07.17.08
Posted in Advocacy
by Mark Dieterich at 10:11 am
I joined a fellow cyclist during the commute home last night as he picked up his daughter from day-care. The kids were outside playing in a fenced in area. As he went in to get his daughter, I stood by the fence to wait. Before long, I had attracted most of the kids in the play area. Many of them were eagerly telling me about their bikes, who had training wheels, who road a tag-a-long, and peppered me with questions about my bike. It was great, but it got me thinking. What happens between this age, when almost every kid is interested in riding a bike, and adulthood? Why do we stop riding bikes? According to a recent New York Times article, it could be part of a much larger trend
Young children spend an extraordinary amount of time moving about: an average of three hours a day at age 9, new research shows.
But in just a few short years, all that childhood energy disappears. By the age of 15, daily physical activity is down to just 49 minutes on weekdays and about a half-hour on weekends, according to the research, being published Wednesday in The Journal of the American Medical Association.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I was astonished by these numbers. A 15 year old kid is getting just 50 minutes of exercise per day and even less on weekends! No wonder our national childhood obseity rates are so high. We, as a cycling community, need to figure out how to harness this childhood enthusiasm and keep kids on bikes as they grow older. If we can manage to introduce them to an alternative transportation mode at an early age, perhaps society in general will gradually shift away from being so car centric.
I’m up for doing what I can over the long haul and hope you are too!
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07.16.08
Posted in Advocacy
by Mark Dieterich at 11:47 pm
In case you didn’t hear, there was a recent case of extreme road rage outside Los Angeles, CA. From The Reeves Law Group website:
On the 4th of July, about 300 cyclists set off on a holiday bicycle ride to the top of Mandeville Canyon road in Brentwood. The event is a popular one with cyclists in the area, and takes place at least 5 to 6 times a year, drawing plenty of LA cyclists.
On the descent, one of the cyclists was injured, and had to be taken to the hospital. Two of his buddies, 40-year-old Ron Peterson and 28-year-old Christian Stoher, stayed back and tended to him, while the ambulance arrived. Later, as the two set off back down the hill, a car passed close to them and shouted obscenities. Then, as it moved ahead of the cyclists, the driver of the car pulled in front of the cyclists and slammed on his brakes. Christian was able to dodge in time, but was still injured after losing control of his bicycle, while Ron was thrown through the back window of the car, breaking the windshield. His nose was partially severed, and he received severe facial lacerations.
The driver of the car, Dr. Christopher Thompson, stopped and identified himself as a doctor, but offered the two severely injured cyclists no help or emergency care.
I was relieved to keep reading and see that
the police have now said they are treating this as a road rage incident and as a felony criminal assault, and not as a bicycle accident. The doctor has been arrested, and has been released after he posted $30,000 bail. He is due in court next month.
Not only do I hope he is found criminally guilty for this horrible act, but I also hope he looses his medical license. At least one LA council member was reactionary enough to call
for a meeting soon with cyclists in the area, council members and traffic police to discuss the rising conflicts between cyclists and motorist on the road. More and more people are choosing to cycle, not just for recreation, but as a cost saving measure in these days of rising gas prices. As more cyclists take to the street, there are going to be more such “road rage” incidents that we see.
Perhaps it’s time we do the same in Providence, before we have such an incident on our hands.
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Posted in Tales from the Trenches
by Mark Dieterich at 11:21 pm
Sorry, this rant isn’t completely bike related, but I’m posting it anyways because I still can’t believe what I experienced.
I was on my way home today when I approached two young ladies physically standing in the street in a painted crosswalk, obviously waiting to cross the road. As I rolled up, I dutifully came to a stop. Together we waited as I counted seven cars drive past, one of them briefly stopping on and blocking the crosswalk because traffic was backed up. Eventually, I pulled out and physically blocked the lane of traffic with my bike, only to watch two more cars drive through the crosswalk going the opposite direction. After they crossed the road, I continued on my way, only to be honked and glared at by the motorist I blocked. Luckily, it must have been too hot outside to open a window or I might have heard some choice words as well.
