Livable streets prodigy Elli Giammona. Photo: The Missoulian

Elli is a 9-year-old in Missoula, Montana who a couple of years ago began to question why she couldn't bike to school. When her mother explained that it wasn't safe because the road leading from their home to Hellgate Elementary -- a typical suburban arterial, from the looks of it -- didn't have a sidewalk, Elli took action.

With encouragement from her mom and the help of her younger sister and older brother, she petitioned Missoula County, gathering signatures and composing a letter explaining the benefits of a walkable Mullan Road. The Missoulian reports:

The letter is dated Jan. 14, 2009, around the time [county public works director Greg] Robertson was looking for a project eligible for American Reinvestment and Recovery Act dollars. Criteria? A quick turnaround, a project in the urban area, and one uncomplicated by problems like right-of-way negotiations and extra environmental reviews.

"Honestly, I didn't have any other projects for consideration at the time that would have met the criteria," he said.

Long story short: A new trail is expected to be finished in time for Elli to ride it to school next fall.

Not only has Elli made it safer for herself and her neighbors to ride a bike or take a walk, she's also made plain how completely the stars must align for something as simple as a car-free ribbon of asphalt to become reality. (Even now, the planned Missoula trail won't connect with the school because of right-of-way costs.) Just a few decades ago a kid riding or walking to school would be considered the epitome of American wholesomeness. Now it's a symptom of child neglect, in part because of infrastructure so obviously inhospitable that even a 7-year-old gets it.

Apparently unfamiliar with the concept of irony, Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) has drafted an angry letter to the chief of Washington D.C.'s Metro, complaining that protesters at last weekend's 9/12 "tea party" had difficulty traveling by transit -- the very transit system that Brady voted against aiding, and the epitome of government spending that the tea partiers claim to oppose.

Tea partiers protesting Big Government's intrusion -- and its failure to adequately support transit, of course. (Photo: WaPo)

Brady's monumental audacity has awakened a welcome chorus of boos from the liberal blogosphere.

Steve Benen asked how the Texas conservative could demand that the government provide "a basic level of transit service" for tea partiers but not a basic level of health insurance. Atrios observed that the episode exposes non-urbanites' conception of cities: as "big urban theme parks."

But the most interesting response to Brady's hilarious lament came from Metro itself, which took the episode with the utmost seriousness. A spokeswoman from the transit system says the "circumstances surrounding the large crowds will be researched and a response will be sent to Brady."

Here's a suggestion for that response: Let us spend money on operating costs, congressman!

Check out Brady's full -- and uncivil -- letter to Metro chief John Catoe after the jump.

To Mr. Catoe:
I write this letter on behalf of my constituents of the 8th Congressional District of Texas – many of whom traveled at great expense and time to our nation’s capital to exercise their right of free speech in the Taxpayer March on D.C. which was held on Saturday, September 12.  These individuals came all the way from Southeast Texas to protest the excessive spending and growing government intrusion by the 111th Congress and the new Obama Administration.      

Based upon numerous eye-witness reports by participants in the march, it is clear METRO did not adequately prepare for the influx of Americans traveling to D.C. for this historic event.  I want an explanation why.

During the march, I heard complaints from elderly veterans in wheel chairs who were denied use of the subway because not enough METRO cars were available and the METRO cars that did arrive were full to overflowing capacity.

An 80 year old woman and her 60 year old daughter were forced to walk – and eventually pay for a cab – due to overcrowded conditions on the METRO.  I heard many such complaints.  These participants, whose tax dollars were used to create and maintain this public transit system, were frustrated and disappointed that our nation’s capital did not make a greater effort to simply provide a basic level of transit service for them.

METRO was certainly aware of the march due to widespread media attention ahead of time.  While the turnout was certainly much larger than predicted, it appears that METRO added no additional capacity to its regular weekend schedule.

I request that METRO promptly provide my office with a full summary of all preparations and actions taken by the agency ahead of and during the gathering, especially related to additional capacity, service, and security.

