Seattle Adds Thousands of New Jobs but Few Car Commuters

Nice job Seattle! According to Streetsblog, a new report compiled by the nonprofit Commute Seattle says that the share of commuters who drive alone to downtown Seattle dropped from 35 percent in 2010 to 30 percent last year.

What's even more impressive about that though is that Downtown Seattle has added 45,000 jobs in that time, but only 2,255 new drive-alone trips have been added, according to a new Commute Seattle survey. The other 95 percent of commute trips were taken by transit, walking, biking, telecommuting and shared car trips.

The survey shows that public transit is providing very close to 50 percent of downtown commute trips and absorbed about 31,000 of those 45,000 new commute trips.

Many people are giving credit for this to transit agencies for improving and adding service, companies for buying transit passes for employees, and the city for installing bike amenities and implementing transit-friendly policies.

More Medics Turning to Bikes to Reach Patients More Quickly

The medics who were first on scene to try to help actress Carrie Fisher when she collapsed following a heart attack recently didn't show up in the usual ambulance. They arrived on two wheels- bikes.


More and more big cities- including Los Angeles, Philadelphia and even Cody, Wyoming- have fire departments that are going to medical teams on bikes. These medics on wheels can deliver quick emergency care by darting in and out of heavy traffic, maneuvering through large crowds or cutting across parks easier than a crew in an ambulance.

When the Los Angeles bike unit made its debut patrolling a triathlon in 2004, it had 20 cyclists. Now it is one of the largest in the country, with 120 cyclists and 60 bikes. It is active on weekends and at special events such as marathons, the Rose Parade, Los Angeles Rams tailgating parties and on the Venice Beach boardwalk on summer weekends.

In other cities across the country, bike medics patrol airports, sporting events, entertainment areas and special events such as festivals, concerts and marathons. They are especially useful when roads are closed or congested as medics on bikes can navigate crowded streets and sidewalks swiftly.

Today, at least 500 agencies have EMS bike teams. Fire departments, EMS agencies, hospitals and private ambulance services run teams. In New York, the all-volunteer Central Park Medical Unit’s 10-member bicycle team patrols the 843-acre Central Park many weekends during the warmer months, as well as concerts and other big events.

Most use mountain bikes, which can carry a heavy load and maneuver through traffic and crowds and around obstacles. Bike medics carry first aid and trauma supplies, oxygen, IVs, cardiac monitors and defibrillators. The bike and equipment combined can weigh up to 50 pounds, so cyclists need to be in good shape.

The bike medics can also save money. In Cody, for example, it cost less than $3,000 to set up West Park Hospital’s unit with three bikes, uniforms and saddlebags, versus buying and equipping an ambulance, which can run as much as $280,000.

Proposed Law Would Require a Permit to Use Minnesota Bike Lanes

A new bill would require a
permit to use Minnesota bike lanes.

Minnesota bicyclists aren't happy with a proposed bill to require bicyclists to have special permits to use bike lanes in urban areas.

According to the Star Tribune, under a bill introduced last week by Rep. Duane Quam, R-Byron, riders would be required to attend an educational program and pass a test to receive a permit to use bike lanes. Bicyclists under 15 would not be allowed to use bike lanes.

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Quam said he intended the proposal to prompt conversations about bike safety and said he’s concerned about a lack of consistent bike education across the state. Others think it will make biking less safe though, forcing kids and others without permits to ride with traffic, and could decrease the number of people riding in general. In particular, the bill could deter minority and low-income groups from bicycling.

Virginia Bill Would Crack Down on Drunken Segway Drivers

Drunk? Maybe not. But making bad choices?
Chances are good.

Virginia could soon be spared the terrors of drunken Segway drivers. Yes, drunken Segway drivers. No, I didn't know that was an issue either.


According to the Washington Post, a proposed bill would target people riding a bike, an “electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, or moped” on a highway while intoxicated.

 If passed, offenders would face a Class 2 misdemeanor. That could mean that at least six months in the pokey and a fine of up to $1,000, or both. Ouch. That's kind of harsh.

The Virginia Biking Federation, said, while they're not opposed to the bill, they don't see a lot of wasted bicyclists.

