Welcome to the first of my new series featuring the wacky, weird, creative, confusing, impressive, and depressing ways that planners try to accomodate cyclists, pedestrians, and transit users.
This week, I decided to start the series strong, with an example from my own commute: the Taylor/Mabury/Highway 101 bike/ped bridge!
Not as safe as it looks. Photo credit www.pedbikeimages.org / Judi Lawson Wallace
A friend of my fiancée got his bike stolen a while back. It was locked up on the SJSU campus and he was away from it for about ten minutes while he peeked into her gallery to offer her a hand. It was also this man's birthday. Surprise - your bike is gone!
Terrifying snow photo credit pedbikeimages.org / Max Bushell
As some of you may know, I moonlight as a full-time Global Studies student at SJSU. I'm taking a class this semester called "Global Citizenship," in which we frequently welcome guest speakers. Last night's guest speaker was Dr. David Steele, Dean of the College of Business at SJSU and former President for Chevron Latin America. Being the environmentally and socially conscious young firebrand that I am, I was fully prepared to use the Q&A portion of the evening to thrust at the good doctor with my rapier wit.
Some cyclists are vehicular in nature - they want to be treated just like cars on the road. Others are fans of specialized bicycle infrastructure like bike lanes and cycletracks. Many of us employ a combination of these two views to get where we're going safely and quickly. Whatever your opinion on the subject, a new report in the Injury Prevention Journal provides some very interesting data on urban bike paths.
My boss, Corinne Winter, the Executive Director of SVBC, will join 99 other outstanding women to be featured in the Women of Influence special publication in the March 18 issue of the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal.
Here's a letter I recently received from reader "BR" about a near-miss with a VTA bus and the steps he took afterward. I particularly like this anecdote, as it shows that not only was BR being level-headed during and after his close encounter, but also that VTA responded quickly and thoroughly when they received a complaint.
Earlier this week, I participated in a meeting of advocates to discuss the Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS), which seeks to align transportation, land use, and housing policies to meet greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goals set forth by California's S.B. 375. The Bay Area's GHG reduction goals are seven percent per capita by 2020 and 15 percent per capita by 2035.
I just stumbled across this footage from the fixie trick jam at last year's ViaVelo. Seeing those crowds of people gathered 'round to watch the tricks made me remember what a great day it was. I heard plenty of people who had never seen a 180 on a track bike (and didn't know what a track bike was), telling each other how much fun they were having at San José's first open streets event.
A little visual reminiscence after the jump...
At the recent Winter Party, our executive director, Corinne Winter, ran through a list of our recent accomplishments. At the risk of sounding immodest, I've compiled her main points below. Feel free to use these wins to badger your friends, family, and coworkers into becoming SVBC members.
This just landed in the SVBC mail bag. It's a trailer for Pedal Driven, a documentary chronicling the battle between DIY mountain bike trail blazers and the government agencies tasked with protecting the federal lands being illegally striped with singletrack. Now, here at SVBC we strictly do not advocate the breaking of laws. We do, however, often work to get laws changed. In that spirit, I urge you to take a look at the trailer. If you'd like to see the film finished and distributed, throw these folks a couple of dollars. They're a little past halfway toward their $15,000 goal.
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I'm off to Costa Rica for two months of studying Spanish and working on an organic coffee farm! Worry not, dear readers, as this is only a two-month absence. I will be back before you can say "automobile-centric transportation." In the meanwhile, my highly capable colleagues will be handling the website end of things.
A new housing development in Gaston, SC in slated to be car-free, with 4.5 miles of bike trails and walking paths. Sounds like fun! Can you imagine never having traffic driving past your front porch? I guess residents will have to get their packages sent via UPS bike delivery.
From Take Part:
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Grab your white gloves and dog handler/lackey. Bike to Work month is for everybody, even the wealthy and bizarre!
The poster for ViaVelo has been finalized! Isn't it enchanting?
If you're not yet familiar with ViaVelo, check out the webpage at http://bikesiliconvalley.org/mattson-viavelo2010. Show up to have fun, volunteer, or promote your green organization. It's urban free-wheelin' fun!
