BICYCLING 2ND TO DRIVING -- BTS

According to the Nov. 22nd issue of Bicycle Colorado's

e-newsletter, "Bicycling is second only to driving as a

mode of travel, according to a recent study. Nearly 20% of

Americans, (41.3 million people) have used a bicycle for

transportation in the last 30 days according to the Bureau

of Transportation Statistics (BTS) October 2000 Omnibus

Household Survey. Several findings from the study indicate

a growing concern among Americans with the impact of

transportation choices on quality of life. These figures

may indicate that, given the proper facilities, more and

more Americans would choose to bicycle or walk instead of

driving. Some 79.1 million (38%) of all Americans feel that

the availability of bikeways, walking paths, and sidewalks

for getting to work, shopping, and recreation is very

important in choosing where to live.(Thanks to the League

for forwarding this info)."

For more information from the BTS study, go to :

http://www.bts.gov/omnibus/results/october/omnibus_freq_oct.htm.

"Is there need for more data to prove that Chennai is

dangerous for pedestrians and smaller vehicles? Police

statistics on fatalities on city roads for 1999 show that

32 per cent of victims were pedestrians, 20 per cent

cyclists and 32 per cent were two-wheelers. Of the 3,032

road accident victims including those injured (up to August

31) 404 were cyclists, 647 were pedestrians and 135 persons

those sleeping along pavements. Two- wheeler victims

numbered 860.

"It is a frightening scenario as these categories comprise

60 per cent of all road users. The city's vehicle

population has touched 1.2 million (73 per cent of them two

wheelers). The data on pedestrians pertain to trips taken

from one zone to another, and does not include those taking

short walks.

"Despite such data available, the Corporation, the city

police and the CMDA planners apparently pursue an agenda

which gives cars and bigger automobiles higher priority in

traffic planning. Walkers and cyclists are hardly

considered in road planning and urban planning strategies.

The streets are widened to make way for bigger carriageways

and flyovers. Sidewalks and bicycle tracks are simply being

knocked off. The pavements, wherever available, are taken

up by encroachers, signposts, hoardings and power junction

boxes.

"All this, in sharp contrast to the international traffic

planners approach, which is to make city streets safer for

pedestrians and cyclists. Even the World Bank has

shortlisted safety for these categories as a priority

area..."

For the rest of the story:

http://www.indiaserver.com:80/thehindu/2000/11/13/stories/0413401x.htm

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PITTSBURGH MOVES ON HIKE-BIKE BRIDGE PROJECT

According to a Nov. 10th article in the Pittsburgh

Post-Gazette, "Since the Hot Metal Bridge opened to auto

traffic in June, it has provided a convenient new link for

cars traveling across the Monongahela River between

Hazelwood and the South Side. But it hasn't done anything

to help pedestrians, since the two-lane bridge, which is

only 24 feet wide, has no sidewalks. City redevelopment

officials took a preliminary step yesterday to improve the

situation.

"The Urban Redevelopment Authority board approved the first

contract needed for a $5.3 million project to convert an

old, unused parallel span -- one that runs right beside the

vehicular bridge -- into a crossing to be used by

pedestrians and bicycle riders. The board awarded a

$360,000 demolition contract to A&L Inc. of Belle Vernon.

It will remove from the old structure an elevated section

on the South Side portion, as well as paint and asbestos.

The demolition work should start next month, officials said.

"On its southern end, the span rises about 20 feet above

the riverfront, so a 'switchback' ramp will be constructed

to allow pedestrians and cyclists to get down to the

riverfront, said John E. Coyne, the URA's director of

engineering and construction, who is overseeing the

project..."

For the rest of the story:

http://www.post-gazette.com:80/neigh_city/20001110ura6.asp

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INJURED MIAMI PEDESTRIAN LOBBIES FOR ROAD CHANGES

According to a Nov. 9th article in the Miami Herald, "A

resident who fell on Collins Avenue and crawled to a median

for safety is now seeking to change the speed limit and

light timings on the busy state road. In August, Solomon

Meyerson, 85, was jaywalking across the 17200 block of

Collins Avenue when the crossing signal changed and he was

stranded in the middle of the street. In an effort to race

to the other side of the street, he fell.

"'I was lucky enough to pull myself to the median,'

Meyerson said. 'Cars were speeding by like mad.' Five

minutes later, a Miami-Dade County police officer and

motorist stopped to help Meyerson..."

