Cyclist wins a "race" across Philadelphia, beating a car and city transit in fight through morning traffic.
"Sparked by national Bike-to-Work Week, the Bicycle Coalition for Greater Philadelphia held its fourth annual 'Commuter Race' across the heart of Philadelphia during the morning rush hour."
"The contestants began at 45th and Spruce Streets, in West Philadelphia, at 8 a.m. with the goal of being first to the finish line at the Municipal Services Building, in the heart of Center City."
"While the bicyclists knew that their guy would win, his finish time - 10 minutes, 47 seconds - was 4 minutes better than they expected. Finishing second, about 10 minutes behind, was a driver from Philly CarShare. The bus ride took almost 40 minutes."
"Coalition member Alex Doty said the cyclists always win races like this -- and get in some exercise -- and cities win through the reduction of pollution and traffic."
"'When I bicycle commute, it changes a part of the day that is usually one of tedium and turns it into something that is joyful,' Doty said. 'I miss it when I don't do it. I don't think many other people miss their commutes.'"
FULL STORY: Bicyclist beats motorist and straphanger in race to City Hall
How Commutes Influence Happiness, Health
More evidence is piling up that commuting by anything but private automobile can increase happiness, social capital, and health.
Why I Gave Up the Bus...For a Bike
In August, I moved into a high density apartment complex just 1.5 miles from my office and a five minute walk to a bus stop. One of the central advantages of the building's location was its access to alternative transportation modes. While I could park my car for "free" (the real cost is built into the lease), I was interested in keeping it parked as much as possible. Now, after nearly three months of experimentation, I'm ready to give up the bus, and the reasons are central to understanding the future of transit in the US.
Philadelphia Leads the Largest Cities in America for Bicycle Mode Share
A new report from The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia shows that Philadelphia's bicycle mode share is more than double that of Chicago's (the big city with the second-greatest share).
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
California Grid Runs on 100% Renewable Energy for Over 9 Hours
The state’s energy grid was entirely powered by clean energy for some portion of the day on 37 out of the last 45 days.
New Forecasting Tool Aims to Reduce Heat-Related Deaths
Two federal agencies launched a new, easy-to-use, color-coded heat warning system that combines meteorological and medical risk factors.
AI Traffic Management Comes to Dallas-Fort Worth
Several Texas cities are using an AI-powered platform called NoTraffic to help manage traffic signals to increase safety and improve traffic flow.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
