INTERSECTION 911

New bridge will cast a long shadow over Vancouver, Washington

Sat, 07 Aug 2010 14:25:27 -0700

New bridge will cast a long shadow over Vancouver, Washington:

Stand for a minute along Columbia Street near the railroad berm in downtown Vancouver.

Now look up.

A massive steel and concrete structure that today exists only in technical engineering schematics will materialize high above Vancouver’s riverfront within the decade if the proposed Columbia River Crossing sticks to its current schedule. The Interstate 5 bridge will deliver thousands of cars, heavy trucks and light rail trains into the city at roughly the height of an eight-story building.

Washington-based bridge architect Kevin Peterson is appalled.

“It looks like a big damn freeway crossing a railroad staging yard,” he said.

"The fact that the building is rich in history is of no consequence. That the building has tenanted a..."

Sat, 07 Aug 2010 13:08:52 -0700

““The fact that the building is rich in history is of no consequence. That the building has tenanted a great many of our state leaders who have gained national prominence is of no import. Nor are we concerned with the almost human personality of the building. Were it standing in a European city, it would probably be used for 50 or 100 more years; but, to Impatient America, it is merely a symbol of a former era and is standing in the path of the juggernaut. Progress.””

- Don Giesy in the Oregonian, December 17 1933 writing about the Chamber of Commerce Building. via Cafe Unknown

Everybody hurts when you speed.

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 22:32:28 -0700

Everybody hurts when you speed.

Street Narrative: 82nd & Jonesmore; Portland, Oregon. PDOT...

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:11:10 -0700

Street Narrative: 82nd & Jonesmore; Portland, Oregon.

PDOT Communique #4: Return to the Wall (by Joe Biel)

VIDEO: Cycling Copenhagen, Through North American Eyes

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:12:06 -0700

VIDEO: Cycling Copenhagen, Through North American Eyes

New York Adopts Safe Passing Law

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:07:07 -0700

The state Assembly last night unanimously approved our bill to require motorists to pass cyclists at a safe distance. The Assembly approval came three days after the state Senate approved the bill. It now goes to Gov. Paterson to be signed.

The law, to be called Merrill’s Law, is named in honor of Hartsdale resident Merrill Cassell, who was killed on Route 119 in November when he was sideswiped by a Beeline bus. The driver didn’t receive a ticket and was back driving the next day.

This law gives us a right to the road, and will make riding safer for us all.

The bill emerged from the tragedy, and the Bike Walk Alliance, along with Westchester Cycle Club and the NY Bicycle Coalition, worked with our state legislators to make it happen. Once signed by the governor, New York will be among 24 states that require that motorists pass “at a safe distance” or by three feet. The state Assembly balked at the three-foot requirement, but after our statewide lobbying campaign, agreed to the “safe distance” terminology, which is in force in such bike-friendly states as Oregon and Washington.

Hats off to state Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, of Yonkers, who crafted the bill’s first draft, and Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, of Scarsdale, who negotiated with Assembly leadership to find language that would pass muster.

I’ll keep you posted on the victory party, which we’re planning for after the bill gets signed.
BWA President David Wilson

Vancouver, BC leads the Northwest in safe bike infrastructure, by using concrete, not paint.

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 14:32:57 -0700

Vancouver, BC leads the Northwest in safe bike infrastructure, by using concrete, not paint.

Catch the Bike Bus to SchoolPortland, OR Yes, it’s...

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 13:16:24 -0700

Catch the Bike Bus to School
Portland, OR

Yes, it’s possible. Good morning!

Bus service should be TriMet's first priority

Fri, 14 May 2010 14:18:17 -0700

Bus service should be TriMet's first priority:

Our local and regional leaders have become light-rail happy at the expense of essential bus service, undermining equity principles. While rail proponents talk about the “green” benefits of improved air quality, until we commit to lining all our streets with tracks, a more comprehensive analysis of transit equity and community engagement is needed before any more spending decisions are made that jeopardize bus operations. Improving the frequency, accessibility and reliability of bus service must be our first priority.

