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Bush Picks Mineta For Transportation
S. Barbara Bike Coalition 10 Yrs Old
WA Spends $5 Million For Traffic Safety
2001 Earth Car-Free Day Scheduled
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London Street To Get Ped Fast Lane?
Tempe's Pedicabs Move Hundreds
Bellevue's Flashing Eyes Warn Pedestrians
Hawaii Gets Mandatory Helmet Law
California Beefs Up Ped Safety Laws
Extending A Rail-Trail In New Jersey
New St. Pete Trail Set To Open In February
Salt Lake City Gets Ped Crossing Flags
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PREZ-ELECT BUSH PICKS MINETA FOR TRANSPORTATION
President-elect George W. Bush has chosen Democrat
Norman Y. Mineta as his selection for Secretary of
Transportation. Mineta is a Californian and a 21-year
veteran of the U.S. Congress (retired in 1995). He is
currently a Senior Vice President, Transportation Systems
and Services, with Lockheed Martin in Washington D.C.
Mineta was also one of the primary authors of ISTEA, the
Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991.
About ISTEA, he said "I was proud to coauthor this law,
steering it away from the stagnation of recent decades, and
I can say with some objectivity that ISTEA remains the
single greatest call for transportation innovation and
flexibility in America since the 1950s."
Despite his role as an author of ISTEA, Mineta did not
overlook its shortcomings. In a paper entitled "Back to the
Future", he pointed out that "the results of ISTEA,
however, have been a mixed bag. Because ISTEA has never
received full funding in any fiscal year, much of our
surface transportation program remains focused on repair
work -- whether on highways, bridges, or transit systems.
New starts -- particularly in transit -- have been far
fewer than we would have liked to have seen by now."
According to Roy Kienitz of the Surface Transportation
Policy Project, "In Congress, Mineta helped restructure
transportation funding to give states and localities more
choices in spending federal money. Now this is bearing
fruit, with major upsurges in transit ridership and demand
for everything from new rail systems to more walkable
communities. Mineta is well-placed to help the Bush team
respond to Americans' increasing desire for transportation
choice."
One of the many outcomes of ISTEA was the creation of five
transportation research institutes throughout the United
States. And, in November of 1995, one of these institutes,
the International Institute for Surface Transportation
Policy Studies (IISTPS) at San Jose State University, was
re-named "The Norman Y. Mineta International Institute for
Surface Transportation Policy Studies" in honor of the
former Congressman. Mineta was also elected Honorary Chair
(Emeritus) of the IISTPS Board of Trustees at that time,
where he serves with Congressman Jim Oberstar of Minnesota.
In honor of former Congressman Mineta, this issue of
CenterLines lists several IISTPS reports and discusses one
bike/pedestrian research project in the works there. For a
look at the Mineta Institute's website, visit:
http://iistps.sjsu.edu/mtihome.htm
SANTA BARBARA BIKE COALITION IS 10 YRS OLD
The Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition (SBBC) is entering
its second decade of service to that community. The first
meeting, convened by the county's rideshare and traffic
demand management coordinators, convened on January 9, 1991
focused on funding for improvement projects, and support
for a new traffic demand management ordinance.
Since 1991, SBBC has worked for the installation of bike
lanes, bike racks on buses, pioneered bicycle advocacy on
the World Wide Web, and a served as a model all-volunteer
advocacy organization. In 1998, the SBBC hosted more than
500 delegates to an extremely successful ProBike/ProWalk
Conference, providing invaluable assistance, information
and unparalleled hospitality.
Our congratulations to our friends at the SBBC on 10 years
of success -- with many more yet to come!
Bicycle commuting is catching on in the Emerald City,
according to a Dec. 21st. article in the Seattle Times. "New
research by the city shows a 57 percent increase in bicycle
commuters since 1992. Volunteers staked out 29 locations
throughout Seattle this fall and counted more than 1,700
cyclists during the morning commute. A similar survey in
1992 counted about 1,100 cyclists.
"'An estimated 40 percent to 45 percent of Seattle
residents have a bike,' said Pete Lagerwey, who commutes
daily to his job as the city's bicycle program manager. 'We
feel there is a lot of latent demand.' City officials
suspect more people are biking to work because it's easier
for them to get around town. The city has doubled its
bikeway system since 1990, to about 59 miles of bike lanes
and paths.
