Bike Laws

MassBike has created a page on its site that links to the bike laws for the 50 states.  Here it is. http://www.massbike.org/bikelaw/statelaws.htm.  This is now a link on the right side of this page, so you can find it in the future.

NHTSA – Bicyclist and Pedestrian Survey now Online

The New York Bicycle Coalition just reported:

The National Survey of Bicyclist and Pedestrian Attitudes and Behavior has been released and is now available online: click here.

This report presents findings from the National Survey of Bicyclist and Pedestrian Attitudes and Behavior, jointly sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) and administered by The Gallup Organization. The goals of the survey were to ascertain the scope and magnitude of bicycle and pedestrian activity and the public’s behavior and attitudes regarding bicycling and walking.

This survey is the source of the statistic that 57 million American adults ride bikes, and offers a wealth of other information on cyclist attitudes and behavior which planners, city officials, and bicycle & pedestrian advocates might find useful and informative. 

CityRacks Design Competition Nears Final Selection

The City of New York is in the final stages of a design competition for the new standard bike rack for the city. Below is the link to the website.  If you scroll down the page, you can find images of the finalists. Click on them to see them larger.  CityRacks Design Competition

Bicycle Commuter Act passes

This just in from the League of American Bicyclists:

After seven long years, the bicycle commuter tax provision has finally passed both the House and Senate as part of the financial bailout package. President Bush has said that he is eager to sign the legislation. “We are delighted that the bicycle commuter benefits act has passed after a lengthy and persistent campaign spearheaded by Congressman Blumenauer (D-OR),” said League President Andy Clarke. “Bicycle commuters will now be extended similar benefits to people who take transit and drive to work – it’s an equitable and sensible incentive to encourage greater energy independence, improve air quality and health, and even help tackle climate change. Thanks to everyone who has helped reach this milestone, especially Walter Finch and Mele Williams, our government relations staff over the years who have worked tirelessly with Congressman Blumenauer, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and many others in Congress.”

Thanks also to all of you around the country who have contacted your congressional leaders over the years. For specific details of how the bill works and how it is being implemented over time, keep checking back at this page at www.bikeleague.org.

NY State ranks 34th in bike-friendliness

The League of American Bicyclists announced their latest state ranking of bike bike-friendliness.  Check out the complete results here:  League of American Bicyclists News.

Bicycle Activists Take to the Freeways in L.A. : NPR

While we are not advocating taking actions such as these, it is interesting to note the extent to which some activists will go… and the obvious message in their action: “Riding your bike will take you less time.”

Bicycle Activists Take to the Freeways in L.A. : NPR

Photo Gallery

You can see photos of the Syracuse bike lanes and even more lanes, paths, signs, and traffic lights for Europe on Flickr.com.

When you get there, do some exploring. Clicking on any image brings it up larger, with a description if one is written. There is a box to the right of the image that will let you navigate to others. And below that box there is a section where you can see the image in various sizes, or even see it’s exact location on a map. A number of the Heidelberg, Germany photos are mapped at this time.

To see the photos, click here.

A Busy City Street Makes Room for Bikes

The New York Times reported on 9/23 that New York City was going to remake seven blocks of Ninth Avenue, from 16th Street to 23rd Street, using a design in which a lane of parked cars protects cyclists from other traffic.

If you click on the image to the left, it will open in a larger version and you will be able to see more clearly the cross section of the street which appears at the bottom of the image.

Here’s a description of it. This is on a one-way street. There is a 10 foot wide bike lane next to the left curb. Working our way across the street to the right side, there is an 8 foot buffer zone, with planters and other impediments to vehicular traffic, a parking lane, three vehicle traffic lanes, another parking lane, and, finally, the right side curb.

You can see the full article by clicking here, though I believe the article will go into an archive for paid subscribers after a few weeks. If the article is no longer available, send a request to Steve (see Contact Us page on this site).

Bicycle Commuter Act – Send Your Support

I found this on RoadBikeRider’s 3/22/07 email newsletter:

The Bicycle Commuter Act (H.R.807, S.2635) in now before the U.S. congress. Here’s how it’ll work if passed into law: The bill provides a tax benefit to employers who offer cash reimbursements to employees to defray costs of riding to work. All it requires is an amendment to the Transportation Fringe Benefit of the tax code to extend the definition of “transportation” to include bicycles. Employers are given the flexibility to set their level of benefit payments, and the bike commuter can use the money to pay for a bicycle, accessories, safety equipment, insurance, and locker or shower fees. If you like this concept, click http://capwiz.com/lab/issues/alert/?alertid=8647031. Then put in your zip code and the page will generate e-mails to all your congress people. Just sign and click send.

Gothamist: Drunk Driver Kills Cyclist on West Side Bike Path

On 12/2, a drunk driver killed a cyclist on the West Side Bike Path in New York City. More information can be found on the link below (thanks, Mark, for alerting us).

Gothamist: Drunk Driver Kills Cyclist on West Side Bike Path