Sign the Petition!

See-sawing gas prices, crazy crowded roads, noxious fumes – who would love their commute?

Not us. Join Americans all over the country, in big cities and in small towns, who are making their voices heard in Washington. Tell Congress: “My commute sucks and it’s not getting any better. Stop pouring billions into a broken system. Transportation shouldn’t be an expensive, dirty burden. Fix it, clean it, make it work!”
Continue reading “My commute sucks”

[Baltimore Spoke: It would be nice if MD even had such a report, even nicer if they could say they had an increase and say they were concerned about the recent surges in pedestrian fatalities. ]
-> According to an article in the May 8th Mobilizing the Region E-Mail, "While New Jersey DOT’s planned FY2010 Capital Program devotes more money towards road widening projects than in the past, it also provides almost 50% more funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects than last year’s capital program did. These types of projects now represent about 2% of the total highway program, up from 1.5% last year.
"This is obviously tremendous news for New Jersey’s cycling community, and especially timely given recent surges in bicyclist and pedestrian fatalities. NJDOT deserves credit for making bicycling and walking a funding priority. About 12% of all trips in the state were on foot or bicycle in 2001, according to the Federal Highway Administration…"
Continue reading “BIG BOOST FOR CYCLING, WALKING IN NJDOT PLAN”

From the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation:
Highlights:
Active Transportation
What the research shows: There is a significant body of evidence linking transportation, planning and community design to increased physical activity.
Land Use for Active Living
What the research shows: Evidence suggests that youth get more regular physical activity when they have opportunities to walk or ride a bicycle from home to nearby schools, parks and businesses.
Quality Physical Activity In and Near Schools
What the research shows: Evidence suggests that students who spend more time in physical education or other school-based physical activity can improve their fitness levels and their scores on standardized academic achievement tests.
Continue reading “Childhood Obesity Action Strategies Toolkit”

-> Bicycle Master Plans will be the topic of a one-hour webinar scheduled for June 17th, 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. A growing number of cities across the U.S. are creating Bicycle Master Plans, or BMPs. These are plans for developing bicycle infrastructure in a city, with emphasis on promoting bicycling as a viable transportation option and fostering a safe environment for bicycling.
Join presenter Peter Lagerwey, who will lead webinar participants step-by-step through the process of creating a successful bicycle master plan. Peter has served for 25 years in the City of Seattle’s bicycle and pedestrian program. He managed the development of Seattle’s Bicycle Master Plan, oversaw construction of more than 150 miles of bikeways throughout the City, and published numerous reports, studies, design manuals, and professional articles. In September, Lagerwey will open a Seattle office for the Toole Design Group. Webinar participants will be given a copy of a guide, "Creating a Road Map for Producing and Implementing A Bicycle Master Plan," authored by Lagerwey and being published by the NCBW’s Active Living Resource Center.
Continue reading “BICYCLE MASTER PLANS WEBINAR SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 17th”

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Montreal spent 15 million Canadian dollars (about $13 million) to develop and start the system, although it is budgeted to ultimately become financially self-sufficient. But Montreal has received seven patents for Bixi and Mr. Lavallée hopes to sell it to other North American cities.

“We developed this product for Montreal,” he said. “But we were very convinced that it’s good for any city.”
Continue reading “Montreal Inaugurates Continent’s Most Ambitious Bike-Sharing Program”