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Designing a route planner to facilitate and promote cycling in Metro Vancouver, Canada Jason G. Sua, b, , Meghan Wintersc, , Melissa Nunesb, , Michael Brauerb, ,  Purchase a Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, 50 University Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-7360, USA b School of Environmental Health, The University of British Columbia, 3[rd] Floor, 2206 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z3 c School of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, 5804 Fairview Ave., Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z3 Received 10 July 2008; revised 28 February 2010; Accepted 19 March 2010. Available online 7 May 2010. Abstract With increasing fuel costs, greater awareness of greenhouse gas emissions and increasing obesity levels, cycling is promoted as a health promoting and sustainable transport mode. We developed a cycling route planner (http://cyclevancouver.ubc.ca) for Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, to facilitate cycling amongst the general public and to facilitate new route location by transportation planners. The geographical information system-based planner incorporates variables that influence choices to travel by bicycle (e.g., distance, elevation gain, safety, route features, air pollution and links to transit) in selecting the preferred routing. Using a familiar and user-friendly Google Maps interface, the planner allows individuals to seek optimized cycling routes throughout the region based on their own preferences. In addition to the incorporation of multiple user preferences in route selection, the planner is unique amongst cycling route planners in its use of topology to minimize data storage redundancy, its reliance on node/vertex index tables to increase efficiency of the route selection process, and the use of web services and asynchronous technologies for quick data delivery. Use of this tool can help promote bicycle travel as a form of active transportation and help lower greenhouse

Applications - Health Promoting Community Design Route Preferences Among Adults in the Near Market for Bicycling: Findings of the Cycling in Cities Study Meghan Winters, MSc and Kay Teschke, PhD Abstract Purpose. To provide evidence about the types of transportation infrastructure that support bicycling. Design. Population-based survey with pictures to depict 16 route types. Setting. Metro Vancouver, Canada. Subjects. 1402 adult current and potential cyclists, i.e., the "near market" for cycling (representing 31% of the population). Measures. Preference scores for each infrastructure type (scale from −1, very unlikely to use, to +1, very likely to use); current frequency of use of each infrastructure type (mean number of times/y). Analyses. Descriptive statistics across demographic segments; multiple linear regression. Results. Most respondents were likely or very likely to choose to cycle on the following broad route categories: off-street paths (71%-85% of respondents); physically separated routes next to major roads (71%); and residential routes (48%-65%). Rural roads (21%-49%) and routes on major streets (16%-52%) were least likely to be chosen. Within the broad categories, routes with traffic calming, bike lanes, paved surfaces, and no on-street parking were preferred, resulting in increases in likelihood of choosing the route from 12% to 37%. Findings indicate a marked disparity between preferred cycling infrastructure and the route types that were currently available and commonly used. Conclusion. This study provides evidence for urban planners about bicycling infrastructure designs that could lead to an increase in active transportation. Keywords: Bicycle, Survey, Infr

Walking Walking is healthy and sustainable, and often the quickest and most efficient way to get around, so we are encouraging spectators to walk as much as possible to get to the London 2012 Games. In many cases, walking to a venue is much quicker and easier than you may think. Walking to or from a venue gives you the opportunity to see many sights on the way, and soak up the atmosphere of being in a Host City.  Travelling by foot is the best way to see London, especially during the Games when other forms of transport will be busy. If walking the whole way to your venue in London is not an option, consider getting off the bus or train a stop early to avoid busy stations and see what London has to offer. London 2012 Active Travel Programme The London 2012 Active Travel Programme aims to encourage more walking and cycling in the run-up to the Games, during and after the Games to help London 2012 meet its aim of being the first sustainable Games. Find out more about the Active Travel Programme. Walking to Games venues London 2012 has invested over £10m in making improvements to a network of eight walking and cycling rotues linking different parts of London to the Olympic Park and other venues. The main routes to the Olympic Park and River Zone venues that have been enhanched are: Lea Valley North - routes to the north of the Olympic Park through the Lee Valley Regional Park Epping Forest - a new route from the north-east of the Olympic Park through Wanstead and Epping Forest Elevated Greenway - follows the route of the northern outfall sewer east from the Olympic Park to Beckton Lower Lea and The Royal Docks - from the south of the Olympic Park to the Isle of Dogs, and on to Maritime Greenwich and other River Zone venues via the Thames Path. Limehouse Cut - from Limehouse Basin to the Olympic Park along the Limehouse cut Victoria Park and Stepney - connects the Olympic Park to Islington and Limehouse Basin along the Regent's and Hertford Union Canals