Sincerely,
Kevin Brady

Traffic Enforcement for Bicyclist Safety from Chicago Bicycle Program on Vimeo.

This amazing video, via Chicago Bicycle Advocate, was produced for the Chicago Police Department to educate drivers, cyclists and officers on traffic laws pertaining to bikes.  Given that the LAPD is revising its teaching methods for how it enforces traffic laws on cyclists this video should be required viewing down at Parker Center.

Considering the disregard and hostility often projected by Los Angeles's Finest, that such videos exist (San Francisco has one too) is remarkable enough. But here, interspersed with horror stories from civilian cyclists, we have actual police officers -- close to a dozen are listed in the credits -- instructing their colleagues not just to enforce the law, but to treat bike riders with respect as rightful users of the road.

After a primer on how to fill out cyclist-involved crash reports, for example, the narrating officer gives advice on cyclist interviews. Given that a cyclist may be suffering from shock after a crash, he says: "You may need to follow up the next day, or talk with them after a trip to the emergency room." Imagine.

Does anyone know of other U.S. cities with similar police training materials? Will Angelenos ever see the day when an LAPD officer publicly says something like, "The public counts on us to keep the roads safe, and to protect those who are at the greatest risk"?

(editor's note: I leaned heavily on the text provided in the NYC Streetsblog coverage of this video in writing, but the opinions expressed in this piece about L.A. are mine and should not have been attributed to our NYC staff.  That mistake was my mistake.)

(Photo: UVA)

But the lone congressional proposal to set national transportation goals, including an annual reduction in per-capita vehicle miles traveled and a focus on repairing existing assets, has languished on the Hill.

The current long-term House transport bill leaves the difficult question of measurable performance targets to state DOTs and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), which could have a vested interest in keeping the bar low.

Given that uncertainty, attendees at today's University of Virginia infrastructure policy conference spoke of forging consensus on how to achieve a "performance-based" system.

Yet the very question of setting national goals appeared to divide and disillusion several speakers.

"Everyone agrees that performance ought to be the driver," said Mortimer Downey, President Clinton's deputy Transportation Secretary and current chairman of the firm PB Consult.

"[But] I'm concerned when I see legislation come out," Downey said -- however "well-intentioned" that legislation may be -- that attempts to set transportation performance goals for the states. National goals, he added, shouldn't turn into "national diktats."

Steve Heminger, executive director of the San Francisco area's MPO, said specific national goals were "the key missing ingredient" that could restore public faith in the importance of transportation spending. "They need to be readily understandable ... things that states and metro areas can be rewarded for meeting and penalized for failing."

Still, Heminger sounded pessimistic about the public's willingness to coalesce in support of a set of transportation targets. The interstate highway system built during the Eisenhower era "was something everyone could rally around," he said. "We're never going to have that again."

Craig Lentzsch, a former Greyhound president who served on the federal panel that recommended a 10-cent gas tax increase earlier this year, emphasized the need for specificity in what transportation dollars would be used for rather than the environmental benefits that would result.

In June of 2008, the City of Santa Clarita passed a Non-Motorized Transportation Plan, basically a Bike Master Plan and Pedestrian Master Plan rolled into one document, by a 5-0 vote.  Cyclists were happy, pedestrians were happy and city staff was able to take one giant progressive step forward.

Fast forward a year, and we'll see that implementation of that plan has proven rocky.   Our friends at SCV Talk, consider it the LAist of Santa Clarita, had barely finished celebrating the removal of travel lanes on a formerly four lane-road to put in bike lanes before residents stormed the city council, the same council that unanimously backed the plan on paper, and complained about being "blind-sided" by the new bike lanes. The Signal gives examples of some of the complaints:

“The lane now is so narrow, my minivan won’t fit,” said Heide Prinsze, 52, who drives along the street daily to shuttle her kids to and from school. “It’s a nightmarish road as is. We don’t need bike lanes that no one would use.”

“I feel like I’ve been ambushed,” said Prinsze, who has lived in Valencia for 12 years.

I could mention that there was extensive outreach on the Non-Motorized Transportation Plan, or that it must be a large mini-van to fit into the car travel lane in the picture above; but I digress.

