Category: Bicycle Advocacy

Big Apple announces big plans for bike-sharing;
It will promote more bicycling in the city

Now that New York City is finally getting on the bandwagon with a bike-sharing system, I suppose we'll soon be hearing a lot more about the advantages of substituting short auto trips with bike trips. That's a good thing.

Of course, some media outlets are already raising fear and loathing about the launch of the bike-sharing system announced Wednesday with 10,000 bikes operating from 600 bike stations in the summer of 2012. Turf wars are expected where bike kiosks could take up room on sidewalks, just as bike lanes sparked a debate earlier this year.

The Wall Street Journal points out the system “could dramatically expand the already growing number of bicyclists in New York City.”

Could? It would …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/09/15/big-apple-announces-big-plans-for-bike-sharing-it-will-promote-more-bicycling-in-the-city/

DC cyclist catches road rage on camera

A cyclist who videos his commutes to and from work in Washington DC filmed an appalling scene the other day — a pickup driver intentionally swerving into him.

The video shows a typically mundane ride on NE Rhode Island Avenue last week interrupted by the sudden arrival of the truck driver who shouts at the unidentified cyclist, then knocks him down.

The cyclist was taken to the hospital.

Police have identified the vehicle and are investigating who was driving so they can file …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/09/09/dc-cyclist-catches-road-rage-on-camera/

Upcoming Washington bicycle count seeks volunteers

If you can count, and who can't, then you meet the qualifications for the Statewide Bicycle and Pedestrian Counts Project in Washington later in September.

The annual count — this is the fourth year — measures the number of people who use their bicycles or walk during the morning and evening commutes. The information is used to advocate for more trails and better facilities.

This year, the Cascade Bicycle Club and the Washington Department of Transportation are seeking volunteers for the 30 cities …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/09/07/upcoming-washington-bicycle-count-seeks-volunteers/

Man on bicycle struck and killed in Renton; third area fatality in two weeks

Update: Aug. 6, 2011 — The bicyclist has been identified at George Demendoza, 69, of Federal Way.



Aug. 5, 2011 — A 70-year-old man riding a bicycle in Renton has died of injuries suffered in a collision with a vehicle on Thursday.

He's the third bicyclist to die on roads in King County in the past two weeks.

According to reports, the unidentified man was riding across the 200 block of Logan Avenue North near Renton Memorial Stadium when he was struck by a white SUV at 5  p.m. Thursday. Emergency responders report that he was unconscious when they arrived ….

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/08/05/man-on-bicycle-struck-and-killed-in-renton-third-area-fatality-in-two-weeks/

Bicyclist dies in Seattle hit and run; cyclist identified


View Bicyclist fatality in a larger map

The bicycle rider struck and seriously injured Thursday afternoon by a hit-and-run SUV driver in the South Lake Union area of Seattle has died.

The Medical Examiner's Office made the announcement on Friday morning.

The man was identified as Michael Wang, 44, a photographer for the worldwide health nonprofit PATH. He is survived by his wife, Claire Allen, and their two children, ages 12 and 9.

His wife told the Seattle Times that her husband regularly commuted to work from their home in Shoreline …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/07/29/bicyclist-dies-in-seattle-hit-and-run-cyclist-identified/

Advocacy bike ride through Bellevue's Factoria and Eastgate centers

The city of Bellevue is hooking up with local bike and hike advocacy groups for a bicycle ride on Tuesday to shed light onto how to make the city's busiest bicycle corridor more bike-friendly.

The city is studying future land use and transportation changes in the so-called Eastgate Corridor that runs roughly east-west between Factoria Boulevard and Lakemont Boulevard interchange.

Participants can learn more about the city's plans for the Mountains to Sound Greenway Corridor and provide input on how to make it safer in light of ongoing commercial and employment growth in the area. The upcoming bike ride….

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/07/24/advocacy-bike-ride-through-bellevues-factoria-and-eastgate-centers/

Bicycle lane construction gets bigger bang for the buck

Last winter I wrote about a report that found construction of bike lanes and paths in Baltimore created more jobs per $1 million than road construction.

The author of that report, Heidi Gerrett-Peltier, has expanded her research to 58 projects in 11 cities, including Seattle, and found that her original findings hold true.

“Bicycling infrastructure creates the most jobs for a given level of spending,” she writes in Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure: A National Study of Employment Impacts.

The report compares job creation for road construction and rehabilitation, building new multi-use trails, widening roads to include bikes lanes …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/06/27/bicycle-lane-construction-gets-bigger-bang-for-the-buck/

Georgia becomes 18th state with 3-foot passing law

Although the Georgia General Assembly this year enacted a law requiring that motorists give bicyclists three feet of space when passing, the hard work for Georgia Bikes! is just now beginning.

The statewide bicycle advocacy group is launching promotions to ensure that motorists know about the law that goes into effect July 1.

The information campaign includes public service announcements and a series of “3 Feet 2 Pass” bicycle rides scheduled in six cities over the July 1st weekend. Says Georgia Bikes! executive director Brent Buice:

“We recognize the new law will only be useful …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/06/25/georgia-becomes-18th-state-with-3-foot-passing-law/

Washington state leads bicycle-friendly list in 2011; where states rank

Washington state leads the list of “bicycle friendly states” for the fourth year in a row in 2011.

Thank goodness the League of American Bicyclists doesn't count the weather in considering bicycle-friendliness..

The League announced the rankings on Monday, noting that Maine has been steadily moving up the ranks over the past few years for a No. 2 finish in 2011.

At the bottom end of the list, West Virginia ranked the least bicycle friendly, swapping places with Alabama which now occupies 47th place …..

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/05/24/washington-state-leads-bicycle-friendly-list-in-2011-where-states-rank/

Remember fallen bicyclists: Ride of Silence is Wednesday

Bicyclists in more than 300 cities across the globe will take time on Wednesday evening to remember bicycle riders who have been killed or injured in traffic.

In most locations, the Ride of Silence rolls out at 7 p.m. for a solemn 8- to 10-mile ride at a 12 mph.

[Note: Some rides begin earlier; Seattle Ride for Silence leaves Gas Works Park at 6:30 p.m.]

The silent procession is not only intended to honor those who injured and killed, but also to remind motorists, police, the courts and other public officials that bicyclists have a right to use public roads …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.bikingbis.com/2011/05/18/remember-fallen-bicyclists-ride-of-silence-is-wednesday/