>From the Victoria Transport Policy Institute newsletter:
"Whose Roads? Evaluating Bicyclists’ and Pedestrians’ Right to Use Public Roadways"
http://www.vtpi.org/whoserd.pdf
Many
people believe that non-motorized modes (walking, cycling, and their
variants) have less right to use public roads than motorists, based on
assumptions that motor vehicle travel is more important than
non-motorized travel and motor vehicle user fees finance roads. This
report investigates these assumptions. It finds that non-motorized modes
have clear legal rights to use public roads, that non-motorized travel
is important for an efficient transport system and provides significant
benefits to users and society, that less than half of roadway expenses
are financed by motor vehicle user fees, and pedestrians and cyclists
pay more than their share of roadway costs. Since bicycling and walking
impose lower roadway costs than motorized modes, people who rely on
non-motorized modes tend to overpay their fair share of roadway costs
and subsidize motorists.
"Active Transportation Beyond Urban Centers: Walking and Bicycling in Small Towns and Rural America"
http://www.railstotrails.org/resources/documents/ourWork/reports/BeyondUrbanCentersReport.pdf
This attractive report by the Rails To Trails Conservancy and Bikes
Belong describes why and how to support walking and cycling in small
towns and rural areas.
"City Cycling" edited by John Pucher and Ralph Buehler, forthcoming (October 2012)
http://www.amazon.ca/City-Cycling-John-Pucher/dp/0262517817/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338577235&sr=8-1
Bicycling in cities is booming, for many reasons: health and
environmental benefits, time and cost savings, more and better bike
lanes and paths, innovative bike sharing programs, and
the sheer fun of riding. City Cycling offers a
guide to this urban cycling renaissance, with the goal of
promoting cycling as sustainable urban transportation available to
everyone. It reports on cycling trends and policies in
cities in North America, Europe, and Australia, and
offers information on such topics as cycling safety, cycling
infrastructure provisions including bikeways and bike parking, the
wide range of bike designs and bike equipment,
integration of cycling with public transportation, and
promoting cycling for women and children. City Cycling
emphasizes that bicycling should not be limited to those who are
highly trained, extremely fit, and daring enough to
battle traffic on busy roads. The chapters describe ways
to make city cycling feasible, convenient, and safe for commutes to
work and school, shopping trips, visits, and other daily
transportation needs. The book also offers detailed
examinations and illustrations of cycling conditions in
different urban environments: small cities (including Davis, California,
and Delft, the Netherlands), large cities (including
Sydney, Chicago, Toronto and Berlin), and "megacities"
(London, New York, Paris, and Tokyo). These chapters offer a
closer look at how cities both with and without historical cycling
cultures have developed cycling programs over time. The
book makes clear that successful promotion of city
cycling depends on coordinating infrastructure, programs, and government
policies.