February 16, 2001
Bicyclists Getting Respect in Binghampton
'Burbs are Unhealthy
Latinos Walk to Work in Atlanta
Western Thinking Part of Safety Problem
Seattle School Days: 1930
'People-Friendly' Priorities in Hartland
Counting the Cost of Cycle Crime in UK
2ND GENERATION TRAFFIC CALMING PROJECT AND TOUR
David Engwicht, the Australian traffic calmer, is
working on what he calls "2nd Generation Traffic Calming."
As he explains it, "While 1st generation traffic calming
relied almost exclusively on solving traffic problems
through physical engineering, this project will work with
cities in testing new traffic interventions that are
celebratory and life-affirming, reduce costs to cities, and
involve residents in 'whole-city solutions'."
Project elements include:
(1) NEIGHBORHOOD PACE CAR: The flagship experiment using
cars as 'mobile speed bumps'. (Imagine speed bumps that
automatically get out of the way when approached by
emergency vehicles... do not damage car suspension... yet
costs less than $5.)
(2) RED SNEAKERS SCHOOL QUEST: Promotes safer streets for
(3) STREET RECLAIMING: How cities can help residents calm
their streets through activities (such as rocking in a
rocking chair) and new design techniques (such as use of
the Universal Anchoring Device).
(4) VIRTUAL POLIS: A fun web site that will encourage
innovation and experimentation.
To learn more, visit David's website and download his
16-page introduction to the project:
MINNESOTA TRAFFIC CALMING STUDY
John Carmody and Dr. Kathleen Harder with the University
of Minnesota College of Architecture and Landscape
Architecture, are leading a study to evaluate the impacts
of traffic calming (Phase 1) and roadway design measures
(Phase 2) on driver behavior. Phase 1 will "use the
wrap-around simulator at the Human Factors Research
Laboratory at the University of Minnesota to systematically
evaluate the impact of [traffic calming] strategies. The
driving behavior of the subjects (i.e., speed, braking,
lane position) is recorded so that the influence of
different settings and strategies can be determined and
Phase 2 of the study will attempt to "further understand
how various visual patterns along the roadway affect
drivers' behavior. For example, do pavement markings, road
width, signs, landscaping, or other design elements cause
drivers to change speed or stay in lanes more accurately?"
Project sponsors are the Minnesota DOT and the Minnesota
Local Road Research Board
YARMOUTH SUPPORTS WALKING, BIKING
The Town of Yarmouth, Maine, has established a
Bicycle/Pedestrian Safety Committee. Yarmouth, a town of
7,500 located on Casco Bay 15 miles north of Portland,
already has 22 miles of sidewalks and trails. The
Committee will focus on planning and constructing a trail
connecting Yarmouth to the new Casco Bay YMCA, a popular
recreation center in South Freeport, the next town north.
This trail would be another off-road link in the East Coast
Greenway, projected when completed to run from Calais Maine
to Key West Florida.
In addition, the Committee will look at ways to make
walking, running and biking safer and even more popular for
people of all ages. Yarmouth already has many people
walking and jogging for exercise, as well as an active
bicycling coterie. The Committee wants to encourage people
to go to the village center, supermarket, and other
destinations by means other than automobile. Education,
improvements in sidewalks, road maintenance, signage, and
other means will all be examined over the next three years.
For more information, contact: William S. Richards
PHILLY CREATES SIGN SYSTEM FOR PEDESTRIANS
According to the Philadelphia Center City District's
website, "Two new directional signage systems will make
finding your way in University City easy. The distinctive
signs will be installed at intersections from the
Schuylkill River to 63rd Street. They ensure that people on
both sides of the river can depend on the same clear
directions and iconography to get around.
"Direction Philadelphia(c), a system designed to assist
motorists, was developed by the Foundation for Architecture
in the mid-1980s to eliminate dated and conflicting signs
to major Center City destinations. A pedestrian-oriented
system, Walk!Philadelphia(c) was developed by the Center
City District and Joel Katz Design Associates in the
mid-1990s. The clear and attractive signs have been very
successful in assisting residents and visitors alike in
finding their way quickly and easily around downtown..."