"'I suppose other people are becoming more aware of the
same attractions it has for me. It's fun, and it gets you
to your destination pretty quick,' said Don Bullard, area
resident and 15-year bicycle commuter..."
For the rest of the story, go to:
http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis/web/vortex/display?slug=bike21m&date=20001221&query=bicycle+commuting
CALIF. FREEWAY, EXPRESSWAY, TUNNEL, BRIDGE STUDY IN WORKS
According to a report in "The World In Motion" (Vol.5,
No.4), researchers at the Norman Y. Mineta International
Institute for Surface Transportation Policy Studies were
scheduled to begin a study this past fall entitled "A
Statewide Study for Bicyclists and Pedestrians on Freeways,
Expressways, Tunnels and Toll Bridges." Working under
contract for the California Department of Transportation
(CalTrans), the study team is led by Dr. Thomas C. Ferrara.
The team will work with a representative advisory committee
throughout the study. Data will be collected on accident
records, facility characteristics and intensity of use for
facilities with access and a control group without access.
The team will develop recommendations and policy guidelines
for Caltrans which account for impacts on all users and
affected agencies. According to Research Director Trixie
Johnson, "Given recent controversies on two San Francisco
Bay Bridge projects, this will be a high-profile study with
great potential for impact in California. The emphasis on
multimodal transportation which underlies TEA-21 promises
to make this a nationally significant study as well."
Source: http://www.transweb.sjsu.edu/v5n4.pdf
WASHINGTON SPENDS $5 MILLION FOR SCHOOL-AREA TRAFFIC SAFETY
The Washington State Department of Transportation
(WSDOT) has funded 51 projects, totaling more than $5
million for traffic safety improvements near public
schools. More than 130 applications, requesting nearly $12
million were submitted to WSDOTs Highways and Local
Programs Service Center for consideration.
The grants will be used by counties and local
municipalities for a range of projects, from walkway and
crossing improvements to traffic signals and school bus
turnouts. TSNS funding represents 20 - 70% of the total
project costs.
For more information on the program, see:
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/TA/ProgMgt/Grants/traffic.html.
2001 EARTH CAR-FREE DAY SCHEDULED FOR APRIL 19TH
According to a Jan. 1st note from Eric Britton, Earth
Car Free Day is to be celebrated for the first time on
April 19th of this year. "Unlike anything that has ever
happened along these lines before, this is being organized
as a planetary festival of demonstrations and experiences,
almost all of which organized initially not by government
administrators but by local groups, individuals and
families. We call this a 'trickle-up' approach to
sustainable lives and a sustainable planet.
"The goal of Earth Car Free Day 2001 is first to empty as
many streets of traffic in as many cities around the world
as we can, and then fill them with people going about the
business of their daily lives in safer, quieter, more
efficient and more convivial ways. The goal is to make the
streets come alive with human activity, and the entire
effort behind it is being carried out without one drop of
taxpayer money behind it."
For more info, go to http://www.carfreeday.com
AMERICA WALKS MEETING AT TRB THIS SUNDAY
According to Ellen Vanderslice, president of America WALKS,
"The Board of Directors of America Walks cordially invites
all members of America Walks member groups and friends of
America Walks to gather together on Sunday, January 7,
2001, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., in the Senate Room of the
Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert St, NW, Washington, D.C.
"Come to meet, greet, and share stories of the challenges
and accomplishments of the past year. We look forward to
seeing you there! (RSVP to info@americawalks.org if you
can attend.)"
ASCE'S HUMAN POWER TRANS. COMMITTEE ALSO MEETS SUNDAY
The Winter 2001 meeting of the American Society of Civil
Engineers' Human Power Transportation Committee will be
held at TRB this Sunday, January 7, 2001, 6:30 - 9:00 PM at
the Hilton Hotel, Map Room. Agenda items include a report
of the Public ROW Access Advisory Committee (Lois
Thibault), a report on FHWA Shoulder Rumble Strip
Guidelines (Carol Tan Esse), comments on other ongoing
rumblestrip research (Kevin St.Jacques for Mac Elliot), a
report on AASHTO's Pedestrian Guide (Carol Tan Esse), a
report on FHWA's College Course Materials (Carol Tan Esse),
discussion of the FHWA Bike/Ped Slideshow and Narrative for
One-Session of college course (Carol Tan and Kevin
St.Jacques) and discussion of Potential Research Problem
Statements.