In San Francisco, All-Door Boarding Catches On Yonah Freemark August 1st, 2011 | 30 Comments » San Francisco fights to speed up buses and trains by encouraging customers not to buy their tickets up front. Unlike underground metros or elevated trains, road-running streetcars and buses suffer from a significant slow-down: The time wasted waiting for people to board. The process is dreadfully sluggish in cities with well-used transit systems as large numbers of customers at popular stops are forced to line up at the front door and swipe their tickets or pay their fares in cash. In most cases, customers are forbidden from entering the bus at the rear door, even if they have unlimited ride cards. In dense cities, the result of these boarding difficulties are buses and trains that practically crawl down the street, even on corridors without much competing automobile traffic. In San Francisco at least, a solution is being studied: Allowing passengers to board at all doors, starting with a pilot program on the Muni Metro J-Church light rail line, which runs from downtown south into the Noe Valley and Balboa Park neighborhoods. There's nothing particularly controversial or revolutionary about San Francisco's proposal. Indeed, the concept of allowing people to get on a transit vehicle at any entryway is is not only standard on most rail networks and a basic component of most bus rapid transit investments, but it is also already in place for some customers on San Francisco's Muni Metro lines, which operate in a tunnel under Market Street downtown but for much of the remainder of their routes operate in shared lanes like streetcars. What's different here is the goal to extend the process to all customers on all services. San Francisco has some of the slowest transit speeds in the U.S., with the average Muni train or bus moving from place to place at a measly eight mph. Those slow speeds are an impediment to easy mobility throughout the city and discourage peop

Getting people walking will help build support for creation of more walkable places, decrease air pollution and traffic congestion, improve physical health, and other benefits. Research reveals that creating places for walking (such as walking trails) and other forms of physical activity may be associated with increased physical activity. Below is a list of ideas that a walking coalition or partnership may select from to get going. If there is not yet an established coalition in your community, then find out more about how to build a coalition. The ideas below can be used to inspire and motivate people to get out of their cars and walk. 1. Make walking part of the business: walk at work programs Partner with large employers to design and publicize routes to walk on the business campus, give time for walking during the day or foster walking groups. One example is Berkeley's walking groups for employees. Some employers also offer incentives for physical activity through their insurance provider. For example, Blue Cross/Blue Shield members in North Carolina's State Health Plan can earn free gifts like backpacks, water bottles, blankets and tents as they log their activity. American Heart Association provides support to business-based walking programs through incentive items, printable material and recognition. 2. Offer incentives and buddies: mileage clubs Use online and community-based programs that encourage walking and provide incentives for reaching mileage goals either individually or in groups. See the America on the Move program or a "Walk Across a State" program sponsored by cooperative extensions. For older adults, there is AARP's Get Fit on Route 66 online mileage club. 3. Provide a guide: walking maps Provide maps of local attractions as well as locations of practical amenities such as restrooms. For inspiration, see examples from Feet First and Walk Arlington. Add walking routes to the Trails web site and invite community members to view them. Walkin

