News, Links, and Other Views

City of San Diego

  • A group of cyclist traveling across the country from San Diego to St. Augustine Florida woke up to find their bikes had been stolen.
  • The San Diego city council passed a resolution to make San Diego safer for bicyclists.

San Diego Region

  • Plans to improve bike infrastructure are in progress in Mid-City, Uptown, and Oceanside.  A reminder that you need to get involved to make sure they happen.
  • SANDAG’s revised North Coast Corridor plan includes the addition of 2 bike lanes.  The $6.5 billion dollar budget includes $3.5 billion for more freeway lanes, $2.8 billion for rail, leaving $2 million for bike and other projects over 40 years.  SANDAG will hold meetings for public comment April 3rd and 4th.

Elsewhere

  • On the eve of the National Bike Summit in DC, bike industry leaders took a tour of DC’s protected bike lanes, where ridership has increased 200 percent.
  • Commercial retail space along bike routes is highly sought after by commercial developers and retail owners.
  • Things heat up at a public meeting about installing cycle tracks in Somerville Massachusetts as some residents fear that loss of parking will drive away business and lower property values.
  • A University of Calgary study finds that separating bikes from cars using cycle tracks results in less collisions for cars, bikes, and pedestrians; and that instead of focusing on children wearing helmets, the focus should be on separating bikes and cars on the street.
  • In Strasbourg a giant spider web-like network of cycle routes is in the works.
  • The European Cyclists’ Federation has launched a new website with a map of the 14 EuroVelo routes that, when completed, will connect most major cities in Western Europe.
  • How do you make streets 30 times safer for bicyclists?  Install cycle tracks.
  • The Southampton city council conducted a survey of more than 1,000 cyclists in order to plan new cycle tracks and other infrastructure separated from cars.
  • A Washington State representative has apologized for claiming bicyclist pollute the air by breathing.
  • In San Antonio police are going undercover to catch drivers who pass cyclists closer than 3 feet.
  • There is a possibility that with a new transportation secretary US roadway design guidelines might get out of the past and move into the modern era.