Cyclists who disobey traffic laws are the No. 1 police complaint among residents of Manhattan's Upper East Side. Could the built environment be the real culprit?
New Urban Network says that while the brouhaha over bicylists is blown way out of proportion (check out their comparison of bicyclist-caused accidents vs. automobile accidents), street design might actually be to blame for some of the clashing behavior:
"...Jim Charlier of Charlier Associates planning consultants in Boulder, Colorado, observed that in dense urban centers, 'all kinds of improvised behavior are going on.' Pedestrians jaywalk. Cyclists go up on sidewalks. If it's 'low-speed behavior,' Charlier said, the danger is less than it might otherwise be. In some instances, the design of the built environment can alleviate the problem. Boulder and some other cities have installed 'contra-flow' bike lanes on some one-way streets so that cyclists can ride legally and safely in the opposite direction of motor vehicles."
Thanks to Renee Brutvan
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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.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie