While resistance to protected bike lanes can be high, the economic and safety paybacks are substantial.

Matt Kohler takes a closer look at a new video featuring Janette Sadik-Khan, former commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation, discussing the benefits and challenges of putting in protected bike lanes. Sadik-Khan came on board in 2007, and she describes the biking environment of New York up until that point as dangerous for cyclists.
She was behind the first protected bike lane in the United States, a route on Ninth Avenue in Manhattan, with a design that made the street much safer for bikers. It was a difficult project to implement because parking would be eliminated for the lane and people feared the outcome of that change. “However, reducing the share of road space for cars didn’t usher in the apocalypse, and the protected bicycleway turned out to be a boon for the local economy,” reports Kohler.
In addition, the number of crashes with injuries went down by almost 50 percent and traffic flowed better. Sadik-Kahn says the protected bike lane created a street that is better for all stakeholders – businesses, drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. Developing safe and reliable networks of bike lanes is one of the best investments that cities can make, she says.
FULL STORY: Video: Protected bikeways make cities safer and boost the economy

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

HSR Reaches Key Settlement in Northern California City
The state’s high-speed rail authority reached an agreement with Millbrae, a key city on the train’s proposed route to San Francisco.

Washington State Legislature Passes Parking Reform Bill
A bill that would limit parking requirements for new developments is headed to the governor’s desk.

Missouri Law Would Ban Protections for Housing Voucher Users
A state law seeks to overturn source-of-income discrimination bans passed by several Missouri cities.
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