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Bogota Holds Car Ban Referendum
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How Cities Can Win In The New Economy
ECGA And Amtrak Link Bikes And Trains
Fort Collins Considers Bike Depot
Bikes Belong Coalition Announces Grants
In Ireland, Car Free Day Was A Big Success
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WALK AND LEARN: INTERNATIONAL WALK TO SCHOOL DAY
The results are in from the International Walk To School
Day and, by all measures, it was a tremendous success. From
the U.S. Capital Region to Cyprus to the Isle of Man,
children, parents, educators, policy-makers and others came
together to focus on the health, safety and well being of
kids -- and learn some lessons along the way:
"I like walking to school because you get fresh air. It
makes me feel healthy. It's good exercise for everyone, you
talk to different people, make different friends, you can
talk to your friends. If you walk it prevents air
pollution. It makes you feel fit." [Robert, student, Year
5, walking with Northborough Primary in Peterborough,
Cambridgeshire, Great Britain]
"I believe the best part of the walk was seeing all the
children, parents, school staff, school superintendent,
police officer and other important people from the
community walk, talk and smiling together." [Parent Jackie
Edwards, walking with Spring Hill Elementary in Xenia,
Ohio, USA]
"I found that our students are often more knowledgeable
about school zone speeding laws and traffic safety than are
the adults. So I would encourage students worldwide to
practice good pedestrian safety themselves, and to
encourage their parents to slow down and pay attention when
they are driving." [Chief of Police Charles H. Ramsey,
walking with J.O. Wilson Elementary in District of
Columbia, USA]
"We're all about trying to promote physically active
living. I think too often our students see that as
something you do during a half-hour P.E. class two or three
times a week. They forget that it's a community-based thing
and a lifestyle-based thing." [a physical education
professor at Virginia Tech University commenting on getting
his students involved in community pedestrian programs,
Blacksburg, Virginia, USA]
(here's our favorite)
"I had fun." [Curriculum Director School Administrator,
Helena, Montana, USA]
To learn more about the International Walk to School Day
events, visit: http://www.iwalktoschool.org
To see more about Safe Routes to School and Walk a Child to
School programs and more, see:
http://www.bikewalk.org/PubHealth.htm
NEW TRIP REPORT BOOSTS BIGGER ROADS FOR SENIORS
There's a new report out called "Traffic Safety And
Older Americans: Making Roads Safer For Motorists."
Published by FHWA's "The Road Information Program" (TRIP),
it reminds one of the old adage: "To a man with a hammer,
everything looks like a nail."
Noting the growing number of older drivers killed in
crashes and the rapidly aging baby boomer generation, the
authors suggest a number of measures to help senior drivers
out. Some of them are pretty obvious: clearer signs, bigger
letters, better lighting. However, in many ways the report
seems like a rationalization for the "bigger is better"
agenda -- more left turn and deceleration lanes, wider
lanes, rumble strips, etc.
Of course, with a name like "Making Roads Safer for
Motorists" one could expect little consideration of
pedestrians or bicyclists and you won't find those words
mentioned anywhere. Clearly, there is little in this report
that reflects the need for a balanced transportation system.
But even with respect to older drivers, it seems
superficial. The report doesn't discuss complexity or speed
as problems for older drivers. Do the authors believe that
12-lane expressways with complex interchanges -- even with
big signs or wide lanes -- are senior-friendly?
And, since reaction time increases as we age and
recognition of important features can take more time, it
would make sense to focus on speed as a concern. Many older
drivers seek out slow routes. But reducing speeds through
design isn't discussed.
A recent survey conducted by the American Association of
Retired Persons (AARP) showed that 66% of older drivers
avoid certain routes. Of those, 9% avoid "four lane, high
speed roads," 12% avoid roads in poor condition, 30% avoid
interstate highways, and 34% avoid heavy traffic. It sounds
like many seniors avoid the wide roads promoted by the
TRIP report.
Finally, there seems little recognition that sooner or
later nearly everyone must stop driving, regardless of the
size of the signs or the width of the lanes. Once that
happens, as the AARP report shows, seniors still need to
get around. If transportation planners don't plan walkable
communities with decent transit, baby boomer seniors will
suffer the consequences.
"Traffic Safety and Older Americans: Making Roads Safer for
Motorists" is available at
http://www.tripnet.org/OlderDriversStudyOct2000.PDF
The AARP Transportation Survey can be downloaded from:
http://research.aarp.org/il/d16603_commtran_1.html
THE 1000th MILLENNIUM TRAIL--COULD IT BE YOURS?
