Published February 5, 2010 by C.I.C.L.E.

Announcing C.I.C.L.E.’s 2010 Membership Campaign Extravaganza!  When you join C.I.C.L.E.’s bicycle movement during this ground-breaking year, you will find yourself automatically enrolled in a C.I.C.L.E. sweepstakes drawing for rad prizes from our community partners.

When you become a C.I.C.L.E. member during February 2010, not only will you help C.I.C.L.E. spread our unique mix of bikes and joy, you will also be entered into Grand Prize drawing to win a whimsical gift assortment from our favorite brewery, New Belgium!  New Belgium Brewing, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale, is a tried and true supporter of C.I.C.L.E. and bicycle advocacy everywhere throughout the known universe.  Pedal into C.I.C.L.E.’s member program by February 28, 2010 and you will instantly and magically be entered to win this fabulous New Belgium gift assortment!

The lucky C.I.C.L.E. fan and bicycle superstar will receive a Timbuk2 messenger bag with adjustable, padded shoulder strap and New Belgium logo, a handsome New Belgium baseball cap, and an assortment of (2) two twelve packs of delicious, wind-powered New Belgium brews, including the new Ranger IPA (over $150 value).  Happy Riding!  You must be at least 21 years old to win. 

You can commit to C.I.C.L.E.’s mission to create a healthy planet, happy streets, and a healthy you, and join our membership program anytime online at www.cicle.org or donate in person at the next Urban Expedition Ride on Feb. 20, Creak Freak ride.  You won’t want to miss the members-only (yeah: think awesome jackets) C.I.C.L.E. House Party on Saturday, Feb. 27, so join today!

C.I.C.L.E. wants to do more for you and the bicycle community of Los Angeles.  Won’t you help us today?

Published January 29, 2010 by CityWatch
By Stephen Box

Declaring "The culture of the car ends now!" City Councilman Bill Rosendahl invoked the Cyclists' Bill of Rights   (LINK)  and took a giant leap at pursuing a city ordinance that would prohibit the harassment of cyclists. He drew applause from council chambers as he articulated several examples of the behavior that he wants to forbid on the streets of Los Angeles.  (Video here) 1. Knowingly throwing a projectile or discharge at or in the direction of any person riding a bicycle:

2. Threatening any person riding a bicycle verbally or by use of his/her vehicle for the purpose of injuring, frightening or disturbing the person riding the bicycle;

3. Knowingly placing his/her vehicle within 3’ of a bicyclist while passing or following;

4. Making physical contact with a bicyclist from a moving vehicle or the roadway either by physical person or use of an implement;

5. Knowingly placing a person riding a bicycle in concern of immediate physical injury;

6. Knowingly engaging in conduct that creates a risk of physical injury or death to the person riding a bicycle.

As cyclists offered testimony of their experience riding the streets of Los Angeles, they were echoed in their concerns by members of the City Council who agreed that the City needs to do more to support the cycling community.

Councilman Ed Reyes recounted his experience as a child getting hit by a motorist as he rode his bike.

Councilman Rosendahl reminded the council of the Mandeville Canyon Road-Rage incident that brought the issue of harassment of cyclists to the forefront.

Councilman Paul Koretz stood in support and declared "We need to send a clear message."

Rosendahl brought it home saying “We’re going to give cyclists the support they should have been getting.”

It seems simple, after all, who can stand in favor of harassment of any kind, but the devil is in the details.

The proposed "anti-harassment" motion, which simply directs the generation of reports on the development of an ordinance has made it through the Transportation Committee but hit a speed hump at the Public Safety Committee which recommended further study. The City Council voted to essentially direct the City Attorney and the LADOT to continue with the generation of reports.

As cyclists recounted their experiences turning to the LAPD for assistance when they experienced road-rage, aggression from motorists, threats, assaults and even hit-and-run collisions, Rosendahl responded by saying "The LAPD hasn't been part of the solution, but sometimes has been part of the problem." The LAPD had no response, they weren't there. Somehow the LAPD and the District Attorney were left out of the process, leaving the LADOT as the lead and the City Attorney deferring in the development of an anti-harassment ordinance that requires enforcement and prosecution support. Some might even suggest that it requires support from Sacramento.

The real value of this ordinance lies not in its chances of becoming law but in the fact that the harassment of cyclists is being discussed, prompting some to murmur "This is how it starts!"

Complementing the City Council's slow but steady pursuit of a more bikeable Los Angeles was the City's ongoing study of Bike Sharing, an endeavor that prompted Council President Eric Garcetti to refer to great bikeable cities such as East Hollywood, Paris and Long Beach. (Not often that those three are mentioned in the same breath!)

The bike sharing concept is an old one even in Los Angeles where college students can "rent" a bike for the quarter, studio employees can "share" a bike while on the lot, tourists can "borrow" a bike from some hotels, and bikes "for hire" exist in several locations.

None of these are as visible as the programs in Paris or Munich or Leon but perhaps that's the real opportunity for the City of LA, to support those small operators who are already in the bike share business with promotion and marketing support.
•••
Capping off the "anything but the budget" day at City Hall was the Transportation Committee's showdown over the speed limit increases in the Valley. On the agenda were proposals to raise the speed limit on Riverside Drive (up to 45 mph) and Chandler Avenue (up to 50 mph) in an effort to certify the streets for radar/laser speed limit violation enforcement.

Cyclists were joined by members of the community, all braced with arguments against the City of LA's continued pursuit of increased speed limits as a tool for enforcement, but the debate faded at the request of Councilman Krekorian who wanted to pursue other options, such as his AB 766 Safe Streets bill which he introduced last year when he served as the Assistant Majority Leader in the State Assembly.

The bill did not make it to the finish line but the message was clear, the 50 year old speed trap law needed to be revised so that local authorities can set speed limits with greater sensitivity to the local community. Not all streets should be raceways, not all streets should be fast cut-throughs, not all streets should be hospitable for speeding motorists.

Councilmembers Krekorian and Koretz both asked the hard questions and seem to understand that there are methods for slowing traffic other than simply raising the speed limits and then relying on traffic officers with radar/laser enforcement.

Now is the time to pursue traffic calming methods, many of which represent funding opportunities such as Safe Routes to School, Highway Safety Improvement Program funding and Office of Traffic Safety grants.

Road diets, bulb-outs, speed tables, pedestrian enhancements and other innovations are not just tools for safety, they are also opportunities to put people to work, to improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods and to bring funding into the city coffers.

(Stephen Box is a transportation and cycling advocate and writes for CityWatch. He can be reached at \n Stephen@thirdeyecreative.net This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it )        -cw

Original Article:

http://citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3148

Published January 7, 2010 by ParentCentral.ca 
Kristin Rushowy

Yes, it was built with a kiss 'n ride lane. No, the school doesn't want parents to use it.

