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U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY ANTHONY FOXX CHALLENGES MAYORS TO MAKE BIKING AND WALKING SAFER
Last September at the Pro Walk/ Pro Bike/ Pro Place conference, Sec. Anthony Foxx made it clear that his signature issue, which would define his tenure as the head of U.S. DOT, would be bicycle and pedestrian safety.
And that's not just the line he takes in a room full of bike/ped advocates. It's also what he told the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, DC this week.
Cities that participate in Foxx's challenge will attend the "Mayors' Summit for Safer People, Safer Streets" in March and then perform seven activities during the next year to improve pedestrian and bicycle transportation safety in their communities. They are:
- Take a Complete Streets approach;
- Identify and address barriers to make streets safe and convenient for all road users;
- Gather and track biking and walking data;
- Use designs that are appropriate to the context of the street and its uses;
- Capture opportunities to build on-road bike networks during routine resurfacing;
- Improve walking and biking safety laws and regulations; and
- Educate and enforce proper road use behavior by all.
Sure, that first step is pretty vague, but Smart Growth America has some concrete tips to make it happen.
Michael Andersen at People for Bikes found a lot to like about the secretary's announcement -- four things in particular, starting with the fact that "the feds want cities to measure successful bike trips, not just bad ones."
The more people ride in any given community, the safer they all are. And the safer and more mainstream bicycling appears, the more people will do it. It's a virtuous cycle that U.S. DOT is helping kick-start in communities around the country.
INFRASTRUCTURE INLET
A physically-separated bikeway on Fell and Oak. San Francisco’s first raised cycle tracks. A better Wiggle. All this and more is in store for 2015 in SF.
DC-area cyclists want to see the WB&A become a trail to somewhere.
Portland advocates work to ensure that transit-oriented street redesigns make accommodations for bikes and pedestrians, too.
BIG PICTURE BOULEVARD
San Francisco Bicycle Coalition takes a well-deserved victory lap after some great successes in 2013 and 2014.
Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition follows suit with their own justified brag list from last year.
Level of Service metrics can apply to active modes of transportation, not just to cars -- but it does get complicated.
Bike rack company leader gives tips on keeping your bike secure.
Accompany Taj and Sadiq on their car-free commute to school in Los Angeles.
ADVOCACY AVENUE
Hit-and-runs drop, but San Diego activists won't rest until it's zero.
Active Trans demands safer bike infrastructure on Chicago's South and West Sides, even though ridership levels are lower there than in wealthier areas.
Illinois Gov. Rauner puts the Illiana Tollway boondoggle on hold pending a “careful review of costs and benefits;” advocates hope to kill it once and for all.
Four-foot bike lanes next to generous 11-foot car lanes for drivers? That's Maryland's plan for the Route 1 redesign in College Park.
LEGISLATION LANE
Police, prosecutors, and insurers fail to enforce DC's three-foot passing law, but a judge finds for the injured cyclist.
Protected bike lanes, complete streets, sidewalks, and ped signals in Pittsburgh's latest budget. Go Mayor Peduto!
San Diego's new mayor and other city officials pledge to "fix the streets" -- half of them in the next five years.
Eight cycling-related bills on the table for this legislative session in Virginia -- and seven of them are great. Here are some up-to-the-minute updates.
After too much pain and too much injustice, Florida lawmakers consider a bill to make cycling safer.
Advocates launch Vote for Bikes campaign at Georgia State Capitol.
Traffic light sensor doesn't know your bike is there? New Washington state measure would allow you to proceed, red light notwithstanding.
PROGRAMMING PROMENADE
Steve Clark of the League of American Bicyclists visited southwest Florida and almost got run over. Here are some reflections from his visit.
RAGBRAI route announcement comes tomorrow -- if you can wait that long! (Apparently some people absolutely cannot.)
Bicycle Colorado launches its Women Bike program, aimed more at grocery schleppers than lycra warriors.
The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia wants to triple mode share by 2020, with more people biking but fewer getting hurt. How are they going to make that happen? Check out their fantastic new strategic plan.
...Here's their case for safer streets:
GET A JOB
The Reno Bike Project is hiring a community cycling educator.
PeopleForBikes is hiring two events crews to travel the country representing the organization at festivals, bike races, open streets, and other events.
Transportation Alternatives in New York City is hiring a Queens organizer and a graphic designer.
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
If everyone is going to be wearing bicycle bowties like this one, I'm totally going to the Hawaii Bicycle League's "black tire" affair.
