tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75817289418470655962024-03-18T23:29:57.771-04:00Livin In The Bike LaneAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12647549535857711041noreply@blogger.comBlogger520125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581728941847065596.post-53246779907295199932014-01-08T12:57:00.001-05:002014-01-08T12:57:36.230-05:00Portland had zero cyclist fatalities in 2013, again!<div id="promo-image-area" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<img alt="Portland cyclist photo" class="slide" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2014/01/portland-cyclist-photo-0000001.jpg.662x0_q100_crop-scale.jpg" height="210" style="border: 1px solid rgb(229, 229, 229); font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="320" /></div>
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A transportation network is a complex thing. Millions of people walking,biking, and driving in all directions, brushing past each other in various weather and light conditions. Even if everyone is doing their very best, and sadly, they aren't always, there's bound to be some serious accidents. Making things worse is that most cities, especially in North-America, are way too car-centric and treat pedestrians and cyclists are second-class citizens. This makes things more dangerous than they have to be...<br />
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But it's not the case everywhere.</div>
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Portland is one of the shining examples of what can be done to make the streets as safe as possible for everyone. One notable fact is that in 2013, there hasn't been a single cyclist fatality in the city. <a href="http://bikeportland.org/author/michaela" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Michael Andersen</a> at <a href="http://bikeportland.org/" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bike Portland</a>writes:</div>
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There were several serious collisions, covered here on the site, including one major hit-and-run that remains unsolved. But the number-one reason Portland is the country’s best big city for biking is that this is, compared to any other large U.S. city and lots of the smaller ones, an extremely safe place to ride a bicycle.</div>
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This isn’t a new feat for Portland: the city also avoided any bike-related fatalities in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2008 and 2010.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;">In a perfect world this wouldn't be impressive, it would just be normal. But we aren't there yet, so kudos to Portland and all the urban planners, activists, and every day commuters who have worked hard day in and day out to make the streets safer for everyone.</span></div>
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Elected officials and urban planners everywhere need to study success stories like Portland, but also Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Groningen, Houten, etc, and import these best practices to their cities.</div>
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To celebrate a great 2013, check out some of the great things that Portland has been doing to improve the city:</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;">The full list of bike corral locations in Portland is available </span><a href="https://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/article/468202" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">here</a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;">.</span></div>
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Via <a href="http://bikeportland.org/2013/12/31/the-4-biggest-portland-bike-stories-nobody-wrote-in-2013-99291" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bike Portland</a>, <a href="http://grist.org/list/portland-made-it-through-2013-with-zero-bike-fatalities/" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Grist</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12647549535857711041noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581728941847065596.post-61189248981861449052013-12-09T16:48:00.002-05:002013-12-09T16:48:30.459-05:00Bike Share is Booming<div id="promo-image-area" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<img alt="Bike share boom chart" class="slide" height="217" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/12/bike-share-boom-01.jpg.662x0_q100_crop-scale.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(229, 229, 229); font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="400" /></div>
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Last week, the <a href="http://www.itdp.org/library/publications/details/the-bike-share-planning-guide?/bikeshare">bike share guide</a> was released by the IDTP and lots of buzz online and in the bike world ensued. In the report, a few charts about bike sharing are shown, the first one, above, shows the tipping point that was reached a few years ago, and the massive growth since then. At a scale that shows the recent increase in number of bikes in bike shares, the previous growth basically looks like a flat line. That's how different the past few years have been!<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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A catalyst has been the launch of Velo'v and Vélib in France, but new bike shares have popped up all over and the number of stations and bikes has steadily climbed, which has helped increase usage, as the chart below shows.</div>
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There definitely seems to be a correlation between how many bikes are available and the number of trips, which makes sense. It's all about convenience: Can you find a bike when you need one? Can you drop it off at a station close to where you're going? Do you see many other bikes from the bike share riding around the city (creating social proof)? All these help keep the boom going (for example, bike-sharing in the U.S. expected to reach 37,000 bikes in 2014 (4x more than in 2012!)).</div>
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If your city has a bike share and you haven't yet tried it, I encourage you to do so. Bring some newbies with you (friends & family) for a casual ride. It's trying it the first time that is hardest. Once people are familiar with how it works, they're much more likely to ride again.</div>
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<img height="212" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2012/09/deco-bike2347234.png.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(229, 229, 229); font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="320" /></div>
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Via <a href="http://www.streetfilms.org/riding-the-bike-share-boom/" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Streetfilms</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12647549535857711041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581728941847065596.post-5050403128540868832013-12-06T16:25:00.002-05:002013-12-06T16:25:59.733-05:00Backwards Downhill Ride<div id="promo-image-area" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<img alt="Norwegian cyclist backwards photo" class="slide" height="179" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/12/norwegian-cyclist-down-mountain-backwards.jpg.662x0_q100_crop-scale.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(229, 229, 229); font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="320" /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: normal; line-height: inherit;">Why would you ride backwards down a curvy mountain road!?! Sometimes words just can't describe why people do what they do, but I am sure it was </span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">invigorating</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: normal; line-height: inherit;">. D</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: normal; line-height: inherit;">on't try</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: normal; line-height: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> th</span></span></span><span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: normal; line-height: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">is at home, kids!</span></span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit;">If you want to see more crazy bike rides, check these out:</span></div>
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Via <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2013/12/04/crazy-cyclist-stunt-backwards-mountain-road-video/" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ABG</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12647549535857711041noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581728941847065596.post-29679792886762285312013-11-18T12:19:00.002-05:002013-11-18T12:19:55.025-05:00Montreal Ranked #11 Best Bike City in the World (Top Western Hemisphere City)<img alt="The Most Bike Friendly City in North America" class="wp-post-image" height="136" src="http://oopsmark.ca/wp-content/themes/massimo/sp-framework/timthumb/timthumb.php?src=http://oopsmark.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Allen_McInnis_crop1.jpg&h=295&w=690&zc=1&q=100&a=c&s=&f=&cc=ffffff&ct=" style="border: 0px solid rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; height: auto; line-height: 21.453125px; margin: 0px auto 20px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="320" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This year the <a href="http://copenhagenize.eu/index/" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Copenhagen Index</a> evaluated 150 cities for qualities including bicycle advocacy, gender split, and infrastructure. Beating many other top contenders, <strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Montreal was ranked the most bike friendly city in North America.</strong> It was also the only city in Canada and the USA that made it into the top 14, coming in at #11 internationally.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Montreal saw it’s first bike paths as early as 1980, and now boasts 589 km of paths. Cyclo-toursim plays a role in the local economy as outfits like <a href="http://www.fitzandfollwell.co/" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Fitz & Follwell</a> give tourists a chance to experience Montreal bike culture through guided biking tours.</span></div>
