Thursday, February 17, 2011

Us Justice ruling on motorized devices driven by "individuals with mobility disabilities"

Under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II this DOJ rule applies to trails on State or local government lands. Also under the ADA Title III it applies to other “public accommodations” that would include trails open to the public on privately or commercially managed lands. Federal agency managed lands are not directly covered under the ADA, however this rule sets legal precedents the Federal agencies must watch. So the Federal agencies are also reviewing their policies, procedures, and the way in which trails on the land base they manage have been assessed.

[This is an issue on Canadian trails as well. -MH]

New Brunswick - Snowy sidewalks make wheelchair travel risky

Snow covered sidewalks, huge snow banks and reduced visibility are making travelling by foot treacherous enough in New Brunswick, but for people using wheelchairs and mobility scooters, the risks are even worse.

US - Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals

The Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals is the only professional membership organization for the discipline of pedestrian and bicycle transportation.

TCAT's Complete Streets Forum

Please save the date for TCAT's fourth annual active transportation conference – the Complete Streets Forum – taking place on April 28 and 29, 2011.

Vancouver - “Active transportation” plan for 2011 will see $2 million in pedestrian, cycling improvements

Pedestrians, cyclists and almost every city neighbourhood will benefit from $2 million in strategic “active transportation” investments proposed in this year’s capital spending program, headed to [Vancouver] city council for approval.

Measuring the Global Health Impact of Transportation Reform

The relationship between active transportation and public health can seem so plainly obvious that we tend to take it for granted. Who could question that air pollution, obesity, and road fatalities are major public health concerns that have a direct connection to the availability of safe and convenient travel options other than driving?

Helmet law considered for Manitoba cyclists

The Manitoba government is working on a new strategy to promote the use of bicycle helmets, which may include a helmet law.

Town council identifies transit study, downtown as priorities for year

Bradford West Gwillimbury council identified 10 priorities for 2011 and beyond during strategic planning meetings Jan. 15 and 24. Along with examining public transportation, council put priority on promoting active (non-motorized) transportation.

Ward 3 Councillor Gary Lamb said he would like all new road construction and road redevelopment projects to include bike lanes. Regarding downtown, members of council said they want to see a safe, pedestrian-friendly area with a mix of residential and commercial uses, fewer building vacancies and adequate parking.

Also : click here.

St. John's - Mayor explains snowclearing after walkers hit

The mayor of St. John's is explaining why the sidewalks weren't plowed in the area where two women were critically injured by a pickup truck Wednesday night. "Along Topsail Road, following maybe a 30-centimetre snowfall, usually the sidewalks would be done, you know, within a day or two, or three at the most," said O'Keefe.

Cape Breton - Public will be asked for input on path linking Sydney and Reserve Mines

A multi-use path for pedestrians and cyclists linking Sydney to Reserve Mines may be years from fruition, but meetings scheduled for month’s end will ask for the public’s input into the design and location of the active transportation link.

Active Transportation Planning Videos

A great primer for those who wondered what active transportation is, how it fits in the urban landscape, why it beautifies and activates AND how it links to trails!

Germany - Workshop on Safety of e-Bikes

As part of the workshop series ‘bicycle safety’, the German Association for Materials Research and Testing (DVM) is organising a 1.5 day seminar on the currently much debated issue of the safety of electric bicycles.

Video - Walking and Texting Woman Trips Into Mall Fountain

We often complain about distracted drivers. This video demonstrates why we should be concerned about distracted walking as well.

Ottawa - We're not all hard-core cyclists

While a faction of riders would rather share the roads with cars, the rest of us would cheer for separated bicycle lanes in Ottawa, Kate Jaimet writes.

US Study - Estimating the Employment Impacts of Pedestrian, Bicycle, and Road Infrastructure

The Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, has released a report that explores the employment impacts of various transportation infrastructure projects in the city of Baltimore.

Saskatoon - Website gives cyclists place to share data

Saskatoon Bike Map, located at saskatoonbikemap.crowdmap.com, lets users report bicycle-related incidents and information -- such as collisions, bike thefts or locations of good trails -- and displays the reports on an easy-to-understand map of the city. Dots on the map represent various report types, allowing site visitors to get a visual representation of what other cyclists are saying about areas of Saskatoon.

Study - Do Roads Pay for Themselves?

Highway advocates often claim that roads “pay for themselves,” with gasoline taxes and other charges to motorists covering—or nearly covering—the full cost of highway construction and maintenance.

They are wrong.

Can Bikes and Buses Coexist?

Transportation advocates love to lump bicycles and transit into the same category. It makes sense on paper: Bikes and transit are both viable alternatives to single-occupancy vehicles, can be just as practical and fast as cars, and help reduce congestion and pollution.

But in practice, bikes and buses don’t always mix well on the road. Buses can pose a real threat to bicyclists’ safety. Bicyclists can get in the way of buses, increasing travel time and reducing their benefits.

The new city of the future

"I don't hate cars," says [New York City's Department of Transportation commissioner] Janette Sadik-Khan, not pissed, but almost. "It's a matter of balance. Until a few years ago, our streets looked the same as they did fifty years ago. That's not good business, to not update something in fifty years! We're updating our streets to reflect the way people live now. And we're designing a city for people, not a city for vehicles."

Another recent article on Janette Sadik-Khan: click here.

London's new bike lanes, branded with Barclays blue

Transport for London is investing a record GBP 111 million this year in initiatives designed to encourage and improve bicycling in London, and a sizable chunk of that money is going toward “cycle superhighways,” or dedicated cycle lanes into central London from the outer portions of the city.