Category: Good Advice (Page 7 of 9)

Bike to Work Week is May 14-18

May 11, 2012 /

Bike to School day was earlier this week but rememvber Bike to Work Week is May 14-18 and Bike to Work Day is Friday, May 18.

Both sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists is the national sponsor of Bike Month, as an opportunity to celebrate the unique power of the bicycle and the many reasons we ride. Whether you bike to work or school; to save money or time; to preserve your health or the environment; to explore your community or get to your destination, get involved in Bike Month in your city or state — and help get more people in your community out riding too!

Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists, said, “Biking to work is an efficient and fun way to get the exercise you need, without having to find extra time to work out. And this year, with gasoline prices as high as they are, biking to work makes more sense than ever.”

Following are some tips that will help you enjoy biking to work more.
• Have your bike checked over by your local bike shop
• Always wear a helmet to protect your head in the event of a crash
• Ride in the right-most lane that goes in the direction that you are traveling
• Obey all stop signs, traffic lights and lane markings
• Look before you change lanes or signal a turn; indicate your intention, then act
• Be visible and predictable at all times; wear bright clothing and signal turns

Wednesday, May 9th is National Bike to School Day

May 8, 2012 /

Below is an edited repost from the Miami Bike Report

The first ever National Bike to School Day is Wednesday, May 9th. An initiative of the National Center for Safe Routes to School, it is designed to promote safety by increasing awareness of kids riding to school on a daily basis, as well as healthier habits through physical activity.

While cities across the country have celebrated “Bike to School” days in the past, this is the first time that such an effort is being made nationwide. This is why the schools registered for the event are being considered “pioneers.”

Video: New York City’s first Bike to School Day. Courtesy of streetfilms.org

As you ride or drive tomorrow (and everyday,) please keep an eye out for kids riding their bikes to/from school. Not only is it healthy for them to ride bikes, but it increases confidence in their abilities, helps the environment, decreases motor vehicle congestion, and most importantly they are the seeds for the future of cycling. If you are a driver, please slow down, look twice, and yield to cyclists. If you are a cyclist, be kind and offer assistance to any kid in need of directions or mechanical support.

Keeping Safe During Bike Month – And Beyond.

May 6, 2012 /

May is National Bike Month. With more people choosing to ride bicycles for health, financial and environmental reasons, it is important that cyclists and motorists work together to make Lawrence’s streets safe for everyone.

Cyclists are vehicle operators and have the same rights and responsibilities as motorists. When sharing the road with bicycles, be aware that cyclists are less visible and quieter than other road users and more vulnerable.

The City of Lawrence recommends the following for motorists to help keep everyone safe:

Yield to pedestrians and cyclists.
Never pass and turn across the path of a moving bicyclist. Slow down and turn behind the cyclist.
Allow at least three feet of passing space between you and the bicycle.
Do not blast your horn when approaching a bicyclist – you may startle him/her.
Do not accelerate to pass cyclist when approaching a stop sign.

Bicyclists must also follow the rules of the road including these additional tips for safety:

Obey all traffic rules, signals and stop signs.
Use head and tail lights at night and always wear your helmet!
Do not ride on downtown sidewalks.
Never ride more than two abreast.
Always ride with the flow of traffic.
Always use hand signals when turning.
Do not ride with headphones.

Have you seen Lawrence's Bicycle Rideability Map? Pick one up at City Hall or view it online at http://www.lawrenceks.org/mpo/bikemap.

For more information visit: www.lawrenceks.org/share_the_road

Lawrence’s Road to Complete Streets Gains Momentum

September 1, 2011 /

Re-post from Lawrence complete streets site.

The United States Senate is considering whether to require all states to adopt Complete Streets policies. A similar bill has already been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Locally, the city of Lawrence, in partnership with LiveWell Lawrence, hosted a public presentation about Complete Streets last September. LiveWell Lawrence’s community plan includes the goal to, “design all streets with safe access for all users: walkers, bicyclists, wheeled-device users, transit riders and drivers.”

As part of a broader goal to improve the health of the community, this LiveWell Lawrence goal is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation that communities adopt Complete Streets policies in their effort to reduce obesity.