For its part, the City Council has listened to the complaints of all those who took the time to drive to City Hall and complain and is now pushing a compromise solution.  By removing the buffer and narrowing the bike lane to five-feet, the Council believes they can restore the road to its former four lane glory and maintain the bike lane.  How many people would be willing to bike on that particular road is another matter.

At SCV Talk, writer Jeff Wilson has done a great job trying to tone down the controversy by encouraging people to ditch the hyperbole (read: gross exagerations) and discuss the issue civily.  He also breaks down how much of the hyperbole is based in misinformation and ill-informed perceptions.

Of course, taking the bike lane off the road isn't off the table yet.  While the Council has ordered another round of public outreach, there is also discussion of another special meeting at City Hall.  I'll keep monitoring SCV Talk for more news and will report it here.

I just returned from a trip to Moscow and noticed an interesting trend. Despite the economic slowdown, which Russia is also certainly experiencing, their public transportation is not only as efficient as it's always been, but - it keeps getting better and better.  Unlike in the United States, nobody is discussing service cuts!

Namely:

• Buses, trolleybuses, and streetcars run more frequently than ever before;
• Subway trains continue running every two minutes (every minute during rush-hours);
• Commuter/Regional electric trains run even more frequently than before (5-15 minute headways, including evenings!);
• New, state-of-the-art Express Commuter Rail routes have opened to various regions, including Airport
• Connector trains to all 4 (four) Moscow region's airports;
• New Subway lines continue to be built as we speak (3 extensions now under construction, that's in addition to the existing 180-mile subway network);
• No service cuts are on the horizon whatsoever!

Embarrassingly for Angelenos, Los Angeles city buses run less frequently than Moscow's regional trains! Whenever I was asked a question about our public transportation in LA, I was embarrassed to answer that - getting around without a car even within the city is practically impossible, let alone trying to travel outside LA! Needless to say, Russia is not the only country that can be proud of its public transportation and ability to get along without a car - something that cannot be said about Los Angeles!

Most cities across America - even with a developed mass transit system are still far from leveling with European transit systems. Even in cities such as Washington D.C. and Boston, intervals at certain times of the day are too long. American mass transit agencies have a strange "Fewer People thus Long Intervals" approach, leading to implementing 20-30 minute intervals at evening and night hours.

Red-color train - is a new, state-of-the-art Express airport connector, from the Sheremetyevo International Airport - to Moscow's center (directly, non-stop). By the way - it was very comfortable, with luxury seating, flat-screen TV's, large tinted windows, etc.

For instance, I witnessed in Moscow and Paris late-night and early-morning intervals are no more than 6 minutes (despite relatively low demand at this time of day). Now, compare that with America's major cities' subways, where evening or early-morning headways can range from 15 to 30 minutes. So, part
of the overhaul in our Metro-Rail and Bus service should be significantly improving frequencies at late-night and early-morning hours. We should have trains running at no more than 10-minutes intervals (not 20-30 minutes!). Generally, forcing riders to rely on Timetables for city buses & subway trains is pathetic!

So, we wonder whether U.S. is doing something totally wrong as far as our mass transit funding. Why all of our cities' mass transit systems keep struggling, even the developed ones? Why are we in America constantly hearing about transit cuts and fare increases,  when in other countries public transportation is booming?

Arguments like "Our transit money is diverted by our Governor due to budget crisis" are just pitiful excuses. The fact that other countries can provide wonderful mass transit service despite economic crisis is an indicator that things can be done if there's a will! No doubt, America's entire transit funding system needs serious examination.

The roots of severe under-funding of public transportation are in our own federal funding procedures, laws, and regulations. We need a complete overhaul in our whole system of funding Mass Transit, and not just for Los Angeles (although LA should be the first city in the U.S. for a complete overhaul, due to totally inadequate service); but in all major cities across the U.S.  Just as it is done in other countries, and in Russia in particular, the government should dedicate a MUCH higher sum of money to mass transit, and spend significantly LESS on highways! And not just the government, but local agencies such as Metro should stop focusing on roads & highways, but should truly invest in our public transportation!

