StreetFilms

Chalk up more bikeway innovation to the folks at the NYC Department of Transportation. Now nearly complete, the Sands Street approach to the Manhattan Bridge is now safer and more enjoyable thanks to a first-of-its-kind in NYC: a center-median, two-way, protected bike path. Frankly, the facility is a perfect solution to counter the dangers posed by a tangle of roads and highway on-ramps that burden the area. Dramatic before and afters tell the delicious story.

You've been asking for more ways to get your Streetfilms fix, and now you've got 'em.

This week's newest offering from Streetfilms highlights the fantastic tradition of "Sunday Streets" in San Francisco.  As Ben Fried notes in the New York write-up of the film, in both cities last year's ground-breaking idea is this year's "traditional event."

For anyone that's missed the news, the Bicycle Film Festival is coming back to Los Angeles this week with events running from Wednesday until Friday.  Anyone familiar with the Festival knows it's about a lot more than just bicycles or films.  This year's festival includes a concert featuring rock band Deerhunter on Wednesday, an arts show opening on Thursday and running all weekend and street party on Sunday.

Born in the streets of Oakland, scraper bikes first gained attention as a trend in bicycle customization that spread with viral speed, thanks to YouTube. Since the Scraper Bike video debuted two years ago, they've become much more: a practical means of greening urban space, a social movement, and a rallying point for young people organizing against violence in their communities.

Recent pilot programs in New York City and San Francisco demonstrate something that Livable Streets Advocates have known all along: by opening "car space" to the public, one can dramatically reduce car traffic and increase livability and sense of community.  While it's true that the concepts demonstrated by our friends to the north and the east are seemingly alien to the folks at City Hall these days; we've learned that once Livable Streets activism reaches the tipping point, things can happen quickly. Thus, we need to continue to celebrate and highlight some of the success stories in other cities.

From our friends across the country comes a Streetfilm highlighting some of the "Livable Streets Education" outreach in Brooklyn.

Meet Gabe Klein who was appointed new director of Washington D.C.'s Department of Transportation (DDOT) in December 2008.  With an interesting background which includes four years working for Zipcar, Mr. Klein was brought in with the idea of looking at the job from a fresh perspective (check out: Potholepalooza!) and innovating solutions to many mobility problems D.C. faces.  Right off the bat, you'll love a lot of what he has to say: