Month: September 2010

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One year car free!

from BikeSkirt by Elisa

First, apologies (again) for my absence in posting.  Things are so busy with work and Bici that when I get home I have nothing left in me to write.  I do miss you all, and am hopeful that things slow down soon.

Last week, I celebrated 2 big days…my 31st Birthday and my one year anniversary of being car free!  It was any other day…riding around to meetings and friends houses.  Nothing special about the day, in fact it practically came and went before I remembered.

What has being car free taught me?

That my friends rock.  When it rains, when I need a ride home from the Greyhound station, when I need to borrow a car to head to a conference 2 hours away…they always show up.  It is amazing.

That Birmingham’s public transport really does suck.  In one year I have yet to take it.  The reason?  I can’t figure the damn thing out!  The maps are all separate and trying to get from one end of town to the next takes hours and multiple bus transfers (on a less than timely bus “schedule”).  For those people who don’t even have bikes, I am not sure how they do it.

That the hottest summer in history makes for a lot of sweaty meetings.  Seriously, I spent most of the summer wiping sweat from my brow while talking to people about food security!

That I can eat as much food and drink as much beer as I want and not worry.  Sure, I have gained some weight, but I still look the same (muscle weight, baby!) and feel great.

That your gas costs go down, but your food intake goes WAY up.  I eat so much food.

That I am not sure I ever want a car!!

Thanks everyone for all of your support.  This year has been great and terrible and I never regret selling my car.  Freedom!!!

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What is ‘smart growth,’ anyway?

by Kaid Benfield

  Joralemon St, Brooklyn Heights (by: Steve Minor, creative commons license)

Lots of us have tried to answer that question in various ways, perhaps most frequently via the Smart Growth Network’s well-known ten principles.  Empire State Future has recently posted some answers of their own that I really like:

“It’s the effort to build a healthy economy that offers real choices in transportation, housing, and education while respecting farmlands, open space, and our many natural and historic resources. By building more homes and businesses in already-existing communities, we can save valuable open space and conserve money spent on our roads and costly utility infrastructure. All of which makes Smart Growth important for our future, and for our children’s future . . . 

“Why shouldn’t it be simpler for us to work toward a more attractive and economical civic future? A future where

  • new development is constructed in places that maximize existing public investment in schools, roads, water and sewer service, transit facilities and information infrastructure.
  • workers have good jobs that are within walking distance or an easy commute by bike, bus, rail or automobile
  • farm land is protected from encroachment so it can continue to be used to raise livestock and crops, providing a continuing and strong agricultural sector, and rivers, lakes, streams and ponds are pollution-free and provide recreational opportunities for residents and tourists alike
  • people can choose to live in older, thriving communities that are beautiful and unique, and that validate the reality that this is still the Empire State!”

Read the full post and find links to lots more about the work of Empire State Future here.

Move your cursor over the images for credit information.

Kaid Benfield writes (almost) daily about community, development, and the environment.  For more posts, see his blog’s home page. 

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Abogo transportation costs made transparent

What is Abogo?

Abogo shows you how transportation impacts the affordability and sustainability of where you live. With Abogo, you can discover the costs of where you live now, or where you might want to live. Abogo measures the money an average household from your region living in your neighborhood would spend getting around, including car ownership, car use, and transit use.  It also tells you what the CO2 generated by this car use would be.  With this information, you can measure the true cost and impact of where you live.

Housing + Transportation Affordability Index
H + T logo

Abogo is powered by the Center for Neighborhood Technology’s Housing + Transportation Affordability Index. Instead of only counting just your housing costs, the idea behind H + T℠ is to include the cost of getting around when thinking about the cost of living in a certain place.  This gives you a more complete idea  of how the neighborhood fits for your budget.

But wait, there’s more to come!

We’ll be adding features to our site, including:

  • personalized transportation costs
  • housing costs
  • saved searches
  • …whatever else you might think of! Send ideas to abogo-info@cnt.org.

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MDOT – THE SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN MUST BE A TOP PRIORITY FOR ALL

Back to School Means Back to Basics When it Comes to Safety

As school doors open across Maryland for another year, now is the time to remind ourselves that we all play a role in protecting the safety of our children.  In the upcoming weeks, roadways will again be crowded with youngsters and teens heading back to school – some by car or bus, others on foot or bicycle and others driving themselves for the first time. 

Unfortunately, each year more than 300 Maryland children are injured in crashes during school arrival and dismissal times.  Those of us behind the wheel can help prevent these crashes by reviewing the rules of the road and practicing courtesy and common sense when driving.  The opening of school brings more traffic to area roadways so build more time into your commute, especially during morning and afternoon travels.  Stay alert, give driving your full attention and control your speed, especially in and around school zones, where the posted speed may be lowered. 

Know the rules of the road when encountering a school bus.  It is against Maryland law to pass a stopped school bus while its lights are flashing and its stop arm is extended.  Motorists approaching from either direction must wait until the red lights stop flashing before proceeding.  Remember to be patient when following a bus.  The lives of dozens of young passengers are at stake.

Finally, be on the lookout for children walking along the road and for those waiting for school buses.  Children can be unpredictable, so be prepared for the unexpected.  Remind children to only cross the street at a crosswalk and that, before crossing any street, they must look left, then look right and then look left again to make sure their path is clear before taking that first step.  Motorists should remember that state law requires all vehicles to stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk.

To help everyone make safe choices on the road, the Choose Safety for Life campaign emphasizes that everyone “B-SAFE.”   “B-SAFE” includes five key reminders: Buckle up, Slow down – speeding kills, Always drive sober, Focus and Everyone share the road – everyone gets home.  Parents, please take the time to review the rules of the road with your child.  Make sure he or she understands how to cross the street and how to travel on the school bus safely.  You and your child can learn more about safety at www.choosesafetyforlife.com as we all strive for a safe, happy and productive school year.

Secretary Signature
Beverley K. Swaim-Staley
Secretary, Maryland Department of Transportation

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Atlantic City police arrest man after he steals “bait” bicycle on Atlantic City Boardwalk

By ELAINE ROSE, Staff Writer

An Atlantic City man was arrested after he stole a bicycle police put out on the Boardwalk as bait in response to complaints of thefts, police said Tuesday.

Sgt. Richard Halverson put a bicycle out on the Boardwalk, locked it with a cable lock at about noon Monday, and waited a short distance away, police said. Within an hour, a man rode up on his own bicycle, cut the lock on the bait bike, and rode off on it, leaving his own bicycle behind, police said.

Halverson went after the suspect for several blocks while back-up officers arrived, police said. Halverson stopped the man on the 1700 block of Arctic Avenue, and the suspect got off the bicycle and ran away on foot. Officer Robert Dessicino arrested the suspect after a struggle.

Frank Forrest Jr. 53, of North Maryland Avenue, was arrested and charged with theft, resisting arrest, vandalism and possession of burglary tools, police said.

Police said they will continue to conduct stake-outs around the city in areas where residents complain of thefts. People are asked to call police when they see any suspicious people or activity.
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