Thankfully, for the first time ever since the auto industry took over America, the feds are considering a bill that would switch the funding priorities, from Highways to Mass Transit. This is a phenomenal development, albeit major obstacles ahead. But at least, there is an indicator that America is ready for a change!

More and more people realize that basing our transportation system on cars is doomed for failure!
Ultimately, funding of public transportation should come not just from Gas Tax and Sales Tax (or other
minor sources) - which hasn't worked well, but - Transit funding should be our Federal government's
priority funding, period! The reason that many U.S. cities' public transit systems are heading for severe cuts is because the government does not allocate nearly enough funding; it's that simple! The government should also make it a Federal law - for Transit money to be fully protected and to go directly to mass transit, without ever being diverted (by our California legislature, for example).

Finally, I find bailing-out the auto companies by our government to be a major mistake! Whereas, I do
sympathize the automakers for facing bankruptcies, it's obvious the demand for auto vehicles is falling. People are switching to public transportation with record numbers! So, when the government tries to pay to "save" the auto companies - is like almost forcing those companies to stay in business, even though there is obviously not much business going around!

View of the Russian country-side.

If the government desires to act like a "Big Daddy" to the failing business ventures, then why doesn't the government help everybody, not just the biggest moneymakers? Otherwise, it's clear discrimination, aimed towards "Car Propaganda" that has been dominating America for the last several decades. Rapidly falling demand for new and used vehicles comes shoulder-to-shoulder with rapidly increasing demand for Public Transportation, which again proves that people do not want to be forced to buy cars. People want improved public transportation nationwide!

Yes, stimulus money is badly needed; not to pay-off auto companies, but to re-build our mass transit networks. It's time that government realizes: transportation is about moving people, not cars.

As for the "Americans love their cars" slogan, I believe this to be an old cliché, propagated mostly by our
government and automakers - to force people buying cars! So, I would describe this "car love" being rather - car addiction; most of us are forced to be car-addicted due to the lack of reliable alternatives. Our goal is - to invest in, and provide, those reliable alternatives, thanks to which we won't have to be "in love" with our cars anymore! Providing options for people, the freedom to choose our method of commute is what needs to be done.

The economic slowdown is felt worldwide, especially in European countries, including Russia. But public
transportation systems worldwide are able to avoid service cuts; they sometimes raise their fares, but no service cuts are being forced whatsoever, helping to retain ridership and overall mobility! This should send a strong message to the United States - that economic downturn does not mean mass transit downturn. In fact, improving public transportation is the least the government should do to provide mobility and boost our economy. It can be done, but would require complete change in our government's mentality, in our entire Public Transportation funding politics, and switching priorities.

It's time for the U.S. to get rid of their ego and notorious "car culture" notion, and learn from other countries how to effectively provide mass transit for people. With our new Administration, there is a hope American cities will build reliable, efficient public transportation systems we can all be proud of!

The city's expanding bike network is paying dividends -- boosting the level of cycling and making streets safer in the process. Snagged from the latest issue of TA's StreetBeat, this graph is a great illustration of the "safety in numbers" effect identified by researcher Peter Jacobsen in a landmark 2003 paper published in Injury Prevention. The stats in New York reinforce Jacobsen's body of evidence that the more bicyclists and pedestrians are out on the street, the safer biking and walking becomes.

"Safety in numbers" also explains why the U.S. has such a high rate of cyclist injuries and fatalities compared to countries like the Netherlands and Denmark, where biking is much more common. And it's pretty much Exhibit A when it comes to proving the folly of "safety campaigns" like the one currently underway in Savannah, which Sarah wrote about in her post today and which we see our beloved LAPD do on a regular basis downtown and in Mid-Wilshire.  But the sad reality is: when you fine pedestrians or otherwise discourage walking, and you only make streets less safe.

(This story was slightly modified from its original post by Damien Newton.)

