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HAPPY BIKE-WALK-OWEEN
Tonight, millions of people will dress up and celebrate walkable communities by parading from one home to another. OK, so maybe folks aren't in it for the walking, but Halloween is definitely the most pedestrian-centric holiday on the North American calendar. In celebration of the holiday, here are some spooky links from state and local organizations around the continent.
Bike or treat! 13 amazing bike-oriented Halloween costume ideas.
13 reasons why bicycles are perfect for the zombie apocalypse.
This week, the Governors Highway Safety Association released a hair-raising report about bike safety. The report touted questionable statistics, and many reporters displayed a frightening lack of skepticism and mathematical know-how in their stories. Advocates responded:
- The Alliance teased out the differences between fatality count and rate.
- PeopleForBikes looked at the real long-term trends.
- The League published a detailed response from two leading bike researchers.
- The California Bicycle Coalition issued a point-by-point rebuttal.
- This communications director ended up on the Diane Rehm show and managed to neglect saying about 22 things she wanted to say.
ELECTION ESPLANADE
Voting in California? Here are the ballot measures to keep an eye on. Proposition L in San Francisco is especially yucky.
Voters in Fairfax County, VA will vote on a $100 million bond to support smart growth transportation.
A ballot measure in Greenville, SC could fund new biking and walking projects.
Bike Delaware released a voters guide.
INFRASTRUCTURE INLET
New protected bike lanes opened on 36th Street in Minneapolis.
A stretch of Market Street gets a new coat of pavement and green paint.
BIG PICTURE BOULEVARD
Fay Gibson from Active Living By Design writes about why Michael Brown's death is a public health problem.
Monique Koll has been named Bike Lafayette's first executive director. Congrats, Monique!
ADVOCACY AVENUE
A big time New York ad exec doored a Citi Bike rider while exiting a cab. He threw his business card at the cab driver and fled the scene. The blog response: "I question the way you run your open door policy."
Georgia Bikes highlights three national grant opportunities for bicycle friendly improvements and planning. And don't forget about the Better Bike Share Partnership grants! Letters of Interest are due to PeopleForBikes today.
Collier County and South Lee, FL will host Blue Zones projects.
CalBike advises the High Speed Rail Authority on bike issues.
Minneapolis advocates mobilize for protected bikeway funding.
The Illiana Expressway, a new highway in Illinois, is moving forward despite strong opposition.
A bike/ped toll on the Golden Gate Bridge is moving ahead, also despite strong opposition.
Some nostalgia from BikeTexas: #ThrowbackThursday to the first bike racks on Austin buses.
LEGISLATION LANE
The Connecticut department of transportation passed a Complete Streets policy.
Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York announced funding for 68 walking and biking projects. And the Pennsylvania department of transportation announced funding for multimodal projects.
The Washington Area Bicyclist Association begins letter grade scores for city councilmembers, starting with their votes on the upcoming contributory negligence bill.
A new pedestrian advocacy organization in DC finds support for the contributory negligence bill among municipal candidates.
Also from DC: advocates defeated a bike ban on a new Streetcar route.
Fairfax County, VA passed a bike master plan.
Washington, DC's new comprehensive transportation plan, MoveDC, represents great advances for the city but is off to a slower start.
This week, the League of American Bicyclists released an action alert urging Congress to pass the Commuter Parity Act in the House and the Bike to Work Act in the Senate. State and local organizations sounded the alarm, too.
PROGRAMMING PROMENADE
7,200 Tucson kids walked or biked to school as part of the new WALKtober Walk to School Challenge.
WABA's Women & Bicycles program holds a winter bike commuting workshop.
The League of American Bicyclists visited Atlanta to assess the city's bike-friendliness.
Trinity College students speak up for a more bike-friendly Hartford.
The Wisconsin Bike Fed magazine goes digital.
New wayfinding in Dorchester, MA!
GET A JOB
PeopleForBikes is hiring a communications coordinator.
Walk San Francisco is hiring a media relations intern and a member and outreach intern.
Bike Easy is hiring a schools & community outreach coordinator.
Executive Director positions are open at Bike Walk NC, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, Trailnet (St. Louis, MO), Bike Miami Valley (Dayton, OH), and the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition.
The state and local biking and walking advocacy movement is growing. Check out the Alliance for Biking & Walking job board for listings all over North America.
TRAILER
Hubway, Boston's bikeshare system, pays tribute to the late Mayor Menino.
