New bike lanes on Rudisill

This was taken Friday Morning somewhere on West Rudisill.

Seriously though. From what I understand, the Traffic Engineering Dept has been taking a lot of heat about the road diet on Rudisill. There is always a period after change has occurred, when what was once familiar has become not so familiar, and people don't like that. But they will get used to it and the people on their bikes will find the sweet new bike lanes, and all will be right with the world. Kudos to Mayor Henry for supporting this kind of positive change that makes Fort Wayne an even better town to live in.

I actually am surprised that this doesn't happen more

Angry Man Runs Over Biker, Police Say
Cyclist Unharmed; $5,000 Bicycle Destroyed In Crash

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- An Albuquerque cyclist said he was obeying all traffic laws when an angry man plowed him over with a truck.

Steve McCampbell said he walked away with only a few bruises after the incident that destroyed his $5,000 bicycle.

Police said McCampbell and a group of others were cycling near Constitution Avenue and San Mateo Boulevard last month when an angry Joe Ackley started screaming at them.

“He pulled up behind us and that was when I was like, 'What's your problem?'” McCampbell said.

The cyclist said Ackley pulled up next to the pack and tried to run over him.

The Rest from KOAT in Albuquerque

Could it come to this?

An Alternative to Congestion Pricing: Roadway Traffic Restraint
Yonah Freemark
October 6th, 2010

When it comes to transportation economists, there’s pretty much one answer to every problem: Equate pricing of all modes with their greater societal impacts. In general, this means that we (in the U.S.) ought to be charging drivers more to make up for the negative effects they have on the environment and the roadway infrastructure, and that we ought to be increasing subsidies to encourage people to take transit.

This approach could be implemented in a variety of ways depending on location, but one model that has been particularly appealing to planners interested in reducing the perceived negative economic and social effects of traffic has been that of London, which in 2003 implemented a congestion charge on drivers entering its central business district. Revenues from the program went to increasing transit service. The method, unsurprisingly, has been a major success in terms of reducing traffic: Between 2002 and 2007, overall car movements in the district decreased by 39%. Meanwhile, travel on public transportation increased correspondingly over the same time period: By 24% on commuter railways, 16% on the Underground, and 18% on buses.

The rest of the story

....so awesome!

It's Our Time!

Why an additional road tax for bicyclists would be unfair

by Elly Blue

In tight economic times, when it's hard to scrape together the cash to fill potholes, even this low level of bicycle spending is often put on hold. But what if, instead, the road tax overpaid by bicyclists were invested into making city streets safer, more comfortable, and more convenient for bicycling? New York City has been doing just that, resulting in tens of thousands of people taking to the streets on two wheels and -- if those people would otherwise be making those trips by car -- saving the city a whole hell of a lot of cash.

Yet the myth of bicyclists as freeloaders is gaining ground. Proposals for bicycle registration schemes crop up every few months, usually from conservative politicians looking for someone to blame, but also at times from well-meaning bicycle advocates. Never mind that no such program has ever managed to pay for its own administrative costs. Nothing is accomplished by putting up barriers to active transportation. Instead, these barriers need to be removed.

Cities -- and taxpayers -- can't afford not to invest in bicycling.

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There those Danes go again...

Be a Hero, Commute By Bike

Comic by Andy Singer

Nothin' Beats A Warm Fall Day!

Sweet weather we've been having, huh?
We had a great ride on Friday night with the Critical/Courteous and as Vince predicted, a good turnout.
I think that there were somewhere between 12 and 14 of us.
Good route, great weather, thanks for coming out everyone.
We'll see you in November!

(CM)2 a.k.a. Courteous Mass, Critical Manners

It is supposed to be in the mid 70's!
Hope to see you there! This Friday the 8th!

Do you like to ride your bicycle? Do you want to meet other people who ride bikes? Would you like to reduce the level of antagonism between bicycles and cars? Then join Critical Manners/Courteous Mass on the second Friday of the month. Riders should gather around 6:15 at Lawton Park so the ride can begin at 6:30.

All parties are welcome to join and help bring common courtesy back to the streets. For those who need a refresher on what Critical Manners/Courteous Mass is, here is the deal:
• The ride will respect and abide the city’s traffic laws.
• Rides will be on the slow side to ensure no one is dropped and that the Mass stays a mass.
• The Mass will only take up one lane, two when necessary for safety.
• The ride will stop at red lights and stop signs. If a light turns red mid-mass, the riders who made the light should safely pull over to wait for those who were caught by the light.
• Riders are asked to signal turns, call out danger, and communicate their intentions to other riders.

The goal of these rides is to be a visible and positive example of the cooperation that can exist between cars and bicycles when people respect the laws and each other. So join the Mass and help make Fort Wayne a better place for bicycles.This Friday at Lawton Park by the Softball Field.

Good Stuff

My Car, My Crutch (Editorial) from Planning Pool
Recently I read an outline for a friend’s thesis on the use of vehicles as a prosthetic component of the human body. Her argument, still in development, is predicated on Rebecca Solnit’s belief that “the car has become a prosthetic… for a conceptually impaired body or a body impaired by the creation of a world that is no longer human in scale” and that walking has become an “indicator species for various kinds of freedom and pleasures”.

My experience with my car merges comfortably with the typical negative statements made about vehicles, such as disassociation with community and the natural world, and increased material consumption. However, life with my car has also been reflective of the many freedoms it allows me: escape for the weekend or access to nearby cities or other areas to which transit does not provide admission, to name a few.

The Rest of the Story