A Marine pedals through D.C.'s Congressional Cemetery. (Photo: M.V. Jantzen via Flickr)

The Post ran a letter to the editor on Friday that suggested as much, relaying the tale of a local resident named David Jordan who was prevented from pedaling to the military cemetery to observe Memorial Day. Jordan suggested that the cemetery's private security guards were discriminating against cyclists:

Of all the places in Washington, where the words "freedom" and "liberty" are uttered frequently, it seems especially sad and ironic that anyone seeking to pay his respects would be denied the opportunity simply because he wasn't in a car.

Today, the newspaper ran two letters responding to Jordan (viewable here and here). Both were sent by locals with family members interred at Arlington, and both expressed concern about bikers overrunning the facility if it were opened to them. One letter-writer worried that cyclists could turn the cemetery into "an exercise track".

As it happens, neither cars nor bikes are allowed to move freely through the grounds at Arlington. M.V. Jantzen A local blogger at WashCycle contacted the cemetery and found that cars and bikes are treated equitably when it comes to access issues.

The back-and-forth over cycling at Arlington appears minor on its face. But it could prove emblematic as lawmakers decide how to tackle bike and pedestrian access in the upcoming federal transportation measure.

As with many other issues, the world will expect America's "talk" -- say, urging China and India not to become auto-centric -- to be accompanied by "walk," at home. That, unfortunately, despite early glimmers of hope, is not happening. The stimulus bill has allocated about 8 billion dollars to transit, compared with 30 billion to highways. This is roughly in keeping with the traditional 80/20 split of federal transportation funds that have been enshrined since the Eisenhower days. If we are to get serious about halting climate-change, this split will also have to change.

Dutta cites Japanese and European models -- "Make cars, buy cars, just don't drive them all the time." -- as potential templates for India and other developing economies, so long as they, too, make adequate investments in public transportation.

The same could be said of the U.S., where the average citizen consumes 25 times as much energy as the average Indian. Dutta suggests America will need to commit to a long-term, "multi-generational" approach to transit development if it wants the kind of results already evident in its most urbanized cities.

The average Texan consumes approximately 500 million BTU per year, about six to seven times that consumed by a resident of New York City or San Francisco. The difference largely results from level of dependence on the automobile. Metropolitan regions where many people travel by public transportation (or by bicycles or on foot) are inherently more carbon-efficient than places that rely almost exclusively on automobiles, which is to say, most of the United States.

The city has put out a request for proposals to create a bike share program. The proposal envisions a network of 150 stations scattered across the city with 1,500 bicycles available to students, commuters and visitors with the swipe of a card.

Officials eventually hope to expand the network to 600 stations in the greater metropolitan area with 6,000 bikes.

Talk about a turnaround. Boston streets didn't even have any bike lanes until last year. But Mayor Thomas Menino has become an avid cyclist himself, and the city's first bicycle coordinator, Nicole Freedman, is not short on ideas. Good thing they're not afraid to succeed. The Boston announcement stands in marked contrast to San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's plan for a pilot bike-share with -- count 'em -- 50 bikes.

For Boston (population ~ 600,000), a system with 1,500 bikes would merit comparison to the flagship bike-share systems in Europe. Barcelona's Bicing, for instance, launched with 3,000 bikes and about 200 stations for a city with more than twice the residents and a land area about 25 percent bigger than Boston. Bike-share is more ubiquitous in Paris, where Vélib supplies about 20,000 bicycles to a city of just over two million inhabitants. (Matthew Roth at Streetsblog SF has a great post about ideal bike-share specs, and promo site B-Cycle provides a slick way to see the optimum numbers for your hometown.)

Today, the New York City Department of Transportation shows us what change looks like with its new vision for a car-free Broadway.  For details, read Aaron Naperstek's post at NYC Streetsblog.  But since a picture is worth a thousand words, you can see what change looks like in a couple of pictures below.

Before and After: A rendering of a car-free Broadway at 6th Ave., Herald Square, looking south. Download a larger image.