In fact, P.L. Robertson elementary in Milton, which opened this week, has been designated a "walking-only school," where students will be strongly encouraged to use their feet – or bikes or any other active way – to get there.

It is part of a broader initiative at the Halton District School Board to stop traffic jams around schools and get students moving.

Gridlock in the parking lot and surrounding streets is an all-too common problem for schools in the Greater Toronto Area, thanks to parents who insist on driving their children, even if they don't live all that far away.

At other schools, Joyce Jermyn has watched parents who live close by drive their kids, cramming their cars in between buses, then idling as the youngsters make their way inside, even though staff is out there helping kids get to class.

"For me, exercise has always been a part of who I am and what I do," says Jermyn, vice-principal at P.L. Robertson. "There are too many kids who don't want to go outside because they never play outside."

The statistics bear that out: 54 per cent of Ontario children do not get enough physical activity to keep them healthy; in Halton, less than half of 12- to 14-year-olds are active in their free time. One-fifth of 5-year-olds are overweight in Halton.

That's why Jermyn felt it was so important to get on board with Active and Safe Routes to School – a national program that supports walking to school – and start off right with the brand new school.

Even though it will be February – the coldest time of year – when the walking routes are up and running, she is optimistic. "In a neighbourhood that's been established, it takes a long time to break that (driving) culture," says Jermyn. "But now, in a new school, we can set the culture to begin with.

"We know we aren't going to get 100 per cent compliance, but if we can get 90 per cent, I'm thrilled."

The school has a 1-kilometre walking route, as well as a second route with drop-off points for parents who want to drive their child to a central meeting spot. There are vests for walking leaders, and the school received some money to purchase wagons to carry younger children's backpacks.

Jermyn says because it is a new subdivision, there are a few drawbacks: No crossing guards, stop signs, or even speed-limit postings.

Jennifer Jenkins, who has been seconded from Halton public health to work with the board to expand "walking school bus" programs, piloted them at eight schools last year. No child is ever expected to walk more than 1.6 kilometres.

Some schools last year were so successful they had three routes each. One school was able to get up to 100 per cent of students in several grades walking every day. The programs are led by parent volunteers or, sometimes, teacher volunteers who walk the routes and meet up with students at various points.

"It increases physical activity, there's better air quality, safety and decreased traffic around the school, which again increases safety and injury prevention," says Jenkins.

About 20 Halton schools are currently taking part.

Original Article:
http://www.parentcentral.ca/parent/newsfeatures/article/747328--dropping-kids-off-here-better-lace-your-shoes-up

Published January 25, 2010 by LOS ANGELES (KABC) 

Los Angeles police detectives broke up a ring of downtown bike thieves over the weekend, recovering several stolen bikes and parts, drug paraphernalia and counterfeit money.

On Friday, undercover detectives arranged to buy a bicycle posted on the Craigslist Web site. That same day, the bike's owner had reported it stolen from the 500 block of Olympic Boulevard.

The detectives met Ukrainian native, 51-year-old Konstantin Rostovtsev, in Santa Monica and arrested him on suspicion of receiving stolen property. They said Rostovtsev then led them to 43-year-old Edward Arciga.

Detectives arranged another bike sale and met Arciga on Saturday at the Olive Motel on Sunset Boulevard. They said an accomplice opened a motel room door as they arrested Arciga. Inside, they spotted bolt cutters and more bicycles.

Detectives said, in addition to the stolen bikes, they found counterfeit bills, counterfeiting equipment, and drug paraphernalia. They said Arciga was booked for receiving stolen property, but may also face federal counterfeiting charges.

"This is a significant break for us," said LAPD Lt. Paul Vernon. "There were 123 bicycles stolen downtown in 2009. That's 45 more than the year before, and we know there is more than one ring of thieves who are preying on bicyclists."

Police remind bicyclists to protect themselves with strong locks and not to leave bikes in public places any longer than necessary. It is also a good idea to record your bike's serial number and keep a receipt of its purchase.

Original Article:

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=7239019

Published January 26, 2010 by LA Times
By Tony Barboza

A dozen notables mounted bikes outside the entrance to Long Beach City Hall late last year for the unveiling of a metallic bicycle sculpture with a lofty proclamation:

"Long Beach, the most bicycle friendly city in America," it reads in bold steel lettering under the likeness of an antique bicycle.

It was a little premature, leaders admit.

"But we're striving for that," said City Manager Pat West, a longtime cyclist.

While other cities spin their wheels, Long Beach is joining the ranks of places such as Portland, Ore., San Francisco and New York City that have made safe passage for bikes a priority, even at the expense of traffic lanes.

And as Los Angeles reviews comments to a draft of a bike plan that proposes 696 miles of new bikeways, Long Beach is taking action.

"Long beach is a built-out city and yet they're finding a way to make east-west and north-south corridors that are safer and more inviting," said Jennifer Klausner, executive director of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, a nonprofit advocacy group. "There's no reason L.A. can't do the same thing. It doesn't have to be the slow-moving cog in the machine."

At a time when cities are cutting expenses across the board, Long Beach has raised $17 million in state and federal grants to improve its bike system through traffic improvements, education and bike share programs. In the next six months, the city will be resurfacing 20 miles of streets to include new bike lanes, part of a plan that includes painting and paving more than 100 miles of bike infrastructure.

In spring, the city hopes to install traffic circles on less-traveled streets parallel to thoroughfares and designate them "bike boulevards" -- preferred routes for cyclists.

Also in the works are plans to replace entire lanes of traffic with protected bikeways. And in what's bound to be a controversial move, the city is looking at taking away prime parallel parking spots -- the ones most convenient to shops and restaurants -- and putting "bike corrals" in their place.

"We can fit 15 customers where we used to fit one," said Charles Gandy, the city's bike mobility coordinator. "This is about differentiating Long Beach from L.A. and Orange County."

City planners have gone far and wide for input, bringing in experts to give advice, the mayor of Bogota, Colombia, and Copenhagen's traffic engineer among them.

And officials have enlisted a corps of volunteers -- from young, fixed-gear-riding hipsters to paunchy, middle-aged road cyclists -- to help out with tasks such as bike counts, which will help determine where more bike lanes will be placed.

Street by street, cyclists and motorists are seeing changes, the most dramatic of which took place last summer when lanes of green paint appeared on one of the city's busiest stretches, providing an early test of how the city will balance car traffic with cyclists' rights to safe routes.

The green strip created a "sharrow" -- a 6-foot-wide space in the middle of the right lane of traffic on both sides of 2nd Street in Belmont Shore. It was intended to be a stark reminder that drivers must share the road with cyclists.