According to the Rails to Trails Conservatory, "Our
nation is very close to being able to designate the 1,000th
Community Millennium Trail as part of the Millennium
Trails initiative. You can help reach this milestone in the
year 2000. If you haven't already done so, we encourage
you to nominate and register a trail for Community
Millennium Trail designation Please help demonstrate the
nationwide pride and support for the thousands of trails
across the country that have made such important contributions
to their communities. There will be special recognition
for the 1,000th Community Millennium Trail.
"The process is simple. You can nominate a trail on-line
via the Millennium Trails website at http://www.millenniumtrails.org.
The application is one page, and will only take a few
moments to complete. Each designated Community Millennium
Trail will receive a trail marker and certificate from the
White House Millennium Council. We keep hearing stories of
how Millennium Trails designation has created new
partnerships, funding opportunities and publicity. Please
help us recognize your tremendous contribution to your
community! For more info, call: 1-877-MIL-TRLS.
Source: Karen Nozik, RTC rtcknozik@transact.org
BOGOTA HOLDS CAR BAN REFERENDUM
The City of Bogota will hold a referendum on October 29,
2000 proposing a ban on car use during peak hours beginning
January 1st, 2015. Should the people of Bogota vote
favorably on this issue, cars would be banned from using
any city street from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and from 4:30
p.m. until 7:30 p.m. during weekdays.
The referendum also includes a proposal about establishing
the celebration of a Car Free Day once a year, as of the
year 2001, every first Thursday of February in Bogota. Car
circulation would be prohibited on this day from 6:30 a.m.
until 7:30 p.m.
Bogota, a 6.5 million inhabitants city, whose population is
growing 160,000 per year, has a low motorization rate, with
only 120 cars per 1,000 people. More than 80% of the
population uses a low-quality bus system. The present city
administration is structuring a very modern bus system
based on exclusive bus ways which should reach all points
in the city by the year 2015. The current administration
has also promoted bike use which has grown from 0,5% to
nearly 4% today. A bike path network of more than 200
kilometers is being built and should be in operation by the
beginning of the year 2001...
For more information, contact Oscar Edmundo Diaz with the
Office of the Mayor at consnacion@interred.net.co or
visit the website:
http://www.alcaldiabogota.gov.co
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TO WIN IN NEW ECONOMY, CITIES MUST ADD AMENITIES -- LIKE BIKE PATHS
In an article entitled "Old ways of luring business
don't work in the 'new economy," Philadelphia Inquirer
writer Andrew Cassel says "The key is people, people,
people, a new study says. That is a message Philadelphia
does not seem to be getting. If Philadelphia were serious
about wanting to claim a place in the "new economy," the
region's leading lights would be fussing much less about
new sports stadiums, and much more about bicycle paths.
"Boating, hiking and rock-climbing would rank much higher
on the civic priority list, too - maybe right up there with
orchestra halls and hotels. And we'd be doing a lot more to
encourage immigrants, gays and other 'outsider' groups to
settle here.
"That's the advice of Richard Florida, a professor of
regional economic development at Carnegie-Mellon University
in Pittsburgh. He's been studying how some American cities
became magnets for high-tech enterprise, and has concluded
that the answer is mostly - people..."
For the rest of the article, go to:
http://web.philly.com/content/inquirer/2000/10/09/business/CASS09.htm
ECGA AND AMTRAK LINK BIKES AND TRAINS
According to Bikeleague News #5, "On September 14, the
East Coast Greenway Alliance and Amtrak announced their
partnership to forge an unprecedented intermodal network,
connecting Amtrak's passenger trains to 2,600 miles of
bikeways and trails in 15 states and the District of
Columbia. Amtrak Board of Directors Vice Chair and former
Governor Michael S. Dukakis announced Amtrak's Bikes on
Board effort. Dukakis was joined by E.S. Bagley, Jr.,
President of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, East Coast
Greenway Alliance Chairman Pat King, U.S. Department of
Transportation Assistant Secretary Gene Conti and
Environmental Protection Agency Chief of Staff Reid
Wilson...Cyclists traveling between east coast cities will
soon be able to use Amtrak's easy-on easy-off bicycle
accommodations."