So is Vélib destined to burn brightly only to flare out after a short time? Hardly. Vélib is here to stay, according to officials and transportation experts familiar with the details of its operations. The BBC's portrayal of a mortal threat, they say, is best understood as a negotiating ploy on the part of JCDecaux. (Note that the JCDecaux representative is the only source quoted in that story.)

"Decaux is using media sensationalism in order to obtain more money from the city of Paris," said Denis Baupin, who as Deputy Mayor for Transportation oversaw the Vélib launch in the summer of 2007.

The basic structure of the Vélib contract works like this. JCDecaux runs the whole system in exchange for the rights to 1,600 outdoor displays, making its profit from selling that ad space. The city of Paris keeps the revenue from Vélib user fees, so it can claim to provide the service at no taxpayer expense. Now, with the full Paris network of 20,600 bicycles fully built out, penalties for inadequate maintenance are in the process of taking effect. Hence the hue and cry from JCDecaux.

"It's in large part a PR issue," says Luc Nadal of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. Some aspects of the Vélib contract are still in flux, and the sky-is-falling press coverage gives JCDecaux a stronger hand in those negotiations. "Their bargaining position depends on the public's perception."

Not that bicycle abuse is a phantom problem. It exacts a real toll, but much of that cost has been anticipated and accounted for. Last July, the city of Paris agreed to pay JCDecaux 400 euros for every bike stolen in excess of four percent of the total fleet. Given the enormous popularity of Vélib -- users have taken 42 million rides since its debut -- the cost of those payments is minimal. Using the BBC's figure of 7,800 missing bikes, the pricetag for the city comes to less than 2 million euros annually, out of 20 million euros in user fees.

"It averages out to about 15 stolen per day, out of 80,000 daily users," says Eric Britton, founder of the Paris-based New Mobility Agenda. "It's like skinning your knee."

Not only does the city already pick up a big part of the tab, but JCDecaux reportedly hauls in about 80 million euros per year from its outdoor displays, according to estimates cited by Britton. It's difficult to know the exact figure -- and how much is profit -- because JCDecaux guards the data like a nuclear secret. Even the precise cost of replacing one Vélib bicycle remains unknown to the public. Inquiries we sent to JCDecaux's headquarters in Paris have not been returned.

Public support for Vélib remains unflagging. "Vélib has been totally embraced by Mayor Bertrand Delanoe himself," said Nadal. What politician wouldn't jump at the chance to be identified with a program that enjoys 94 percent satisfaction among constituents?

This is largely a testament to JCDecaux's success in operating the system. According to Baupin's office, however, Vélib maintenance workers report that management has let upkeep slide in order to amplify the perception of vandalism.

JCDecaux's media gamesmanship "is short-sighted," said Baupin, in a statement translated from the French. "One should not lose sight of the remarkable success of this transportation mode due to a slightly underestimated rate of vandalism." 

Then there's the matter of JCDecaux's own self-interest, and whether the rumors and exaggerations will hurt the company's attempts to secure bike-share contracts in other cities. Said Britton: "Why would they run away from a golden goose?"

Pelosi helps cut the ribbon at the grand opening of Muni's T-line. Photo: kitetoa/Flickr

"Our infrastructure choices will help determine whether people can choose alternatives to driving their cars," Pelosi told the RPA convention. "In Congress, we are leading by example with a ‘Green the Capitol’ initiative that will make our complex a model of green infrastructure and environmental stewardship."

If that's the case, why didn't Pelosi fight for public transit in the stimulus bill passed in the House yesterday, instead of a meager $9 billion that only rose to the original $12 billion because of an amendment by Rep. Jerry Nadler? Why is transportation spending so highway heavy at $30 billion? 

"This is not all we're going to do," said Pelosi's spokesman, Drew Hammill. "We know we can’t do everything in one bill and there’s restraints on what we can spend. She said we have to do something to quickly turn around the economic situation. The number one priority here is turning the economy around."

Hammill actually said the $12 billion is "a huge step forward for public transit." In California, under the stimulus bill, about $950 million will be allocated as transit capital, compared to $2.7 billion for highways and bridges.