UPS Experimenting With E-Bike Delivery

Forget the big brown truck, you will soon see a big brown bike in some neighborhoods delivering your goods.

According to Oregon Live, UPS is testing delivery by electric bicycle in Portland, a first for the company in the United States. The company has been experimenting with e-bike delivery in Europe since 2012.

It already uses a fleet of traditional bicycles during the holiday season in Portland, but the electric bikes are expected to be used year-round. They can cover more ground and carry more cargo because electric motors give the bike rider a boost. It is also easier to park in crowded areas than a large truck. And don't forget, they're emissions-free.

Floating Bike Paths Proposed for Chicago River

Chicago is getting crazy. But in a good way.

A group of Chicago architects and designers are proposing a series of floating bike paths that would connect parts of the city’s disjointed bike infrastructure and help revitalize the underutilized Chicago River.


According to Next City, the plan — dubbed RiverRide — would feature paths on 82-foot-long, 12-foot-wide, steel-reinforced concrete pontoon segments that would be anchored into the riverbed with pilings and have precipitation-activated awnings for rainy weather, and solar-powered lighting for night.

The project is estimated to cost $5 million to $10 million per mile. The proposal is still being considered, but if approved by transportation officials, could be implemented as soon as summer 2019. 

Build Your Own Bamboo Bicycle

High-end bamboo bikes aren't new, but building your own? That's new. According to KXLY News, you can do it in London at the Bamboo Bicycle Club, where experts are teaching people to build their own bikes entirely from bamboo. London too far to go for a cool bike? You can also buy a home-build kit to be shipped anywhere in the world.

Not only is bamboo sustainable, it also offers a superior ride according to some bicycle aficionados, because it is light, durable, and has natural shock-absorbing qualities.


Kits range rom $360 to $460, and come in various designs, including road bikes, mountain bikes and even tandems. Not mechanically gifted or having trouble figuring out your kit? The team at the Bamboo Bicycle Club even offers Skype chats, where they give kit buyers advice on assembling the bikes.

The Netherlands Wins Again- This Time for Being the Best Place to Drive

Bike parking in Amsterdam.

I feel like the U.S. is developing an inferiority complex when it comes to the Netherlands. Those everything. Everyone knows that the Netherlands are the best place to commute by bike, where virtually everyone does, but now a new report by Waze says it's also the best place to be a driver. Yes, a driver!
folks win

According to Daily Hive, the country has 18 million bicycles and 16 million residents. With over a quarter of daily trips made by bike, you would think it would be a nightmare for drivers. Not so, says Waze. The company's Driver Satisfaction Index – which analyzes the driving experiences of 65 million monthly users in 38 countries and 235 cities nationally – named The Netherlands the most satisfying place in the world to drive due to its “smooth traffic conditions” and “solid road quality.”

With most people using alternatives to driving, the country's roadways are uncrowded, which also decreases the wear and tear on them.  

How Many Americans Don't Know How to Ride a Bike and Who Are They?

If you were to guess how many Americans don't know how to ride a bike, what number would you throw out? That's what a survey from a couple years ago asked (not sure why it's just coming to light now). Based on 1,196 adults in the United States who responded to the survey, the answer is 6% of Americans don't know how to ride a bike, according to FiveThirtyEight.

And here is who is the least likely to know how to ride a bike: people in the Northeast. Not sure why but 12% of the people who said they don't reside in the Northeast. White Americans are most likely to know how to drive. Four percent said they don't know how to ride, while 7% of hispanics and ten percent of African Americans said they don't know how. As for marital status, single people are twice as likely to know how to ride a bike than married people. And surprisingly, more older people than young people know how to ride bikes. You can see all the stats here if you want more.

Traffic Skills 101 Class for Bicyclists

Want to learn how ride your bicycle safely, confidently and legally in Spokane? Then take the Traffic Skills 101 class for bicyclists. The first session is this Wednesday, August 17 from 5:30 – 8:30pm. The cost is only $10. To register go to: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2591860.