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<a href="http://oopsmark.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/BIXI_bike_Montreal.png" style="border: 0px; color: #e17d27; font-family: Helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.453125px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="BIXI_bike_Montreal" class="size-full wp-image-4840 alignright" height="241" src="http://oopsmark.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/BIXI_bike_Montreal.png" style="border: 0px solid rgb(68, 68, 68); display: block; float: right; height: auto; margin: 0px auto 20px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.453125px;">In 2008 </span></span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.453125px;">Montreal</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.453125px;"> pioneered a new public bike sharing system known as </span></span><a href="https://montreal.bixi.com/" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.453125px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Bixi</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.453125px;">. The model has worked so well that it’s now being adopted by cities all over the world including Boston, Melbourne, London, Toronto, New York and Washington, D.C.. The systems are all fabricated in </span></span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.453125px;">Montreal</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.453125px;"> and then sold worldwide, making it simple for other cities to become bike friendly as well.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Additionally, city residents don’t just use their bikes to get to work and back, biking is part of a broader culture. Events like <a href="http://frictionmontreal.com/" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Friction Montreal</a> showcase bike friendly artists creating instruments from bike parts, and the annual Tour de l’Île race features a 100km ride, opening many main roads to cyclists for the event. Artisans like <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/RosePedalsJewelry" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Rose Pedals</a> create earrings out of used bike parts, and community bicycle Co-ops throughout the city allow cyclists to share tools and resources to keep their bikes in tune. Montrealers like to have their fun as well; this year they participated in the World Naked Bike Ride for the 9th time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Perhaps next year the city will climb even higher in the ranks. For now it’s amazing to be featured so close to the top! Here’s how the rest of the world stacked up:</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12647549535857711041noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581728941847065596.post-55924602952404587772013-11-15T10:27:00.002-05:002013-11-15T10:27:24.281-05:00Bike Share Projected to Grow Even More in 2014<div id="promo-image-area" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">I have written a lot about</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"> </span>bike-sharing<span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">, and I work at a company now that designs and studies these systems every day. I especially love when it's</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"> </span>integrated into a larger multi-modal system<span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">(</span>trains, buses<span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">, etc). But if you had been there when bike-sharing was born (probably in many places in parallel at different times...), you might not have believed that it would ever work, at least not at the scale that can be found in some cities (Hangzhou in China has about 65,000 bicycles, and Wuhan about 90,000!). That's because, while bikes are relatively low-tech, managing the memberships and stations without getting all your bikes stolen is a pretty high-tech endeavor, and we're still figuring out the best way to do things (no two bike-shares are exactly alike).</span></div>
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It took many iterations before bike-sharing became truly viable:</div>
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Bicycle-sharing has come a long way since the 1960s, when 50 white “free bikes” were scattered around Amsterdam, only to be promptly stolen. A second generation of coin-operated bicycles still got nicked. A third generation solved that problem with electronic docking stations and credit-card payments. (<a href="http://www.economist.com/news/international/21587826-sharing-two-wheels-becoming-ever-more-popular-taking-stabilisers" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">source</a>)</div>
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And now a fourth-generation is emerging with technologies like mobile solar-powered docking stations, smart software handling the distribution of bikes, more mobiles apps, etc.</div>
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Growth in bike-sharing is strong, even in more difficult markets like the U.S.:</div>
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According to a study by the Earth Policy Institute (EPI) in Washington, Europe accounts for most of the programs, but Asia has the largest number of shared bicycles, with over 350,000 in China alone. Even in often bike-hostile America, which in 2012 had 21 schemes with 8,500 bicycles, the EPI expects the fleet to more than quadruple by 2014, to 37,000. In London, which has 8,000 shared bikes, another 2,000 will be added later this year. In Paris the Vélib scheme, which opened in 2007, has already racked up 173m journeys. (<a href="http://www.economist.com/news/international/21587826-sharing-two-wheels-becoming-ever-more-popular-taking-stabilisers" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">source</a>)</div>
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So if there's a bike-sharing program in your city but you haven't tried it yet, I encourage you to! Go for a ride with family and friends!</div>
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If you're curious about bike-sharing around the world, there's a pretty complete list <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bicycle_sharing_systems" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">here</a> with number of stations and bikes.</div>
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<img height="213" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/10/8972390374_84b50eabbb_b.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(229, 229, 229); font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="320" /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">Via</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"> </span><a href="http://www.economist.com/news/international/21587826-sharing-two-wheels-becoming-ever-more-popular-taking-stabilisers" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Economist</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12647549535857711041noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581728941847065596.post-45289895546316954302013-10-29T15:07:00.000-04:002013-10-29T15:07:23.012-04:00100 BikeCorrals and Still Going<div id="promo-image-area" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">The city of Portland, Oregon, has reached the impressive milestone of</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"> </span><a href="http://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/article/250076" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">100 bike corrals</a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">. That's 9 years after the first one was installed, and the city expects to reach 150 within 5 years and has 98 additional applications under review. As far as I know, that's a lot more than any other city in the US, though I hope that others will give Portland some competition.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">Why are bike corrals so great? Because in a dense urban environment, the are very space-efficient; where 1 or 2 cars could park, dozens of bikes might fit. The</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"> </span><a href="http://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Portland Bureau of Transportation</a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">(PBOT) said that their bike corral program "has helped Portland businesses increase on-street customer parking ten-fold." That's 163 car parking spaces swapped for</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"> </span><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">1,644 bicycle parking spaces</em><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">!</span><br />
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They also allow cyclists to park right in front of where they're going to eat or shop, making cycling more convenient. And in their own way, they're great marketing for bikes. People see these big clumps of bikes and get used to the idea that cycling is something normal.</div>