Position Title - Transit Planner, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina The Transit Planner is responsible for devising and implementing strategies designed to effectively manage and improve the Duke transit system. Responsibilities involve conducting needs assessments, master planning, and site feasibility studies; development and analysis of bus route and schedule plans, including near-term transit service alternatives, intermediate-term service plans, and long-range service concepts, and the preparation and analysis of complex regular and special transit operating schedules. A more detailed job description can be viewed at www.hr.duke.edu/jobs.  Refer to Requisition 400558074 or access the following link:   Duke University Transit Planner, Requisition 400558074. Minimum QualificationsWork requires a bachelor's degree in transportation planning or a related field from an accredited four-year college.  Master's degree in urban planning, regional planning, transportation planning, or civil engineering preferred. Four years of progressively responsible experience equal in scope to the requirements and duties of the position or an equivalent combination of relevant education and/or experience such as experience in the parking or transit profession as a manager. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:*    Knowledge of the principles and practices of transportation planning, including statistics and survey  techniques.*    Ability to analyze data concerning ridership, demographics, spatial information, costs and revenues.*    Ability to conceptualize routes and schedules that effectively meet customer needs.*    Ability to exercise independent judgment in the analysis and solution of complex route and schedule problems, using logical reasoning and sound judgment.*    Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal skills. Ability to interface with personnel at all levels.*    Excellent analytical, troubleshooting, applied creativity and probl

Inj Prev doi:10.1136/injuryprev-2011-040071 Study protocol The Bicyclists' Injuries and the Cycling Environment study: a protocol to tackle methodological issues facing studies of bicycling safety M Anne Harris1,2, Conor C O Reynolds3, Meghan Winters2, Mary Chipman4, Peter A Cripton5, Michael D Cusimano6,7, Kay Teschke2 + Author Affiliations 1Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Cancer Care Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 2School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada 3Liu Institute for Global Issues, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada 4Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada 5Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada 6Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada 7Division of Neurosurgery, St Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada Correspondence to M Anne Harris, Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Cancer Care Ontario, 505 University Avenue, 14th Floor, Toronto, ON M5G 1X3, Canada; harris.m.anne@gmail.com Accepted 4 May 2011 Published Online First 8 June 2011 Abstract Background and Aims Bicycling may be less appealing in parts of the world where cycling is less safe. Differences between jurisdictions suggest route design is key to improving safety and increasing ridership. Previous studies faced difficulties in effectively assessing denominators for risk calculations and controlling confounding. This paper describes the advantages of the case-crossover design of the Bicyclists' Injuries and the Cycling Environment study to address these challenges to observational studies of cycling safety. Methods Injured cyclists were recruited from the emergency departments of five hospitals in Vancouver and Toronto, Canada. In 18 months, 690 participants were successfully recruited and interviewed. Each participant was interviewed to map the route of their injury trip, identify the injury site and select two control site

Safe Routes to School (SRTS)The Safe Routes To School (SRTS) program is part of a national (and international) movement to improve the health and well-being of children in grades K-8-including those with disabilities-by making it safe, convenient and fun to walk or bike to school every day.

WHY ET3? Transportation should be clean, green, fast, comfortable and affordable for all; It must also be financially sustainable on a global level. THE TIME FOR A NEW MODE OF TRANSPORTATION IS NOW! WHAT IS ET3 and HOW DOES IT WORK? ET3 is literally "Space Travel on Earth". ET3 is silent, low cost, safe, faster than jets, and is electric. Car sized passenger capsules travel in 1.5m (5') diameter tubes on frictionless maglev. Air is permanently removed from the two-way tubes that are built along a travel route. Airlocks at stations allow transfer of capsules without admitting air. Linear electric motors accelerate the capsules, which then coast through the vacuum for the remainder of the trip using no additional power. Most of the energy is regenerated as the capsules slow down. ET3 can provide 50 times more transportation per kWh than electric cars or trains. Speed in initial ET3 systems is 600km/h (370 mph) for in state trips, and will be developed to 6,500 km/h (4,000 mph) for international travel that will allow passenger or cargo travel from New York to Beijing in 2 hours. ET3 is networked like freeways, except the capsules are automatically routed from origin to destination. ET3 capsules weigh only 183 kg (400 lbs), yet like an automobile, can carry up to six people or 367 kg (800 lbs) of cargo. Compared to high speed rail, ET3 needs only 1/20th the material to build because the vehicles are so light. With automated passive switching, a pair of ET3 tubes can exceed the capacity of a 32 lane freeway. ET3 can be built for 1/10th the cost of High Speed Rail, or 1/4th the cost of a freeway. ET3 stands for Evacuated Tube Transport Technologies. The company et3.com Inc. is an open consortium of licensees dedicated to global implementation of Evacuated Tube Transport (ETT)