First Lady’s Childhood Obesity Task Force Calls For Transportation Reform

Tue, 11 May 2010 15:37:56 -0700

First Lady’s Childhood Obesity Task Force Calls For Transportation Reform:

(Chart: LetsMove.gov)

The White House’s inter-agency task force on childhood obesity, developed under the stewardship of First Lady Michelle Obama, today released a 124-page report recommending dozens of policy shifts in health care, community development, and transportation that it estimates can bring down obesity rates among kids by 5 percent over the next 20 years.

Scrapertown

Mon, 10 May 2010 13:28:16 -0700

Scrapertown

Why Do Cities Need Bicycle and Pedestrian Staff?

Thu, 06 May 2010 13:17:26 -0700

Why Do Cities Need Bicycle and Pedestrian Staff?:

Without planning for bicycling, a city’s transportation network is incomplete. Employing bicycle and pedestrian staff shows that a community is committed to a comprehensive transportation system; they are critical to integrating bicycling into the municipality’s plans and projects. Their impact is measurable.

Florida: A Walking Person’s Worst Nightmare via Tom...

Thu, 06 May 2010 13:16:28 -0700

Florida: A Walking Person’s Worst Nightmare

via Tom Vanderbilt

"KGW notes that Waldrop was wearing dark clothing, so maybe the crash was his fault because he did..."

Tue, 04 May 2010 14:53:32 -0700

“KGW notes that Waldrop was wearing dark clothing, so maybe the crash was his fault because he did not wear the prescribed head-to-toe fluorescent safety jumpsuit required to cross SE Foster.”

- Sarah Mirk, Another Pedestrian Dies on SE Foster

Love Seats on Copenhagen Buses

Mon, 03 May 2010 16:39:08 -0700

Love Seats on Copenhagen Buses:

“We would like to get people to change their behaviour and flirt and smile more on the bus. Maybe some will find love. Others may just want to try taking the bus because there is a chance to flirt with a good-looking guy”

Want to Prevent Oil Spill Disasters? Stop Driving.

Mon, 03 May 2010 15:16:04 -0700

Want to Prevent Oil Spill Disasters? Stop Driving.:

The most profound way in which America needs oil is though the system of automobility — the combined impact on the built environment of the motor vehicle (cars, trucks), the automobile industry, the highway and street networks, and corollary services like gas stations, and the coordination of everyday life around the car and its spaces. America consumes 25 percent of the world’s oil, and roughly 70 percent of that enables automobility. Much of this is for driving cars relatively short distances on a routine, daily basis. This adds up to over 21,000 miles driven a year per car.

"Bicycling infrastructure is relatively easy to implement and low cost compared to other modes. It is..."

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 16:24:33 -0700

““Bicycling infrastructure is relatively easy to implement and low cost compared to other modes. It is by far the most cost-effective way to provide for personal mobility in an urban transportation system.””

- Rob Burchfield, Portland Bureau of Transportation

People For Bikes: Why Do You Ride?

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:25:14 -0700

People For Bikes: Why Do You Ride?

"It’s really this blockheaded inability to recognize the humanity of others that is the root of..."

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:21:23 -0700

“It’s really this blockheaded inability to recognize the humanity of others that is the root of almost all animosity out there on the roads. In the case of a motorist who has never operated a bicycle as an adult and who is not sufficiently evolved to feel compassion, the result is that he only sees the bicycle and not the human straddling it.”

- Bike Snob NYC

Guerrilla Subway Etiquette Campaign in NYC

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:27:13 -0700

Guerrilla Subway Etiquette Campaign in NYC:

I surveyed 100 people on their top pet-peeves (not service related) while riding the Subway. I narrowed the results down to the top ten most occurring issues and rewrote them as a sort of list of rules. I designed posters in the style of the Service Changes posters we see everyday and silkscreened about 40 of each (400 total) and am currently putting them up on trains throughout the city, throughout this week. I encourage people to look out for them, and to take them before the MTA does.