Group items tagged

When it comes to walking, many businesses understand pretty intuitively the value of fostering good foot traffic - the ones that are surviving, anyway. With bicycling, however, a lot of business owners and political decision-makers just don't get it at all. When Elly Blue wrote "Why an additional road tax for bicyclists would be unfair," which was later followed by a series of posts on Grist under the banner of bikenomics, I started to view bicycling under a completely different lens. This view and emphasis on economics has influenced my own writing and advocacy ever since. Elly Blue (left) & April Economides (right) At Pro Walk-Pro Bike April Economides, principle of Green Octopus Consulting, who headed up the program to create bicycling friendly business districts in Long Beach, is another voice in the bike movement who has been emphasizing economics. She was recently hired by Bike Nation to manage their bike share program proposed in Long Beach. Blue and Economides got together for the first time for a presentation at Pro-Walk/Pro-Bike titled "Bikenomics & the Business Case for Bike-Friendly Business Districts". Their presentations complimented each other very well, with Blue setting up some of the conceptual framework for why looking at the economics of bicycling is important, while Economides outlined the nuts and bolts of the outreach and programs done so far in Long Beach. April encouraged people early on in her talk "to engage the business community; we can't just preach to the choir". Some of the most well known aspects of the Long Beach bicycle-friendly business districts are the discounts participating businesses offer for those arriving on bike, and the themed bike racks selected by and installed for businesses. Each business district also received its own cargo bike to be used by businesses for whatever use they may find for them. Given the difficulty of finding places to either buy or rent such utilitarian bicycles throughout most

From 2000 to 2010, bicycle commuting rose 40 percent in the U.S. But, in the 38 largest BFCs, the rise in bike commuters was almost double the national rate, growing a staggering 77 percent over the same time period. Cities like Portland, Ore.; Boulder, Colo; Davis, Calif., and other leading BFCs are almost ready to join the ranks of world-class bike communities - and the League has been working with BFC representatives to envision a higher standard that challenges and charts new heights for bicycle-friendliness in the United States. "If it sounds like we are moving the goalposts, it's because we are," says Andy Clarke, League President. "Communities are doing so much more, and the state of the practice in innovative infrastructure and programs has developed so rapidly in recent years, that it really is time to challenge communities to do even more to make biking better." Attaining Diamond designation will involve an individualized challenge tailored to each community. The League will conduct a detailed audit for each city and work with community leaders to create clear 5-, 10- and 15-year goals for important factors like bicycle mode share, land use, crashes, network connectivity and bike culture. The primary measure to Diamond designation: The number of people riding and citizen satisfaction. Cities will delve into a more detail evaluation of ridership and level of service, using standard methods of measure like the American Community Survey and National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project, but also more challenging and broader tools such as Copenhagen's Bicycle Account. The end goal: American communities that rival top international cycling cities like Copenhagen and Amsterdam with world-class facilities, like protected bike lanes - and so much more. "In Portland, bikes mean business," says Tom Miller, Director of the Portland (Ore.) Bureau of Transportation. "Our commitment to bike-friendly streets has helped to attract a wealt

Erie Ped / Bike Prioritization Program/ Bayfront Trails Establish a prioritized ped / bike /trail network along the Bayfront Parkway and study the feasibility of existing and future improvements, key corridors,special facility design, and maintenance ‐ Multi‐municipal Ped / Bike Prioritization Program/ Erie Metro Area Establish a prioritized ped / bike /trail network within the Erie Metro Area and study the feasibility of existing and future improvements, key corridors,special facility design, and maintenance ‐ Countywide Ped / Bike Prioritization Program/ Erie County Establish a prioritized ped / bike /trail network for Erie County's outlying municipalities and study the feasibility of existing and future improvements, key corridors,special facility design, and maintenance

By Jon Schmitz / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Pittsburgh has joined a growing list of cities using bright green paint to make on-street bike lanes more visible. The city last week painted about 200 feet of the bike lanes on Liberty Avenue at the approaches to the Bloomfield Bridge, with the help of a $23,000 grant from Bikes Belong, a national organization of bicycle suppliers and retailers. "That's our first green bike lane," said Stephen Patchan, the city's bike-pedestrian coordinator, who said the location was selected because of the large numbers of vehicles that make turns across the bike lanes. "It's a material that is slip-resistant, and it will last longer" than the paint used for road striping, he said. Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/transportation/pittsburgh-tests-green-paint-for-liberty-avenue-bike-lanes-686451/#ixzz2WHUrH6xM

"Bike Cleveland has urged the city to move faster in adding bike-friendly features, especially bike lanes. Promoting a bike culture boosts a city's image, advocates say. "

This is a company that assists corporations to become bike friendly with special designed bikes, bike commutes, bike shares, etc.