But when the green lane appeared last summer, it startled drivers and cyclists alike in the often traffic-choked retail district, drawing national attention for pitting the two against each other. "City puts bicycles directly in the path of motorists," USA Today wrote in a blog post.

"There was a lot of confusion from cyclists and motorists because there was green paint all over the place," said Dominic Dougherty, manager of the Bikestation, a business that provides bike rentals, parking and repair in downtown Long Beach. "And confusion breeds anger."

Gandy said the green strip "better articulates the existing law," which allows bikes to travel with vehicular traffic.

"We haven't given cyclists any more privileges than before the green stripe, we've just made it more obvious," he said.

But others say the green lanes have emboldened cyclists too much, with many weaving in and out of traffic, riding four-deep and making the already clogged street impassable.

"We just don't understand" the purpose, said driver Anne Long, an insurance agent who lives blocks from 2nd Street. "Are we supposed to pull over and go around them? I just stay behind them and go really slow until there's an opening in the other lane."

But others say that slowly, behavior is changing; cyclists are being more consistent about where they ride and drivers are being more attentive.

"When it first got put in we thought, 'Oh, my God, everyone is going to get murdered,' " said Jean-Marie Garcia, a hair stylist who rides her baby-blue beach cruiser to work on 2nd Street every day.

"But gradually, over time, drivers have adjusted. They're slowing down."

Volunteers counted bikes before and after the green lanes appeared. According to a December report by the city, the number of cyclists on 2nd Street increased by 29% while the number of bikes on the narrow sidewalk waned by 22%.

And there have been only two incidents since they debuted, both involving cyclists running into cars.

Calling the green lanes an early success, the city is undertaking other bike-oriented enhancements. Last month, crews painted more green on two busy intersections where early morning road bikers congregate. The "bicycle boxes" give cyclists a designated place in front of cars to safely wait for the signal to change.

The city is also working with businesses and community groups to provide incentives such as 20% lunch discounts for cyclists -- to get people to ride to work, shops and restaurants.

The port-adjacent community also has some built-in features that may ease its quest for bike friendliness.

For one, it's flat and built on a grid -- easy to get around on a simple beach cruiser.

While it's a city by any measure, its digestible size makes bike transportation a more plausible alternative than in the sprawl of Los Angeles.

And the city already has continuous bike paths along three of its borders: the San Gabriel and Los Angeles rivers and the beach.

"We have such a huge advantage over other cities because we have these things," said City Manager West, who rides a road bike around town on the weekends.

"We're doing a lot of things outside of the box -- at least for Southern California," he said.

One example is the city's spin on a recent rise in bike thefts: It's a good thing, West and others joked, because after all, it indicates more people are out riding bikes.

And Long Beach is getting attention for its efforts. This week, the city is hosting delegations from some admirers: transit planners in Los Angeles, Glendale and other nearby cities who would like to draw inspiration from the Long Beach bike plan.

It's a shift for Long Beach, where, like in many other Southern California communities, the car still reigns supreme, said Andréa White-Kjoss, president and chief executive of Bikestation, the Long Beach-based firm that has seven bike transit centers in California, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

"If we can do it here," she said, "you can do it anywhere."

tony.barboza@latimes.com

Original Article:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-outthere26-2010jan26,0,2379007,full.story

Published January 25, 2010 by Bike Radar

Roughly a month before the start of North American Handmade Bicycle Show, 121 exhibitors have bought 167 out of 177 total spaces making the 6th annual NAHBS a virtual sellout.

"It looks like we're headed for another big one,” said Don Walker, the show’s founder and director. “We've sold way more than our block of hotel rooms, and have had to expand that, and now it looks like we're going to be at or very near capacity in the show hall. I think this is a clear indicator of the amount of interest this show attracts."



Any last minute exhibitors at the show have until Wednesday January 27th to get their information to NAHBS for publication in the show directory.



The three-day show starts on February 26th, at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, in Richmond, Virginia.

Rocky Mountain Bicycle Festival set for August 7 and 8 in Denver, Colorado at the National Western Complex.  

This third-year event, formerly known as the Rocky Mountain Bicycle Show, has grown steadily since it’s inception prompting the name change.

“Calling it a festival better describes what the weekend is all about,” says Carol Johnson, the event’s director.  “The Rocky Mountain Bicycle Festival features everything from custom builders, production bikes, components and accessories, to specialty service companies and non-profits together with a wide range of other cycling-related attractions.”  

For the 2010 edition, the RMB Festival adds an Indoor/Outdoor Demo allowing attendees can test ride bikes. Free seminars and a Graham Watson photo exhibit are also planned.

The Rocky Mountain Bicycle Festival will kick-off the weekend with a party at Boulder Indoor Cycling on Friday night with the return of the Boulder 6. Last year’s event saw Hüdz-Subaru riders Chuck Coyle and Colby Pearce top an international-caliber field including Clark Sheehan and Ryan Sabga after a fast-paced night of European-style Six Day track racing.

On Saturday the Festival opens at 10am and concludes with an awards ceremony on Sunday at 3pm.

Original Article:

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/north-american-handmade-bike-show-and-rocky-mountain-bicycle-festival-updates-24777

Published January 15, 2009 by Sacramento Business Journal
by Melanie Turner

Lea Brooks commutes 42 miles round-trip daily between Rancho Cordova and her job downtown — on a bicycle.

Brooks, assistant director of communications for the state Department of Pesticide Regulation, acknowledges she’s a bit of an “extreme” bike commuter who rarely misses a day. But even riding a short distance once a week means there’s one less car on the region’s often-congested roadways, she said.

“Even if you ride once a week well, then, good for you,” she said. “You should never underestimate the contribution you’re making.”

Though few people actually bike to work, the numbers are growing, according to American Bicyclist, the magazine of the League of American Bicyclists.

Brooks said she’s noticed the trend, and attributes the local upswing in bike commuters to the increase in gas prices and work the region’s cities have done to better accommodate riders.

“If you build it, they will come,” she said. “We still have a long way to go, but the facilities are improving all the time.”

Sacramento ranks fourth in the nation — and first in California — for bicycle commuting among the 70 largest cities, according to a national survey published by American Bicyclist.

The magazine ranked cities based on data from the American Community Survey, a nationwide survey of households meant to provide information about how communities are changing during the years between the decennial U.S. census.

Sacramento ranked fourth behind Portland, Ore., Minneapolis and Seattle. Portland more than tripled its bike share to almost 6 percent in 2008 from 2000.

The percentage of people in Sacramento who bicycle to work jumped 101 percent between 2000 and 2008, to 2.72 percent from 1.35 percent.

A bicycling infrastructure

Walt Seifert, executive director of Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates, said he believes more people are riding bikes to work because the city has become more bicycle-friendly.

“I think the city has been good about making conditions better for cyclists,” he said, noting a number of changes the city made last year in midtown.

