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Tag Archives: Biking Issues

Below are listed the articles tagged Biking Issues
  • 19 / Jan
    2010

Copenhagen Shows How To Design For Cyclists

Cyclist Foot Rest In Copenhapen (Courtesy Copenagenize)

Cyclist Foot Rest In Copenhapen (Courtesy Copenagenize)



Leave it to Copenhagen to implement such a small luxury that can make a big difference in the lives of cyclists.  Bicycle culture blog Copenhagenize shows us why minor infrastructure improvements are so important:


“It’s a tiny detail. No bells and whistles, just a simple idea to make a tiny fraction of the day a little bit easier for a small percentage of the cycling citizens of the city.


“Which is precisely why it’s brilliant.

“Actually, if you cycle about in Copenhagen take a look at the light posts next to where cyclists wait for lights to change, you’ll see a tiny anthropological detail. I called it Bicycle Culture Buddhas.


“The metal is rubbed smooth on precisely one side of the post from all the cyclists’ hands that lean up against it. Just like the tummies of so many Buddhas.”


Could such a railing and foot ledge increase the occurrence of cyclists stopping at red lights?  I can think of several locations where such an innovation would be useful such as the intersection of Lexington Road and Grinstead Drive or any light that takes a while to change.  Copenhagenize admits this isn’t a solution for every intersection, but believes similar ideas could be implemented on a smaller scale across the city.


Perhaps if we make it comfortable, easy, and even fun for people to get out on their bikes, everyone could be a little safer.  What are your thoughts?


Read the full article over at Copenhagenize.



Cyclist Foot Rest In Copenhapen (Courtesy Copenagenize)

Cyclist Foot Rest In Copenhapen (Courtesy Copenagenize)



  • 18 / Jan
    2010

New Markings Help Cyclists Get A Green Light

Painted sign shows cyclists how to get a green light (via Metro Louisville)

Painted sign shows cyclists how to get a green light (via Metro Louisville)



Have you seen these little white cyclists popping up at major Louisville intersections?  They are designed to show cyclists where to position their bikes to trigger a traffic light change.  When I first saw the stencils, I thought this was some sort of DIY fix since the stencils were slightly jagged, but it turns out the city has been painting them along bike routes.  Good to know if you ever find yourself at an intersection governed by those induction loops.

  • 05 / Jan
    2010

Now That’s A Bike Rack

Broadway Bike Rack

Broadway Bike Rack



Came across this bike rack on the corner of Fourth Street and Broadway.  It’s pretty hard not to notice  the rack because of its size and many were having a great time spinning the wheels of the bikes comprising the rack.  The rack was designed by Scott Scarboro for the Louisville Downtown Management District’s art bike rack program.

  • 21 / May
    2009

Take A Tour Of Chicago’s Bike Station



After all the controversy over Mayor Abramson’s proposed Downtown bike station, this StreetFilms video emerges showing how Chicago’s famous McDonald’s Cycling Center in Millenium Park works.  Many loved the idea of a similar center in Louisville, many more thought it was a waste of money, and others thought the money could be better spent on more basic infrastructure.  Whatever your opinion of the proposed project, it’s helpful to see how such an easily misunderstood facility actually functions and what Chicagoans think of it.  Here’s a portion of a letter the Mayor wrote supporting Louisville’s Bike Station:



“For the past two years, there has been a national buzz about Louisville as a city redefining itself — a city of great arts and culture, a city of sports, a city of parks, a city that is an affordable and exciting place to live. This has not happened by accident.


We’ve devoted special efforts to make our city more attractive to young professionals, a key, educated demographic that keeps cities vibrant. It’s why we’ve invested in downtown — and it’s why, during the last three years, we’ve strived to make our city more bicycle friendly.


Part of that strategy has included discussions of building a downtown transit center that could bring together, all under one roof, major bus lines, a cab stand and car rentals. It could also serve as a cycling center for commuters, causal riders and tourists who want to explore downtown, bike the Louisville Loop to Southwest Louisville or cycle into neighborhoods like Old Louisville to view the spectacular Victorian architecture. The center could also include space for a coffee shop, a restaurant and small retail stores.


This truly would be a transit center, not just a bike station. And it would continue our effort to make our city “go green” and encourage alternative transportation.”


The Louisville bike station is on hold while a feasibility study is going on and the city plans on conducting a public opinion survey on the transit center soon.

  • 14 / May
    2009

A World Of Bikes For Bike To Work Day



Since Friday is National Bike to Work Day, we’ve compiled a bunch of bike-related links to get you ready to cycle the streets.  Up above is what cycling looks like in Copenhagen on any given day when 500,000 people ride their bikes every day.  While Louisville’s Bike to Work Day won’t be nearly that large, at least we’re trying.  Possibility City even has its own bike-booster video in which the bike gets a boost from a rocket, but they say it’s possible here.


A lot of attention is being paid to normalizing bike commuting.  Offices are getting in the bike commuting game, too, by becoming bike-commute-friendly by building community and providing shower facilities.  Some places are even trying out innovative ways of helping cyclists get around, like a lift up a steep hill.


Back home, we’re still trying to change perceptions of the anti-bike masses.  If you need an extra little push to get on a bike tomorrow, check out this motivational plea to bike.  Metro Government says you have no excuse.


A big celebration will be held Friday at noon at Fourth Street Live where lots of bike-related items will be handed out and if you registered for Bike to Work Day, you might win a new bike.  And on the chance you’re still going to crawl in on four wheels, pay a little bit more attention on the city streets, as many of the cyclists are new to the whole commuting thing.