If you plan to attend, please RSVP to
kstjacques@wilbursmith.com
RECEPTION FOR DAN BURDEN, TRB'S DISTINGUISHED LECTURER FOR 2001
The Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals,
the ASCE Human Powered Transportation Committee, America
Walks, and the Bicycle and Pedestrian Committees of the
Transportation Research Board cordially invite you to a
reception to honor Dan Burden of Walkable Communities Inc.,
TRB's Distinguished Lecturer for 2001 on Tuesday, January
9, 2001 from 5.30 pm to 7.00 pm. It will be held in the
Hemisphere Room at the Hilton Washington and Towers, 1919
Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC.
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LONDON SHOPPING STREET TO GET PED FAST LANE???
According to a Dec. 31st Tony Wilson commentary in
Australia's The Age, "...The highlight came when a woman
pushing twins and Myer bags split through a gang of teenage
dawdlers, dashed in front of a slow-moving tram, and was in
Just Jeans buying a shirt before the tram reached the next
stop. It was graceful, it was stylish, and it demonstrated
why for many years now Australia has been regarded as home
to some world-class shoppers.
"There is a business lobby group in London, however, that
would say that, although the woman made the best of a
difficult situation, she should never have had to put up
with the dawdlers. The group, representing Oxford Street
traders, is arguing that too many of the 9.6 million people
who visit the famous shopping strip each year are dawdling,
thereby spoiling it for everyone else.
"The solution, the groups says, is to introduce a
pedestrian fast lane with an enforceable minimum walking
speed of five kilometres an hour. Fast lanes, to date, have
been used with some success in public swimming pools, but
this would be the first case of a regulated footpath. Under
the group's proposal, pedestrians would have their speed
checked by radar, and if it dropped below 5kmh they would
be fined $26..."
For the rest of the story:
http://www.theage.com.au:80/news/2000/12/31/FFXFY2P5CHC.html
TEMPE'S PEDICABS MOVE HUNDREDS OF YEAR-END REVELERS
According to a Dec. 28th Arizona Republic story, "When
the crowds descend on downtown Tempe this weekend, Billy
Oxford will be among a few dozen bicyclists shuttling
visitors around in exchange for tips. With an estimated
150,000 people expected to converge here for Tempe's
year-end festivities, Oxford's 6-year-old Arizona Pedicab
Co. will likely move hundreds of people using pedal power.
The 43-year-old ex-Marine and former computer programmer
also sees pedicabs as the embodiment of his philosophy
favoring low-impact transit. 'A car or bus does more damage
to the environment in 10 minutes than one of these will in
10 years,' he said..."
For the rest of the story:
http://www.azcentral.com:80/community/comstories/1228PEDICABS28Z6.html
BELLEVUE'S FLASHING EYES WARN PEDESTRIANS
According to a Dec. 26th article in the Seattle Times,
"If the flashing eyes darting left and right don't remind
you of Mom, the message should: Look both ways before you
cross the street.
"The animated device at one of Bellevue's busiest downtown
intersections is the nation's newest experiment in
pedestrian safety. Installed earlier this month at
Northeast Eighth Street and 102nd Avenue Northeast near
Bellevue Square, the signal is already having results, said
Karen Gonzales, neighborhood traffic-safety manager.
"'We're still collecting data, but pedestrians are clearly
looking both ways,' she said. 'It's been interesting to
watch the dynamics as pedestrians change their behavior.'
The animated signal was developed by a Canadian psychology
professor, and experiments using it here and in Florida are
being closely watched by the Federal Highway
Administration. Tests so far have been promising...."