Several streets, including P, Q, 19th and 21st, went from three lanes to two with bike lanes. The city also converted a number of parking meters to bike racks.

Efforts by cities to improve conditions for cyclists, from investing in engineering and education to planning, are paying off with increases in bicycle commuters, according to an article in the most recent issue of American Bicyclist.

The Sacramento Area Council of Governments Metropolitan Transportation Plan anticipates the region will spend $1.4 billion on facilities for cyclists, pedestrians and people with disabilities by 2035, a 56 percent increase over the previous plan. In 2008, SACOG awarded $11.4 million to such projects, and directors will consider next week approving another $8.6 million over the next two years.

Last year, Mayor Kevin Johnson said he’d like to see Sacramento achieve the top, or platinum, level of the League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly Communities program, which recognizes cities that actively support bicycling.

Cities such as Portland and Davis are platinum, while Sacramento is bronze.

The article notes that the American Community Survey, which it relied on to rank cities for bike commuting, does not determine how many people have ever, or sometimes, bike to work. “The phrasing of the question means that only the consistent bike commuters get counted,” the article states.

Multiple benefits

Matt Kuzins, president of Kuzins and Kumpany, a direct-mail fundraising consulting firm, said he averages four days a week on a bike.

“I don’t have a very long ride,” said Kuzins, who rides less than four miles each way between East Sacramento and downtown.

melanieturner@bizjournals.com | 916-558-7859

Original Article:

http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2010/01/18/story3.html?b=1263790800^2734901

Published January 15, 2010 by TreeHugger
by Warren McLaren

Spiegel International have a wonderful write-up (in English) on bamboo bikes. It covers how Craig Calfee's dog inspired him to make a bike from bamboo, How he subsequently won trade shows awatds "Best Road Bike," "Best Off-Road Bike" and "Peoples' Choice" for his bamboo designs, how they were lab tested tougher than carbon fibre.

Andrea Reidl's article goes to explain how Calfee is now passing on his secrets to African villagers so they might have durable, locally made bike frames. Which, in turn, has lead him to his next challenge -- designing a bamboo school bus bike which an adult will steer, whilst transporting half a dozen or so kids with everyone pedaling.

But it was talk of a hemp bike that was news to us.

Onyx Composites is the brainchild of German engineer Nicolas Meyer. He takes hemp fibre, dunks it in epoxy resin and wraps it around a core of styrofoam. Apparently the resulting frame is about Sixty percent hemp, 15 percent bamboo and the rest is carbon and aluminum," he tells Spiegel, although that figure seems to neglect the foam inner.

Anyhow Meyer then gets a 1.4 kg (3 lb) racing bike frame, which he maintains is sturdier than even a bamboo or carbon fibre equivalent.

The Spiegel article, which is well worth the read, has a great list of folk involved in bamboo bike production, most of whom we've previously noted. But check out:
Bamboosero
Biomega
Boo Bicycles
Calfee Design
Daedalus
Solcycles

As you can see, Bamboo and Bikes, tends to get us excited too:
• Organic Bikes Say, Re-Think Your Ride, Consider a Bamboo Bicycle
• Bamboo and Electric Bikes Win ISPO Brandnew Awards 2010
• Bamboo In A Bicycle Built For Two
• Open Source Bamboo Bike Trailer
• Bamboo Bike by Calfee Design
• BYOB: Build Your Own Bambike
• Biomega Biolove Bamboo bike (a B fest)!
• Bamboo Mountain Bikes are Growing on Calfee Design
• Make Your Own Bamboo Bike in One-Weekend

Original Article:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/01/hemp-bicycle-and-bamboo-bike-bus.php

Published January 13, 2010 by KVUE.com

It was a packed house in the gymnasium of Pease Elementary Wednesday evening, the setting of the second of three meetings hosted by the City of Austin about a proposed Bicycle Boulevard.

A Bicycle Master Plan for Austin approved by the city council includes a proposal to create a Bicycle Boulevard on either Nueces from 3rd Street to M.L.K. or on Rio Grande.

The idea of a Bicycle Boulevard is to give cyclists priority over cars on one particular stretch of road. 

"It essentially increases bike ridership for the entire community. It provides a safer, more accessible route by using a variety of traffic calming measures to make it more bikable," said Rob D'Amico, President of the League of Bicycling Voters.

Austin's Public Works department is seeking input on whether or not cars should be banned all together or limited on their access with what experts are calling "traffic calming devices."

Nueces is a mixture of residential, retail and businesses most of which are comprised of attorney's offices.

The majority of the opponents to the Bicycle Boulevard are concerned mainly about property values, access and parking.

"Nueces? It's kind of hard to find parking space around here sometimes and they want to make it a bicycle-only?..that would be much harder," said Israel Rodriguez who works on Nueces.

City employees at Wednesday's public input meeting on Bicycle Boulevard say public opinion will be taken very seriously before any final decisions are made.

"One thing I can guarantee with this project is that all the driveways on Nueces or Rio Grande wherever the project ends up being will continue to have access," said Annick Beaudet with Austin's Public Works Department.

The third and last public input meeting on the Bicycle Boulevard is scheduled for February 24 at 7 p.m. at Pease Elementary School.

The Public Works department is expected to come up with a final plan sometime in April.

Original Article:

http://www.kvue.com/news/Bicycle-Boulevard-81397037.html

Published January 14, 2010 by Inhabitat

Bike commuting is a beautiful thing – it’s an efficient, quick way to get around an urban area and it’s great for your heart. Only problem is those pesky cars that are continually getting in the way! What if you could have your own bicycle traffic lane completely separate from the cars and safely out of their way? Martin Angelov, a Bulgarian architect, came up with this incredible concept for urban bicycle transportation – a bike lane in the sky that he calls “Kolelinia”. It looks a lot like a tightrope contraption, but this fairly sophisticated design is meant to handle commuting bikes on a steel wire high above traffic to connect popular destinations.

Angelov’s Kolelinia system consists of a series of towers connected by steel wires with a U-shaped rim. The connectors and wires operate in a similar way to a ski lift, except without using electricity. Bicyclists ride up to entrance and put their bike tires into the U-shaped rim and attach their specialized handle to the safety wire. Then they ride across just as though they were riding on pavement. At least that’s how it works in theory. Kolelinia aims to create a new type of transportation experience, and can be installed using a minimal amount of resources.

Angelov’s idea was selected as the City Transportation winner in the “Line of Site” international architecture competition last year, so there are people out there who are interested in the project. Angelov was also asked to speak about the project at Sofia’s TED Conference recently.

You may be concerned about the safety of the cyclist and wondering if this system is even possible. Who knows, but if it is possible, how amazing would it be to ride high above all the cars, zooming along as though you were flying. The only problem would be getting stuck behind a slow rider and not being able to pass them.