Active Transportation Alliance News and Events Get a Member in December! Our members are our power - the more members we have, the more successful we will be in creating better conditions for biking, walking and transit in our communities. If you're an Active Trans member, you have an assignment - get just one new member to join Active Trans during the month of December! We're sure you know people who ride bikes, take transit and appreciate walkable communities - we need them to join us in action. And for those of you who are not members of Active Trans, please demonstrate your dedication to better transportation by joining now! Meet Ald. Solis at the Active Trans Social in Pilsen - Dec. 7 Join Active Trans as we celebrate all that has been accomplished over the past year to put Chicago on the path to building a world-class bike network. Ald. Danny Solis will discuss his recent educational trip to one of the most bicycle-friendly countries in the world - the Netherlands! Learn about Dutch approaches to city cycling that could be applied in Chicago: Dec. 7, 6 -7:30 p.m., Simone's bar, 960 W. 18th St., Chicago. The event is free and open members and nonmembers. Come to the Active Trans Social in Logan Square - Dec. 8 Calling all Logan Square Active Trans supporters! Join your friends and neighbors at Cole's tavern to connect with others who have a deep and abiding affection for biking, walking and transit. Local authors Greg Borzo and John Greenfield will be celebrating the release of On Bicycles: 50 Ways the New Bike Culture Can Change Your Life, 8 -10 p.m., Dec. 8, Cole's, 2338 N. Milwaukee, Chicago. The event is free and open members and nonmembers. Active Trans Volunteer Appreciation Party - Jan. 18 If you've volunteered for Active Trans during the past year, we're throwing you a party. We want to recognize all of the dedicated individuals who make our events, campaigns and programs successful. The evening will include light appetizers,

BIKING Virtuous cycle: 10 lessons from the world's great biking cities 9 BY CHRISTINE GRANT 30 JAN 2012 7:04 AM Cross-posted from Sightline Daily. In the Seattle suburb where I grew up, the main transportation choice most residents face is what kind of car to buy. I moved to the city after college and, inspired by the "car-lite" lifestyles of several friends, decided to give cycling a try. I fell in love with it. Urban cycling freed me from slow buses, parking meters, and mind-numbing elliptical machines. I arrived at work with more energy. I lost weight. I discovered charming neighborhood restaurants. I could smell fresh laundry and dinners in the oven while I pedaled home through residential streets. Getting from A to B on my bike became the best part of my day. Recently, I won a fellowship and got to spend six months living life on two wheels in the world's most bike-friendly cities. I brought home 10 lessons for us here in the States: A bike lane in Denmark. (Photo by Christine Grant.) 1. It's the infrastructure, stupid! Amazing infrastructure makes cycling normal and safe in bike meccas. For example, parked cars to the left of the bike lane not only provide a barrier between motorized traffic and cyclists, they also minimize a cyclist's chance of getting "doored." Most cars only have one occupant, the driver, and drivers get out on the left. Bikes move at different speeds than cars or pedestrians, so intersections are safer for cyclists if they have their own traffic signal rhythm. Cyclists in Copenhagen generally get a slight head start over cars so that they'll be more visible as they cross the intersection. 2. Bike share! Bike-share programs are sweeping the world, and they are very successful at boosting bike numbers. About 130,000 trips are made each day in Paris on public bikes thanks to the pioneering Vélib bike-share program. Barcelona's bike-share program has been wildly succesful at boosting ridership. (Photo by C

