Month: December 2014

-> According to a Dec. 10th CMAP article, "The Active Transportation Alliance surveyed driver behavior at 52 marked and unmarked crossing locations around Chicago and in neighboring suburbs to better understand the relationship between compliance with the state law requiring motorists to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks and crosswalk type or design. (Illinois Drivers Must Stop for Pedestrians Law: Observational Study of Motorists’ Compliance: https://bit.ly/1z2XL2j)
"The study involved crosswalks with no pavement markings, crosswalks delineated by traditional pavement markings (two striped lines defining the crosswalk), and crosswalks with additional safety features such as in-road "stop for pedestrians" signs, textured or colored surfaces, raised crosswalks, or flashing beacons. The survey found that compliance was lowest at unmarked crosswalks, where only 5 percent of motorists stopped for pedestrians. Eighteen percent of drivers stopped for pedestrians at traditional painted crosswalks. Compliance was highest at the crosswalks enhanced with other safety features, where 61 percent of motorists stopped for pedestrians."
Source: https://1.usa.gov/1wEZU1Z
from CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.

-> According to a Dec. 12th APBP Member Listserve posting from Jessica Zdeb, "The Council in Washington, DC just passed a rule in follow up to the 2007 Bicycle Commuter and Parking Expansion Act that requires residential buildings of 8 units or more to provide secure bike parking at a 1 to 3 ratio. It might not sound that exciting, but tenants may request retrofitting of an existing building, and spaces must be provided within 30 days of the request. Retrofits require the lesser of the 1 to 3 ratio or enough to meet the requested demand.
"Note that all spaces required are preferably indoors, but if not feasible, shall be secure, covered and adjacent to the building. Some savvy developers are already exceeding this minimum here, but it is now the law of the District. See all associated documents of the rulemaking here: https://1.usa.gov/16rBWxA
from CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.
**************************************************************************************************************************************************************
[B’ Spokes: We need the same rule here, including businesses. (I’m tired of stores that have made their (handicap parking) sign poles unusable for bike parking with a cement casing.)]

-> According to a Sept. 15th League of American Bicyclists article, "Last week in Pittsburgh, U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Anthony Foxx, announced a groundbreaking agenda by US DOT (U.S. Transportation Secretary Foxx Announces New Initiative to Enhance Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety: https://1.usa.gov/1wB3N8T) to address the safety of people who bike and walk in all 50 states.
"’Safety is our highest priority and that commitment is the same regardless of which form of transportation people choose, including walking and biking,’ Foxx told the more than 1,000 attendees at the Pro Walk/Pro Bike/Pro Place conference. ‘This initiative is aimed at reversing the recent rise in deaths and injuries among the growing number of Americans who bicycle or walk to work, to reach public transportation and to other important destinations.’
"Rolling out over the next 18 months, the ‘Safer People, Safer Streets’ Action Plan (https://1.usa.gov/1tMPtJa) commits the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to identify the causes of bicycle and pedestrian crashes and to work with practitioners, elected officials and advocates to find solutions to reduce injuries and fatalities…"
Source: https://bit.ly/1ARxqR5
from CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.

by Shaun Courtney, Urbanful

…

Images courtesy of 105MM and British Cycling

[This and more]

https://urbanful.org/2014/10/24/new-wonder-drug-cycling-advocates-say/

Via The Warrior Factor
…
Five key grievances were made in an editorial in Melbourne’s major newspaper, the Herald Sun, today. Some are actually genuine. The problem is that the motorist’s fury is poorly directed. The true culprit is decades of government inaction, over zealous nanny state regulations, and an obsession with turning cyclists into “vehicles”.
THE MOTORIST
The road was made for cars. It’s a road that’s slowly being shrunk and chopped up so bike lanes and Lycra-friendly nooks can be carved into parking spaces across the city. As a motorist I don’t mind sharing the road. With other cars. But cyclists often take things too far, and I’m not just talking about their leg grooming habits. Some of the things they do on the road simply drive me mad. So here they are.
1) WHEN YOU TAKE UP A QUARTER OF A LANE YOU MIGHT AS WELL TAKE UP THE WHOLE LANE
…
2) DON’T TOUCH MY CAR
…
3) YOU CAN SEE ME INDICATING SO WHY PULL UP NEXT TO ME?
…
4) YOU WANT ROAD? OBEY ROAD LAWS
…
5) YOU GO SLOWER THAN CARS SO DON’T PRETEND YOU’RE A CAR
…
https://warriorfactor.wordpress.com/2014/12/11/cars-vs-bicycles-the-motorists-warped-view/
****************************************************************************************************************
[B’ Spokes: Some of the responses here are great. Keep this kind of thinking in mind so next time an anti cycling letter appears in the paper we can call it out for what it is.]