+ Kolelinia

Original Article:

http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/01/14/flying-bicycle-lanes-lets-your-soar-above-traffic/

Published January 12, 2010 by KABC

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- With the recession and sky-high transportation costs, more and more bicyclists are trying to share the road with motorists in Los Angeles, but often with bad results.

L.A.-area bicyclists say they've had to put up with a lot from motorists over the years - catcalls, middle fingers and worse.

Virgil Orellano is a bicycle messenger who says he's been hit by cars four times in 10 years. Afterward, he says motorists usually just drive away. Because of experiences like that, many say Los Angeles is the most dangerous city in the country for bicyclists.

The L.A. City Council's public safety committee considered a proposal on Monday to make it illegal for motorists to harass bicyclists. Part of the proposal would require motorists driving past cyclists to get no closer than 3 feet.

"They do have equal rights to the road as does a motorist, but they're not being treated as if they do have equal rights," said Aurisha Smolarski of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition.

City Councilman Dennis Zine said he sympathizes, but he wonders how police would enforce such an ordinance. Zine said L.A. isn't designed to be bicycle-friendly.

"I think we are a car culture here in Southern California. I don't know if we're ever going to change that in our lifetime," he said.

L.A. does have some dedicated bike trails, but Zine and others say there aren't enough of them.

The road-rage accident in Mandeville Canyon a year and a half ago is the most dramatic example of the conflict. Two cyclists were seriously injured after a prominent doctor, angered they were riding side by side, slammed on his brakes in front of them. Dr. Christopher Thompson was sentenced to 5 years in prison for attempted murder.

Bicycle blogger Ted Rogers says after the verdict, he received an anonymous e-mail from a motorist, threatening to run down bicyclists on Sepulveda Boulevard. Rogers says threats are common.

Published January 11, 2010 by LA Times
By Bob Mionske

Last year's infamous incident on Mandeville Canyon Road -- in which a driver braked hard in front of a group of cyclists, causing two of them to be seriously injured -- began as so many anti-cyclist road-rage incidents do: The driver provoked the cyclists into responding to his verbal assault so he could "justify" using his vehicle to teach them a lesson. In fact, the driver, former emergency room doctor Christopher T. Thompson, was accused of previously using his vehicle to teach cyclists a lesson. On Friday, as reported by The Times in its Jan. 9 article, a chapter in that history came to a close as Thompson was sentenced to five years in prison.

There is no question that cyclists are almost always treated unfairly in the halls of a seemingly indifferent justice system, and for once, cyclists feel that the violent abuse they are regularly subjected to has been taken seriously. For that, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office is to be commended.

But this was a stand-alone case that does not represent some sort of sea change in the way that vigilante violence against law-abiding cyclists is handled. We should remember that it took more than one assault with his weapon of choice before Thompson was sent to jail.

In fact, testimony about two prior alleged assaults, combined with Thompson's own words to police officers -- "I wanted to teach them a lesson" -- and his ludicrous defense that he was merely slowing down to take photos of the cyclists led to his conviction. This is a particularly unique set of circumstances that may not be repeated.

Still, drivers who enforce some imaginary version of the vehicle code by assaulting law-abiding cyclists tend to do so repeatedly; for this reason, I advise cyclists to report these incidents to police. A driver with a reported history of violent assaults will be less likely to get away with claiming, as Thompson did, that it was all just "an unfortunate accident." Real change will happen when law enforcement begins to take each report seriously, rather than waiting until serious injuries (or worse) have been inflicted.

But the most important change must occur within each of us, because when tempers flare on the road, nobody wins. The roads are common spaces, and their use is an ancient right for all -- except motorists. The state allows them to use the roads, and far too often that revocable privilege is misinterpreted by motorists as having some sort of superior right to the road. More often cyclists are endangered by drivers who are simply too distracted, or otherwise too careless, to even notice the cyclist whose life they have just endangered. And just as cyclists notice -- and remember -- the occasional dangerous motorist, it is the occasional rude cyclist that motorists notice and remember. It is these minority of bad actors on the road that lead to much of the resentment toward each other.

The real issue here is not "scofflaw cyclists" or "motorists hell-bent on killing cyclists;" it is competition for limited road space. For that, motorists owe cyclists a debt of gratitude; merely respecting our need for safety is all the thanks we need. Every cyclist you see on the road represents one less car contributing to congestion. Yes, you may occasionally have to slow down for a few seconds, but those few seconds are offset by the time you save for every car that is not on the road ahead of you. Cyclists also neither consume gasoline nor contribute to climate change, and they cause far less wear and tear on the road than cars. These are benefits that accrue directly to motorists in the form of less demand for limited resources, driving regulations and limited tax dollars.

Unfortunately, city transportation officials haven't done their part to seed this change. The Los Angeles Bicycle Plan under review has been deemed so inadequate by cyclists that they have formed their own committee to propose a plan that would meet their actual needs. City officials shouldn't ignore those who have real-world experience as cyclists on Los Angeles streets. Indeed, the lesson from the great cycling cities of the world is that if you make cycling feel safe for women and children, the number of cyclists on the road will increase. It's time for some real leadership on this issue; is Los Angeles ready?

Attorney Bob Mionske, a former U.S. Olympic and professional cyclist, runs the Website bicyclelaw.com. He writes a bicycle law column for Bicycling magazine.

Published January 12, 2010 by C.I.C.L.E.

C.I.C.L.E. submitted our comments on the city of Los Angeles' draft bike plan. Our frequent readers will remember that we've been pretty disappointed with the current draft, especially with the dearth of designated on-street bike lanes.

Click here to read our 18-page comment letter.

We want to thank various collaborators for helping us understand and critique the 600+page draft plan - acknowledgements to Ramon Martinez, Stephen Villavaso, the L.A. County Bicycle Coalition, the Bike Writers Collective and Bicycle Working Group.

What happens next? The city will be reviewing all the comments they've received, and will be revising their draft and releasing a new draft plan, expected in February. After that, the draft plan will go through a series of public hearings, then to the city's Planning Commission, City Council committees, and full City Council - all of which is likely to take at least six more months... so stay tuned!

Published January 10, 2010 by Courant.com written by Andy Clark

Connecticut cyclists are looking forward to a banner year in 2010 — and that's good news for the state's economy, environment and quality of life. After decades of official neglect, recent months have seen completion of important sections of the Farmington Valley Trail, adoption of a statewide bicycle and pedestrian plan, passage of a law requiring motorists to pass cyclists safely, and a policy ensuring that future street and highway projects across the state are built with cyclists — and all users — in mind.

Leaders around the state are responding to national trends that have brought about a 46 percent increase in bicycle commuting from 2000 to 2008. This increase is even more pronounced in cities that have encouraged cyclists with bike lanes, trails, education and promotional programs.