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Check out this great short-film by <a href="http://www.streetfilms.org/" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Streetfilms</a>:</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="275" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/77926816?byline=0&portrait=0&color=9086c0" style="border-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="490"></iframe></div>
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The full list of bike corral locations in Portland is available <a href="https://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/article/468202" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">here</a>, or on the interactive map below.</div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="400" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=204080670581112758504.000478d3f48f6fff35c6a&msa=0&ie=UTF8&t=m&source=embed&ll=45.527036,-122.649307&spn=0.096209,0.167885&z=12&output=embed" style="border-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="490"></iframe><br /></div>
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Via <a href="http://www.streetfilms.org/west-coast-swing-portlands-100th-bike-corral-seattles-first-cycle-track-and-railvolution-2013/" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Streetfilms</a>, <a href="http://bikeportland.org/2013/10/28/pbot-reaches-100th-bike-corral-milestone-96221" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">BikePortland</a>, <a href="https://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/article/468202" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">PBOT</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12647549535857711041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581728941847065596.post-16522488498838963812013-10-18T14:20:00.000-04:002013-10-18T14:20:04.014-04:00New Pedal-Assist E-Bike<div id="promo-image-area" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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FlyKly founder Nino Klansek seems to have internalized one of the great problems of city cycling and bike commuting - <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">sometimes</em> you just don't want to sweat. Along with a team, Klansek worked two years to develop an e-bike concept that would solve that problem, allowing cyclists to add pedal-assist electric power to their existing bikes easily via a wheel-based e-motor.</div>
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<img height="212" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/10/FlyKly2.png.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(229, 229, 229); font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="320" /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">According to the company, when installed, the FlyKly Smart Wheel will be able to zip cyclists along at up to 20 miles per hour, with users able to actually choose a riding speed via the smart phone app. Additional features with the FlyKly system include a battery that recharges from pedaling and downhill coasting, GPS, and a security system that allows riders to lock their bikes' e-wheel as well as get tamper warnings from their iPhone or Android phone.</span></div>
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The FlyKly Smart Wheel adds approximately nine pounds of weight to the average bike, and can fit on any bike that accommodates a 26" or 29" wheel. The e-bike's speed is controlled via pedaling effort as well as setting top speed via the application. Once the Smart Wheel is installed, the bike's existing gear system is converted to FlyKly's single-speed, fixed gear setting. The battery recharges in about three hours and is expected to be good for 1,000 charging cycles.</div>
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<img height="204" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/10/FlyKly3.png.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(229, 229, 229); font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="320" /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">Via the smart phone app, FlyKly will also store and track a rider’s biking stats, to allow the rider get feedback from the system on efficient routing and also to create and share routes.</span></div>
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The FlyKly's range will average 30 miles, and t<span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">hus far the FlyKly</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"> </span><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/flykly/flykly-smart-wheel" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Kickstarter</a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">has been a resounding success. A $550 pledge gets a rider one Smart Wheel and the dynamo-driven Smart Light. The company plans to make the hub motor in eight colors.</span></div>
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This could be the type of easy-install e-motor that brings e-biking to masses of new city cyclists.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12647549535857711041noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581728941847065596.post-52497505329219505582013-10-16T09:04:00.001-04:002013-10-16T09:04:20.218-04:00Bike Rush Hour in NYC<div id="promo-image-area" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<img alt="Bike Rush Hour NYC" class="slide" height="179" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/10/nyc-bike-rush-hour.jpg.662x0_q100_crop-scale.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(229, 229, 229); font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="320" /></div>
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Bike rush hour in NYC is still far from what it is in Amsterdam, Copenhagen, or Groningen, where torrents of cyclists seemingly take over the whole city. But the number of bike commuters certainly has been growing nicely in recent years.<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="276" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/76678888?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=9086c0" style="border-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="490"></iframe></div>
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This is what commuting should look like, at least in cities (I understand it's not practical everywhere, and that around half of the world population lives outside of big cities).</div>
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Via <a href="http://www.streetfilms.org/nyc-rush-hour-bike-commute/" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Streetfilms</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12647549535857711041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581728941847065596.post-80400844474716635492013-10-09T16:13:00.003-04:002013-10-09T16:13:59.822-04:00Awesome Bike Friendly City to Learn From<div id="promo-image-area" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: both; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<img alt="Groningen bikes" class="slide" height="179" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/10/groningen-04.jpg.662x0_q100_crop-scale.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(229, 229, 229); font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="320" /></div>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">Every time I look at the bike culture and infrastructure in</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"> </span>Copenhagen<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">or </span>Amsterdam<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">, I feel inspired and hope that people around the world will learn from these great examples. There are many other great bike cities, but those two are generally at the top of most people's list, including mine. Well, thanks to this video (below) </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">I've just added Groningen to the top of my list.</span></span><br />
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They do amazing things that must be seen to be believed. Sit back and enjoy a look into what most dense cities should look like:</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="276" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/76207227?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=9086c0" style="border-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="490"></iframe></div>
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Clarence's remark about how quiet the city is reminds us that we don't have to live with noisy cities. As long as there are lots of people, some noise is impossible to avoid, but it could all be made much more pleasant if bicycles were central to how people get around in cities.</div>
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<img height="180" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/10/groningen-02.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(229, 229, 229); font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="320" /><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">What must be highlighted here, as with Amsterdam and Copenhagen and all other great bike cities, is that this didn't all happen by accident. There was a time when these weren't such great bike cities, and people decided to transform them. That's what we've</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"> </span>started to see in some US cities like New York<span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">, Washington DC, and Portland which is encouraging. But we could do so much more.</span></div>