  • 06 / May
    2009

Bikes Follow The Laws, Laws Follow The Bikes


Bike-related signage in Louisville

Bike-related signage in Louisville




Bikes seem to always be in the news.  For good or bad, as society comes to terms with more and more bikes on the roads and as more and more people decide to pick up their own and hit the streets, we’re going to be hearing about them for a while.  The point here is to help understand how cyclists maneuver streets obviously not designed for them while gaining acceptance as a legitimate form of traffic.  This story is about biking, safety, and the law, but news of another local biker in the hospital today in serious condition brings more importance to the story.


Today’s tragedy probably couldn’t have been averted easily, as a drunk motorist and repeat offender intentionally ran over a cyclist and through a fence near Sixth and Oak Streets in Old Louisville and then fled the scene.  The driver had 15 citations since 2005 and was arrested three times since April.  The story is tragic and hopefully the cyclist will recover quickly.  Perhaps soon, we can bring back the proposed “One Road” HB88 that would more easily hold reckless drivers accountable for such infractions.  There are plenty of details about the attempted murder over at the Ville-Voice and WLKY.


Riding a bike with cars on a major street can be daunting, and we’ve all heard the back and forth between bikers and motorists for as long as we can remember.  Cyclists say drivers don’t (or don’t know how to) give them attention and drivers complain bikers don’t follow the rules.  The story is well illustrated by last month’s Critical Mass ride through town as a pretty substantial group (for Louisville) of local riders took to the streets, most for the first time on an organized ride.


The ride was a sort of microcosm of the bike-car drama as riders and drivers grappled with how to behave on the road.  The group dynamic threw in a few interesting wild cards like how do you treat a stop light about to cut the group in half?  There’s also the play of experienced riders hoping to “take back the streets” and the new riders just trying to manage traffic.  Everyone wanted bikes to be accepted on the roads.


For the most part, the ride went smoothly and all traffic laws were obeyed.  A few times, the tail end of the group went through a red light to stay as a single unit, but the leaders stopped if there was clearly not enough time for everyone to make it through.  There were some angry and aggressive drivers who pulled some dangerous stunts, but no one was injured.


Obeying all current laws is definitely going to keep everyone safer and help traffic move along.  Here’s why you should ride with traffic and running a stop sign could really end up hurting you in the end.   Education is going to be key.  But how can we begin to change the system to offer a solution that works for both cars and bikes?  If we’re going to start actively pursuing road education for bikers and drivers, we should first set an end goal.  It’s useless to educate a society, then change the rules.


We’re big fans of the “Idaho Stop Law” that provides a unique set of traffic operations for bikes.  Watch this video if you’re unfamiliar with the term.  Essentially, stop signs become yield signs and stop lights stop signs.  Erratic and dangerous behaviour is still illegal, but the law forms to a bike’s terms.  The idea is about momentum, and the ability of a cyclist to keep the built up energy going that would have been lost with a full stop.  That inability to “keep going” became readily apparent on the Critical Mass ride when the group hit every red light on a road timed for cars.


In a world where every law isn’t going to be enforced, for cars or bikes, there will be infractions.  (and it seems a little pointless when overly stringent laws are applied haphazardly.)  A Washington, DC bike blog, the Wash Cycle, hopes safety is enforced above all.  There’s a rundown of top causes of bike-induced accidents, and the author draws a few problems that should be eliminated:


“From this, I think we can make some decisions about what should be enforced to encourage safety.

“For cyclists it would be making a turn from the wrong lane, failing to yield the right of way, wrong way cycling and not having a front light and/or rear reflector.

“For drivers it would be failure to pass with the proper passing distance (3 feet), running stop lights/signs and turning from the wrong lane (which would be the bike lane and not turning from the bike lane when one is present). More speeding enforcement would be great too.”


As we move forward, we should first establish a system that works for everyone to create real changes.  There’s no one-size-fits-all traffic law solution when we’re dealing with pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers.  What solutions could be implemented to tailor our traffic laws to modal differences?  Proper infrastructure like bike lanes certainly helps, but how can we win the education front by having worthwhile traffic law system?


Anyway,  May 15 is Louisville Bike To Work Day and we encourage everyone to try to make it onto a bike at some point during the day, whether it’s a full commute or just a ride around town.  If you’re hesitant to go it alone, there are groups making the trip together.  One of the best parts of the Critical Mass ride (or any organized ride) is the group dynamic.  Riding with many other cyclists instantly makes you feel like you belong on the street and helps with the feeling of safety (and it’s fun and social).  So-called “bike trains” are catching on in other parts of the country, and Bike to Work Day features several of its own.  Here are the routes for Louisville.


  • 29 / Apr
    2009

This Is What Bike Rush Hour Looks Like



This is the scene just about every morning in Portland, Oregon as the masses of commuting cyclists head off to work.  On this particular bridge, cyclists account for 20% of all traffic.  Here’s a bit from StreetsBlog about the film:


“The first time you visit Portland, Oregon, the gaggles of cyclists streaming over the Hawthorne Bridge during rush hour is a sight you will never forget. It’s something other cities need to see and be inspired by.”

  • 28 / Apr
    2009

Dancing Through The City On A Bike



We posted a link to this video last week in the Evening News Roundup, but have since seen it pop up all over the Internet.  These street bike moves demonstrating parkour, the art of movement, are simply amazing and we wanted to make sure everyone had ample chance to see it.  Here’s some info from its YouTube page:


“Filmed over the period of a few months in and around Edinburgh by Dave Sowerby, this video of Inspired Bicycles team rider Danny MacAskill features probably the best collection of street/street trials riding ever seen.”


[via Sesquipedalist]

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