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WFP: Winter cycling focus of congress (Feb.10'14)
by Beth McKechnie 10 Feb '14

10 Feb '14

Winter cycling focus of congressWinnipeg welcomes experts, advocates By: Bartley Kives http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/winter-cycling-focus-of-congress-244… The coldest winter in decades has proven challenging to year-round cyclists in Winnipeg, but not because of the temperatures alone. In late December and early January, people who use bikes to get around uttered many of the same complaints motorists made about the condition of the city's streets. The heavy ruts that made driving difficult a month ago also made cycling frustrating and dangerous, especially on routes where cars and bikes are expected to share the road. Although road conditions have improved, Winnipeg's recent transportation headaches will provide a timely backdrop for a gathering of international winter-cycling advocates and experts known as the Winter Cycling Congress. Beginning this Wednesday, approximately 170 delegates and speakers will spend three days in the Manitoba capital, sharing ideas about making winter cycling easier, safer and more accessible. Conference director Anders Swanson said slightly less than half the participants are coming from outside the province, including delegates from European and North American cities and towns where the winter climate is similar to that of subarctic Winnipeg. "What we're trying to do is change the conversation in terms of what is possible for year-round transportation," said Swanson, who travelled to Oulu, Finland, for the 2013 conference before lobbying to bring the event here this year. "We're trying to connect places that know what they're doing with places that are learning to fully embrace the bicycle year-round." As recently as the 1990s, the only people who rode bikes year-round in Winnipeg were couriers and a handful of die-hard commuters. Now, both recreational cyclists and commuter cyclists are a common winter sight, albeit in modest numbers. The main obstacle is not cold, but road conditions. "On some of the colder days, you have to bundle up a bit more," Swanson said. "In my experience, in cities that take care of winter cycling infrastructure properly, the cold really doesn't matter." Swanson said several Scandinavian cities are among the world leaders in this capacity, but that's hardly surprising considering the immense popularity of warm-weather commuter cycling in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland. The challenge in North America -- and in Winnipeg in particular -- is to convince cash-strapped municipal authorities to devote more resources to clearing bike paths and bike lanes. Swanson said he believes the City of Winnipeg is doing the best it can. "I have no interest in suggesting there's any problem this winter, when we've had a lot of cold and a lot of snow," he said. Still, delegates to the Winter Cycling Congress will hear from a range of Scandinavian and Canadian panellists about ways to improve winter street and bikeway maintenance. Other conference topics include sessions on the design of the perfect winter bike, winter cycling fashion and the creation of other modes of alternative winter transportation, from Winnipeg's river trail to a curb-side commuter-skating trail in Vancouver. The conference was timed to take place the same week as this Friday's Winter Bike To Work Day, the 130-kilometre Actif Epica winter race on Saturday and Sunday's Icebike race. The Forks also hoped to extend its river skating and walking trail to the University of Manitoba by this weekend, but the weather would not co-operate. "We came up against the worst conditions on the Red River we've ever encountered," said Paul Jordan, chief operating officer at The Forks. The presence of almost more than two metres of snow on the Red insulated the surface, creating dangerous slush that made the southern extension of the trail impossible, he said. Jordan nonetheless expects existing river trail sections to be visited by the roughly 75 out-of-province Winter Cycling Congress delegates as they explore downtown Winnipeg by bike. "This conference has really exploded," Jordan said. "There are a lot of cities looking at doing more (with active transportation) during the winter." bartley.kives(a)freepress.mb.ca Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 10, 2014 A6

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REMINDER! Sunny Saturday - Winter Walking Day - Saturday, Feb 8th
by Janice Lukes 07 Feb '14

07 Feb '14

TOMORROW TIME: 11:00 am MEET: At the central canopy in front of the Forks Market building! Huts / RAW:almond / frozen river trail / Sharon Blady / sunny Saturday morning - & Free Cocoa From: at-network-bounces(a)lists.umanitoba.ca [mailto:at-network-bounces@lists.umanitoba.ca] On Behalf Of Janice Lukes Sent: Thursday, January 30, 2014 12:24 PM To: at-network(a)lists.umanitoba.ca Subject: [At-network] Winter Walking Day - Saturday, Feb 8th And here is another winter event - for the walkers in the crowd! See attached poster - and those warming huts on the river are a must see! * * * * * * * * * * Come and join Sharon Blady, Minister of Healthy Living and Seniors, the Winnipeg Trails Assoc. and friends to walk on the Red River Mutual River Trail! DATE: Saturday, February 8th TIME: 11:00 am MEET: At the central canopy in front of the Forks Market building! Calling all Winnipeg winter walkers! Walk and talk with the Minister, check out the architecturally designed warming huts, sip on free hot chocolate and make new winter memories with friends and families! We have ordered up a sunny mild day - so shake that cabin fever and come out for a winter walk!