League of American Bicyclist certified trainers from the Spokane Regional Health District will offer their fundamental class, Traffic Skills 101 here in Spokane. The 9-hour course will be offered through two sessions. Session 1 will be On Wednesday, August 17th from 5:30  8:30 p.m. and Session 2 on Saturday, August 20th from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm

This course provides instruction and guidance in the basic principles of vehicular bicycling. It will give you the confidence to ride safely and legally in traffic or on the trail. You will learn how to conduct bicycle safety checks, fix a flat, on-bike skills and crash avoidance techniques. Click the flyer below to view it full size.

New Centennial Trail Section Complete

Staff at Riverside State Park invites you to help celebrate the completion of the northwest extension of the Spokane River Centennial Trail. This extends the Centennial Trail approximately two miles from Sontag Community Park to Nine Mile Recreation area on Lake Spokane. This key addition enhances Centennial Trail access and provides an important link within the community.

4 p.m.

August 15

Nine Mile Recreation Area

11226 W Charles Rd., Nine Mile Falls

Speeches will be followed by time for mingling and walking the new section of trail. State Parks staff and partners will be on hand to talk about upcoming work on the trail and other priority projects. Event parking will be available at the Nine Mile Recreation Area.

The Centennial Trail begins at the Washington/Idaho state line and ends at Nine Mile Falls. The trail’s path generally follows the contours of the Spokane River, allowing access for many types of outdoor non-motorized recreational activities. The Spokane River Centennial Trail connects with the North Idaho Centennial Trail. Together, the trails span more than 60 miles and connect the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene communities.

Funding for this project was provided by Friends of the Centennial Trail, Avista Corp. and Washington State Parks through a grant program from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office. The name “Centennial” refers to the trail’s initial construction period, which occurred soon after the Washington State Centennial.

Take Your Whole Group Biking With the Conference Bike

We attend a lot of meetings in our field. Both internally and at other agencies. Sometimes they are very technical and can tend to be dry. Sometimes it's hard to stay awake when the room is stuffy. Say goodbye to those days of nodding off during the world's longest PowerPoint presentation though, because I present to you the "Conference Bike."

The Conference Bike is a way to bring people together, literally, because seven people sit in a circle and pedal. The bikes are being used around the world for touring and corporate team-building and even as a way for blind people to bike in some communities. I just want one to tool around with my six best friends on.

L.A. Gets Bike Traffic Signals

Los Angeles officials last week unveiled 

The city's first bike-specific traffic signals along Los Angeles Street between Alameda and First Street.

According to KPCC, the signals flash green, yellow and red lights to alert riders to go, slow or stop. The difference between the bike lights and regular traffic signals is that the bike lights are shaped like bicycles.

The signals cost $775,000, which also paid for protected bike lanes, new platforms for bus riders, street resurfacing and new crosswalks and striping.

A particular challenge on streets where all modes of transit mix is that right-turning vehicles and bicycles must be in the same place at the same time, and it can become confusing whose turn it is to go, which is why the signals were introduced.

Another challenge for bicyclists can be crossing traffic to get to the left turn lane to make an unprotected left. New left-turn boxes, marked in bright green, will give these riders a safe place to go while waiting to make what would otherwise be an unprotected turn across the intersection.

Fifth Annual Spokane Bike Swap A Big Success

Another successful year for the annual Spokane Bike Swap and Expo. The event was held April 9 at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center and the numbers from it have just been released:

• Nearly 3,000 attendees
• 63 exhibitors
• Over 900 used bikes registered to sell in the bike corral
• Changed from a 2-day event to a 1-day only event and still raised only $2,000 less than last year 
• As the major fund raiser for the Friends of the Centennial Trail, the Spokane Bike Swap raised $36,000.

Amsterdam to Elect "Bike Mayor"

This probably isn't what they have in mind but I envision
the bike mayor being kind of like a super hero on a bike.

Amsterdam is going the extra distance to ensure its reputation as the most bike-friendly city on the planet. The city will appoint the world’s first ever "bicycle mayor" this summer. This chief cyclist will promote cycling in the city, serving as a go-between connecting city hall, riders, community groups, and anyone else interested in cycling. The hope is that eventually other cities will elect a bike mayor to promote bicycling.