"Sarah McCullough, a graduate student at the University of California at Davis who researched how people's feelings about biking - happy, scared, sad, etc. - relate to their likelihood of actually riding a bike. (She's finding that people with stronger emotions about biking - and not necessarily just positive ones - are more likely to do it. And people are more likely to bike when they perceive it as safe and socially normal.) "Just understanding how changes in cultural infrastructure have to accompany changes in physical infrastructure; it's not necessarily enough in many communities just to put in a bike lane. You also have to create a culture where people feel comfortable using it.""

A few stats immediately leap out at you: For one, 70% of America's car trips are shorter than 2 miles, which translates to about an easy 10-minute bike ride. One can lose 13 pounds in a year, just from riding to work?!  If you're trying to fight cars as an American politician, you'll be out of work fast. Especially since, as of this moment, only a tiny .6% of all errands and trips in this country are made via bikes. But the last panel does actually suggest that change isn't totally impossible. Portland, which is covered with relatively new bike lanes, has 6% of its population commuting by bike; ridership across the country is growing.

Library Wish List April 27, 2009 Edinboro Branch Cable lighting in magazine area Bike rack Concrete pad for bike rack Media shelving Total $3,976 $ 570 $ 820 $ 452 $5,818 Iroquois Avenue Branch Bike rack Concrete pad for bike rack Total $ 570 $ 820 $1,390

But when Atomic Object put a single bike rack outside its Grand Rapids office, "all of a sudden, there were more bikes than could be secured, so we added another," said Mary O'Neill, business manager of the Grand Rapids-based software development company, which also has an office in Detroit. "Then we realized there were people who wanted to bike in all seasons of the year, so we looked at a place to store bikes inside," O'Neill said. Despite humble Census numbers, more employers in Grand Rapids may be pushed by their workers to follow Atomic Object's lead as the city government works to become more bicycle-friendly and encourage more people to pedal to work. Grand Rapids officials - believing that if they build it, people will pedal - are putting together a 100-mile urban bike network. City officials would like to see 2 percent of the workforce riding bikes to work and dream of being a bicycling mecca like Ann Arbor. In that city, nearly 5 percent of the workforce - or 2,782 of the 56,646 working adults, according to the 2011 Census report - get to work on bikes, the highest percentage of bicycle commuters in Michigan.

Although many big cities are trending to start bike sharing projects, But still most of the cities lack a proper bike sharing platform. in Cyclingboom we have developped a platform which make is possible for cyclists who own spare bikes(no matter how old are they) to share with community and opens the possibility to find a bike to ride i cities without bike sharing plans.

You might have noticed some shiny new bikes parked outside the Ruth Lilly Student Center. Marian University has started a new bicycle sharing program and the bikes are available to students, faculty, and staff. "We want to start a cycling culture on campus that extends beyond our 19-time championship cycling team. We want Marian University students, faculty, and staff to embrace cycling for fun, exercise, transportation and competition. These bikes are a great way to build on the cycling culture that is already a part of the Marian University community," said Deborah Lawrence, Senior Vice President Head Cycling Coach Dean Peterson worked with Marian University cycling team partner, Matthews Bicycles, to find bikes that everyone could easily use. They selected a beautiful fleet of Electra bikes that reflect the school: new and cutting edge with a vintage flair. In addition to the bikes, a former cycling team member, Miles Chandler, is leading an effort to start a cycling club on campus, and they have agreed to maintain the Electra bikes for the campus community. "It's quick, it's easy, it's free, and healthy for you, too!" said Scott Ralph, Marian University's Chief of Police. The bicycles will be available each day from dawn to dusk, seasonal weather permitting. For more information, contact the Office of Campus Safety and Police Services in the Ruth Lilly Student Center at 317.955.6789. Happy cycling!

Biking & Walking in MAP-21 Congress passed a new federal transportatin law, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), in June 2012. The law significantly cuts available funding for biking and walking projects, but also presents an opportunity for Americans to encourage state and local governments to fully utilize available funds to make biking and walking safer and more convenient.