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<img height="180" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/10/groningen-03.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(229, 229, 229); font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="320" /></div>
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<img height="180" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/10/groningen-01.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(229, 229, 229); font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="320" /></div>
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Via <a href="http://www.streetfilms.org/groningen-the-worlds-cycling-city/" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Streetfilms</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12647549535857711041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581728941847065596.post-56479505829125650852013-08-29T11:56:00.001-04:002013-08-29T11:56:37.901-04:00US Bike Sharing On the Rise<div id="promo-image-area">
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<img alt="Capital Bikeshare" class="slide" height="212" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/08/CapitalBikeshare_from_alexandriava.gov.jpg.662x0_q100_crop-scale.jpg" width="320" />
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<em class="credit"></em>The opening of the San Francisco Bay Area bike
share on August 29, 2013, brings the combined fleet of shared bikes in
the United States above 18,000, more than a doubling since the start of
the year. The United States is now home to 34 <a href="http://www.earth-policy.org/plan_b_updates/2013/update113">modern bike-sharing programs</a>
that allow riders to easily make short trips on two wheels without
having to own a bicycle. With a number of new programs in the works and
planned expansions of existing programs, the U.S. fleet is set to double
again by the end of 2014, at which point nearly 37,000 publicly shared
bicycles will roll the streets.</div>
<img height="270" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/08/highlights40_fleet.PNG" width="320" />The
largest bike share in the United States is in New York City, where some
6,000 bicycles are available at 332 stations in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
The program opened at the end of May 2013, and in less than 3 months
hit 2 million trips. On busy days, each bike gets checked out seven
times or more, a remarkably high borrowing rate. The city ultimately
hopes to expand the program to other boroughs and grow to 10,000 bikes.The
other large bike-sharing debut in 2013 was in Chicago, where 1,500
Divvy bikes now grace the streets. The program hopes to double to 3,000
cycles by the end of the year, ultimately growing to 4,000
strong—reinforcing the city’s efforts to dramatically boost biking. In
addition to making shared bikes readily accessible transit, Chicago
plans to extend the path and trail network to within a half-mile of all
residences.<br />
<img height="260" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/08/highlights40_largest.PNG" width="320" />Before
New York and Chicago came on the bike-sharing scene, Washington, DC,
held America’s top spot. Its program has grown to over 2,000 bikes,
spreading into neighboring communities. Transport planners from cities
around the country have made the pilgrimage to Washington to ride one of
the cherry-red Capital Bikeshare bikes and see firsthand how the
popular program works. Since 2007, biking in the nation’s capital
doubled to 3.5 percent of all commuter trips, and bike sharing has made
it more convenient to travel the expanding web of marked cycle lanes. Other
large bike shares include Nice Ride in Minneapolis and St. Paul (1,550
bikes), Hubway in the Boston area (1,100 bikes), and DecoBike Miami
Beach (1,000 bikes). Aspen, Columbus, Fort Worth, and Salt Lake City are
among the more than a dozen programs that opened in 2013, joining a
list of cities that have enjoyed bike sharing for longer, including
Denver, San Antonio, Chattanooga, Madison, and Fort Lauderdale.<br />
<img height="271" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/08/highlights40_programs.PNG" width="320" />On the <a href="http://www.earth-policy.org/plan_b_updates/2013/update112">international scene</a>,
the United States is just catching Europe and Asia’s bike-sharing
tailwind. Worldwide, more than half a million cycles can be picked up in
well over 500 cities in 51 countries. Italy and Spain have the greatest
number of programs, while China is home to two thirds of the global
shared bike fleet.<br />
<br />
New York is the only American city to make it
onto the list of the world’s 20 largest bike-sharing programs. In fact,
five cities have more shared bikes than the entire U.S. fleet. Four of
them are in China, where Wuhan reportedly has some 90,000 shared bikes
for its 9 million people. Hangzhou has 69,750 bikes that are well
integrated with that city’s mass transit.<br />
<br />
The world’s third
largest bike share is Vélib’ in Paris, the first large-scale program to
gain worldwide attention. Since its 2007 launch, riders have taken 173
million trips. According to the program, one of the nearly 24,000 Vélib’
bikes gets checked out every second of the day. Vélib’ claims to have
the highest bike density among the world’s top programs, with one bike
available for every 97 city residents.<br />
<img height="267" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/08/highlights40_worldlargest.PNG.492x0_q85_crop-smart.png" width="320" />Within
the next year, the U.S. bike-sharing fleet will have caught up with
Paris. New entries in Florida could push the country past that mark,
with launches expected in Miami (500 bikes, an expansion from Miami
Beach), St. Petersburg (300 bikes), and Tampa (300 bikes). Phoenix is
also hoping to launch a 500-bike program that will double in size as
neighboring cities join in. Rollouts hoped for in 2014 include large
offerings in Los Angeles (some 4,000 bikes) and San Diego (1,800 bikes),
as well as 500+ bike programs in Portland (Oregon), Pittsburgh,
Philadelphia, and Seattle, along with a number of smaller markets.<br />
<br />
The
new San Francisco Bay Area scheme is starting out relatively diffuse,
with 700 bicycles split between San Francisco and other cities along the
50-mile rail line south to San Jose. Planners note that it ultimately
could grow to a network of 10,000 bikes, better allowing rail riders to
travel the first and last mile or so of their commute on two wheels. As
communities continue to improve their biking infrastructure and as
enthusiasm for an efficient, environmentally friendly, healthy, and
enjoyable form of transportation grows, bike sharing has a bright future
in the United States.<br />
<img height="269" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/08/highlights40_planned.PNG" width="320" /><em class="credit"><a href="http://www.earthpolicy.org/"><br /></a></em>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12647549535857711041noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581728941847065596.post-80515387523070560822013-08-21T21:02:00.002-04:002013-08-21T22:52:27.838-04:00San Francisco Launching Bike Share<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/08/bayareabikeshare-bike.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="174" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/08/bayareabikeshare-bike.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(229, 229, 229); font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://bayareabikeshare.com/" style="border: 0px none; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bay Area Bike Share</a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">is about to launch in San Francisco, with plans for 700 bikes and 70 stations around San Francisco, Redwood City, Mountain View, Palo Alto, and San Jose. You can get your "founding" membership in advance of the launch by visiting</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;"> </span><a href="http://bayareabikeshare.com/founding" style="border: 0px none; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">this web page</a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">; there are two options, one at $88 for the year and one with a few more perks at $103. If you just want to try it out, you'll be able to get 24-hour or 3-day passes too once the service has launched.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/08/bayareabikeshare.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/08/bayareabikeshare.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(229, 229, 229); font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="320" /></a>More info on how things work can be found <a href="http://bayareabikeshare.com/how-it-works" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">here</a> (it's really simple).</div>
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The partnership model for Bay Area Bike Share is quite interesting:</div>
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The Bay Area Bike Share is a pilot project in a partnership among local government agencies including the Air District, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, Sam-Trans, Caltrain, the County of San Mateo, the City of Redwood City and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. The initial pilot phase is estimated to cost approximately $7 million with $1.4 million in funding provided by the Air District, $1.3 million from the local agency partners and $4.29 million from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.</div>
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In the Bay Area, the transportation sector accounts for more than 50 percent of air pollution overall. Significant emission reductions from the transportation sector will help the Bay Area attain and maintain state and national air quality standards and reduce greenhouse gases.</div>