Source:

http://www.herald.com:80/content/tue/news/dade/beaches/digdocs/099242.htm

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BIKE COURIERS HOLD NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

According to a Nov. 16th story in the St. Paul Pioneer

Press, "Take a bike ride, fast and short. Fold in a

scavenger hunt and a hot-rod show, then mix in some street

theater and a campout. Stir in a few cases of cheap beer,

sprinkle with cigarette butts, then set it out in a parking

lot under a freezing November rain. Voila: You've got the

North American Championships, a three-day convocation of

bike couriers that ran last weekend at the Minnesota State

Fairgrounds in Falcon Heights.

The 'championship' title, though, is misleading:

Competition isn't the point. The gathering, which brought

messengers from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., is more

of a do-it-yourself festival for professional bicyclists.

Professional meaning punch-in-on-Monday-morning,

gotta-pay-the-rent, jeans-cut-off-at-the-calf bicyclists --

not the Lycra-clad crowd that whizzes by on TV..."

For the rest of the story:

http://www.pioneerplanet.com/outdoors/rec_docs/018035.htm

Note: Washington DC's  Frank Peele, Team Bega, rounded out the podium with a 3rd place finish while teammate and

NCBW staff member Corey Twyman took 5th place in the North American Championships.

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2ND PHASE OF LITTLE FALLS NJ CANAL TRAIL PROJECT BEGINS

According to a Nov. 15th article in the Bergen (NJ)

Record, "Work on the second phase of the Morris Canal

Pedestrian Way and Preserve will soon be under way. The

Township Committee awarded a $99,940 contract Monday night

to Down Neck Paving Co. of Newark to build a bicycle and

walking path that will extend about 800 feet from Long Hill

Road at DeYoung Drive to a water pipeline behind

Morningside Circle.

"The path will be similar to the 1,000-foot walkway and

nature trail the township opened in the summer behind

stores on the north side of Main Street. The new trail,

like the one opened earlier, will have lighting that will

outline the former canal's path. 'I think it's wonderful

that we are continuing the Morris Canal preservation and

it's especially nice to know that it's being paid for with

grant dollars,' Committeewoman Janice Sandri said Tuesday.

Most of the cost of the second walkway is being covered by

a $75,000 grant the township received from the state

Department of Transportation..."

For the rest of the story:

http://www.bergen.com:80/psouth/pmmorris20001115.htm

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SAN DIEGO POLICE TICKET PEDESTRIANS

According to a Nov. 10th AP story, "The place that bills

itself as America's Finest City is not always friendly to

pedestrians. In 1999, 36 pedestrians were killed on San

Diego streets -- a third of them over age 55.

"The San Diego Police Department says it hopes to reverse

the trend with a new program that emphasizes education and

beefed-up enforcement at problem intersections. 'We have to

change how we're doing business," said traffic Lt. Charles

Hogquist, who is overseeing efforts to ticket dozens of

pedestrians a day. 'We wanted to see if we could have an

impact.'

...

"Many of the deaths were the fault of the pedestrians, who

were often elderly, Hogquist said. The San Diego numbers

reflect national statistics, which show seniors age 65 and

older are twice as likely to die in pedestrian accidents as

younger age groups. 'We had to ask ourselves, Why would

people who are mature and have lived this long start to

show up as casualties?' Hogquist said. 'Part of it is that

as people live longer, we don't realize that our ability to

judge distances and speeds goes. The [traffic] signals and

how they operate can be confusing.'

For the rest of the story:

http://www.apbnews.com:80/newscenter/breakingnews/2000/11/10/pedestrian1110_01.html

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SOUTH AFRICA TO PROMOTE BICYCLE TRANSPORTATION

According to an Oct. 16th article in Business Day, South

Africa's "Transport Minister Dullah Omar said in Washington

D.C. last week 'The time has come to promote bicycle

transport as a strategic solution.'

"Ten thousand bikes are to be distributed in rural areas

early next year. By 2010, Omar aims to have rolled out a

million. He calculates that a subsidy of about R200 will be

required per "low-income bicycle user". So we are

potentially talking about R200m over the next decade to

achieve his dream, inspired by Afribike, a Gauteng-based

nonprofit agency.