For the rest of the story:
http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com:80/cgi-bin/texis/web/vortex/display?slug=eyes26m&date=20001226
HAWAII GETS MANDATORY HELMET LAW
According to a Dec. 27th story in the Honolulu
Star-Bulletin, "The holiday rush may not be over for
parents who gave their children bicycles for Christmas. A
new statewide law that kicks in on Jan. 1 requires bicycle
riders under the age of 16 to wear bicycle helmets. The
parents or legal guardians of those caught without the
protective headgear face fines of $25, which is about the
average cost of a new helmet.
"The helmet law is among a handful of state laws that go
into effect this new year, but is one that many people will
notice. Bicycle helmets reduce the risk of head injuries by
up to 85 percent, and universal helmet use could prevent an
average of 500 bicycle-related deaths each year, according
to the National Bicycle Safety Network....."
For the rest of the story:
http://starbulletin.com:80/2000/12/27/news/story4.html
CALIFORNIA BEEFS UP PED SAFETY LAWS
According to a Dec. 29th story on the Auto Channel about
new California traffic laws , "...Responding to concerns
about the impact of traffic speeds on all road users, AB
2767, supported by the Auto Club, provides that a traffic
and engineering survey conducted for setting speed limits
may take into consideration residential density and
pedestrian and bicycle safety.
"AB 2522 prohibits a driver from unnecessarily blocking a
marked or unmarked crosswalk. It also imposes a mandatory
fine for overtaking and passing a vehicle that has stopped
to let a pedestrian cross. The fine is $270 for the first
offense and $540 for a second offense. The fine for other
violations resulting in an injury of a pedestrian has been
increased to $594 for a first offense and $864 for a second
offense. The bill also provides a grant program for local
governments to help finance pedestrian and bicycle safety
projects..."
For the rest of the story:
http://www.theautochannel.com:80/news/press/date/20001229/press033304.html
EXTENDING A RAIL-TRAIL IN NEW JERSEY
According to a Dec. 26th story in the Bergen (NJ)
Record, "When Boyd A. Loving takes weekend rides on his
mountain bike, they're not necessarily along the rough
terrain of remote trails. One of his favorite treks is
through the heart of Ridgewood and Ho-Ho-Kus.
"Loving pedals along a route once traveled by the trolleys
of the North Jersey Transportation Co. Today, part of the
old trolley line is used by locals as a walking path and a
bike path. The right of way, Loving believes, can become
much more..."
For the rest of the story:
http://www.bergen.com:80/bnw/trailec200012261.htm
NEW ST. PETE TRAIL SET TO OPEN IN FEBRUARY
According to a Dec. 27th story in the St. Petersburg
(FL) Times, "The irony of the Suncoast Parkway's name, as
has been pointed out frequently, is that it is likely to
destroy almost everything parklike in its path. Green space
will be devoured; roads will become more crowded; the air,
more polluted -- all of which is especially bad for bike
riders.
"But what is otherwise a disaster for cyclists does come
with some compensation. The Turnpike District of the
Florida Department of Transportation set aside $8-million
of the total $507-million cost of the parkway to build a
bike trail that runs parallel to the toll road. The
district gave me permission to preview the trail Wednesday,
though it is closed to the public until the parkway opens
Feb. 4..."
For the rest of the story:
http://www.sptimes.com:80/News/122700/Pasco/Bike_trail_has_its_up.shtml
SALT LAKE CITY GETS PED CROSSING FLAGS
According to a Dec. 26th story in the Philadelphia
Inquirer, "The athletic young man, wearing the sky-blue ski
jacket of the Olympics Organizing Committee, lofted a flag
proudly over his head and literally stopped traffic. And
that is precisely the point of Salt Lake City's attempt to
make walking downtown's long blocks and crossing its
super-wide streets a slightly less daunting prospect.
"After seeing a pedestrian struck by a car while attempting
a street crossing earlier this year, Mayor Rocky Anderson
ordered that bouquets of Day-Glo orange flags - like those
used by highway crews - be placed in baskets at 32 midblock
crosswalks throughout the center of town. So now anyone
crossing an outsized street can take a flag when entering
the crosswalk, march through the suddenly docile tide of
traffic - six lanes wide in most places - and deposit the
flag in another basket once the far shore is safely
attained..."