For more on the projects, visit:
GETTING MORE RESPECT IN BINGHAMPTON NY
According to a Feb. 12th story in the Binghampton Press
& Sun-Bulletin, "Profanity was often an unwelcome part of
Don Rice's daily commute to work. Rice, who regularly
pedals his way through rush hour traffic in Endicott, was
sometimes the target for motorists who did not understand
cyclists have the same right to the road as cars. That has
started to change in the 10 years he has been cycling, he
said last week.
"Years ago, you might get a lot of looks or comments from
motorists who really didn't want you on the road," he said.
More recently, "People realize you have every right to be
on the road as they do. It's definitely more bike friendly."
For the rest of the story:
Alt. search info: Source: http://www.pressconnects.com/
Title: "Cyclists seek to share roads around Tier, " Author:
'BURBS ARE UNHEALTHY
In an Orlando Sentinel column published Jan. 23rd, Mike
Thomas wrote "I am standing in the College Park Publix,
admiring all the svelte people who have come to buy
watercress and soy milk. Like me, they walked here along
oak-shaded sidewalks teeming with moms pushing baby
strollers and youngsters zipping to school on scooters.
Afterward, some of us will walk to the bank, the drug
store, the video store, the bookstore, the gym or post
office. Tomorrow I will walk to the dentist and get a root
"Meanwhile, down on Alafaya Trail, the suburb dwellers will
get in their cars to drive. Drive to shopping centers.
Drive to parks. Drive to school. They will drive to the
SuperTarget, walk inside and notice that the deli section
is on the other side. So they'll go back outside, get in
their cars and drive to the other entrance. Life would be
so perfect if the parking lot had Disney trams, negating
any need to walk at all..."
(Now in website
archive section. Cost for full text article: $1.95)
Title: "It's Official: 'Burbs are unhealthy,"
Author: Mike Thomas
LATINOS WALK TO WORK IN ATLANTA
According to a Feb. 12th story in the Atlanta
Journal-Constitution, "Reina Garcia has a 30-minute
commute, not bad by metro Atlanta standards. Except her
trip to work isn't by car. It's on foot. 'I love to walk.
It's great exercise and (I) don't put on any weight,'
Garcia, 30, said last week as she strolled home from her
housekeeping job along Franklin Road in Marietta. In
car-crazy metro Atlanta, thousands of Latinos are walking
to work, walking to the store, walking to the laundry. In
this feverishly sprawling place, where some people take
their car to their mailbox, these people travel to the beat
of a different drummer.
"Walking is an integral part of their lives, and it often
dictates where they live, how they live, where they work
and where they shop, said Lucia Ribeiro, director of
Kennesaw State University's Foreign Languages Resource
Center. Many settle in apartments along multilaned highways
to be within walking distance of day labor pickups, ethnic
grocery stores and retail centers..."
For the rest of the story:
Alt. search info: Source: http://stacks.ajc.com/
Title: "Latinos commute with a bit of sole," Author: Craig
WESTERN THINKING ON TRAFFIC SAFETY PART OF PROBLEM
Fred Pearce raises a number of interesting points in an
article in the Aug. 1, 1998 New Scientist archives. Here's
one: "...why is it that India's tens of millions of bikes
all seem to be designed for a six-foot Englishman on a
country lane, rather than for a short Indian navigating a
crowded street with three cylinders of gas on the carrier?
How about a bike low enough for the rider to touch the
ground with his or her feet? Now that would save lives..."
For the rest of the story:
SEATTLE SCHOOL DAYS: 1930
For the 80th birthday celebration of Seattle's Bryant
School, students conducted alumni interviews of former
students. Diann Kirkwood , a Bryant student in the 30s, had
this to say:
"Just like today, children in the 1930's loved recess. Mrs.
Kirkwood told us about playing tag with a group of friends.