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Workshop: Welcome to Canada - (Winter) Riding for Newcomers
by Winter Cycling Congress 2014 07 Feb '14

07 Feb '14

**Please forward this opportunity to anyone who works with newcomers and who may be interested in attending a workshop next Friday. Workshop is free. Conference registration is not necessary.** *Workshop: Welcome to Canada - (Winter) Riding for Newcomers* *Friday, February 14th - 1 - 4pm Manitoba Theatre For Young People (The Forks)* *(Free - coffee provided)* Do you work with newcomers to Canada? Do you get asked questions about transportation? Wonder how to use the power of the bicycle build self-esteem and create community? Whether its year-round or just when spring hits, bicycles can be a powerful tool. Learn how to make it easier for everyone to adopt. Join us for unique and exciting "train the trainers" workshop for those who work with new Canadians, refugees and others being run by Angela Van Der Kloof<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org/speaker-lineup/angela-van-der-kloo…> an internationally-reknowned educator, specialist in newcomer issues and an expert on bicycle skills programming who is joining us from Delft, Holland. *All the details on the workshop are here <http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org/welcome-to-canada-winter-riding-fo…>. * *Please RSVP to local organizer Robin Ellis at volunteer(a)thewrench.ca <volunteer(a)thewrench.ca>. * Thank you. The Organizing Team *Winter Cycling Congress Winnipeg 2014 <http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org/>* *Feb 12-14, 2014* *Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada* [image: Inline image 1] phone: 1-204-797-1962 email. info(a)wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org facebook. /Wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg<http://facebook.com/Wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg> twitter. @wccwpg <http://twitter.com/wccwpg>. #wccwpg #wintercycling

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Treat a cyclist like a horse?
by Dave Elmore 06 Feb '14

06 Feb '14

This UK commercial was banned because it showed a cyclist without a helmet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELId66LUupw Thanks Dave o _ ( \ _ (X)\ /(X)

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School Travel Planning Benefit Cost Analysis
by Jackie Avent (ASRTS) 06 Feb '14

06 Feb '14

Green Communities Canada, Metrolix and the University of Toronto have completed the first Canadian Benefit-Cost Analysis of School Travel Planning. Looking at 19 Ontario schools from varied urban, suburban and rural communities, the findings illustrate a benefit-cost ratio of 1.8. It's important to note that the estimated annual cost of $93,000 for the 19 projects is not the influx of all "new" money, but rather a re-prioritization of time and resources at a school, regional and provincial level along with some monetary investment. The one-year endeavour was estimated to garner $200,000 in annual health and societal benefits from car trip reduction and increases in walking. You can find the full-version of the report here<http://metrolinx.com/en/projectsandprograms/schooltravel/Costs_and_Benefits…>; the executive summary here<http://metrolinx.com/en/projectsandprograms/schooltravel/Costs_and_Benefits…> . Reposted from: http://www.greencommunitiescanada.org/blog/ School Travel Planning: The Way to Go <http://greencommunitiescanada.org/school-travel-planning-costs-and-benefits/> Posted on February 3, 2014<http://greencommunitiescanada.org/school-travel-planning-costs-and-benefits/><http://www.greencommunitiescanada.org/blog/> [image: Canada Walks Director Jacky Kennedy introduced School Travel Planning in Canada.]<http://greencommunities.nonprofitwebsites.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/sch…> Canada Walks Director Jacky Kennedy introduced School Travel Planning to Canada. The results are in: School Travel Planning (STP) is a cost-effective way to increase walking and cycling to school. What's more, it provides economic, health and environmental benefits. School Travel Planning is designed to take active school travel to the next level by comprehensively addressing barriers and incentives that affect behaviour. The first benefit-cost analysis<http://metrolinx.com/en/projectsandprograms/schooltravel/Costs_and_Benefits…> of STP projects in Canada was released in January 2014 and is a collaboration of Green Communities Canada, Metrolinx and the University of Toronto. Key findings, extrapolated for a full school year, show the 19 STP projects studied are estimated to have: - reduced 192,224 vehicle kilometres travelled; - reduced 41.7 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and 1.7 tonnes of air pollutants; and - increased physical activity, including 1.3 million minutes of walking, and 2 million minutes of cycling. Translated into dollars, this increase in walking and decrease in driving shows: - annual societal benefits of approximately $200,000; - net benefits of $1.8 million is STP if maintained for 11 years; and - an average benefit per student of approximately $221 over 11 years. Based on the average benefits versus the average costs per student, if STP programming was delivered across Ontario the benefit-cost ratio would be 1.8. In other words, benefits are almost double the costs. The STP model was introduced in response to studies showing the number of children being driven to school nearly doubled over the 20 year period between 1986 and 2006. Driving causes traffic congestion, safety concerns and increased air pollution around schools. STP promoted active and sustainable ways of getting to school at 71 elementary schools in Ontario between 2009 and 2012. -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 *|* Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>