For the rest of the story:
http://inq.philly.com:80/content/inquirer/2000/12/26/national/PEDS26.htm
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"ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY OF MULTIPLE ROADWAY BOULEVARDS"
A 100-page University of California Transportation Center
report which says, in part, "...In the overall assessment,
boulevard residents rated their living conditions higher
than residents on streets with medium traffic. Only
residents on lightly trafficked streets rate living
conditions higher. This finding is significant because
traffic volumes on the boulevards by far exceeded those on
the medium-trafficked streets..."
Source: http://www.uctc.net/papers/354.pdf
"THE SECRET LIFE OF AAA"
According to this Amicus Journal Feature Story, "Along with
the maps, the insurance, and the late-night tows, your
friendly all-American auto club has a political agenda. And
it's no good for the environment..."
Source: http://www.nrdc.org/amicus/01win/aaa/aaa.asp
And, in honor of our new U.S. Secretary of Transportation
nominee, Norman Y. Mineta, here are several reports from
his Transportation Institute at San Jose State University...
"WHY CAMPAIGNS FOR LOCAL TRANSPORTATION FUNDING
INITIATIVES SUCCEED OR FAIL: AN ANALYSIS OF FOUR
COMMUNITIES AND NATIONAL DATA"
"...Case studies of four communities that recently
conducted elections for transportation tax increases (Santa
Clara and Sonoma Counties in California, and the Denver and
Seattle metropolitan areas). The case studies allow for
in-depth, qualitative understanding of what election
strategies and other campaign elements comprise successful
or unsuccessful efforts to raise local revenues..."
To download a copy of the report, go to:
http://www.iistps.sjsu.edu/Coalitions.pdf
"2025 VISIONING SESSION: SILICON VALLEY"
"...Designed to highlight some of the best ideas in
transportation and transportation technology, challenged
the best and brightest of Silicon Valley transportation
leaders to share their ideas for inclusion in the 2025
Transit Choices Report..."
Source: http://www.iistps.sjsu.edu/visioning.pdf
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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 4-8, 2001: 29th International Conference on
Making Cities Livable, Savannah, Georgia. Info:
Suzanne H. Crowhurst Lennard Ph.D.(Arch.), IMCL
Conferences, P.O. Box 7586, Carmel, CA 93921,
voice: (831) 626-9080, fax: (831) 624-5126
website: http://www.livablecities.org/savannah2.html
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
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
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
August 3-5, 2001, Bikefest 2001 - LAB's National Rally,
Altoona, PA. Info: League of American Bicyclists, voice:
(202) 822-1333, email: bikeleague@bikeleague.org
website: http://www.bikeleague.org/rallies/rallies.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/
September 26-29, 2001, TrailLink 2001: the 3rd International
Trails and Greenways Conference, St. Louis, MO. Info: RTC,
voice: (202) 974-5152, email: rtcconf@transact.org
website: http://www.railtrails.org
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JOB > FLORIDA BICYCLE COALITION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The Florida Bicycle Association (FBA) is looking for a
dynamic leader to fill the position of executive director.
This full-time position will be primarily responsible for
the development and implementation of FBA's bicycle-related
programs in addition to administrative functions. For more
information, visit their website at
http://www.floridabicycle.org or e-mail Carol Wilson at
carol@floridabicycle.org
Deadline for Applications: January 3, 2001
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
RFP > BIKE SAFETY CURRICULUM/BOOKLET
The Bicycle Coalition of the Delaware Valley and the School
District of Philadelphia are seeking bicycle
professional(s) to work with local staff to write and
prepare a bike safety curriculum and develop a bike safety
and encouragement booklet for middle and high school
students. Both curriculum and booklet should be directed to
children living in a dense, urban environment. For more
information, contact Sue McNamara, Bicycle Coalition of
the Delaware Valley, 252 S.11th Street, Philadelphia, PA
19107, Fax 215-829-4188, e-mail: sue@bcdv.org
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------------------------------------------------------------
Contributors: Bill Wilkinson, Peter Moe
Editor: John Williams Send news items to: john@montana.com
Director: Bill Wilkinson
------------------------------------------------------------
National Center for Bicycling & Walking 1506 21st St NW,
Suite 200, Washington D.C. 20036 Voice: (202) 463-6622
Fax: (202) 463-6625
Email: ncbw@bikefed.org
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