Back then, the Bryant playground had swings, which she
enjoyed. She also remembers that a favorite activity was
counting bicycles with a friend at recess.
"In her school days, all the students either walked to
school or rode their bicycles. Unlike today, families
didn't have a second car, so mothers couldn't drive their
children to school. Usually, the fathers drove the family
car to work, and the mothers worked at home.
"'Back then,' Mrs. Kirkwood recalls, 'most kids would go
home for lunch because we had a one hour lunch period.' She
and her sisters usually walked home for lunch. However,
some kids chose to buy from the hot lunch program, and
others brought a lunch to eat at school..."
For the rest of the story:
'PEOPLE-FRIENDLY' ISSUES GET PRIORITY IN HARTLAND MI
According to a Feb. 11th story in the Detroit News, "A
community audit was done in Hartland Township by Southeast
Michigan Council of Governments in 1999. The audit's
objective was to develop a common vision for Hartland on
how to improve the community's pedestrian concerns.
"Some of the issues identified were: the community's
transportation system does not encourage walking; routes
M-59 and U.S. 23 are not busy, and difficult to cross on
foot; the community library is hard to access on foot;
linkage is needed between neighborhoods, schools and other
destinations; developers needed a vision towards making
Hartland a walkable community..."
For the rest of the story:
Alt. search info: Source:
Title: "'People-friendly' issues get priority: Hartland
considers community upgrades," Author: Deborah Davis Locker
COUNTING THE COST OF CYCLE CRIME IN UK
According to an Oct. 19, 2000 Essex Police Department
news release, "Nearly L50,000 (English Pounds) worth of bicycles have been
stolen in the Braintree Division alone, since the beginning
of the year. And in an attempt to raise awareness of the
problem special constables are spearheading an offensive
against cycle thieves.
"Of cycles stolen in the division most are a result of
owners leaving them insecure in front and back gardens
(31%). The next greatest loss is from outside shops, banks
etc (29%), while another area of concern is poor security
on garden sheds and garages (24%). The remaining 16% relate
to parks, fields etc..."
And now for something completely different...
HARVARD UNIVERSITY, COMMITTEE ON THE USE OF HUMAN SUBJECTS:
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
"8. If I'm just counting pedestrians on Mass. Ave., do I
need to submit an application?
"If research involves observation of public behavior where
information is recorded in such a manner that the subjects
cannot be identified (directly or through identifiers
linked to the subject), it does not need to be reviewed."
CONTROL FOR CLOSURE OF SIDEWALKS"
Diagrams with notes on how the Florida Department of
Transportation recommends dealing with work zones and
Downloadable as a PDF from:
"AIA SURVEY OF STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS ON LIVABLE
According to this study by the American Institute of
Architects, "Nearly four-in-five (78%) state and local
opinion leaders surveyed say that compared to other
political and economic issues, 'livable community' concerns
are either 'one of the most important' issues or 'very
important.' Over two-thirds (68%) of state and local policy
makers believe that concern over 'livable communities' is
See the report (or download a PDF) from:
"OUR BUILT AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS"
Subtitled "A Technical Review of the Interactions between
Land Use, Transportation and Environmental Quality," this
Nov. 2000 report was recently posted on the EPA website.
Here's a quote: "In recent years interest has grown in
Smart Growth as a mechanism for improving environmental
quality. In 'Our Built and Natural Environments,' the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) summarizes technical
research on the relationship between the built and natural
environments, as well as current understanding of the role
of development patterns, urban design, and transportation
in improving environmental quality. Our Built and Natural
Environments is designed as a technical reference for
analysts in state and local governments, academics, and
people studying the implications of development on the
"HOW TO IMPROVE BICYCLING AT UBC"
An interesting student paper by Andrew Chan, on problems
and potential improvements for bicycling at the University
of British Columbia in Vancouver. "While the university has
taken many steps to encourage bicycling, improvements to
the storage provided and measures to reduce conflict
between pedestrians and bicyclists are needed..."