Even New York City, often perceived as one of toughest riding environments, enjoyed a 28 percent increase in ridership last year alone thanks to more than 200 miles of new bikeway that have helped civilize the city's mean streets.

Investing in better conditions for bicyclists pays multiple dividends. Consider these examples:

•The North Carolina Department of Transportation reports a 9 to 1 return on investment for bicycling improvements on the Outer Banks.

•Portland, Ore., enjoys an annual $100 million economic boost from cycling-related businesses and the 1,700 people they employ.

•The province of Quebec invested $200 million to create the 2,500-mile "Route Verte" bike route network over a twelve-year period. Before it was finished, Quebec was seeing $90 million to $100 million in annual economic activity in return.

With a five-fold increase in the number of bicyclists since the mid-1990s, Portland has documented an average reduction of four miles of driving per person per day and one of the lowest percentages in the nation of household income spent on transportation. The region also saves because it doesn't have to build or maintain as much highway infrastructure.

Thankfully, Connecticut is jumping on this opportunity to address not just economics and transportation, but the triple threat of obesity, climate change and dependence on foreign oil. New leadership at the state Department of Transportation is finally paying attention.

Most exciting of all, perhaps, is the re-emergence of a statewide voice for cyclists as the Central Connecticut Bicycle Alliance takes on the challenge of making every community in the state more bicycle-friendly. There is a well-traveled road map for communities to follow: the Bicycle Friendly Community program administered by the League of American Bicyclists. More than 320 communities across the country have applied for recognition as a BFC; 124 have made the grade to date, but none yet in Connecticut.

Connecticut has what it takes to become much more bike-friendly. Compact communities built around transit and rail; dozens of coastal towns and cities with a dynamic mix of student, industrial, and tourist populations; gorgeous scenery from mountains in the northwest to the legendary Mystic Seaport in the Southeast; and the historic and recreational gem of the Farmington Valley canal trail right in the middle.

Perhaps only the hardiest of riders are saddling up in the depths of this cold, snowy winter, but after years in the cycling doldrums, changes are afoot in Connecticut that everyone will be able to enjoy.

HAPPY CYCLING

The author will discuss the Bicycle Friendly Community program at a symposium from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford. For more information see www.crcog.org.

• Andy Clarke is president of the League of American Bicyclists.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/03/TRVM1B7QMP.DTL

Published December 17, 2009 by ThatsFit.com
Bev Sklar

Bikes and cars rolling along the same road often behave like preschoolers -- they don't share very well. But drivers and typical urban cyclists are long past preschool -- they're certainly old enough to share the road. Yet city bike planners follow varying philosophies. Some claim segregated infrastructure (e.g., bike lanes) is the way to greater safety and more cyclists. Others, known as vehicular cyclists, argue two-wheelers belong on the same streets as cars.

So what does the future bear for all of us on the roads? Bike commuting has increased 43 percent nationwide between 2000 and 2008, and gas prices haven't hurt the pedaling cause. The Los Angeles Times recently took a look at the segregated versus integrated future of bicycle planning. Should your city be pouring concrete for cycle tracks -- a bike lane separated from the roadway by a curb or barrier -- or pouring more money into education to train cars and bikes to play nice?

John Forester, an 80-year-old elder statesman and author supporting the vehicular cycling movement, says efforts to separate bikes from cars sends the message bikes are not an equal partner on the road. Segregated infrastructure implies car drivers should be annoyed when a bike is on their playground. Studies also back up Forester's claim bike lanes are simply more hazardous -- car doors open in front of bicycles without warning and motorists give more room when passing bikes on a road versus a bike lane. Vehicular cyclists say following the rules of the road while riding a bike in traffic is the key to coexistence. Bicyclists shouldn't be second-class citizens. Yet cities are continuing to build bicycle lanes.

Take Dallas. In 2008 the city got rid of their bike coordinator, Paul Michael Summer, who also happens to be a fan of vehicular cycling. This was the same year Bicycling magazine rated the city the worst place to ride on two-wheels. Shortly after Summer's removal, the city approved $300,000 in funding to overhaul the bike plan. One consulting firm likely to land the contract is big on bicycle lanes. "Bicycles are different than cars. Pedestrians are different from cyclists. How you create a bicycle-friendly community is you create conditions where bicycles truly can be a part of daily life," explained Mia Burke, the firm's founder told the Dallas Observer.

Then there's Boston. Also a former last place finisher in Bicycling magazine, the city's bike coordinator (also a vehicular cyclist) was replaced in 2007. The installation of five miles of bicycle lanes ensued.

But let's be real, is this an either/or proposition? Look at Chicago. That's Fit asked Brian Steele, director of communications and assistant commissioner at Chicago Department of Transportation, how bike planning is proceeding in the Windy City. "The Bike 2015 Plan is predicated essentially on that vehicular cycling concept -- bicycles using the existing public right of way that is available," explained Steele. But his staff also likes bike lanes. "The folks who staff our bike programs are avid cyclists. Year-round cyclists who are really in tune, active members of the bike community," he said. "They want to see the on-street bike lanes because not only do they provide a safe and dedicated place for them to ride, they also increase the awareness of motorists regarding the rights of bicyclists to ride on city streets." Chicago's an old city and its curb-to-curb right of way is fixed. In essence, Chicago leans on both philosophies because it has to.

To urban and suburban cyclists alike -- do you prefer to ride along with traffic or pedal within a dedicated bike lane? Let us know, and don't miss these defensive bicycling tips to keep you safe on the roads. Keep riding, it seems more bikers may mean less injuries.

Original Article:

http://www.thatsfit.com/2009/12/17/bikes-and-cars-exist-together/

Published December 16, 2009 by The Press Democrat
By MIKE McCOY

The test of Santa Rosa's first bike boulevard originally expected to take six months will now stretch to 10 as the city scrambles to find middle ground between warring factions.

Published December 16, 2009 by Glendale Press

NORTH GLENDALE — Grandview Avenue just got a little safer for cyclists with the recent addition of street markings designating a shared roadway with motorists.

The street markings, known as sharrows, indicate where cyclists should travel on the road to avoid being hit by opening car doors and to be seen by motorists, officials said.
The symbols were stamped onto Grandview Avenue more than a week ago as part of Glendale’s Bikeway Master Plan, said Colin Bogart, a liaison with the nonprofit Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition.

“Sharrows are very popular among cyclists,” he said.

Grandview Avenue was the first city street to be outfitted with the new markings, which extend from Glenoaks Boulevard to Brand Park, with another batch planned for Stocker Street from Pacific Avenue to Louise Street, Bogart said.

Now that the sharrows have been added to Grandview, Bogart said cyclists will have a bicycle path that they can identify and follow.