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Fwd: [RAIN] Snow patterns showing opportunities for depaving
by Jackie Avent (ASRTS) 06 Feb '14

06 Feb '14

Here are some interesting photos from Philadelphia using snow patterns to show what parts of roads are used and what parts aren't. This could be useful in terms of planning for enhanced pedestrian crossings and/or including storm-water management infrastructure as part of the inclusion of AT infrastructure in roadway redevelopments... Jackie ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: <cblakelock(a)greencommunitiescanada.org> Date: 6 February 2014 10:27 Subject: [RAIN] Snow patterns showing opportunities for depaving To: rain(a)greencommunitiescanada.org, depave(a)greencommunitiescanada.org In case you missed it on facebook and twitter, here's a cool series of photos from Philadelphia showing how patterns in the snow can show what parts of roads are actually used and what aren't. http://thisoldcity.com/advocacy/photos-what-snow-tells-us-about-creating-be… It could be a fun idea to see if you can see examples of this in your communities and take photos to post on social media! *Clara Blakelock* Coordinator of Water Programs, Green Communities Canada (705) 745 7479 ext. 159 www.greencommunitiescanada.org www.slowrain.ca www.depaveparadise.ca www.raingardentour.ca _______________________________________________ RAIN mailing list RAIN(a)greencommunitiescanada.org http://greencommunitiescanada.org/mailman/listinfo/rain_greencommunitiescan… -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 *|* Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>

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New York's Cyclists Are Getting Better at Following the Rules
by Dave Elmore 05 Feb '14

