A new report details the work Chicago's suburbs will have to do to live up to the bike-friendly example of its urban core.
"While Bicycling magazine in 2016 named Chicago the most bike-friendly U.S. city, the car-centric Chicago suburbs still have a ways to go to encourage both cycling and walking, according to advocates," reports Mary Wisniewski.
A new report from the Active Transportation Alliance provides the evidence. "The report identified five different problems for suburban cyclists: most suburbs are not designed to be bike-friendly; too few suburbs have bike and pedestrian-friendly policies in place; the number of people biking to work may be falling; bike crashes remain stubbornly high; and large gaps remain in the regional trail network," explains Wisniewski.
The article includes additional data, examples of the challenges for biking in specific suburbs around Chicago, and testimonies from residents who have attempted bike trips in the region.
Read the full story: Cyclists face barriers in car-centric Chicago suburbs: study
Less Paint, More Barriers, Make for Better Urban Cycling
New research from the University of Colorado Denver and the University of New Mexico sheds light on how to make cities safer for cyclists and other road users and refutes some assumptions about bike safety, such as "safety-in-numbers."
Op-ed: True bike safety requires more than the 'Dutch reach'
Making roads safe for all users takes policy and cultural changes that go beyond small behavioral interventions.
San Francisco's dissolved bike committee holds its last meeting
The bicycle advisory committee has been advocating for safer streets for over 35 years.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority