Straight Outta Suburbia focuses on a new report [PDF] from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration which found that hybrid vehicles were involved in “significantly” more collisions than vehicles with internal combustion engines, under certain circumstances. Some car companies, including Nissan, have begun seeking engineering solutions to the problem, including innovations like an artificial sound system. But better planning for less car dependent cities is the safest solution, the blog notes. “It’s very difficult to get a handle on the problems caused by cars just by trying to improve the cars themselves. One solution (hybrid drive train) can create another problem (higher pedestrian and cyclist risk).”
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City Council Bills to Release Traffic Data Pass Committee Unanimously
Something I would like to see in Maryland. Read more about NYC “Saving Lives Through Better Information” bill
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No More Senseless Bicycle Deaths!
Targeting: The Governor of MD, The MD State Senate, and The MD State House
Started by: Kenniss Henry
Update: 2/9/11: Kenniss Henry, mother of Natasha Pettigrew who was killed on her bicycle last Fall, has been working tirelessly to convince Maryland’s state legislature to enact stricter vehicular manslaughter laws. Now, Delegate Luiz Simmons has offered a new bill, HB 363, that would help achieve this goal. The petition letter has been updated to reflect this latest development by offering support for this bill. Kenniss Henry has also "adopted" the petition under her own name. Please continue to sign and share. Maryland’s House of Delegates will hold a committee hearing on the bill on Wednesday, February 23rd.
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What should greater investment on transportation net us in the end? What would the benefits be?
from new bipartisan poll from the Rockefeller Foundation:
Voters’ top goal by far is “safer streets for our communities and children.” 57 percent say this should be one of the top-two priorities if more money is invested in infrastructure. The second-highest priority for voters overall (32 percent) is “more transportation options.” In addition, 85 percent agree that “spending less time in traffic would improve quality of life, make communities safer, and reduce stress in people’s daily lives.” Moreover, the vast majority also believe the country (80 percent) and their own community (66 percent) would benefit from an expanded and improved public transportation system.
Continue reading “What should greater investment on transportation net us in the end? What would the benefits be?”
Who cycles in the Netherlands ?
from A view from the cycle path – David Hembrow
I’ve mentioned before that in the Netherlands, everyone cycles. This graph shows how cycling rates vary with age and sex within the Netherlands, expressed as the average number of cycle journeys per day made per person.
It shows a number of things: that cycling is very popular with school age children, for instance, and that it drops off a bit for working age adults as for some the commute is “too far” by bike. You’ll also see that women in their 30s, 40s and 50s cycle more often than men. This is due to women being more likely to be at home looking after children than their male partners. As a result, they more often cycle with young children to school, or make shopping and other utility trips by bike. This is what leads to the Netherlands uniquely having 55% of trips overall by women.
Cycling stays with people through their entire life. Even the over 75s make an average of around 0.3 trips per day by bike.
Here we see the reasons for bicycle journeys. Only 16% of all cycle journeys are commutes. The largest percentage, 22%, are shopping trips, 18% are school journeys, 14% are social, and 11% are to go visiting.
This level of cycle usage, across both sexes, all ages, and for all purposes, requires infrastructure which has a high level of subjective safety.
These figures came from the same source as last week’s post, the Fietsersbond. Marc has also written about these statistics.
The reality of an automobile-centric mobility paradigm
from Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space by Richard Layman
Expect Delays (due to construction) sign, George Washington Parkway, Virginia
Originally uploaded by rllayman
In an interview with Jane Jacobs, after the publication of the book The Nature of Economies, with regard to automobile traffic, she said that mostly people asked the wrong question…
The Wrong Question
Why aren’t there enough roads?
The Right Question
Why are there so many cars?
Continue reading “The reality of an automobile-centric mobility paradigm”
You don’t have to be stuck in traffic
First Bicycle-Pedestrian Priority Area in Maryland
Since becoming law in 2000 the White Flint Sector Plan becomes the State’s first Bicycle-Pedestrian Priority Area (BPPA). From the state code a “Bicycle and pedestrian priority area” is a geographical area where the enhancement of bicycle and pedestrian traffic is a priority.
Congratulations to White Flint but still I wounder what’s going on with the rest of the State, one BPPA every 11 years is wrong. This is one of the duties of our Director of Bicycle and Pedestrian Access. Again from state code "After consultation with political subdivisions in the State, identifies bicycle-pedestrian priority areas to facilitate the targeting of available funds to those areas of the State most in need."
If this is indeed the mechanism that directs "the money the State spends over and above Transportation Enhancements" IMHO why don’t all (most) local bike master plans also get the BPPA designation? Why does Montgomery County with the lowest bike/ped fatality rates then the other "big 5" counties in the State not to mention the richest county in the State get the "most in need" BPPA designation? Something does not seem right here.
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Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee February 15th
from Bike Baltimore by Nate Evans
The Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee meets Tuesday, February 15th at 6pm in the Planning Department’s Conference Room on the 8th Floor of 417 E. Fayette St. [bring I.D.]; The meeting is open to the public and all interested cyclists are encouraged to attend. Major Tony Brown from the Baltimore Police Department will join us to address concerns from area cyclists. Please bring your bike inside & up the elevator to the 8th floor. (More bikes have disappeared from these racks lately.)
[B’ Spokes: Note that I am still waiting for some acknowledgment from Baltimore Police that bicyclists are NOT operators of a motorcycle and cannot be charged with violating laws pertaining to the operation of motorcycles (which exist in part to make it illegal to drive a motorcycle like a bicycle.) And to have Baltimore Police attempt to correct the inflammatory remark “There is no “right to the road” as a cyclist.” Everyone has rights and obligations on the road. (More detail Yates – discussion of the “facts” and why the police got it wrong
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Citizen Member Application Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Group by February 25, 2011
This is an awesome opportunity for the right individual who has the right balance of working with others and taking initiative.