"The trick, say Omar and Afribike, is to turn SA into a

cycling culture, like Holland, where all planning

accommodates bicycles as a key form of transport. As social

engineering goes, this is quite benign. Certainly it would

create lots of opportunities for small sales and service

businesses. Flat tyres are going to need fixing and bent

wheels straightening..."

For more on this story:

http://www.businessday.co.za/bday/content/direct/1,3523,721451-6078-0,00.html

http://www.Afribike.org/

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SCOOTER CRAZE STRIKES UNIV. OF MASS.

According to a Nov. 17th Massachusetts Daily Collegian

story, "The University of Massachusetts-Amherst campus

stretches for what seems like miles between the Southwest

towers and Marcus Hall. It feels as though it takes hours

to trek up the infamous Orchard Hill. While most students

prefer to walk, others have looked into alternative forms

of transportation. Scooters, roller blades and bicycles are

some of the most popular forms seen as students race

against the clock to arrive to class on time.

"The latest rage to hit the US this fall has been the razor

scooter. These silver scooters are thin, and are capable of

folding up so that they can be slung across the owner's

shoulder or stored away easily. Advertisements for these

scooters can be seen in almost every magazine imaginable,

promoting use for all ages. A trip to the mall reveals

these scooters can be bought virtually anywhere, and prices

range between $79-$99..." For the rest of the story, go to:

http://news.excite.com:80/news/uw/001117/university-46

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CEDARBURG WI GETS GRANT FOR PED SAFETY PROGRAM

According to a Nov. 20th story in the Milwaukee Journal

Sentinel, "The Cedarburg Police Department has received a

$5,000 state Department of Transportation grant to help

promote pedestrian safety in the city. The funds paid for

the printing costs of a pedestrian safety brochure and for

sending a city police officer to a training program on

pedestrian safety, according to Kit Keller, chairman of the

city's ad hoc Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee.

"The grant also will be used to pay for police overtime

related to pedestrian safety law enforcement, inserting

safety information in light and water bills, printing

posters, making presentations to civic groups, sponsoring a

"community walk" and promoting a 'Walk Our Children to

School Day' in October..." For the rest of the story, go to:

http://www.jsonline.com:80/news/ozwash/nov00/ozwbrfs20111900a.asp

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NO ORDER TOO SMALL FOR TANZANIA BICYCLE BRIGADE

According to a Nov. 14th article in Business Day, "It is

morning in the down-at-heel Tanzanian hamlet of Kiwalani,

and salesman Sospeter Jackson is busy helping to define the

future of marketing to Africa's dollar-a-day economies.

Wearing Unilever's battledress: an "Omo" T-shirt and a

yellow "Key" baseball cap he has cycled to a tiny outlet

beside a gravel road and launched into the daily challenge

of bringing his products to some of the poorest people in

the world.

"Today, Jackson is carrying 50g sachets of Omo washing

powder and bars of citronellascented Key soap, conveniently

marked on both sides so shopkeepers can cut and sell chunks

worth either 50 or 100 Tanzanian shillings (there are about

800 to the US dollar).

"After some discussion, shopkeeper Mary Matthew buys two

bars of soap and a dozen sachets of Omo. Matthew's

tin-roofed shack is covered with tin plates, advertising

Unilever products, that have to be wiped clean of the dust

that gets everywhere. Rajendra Aneja, MD, of Unilever

Tanzania, is tagging along on this sales trip.

"Jackson urges Matthew to give more prominence to the soap

bars, which are hidden in a corner. A new tin plate is

hammered onto a wooden panel, but Aneja notices nails are

sticking out at the back, and advises his salesman to use

shorter ones.

"This approach is a painstaking process, says Aneja, who

runs the two-year-old subsidiary of Unilever that

manufactures a range of basic goods in the country. But he

emphasises it is attention to detail that is enabling his

company to make impressive inroads into a market where

distribution has been dominated by wholesalers...."

Source:

http://www.businessday.co.za/bday/content/direct/1,3523,734996-6078-0,00.html

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FOR PED ADVOCATES, FIRST STEP IS BIGGEST

According to a Nov. 16th story in the San Jose Mercury

News, "Russell Westbrook never thought he'd be an activist.

'I always though of myself as a tech nerd,' said the San

Jose man. 'I knew nothing about being an activist or

advocacy.'' But Westbrook, 43, has one habit. He likes to

walk the streets of San Jose, preferably without being run

over by motorists who view any pedestrian as a speed bump.