The bike mayor will be selected through a public vote and the deliberations of an expert jury. Funding for the "project," as yet to be confirmed, will likely be a combination of public subsidy with sponsorship money.

The bike mayor won’t have direct executive power, but an open audience with the authorities and everyday people, giving them the ability to advocate for better conditions and shape policy.

Bike to Work/Bike Everywhere Week Coming Up May 16-20

May is coming up quickly and it is National Bike Month. Plus Bike to Work Week falls in May. Join the local Spokane County Bike Everywhere challenge using the National Bike Challenge website. For those already using apps like Endomondo, Strava, or Map My Rides to track your miles, you can now sync them with the website to automatically track your rides. 

To get started, create an account, and you will be directed to the Washington Bikes Challenge. If you live in Spokane County, you'll automatically be part of our challenge and be ready to log all your miles for the month of May. 

State Report Cards for Walking, Bicycling and Physical Activity

The Safe Routes to School National Partnership has recently developed state report cards to provide a snapshot of how supportive each state is of walking, bicycling, and physical activity for children and adults as of 2016, and it has good things to say about Washington!

The report cards primarily look at state policy focusing on four key areas: Complete Streets and Active Transportation, Safe Routes to School and Active Transportation Funding, Active Neighborhoods and Schools, and State Physical Activity Planning and Support. 

You can view the full report here, which includes a detailed explanation of how the states were graded. The map below shows each state’s overall grade. Click on the map to view each state’s report card. 

Milan Proposes Paying Commuters to Bike to Work

Smog is so bad in Milan some days that pedestrians wear
masks.

Around here, we talk a lot about what would get people to change their transportation behavior. For instance, if you drive to work alone now, what would convince you to maybe ride the bus or ride your bike to work everyday instead? Would more bike lanes or better sidewalks convince you? Buses that come more often or run later? Or would it come down to cold, hard cash to get you to change your way?

That's what officials in Milan think. According to Money, city officials there are proposing to pay people to commute via bicycle in order to lower smog levels. Like Spokane, Milan lies in a low valley, where air pollution can get trapped. Unlike Spokane, it is considered one of the most polluted cities in Europe.

This idea isn't the first step in cleaning up the air. City officials recently banned cars from the city center, offered discount tickets on public transit and added 50% more bike lanes and bike share stations around the city. 

Indian Students Develop Driverless Bike

Move aside driverless cars, some Indian students have created a driverless bike. Inspired by their differently-abled classmates, these students developed an autonomous bicycle, that they are calling 'i-bike', according to Indian Times. 

The autonomous steering, braking, drive and balancing mechanisms differentiate this bicycle from other bicycles that need a rider. 

The steering hub on the bike has been modified using a gear mechanism that allows for both autonomous and manual mode. So someone who is an arm amputee could use the autonomous mode while someone with arms could steer manually. The balancing mechanism uses a training wheel based torsional spring mechanism that it is retractable, allowing it to be switched between manual and autonomous modes, depending on who is riding it. If a person has lost his/her leg(s), then the autonomous drive would provide the required energy to move ahead while the person only steers the bicycle.

The students are in the process of applying for a patent. The bike won first place in the KPIT Sparkle 2016, an annual national design and development innovation contest for engineering and science students across India. 

1980 Bike Map Pulled From the SRTC Files

We are moving to a new office sometime in March. So in the meantime we are cleaning out a lot of files and getting rid of many years of "stuff." Turns out we had a lot of file cabinets around here filled with a lot of old stuff.

Amongst all the junk, we made a cool find yesterday- the first (as far as we can tell) bike map for the area. While there weren't bike lanes at the time, this circa 1980 bike map lists "easy through streets," "non-arterial bicycle connectors," "difficult intersections," and more.

It also lists area bicycle repair shops. That part was surprising to me. I turns out there were a lot of bike shops back in 1980. And some are still around today, such as Midway Cyclery, Garland Cycle, Spoke 'n Sport and Wheel Sport!














My favorite part about the map- it looks like it was all done on a typewriter. Which had to take someone a LOT of time.