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<a href="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/08/bay-area-bike-share-first-station.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/08/bay-area-bike-share-first-station.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(229, 229, 229); font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="200" /></a>It's great to see one more bike sharing project launching. All cities of any size could benefit from bike-sharing.<br />
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Via <a href="http://bayareabikeshare.com/" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bay Area Bike Share</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12647549535857711041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581728941847065596.post-746709563201476242013-07-29T12:29:00.000-04:002013-07-29T12:29:03.740-04:00First Month of Citi Bike In a Cool Interactive Map<div id="promo-image-area">
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<img alt="New York City bike share map" class="slide" height="282" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/07/new-york-city-citi-bike-share-map.jpg.662x0_q100_crop-scale.jpg" width="400" />The <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/">New Yorker</a> and IBM used data from New York City's new bike share, <a href="http://citibikenyc.com/">Citi Bike</a>,
to create an interactive map that shows how much use the system is
getting. They can't track bikes around directly with GPS, but they know when a bike is docked at a certain station,
when it's out, and where it ends up being docked again, so that gives a
pretty good idea of the ebb and flow of bikes around the city.</div>
</div>
<br />You can see the interactive map <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/sandbox/business/citi-bike.html">here</a>.<br />
<img height="180" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/05/citi_bike1.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg" width="320" /><br />If
you run the recorded timeline from beginning to end, you'll notice some
pretty big changes in the usage patterns over time, which is normal for
a new service; people have to sign up first and figure out how to
integrate the bikes into their transportation routine. It will be interesting to revisit this map in a year to see how much it has changed.<br />
<br />
Via <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2013/07/month-of-citi-bike.html">New Yorker</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12647549535857711041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581728941847065596.post-36635814344952460522013-07-26T22:33:00.000-04:002013-07-26T22:33:01.092-04:00Experiments in Speed with Bicycles<div id="promo-image-area">
<div class="promo-image">
<img alt="Fast bike!" class="slide" height="182" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/07/one-fast-bike.jpg.662x0_q100_crop-scale.jpg" width="320" /><span class="credit">This video is pretty crazy. </span><em>Experiments in Speed</em> documents how a
bike maker makes the fastest bike that he could. The goal
is not to beat a world record, but simply to push personal limits. It's a
very cool project, and I won't give spoilers on how fast he went. See
for yourself:</div>
</div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/70921986?color=1db4c2" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe><br />
You can see other bikes built by the same people at <a href="http://www.donhoubicycles.com/">Donhou Bicycles</a>.<br />
<img height="166" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/07/chainring-234234.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg" width="320" /><br />
<br />
Via <a href="http://vimeo.com/70921986">Vimeo</a>, <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/bicycling/comments/1iz5x7/man_sets_out_to_see_how_fast_he_can_go_on_home/">Reddit</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12647549535857711041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581728941847065596.post-11751434554015436832013-07-23T11:11:00.000-04:002013-07-23T11:11:04.361-04:00Amsterdam Reacts to NY Times Article<div id="promo-image-area">
<div class="promo-image">
<img alt="Amsterdam bikes" class="slide" height="187" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/07/amsterdam-too-many-bikes.jpg.662x0_q100_crop-scale.jpg" width="320" />A few weeks ago, the New York Times published <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/21/world/europe/a-sea-of-bikes-swamps-amsterdam-a-city-fond-of-pedaling.html">a piece</a>
about bikes in Amsterdam, basically framing things in such a way that
the message was more or less "there's too many bikes in Amsterdam, let's
not make the same mistake in New York". I <a href="http://livininthebikelane.blogspot.com/2013/06/too-many-bikes.html">covered it</a>,
concluding that "The real problem seems to be that infrastructure
hasn't kept up with the growth in cycling. [...] The solution is now
fewer bikes, but even more bike garages (build them underground if need
be), bike racks, bike lanes, etc!"</div>
</div>
<br />
But the best way to debunk the
New York Times' claims is to go to Amsterdam and ask the people who live
there what they think. <a href="http://www.streetfilms.org/author/clarence/">Clarence</a> at StreetFilms did just that for the second video in his Amsterdam series (the first can be found here: <a href="http://www.treehugger.com/bikes/things-you-might-see-amsterdam-bike-capital-world-video.html">Things you might see in Amsterdam, the bike capital of the world...</a>):<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/70470936?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=9086c0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe><br />
It's sad to see so much anti-bike propaganda in the media. Whatever
problems there are with bikes, they are smaller than the problems we
have with cars, and they are easier to fix. On the other side of the
ledger, there are huge benefits (environmentally better, healthier, less
expensive, etc). So why pick on bikes?<br />
<br />
Via <a href="http://www.streetfilms.org/are-there-really-too-many-bikes-amsterdam/">Streetfilms</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12647549535857711041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581728941847065596.post-15303168548342431622013-07-22T19:03:00.002-04:002013-07-22T19:04:39.829-04:00E-Bikes Are On the Rise<div id="promo-image-area">
<div class="promo-image">
<img alt="Electric bike" class="slide" height="240" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/07/electric-bicycle.jpg.662x0_q100_crop-scale.jpg" width="320" />
</div>
<i class="credit"></i><a href="http://livininthebikelane.blogspot.com/2010/08/e-bikes-on-way.html">Electric bikes</a>
are an extremely environmentally-friendly way to get around, so I'm
all for more of them! Regular bikes are even cleaner, but the advantages
of e-bikes shouldn't be underestimated; a lot of e-bike
riders might not bike nearly as much if they didn't have an electric
motor to assist them, because they have a long commute, or they live in a
hilly area, or because of some medical condition, or even sheer
laziness. The reasons don't matter as much as getting more people
biking!</div>
<img height="240" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/07/electric-bicycle2.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg" width="320" />It's good to see that the electric bike industry is growing. It's not
going gangbusters or anything, but it is forecast to grow from $8.4
billion in 2013 to $10.8 billion in 2020. China is the main player in
that market, with 9 of every 10 e-bicycles being sold going there.<br />
<blockquote>
Western Europe’s market
is growing increasingly crowded with competitors and now accounts for
more than 20% of global e-bicycle revenue annually. Meanwhile, North
American players are finding new, younger e-bicycle consumers among
those who ride for transportation rather than entertainment. Even the massive 28 million unit Chinese market
is in a state of change as the government considers changes to the
rules governing the market and consumers begin to recognize the value of
lithium ion over lead-acid batteries. Navigant Research forecasts that annual sales of e-bicycles will grow from 31 million in 2013 to nearly 38 million in 2020. (<a href="http://www.navigantresearch.com/research/electric-bicycles">source</a>)</blockquote>
Via <a href="http://www.navigantresearch.com/newsroom/electric-bicycles-will-reach-nearly-11-billion-in-annual-revenue-by-2020">Navigant</a> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12647549535857711041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581728941847065596.post-35101394085884401102013-07-03T12:18:00.002-04:002013-07-03T12:18:59.041-04:00Rubberized Asphalt In Bikeways<div id="promo-image-area">
<div class="promo-image">
<img alt="soft-sidewalks-to-reduce-bicycle-crashes" class="slide" height="240" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/07/Soft_Sidewalks.jpg.662x0_q100_crop-scale.jpg" width="320" />
</div>
<em class="credit"></em>I saw this and I couldn't resist researching it a bit deeper. I also immediately wondered why no one ever thought of this before now. Leave it to the Swedes (who have taken a pledge
to reduce traffic deaths to zero, and actually work toward that goal) to
create a better material with which to make bike paths safer. At the <a href="http://www.kth.se/">Swedish Royal Institute of Technology</a>
(KTH), researchers are working on a new form of asphalt that has enough
friction to reduce bicyclists' slide-outs, while at the same time it
cushions vibrations if a cyclist does fall.</div>
<div id="promo-image-area">
<br /></div>
Regular asphalt uses
crushed stones and bitumen, a petroleum byproduct, as a binding agent.
