12.16.08

Which works out to be cheaper?

Posted in Advocacy by Margherita at 5:00 pm

DAVID BEERS

From Monday’s Globe and Mail

December 15, 2008 at 12:00 AM EST

Humanity is threatened by a global-warming crisis. Canada, facing the crisis of global financial meltdown, is looking for ways to keep people working. The time is ripe, it seems, for an era of massive, green public-works projects.

Projects like a 12-kilometre SkyTrain subway line connecting Vancouver to the University of British Columbia.

Imagine that train packed with smiling, eco-guilt-free students zipping on and off their secluded campus by the sea. The UBC subway line, which would run through the heart of the city, is already on the drawing board, slated for 2020. Provincial and Vancouver political leaders have voiced their enthusiasm. The price tag is set at $2.8-billion.

Well, hold on there. Patrick Condon, senior researcher at the Design Centre for Sustainability at UBC, has run further numbers and believes he has a more sensible plan.

Read the rest of this entry »

12.15.08

Washington Bridge update

Posted in Advocacy, Bike Commuting by Eric at 5:35 pm

The rumors are true, RIDOT will soon be re-opening the narrow Washington Bridge sidewalk connecting India Point Park and East Providence.

Late this month or early in January, the fences will be removed and bike commuters will no longer be forced to use the Henderson Bridge to cross the Seekonk River.  This is a temporary reopening, and access will be closed again once construction of the George Redman Linear Park is imminent.

Speaking of the Linear Park: there is currently some $15 million in place, but the project as currently designed would now cost $33 million to construct. To get this project back on track, RIDOT will be conducting a “value engineering” study in January or February of 2009, to examine how the design might be altered in order to bring the cost down, making it more feasible given current funding realities, while not diminishing the central utility of the project as a transportation route for bikes and pedestrians. More on that will be posted here when the information is available.

12.10.08

preaching to the choir?

Posted in Advocacy by Eric at 12:20 pm

Perhaps so.  In that case, just send this on to friends and family.  Here is a tool for calculating the true cost to you of owning a car (not just the price of gas, registration and insurance!).

http://www.commutesolutions.org/calc.htm

Near the bottom of the page, you will find a link to a page showing where they came up with the various per-mile costs.

12.05.08

Bike Providence – networking

Posted in Advocacy, General by Eric at 4:25 pm

The Providence Bicycle Coalition has been notoriously underrepresented at Green Drinks in Providence. What’s Green Drinks, you ask? It is this, and it happens every month in our town. This month, we meet at the offices of the R.I. Green Building Council, 28 Wolcott St, which is here, sort of behind the VA Hospital.  Starts at 5 pm.  Ends when you leave.

So come on out and meet other bike advocates, as well as environmentalists from all sorts of fields! See you there.

Electric Bikes

Posted in Advocacy by Margherita at 9:54 am

TRANSPORTATION: Electric bicycles drawing U.S. consumer interest (12/05/2008)

Sales of electric bikes — a category of vehicles that combine pedal power with electric assistance — are on the rise in the United States as major producers rush to put more of them on their shelves.

U.S. consumers are projected to buy a record 170,000 e-bikes — which range in price from $350 to $14,000 — this year, up from 120,000 in 2007, according to Frank Jamerson, an e-bike supporter who tracks the industry.

Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, began selling e-bikes from Currie Technologies — the largest U.S. producer of e-bikes — and Toys”R”Us plans to expand its distribution tenfold to 550 stores. Target also sells the bikes.

“This has been the most rapid growth year in the company’s [10-year] history,” said Larry Pizzi, Currie’s president. “We’ve seen dramatically increased interest thanks to financial motivations, environmental concerns.”

The increased U.S. sales come as demand slackens in China, the world’s largest market for e-bikes, where 20 million are sold annually.

But the industry’s recent success could disappear amid a drop in gasoline prices, which decreases the cost of automotive commuting, and the recession, as bicycle purchases are closely correlated with disposable income (Olga Kharif, BusinessWeek, Dec. 4). – PR

12.03.08

Save the Bay Community Cleanup

Posted in Events by Mark Dieterich at 11:41 am

December 7, 2008
9:00 am

I received word from the folks at Save the Bay that they are hosting a community cleanup this coming Saturday.  Their focus will be along the East Bay Bike Path, so I thought some of you might be interested.  Here’s the official announcement:

We’ve had a volunteer just schedule a Community Cleanup for this Sunday, December 7th in East Providence – if you’re free and looking for something to do and or some community service – please sign up!

Community Cleanup of East Providence

Meet at the parking lot at the East Bay Bike Path on Veterans Memorial Parkway at 9 am on Sunday the 7th

Dress for the weather, bring your own work gloves and a drink.

Your leader will be Rob Resendes

Please sign up by emailing shessler@savebay.org or calling 401.272.3540 x 130

Advocacy Meeting – Dec. 4th

Posted in Events, Meetings by Mark Dieterich at 10:36 am

December 4, 2008
6:00 pm

Sorry everyone… I got tied up in the holiday festivities and enjoyed a nice long vacation ;)   However, it meant I forgot to post an advocacy announcement.  Yes, we are having our monthly advocacy meeting.  It will be tomorrow, Dec. 4th @6pm, at the office of Red Five Sports Group (269 S Main St, Providence).

I’ll try to go back and edit this post later in the day with an agenda… if I don’t get around to it, just show up and join the fun!