What has happened to the people in this country? Why are we in such a hurry, when we get behind the wheel, that we blatantly break the law and utterly disrespect pedestrians.
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Posted in Advocacy
by Mark Dieterich at 8:29 pm
Now that we have a shiny new bike trail in Providence, I thought it prudent that we take a few minutes and review what the RI General Laws Title 31 Motor & Other Vehicles section has to say specifically about bike lanes. This way, we can all be aware of our rights while pedaling through this area. Below I’ve paraphrased each section, click on the link to read the actual law:
- A bicycle lane is a portion of road designated for the exclusive use of bicycles. The operation and parking of motor vehicles is prohibited within the lane. Motorists may cross a bicycle lane when making a turn, entering or leaving the roadway or a parking lane, or when required in the course of official duty.
- Motorists about to cross a bicycle lane must yield the right-of-way to any person operating a bicycle or motorized wheelchair upon the bicycle lane.
- Persons operating a motorized wheelchair are permitted to use the bicycle lane for travel.
- No person shall stop, stand, or park a vehicle in a bicycle lane, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with law or the directions of a police officer.
- Motorists can not open a vehicle door unless and until it is reasonably safe to do so, and can be done without interfering with the movement of other traffic, including bicycles on sidewalks, shoulders, or bicycle lanes.
- Except as provided in § 31-15-17, no person shall operate any motor vehicle on a bicycle lane. In particular:
- Any person who operates a motor vehicle upon any bicycle lane, trail or path shall be punishable by a fine of one hundred dollars ($100).
- The division of motor vehicles, upon receiving a record of the conviction of any person upon a charge of operating a motor vehicle on a bicycle lane, trail or path, shall suspend the person’s operator’s license for a period of six (6) months.
- Emergency vehicle and employees of federal, state, and local government shall be exempt from the provisions when acting in the scope of their official duties.
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Posted in Events
by Mark Dieterich at 2:19 pm
*PROVIDENCE -* Mayor David N. Cicilline and Councilman Cliff Wood will join residents to celebrate the addition of a new bike lane along Blackstone Boulevard on Thursday, July 17 at 1.pm. near Lippitt Park (at the intersection of Blackstone and Hope Street).
The Mayor will also join cyclists for the inaugural bike ride along Blackstone following the news conference. The two-mile bike lane will eventually link to the Blackstone River Bikeway and the East Bay Bike Path and is part of an ongoing effort to make Providence a more bike-friendly city.
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Posted in Events
by Mark Dieterich at 7:21 am
| July 26, 2008 |
| 9:00 am | to | 5:00 pm |
The Green Grease Monkeys from Boston will be doing their second conversion demo on July 26 at Circle A Cycles, 523 Charles St, from 9-5. They’ll be converting a VW Jetta TDI, and the cost is $50 per person, half of which goes to Recycle A Bike.
I think they ask that we all bring something for a lunch potluck. We’ll provide the espresso. Folks can contact me for more info, or sign up with Patrick directly at
pkeaney@netway.com.
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07.11.08
Posted in Advocacy
by Margherita at 7:25 am
July 11, 2008
Closing on Broadway: Two Traffic Lanes
In a surprising reshaping of the urban landscape, the city is creating a public esplanade along a portion of one of its most prominent streets, Broadway in Midtown, setting aside the east side of the roadway for a bicycle lane and a pedestrian walkway with cafe tables, chairs, umbrellas and flower-filled planters.
The esplanade, which the city is calling Broadway Boulevard, will run from 42nd Street to Herald Square. Scheduled to open in mid-August, it will change that section of Broadway from a four-lane to a two-lane street.
“I’m envisioning it as a public park on the street,” said Barbara Randall, the executive director of the Fashion Center Business Improvement District, which is working with the city’s Department of Transportation to create the boulevard.
The work, which has begun without a formal public announcement, reflects Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s sweeping vision of reducing pollution and traffic congestion in New York, and particularly Manhattan, by increasing open space and encouraging bike riding and other alternatives to cars.