Why the Bike Lane is the Golf Course of the 21st Century Posted on January 26, 2012 Hello Dear Readers, The Sightline Daily, a blog affiliated with a Northwest policy think tank, published an article I wrote about my Stevens Fellowship experience. You can read the article here! A funny story about how the opportunity with Sightline came about. I was waiting at a stoplight near Mercer Street in Seattle in late November and this guy pulled up to me (on his bicycle) and commented on how bad the bicycle infrastructure was at that particular intersection. He noticed that I had no "biking clothes" on and asked me if I'd ever heard of Copenhagen Cycle Chic.  "Copenhagen Cycle Chic is my favorite blog!" I told him. Then we started talking bike politics and eventually I realized he was Alan Durning, the founder of the Sightline Institute. I've been reading the Sightline blog and using their research in my work for years. I really like that this Sightline article came about because of a conversation that started on the bike lane (or..errr…lack of bike lane).  Who needs the golf course when you cycle! Cycling is such a social form of transport. Sean and I were biking in to work a few days before Christmas and bumped into our friend Jed who I hadn't seen in almost a year.  (Jed and his wife recently had a baby!) We rode together along the cold, but sunny, shores of Westlake for about ten minutes and caught up.  It was a great way to start the day and I was happy to know that Jed was doing well. Then, the next morning, Sean and I bumped into Jed again-in almost the same place as the day before-and we shared another pleasant commute together while joking about how we were becoming a bike commuter gang. The morning before I left for Copenhagen I biked downtown alone after saying goodbye to Sean. I was feeling the weight of the goodbye and also some anxiety about professional challenges ahead.  I pedaled slowly along Dexter, my pace matchi

Finding the zone: The Zen of urban cycling 36 BY JOEL GWADZ 27 JAN 2012 2:49 PM Photo by Choh Wah Ye. I am a mountain biker and mountain bike racing is a big part of my love for cycling. There's only one problem: I live in the city. To get to the hills, I have to put my bike on the car and drive an hour out of town. Luckily for me, there are many aspects of urban riding that fulfill a similar sensory experience to the high I find on the trail. I'm no World Cup racer, but hammering down the mountain biking trails, I still have moments when I find myself in a state of athletic euphoria that riders call "the zone." When you're in the zone, your bike and body operate as a single unit. Your thoughts and actions are intertwined. Your mind measures the variables as they approach at warp speed and you respond without thinking, arcing tight twists and turns through gaps just inches wider than your handlebars. Riding in the zone is an amazing, Zen-like experience. It is the cyclist's version of a "runner's high." This immense state of focus not only happens in the woods. The zone can be achieved when riding in the city, too. In a mountain bike race, the competition adds to the adrenalin. The effort required to chase the racers in front of you or escape the racers behind you can fuel the experience. In town, encounters with car drivers can act in very much the same way. In the woods, it is about flowing over logs in the trail, cruising through seemingly lineless rock gardens, and dipping between tight trees. On the city streets, it's about weaving past the guy on his cell phone who steps out from between parked cars, adapting to an aggressive lane change by a soccer mom in a minivan, or avoiding a car door swinging open into your lane. In so many ways, urban riding is just a series of close calls. Yesterday, I was taking a standard route across town. I was moving at a pretty good clip, when a driver behind me laid on the horn. Instead of ridin

Bicycle Related Sites This page lists bicycle related web sites. Our focus is to provide information on bicycling as a mode of transportation. The sites listed below do not represent the views of the Department. They are for informational purposes only and the Department cannot be held liable for misinformation from any of these sites. Every effort has been made to review each site for content, however should a site grossly misstate facts or sources please send an e-mail to Ann Mahaney and the link will be removed. National Organizations: National Bicycle Safety Network - Contains safety and other information concerning bikes. Bicycle and Pedestrian Information Organization - Contains technical information on bicycles and walking. The League of American Bicyclists - ...for a bicycle friendly America, the national organization of bicyclists. Bicycle Federation of America - an electronic information center for bicycle and pedestrian advocates, practitioners, public officials and interested citizens. State Organizations: California Bicycle Coalition (CBC) - A non-profit organization that advocates increased bicycle use, access, safety and education, by promoting the bicycle as an everyday means of transportation and recreation. Smart Traveler - the single place on the internet to get information on all of your transportation options in California. California Association of Bicycling Organization (CABO) - California's bicycle clubs organized into a state federation in 1972 to protect bicyclists' interests state-wide and to encourage, maintain, and improve bicycling conditions. Local Organizations: LADOT Bicycle Services - The purpose of the LADOT Bicycle Homepage is to provide bicycle information to the constituents of the City of Los Angeles. Monterey Off Road Cycling Association (MORCA) - MORCA is an organized voice for responsible mountain biking in Monterey County. SLO County Bicycle Coalition - Transforming San Luis Obispo County into a safer and more livable