Doug Jackson, owner of Glendale Cyclery on West Glenoaks Boulevard, said he services many northwest Glendale residents who ride on Grandview. The narrow street was under construction for months, making it challenging to navigate, he said. The addition of sharrows should make the avenue more easily passable, he added.

“It will make it a lot safer,” Jackson said.

Glendale is one of a handful of Los Angeles County cities that have added the symbols to major thoroughfares, Bogart said. Pasadena, Hermosa Beach and Long Beach have all painted sharrows on their streets.

Grandview Avenue was painted with the markings because it was identified as one of the roads that cyclists ride most frequently, Councilwoman Laura Friedman said.

Volunteers with the city’s Safe and Healthy Streets plan performed pedestrian and cyclists counts in September to determine how many people walked or rode bicycles in Glendale.

The counts allowed city officials to identify streets most frequented by pedestrians and bicyclists to prioritize improvements, said Friedman, who as a cyclist has promoted the mode of transportation since being elected to office.

“Glendale has really ignored the need of cyclists and has never done anything to [accommodate] them or promote them in the city,” she said.

Adding sharrows to city streets, she said, was an easier way to make streets safer without repaving the entire road.

“We all have to learn how to share the road,” she said

Original Article:

http://www.glendalenewspress.com/articles/2009/12/16/publicsafety/gnp-sharrows121709.txt

Published December 15, 2009 by Guardian Uk : Technology Blog

MIT's Copenhagen Wheel is an electronic bike conversion that provides a KERS energy-saving system for smart bicycles. It can also track traffic via an iPhone connection

Published December 14, 2009 by LA Times
By Robert Gottlieb

With thousands of people, including L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, gathered in Copenhagen to talk climate change, it's a good time to take note of that city's most significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions: bicycles. More than 36% of its residents ride bikes to work, about the same number use transit, and only a third commute by car. Is there a lesson for Los Angeles that the mayor can bring home as the city tries to reach its ambitious goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20%?

Clearly Copenhagen has the advantage of being smaller in scale. But that's not the only reason a transition to bikes has occurred in that city. Similar, though less dramatic, shifts are happening in the U.S., in places such as New York and Portland, Ore., and even Long Beach, which aspires to become one of the most bike-friendly cities in the U.S. Shouldn't L.A. embrace the trend?

To pry Angelenos out of cars and onto bikes, L.A. will need to become far more imaginative and far bolder than it has been. Here are some ideas:



We should designate some streets in neighborhoods around the city as car-free on weekends. It's been done elsewhere, even in Mexico City along its famed Paseo de la Reforma. There are groups in L.A. pushing to have car-free events, known in Latin America as ciclovias. Boyle Heights, where street life and public space are abundant, would be a natural place to test the concept.

Does it sound farfetched? If you have trouble imagining it, think back to several years ago, when the 110 Freeway was closed one Sunday to cars and turned over to bicycles and walkers. It was a magical moment for L.A. that needs to be repeated on the streets.

To facilitate a shift to bikes, transit dollars and policy need to focus more on short trips, which account for more than a quarter of U.S. car use and its resulting pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. We need a "car lite" approach, as the bike advocacy group CICLE argues, that facilitates alternatives to cars for short trips. Some college campuses are already largely car-free and bicycle-friendly. We need many more such public spaces.



We need to reach out to those who think bicycles aren't for them. Copenhagen has been a leader in prodding women, seniors and others who have not been part of the bike-riding world to make the transition to everyday bike use. We need education and outreach focused on encouraging short trips, on communicating improvements in bike technology and on creating bike-friendly neighborhoods.

We need visionaries and "practical idealists" (as Villaraigosa likes to say) to push these kinds of changes forward. Janette Sadik-Khan, New York's transportation commissioner -- who is coming to L.A. in March to receive an honorary degree from Occidental College -- has been an inspiration to bike advocates and climate change activists alike. Wander around Times Square or down Ninth Avenue and you immediately see how the streetscape has been changed to accommodate bike riders and walkers.

Finally, we need to change our thinking. We need to view streets as not exclusively for cars. Bike riders need to make common cause with pedestrians and bus riders and street vendors to encourage a new way of envisioning the city.

"The street means life in the heady currents of the urban river in which everyone and everything can mingle," Rebecca Solnit wrote a few years ago. She wasn't thinking of L.A. when she wrote those words, but if bikes make a comeback in a city that, 100 years ago, was known as the bike capital of the country, we will be considerably closer to achieving a vibrant urban river.

Robert Gottlieb is director of the Urban & Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College and is helping organize "L.A. StreetSummit: Biking, Walking and More" to coincide with commissioner Sadik-Khan's L.A. visit.
 

Original Article:

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-gottlieb14-2009dec14,0,6204235.story

Published December 14, 2009 by the Olympian

Dear EarthTalk: I ride my bike to work along busy urban streets. Should I be worried about inhaling pollutants from vehicle emissions and other sources? – J. Kaufman, San Francisco

The short answer is yes, probably. Cars, trucks and buses emit considerable amounts of airborne pollution as they make their ways along city streets and highways. The fine particles, nitrogen dioxide and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) spewing out of tailpipes have been linked to a range of human health problems, including headaches, respiratory illness and cancer.

Although Australian researchers found that exposure to these pollutants actually is higher while riding inside a vehicle than while riding a bike, turning your handlebars in the direction of back roads might still be a good idea – for safety’s sake as well.

Western Washington University geophysicist Bernie Housen, concerned about the air quality on his bicycle commute along busy Bellingham roads, recently launched a study of the magnetism in local trees to gauge air quality along his route and elsewhere in his region.

The magnetism in a tree’s leaves is created by tiny particles of iron oxides and other pollutants that drift through the air, emanating primarily from eroding vehicle brake pads and diesel exhaust. The particles are small enough to pass through our nasal passages and get lodged in our lungs.

Housen and his colleagues found 10 times as much magnetism on urban roadside tree leaves as on their rural counterparts that aren’t near as much traffic.

Housen has altered his bike route to campus to avoid the more polluted thoroughfares.

“One underlying concern is that if you are riding your bike, you are being more physically active; you are breathing deeper and breathing more air in, and so if you are doing that in an area where there is a concentrated elevation of this material, it might not be such a good thing,” he added.

Ironically, many cities that offer dedicated bike lanes often place them next to busy bus lanes, unintentionally ensuring that bicyclists breathe in as much diesel exhaust as possible.

“I ride along one of these high-traffic bus routes,” Housen said, “and … there was between two and five or six times more magnetic fine particulate matter along the bus route” than on less-busy streets.

Housen would like to expand his research so it can be used by urban planners to better design bike and pedestrian routes so as not to intermingle so much diesel transit and pedestrian/bicycle traffic.