05 Feb '14

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2014/02/new-york-more-cyclists-has- led-better-biking-habits/8299/ New York's Cyclists Are Getting Better at Following the Rules More New Yorkers are riding bicycles than ever before, on an ever-expanding network of bike lanes. The city's new bike-share system has had phenomenal early success, logging 40,000 trips daily on peak days in good weather, and even averaging nearly 9,600 in the cold and snowy month of January <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/29/nyregion/snow-ice-and-wind-no-issue-for-c iti-bikes-die-hards.html> . But it's not just the number of riders that is different from the past. A new study suggests that the way New Yorkers ride is changing - for the better. According to the research, conducted by Peter Tuckel and William Milczarski of Hunter College at the City University of New York, New Yorkers on bikes are measurably more law-abiding than they were just four years ago. They are also proportionally more female. The study, "Bike Lanes + Bike Share = Bike Safety" [PDF <http://silo-public.hunter.cuny.edu/62eaab1fad6c75d37293d2f2f6504a15adacd5c6 /Cycling_Study_January_2014.pdf> ], looked at the behavior of 4,316 bicyclists at 98 different locations in central and lower Manhattan. The researchers compared the resulting data to what they found in a similar, although not identical, survey in 2009. Since that year, the city has installed more than 200 more miles of bike lanes, for a total of 537 miles; launched a bike-share system with 6,000 bikes (in May 2013); and seen a pronounced increase in general ridership <http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/bicyclists/bike-counts.shtml> . Cyclists have a legitimate right to the street. What has changed, with so many more people on two wheels? "There has been a significant improvement in bike safety," says Tuckel. More riders are stopping, or at least pausing, at red lights; riding in bike lanes; and wearing helmets. Fewer riders are pedaling against traffic. This, despite predictions <http://www.policymic.com/articles/12371/citi-bike-share-program-in-nyc-will -bring-total-carnage/186972> that the launch of the city's bike-share program last May would mean chaos, as inexperienced riders hit the city's notoriously contested streets. "Everybody had predicted with the Citi Bike riders that there would be a spike in the number of accidents," says Tuckel. "I think it was the same people that predicted that the Broncos were going to win the Super Bowl. It didn't materialize." In fact, the study found that Citi Bike riders were exceptionally law-abiding, and there have been relatively few, mostly minor injuries <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/05/nyregion/no-riders-killed-in-first-5-mont hs-of-new-york-city-bike-share-program.html?_r=0> in the first few months of the program. Here are a few of the findings that Tuckel and Milczarski gleaned from their research: * The proportion of women pedaling on the city's streets is still low, just 21.1 percent. But compared to the 2009 study, the proportion of female riders to male has doubled. Women made up 31.1 percent of Citi Bike riders observed. * Women tend to be much more law-abiding than men in every way, but male bike-share riders stop fully at red lights at a rate significantly higher than male general cyclists or male delivery cyclists. * In the recent study, 34 percent of riders were observed going through red lights without pausing or stopping, down about 10 percentage points from 2009. * Just 4.2 percent of cyclists were observed riding against traffic in the street and 3.2 percent were riding against traffic in the bike lane, for a combined total of 7.4 percent - well below the 13.2 percent recorded in 2009. * Helmet use rose from 29.9 percent to 49.8 percent, with much of that being driven by an increase in use by male commercial cyclists (the city passed a law in 2007 that requires businesses to provide their delivery riders with helmets), who wore them at a rate of 72.7 percent. Among general male cyclists, helmet use also went up dramatically, from 32.2 percent to 47.8 percent. * Citi Bike riders in general are more compliant with traffic laws and ride in bike lanes at a higher rate than other riders. As for helmets, 31.1 percent of male Citi Bike riders and 36.2 percent of female Citi Bike riders were wearing them. "They're taking advantage of the infrastructure," says Tuckel of the bike-share user. "That's important from a policy standpoint." Not only did the presence of more bike infrastructure literally pave the way for the bike-share program in New York, he says, the lanes have made a place for a more diversified ridership. Women and Citi Bike riders of both sexes are more likely to use bike lanes when they are available. Tuckel says that the most recent data reflects an evolving street culture in New York, one in which drivers no longer have a monopoly on the roadway and all users are adjusting to new infrastructure. "I think what is happening now in New York City is that drivers realize that even though they have had a dominant position on the road, the roads now have to be shared," says Tuckel. "Drivers are becoming more aware of cyclists, and cyclists are becoming more aware of drivers. It's going to result in safer habits for drivers and cyclists."

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Free Creative Commuting Ambassador Sessions
by Jessie Klassen 05 Feb '14

05 Feb '14

Green Action Centre has some free upcoming Creative Commuting Ambassador Training<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/creative-commuting-ambassador-training/>sessions that may be of interest to many of you. Also, just a friendly reminded to strap on your skates, skis, snowshoes or otherwise for the Jack Frost Challenge<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/bougeons-en-hiver-the-jack-frost-challe…>starting this Saturday! [image: Inline image 3] *Creative Commuting Ambassador Training* Want to support your co-workers to bike, bus, walk or carpool? Does employee health and wellness or benefits fall under your responsibilities? Perhaps you simply want to improve green commuting options at your workplace. Sign up for one of our FREE workshops to increase your knowledge, answer questions and grow your toolkit of resources. *I: Tools and hands-on training* *Wednesday, February 26, 1:00 - 4:30pm* Become a Creative Commuting Ambassador at your workplace! Get the tools and guidance to support your co-workers to get the most out of their commutes. >From a basic primer on different types of bike infrastructure to transit tools, such as Navigo, BUStxt and transit apps, to understanding carpooling vs carsharing. *II: Baseline commuting surveys* *Wednesday, March 12, 12:00 - 1:30pm* Understanding how your co-workers currently get around will help inform your next steps. This 1-1/2 hour workshop will help you plan and create a basic online survey to determine existing commuting habits and what programs, policies or incentives could have the biggest impact on commuting choices at your workplace. *III: Creating change over time* *Wednesday, March 26, 1:00 - 4:30pm* Do you want to sing the praises of creative commuting with your co-workers but no one seems to be listening? Explore the many facets of behaviour change from a social marketing, transitions and systems perspective. Walk away with some strategies you can apply to create a more commuter friendly and active workplace. *Location: *All workshops are held in the EcoCentre boardroom (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave). *Register today: *Email beth(a)greenactioncentre.ca or jessie(a)greenactioncentre.ca today or call us at (204) 925-3772. *Jessie Klassen* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca>| Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3772 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>