"This is a bill about the future," Pelosi said today at a news conference with fellow Democrats. "It is a bill that will guarantee that we will create jobs, that there will be good paying green jobs that will transform our infrastructure, transform our energy and how we use it and our dependence on foreign oil."

Story written by Bryan Goebel

And now, for something completely different.

While a lot of the local news recently has been negative, let's take a second to forget our local issues for a moment and celebrate a new innovation in bicycle parking coming to us from the Land of the Rising Sun.

The above video shows a new, automated, bicycle parking system where riders place their bicycle in the track and it is taken in a machine and stored underground.  It takes about ten seconds to retrieve your bicycle when you wish it returned, which I guess could lead to some delays at rush hour, but is actually less  time than it takes me to free my bicycle after shackeling it to a bike parking area.  A poster showing how the storage works underground can be found after the jump.

Image via dannychoo.com

Inauguration parade rehearsal. Photo: Travir/Flickr

The discussion online has covered chokepoints in the Metro system, proper pricing of park-and-ride spots, and the advantages of banning private auto traffic on Virginia-DC bridges. And bike valet parking and the utility of pedicabs. Predictably, AAA came out strong against the restrictions on car traffic, apparently contending that the optimal "mobility" solution would be to let streets completely clog up with private motorists.

This weekend I spoke to a relative of mine in the DC area who predicted carmaggeddon on the Maryland side of the district, as drivers attempt to bypass the ban. I suppose we'll know soon enough whether Virginians are that attached to their cars.

via Salon's How the World Works

If you have seven minutes of free time, you should check out this video above.  If not, make time.

Recently, Guillermo Penalosa, the former Commissioner of Parks, Sports and Recreation for the city of Bogotá, spoke at San Francisco's Commonwealth Club about the changes that have gone on in Bogota since the mid 1990's that have made the city a home for alternative transportation.  Penalosa noted that creating parks, public spaces and bicycle and pedestrian amenities isn't only the best way to help a city grow and environmentally friendly; it's also inexpensive.

Penalosa also happily pointed out some of the innovations going on around the world that are changing the way people think about transportation and commuting such as the Velib in Paris, real Congestion Pricing in England and Los Angeles' bike licensing program.  Ok, I'm kidding about that last part.

Longtime Streetfilms viewers will recognize the name Penalosa, but they'll be thinking of the Comissioner's brother, the former Mayor of Bogota.  Streetfilms has more in-depth coverage of a lot of what Penalosa is talking about above including Bogota BRT, Ciclovia, Lessons from Bogota, and an interview with the Mayor.

"Atip's" Friends and Family Gather Around His Ghost Bike Last July

Last July, the San Diego bicycle community suffered a serious blow when one of it's better known and well liked leaders was killed in a collision with a motorist.  Friends and family erected a memorial at the site of the crash, a white painted "ghost bike" surrounded by flowers and signs marked the site for five months until it was removed by San Diego's city services last Friday, a day earlier than was promised.

The raw emotion of the last post on the blog chronicling the efforts to save the ghost bike, stands in stark contrast to the rest of the blog.  While most of the blog shows a mix of hopefulness and sadness, the bike's removal one day before a final memorial seems callous at worst and hopelessly clueless at best.

Of course, ghost bikes are about more than just creating a memorial for a fallen friend, they're also a form of activism.  A way of crying out for greater road equity and safer streets for everyone.  Save Atip's Memorial isn't just a blog about saying goodbye, it's about calling for change.

The blog's author tries to give greater meaning to his friend's death by trying to get the city to re-engineer the dangerous intersection of Park Boulevard and University Avenie, where Atip was struck while making a left-turn.  The exact details of the crash, i.e. whether Atip had the right of way are not 100% clear.

After discussing the crash with city officials, a local activist wrote a proposal for a Public Improvement Project, worked with the local bike coalition to dot the i's and cross the t's and submitted it to the city.  After a couple of days they called him back and told him that his plan was rejected.