The plan also makes clear that the Bloomberg administration, after losing its bid in Albany for a congestion-pricing plan that would have fought traffic by charging drivers to enter the area of Manhattan below 59th Street, intends to push ahead with smaller-scale initiatives to wrest at least part of the street from cars and trucks.
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07.08.08
Posted in Advocacy
by Margherita at 7:08 am
2. TRANSPORTATION: Altered habits may mean drastic changes to highway reauthorization (07/07/2008)
Josh Voorhees, E&E Daily reporter
Shifting American transportation habits fueled by soaring gas prices are helping to paint an uncertain picture for the forthcoming reauthorization of the current national surface transportation law.
“The American attitude toward energy and transportation has fundamentally changed, and it’s not going to change back,” said Bracken Hendricks, a senior fellow at the liberal Center for American Progress.
He said lawmakers are feeling the heat to ensure that when the current transportation law — the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, or SAFETEA-LU — expires Sept. 30, 2009, its next incarnation should reflect the public shift.
The emphasis on changing the national transportation strategy was clear in a report issued earlier this year by a bipartisan commission of federal and regional transportation officials (Greenwire, Jan. 15).
While the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission made headlines for recommending a dramatic increase in the federal fuel tax, the heart of the report called for sweeping changes to the nation’s surface transportation policy — from instituting user fees on highways to building a more effective passenger rail system to link major cities and growing urban regions.
“There is increased pressure to re-examine the formula used to allocate funds for transit,” said Brackens, who served as an assistant to Vice President Al Gore assistant during the Clinton administration.
Even those analysts who discount current trends as the short-term result of temporary fuel spikes say the upcoming authorization will likely drastically alter the national infrastructure strategy.
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Posted in Advocacy
by Margherita at 7:06 am
2. TRANSPORTATION: Land-use planning more powerful tool
Debra Kahn, ClimateWire reporter
SAN FRANCISCO — California’s global warming plan is the first in the country to attempt to include land-use planning in estimating possible future emissions reductions. Transportation experts are saying the state could go even further in pursuit of emissions cuts from that method today, although the bulk of emissions cuts stemming from land use will come in future decades.
California’s plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent by 2020, released in draft form late last month, contains a variety of measures that address emissions from most sectors of the economy for a total of 169 million metric tons of reductions by 2020. For the transportation sector, the biggest contributor to emissions, the draft plan estimates that the majority of cuts — nearly 80 percent — will come from more stringent fuel economy standards for vehicles and a low-carbon fuel standard for refiners.
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07.03.08
Posted in Advocacy
by Margherita at 9:35 am
TRANSPORTATION: Bicyclists gear up for gas-free Fourth of July (07/03/2008)
Robin Bravender, ClimateWire reporter
While soaring gas prices have stopped some motorists from making Independence Day forays, others are venturing out for road trips that don’t involve expensive stops at the petroleum pump.
Bicycle enthusiast Rebecca Jensen, 23, is planning to spend the day on a bike trip with her parents, “winery hopping” around Walla Walla, Wash., in the southeast corner of the state.
Jensen doesn’t own a car and travels almost everywhere on her bicycle. She commutes to her job at a coffee shop on her bicycle and started a program at a community center teaching others how to fix their own bikes. She said since gas prices have increased, she has seen more bikes and “definitely more two-wheeled vehicles in general” out on the road with her.
“When I’m with people and they complain about gas, I do smile to myself, because I don’t have to directly pay for it,” Jensen said.
In a country famous for its love of cars, lifestyles like Jensen’s are still far from the norm. Yet with gas soaring above $4 per gallon, industry leaders say a growing number of summer travelers are eyeing bike trips with new appreciation.
For the first time this decade, AAA predicts a decline in the number of U.S. travelers over the July Fourth holiday. About 400,000 fewer people are expected to drive this holiday weekend, a 1.2 percent drop from 2007. It’s the second consecutive travel holiday this year, following Memorial Day, when AAA has forecast a decline.
And the drop-off might be even steeper than the organization has predicted.
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