City lags behind Chicago, Toronto and Minneapolis in bike parking

Carter's View – City lags behind Chicago, Toronto and Minneapolis in bike parking

Study finds traffic pollution can speed hardening of arteries - Los Angeles Times

Feb 14, 2010

Study finds traffic pollution can speed hardening of arteries - Los Angeles Times

BikeLid at Austin Park and Ride

 

 

 

PUT A LID ON IT!

 

Austin's Capital Metro is offering commuters at their Pavilion Park & Ride a new, safe and eco-friendly bicycle parking product known as the BikeLid. The BikeLid is an innovative form of bicycle parking that provides protection from vandalism, theft and weather elements. The "lids" are a no-cost-to-the-bikers installation, coordinated through the City of Austin's Bicycle and Pedestrian Program and BikeLid Systems, LLC, as a test market. If customer feedback is positive, Capital Metro may decide to install more BikeLids at passenger facilities throughout city. The lids are a green product, made from industrial plastic waste materials and recycled steel, and is 100% recyclable. – Texas Transit Association

Secure Bicycle Parking is Key

Check out: http://www.americainfra.com/article/Secure-Bicycle-Parking-is-Key/

RCTC Report on BikeLid

Excerpt from the Riverside Transportation Commission Commuter Rail Update Report (May 2008) :

Bicycle Facility Upgrade at Riverside Downtown and North Main Corona Stations

In order to accommodate and promote bicycle ridership, the Commission has invested in both bicycle lockers and racks at its West Corona, La Sierra and Pedley stations. Until recently, the Commission lacked secure and covered bicycle facilities at its two most utilized stations, Riverside Downtown and North Main Corona.

In addition to bicycle racks, lockers provide an added level of security against possible theft and vandalism. However, conventional lockers require continuous maintenance and management. Lock mechanisms break; keys have to be distributed, tracked and hopefully returned; key deposits and refunds have to be tracked and accounted for; the potential for misuse, non-use and under use is significant as conventional lockers are assigned. All this adds complexity and cost to a conventional bike locker program, diminishing the benefit to the Commission as well as the overall passenger experience.

To address such complexity and costs, alternatives to conventional bike lockers were explored. The primary factor contributing to the complexity and cost of conventional lockers is the design. Essentially metal boxes, conventional lockers pose particular challenges to ensure proper and efficient use. In the past, lockers have been used for storage, remained assigned but unused, are an ideal habitat for any number of pests and pose a potential safety threat concealing devices intended to inflict public harm.

Demonstration of the BikeLid’s clamshell design.

In consideration of these concerns, the Commission has purchased and installed six BikeLids at both the Riverside Downtown and North Main Corona stations. The BikeLid is a competitively priced alternative product that significantly alleviates both the complexity and cost of a traditional bike locker. The design is essentially hybrid, integrating the simplicity of a bike rack with a clamshell hinged lockable cover. BikeLids allow first come/first served single use while patrons utilize their own standard bicycle lock. This eliminates the need of a separate key and lock mechanism while still providing the security of covered storage, discouraging misuse and optimizing proper use. Furthermore, the unique design has been demonstrated to increase awareness and consideration of bicycle use. The BikeLid product is utilized at the Oceanside transit center. The units are durable, simple and attractive. BikeLid provides a 10-year warranty on material and workmanship.

http://www.rctc.org/

Check out this cool blog

http://localecologist.blogspot.com/2009/09/bikelid.html

On a Sustainable Journey, Travel by Bike

Traveling by bicycle is a sustainable scenario for the human environment. Whether for business, leisure, or simply running errands, riding a bike is by its very nature one of the most sustainable forms of transportation, used by millions worldwide on a daily basis.

As the only truly human powered vehicle. Riding a bicycle requires no fossil fuel. According to the US EPA, American car owners drive an average of 40 miles per day. If they rode a bicycle instead, they would save on average 14 gallons of gas (and over $45) each week. Many petroleum sources are located in environmentally sensitive of politically unstable areas, and the more we can do as a culture to reduce our dependence, the more sustainable we become.

Bicycle riding also burns around 500 calories per hour, keeps tons of greenhouse gas emissions from escaping into the environment, and bicyclists experience the world at a pace that's more resonant with nature. Communities that encourage non-motorized transportation enjoy more human interaction, less pollution and overall healthier lifestyles. This in turn makes the communities desirable and they get to enjoy the economic benefits that come from that desirability.

People who bike ride sustain the environment and they sustain; both physically and mentally. The way forward for not only our country but the world is through more responsible, sustained use of limited capital and resources. Bicycling is a great way to travel on that sustainable journey.

www.bikelid.com