and Health > Changing Values, Perceptions, and Behaviors How do we create a "culture" for walking? How do we create communities that feel safe and appealing where people of all ages, backgrounds and income levels have reasons to walk there? It appears that community members get out and walk along routes that are enjoyable and feel safe and perhaps lead to destinations of interest (this might be for errands or recreation). Making these places requires sufficient political will and community interest in order for resources to be devoted to their creation, improvement and maintenance. Before promoting walking, conditions need to be adequate and safe. To evaluate conditions for a community, go to the section on Addressing Community Problems. If there are no facilities for walking or it's not safe for other reasons, communities can begin by building a coalition and gathering support for change. Community design that is the appropriate scale for walking plays an important role, too. To find out how to do this, see the Planning section. Once there are safe places for walking, it's time to think about how to get people walking more and how to continue building support to expand the availability of walkable places. This is where changing norms and building community interest comes in. Right now, the prevailing community norm is to drive to a destination, whether it's around the corner to the grocery store or across town to work. People tend to do the behavior that is easiest and that they see others doing. However, shifting mindsets to consider walking as a convenient, feasible option can happen. The concepts listed here are intended to serve as a starting point for ways to get more people thinking, "I'll just walk there": Make walking try-able - Give people a chance to "try out" walking. Communicate the behavior you want to see - Bumper stickers, bus billboards, banners and signs can all convey messages to encourage travel on foot. Reward behavior - Providing in

BIKING How bicycling will save the economy (if we let it) 83 BY ELLY BLUE 28 FEB 2011 3:08 PM This is the first column in a series focusing on the economics of bicycling. Imagine getting a $3,000 to $12,000 tax rebate this year. Now imagine it coming again and again. Every year it grows by around a thousand dollars. Imagine how this would change your daily life. Sounds like a teabagger's wet dream, but it's actually a conservative estimate of how much you'd save by ditching your car, or even just one of your cars -- and getting on a bicycle instead. Car-centric conditions don't always make it easy to choose the bicycle. Communities designed exclusively for motor vehicles impose a major financial penalty on those who are compelled to take on the expense of driving. But if you're one of those who lives in a bike-friendlier place, you'll be doing your local business community a good turn and padding Uncle Sam's pockets as well as your own if you trade four wheels for two. In the many North American cities where two-wheeled transportation is taking off, a new bicycle economy is emerging. It's amazing how much money can stay in your community when it isn't being pumped into the gas tank, big insurance, and the auto market. What will this new bicycle economy look like? We don't have to guess. It's already emerging along urban, low-traffic bikeway networks nationwide. One thing is guaranteed: it includes a lot of new bike shops like this one on a bikeway in Baltimore -- one of five new bike shops to have opened in the last two years in that city. A 2008 study in Portland clocked bicycle-related industry alone as contributing $90 million to the local economy every year. Bicycle tourism is another huge boon to regions that can attract it -- in 2010, Wisconsin bragged of a yearly $1.5 billion bike economy [PDF]. Less obvious synergies abound as well. People who ride, just like people who drive, buy groceries, visit the doctor, need a new shirt sometimes, and en