For info on the new service visit: http://www.greenway.org
To subscribe to Bikeleague News, email
bikeleague@bikeleague.org
FORT COLLINS (CO) CONSIDERS BIKE DEPOT
According to Bicycle Colorado's October 16th
e-newsletter, "The City of Fort Collins is evaluating the
feasibility of a Bicycle Depot facility in Fort Collins. It
could offer services such as valet bike parking, rentals,
maintenance and repairs, restrooms and changing areas,
food/beverage services, retail opportunities, bus pass
sales and other services geared to bicycle commuters, avid
bicyclists, and leisure riders arriving or departing from
downtown Fort Collins." For info, contact Tom Reiff at the
City of Fort Collins Transportation Planning Department
(970-416-2040). For more on Bicycle Depots (or
bikestations), visit http://www.bikestation.org/
Source: Bicycle Colorado: http://bicyclecolo.org/
BIKES BELONG COALITION ANNOUNCES FL, NY, & MT GRANT RECIPIENTS
At the recent Interbike bike show, Rich Olken, Bikes
Belong Coalition's Executive Director, announced three new
grants for bicycle projects.
One of the recipients is the East Coast Greenway Alliance
in Florida. Financial assistance from Bikes Belong will
help the Alliance map specific routes for a network of bike
paths in Florida. Bikes Belong is also giving $10,000 to
Transportation Alternatives of New York, New York, to be
used on the Hudson River Greenway's Riverside South
Connector. Running along the water and through land owned
by Donald Trump, the path should soon be open. And,
finally, Bikes Belong will match funds for a
rails-with-trails project in Missoula, Montana. Olken said
project developers see the plan not only as beneficial to
those who will use the trail, but also as something that
will boost the local economy.
Quote to put on the fridge: U.S. Senator Max Baucus (D,MT),
a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works
Committee, supported the Montana project. "I remain
committed to sustaining TEA-21 funding for bicycle
transportation," Baucus said.
Source: http://www.bikesbelong.org/bbcnews.htm
According to Joel Rizzo, the City's Bicycle Coordinator,
"The City of San Diego is creating an Adopt-A-Bikeway
program similar to the other Adopt-A-xxx programs in
California for maintenance on our Bike Paths. So Far,
initial estimates are showing about a $200,000 -$250,000
savings yearly to taxpayers for existing facilities and
additional savings will grow considerably over the next 5
years."
Source: Joel Rizzo JHR@sdcity.sannet.gov
IN IRELAND, CAR FREE DAY WAS A BIG SUCCESS
According to a story in the October 20th Irish Times,
"Car Free Day should be repeated at least once a year,
according to almost 90 per cent of residents surveyed in
cities and towns which participated. Some 33 per cent of
those surveyed said Car Free Day, held last month, should
be repeated once a week. The survey was commissioned by the
Irish Energy Centre and involved 300
telephone interviews and 250 interviews with people walking
in the car-free areas on the day.
"Air pollutants in Dublin were lower by 30 per cent during
the day and the number of vehicles going into and out of
the city decreased by 11 per cent, according to preliminary
measurements. Dublin Bus said there was a 9 per cent rise
in passenger numbers and average journey times decreased by
almost 30 per cent. In Limerick, noise levels were less
than half normal measurements..."
Source:
"http://scripts.ireland.com/search/highlight.plx?TextRes=car%20free%20day&Path=newspaper/ireland/2000/1020/hom13.htm"
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"CITY COMFORTS: HOW TO BUILD AN URBAN VILLAGE"
As the author, David Sucher says, "The book shows examples
of small things - City Comforts - that make urban life
pleasant: places where people can meet, methods to tame
cars and to make buildings good neighbors, art that infuses
personality into locations and makes them into places. Many
of these small details are so obvious as to be invisible."
$18. No online ordering but for more info:
Source: http://www.citycomforts.com/
"THE THREE RULES - URBAN DESIGN 101"
A brief illustrated flyer, also by David Sucher, on how to
make more pedestrian-friendly places by building to the
property line, making building fronts permeable, and
banning parking between the building front and the
sidewalk. Downloadable as a PDF.
Source: http://www.citycomforts.com/3RulesFl.pdf
"BIKE TO WORK GUIDE"
A brief 8-page guide to encouraging bicycle commuting at
the workplace; covers why companies should be involved, why
employees might bike, steps to promoting bike commuting,
and more. Created by the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation.
