Thursday, August 29, 2013

document: "A Guide to Using Policy to Create Bicycle Friendly Communities"


ChangeLab Solutions developed Getting the Wheels Rolling: A Guide to Using Policy to Create
Bicycle Friendly Communities
for decision-makers, government officials, community groups,
and others interested in making all types of communities more bicycle friendly.  Click to view it.

Bicycling improves our health, benefits the local economy, and helps create more vibrant,
sustainable communities. But even as more and more people are getting around by bicycle, there
is still tremendous room for growth in the numbers of people who bicycle. One of the most
powerful ways to increase the amount of bicycle travel is the adoption of bicycle friendly laws
and policies. Policies can remove obstacles to bicycling, create incentives for bicycling infrastructure,
and make it easier and safer to bicycle. That means that state and local policymakers have a pivotal
role to play in the future of bicycling. But some policymakers aren't sure where to start. Others are
daunted by the challenge of how to effectively use policy to promote bicycling, especially in light of
the vast array of state and local policy options. 

Creating a bicycle friendly community is a significant commitment. But it can be done – even where
communities are starting with low bicycling rates and little existing bicycle infrastructure. And the
rewards are high. Using policy to make bicycling an integral part of daily life is a win for everyone,
as individuals become active and healthy, neighborhoods grow to be more lively and sustainable,
and local economies and the environment benefit.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Route 35 bike lane project - Star Ledger article


Route 35 at the Shore could be a mecca for bicyclists, advocates say

Bicycles are as much a part of New Jersey's beach scene as miniature golf,
saltwater taffy, seagulls and boardwalks.  The Shore region has all the
ingredients that make bike riding attractive: Flat terrain. Wide roads.
Tourists with the time to take a spin.  That's why a regional transportation
policy watchdog group and biking coalitions think the state Department of
Transportation is missing a golden opportunity in the rebuilding of Hurricane
Sandy-damaged Route 35 by not putting in dedicated bike lanes.

Read the entire article here.



Wednesday, August 14, 2013

fyi, "Complete Streets" webinar (Aug 27) from U of Washington


Brendon Haggerty, urban planner in Washington State,
will discuss "complete streets" policies and how public
health agencies can use them to influence transportation
planning and promote health.

Date: Tuesday, August 27, 2013, noon to 1:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) 

Intended Audiences:     

- Local, state, and tribal public health practitioners    
- Local and state planners and engineers    
- Active transportation advocates

Monday, August 12, 2013

Packet article, "Hillier shares his vision of Witherspoon"


From the Princeton Packet last week, an article about planning.

       "As a delivery boy for the flower shop owned by his mother,
        J. Robert Hillier used to travel Witherspoon Street a lot."

                 comment:  does it get any more Dutch than delivering
                                  flowers on a bicycle, for example this one ?                       

       "Now as an accomplished architect, planner and builder with
         projects around the world, Mr. Hillier has turned his eyes to
         'freshen up,' in his words, the street that runs through one of
         Princeton's historic neighborhoods."

More commentary:      The Witherspoon corridor is one of our most
intractible problems, in terms of making the town more bike-friendly.
It's an important artery, without many parallel alternative routes; it
relates to both "Safe Routes to School", bike access to open space,
and general quality/usability of the regional bike route network.

There's a section of the Ad-Hoc Plan (document) devoted to the
corridor, and this is viewable at this link:   http://bit.ly/164B0u5