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Sunday Review: When Pedestrians Get Mixed signals
by Beth McKechnie 02 Feb '14

02 Feb '14

SundayReview <http://www.nytimes.com/pages/opinion/index.html#sundayreview> |OPINION When Pedestrians Get Mixed Signals By TOM VANDERBILTFEB. 1, 2014 http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/02/opinion/sunday/when-pedestrians-get-mixed… A FEW years ago, I was waiting to cross the street in Los Angeles. And kept waiting. I watched several cycles of traffic go through the intersection. I checked my iPhone. I admired the distant Hollywood Hills. But the indication to walk never came. I was contemplating a four-lane dash when a man appeared who told me I had to press the "Walk" button. I did, and at the next signal change for cars, my signal appeared as well. At first, I applauded this municipal beneficence, which I encountered during a visit while researching my book. Los Angeles is looking after its pedestrians! In New York City, by contrast, the once-functioning "Walk" buttons were left to go dormant, then largely removed. But in my subsequent visits to Los Angeles, my feelings have shifted. The reason the buttons were rendered obsolete in New York is that there was no need for them. There were always pedestrians waiting to cross. In Los Angeles, the working button came to seem a rare and feeble plea: May I *please* cross the street? Let's put aside the tired trope that no one walks in Los Angeles -- Ray Bradbury nailed that one with his 1951 short story "The Pedestrian," about a man picked up by the police for the suspicious activity of walking. In fact, Los Angeles has many places that are quite pleasant for walking. Take the Silver Lake neighborhood: It does not even rank among the city's top 20 "most walkable" areas, according to the website Walk Score<http://www.walkscore.com/CA/Los_Angeles/Silver_Lake>, yet still wins 75 points ("most errands can be accomplished on foot") -- a number that puts many American cities to shame. In 2012, the city hired its first "pedestrian coordinators." But then came the surest indication of a walking resurgence in Los Angeles: It suddenly had a pedestrian problem. As The Los Angeles Times reported<http://articles.latimes.com/2013/dec/18/opinion/la-ed-jaywalking-20131218>, the Police Department was targeting people for a variety of pedestrian violations in downtown Los Angeles -- an area that once featured as an emptied post-apocalyptic wasteland in the 1971 science fiction movie "The Omega Man," but has of late enjoyed a renaissance of life, much of it occasioned by foot traffic. "We're heavily enforcing pedestrian violations because they're impeding traffic and causing too many accidents and deaths," said Lt. Lydia Leos<http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/police-crackdown-on-jaywalking-means-tic…> of the Los Angeles Police Department. Thus a familiar pattern reasserts itself: The best way to reduce pedestrian deaths is to issue tickets to pedestrians. A similar dynamic can be seen<http://www.newstimes.com/news/us/article/I-m-walkin-here-NYC-takes-aim-at-j…> in recent weeks after a spate of pedestrian deaths in New York City, where Mayor Bill de Blasio has endorsed more aggressive enforcement by the New York Police Department against jaywalkers. Enforcement against jaywalking varies between states, but it is an infraction in most, even a misdemeanor in some. The international picture is mixed: Crossing the road at other than a designated spot is also an offense in Canada, Spain, Poland and Australia, among other countries. Singapore is especially harsh -- jaywalking can earn a three-month prison sentence. As you might expect, Scandinavian countries are less punitive. In Britain, the term is rare, and the presumption is that crossing the road safely is a matter of personal responsibility. But neither enforcement nor education has the effect we like to think it does on safety. Decades of graphic teenage driving safety films did not bring down teenage driving deaths; what did was limiting the age and conditions under which teenagers could begin to drive. Similarly, all the "awareness campaigns" on seatbelt usage have had a fraction of the impact of simply installing that annoying chime that impels drivers to buckle up. If tough love will not make pedestrians safer, what will? The answer is: better walking infrastructure, slower car speeds and more pedestrians. But it's easier to write off the problem as one of jaywalkers. Nowadays, the word connotes an amorphous urban nuisance. In fact, the term once referred to country bumpkins ("jays"), who came to the city and perambulated in a way that amused and exasperated savvy urban bipeds. As the historian Peter Norton <http://virginia.academia.edu/PeterNorton> has documented, the word was then overhauled in the early part of the 20th century. A coalition of pro-automobile interests Mr. Norton calls "motordom" succeeded in shifting the focus of street safety from curbing the actions of rogue drivers to curbing rogue walkers. The pedestrian pushback was shortlived: An attempt to popularize the term "jay driver" was left behind in a cloud of exhaust. Sure, we may call an errant driver, per the comedian George Carlin, an "idiot" or a "maniac," but there is no word to tar an entire class of negligent motorists. This is because of the extent to which driving has been normalized for most Americans: We constantly see the world through what has been called the "windshield view." Those humans in Los Angeles who began walking a second or two after the light was blinking were, after all, violating the "Vehicle Code." Note that cars, apparently, do not violate a "Human Code." As for pedestrian safety, which is the typical stated purpose of jaywalking crackdowns, more pedestrians generally are killed in urban areas by cars violating their right of way than are rogue pedestrians violating vehicles' right of way. Then there are those people struck on sidewalks, even inside restaurants. What do we call that? Jay-living? I routinely jaywalk across one-way streets with my young daughter in our Brooklyn neighborhood. I do this not as an act of vigilante pedestrianism, but simply because the times we came closest to being hit by cars were when we had the "Walk" signal and a driver attempted to make a turn. Pedestrians, who lack air bags and side-impact crash protection, are largely rational creatures. Studies have shown that when you shorten the wait to cross a street, fewer people will cross against the light. When you tell people how long they must wait to cross, fewer people will cross against the signal. When you actually give people a signal, more will cross with it. As the field of behavioral economics has been discovering, rather than penalizing people for opting out of the system, a more effective approach is to make it easier to *opt in*. The Los Angeles Police Department may be patrolling on foot in downtown Los Angeles, but it is still looking through the windshield. Tom Vanderbilt is the author of "Traffic" and a visiting scholar at New York University's Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management.