Days later, the representative at Engineering I had been in contact with, ran it by his Senior Planners, and told me that they wouldn’t approve of the proposed Public Improvement Project. They’re logic was that the Memorial Bike would cause people to slow down below normal automobile traffic speed and that if people slowed down then “accidents” would happen.

Ugh, sound familiar?

Never the less, the community's efforts to improve that intersection move forward, and for those of you interested in reading the rest of the story, it can all be found at Save Atip's Memorial.

Photo: Save Atip's Memorial

Detroit's customer incentives have had an air of desperation for a while. With Big Three bankruptcy looking more likely every day, some dealers -- like this one in Pembroke Pines, Florida -- are venturing into liquidation sale territory (and then some).

The core section of the line, from Public Square to University Circle, has center median stations on raised platforms designed to enable riders to step directly onto buses, as if they were rail cars. An innovative precision docking system makes it easy to align the buses with precise spots on the platforms, so riders know where to queue.

The 34 stations along the line are smartly tailored gems. They have a light, transparent feel that makes them look both elegant and safe. They complement the architecture of nearby buildings, rather than obscure views.

Less noticeable are the ingenious ways in which landscape architects from Sasaki Associates in Watertown, Mass., redesigned the avenue from building face to building face to include 5-foot-wide bicycle paths and tapering islands with flower beds at the bus stations.

Intended to spur economic development along the city's historic but struggling main drag, Euclid Avenue, the Health Line figures to get even more attention from other cities if the Obama administration commits to increased federal investment in transit:

Financed primarily by the state of Ohio and the federal government, the project shows how smart investments in mass transit and public space can help struggling cities turn themselves around.

The project also is a reminder -- after the collapse of the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis and the catastrophic failure of levees in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina -- that America still has the ability to tackle high-quality, large-scale infrastructure projects with style.

That's important at a moment in which the country has elected a new president who wants to invest heavily in urban infrastructure to create jobs, jump-start a sputtering economy and revitalize cities.

Just two weeks after the ribbon-cutting, the Euclid Corridor project is becoming a national model. Joseph Calabrese, director of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, which masterminded and built the bus line, said the agency has recently entertained large civic delegations from San Antonio and Nashville, Tenn.

Photo: Steven Litt/Plain Dealer

Ask virtually any store manager at the Saint Louis Galleria about shoplifting, and you'll invariably get two responses: One, it's out of control; and two, it's gotten exceedingly worse since August 2006, when MetroLink opened a stop just 500 yards from the high-end shopping center.

In the first six months of this year, Richmond Heights police made 345 arrests at the mall. That's nearly double the number of arrests made in all of 2005, before MetroLink opened its Shrewsbury line.

More alarming are the numbers of juveniles (kids under the age of seventeen) arrested at the mall. This year police are on pace to take 276 juveniles into custody for shoplifting and other offenses — a sevenfold increase over the 39 kids arrested at the Galleria in 2005.

"I know it's not politically correct, but how else do you explain it?" comments a frustrated Galleria store manager.

Not everyone is as reactionary. A police officer who regularly patrols the mall, asked to explain the "surge," replied: "Who knows? Perhaps it's the downturn in the economy. Or maybe it's the need for teens to feel like they have to wear the latest fashions."

Of course it could also be that improved transit brings more people in general, or that authorities are more likely to target those who appear out of place for engaging in activities that might otherwise go overlooked. But after establishing its "city problems invade the 'burbs" theme, the story avoids such analysis, relying instead on rote "he said she said" coverage. To wit:

Richmond Heights police reported arresting three adult males — ages 23, 29 and 31 — implicated in a string of thefts earlier this summer. According to Macy's loss-prevention officers, the men would enter the department store, conceal merchandise under their clothes and then hightail it across the Galleria parking lot to the MetroLink station. By the time Macy's officers realized what had been stolen, the men were already on a train out of town.

"Just as we don't blame the automobile industry if someone commits a crime with a car, you need to be careful about blaming the mode of transportation for some of these recent isolated incidents," says [Metro spokeswoman] Dianne Williams.

Photo of St. Louis Galleria: merfam/Flickr