Streetsblog Los Angeles

Today’s Streetswiki entry comes from Josh, a Livable Streets member based in San Francisco, who writes:

A
Bike Bus is a
group of cyclists riding together to a specific destination on a
schedule with an experienced leader. Bike Buses are often formed by
commuters who ride together to work. However, a Bike Bus can be adapted
to go anywhere groups of riders want to go- church, shopping, the zoo,
parks — If a road goes there, a Bike Bus can go there. It’s called a
"bus" because there is a set route and timetable so it can pick up more
"passengers" along the way.

The Bike Bus rides two abreast (where legal) and will single up as needed.

The
pace of the bike bus is agreed upon by the members that day. Since the
Bike Bus serves a safety and a social function, dropping slower riders
is generally not a good idea. However, if there are enough riders,
splitting the Bike Bus into two or three groups riding different paces
can be a good idea. Smaller groups are easier for motor vehicles to
pass as well.

TA
has been organizing variations on the bike bus for commuters who ride
over the Queensborough and Williamsburg bridges. Their bike commuter
pools meet up once a month, giving homeward-bound cyclists some safety
in numbers on Queens Boulevard and Delancey Street, where physical protection is sorely lacking.

Queens committee chair Mike Heffron tells us all went smoothly on the last Queens Boulevard pool. The next one departs this Friday at 6:30 p.m. from the base of the bridge, on the Queens side.

In a StreetsWiki entry on zero VMT vehicles,
Streetsblog regular gecko proposes that a focus on shifting mode share
to human-powered vehicles like bikes and the Aerorider (right) would be
the most efficient means to bring necessary reductions in greenhouse
gases, and would transform Manhattan, for one, into a bright green
paradise.

Since it is only people
that are being moved, using modular vehicles the size and weight of
human beings, and optimally much smaller, is a much better, more agile
and cost-effective way to move them. Bicycles would be the first step
in achieving such systems, by converting 40% of New York City travel to
cycling, as in Amsterdam and Copenhagen. Borrowing from successes of
Parisian Vélib and German public bike systems, scaled up to
significantly service New York’s 8.5 million daily commuter population,
will be the most expedient cost-effective first step in implementing
modern and immediately valuable transit improvements.

Ultimately, if zero VMT vehicles replace standard vehicles there may be justification to consider them negative VMT vehicles;
doubly so if they can serve as modular components of transit systems to
greatly improve systemic efficiencies, practicality, and costs.

We
could see this entry being expanded with info, for instance, on how
bike share can serve to complement existing transit systems by
relieving overcrowding. Any takers? If so, sign up for Livable Streets account to add to this or any other article.

When a coalition of public interest groups including Transportation Alternatives released the "Suburbanizing the City"
report last month, we learned that, following current New York City
parking policies, the construction of new off-street spaces is
projected to result in over a billion additional miles driven per year
by 2030. Startling as it was, this statistic crystallized what many
livable streets advocates already accept as conventional wisdom: more
parking equals more driving.

It follows, then, that the StreetsWiki entry on parking policy would be a thorough one, covering everything from the shredding of urban fabric in the 1950s to state-of-the-art concepts like parking meter districts and variable pricing:

Ideally, rates between on-street and off-street spaces should be
similar, with the most convenient spaces priced the highest. This is
contrary to the usual practice, where parking meter rates are minimal
and spaces in parking structures are set far higher, reflecting the
cost of providing them. This results in drivers “cruising” for parking,
adding significantly to traffic and pollution.

With
advocates actively urging New York City planners and transportation
officials to adopt consistent, coordinated regs more suited to the
urban environment — and as progressive policies are explored in other
cities — expect the parking policy page to be a StreetsWiki favorite
for some time to come.

To contribute to this or any other StreetsWiki entry, or to add your own, start by joining the Livable Streets Network.

Photo: christinaa/Flickr

With all the brouhaha over Broadway Boulevard lately, we thought it would be a good time to revisit the concept of Complete Streets. In a recent StreetsWiki entry, Andy Hamilton gets back to the basics.

A Complete Street is a roadway designed to safely accommodate all users
– pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, transit riders, and those with a
disability. For decades, traffic engineers have designed streets,
particularly urban arterials, primarily for the efficient movement of
private motor vehicles. Residents across the U.S. are demanding street
features that consider the needs of other users.

Word. In fact, with Congressional legislation in the hopper and the backing of one of the nation’s most powerful lobbies, the AARP, the Complete Streets movement may be poised to go mainstream in time for next year’s federal transportation funding reauthorization. Writes Hamilton:

Since the early 2000′s, state laws, local ordinances, and regional
transportation funding agencies have begun a quiet revolution, adopting
Complete Streets policies (though not usually using this term). Such
policies are not one-size-fits-all, and need not be threatening to
traffic engineers. They generally require that, depending on the
context, roadway construction projects must include consideration of
its various users.