Of course, there are other ways to track urban pollution levels. In the United Kingdom, for instance, researchers from the government-funded Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council have created the Urban Pollution Monitoring Project, which builds and distributes GPS-enabled mobile pollution-sensing systems that can be carried by hand or placed on a bike rack.

The group is using data gleaned from the sensors to map where and when pollution levels are at their highest around London and other UK cities, and hopes to use its research to influence the way roads and urban areas are planned.

People who want to keep on riding through polluted areas should consider wearing an anti-pollution respiratory mask, many of which can filter out upwards of 95 percent of particulate pollution before it enters the lung. Some leading manufacturers include Totobobo, G-Flow and Respro.

Send environmental questions to EarthTalk, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881, or earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php.

Original Article:

http://www.theolympian.com/environment/story/1070089.html

Published December 12, 2009 by TheDailyBeast.com

“You’ll look sweet… upon the seat of a bicycle built for two.” It’s a lovely song by Harry Dacre, but it may also be a way to relieve the symptoms of a debilitating condition that has long been without effective treatment options. The tandem bike is also the focus of one of the Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2010 at Cleveland Clinic.

People who suffer from Parkinson’s disease slowly lose their ability to control the body’s movement. Tremors, difficulty with balance, changes in speech, and slowness are the major symptoms of this brain disorder that affects more than 1 million Americans and has no cure.

Parkinson's wreaks havoc by affecting nerve cells in the brain that make the neurotransmitter called dopamine. It's dopamine that sends signals to the part of the brain that controls movement, allowing muscles to move on command. With Parkinson's, however, these special nerve cells break down, the supply of dopamine dwindles, and movement is affected. That’s where the bicycle built for two comes in.

While there are a number of useful medications that help ease Parkinson’s disease symptoms for a few hours, advancements in significant relief have eluded the medical system. Until now. In a surprising and somewhat whimsical discovery, it has been found that tandem cycling may bring a longer respite from the disease—stemming symptoms for weeks at a time.

“After 50 miles [of tandem biking] the patient’s hand tremors had suddenly disappeared.”

A scientist pedaling at 80-90 revolutions per minute (RPM) captained the bike, while a friend with Parkinson's took the back of a tandem bike. After about one hour on the bike, the scientist noticed that his friend's tremors had diminished.

In the researcher's mind, the mysterious side effect of the tandem bike ride held an intriguing medical possibility: Motor control in the arms and hands improved even though it was only the legs that were exercising. Perhaps there was some change taking place in the central nervous system that triggered the release of biochemicals to improve global motor function.

Typically, a patient with Parkinson's riding a bike maintains a pedaling rate of around 50-60 RPMs. However, a non-Parkinson's captain on a tandem bike can increase that cadence to around 90 RPMs, an intense workout for any gym-goer. Pedaling at rates faster than the patient can achieve voluntarily may be driving the central nervous system of the Parkinson's disease patient which may result in an increase in the release of dopamine, which would explain the global improvement in motor functioning.

A small eight-week study was launched to gauge the effects of forced exercise. It sounds more extreme than it is—“forced exercise” is simply tandem riding in which patients are required to pedal 80-90 RPM. The effect on Parkinson's symptoms was impressive: There was a 35% improvement in motor functioning for the patients who did the forced exercise compared with those exercisers who pedaled a stationary bike at their own pace.

The improvement lasted for four weeks after the cycling sessions ended, although it tapered gradually over time, which means that, just like everyone else who starts a workout program, Parkinson’s patients must be consistent in this type of physical activity to see continued results. The need for regular, ongoing forced exercise is a significant part of this exercise therapy.

Although the workout focuses on pushing the lower half of the body beyond its comfort zone, it’s believed that the upper half improves as a result of this training as well. The question of whether the exercise is needed to stimulate the central nervous system is still unresolved, but it has proved to be one way to meet the goal of being as symptom-free as possible.

Further studies are now ongoing, but the next time you see a tandem bicycle, you may look at it as more than a quirky way to ride in the park—it’s also a medical tool that’s bringing relief to Parkinson’s patients.

Original Article:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-12-11/a-bicycle-built-for-parkinsons-relief/

Published December 10, 2009 by C.I.C.L.E.
By Joe Linton : Photo credit: LA Streetsblog

Yesterday at the Los Angeles City Council's Transportation Committee meeting, city staff made some incorrect statements about the city bike plan draft. Here's one that we find especially misleading.

The City Planning department's Jordan Turner stated the draft bike plan includes 529 miles of bike lanes. We wish this were true. Based on numbers in the city's own plan, Turner off by 98 miles. He's also combining the "designated/proposed" bike lane category (28 miles which is more likely to be implemented someday) with the "potential" bike lane category (404 miles which the city stated is infeasible.) We don't think that Turner is intentionally lying, but we do suggest that he should read his own plan more thoroughly and be more careful and accurate in any future public presentations.

C.I.C.L.E. did a quick spreadsheet here comparing the totals that Jordan refers to with the actual numbers:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tbZplx45n0dbkLoHWGmKFRg&output=html

He's using the mileage numbers from page 41 of the draft plan:
125 proposed +
404 potential
529 total

Those numbers are wrong. When C.I.C.L.E. adds up the numbers from the actual facilities shown on the draft plan's maps and appendices, we get:
28 proposed +
403 potential
431 total

Most of this discrepancy C.I.C.L.E. already exposed at our earlier article here:
http://www.cicle.org/cicle_content/pivot/entry.php?id=2479

Published October 17, 2006 by C.I.C.L.E.

As most of us dedicated urban bicycle commuters already know, we bikers are entitled to the use of the existing roadways (most freeways excluded), and have all of the same rights and responsibilities as that of a motorist. Yet most motorists and many beginning bicyclists are not informed about the vehicle code as it pertains to bicyclists. This frequently leads to misunderstandings, hostile relations, and sometimes collisions between bicyclists and motorists.

In an attempt to address this problem, we’ve drafted up a little easy-to-read motorist tips card designed to educate motorists about some of our basic rights and needs as bicyclists, while also identifying some of the most common misunderstandings about bicyclists on the roadway. This is in no way a complete and comprehensive text on the issue -- rather, this simply focuses on some key areas that seem to be common sources of conflict on the road.

We will be distributing these cards within the Los Angeles area. But we really encourage you to get involved. Help us print and distribute these cards, as this will greatly broaden the reach of this awareness campaign, and reduce our costs too.

Downloads

These cards are available as pdf -- 3 to an 8.5” x 11” sheet.

Print or copy each side back to back, making sure that the columns are aligned. Cut them into 3 parts, trimming the excess on the sides.

Front: (English)

Back: (English)

En Español

For a more comprehensive understanding of the vehicle code as it pertains to bicycles, please read:

California Vehicle Code (as it pertains to bicycles)