Livable Streets Community

The interplay of cycling, fashion, and gender has been a hot topic in the livable streets blogosphere this month, and in the Livable Streets Community too. We recently saw the launch of a bike culture-themed group blog called Amsterdamize, and on StreetsWiki we have a new article on Cycle Chic.

This week we turn our attention to news of a multi-state effort to expand NJ Transit's Raritan Valley Line. Livable Streets member group RenewLV -- a campaign for smart growth in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley -- attended an exciting meeting of the broader Raritan Valley Rail Coalition. RenewLV reports;

We were excited to welcome two long-time Oakland, CA, groups to the Livable Streets Community this week: Walk Oakland Bike Oakland (WOBO) and TransForm. Inspired by the success of San Francisco's Sunday Streets, WOBO wants to launch its own East Bay version and is asking for input on what to call the event. Shannon T. writes:

This week brought urban history lessons to StreetsWiki from Livable Streets members coast to coast.

DOT’s release of mapped bike rack locations last week was met with excitement, but at least one Streetsblog reader also wondered how useful such info would be on-the-fly. While it may not be something you’ll whip out en route, this information can be incredibly helpful for communities in planning and campaigning for more bike parking.

Whether it's the end of bike month or the open data enthusiasm spurred by Obama's new "Democratizing Data" initiative, the Livable Streets Community is full of calls to action this week.

Stella Bonaparte is a bicycle and pedestrian advocate majoring in urban studies at Rutgers' Camden campus. Earlier this month, she started a new Livable Streets group for the neighboring town of Collingswood, NJ. Stella says that Collingswood Streets will help connect and mobilize "people who want to help the town become safer and more inviting for cyclists and pedestrians as equal users of the roads."

Congratulations to Livable Streets Community member silverlynx for his stunning submission to our Profile Photo Contest! Silverlynx is the captain of a tugboat on the San Francisco Bay and rides a DaHon bicycle to commute between jobs. The first prize of a bike gift basket donated by B's Bikes in Williamsburg, Brooklyn goes to him.

News of another success for the Dangerous Intersections group comes to us this week by way of Peter Frishauf. Frishauf shared a message he received from DOT Manhattan Borough Commissioner Margaret Forgione about the intersection of 103rd St. and Riverside Drive in Manhattan, where a "no standing anytime" zone will be implemented south of the bus stop at West 104th St. This change will improve the visibility of oncoming traffic, making racy Riverside safer for pedestrians and cyclists to cross. "'If you see something, say something' isn't just a good thing to do if you see a suspicious package," writes Frishauf, "with this kind of responsiveness from DOT, it can also help us eliminate dangerous intersections."