Now that higher gas prices have everyone from seniors to school kids looking at car-free means of transport, there is a lot of Complete Streets news to pass along. If you’d like to contribute to this or any other StreetsWiki entry — or add one of your own — you can start by joining the Livable Streets Network.

Photo: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

This week’s StreetsWiki feature takes us to the Quartier Vauban in Freiburg, Germany. With an area of 84 acres, the Quartier Vauban is a neighborhood of 5,000 people, designed and built as a sustainable community between 1993 and 2006. Contributor Meg Saggese writes that the Vauban "represents the state of the art in environmental protection in terms of
transportation, alternative energy production, and sustainable
construction techniques."

One of the key concepts developed through the Forum Vauban was the
creation of a car-free neighborhood. While cars are allowed in the
Vauban, their use and ownership is restricted. Streets are shared
spaces primarily designed for people, not cars. To date, 40 percent of
households have chosen to live car-free.

Transportation within the Vauban centers on its tramway. Another key component in making the Vauban car-free was the adoption of compatible parking policies, including a change in a state zoning law that at the time required builders to include a parking spot for each residential unit. After years of talks between Quartier Vauban planners and lawmakers, "the law was amended to permit Vauban residents to live car-free without the expense of building an unnecessary parking space." Parking is not permitted on private property in the Vauban, while on-street parking is limited to the main street; residents who own cars store them in garages on the outskirts of the neighborhood.

Might a certain American metropolis with a vast public transportation network and mostly car-free citizenry take a cue from this tiny European village on bridging the gap between transportation and planning?

If you have sustainable urban policy info to share on StreetsWiki, jump in by joining the Livable Streets Network.

Photo: aurelie83/Flickr

All the overhead shots of the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube on NBC’s Olympic coverage don’t leave much room for views of Beijing’s streets. But that’s where much of the commotion about smog, absentee athletes and particle masks originates. While the city has taken the unwieldy step of rationing license plates to clear the skies (until the Games leave town, at least), air quality could have been drastically improved by transportation planning with greater foresight.

In the StreetsWiki entry on Beijing, contributor Meg Saggese looks at the decline of bicycling as the city’s dominant mode of transportation, and its prospects for revival:

The hordes of bicycles that ruled Beijing’s streets even two decades ago, however, are quickly becoming the stuff of nostalgia. In the 1990s, around half a billion bikes were still in use throughout the country. At the time, families in Beijing chose bicycles for 60 percent of their trips. By 2007, that figure was down to 20 percent. The culprit? Every day, a thousand more cars hit the pavement. As a result, bicycling has become a perilous affair on streets where vehicles predominate and traffic laws are poorly enforced. But only a few of those who have stopped biking can afford a car. The vast majority are forced to dismount by the rising danger in the streets and the worsening air quality of the city. Recently, even prominent leaders within the environmental community and the bike industry have decided to stop riding, citing the increased hazards.[3]

Many observers are tempted to applaud this transformation as the outcome of newly-acquired affluence and to reject the memory of bicycle-packed thoroughfares as a sign of former poverty. But some press accounts tell a different story. Immersed in congestion and gridlock, many residents feel betrayed by the false promise of automobiles. The city center comes to a standstill at rush hour, and the air is dangerous to breathe. Returning to bicycles becomes harder and harder with every new car.

We’ll see after the Olympics whether the Communist Party’s newfound enthusiasm for clear skies translates into more bike-friendly policies for Beijing.

As always, don’t be shy about editing the post. Join the Livable Street Network to contribute.

Already a prolific contributor to the Streetsblog Flickr pool, BicyclesOnly has recently put together a StreetsWiki guide to "Urban Bicycling With Children." The entry kicks off with a look at some of the less obvious benefits to biking with kids:

Bicycling with children initiates so-called "virtuous cycles"
that further promote bicycling. Parents who bicycle with their
children may be encouraged to bicycle more often because of their
children’s enthusiasm for bicycling. Adults bicycling with children
tend to zealously guard their children’s safety, becoming potent
advocates on the road and with government for improving bicycling
safety. Motorists tend to drive less aggressively when they are aware
of children bicycling nearby. Children who bicycle regularly will be
more likely to bicycle as adults. In all of these ways, urban
bicycling with children promotes bicycling and bicycling safety
generally. 

As Enrique Penalosa has said, "The measure of a good city is one where a child on a tricycle or bicycle can safely go anywhere."  Parents can help realize this vision of a good city by bicycling with their children and making sure that they are safe.

After the multi-generational turnout for New York’s first Summer Streets Saturday, the audience for this type of information should be on the rise.

Which reminds me, there’s a new wiki entry on Summer Streets that’s just begging to be filled out. I’m sure there are plenty of Streetsbloggers out there who can chip in. All you need to contribute is a Livable Streets account.