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.
Bicycling
What Has 16 Pedals, 12 Seats, and Goes Up to 10 MPH?
The first bicycle bus for schoolchildren, built by Dutch company Tolkamp Metaalspecials, of course.
Fast Co.Exist
CicLAvia Tour Integrates Crowdsourcing
As cyclists toured Watts and other parts of South Los Angeles, they were invited to share photographs and record places of interest along the way.
Los Angeles Times
Long Beach out to Prove that Bikes are Good for Business
Long Beach is leading California's bicycle revolution in many ways, perhaps most creatively in establishing bike-friendly shopping districts.
Grist
Twin Cities See Remarkable Increase in Biking and Walking
Minneapolis and St. Paul are elevating their already high levels of biking and walking. Biking is up 22 percent over 2010 (when it was named America's #1 bike city) according to figures released last Friday.
Shareable
Biking NYC's New Bike Lanes With Sadik-Khan
NYC Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan gives a tour of the city's new bike lanes from the only logical vantage point - on a bike.
The New York Times
Bicycling on the Rise in Mexico City
USA Today reports that efforts to increase cycling in Mexico City have succeeded in getting middle and upper-class residents on two wheels.
USA Today
For Biking to Flourish, Empower the Community Boards
Tom Angotti believes that community participation and neighborhood-level planning are key to a wider network of bike infrastructure in New York City.
Gotham Gazette
NYC May Repeal Helmet Law to get More Bicyclists Riding
New York City is getting ready to roll out their bicycle share program and has decided not to require cyclists to wear helmets.
The New York Times
The Surprising Rise of Minneapolis as a Top Bike Town
Despite its cold weather and spread-out development patterns, a Midwestern city beat Portland, San Francisco and Boulder for the title of #1 Bike City. Jay Walljasper explains how.
Friday Fizzle: Bicycling is for Losers Who Don't Get Dates
A new GM ad implies that bikes aren't a sexy mode of transport for college kids.
Grist
»
New Cycling Initiatives in Ukraine
The city of Lviv in western Ukraine has begun a 9-year initiative to build 168 miles of bicycling infrastructure to the region.
TheCityFix.com
South Pasadena Implements Bike Master Plan This Month
The plan covers 24 miles of bikeways, and is estimated to got nearly $6 million over the course of 20 years. Adolfo Flores reports.
Los Angeles Times
The Dutch Touch
Leah Shahum returns to San Francisco from a 7-month sabbatical in Amsterdam with a new perspective on making cities bike-friendly the Dutch way.
Streetsblog
Bike Congestion Problems in Copenhagen
When the rest of the world is campaigning relentlessly for people to even consider using bicycles, the model city that started the movement is facing a unique problem of its own. Too many bikes during rush hour renders the activity dangerous to some.
The Guardian
L.A. Ousts a Car Lane for Bikes
The unfathomable happened this week in Southern California when L.A. converted 2.2 miles of road into a bike lane that stretches along 7th Street from Koreatown to Downtown.
The Los Angeles Times
Dressed to Nines, Riding Bicycles
The hottest accessory at NY Fashion Week are designer bikes - 30 to be exact. One of the more clever designs features heels-friendly pedals for the ladies who aren't afraid of height.
Transportation Nation
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In SF, You Are the Bike You Ride
Graphic designer Tor Weeks captures the essence of the bicycle culture in San Francisco by classifying the types of bikes by neighborhood.
The Huffington Post
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The Boon in British Cycling
A new report from the London School of Economics looks at the “cycling economy” that is taking the United Kingdom by storm and the economic benefits generated by individual cyclists.
TheCityFix.com
Want More Bike Lanes? Would You Pay a Bike Tax?
Blogger Chewie suggests a controversial idea - a tax on bicycle sales and repair to go to creating more bicycle infrastructure.
Straight Outta Suburbia
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