KTH's researchers are working to blend in just the right amount of
recycled tire rubber from old car tires to soften up the mix.<br />
<img height="173" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/07/Soft_sidewalks_for_cyclists.png.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg" width="320" /><br />The first step is lab testing, then real-world road tests on areas where there have been frequent bike accidents. The <a href="http://www.trafikverket.se/">Swedish Traffic Administration</a>
is paying special attention to cyclists as one of the transport groups
suffering more injuries than car, truck, or public transport riders.
About 1,500 cyclists are hospitalized in Sweden with serious injuries
each year - a number almost 10% higher than the number of car passengers
injured. Another hope is to
find a formula for asfalt that also reduces wear and tear on bicycle
tires.<br />
<br />
<div class=" PIN_1372867982955_hazClick">
Via: <a href="http://www.dn.se/nyheter/sverige/cyklister-far-mjuk-asfalt/">Dagens Nyheter</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12647549535857711041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581728941847065596.post-85230123115471599002013-06-25T15:48:00.000-04:002013-06-25T15:48:49.704-04:00Too Many Bikes?!!!<div id="promo-image-area">
<div class="promo-image">
<img alt="Amsterdam bikes" class="slide" height="212" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/06/amsterdam-bikes-00001.jpg.662x0_q100_crop-scale.jpg" width="320" />
</div>
<em class="credit"></em></div>
I saw this article about the massive number of bicycles that are in Amsterdam linked on Facebook and via the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/21/world/europe/a-sea-of-bikes-swamps-amsterdam-a-city-fond-of-pedaling.html">New York Times</a>, and it first made me think "Wow that is awesome!", but then after digging a little deeper, I can only imagine how inconvenient the number of bikes are for all the cyclists. Of course Amsterdam is widely considered one of the top - if not the #1 - cyclist
city in the world. There are about 880,000 bicycles in a city of 800,000
people (though it's frequent for people to have more than one bike,
f.ex. a cargo bike to carry heavy things and a commuting bike for
everyday rides), and 32% of all trips are make on bikes while only 22%
are done in cars. But now the city is running into the high quality
problem of having bike traffic james and a scarcity of bike parking
spots... So the question posed - Is there such a thing as too many bikes?<img height="240" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/06/amsterdam-bikes-00002.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg" width="320" /><br />I don't think so. You can never have too many bikes...Right?<br />
The real problem seems to be that infrastructure hasn't kept up with the growth in cycling. Biking wasn't always <em>this</em>
popular in Amsterdam. Just since the early 1990s, the cycling's
popularity has grown by 40%. It's no surprise that it puts a huge strain
on infrastructure, even if a lot of it has been built since then. The
solution is now fewer bikes, but even more bike garages (build them
underground if need be), bike racks, bike lanes, etc!<br />
<img height="178" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/06/amsterdam-bikes-00003.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg" width="320" /><br />The city seems to understand that quite well:<br />
<blockquote>
Mr.
Smit’s problem is largely what keeps Thomas Koorn, of Amsterdam’s
Transport and Traffic Department, awake at night. “We have a real
parking issue,” he said in a conference room overlooking the IJ. Over
the next two decades, Mr. Koorn said, the city will invest $135 million
to improve the biking infrastructure, including the creation of 38,000
bike parking racks “in the hot spots.” (<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/21/world/europe/a-sea-of-bikes-swamps-amsterdam-a-city-fond-of-pedaling.html">source</a>)</blockquote>
Can
you imagine what a proportionally scaled up investment into biking
infrastructure would do to a city like New York? NYC is over 10x bigger
than Amsterdam, so that would be an extra $1.35 billion invested into
cycling!<br />
<img height="157" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/06/amsterdam-bikes-00004.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg" width="320" /><br />Via <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/21/world/europe/a-sea-of-bikes-swamps-amsterdam-a-city-fond-of-pedaling.html">NYT</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12647549535857711041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581728941847065596.post-29233301393150040362013-06-20T10:08:00.000-04:002013-06-20T10:08:46.165-04:00Citi Bike Takes the Pain In the Ass Test<div id="promo-image-area">
<div class="promo-image">
<img alt="turns-out-citibike-bike-sharing-may-be-the-fastest-inner-city-transport" class="slide" height="212" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/06/Citibikes_up_close.png.662x0_q100_crop-scale.jpg" width="320" />
</div>
I knew that NYC's bike share would come with people complaining and being against it just because it was new. I knew it would eventually become a normal part of NYC life since bike share, after all, is just bicycles...that people share. I consider bike sharing to be city cycling's 'gateway drug', i.e.
a super effective method that eases the biking uninitiated into the
pleasures and practical value of biking in cities.</div>
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/po85lER-qRo" width="560"></iframe>
Casey
Neistat, a creative film maker, decided to see just
how good (or bad) Citi BIke are when compared to two of his other daily
transport choices - taking taxis, or riding his own bike.<br />
<br />
In
Neistat's film, taxis come out as the fastest choice (by that we mean a
couple of minutes faster) but in terms of their 'pain in the ass'
factor, they were the worst. At first, his own bike seemed better
than a bike-share bike to Neistat because of the very high level of
frustration and time-wasting he experienced going through the steps of
checking out a bike at a Citi Bike kiosk.<br />
<br />
Once Neistat realized
that Citi Bike members can get a key to bypass the on-screen
registration process, he pronounced bike share the least 'pain in the
ass' method of transport for his own daily commute.<br />
<br />
Of course
Neistat's assessment is subjective, and his Manhattan commute is
relatively short. But the video goes some way in dispelling some of the
notions people might have about bike share. While there is still
quite a lot of media coverage of Citi Bike's effects on the city's
residents (and the inevitable report of an <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/citi-bike-has-its-first-accident-2013-5">accident involving one of the bikes</a>), something must be working. Look at the stats on early usage:<br />
<br />
Average trips per day: 14,200<br />
Total revenue thus far: $3,334,000.00<br />
Duration of average ride: 23 minutes, 36 seconds<br />
Most popular bike stations: Broadway and W. 57th St.; West St. and Chambers St.; 17th St. and Broadway<br />
Citigroup’s sponsorship deal for six years, $41 million<br />
<br />
Via: <a href="http://bikecrushdc.tumblr.com/">BIKECRUSH</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12647549535857711041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581728941847065596.post-86825378475399342362013-06-12T11:21:00.000-04:002013-06-12T11:23:38.429-04:00Indianapolis Cultural Trail Finally Getting Noticed<div id="promo-image-area">
<div class="promo-image">
<img alt="indianapolis Cultural Trail" class="slide" height="179" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/06/indianapolis-cultural-trail-01.jpg.662x0_q100_crop-scale.jpg" width="320" />
</div>
<i class="credit"></i>I have been luck enough to know and be related to several people from Indianapolis since before 2007, when the beginning of the Indianapolis Cultural Trail was being conceptualized. The main goal was to create a vast network of beautiful protected bike/pedestrian paths
around the city center to connects the city's five downtown Cultural
Districts, neighborhoods and entertainment amenities, and "serves as the
downtown hub for the entire central Indiana greenway system". Fast
forward to today, and Indianapolis' <a href="http://www.indyculturaltrail.org/">Cultural Trail</a> has become a reality, yet it has been flying under the radar compared to some other bike initiatives like, for example, <a href="http://livininthebikelane.blogspot.com/2013/05/streetfilms-video-from-nyc-citi-bike.html">New York's Citi Bike</a>.
That's too bad, because the Indianapolis Cultural Trail deserves the
spotlight, and should serve as a model for other cities. It is the biggest bicycling infrastructure achievement in North America and yet it's still practically a secret.</div>
<br />
See for yourself how cool it is:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/68037407?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=9086c0&js_api=1&js_swf_id=vimeo_player" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe><br />
<img height="400" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/06/indianapolis-cultural-trail-04.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg" width="352" /><br />
Above is a map of the Cultural Trail (you can see a large version <a href="http://www.indyculturaltrail.org/assets/documents/1002_VisitorsMapBrochure_V14_Jan2012.pdf">here</a>).
What's amazing about it is that it was built with philanthropic
dollars. This could be a model for other cities where tax dollars are
scarce.<br />
Via <a href="http://www.indyculturaltrail.org/index.html">Indy Cultural Trail</a>, <a href="http://www.streetfilms.org/the-indianapolis-cultural-trail/">Streetfilms</a><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12647549535857711041noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581728941847065596.post-57481368952948805122013-06-11T09:23:00.002-04:002013-06-11T09:23:25.965-04:00Riding a Bike to School Will Make You Smarter<div id="promo-image-area">
<div class="promo-image">
<img alt="what's-better-than-breakfast-for-students-riding-a-bike" class="slide" height="213" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/06/KidsonBikes3.jpg.662x0_q100_crop-scale.jpg" width="320" />
</div>
<em class="credit"></em>Teen girls who walked or biked to school in a
Spanish study performed better at school in verbal and math skills that
their peers who rode the bus or got to school in a car, according to a
2011 research study funded by the Spanish National Research Council. More recently, <a href="http://www.dr.dk/sundhed/ditliv/Boern/Artikler/2012/1122140851.htm">the results of a large Danish study from 2012 </a>show that driving kids to school in a car is doing them a disservice. <a href="http://www.ecoprofile.se/thread-2710-Ga-eller-cykla-till-skolan-och-fa-battre-betyg.html">This large study</a>
by researchers from the University of Copenhagen and Aarhus University
followed 20,000 school kids aged 5-19 in some of their daily activities.
The researchers were interested to see whether a good breakfast made a
difference in concentration levels - an idea that is fairly well
accepted in the U.S.</div>
<img height="213" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/06/KidsonBikes.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg" width="320" /><br />The
group of kids walking or biking to school concentrated better than
those driven to school or taking public transport, and the effect lasted
throughout the morning hours. On average, active students scored 8.2 -
8.4 on a concentration test (of a possible 10) while non-active students
scored an average of 7.6 - 7.8. This was more than the concentration
difference shown between students who did eat breakfast (8 - 8.15) and
those who didn't (8.1 - 8.25).<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, in the Nordic
nations and in the U.S., the trend for how children get to school is
going in the opposite direction - more children are getting driven to
school than ever before. Parents perceive walking and biking to be
dangerous, while actually things have gotten safer for cyclists in many,
many places, and overall fatalities are trending downward.<br />
<img height="197" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/06/KidsonBikes2.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg" width="320" /><br />Of
course, correlation is not causality, so it can't be said with
certainty that riding a bike to school will make you smarter, anymore
than it can be said that driving in cars will make you fat. With
biking, there are so many other benefits, real and perceived, that it
certainly seems worth a try to get parents off the
driving-the-kids-to-school frenzy.<br />
<br />
Via: <a href="http://www.ecoprofile.se/thread-2710-Ga-eller-cykla-till-skolan-och-fa-battre-betyg.html">Ecoprofil</a> (Swedish)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12647549535857711041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581728941847065596.post-79799255280940959342013-06-06T15:33:00.000-04:002013-06-06T15:33:11.854-04:00The Bike Maker<div id="promo-image-area">
<div class="promo-image">
<img alt="Bike Maker" class="slide" height="179" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/06/bike-maker-documentary-01.jpg.662x0_q100_crop-scale.jpg" width="320" />
</div>
<i class="credit"></i>The short documentary below tells the story of Harlem bike maker Ezra Caldwell of <a href="http://fastboycycles.com/">Fast Boy Cycles</a>.
It's beautifully shot and Ezra's story is quite touching (he was
diagnosed with cancer in 2008). I'll let you see for yourself, but be
warned that it might not be entirely safe for work because of a bit of
swearing and some 'medical' nudity when he discusses his illness. But
what truly matters is that like the best documentaries, it doesn't just
tell us about the obvious subject matter, but also about human nature in
general and the universal pursuit of happiness.<br />
<br /></div>
<div id="promo-image-area">
</div>
<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/66106900?portrait=0&badge=0&color=ffffff" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe>
The video below gives you an idea of some of what Ezra does when he makes a custom one-of-a-kind bike:<br />
<br />
<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/53612339?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ff0000" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe>
You can find more on the <a href="http://fastboycycles.com/process-blog">Fast Boy Cycles blog</a>. Ezra also posts a lot of bike stuff on his <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fastboy/with/8730655267/">Flickr page</a>.<br />
Via <a href="http://vimeo.com/66106900#">Vimeo</a>, <a href="http://fastboycycles.com/">Fast Boy Cycles</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12647549535857711041noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581728941847065596.post-37353637786852758132013-06-03T20:06:00.001-04:002013-06-03T20:06:44.044-04:00New Vending Machines for Cyclists<div id="promo-image-area">
<div class="promo-image">
<img alt="Express Biker bike parts vending machine" class="slide" height="209" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/06/express-biker-vending-machine-bike-parts.jpg.662x0_q100_crop-scale.jpg" width="320" />
</div>
A company called <a href="http://www.expressbiker.com/">Express Biker</a>
has created a self-serve vending machine that sells bike parts. The goal is to help cyclists who might be riding late at
night or far from bike shops, where
getting a flat tire (for example) would be very inconvenient. The
vending machines will sell things like tubes, lights, co2, patch kits,
various tools and parts.</div>
<div id="promo-image-area">
<br /></div>
There are already two machines in
function in Brooklyn: One on the border of South Williamsburg and
Bedford-Stuyvesant at the Emporium Gas Station on Flushing Avenue, and
one at the Mobil Gas Station at 415 Empire Blvd. a few blocks away from
Prospect Park. They want to partner with outdoor locations near major
bike routes throughout NYC that are open for 24 hours, such as gas
stations, parks, etc.<br />
<br />
It reminds me a bit of this free-to-use bike repair station, though this one only has tools and an air pump (these should be everywhere, in my opinion):<br />