Source: http://www.chibikefed.org/commute.htm
"AN URBANIST SAYS A SENSE OF PLACE IS MORE IMPORTANT
THAN THE DESIGN ITSELF"
An interview with Fred Kent of Project for Public Spaces,
published in Architectural Record (April, 2000). Here's a
quote: "A good place has less to do with how a space looks
than how people use it: the activities that go on there,
how comfortable it is, how easy it is to get to and walk
through, the public image it projects. As we begin to
realize how important the civic realm is and how we have
lost it in recent years, we realize that we've relegated
its design to a profession that seems interested mainly in
making visual statements."
Source: http://www.pps.org/architectual_record.html
"SMART DEVELOPMENT PRIMER (WHAT IS SMART DEVELOPMENT?)"
An online primer Compact, pedestrian-, bicycle-, and
transit-friendly development, or Smart Development, is
centered around people rather than cars. It supports a mix
of uses, with residential, office and retail facilities in
close proximity to each other. A quote: "Traffic has become
like garbage; we all generate it, but we want someone else
to get rid of it."
Source: http://www.lgc.org/publications/center/clcpubs2.html
"LIVABLE COMMUNITIES: AN EVALUATION GUIDE"
A 118-page guide to help AARP volunteers and other
interested persons assess the "liveability" of their
communities, that is, to assess whether their community has
the physical features, programs, and readily accessible
services that will enable older persons to remain
independent. Key subject areas covered in the survey
include: public transportation, driving, walking, housing,
shopping, and municipal features, services and leisure
facilities. For a hard copy, send an email to
vwoodard@aarp.org with your name and mailing address, and
the title. Also downloadable as a pdf.
Source:
http://research.aarp.org/consume/d16905_communities_1.html
"CENTURY OF BIKES: BICYCLE MASTER PLAN CITY OF PASADENA"
A 109-page draft bike plan by Dennis Crowley and Peter
Jacobsen. Filled with great historical photos, the report
puts the modern plan in context as it promotes a return to
Pasadena's cycling roots. Downloadable as a pdf.
Source:
http://www.ci.pasadena.ca.us/publicworks/trans/tp&d/DraftBMP.asp
"CASE STUDY OF THE CHOLLAS CREEK GREENWAY IN SAN DIEGO"
A 142-page report on using greenways to improve San Diego's
older urban neigborhoods (illustrations not included).
Downloadable as a 300k pdf. For more information, contact
the author, Brian Schoenfisch, at IBS@sdcity.sannet.gov
Source: http://www.bikeplan.com/bazarr/chollas.pdf
"SMART DEVELOPMENT INTERACTIVE PHOTO ALBUM"
Very neat online resource which shows you what specific
environments (wide suburban street, strip mall, downtown)
would look like with more people-friendly treatments. Part
of the Oregon Transportation & Growth Management Program's
website. Nice visual effects!
Source: http://www.lcd.state.or.us/issues/tgmweb/index-f.htm
And now for something completely different...
ANTI-PED CONSPIRACY?
Thanks to Sustrans for this one..."For a light-hearted
column that asks the question 'Is there a conspiracy to
eliminate all pedestrians in Malaysia?' see..."
Source:
http://www.malaysiakini.com/archives_news/2000/aug/aug9/news4.htm
Sustrans: http://www.malaysiakini.com/sustran/
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October 28, 2000: Northeast Bicycle Advocate's Conference,
Hartford, CT. Info: CT Bicycle Coalition at (860) 527-5200
or Thunderhead Alliance
website: http://www.thunderheadalliance.org
November 1, 2000: Velo-city 2001, Call for Papers
Deadline; see Sept. 2001 entry below for Conference and
access information.
November 1-2, 2000: Seguridad De Los Peatones En
Communidades Latinos (Pedestrian Safety in Latino
Communities), San Diego, CA. Info: Jeannie Galarpe voice:
(916) 323-3614.
January 7-11, 2001: 80th Annual Meeting of the
Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC. Info: TRB,
2101 Constitution Ave, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20418, voice:
(202) 334-2934 fax: (202) 334-2003
website: http://www4.nationalacademies.org/trb/annual.nsf
January 19-20, 2001: Redefining Community: A Smart Growth
Approach to Street and Neighborhood Design, Crime
Prevention, and Public Health and Safety conference, San
Diego, CA. Info: Michele Kelso, Local Government
Commission, 1414 K St, Ste 250, Sacramento, CA 95814,
voice: (916) 448-1198, e-mail: mkelso@lgc.org
website:
http://www.outreach.psu.edu/C&I/RedefiningCommunity/
February 20-22, 2001: Australia: Walking the 21st Century:
An International Walking Conference, Perth, Western
Australia. Info: John Seaton, Metropolitan Div., Dept. of
Transport, PO Box 7272 Cloisters Square, Perth, W.
