Complete Streets: About More than Just Bike Lanes
In many cities around the world, municipal governments are making dramatic changes to streetscapes. These changes, such as bike lanes, dedicated busways, and other traffic calming measures are designed to both improve safety for non-car users of streets and provide more transportation options for city residents. As is often the case following change, those who prefer the status quo have become vocal in their opposition to these improvements. Wealthy... Read More
Bike to Work Day
Spring is finally here in most of the country, which means it’s time to dust off your bike and hit the road. In the San Francisco bay area, today happens to be Bike to Work Day, an event which encourages commuters to try commuting by bicycle as an alternative form of transportation. My “how I get around Seattle” bike The benefits are threefold: 1. Health – bicycling is an excellent form of exercise. 2. Environmental... Read More
Infographic Shows Need for Better Bike Infrastructure in US
Check out this neat infographic about bicycle transportation in the United States: Click here to see a higher resolution version of the image. The graphic shows the states with the highest rate of bike mode use, the 10 cities with the largest share of bike use, and the ratio of female to male riders for each state and profiled city. The numbers represent each city’s rank as a Bicycle Friendly Community. Apparently, the ratio of female to male... Read More
High Speed Rail Gets $2.4 Billion Boost in U.S.
An Amtrak Acela train, currently the nations only HSR line (Photo: Flickr user jimkleeman) Last week, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded 54 high speed rail projects (HSR) across the country $2.5 billion to invest in improving the nation’s passenger rail infrastructure. This funding follows more than $8 billion awarded last January as seed money to get the ball rolling on expanding HSR in the U.S. “States understand that high-speed... Read More
A Tale of Two Tunnels
Gotthard Base Tunnel under construction (Photo: Flickr user Bilfinger Berger Group) Two massive tunnel projects were in the news this past week. One of the projects exemplifies a long-term vision on future infrastructure needs and sustainable development, while the other project is an example of failed governance. The first project is the Gotthard Base Tunnel, an impressive engineering feat of tunneling under the Swiss Alps providing a much needed... Read More
Ode to the Delhi Metro
Commuters waiting for a train. Photo by flickr user varunshiv My fear of Delhi began sometime in the wee hours of the morning a few years ago when I was stuck in a freshly puked-in waiting room near the airport. This fear continued the day I stepped off a plane from the tranquility of Ladakh (a mountainous province in the north) into a mad rush of men offering me a taxi. I cried and retreated back into the airport to regain my composure. But this... Read More
Park(ing) Day
Friday, September 17th 2010 is Park(ing) Day, an annual worldwide event that inspires city dwellers to transform metered parking spots into temporary parks for the public good. I encourage you to find out if anyone in your city is taking part and checking out some spots! Send me your photos and I’ll post them up here. Here are some photos from installations I saw this morning in Seattle: Tetherball at Pine and Boyleston, Seattle Tea party with... Read More
Doha, Qatar – The New Bicycle City?
I rode my bicycle to and from work on the streets of Ahmedabad, India. A city where out of 100 residents only 15 to 18 use the existing public transport system and the streets are notoriously clogged with traffic. Some thought me crazy, but I was able to incorporate exercise into my routine and interact with my surroundings. I didn’t have to pay a bus or rickshaw fair and it gave me the satisfaction of feeling as though I was contributing to making... Read More
A Man and his Bicycle
"Oh the places you'll go..." I met a man in Buenos Aires a number of years ago who shared with me a bicycle tale of epic proportions. Alec, as the English gentleman was called, had been a young man during England’s post World War II reconstruction, and as soon as he was able, had joined the service. Once enlisted, Alec met another young soldier who he soon discovered shared his affinity for bicycles, and the men became fast friends.... Read More
Paving the Way for Bicycle Transportation in Cities
The bicycle is increasingly being seen as a viable urban transportation alternative in cities worldwide. Bike commuting has clear health, traffic congestion, and environmental benefits, and should be encouraged to help make cities more livable and sustainable. I love urban biking. The idea of cruising the streets in traffic is my idea of a good time. Recognizing that this practice might not be everyone’s cup of tea, I overwhelmingly support... Read More