Ed's Bicycle Advocacy Page Over 20 years ago I began looking at climate change impacts on infrastructure. Since about 2003, I have been more focused on human-induced climate disruption and its impacts on water resources. As I pursued this research, I have had the good fortune to work with some world-class scientists, and the findings of all of them have framed this issue as one that transcends discplines and crosses political and geographical boundaries in a way that demands more of us than most other issues. While I already have lots of web space devoted to climate change and water issues, one passion that is not well represented is bicycling. Our inefficiency in transportation (accounting for nearly 30 percent of U.S. energy demand) produces a huge proportion of the greenhouse gases that will dramatically alter the climate our children and grandchildren inherit. I'm not sure what shape this page will eventually take, but I will use it to link to articles and resources that will at least help me keep track of things. Maybe if anyone else lands here they'll find something useful too. The True Cost of Transportation Energy The report by the National Research Council, "Hidden Costs of Energy: Unpriced Consequences of Energy Production and Use" summarizes some of the externalized costs of energy generation and use. Of particular interest is that motor vehicles are responsible for about 1.5 cents/mile in nonclimate-related damages, such as health impacts. At 10,000 miles/year, this is maybe $150/year. Interestingly, electric and hybrid vehicles are about as bad, and vehicles using biofuels are generally the same or worse. Development and Bicycle Advocacy Here's the civil engineering connection: planning and construction often leaves out bicycle (and pedestrian) considerations. A great movement to include this in neighborhood and city design is the National Complete Streets Coalition, where lots of resources are available. A Place for Optimism While maybe contrar

Children are the foundation of the cycling culture When you use a bike as a child, chances are that you will also use a bike as a grown-up. In Denmark, the cycling culture is built through more than 100 years. The foundation of the cycling culture is the fact that Danish children learn to ride a bike from their parents, brothers and sisters, or friends. Cycling is inherited from one generation to the next. But the culture is only kept alive, if it is used. If all children stopped cycling, it would not take long for the cycling culture to decline. The Cycling Embassy of Denmark places great emphasis on the creation of the best possible conditions for children who cycle. This article provides insight into three different kinds of projects with the purpose of supporting and improving the conditions for the child cycling. Cycle Games Children should feel encouraged to play and move around, and a bike is an ideal means for that purpose. When children cycle their sense of balance and mobility are stimulated. At the same time, the sense of locality and the perception of space and direction are increased, because the movement is being done at a higher velocity and on a moving vehicle. Furthermore, learning through play is a more effective way of learning than the old-fashioned cycle training with broom handle and supporting wheel. We believe that it is reasonable to begin at the age of two. When children play on their bike, the focus is shifted from the bike to the playing. When the actual cycling "automated" and the attention is on the surroundings, the basis is created for safe children cycling. The safe cyclist does not think about how the bike works, but only has the focus on the surroundings and the other cyclists. Cycle games contributes to better cyclists. Because the children have fun while they learn, chances are that they as adults will use the bike as their everyday means of transport. In Denmark the project "Cycle Games for everybody" consist of the foll

Qui sommes-nous ? Le club des villes et territoires cyclables Un réseau d'acteurs pour le développement de l'usage du vélo et de la mobilité durable Le Club des villes et territoires cyclables, créé en 1989 par 10 villes pionnières, rassemble aujourd'hui plus de 1100 collectivités territoriales : communes, agglomérations, départements, régions, représentant 42 millions d'habitants Force de propositions, il est un acteur majeur en matière de promotion de l'usage du vélo et des modes actifs et de politiques d'aménagement urbain. Il participe à tous les grands débats, en France et à l'étranger, pour un meilleur partage de la rue, pour l'aménagement de zones apaisées, pour la sécurité des cyclistes et des piétons et pour encourager la mobilité durable. Initiateur de la démarche nationale d'évolution du Code de la route vers un Code de la rue, lancée en avril 2006 Le Club des villes et territoires cyclables fait du rééquilibrage de l'espace et de la qualification de la voirie une de ses priorités. Comment généraliser le 30 km heure en ville ? Quelles voies peuvent rester à 50 km/h ? Quelles voies ou places très fréquentées en zone de rencontre ou aire piétonne ? Avec la généralisation des double-sens cyclables qui offre plus de continuité et renforce l'efficacité du mode vélo en laissant les trottoirs aux piétons, ces questions sont aujourd'hui au cœur des préoccupations des aménageurs et des élus pour une ville plus fluide et plus équitable. Convaincu que le vélo ne doit pas être considéré seul mais comme un maillon de la chaîne de déplacements, le Club des villes et territoires cyclables privilégie une démarche prenant en compte tous les modes de transport. C'est notamment dans le cadre des Plans de déplacements urbains (PDU), intégrant la concertation avec les associations et tous les acteurs de la ville, que l'on peut à la fois diminuer la place de l'automobile dans