Via Adventure Cycling Newsletter
Speaking of the C&O Canal and the GAP, the Allegheny Trail Alliance is currently soliciting ideas and feedback on the launch of roll-on bicycle service on Amtrak’s Capitol Limited route. The train runs between Chicago and Washington, D.C., joining in alongside the GAP and the C&O as it goes. According to a representative of the Alliance, which serves on the Amtrak Bicycle Task Force, “We are looking to see how the service can improve, while also asking the public: Where should roll-on service go next?” You can begin the survey by clicking on this link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QL787TF
ITE DESIGN GUIDE: ACCOMMODATING PEDS & BIKES AT INTERCHANGES
-> The Institute for Transportation Engineers (ITE) has released a guide of best practices on interchange designs that accommodate pedestrians and cyclists in the United States and Canada. It identifies precise dimensions, safety features, signage, pavement markings, and design geometries as best practices that may provide insight into future updates of statewide or federal highway design manuals. (Recommended Design Guidelines to Accommodate Pedestrians and Bicycles at Interchanges: https://bit.ly/1LhAuyH)
from CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.
[B’ Spokes: Note state law calls for “best engineering practices” so here you go. Ref: https://www.baltimorespokes.org/article.php?story=20111025010622931 ]
NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTERISTICS THAT SUPPORT BIKE COMMUTING
-> A study of 100 census tracts with the highest levels of bicycle commuting in the country used American Community Survey (ACS) journey-to-work data to identify neighborhoods with the highest levels of bicycle commuting. It paired each with a randomly selected census tract from the same county to uncover what factors influence bicycle commuting. https://1.usa.gov/1LhAP4F (Neighborhood Characteristics that Support Bicycle Commuting: Analysis of the Top 100 United States Census Tracts: https://bit.ly/1L5T35n)
from CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.
NYPD to Brooklyn Seniors: Stop Getting Killed by Motorists
[B’ Spokes:Of the six cases that Streetsblog could find all were caused by at fault drivers so natch blame the victim. It is scary to me that this seems to be a national trend with “safety” professionals to not even address driver behavior that kills but to solely blame the victim. If we ever truly want to put an end to death by automobile this has to change!]
https://www.streetsblog.org/2015/09/16/nypd-to-brooklyn-seniors-stop-getting-killed-by-motorists/
The Benefits of Slower Traffic, Measured in Money and Lives
By ERIC JAFFE, City Lab
“That’s the frustrating conclusion one gets from a new case study about implementing a road diet on Livingston. The analysis finds that the safety benefits of reducing automobile space and speeds on the street would far outweigh any losses from driver delay. But the report’s authors state that officials were concerned from the start about upsetting the car-centric status quo”
https://www.citylab.com/cityfixer/2015/10/the-benefits-of-slower-traffic-measured-in-money-and-lives/408472/
Black and Jewish Civil Rights Heritage by Bike
Via Baltimore Heritage
October 11 @ 9:00 am – 11:30 am | $15 | Register
Explore historic places that tell of the struggles and partnerships between Baltimore’s Jewish and African American communities during the Civil Rights movement and beyond.
We’ll see synagogues and social halls, corner stores and tennis courts that tell the story of Baltimore’s Jewish community in the late 19th and early 20th century and the African-American community that succeeded them in the neighborhoods around Druid Hill Park. Join Eli Pousson from Baltimore Heritage on a fall ride tour of African-American, Jewish and Civil Rights landmarks from Eutaw Place to Park Heights.
https://baltimoreheritage.org/event/black-and-jewish-civil-rights-heritage-by-bike/
The Cities That Spend The Most On Bike Lanes Later Reap The Most Reward
By Adele Peters, Fast Coexist
Investing in a network of fully separated bike lanes could save cities huge sums in the long-term. But too little investment in wimpy infrastructure could actually decrease enthusiasm for cycling.
For every dollar spent to build new separated bike lanes, cities could save as much as $24 thanks to lower health care costs and less pollution and traffic, according to a new study from researchers in New Zealand.
…
https://www.fastcoexist.com/3034354/the-cities-that-spend-the-most-on-bike-lanes-later-reap-the-most-reward?partner=rss
HOTREPORT: SEARCHABLE COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY INDICATORS
-> The Sustainable Communities HotReport is designed to give community leaders and residents a quick and easy way to determine how well their communities are performing on a variety of sustainability indicators in transportation, housing, economic development, income and equity. Select a community to view charts, tables, and maps showing performance trends over time or select other communities that you consider “peer” or comparison communities. https://1.usa.gov/1iLuUdu
from CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.
Hogan Announces $14M For Pedestrian, Bike Projects Throughout Maryland
HANOVER, Md. (WJZ) — Governor Larry Hogan announced Tuesday that Maryland has received $14.9 million in grants for bicycle, pedestrian and multi-use trail projects across the state.
The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) is awarding a total of 63 grants, including $2.77 million in Bikeways Program grants, $1.03 million in Recreational Trails Program grants, and $11.1 million in Transportation Alternatives Program grants.
…
https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2015/09/29/hogan-announces-14m-for-pedestrian-bike-projects-throughout-maryland/
[Includes a link to a complete list of projects.]
WALKABILITY’S IMPACT ON HOUSING VALUES, FORECLOSURES & CRIME
-> In the “Does Walkability Matter? An Examination of Walkability’s Impact on Housing Values, Foreclosures and Crime” study (https://bit.ly/1Oufqau), researchers examined 170 neighborhoods in a medium-sized city to see whether walkability influences neighborhood sustainability. Their analysis shows a positive impact not only on neighborhood housing valuation but also on neighborhood crime and foreclosure. These results provide policy opportunities for planners and citizen groups to pursue strategies to encourage the development of more walkable and sustainable neighborhoods.