An essay by G. Haze, taken from "The Human Capacity Manual"
section on "Pedestrian counting techniques for
pre-automobile urban areas" (sec.63.95x27). "Interestingly
enough, some of the [San Francisco Design] Department's
observations differed from those of the project's private
traffic engineers. We basically saw a different public
right-of-way than they did. It was as if we viewed the
world through different lenses, as if the two parties were
studying a different streetscape all together.
"For example, our AM peak hour pedestrian count was more
than four times higher than the traffic engineer's count.
Using the 1985 Federal Highway Capacity Manual's pedestrian
flow count methodology, the traffic engineers counted 33
pedestrians traveling in either direction during the AM
peak hour. Using year 2000 Human Capacity Manual
methodology, the Design Department counted 130 pedestrians
during the AM peak hour..."
For the rest of the essay:
A UK Department of the Environment, Transport and the
Regions Traffic Advisory Leaflet from Feb. '94, this
detailed online publication discusses designs
"...developed for use at side roads so that drivers leaving
a major road are in no doubt that they are entering a road
of a different character. The treatments are a form of
gateway..." Lots of photos!
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: firstname.lastname@example.org
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
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: email@example.com
March 28-30, 2001: National Bike Summit 2001, Washington,
DC. Info: League of American Bicyclists, 1612 K
Street NW, Suite 401, Washington, DC 20006-2082 voice:
(202) 822-1333 fax: (202) 822-1334 email: Bikeleaguedc@aol.com
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: firstname.lastname@example.org
August 3-5, 2001, Bikefest 2001 - LAB's National Rally,
Altoona, PA. Info: League of American Bicyclists, voice:
(202) 822-1333, email: email@example.com
August 16-18, 2001, First National Congress of Pedestrian
Advocates, Oakland, CA. Info: AmericaWalks, email:
September 13-16, 2001, Rail~Volution, San Francisco, CA.
For more information go to:
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
September 26-29, 2001, TrailLink 2001: the 3rd International
Trails and Greenways Conference, St. Louis, MO. Info: Rails-
to-Trails Conservancy, voice: (202) 974-5152,
> FEB. 2001 RFP FOR CLEAN AIR COMMUNITIES
"Clean Air Transportation Communities: Innovative Projects
to Improve Air Quality and Reduce Greenhouse Gases." *
Solicitation notice for innovative pilot projects to reduce
transportation-related emissions of criteria pollutants and
greenhouse gases, by decreasing vehicle miles traveled and
increasing use of cleaner technologies. * Eligible
recipients are state, local, multi-state, and tribal
agencies involved with transportation/air quality and/or
climate change issues. * EPA requests submission of an
informal "Intent to Apply" by March 14, 2001. *
Instructions for submitting "Intents to Apply" and final
proposals are found in the solicitation. * Proposals must
be postmarked by April 24, 2001. * Four two-hour
conference calls have been set up to answer questions on
the RFP at the following times: March 6 at 3:00 p.m.
(EST), March 7 at 2:30 p.m. (EST), March 27 at 3:00 p.m.
(EST), and March 29 at 2:00 p.m. (EST). For the first
three dates, call (202) 260-1015, access code 6898#; on
March 29, call (202) 260-8330, access code 7731#.
Contact: Mary Walsh, phone:_(734) 214-4205 or
More information (and a downloadable PDF or WPD file of the
Solicitation) available from:
JOB > BIKE/PED PLANNERS
Alta Transportation Consulting has immediate openings in
their San Rafael (San Francisco Bay Area) and Seattle
offices. The ideal candidate will have project
management experience, knowledge of bikeway, trail
and pedestrian planning/design, be well organized, be
able to work under schedules and budgets, work well with
public agencies and the public, be a good writer, and be
proficient in basic computer programs (Word, Excel).
Degree and experience in transportation planning,
traffic/civil engineering, environmental analysis, urban
design, landscape architecture, or other related fields.
For more information, visit their website at
http://www.altaplanning.com or email
at firstname.lastname@example.org (San Rafael) or
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