On May 5, Representatives Doris Matsui (D-CA) and Steven LaTourette (R-OH) introduced the Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011 (.pdf) (H.R. 1780). The measure is designed to create safer streets for all who use them – including motorists, bus riders, pedestrians, bicyclists and people with disabilities.

On May 24, a dozen members of the Senate, led by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), introduced similar Complete Streets legislation, the Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011 (S. 1056), which calls on states and metropolitan planning organizations to consider the safety, interests and convenience of all users in the design and construction of transportation projects receiving federal transportation funding.

That same day, NPR mentioned Complete Streets policies in a story about improving the design and safety of streets to meet the needs of an aging population. The NPR report cites a recent survey by AARP that finds the use of public transit by those ages 65 and over increased by 40 percent in the past decade. With the first baby boomers turning 65 this year, Lawrence’s reputation as one of the best places to retire could be supported by efforts to make roads safer for seniors.

Complete Streets policy adoption has accelerated rapidly, according to the National Complete Streets Coalition. In their recent publication, Complete Streets Policy Analysis 2010: A Story of Growing Strength (.pdf), they report that the number of communities adopting policies roughly doubled each of the last three years. In total, 249 jurisdictions (.pdf) have adopted policies or have made written commitments to do so. On April 2, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City Kansas, with the leadership of Mayor Joe Reardon, passed a Complete Streets resolution (.pdf).

To show support for the Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011, an online form to write members of Congress is provided by the National Complete Streets Coalition.

Pedaling City Sidewalks

August 24, 2011 /

This is a repost from: http://sunflowerhorizons.com/groups/bikes-in-the-city/2011/aug/24/practical-pedaling-city-sidewalks/

Great post Lisa!

At the downtown farmer’s market on a Saturday morning. by half_full

When I first moved to here in the mid-1990s, I was told in no uncertain terms not to jaywalk in downtown Lawrence. I was sure to get a ticket, my friends told me. Everyone knew someone … who knew someone else who had gotten such a jaywalking ticket.

It’s been years since I’ve heard a story like that, but a quick search of the LJWorld.com web site netted me this story from May, 1994: “Downtown Foot Patrols Building Better Rapport“. Back then, apparently, the Lawrence Police Department had a campaign to “educat[e] the public about the importance of obeying laws, to keep downtown a safe place to visit.” The campaign worked, and even after patrollers quit regularly writing jaywalking tickets, locals were telling newbies like me: don’t jaywalk. It’s not allowed, and you might get a ticket.

If you are a new bicyclist in Lawrence, you might hear a similar warning: don’t bike on the sidewalks! It’s illegal.

But that actually isn’t exactly true. The city code prohibits bicycling on sidewalks in the Downtown Commercial District (basically Massachusetts Street between 11th and 6th). Those are the only sidewalks that are off limits. The rest: yes, you can bike on them (unless there’s a sign posted stating otherwise).

In fact, in places with designated bike and walking paths – such as Clinton Parkway – it’s illegal for bikes to ride on the adjacent road.

All these rules are actually available on the City’s web site, in Chapter 17 (PDF) of the City Code.

There are certainly places in Lawrence where bicycling is only possible if one is willing to ride on sidewalks. As a bicyclist on the sidewalk, it’s important to be aware of the traffic on the street and in adjacent driveways and parking lots. And, of course, yield to pedestrians.

Another option to consider, in addition to sidewalks, is use parallel roads to the major routes that cars take. For example, 23rd Street between Iowa and Louisiana is definitely not a bicycle-appropriate road, and it also lacks consistent sidewalks. At the same time, riding on those sidewalks means dodging lots of turning cars turning in and out of parking lots. By contrast, just two blocks north is 21st street, a wide road designated as a bike route. If you’re heading east or west in that area, it’s a much safer option.

In fact, the city recently published a Bicycle Rideability Map to help people find those bike routes they may not even know about. It’s available in print at City Hall, and also online.

21st street is just one of many examples of alternate routes bicycles can consider. If you bike in Lawrence, what streets do you ride on to avoid traffic? When you were a newbie bicyclist in town, what “truth” about bicycling in Lawrence do you wish you had known about?