Australia - 6850, voice: +61 8 9313 8680 fax: +61 8 9320
9497 e-mail: jseaton@transport.wa.gov.au
website:
http://www.transport.wa.gov.au/conferences/walking/index.html
March 28-30, 2001: National Bike Summit 2001, Washington,
DC. Info: Paul Weiss, League of American Bicyclists, 1612 K
Street NW, Suite 401, Washington, DC 20006-2082 voice:
(202) 822-1333 fax: (202) 822-1334 email:
paul@bikeleague.org
website: http://www.bikeleague.org
March 25-28, 2001,17th Annual ITE Spring Conference:
Improving Transportation Performance and Productivity,
Monterey, CA. Info: ITE, 525 School Street, SW, Suite 410,
Washington, DC 20024 USA , voice: (202) 554-8050 fax:
(202) 863-5486, email: ite_staff@ite.org
website: https://www.ite.org/conference2001/sixdays.asp
July 3-6, 2001,Environmental Design Research Association
(EDRA) Annual Meeting, Edinburgh, Scotland. Info: EDRA,
P.O. Box 7146, Edmond, OK 73083-7146, voice: (405)330-4863
fax: (405)330-4150, email: edra@telepath.com
website: http://www.telepath.com/edra/home.html
September 17-21, 2001, Velo-city 2001, Edinburgh/Glasgow,
Scotland. Info: Meeting Makers Ltd, Jordanhill Campus, 76
Southbrae Drive, Glasgow G13 1PP, Scotland, voice: 0141 434
1500 fax: 434 1519, e-mail: Velo_city@meetingmakers.co.uk
website: http://velo-city2001.org/
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JOB -> BCM PROGRAM ASSISTANT
The Bicycle Coalition of Maine (BCM), a fast-paced,
state-wide, membership based, nonprofit bicycling education
& advocacy organization is seeking a Program Assistant. The
Program Assistant will work with the Executive Director and
volunteers on a wide range of programs including Bike
Safety Education in the schools, research and publication
of the BikeMaine Event Calendar, etc. For further
information contact Jeffrey Miller, Executive Director at
(207) 288-3028 or BCM@BikeMaine.org. Application deadline:
Nov. 1, 2000.
GRANT > TCSP 2002 GRANT PROPOSALS DUE JAN. 31, 2001
The purpose of the Transportation and Community and System
Preservation Pilot Program (TCSP) is to fund grants and
research to investigate and address the relationship
between transportation and community and system
preservation. States, local governments, MPOs, tribal
governments, and other local and regional public agencies
are eligible for discretionary grants for planning and
implementation.
Applications for Fiscal Year 2002 grants and research
recommendations are due at your FHWA Division Office by
close of business on Jan. 31, 2001. For more information on
the program, visit:
http://tcsp-fhwa.volpe.dot.gov/index.html
GRANT > MPO WALKABLE COMMUNITY GRANT PROGRAM
The U.S. Department of Transportation is sponsoring a
competitive matching grant program for metropolitan
planning organizations (MPOs) who would like to host
walkable community workshops. Six MPOs will be chosen in
December to host eight 1/2 day workshops each. MPOs are
required to provide a $6k match, along with local
logistical support. Application forms were sent to MPOs the
first week of October but are also available by request.
Application deadline is Dec. 15, 2000. For more
information, contact Lys Burden of Walkable Communities at
walkable@aol.com
Send us your job, grant program, and request for proposals
announcements and we'll let a LOT of people know!
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SEND US YOUR NEWS: We want to hear what you're up to!
Contact john@montana.com today!
COPYING: We encourage you to copy our content as long as
you identify the source in this way: "from CenterLines, the
e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling &
Walking."
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Contributors: Bill Wilkinson, Peter Moe
Editor: John Williams Send news items to: john@montana.com
Director: Bill Wilkinson
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National Center for Bicycling & Walking
1506 21st St NW, Suite 200
Washington D.C. 20036
Voice: (202) 463-6622
Fax: (202)463-6625
Email: info@bikewalk.org
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