<img height="320" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2011/10/bike-repair-station-university-virginia-photo.jpg" width="240" /><br />
<div id="promo-image-area">
<div class="promo-image">
</div>
<em class="credit"></em> Boston is also getting vending machines, but for bike helmets. As
programs for renting bikes expand across the nation, so too do programs
and infrastructure that support cyclists -- and <a href="http://www.helmet-hub.com/">Helmethub</a>'s aim is to keep cyclists safe, and without an excuse for riding helmet-less.</div>
<br />
<a href="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/06/helmethubrolloutinboston-2.jpeg.662x0_q100_crop-scale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="helmethub image" border="0" class="slide" height="214" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/06/helmethubrolloutinboston-2.jpeg.662x0_q100_crop-scale.jpg" width="320" /></a>Helmethub is launching a solar-powered vending machine in Boston in July. The
vending machines, each holding 36 helmets, will be located next to
Hubway locations, the city's bike-sharing program. Cyclists will be able
to rent helmets for about $2.00 at the same time they pick up their
rented bike. The machines can even dispense three different sizes of
helmet to make sure it fits the user correctly.<br />
<br />
When helmets are
dropped off by users after use, they're picked up by the team and sent
to Helmethub headquarters to be inspected and cleaned before being
placed back in the vending machines. The machines provide real-time info
to the team so they know when each machine needs to be restocked, or
used helmets need to be picked up.<br />
<br />
<br />
I love seeing this
initiative to keep cyclists safe, especially those who are renting bikes
and so are less likely to own their own helmet. We'll see how
Helmethub's new program works throughout the summer and if it is
successful, perhaps other cities will adopt the system to go with their
bike-share systems as well.<br />
<a href="http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20130603/williamsburg/vending-machines-with-24-hour-bike-parts-tools-pop-up-brooklyn"></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12647549535857711041noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581728941847065596.post-25881708956588826012013-05-29T17:00:00.001-04:002013-05-29T17:00:17.163-04:00Chicago's Bike Share Program is Ready for Launch<div id="promo-image-area">
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<img alt="Chicago Divvy bike sharing" class="slide" height="218" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/05/chicago-divvy-bike-share-01.jpg.662x0_q100_crop-scale.jpg" width="320" />
</div>
I was in Chicago last week for work and I was in research mode to see their new bikeways, bike station, and see what is happening with their bike-share program. I was happy to see that New York City isn't the only city <a href="http://www.treehugger.com/bikes/video-citibikes-debut-new-york-city.html">getting a new bike-sharing program</a>. Chicago is also getting close to launching its <a href="http://divvybikes.com/">Divvy bike-share</a>, with <a href="http://divvybikes.com/founding">memberships already on sale</a> and the official public opening currently planned for mid to late June.</div>
<div id="promo-image-area">
<br /></div>
At
first, Divvy will have about 75 stations and about 750 bikes, but it'll
keep expanding until it reaches 4,000 bikes and 400 solar-powered
locations by the spring of 2014. The city's department of transportation
previewed the system last weekend during a <a href="http://www.bikethedrive.org/">Bike the Drive</a> event along Lake Michigan.<br />
<img height="164" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/05/chicago-divvy-bike-share-02.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg" width="320" /><br />Membership is very affordable when compared to pretty much any other way to get around except walking:<br />
<blockquote>
Annual
memberships cost $75, and members will be issued a personal key to
unlock bikes from any Divvy station, officials said. Daily passes, valid
for 24-hour periods, are priced at $7. Both allow for unlimited trips
up to 30 minutes each. An additional fee will be charged for using a
bike for more than a half-hour.</blockquote>
Here's a description of the bikes:<br />
<blockquote>
The
heavy-duty bikes feature a step-through, one-size-fits-all design;
upright handlebars with the gear-changer on the grip and wide,
adjustable seats for comfort; hand brakes; a chain guard to protect
clothing; and a basket with an elastic cord for storing items. The bikes
also will be outfitted with headlights and taillights that illuminate
automatically as the bike is pedaled, officials said.</blockquote>
Bike
sharing is one of these things that makes so much sense. Almost all
cities could benefit from it, from reducing road congestions, to having
better air, to healthier citizens, to all of the psychological benefits
of biking.<br />
<br />
Via <a href="http://divvybikes.com/">Divvy Bike Sharing</a>, <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/automotive/ct-met-getting-around-0527-20130527,0,5224350.column?track=rss">Chicago Tribune</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12647549535857711041noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581728941847065596.post-38890958049434944482013-05-28T12:32:00.001-04:002013-05-28T12:32:12.231-04:00Streetfilms Video from NYC Citi Bike<div id="promo-image-area">
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<img alt="Citibike NYC Launch" class="slide" height="191" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/05/citibike-nyc-launch-01.jpg.662x0_q100_crop-scale.jpg" width="320" />
</div>
<i class="credit"></i> <a href="http://www.streetfilms.org/">Streetfilms</a>,
shot some footage at the Citibike bike-sharing debut in NYC. In their words, it was a "media frenzy", with more journalists present than at
any other past bike event in the city. Mayor Bloomberg and NYC DOT
commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan gave speeches, but the real star was the
bike-sharing system. New York finally joins the rank of cities like
Hangzhou, Paris, Montreal, DC, etc.</div>
<br />
Check out this great video:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/67105887?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=9086c0&js_api=1&js_swf_id=udqfsrtfsq259192281369725919228" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="560"></iframe>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12647549535857711041noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581728941847065596.post-5710764088972383332013-05-28T10:19:00.003-04:002013-05-28T10:19:46.401-04:00NYC Citi Bike Soft Launch<div id="promo-image-area">
<div class="promo-image">
<img alt="New York's bike share program" class="slide" height="179" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/05/citi_bike1.jpg.662x0_q100_crop-scale.jpg" width="320" />
</div>
New York City's bike share service, <a href="http://www.citibikenyc.com/">Citi Bike</a>,
opened today to anyone signed up for the annual membership. Bikes began
lining up at stations around the city on Friday night, in preparation
for the launch.</div>
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<br /></div>
Bike stations in the West Village Saturday attracted a number of curious observers. <br /><img height="180" src="http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2013/05/citibike2.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg" width="320" /><br />Day
and week passes will be available starting next weekend. The annual
membership costs $95.00, a weekly pass will cost $25.00 and a
day pass will be $9.95.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12647549535857711041noreply@blogger.com0