House’s continued assumption of transfers from the general Treasury to the highway trust fund (HTF) pending enactment of a new long-term federal transportation bill. As the federal gas tax, last raised in 1993, remains static and lawmakers decline to discuss an alternative funding source, the presidential budget document projects that the HTF would need more than $11 billion to make it through the current fiscal year."
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Ride the District
by David Alpert • February 1, 2010 1:42 pm
Ride the City has officially launched in DC. Their tool plots bicycle routes, combining map directions and knowledge of bike lanes and trails to recommend safe routes.
It’s all based on open map data. Portions of a route that use bicycle lanes appear in green, while portions on-street appear in purple.