"On Saturday, Westbrook plans to attend a training workshop

in San Jose for anyone wanting to become an advocate for

people who like to walk. It's sponsored by the Bay Area

Pedestrian group. The goal, of course, is to make our

streets safer for walkers, joggers and cyclists. But it

also is aimed at showing pedestrian groups how to work with

city traffic crews to push for safer streets..." For the

rest of the story, go to:

http://www0.mercurycenter.com:80/premium/local/docs/roadtip16.htm

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R-E-S-O-U-R-C-E-S

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"TRANSPORTATION CURRICULUM PROJECT"

"Urban Ecology's popular Transportation Curriculum gives

students an understanding of how transportation and land

use decisions are made. Students are taught not only how

their personal choices can make an impact, but also how

they can influence decisions made by their city government."

http://www.urbanecology.org/indiv/index.html

For more information, contact Mary Ann Karonis at (510)

251-6329 or email: urbanecology@urbanecology.org

"TARGET RISK: DEALING WITH THE DANGER OF DEATH, DISEASE

AND DAMAGE IN EVERYDAY DECISIONS"

A 1994 book by Dr. Gerald J.S. Wild, professor of

psychology at Queens University, Canada. "According to the

views presented in this book, the accident rate and the

incidence of unhealthy habits essentially depend on

people's orientation towards their future. The more they

expect from it, the more careful they will be with life and

limb. If their expectations are low, they will try to find

more immediate gratification of their desires, and do so at

a greater risk of jeopardizing their lives. The extent of r

isk taking with respect to safety and health in a given

society, therefore, ultimately depends on values that

prevail in that society, and not on the available

technology" Online at:

http://pavlov.psyc.queensu.ca/target/index.html#contents

"HOW TO TURN A PLACE AROUND: A HANDBOOK FOR CREATING

SUCCESSFUL PUBLIC SPACES"

According to the Project for Public Spaces' website,

"People who read this handbook will learn how to create

better public spaces in their own communities and the value

of short-term actions and making visible changes. Through

examples of people's experiences in other cities, PPS

demonstrates that, with an understanding of how a place

works, any place can be 'turned around.'"

http://www.pps.org/Products/products_turnplacearound.htm

May be ordered online ($30) after December 11th.

"SPRAWL IN THE DENVER REGION"

"Sprawl is big news in the fast-growing Denver area. A new

Environmental Defense report sheds light on the issue by

looking at key factors such as land use, transportation,

jobs and housing in the [Denver] region..." The news

release and the link to a PDF file can be found at:

http://www.environmentaldefense.org/pubs/NewsReleases/2000/Oct/h_sprawl.html

"LANCASTER COUNTY BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN TRANSPORTATION

PLAN"

A Sept. 2000 plan for Lancaster County, Pennsylvania that

encourages agencies to actively plan for and encourage

bicycle and pedestrian transportation. By Gannett Flemming

consultants, the report is available to read online or to

download (several options) as a PDF.

http://www.co.lancaster.pa.us/bike/bikeplan.htm

And now for something completely different...

"KINGDOM OF FIFE CYCLE WAYS STAMP"

The 'Kingdom of Fife Cycle Ways/Scotland' stamp is one of

the Royal Mail Millenium Collection's Stone and Soil

series. It features a photograph by Witold Krassowski of a

cyclist just outside Warsaw in Poland. The stamp's image is

accompanied by a description of the bicycle work being done

in the Kingdom of Fife.

http://www.royalmail.com/athome/millennium_stamps/mc2/mc2_factfile.asp?strSection=mc2&strFactFile=7c&strMonthID=7

C-A-L-E-N-D-A-R

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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/

J-O-B-S--G-R-A-N-T-S--A-N-D--R-F-P-S

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JOB > BICYCLE COLORADO OFFICE ASSISTANT

Bicycle Colorado will hire a half time office assistant as

of January 1st. Mostly routine office duties, including

lots of database management. Starting pay is modest, but

there is opportunity for advancement. The job is based in

the BC office in Salida. Send a resume to Bicycle Colorado,

PO Box 698, Salida CO 81201) postmarked by December 6th.

E-mail John Waitman: John@bicyclecolo.org for a job

description.

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

H-O-U-S-E-K-E-E-P-I-N-G

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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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