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These 15 stories show exactly how great bikeways help local economies
by Dave Elmore 01 Feb '14

01 Feb '14

http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/these-15-stories-show-exactly-how-g reat-bikeways-help-local-economies These 15 stories show exactly how great bikeways help local economies January 15, 2014 Michael Andersen, Green Lane Project staff writer It's time for American bicycling advocates, government leaders and the public at large to permanently retire an idea that's been hurting our economy, preventing equitable development and generally holding our country back. Here's the destructive, mistaken idea: that great biking is something a city pays for if it can afford it. The truth is just the opposite. In the modern United States, creating protected bike lanes and other great bikeways are something a city does to help create prosperity. Great bikeways are things people make so they and their governments can afford to do all the other important things they want to do. Great biking, in other words, is wonderful. But for cities, it's not the end goal. Great biking is the means. The reason that not everyone already thinks this way - even many of us who passionately support bicycling - is that until recently, it wasn't nearly as true. In a major report being released today <http://peopleforbikes.org/page/-/uploads/GLP/Protected%20Bike%20Lanes%20Mea n%20Business.pdf> , the national research and advocacy groups PeopleForBikes <http://peopleforbikes.org> and the Alliance for Biking and Walking <http://peoplepoweredmovement.org> consider four megatrends that are transforming the U.S. economy in ways that are only now being widely understood, only now being integrated into the conventional wisdom of American communities and businesses. Here they are: * Skills are scarcer: Companies are scrambling to attract the most skilled Millennials and Gen X-ers, who increasingly prefer downtown jobs and commutes that don't involve a car. * Cities are more popular: Americans are flocking to urban areas, creating demand for solutions that increase traffic flow without adding congestion. * Unhealthy lifestyles are more expensive: With health care costs near an all-time high, employers are scrambling to encourage active living. * We are literally running out of room for all our cars: In the country's newly thriving urban shopping districts, physical space is at a higher premium than ever before. In today's report, we use 15 stories from thriving businesses in Texas, Illinois, Oregon, California and Washington DC, backed with up-to-the-minute research from academic and government studies, to show with concrete examples and personal stories how bicycles, and the protected bike lanes that are proven to put more people on bicycles, are solving each of these problems and creating economic growth for the cities that are using them. We'll also be covering these issues over the next week here on the blog. But you can start by checking out the full report <http://peopleforbikes.org/page/-/uploads/GLP/Protected%20Bike%20Lanes%20Mea n%20Business.pdf> , and maybe sharing it with someone else who might be interested. Neither of you may think about better biking the same way again.

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