Bicycle Infrastructure
Streetsblog Basics
City Council Proposes Slashing Funds for Bike Network
New bike infrastructure in New York City could be on the chopping block as the City Council and Mayor Bloomberg revise spending projections downward. On Sunday, Speaker Christine Quinn and the City Council released $495 million in proposed budget cuts over the next two years, including an item that would slash spending on bike network expansion in half. DOT's bike network funds would drop from $9.6 million to $4.8 million in 2009, and from $11 million to $5.5 million in 2010. Download this PDF and scroll down to the first item numbered 841, "Reduce Bike Network Development Funding."
December 11, 2008
Will Transit, Bikes, and Peds Get a Stimulus We Can Believe In?
Sam Schwartz has an op-ed in today's Daily News urging New York's leaders to get ready for the massive stimulus package taking shape in Washington:
December 5, 2008
SF Responds to Bike Injunction With 1,353 Page Enviro Review
Two-and-a-half years after a judge issued an injunction preventing the city from adding any new bicycle infrastructure to its streets, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) and the San Francisco Planning Department have released a 1353-page Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) on the San Francisco Bicycle Plan.
At a cost of more than $1 million, the city has attempted to demonstrate in excruciating detail what would seem to be obvious: better bicycle amenities contribute to increased cycling and an improved environment.
November 28, 2008
Study Finds Cyclists Need Safer Streets
A Hunter College study on cyclist behavior is making the rounds today, getting a long post on City Room. The data measure the extent to which cyclists take safety precautions and follow traffic laws. Helpful stuff to know, except that the findings are presented in a way that feeds into the worst stereotypes about cyclists and a blame-the-victim mentality toward traffic injuries and deaths.
November 19, 2008
Reminder: CB4 Eighth Avenue Bike Path Meeting Tonight
Don't forget tonight's Manhattan CB4 hearing on the Eighth Avenue cycle track, where DOT will present plans to extend the protected lane next year from 14th to 23rd Street. With opponents expected to weigh in, pro-livable streets turnout is key. Here again are the specifics:
November 19, 2008
Wednesday: CB4 Needs to Hear From Eighth Avenue Cycle Track Supporters
The transportation committee of Manhattan Community Board 4 will host a public meeting Wednesday night regarding DOT plans for a
protected bike lane on Eighth Avenue from W. 14th to W.
23rd Street.
November 18, 2008
Time Mag Digs Montreal Bike-Share
Bixi, Montreal’s new public bicycle-sharing program, has been listed among Time Magazine’s 50 Best Inventions of 2008. While a pilot version of the system debuted this fall, the real action begins next spring, when 2,400 bicycles will appear on city streets along with 300 solar-powered stations. The bikes are designed to withstand the abuses of … Continued
November 13, 2008
Eyes on the Street: Cycle Track Construction Porn
There's a lot of protected bike infrastructure in various stages of completion right now, and I had the chance to take some pictures on the way to the office today. Above is a trench for part of the Sands Street bike path, the long-awaited Manhattan Bridge approach in Brooklyn that was originally slated to start construction in 2006. The middle of the road has been dug up from Gold Street to Navy Street. Someone on the crew said it will be a while before the project gets finished.
October 31, 2008
Another Interruption Planned for Hudson Greenway
Just after the long-awaited off-road link from Inwood to Battery Park was completed, Streetsblog got word of a pending Hudson River Greenway detour due to planned work by the Port Authority on the Manhattan tower of the George Washington Bridge.
October 27, 2008
The Case for Active Transportation, by the Numbers
Thanks to commenter Stephen for prodding us to post on the new report from the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, "Active Transportation for America" (download the PDF here).
October 24, 2008