2012 Tour Across Pennsylvania Erie County YMCA Bike Tour for Strong Kids- Week long tour of Pennsylvania September 23rd-29th , 2012. For additional details on this YMCA tour contact Craig Latimer at the YMCA or YMCA Tour Contact 2012 MS Bike - Cook Forest River Ride The ride is held Saturday, September 22nd. The Cook Forest River Ride as a one-day bike ride that takes cyclists on a gently rolling route along the Clarion River. It's a fun, fitness filled day for cyclists of all levels. This year, there are two route options: 35 miles for beginners and a more challenging 60 mile option for the avid cyclists. For more information, etc visit our website MS Cook Forest River Ride 2012 Pedal the Lakes Greenville, PA, Saturday, September 29th, 2012. This tour benefits the Mercer County Trail Association. Tour lengths of 10, 30, 65, 100 and 125 miles will be available. There also are free meals, primitive camping, and live music are also available with a paddle of the Shenango River on Sunday, September 30th if you wish to stay over. Details are available at the Trails web site Mercer County Trails. Application is available here '12 Pedal the Lakes Application Gran Fondo of the Alleghenies - October 13, 2012 includes 30, 60 and 100 mile routes through the Allegheny National Forest in Warren and Sheffield areas of PA. Details and application at Warren Adventures Web Site. Registration is available on BikeReg.

Westerville Bike Hub - 4 Season Amenity It'll be central Ohio's first such rest stop along the Ohio to Erie Trail, a 325-mile, mostly off-road route between Cleveland and Cincinnati. The hub can help make Westerville a destination, said Christa Dickey, city spokeswoman. "People can stop in Westerville as a midway point on one of the longer excursions and have access to the Uptown area, free Wi-Fi and an opportunity to safely park your bike and belongings."

Bikes for Goodness Sake is a charity with a mission to share to Goodness of Bicycles with underprivileged children. We are a registered 501 c(3) non-profit. We work local bike shops and corporations to create events and distribute bikes to local children. We aim to create a cycling culture in North America by giving a bike to a child. Each bike we give comes along with a custom fit a helmet. The charity was started by Mark Smith and Pete Buck of Bucks Bikes in Austin, Texas. Our first event was on July 4, 2008. We worked the the Texas Military Family Services and identified 50 recipient children. Our goal for that event was to honor the silent sacrifice of children whose parent serve in the Armed Forces. Here is a video that honored that event.

We know that bike theft is a worry among many San Franciscans. We have prepared this handy webpage detailing both how to avoid theft -- and what to do if your bicycle is stolen. The Board of Supervisors Budget & Legislative Analyst has prepared a comprehensive report detailing the costs of bike theft across the city, and the numbers are staggering. Read below to better understand how to protect yourself from theft! Protecting Your Investment How to Lock Your Bike Secure Parking Options Register Your Bike What to Do if Your Bike is Stolen

Bicycles are here to stay as part of our transportation system. While MAP-21 reorganizes and reduces funding opportunities, advocates and agency staff will need to look beyond Transportation Alternatives. This may be the Highway Safety Improvement Program, Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program, Surface Transportation Program, or a number of other federal and state sources. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced the FY2012 grant recipients for their Bus Livability grant program. Highlighting the importance of connecting bicycles and transit, many of the approved projects include a bicycle component. At the same time, states are recognizing and funding important bicycle programs and projects. Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley recently announced 28 Bikeways Program Grants, part of his Cycle Maryland initiative. The grant winning projects include on and off-road bicycle route connections, bike route signage, bike racks and safety improvements. Salisbury, a recent host of a Bicycle Friendly Communities workshop, received funding to complete their downtown bicycle lanes project (way to go bike-SBY!). Baltimore will be using the grant to install a downtown cycletrack. Click here for a complete list of projects. As these two programs show, there are funds available for bicycles, but not always in the first place you look. Advocates and agency staff will need to be creative and tenacious in finding sources and getting projects funded. The Advocacy Advance team is always here to answer questions, brainstorm ideas, and help get your projects funded.

New York may have dropped in a recent ranking of cycling cities. But it does have some world class infrastructure, including a "complete street" on 9th Avenue, with a protected bike lane. Built in 2007, it was controversial at the time (like everything else bike-related in the city). But a study by the Department of Transport finds that it's paid dividends economically. Local stores between 23rd and 31st streets have seen a 49% increase in sales, compared to an average of 3% for Manhattan as a whole. The DOT doesn't give an explanation. But other research has shown similar things. While bikers tend to spend less per visit than drivers, they spend more over a month, according to one Portland study. Bike advocates note that you can park more bikes in a limited space than you can family-sized vehicles.

"Measuring the Streets" demonstrated that small businesses in New York City near bike lanes "have done very well, especially when compared to borough-wide averages," the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT), which issued the report, noted. Along Ninth Avenue in Manhattan, for example, sales grew "by as much as 49 percent on portions after DOT installed the city's - and nation's - first parking-protected bike lanes there in 2007, 16 times the borough-wide growth," according to the report.