The Year of the Bike

The Shēngxiào, or Chinese Zodiac says that this is the Year of the Snake.

If you believe, PF Chang's, it is the year of the Dragon, again...

But here in Salt Lake City, it is the Year of the Bike.

To recognize the numerous infrastructure changes and events that are happening this year in Salt Lake City, and County, Mayor Ralph Becker has designated 2013 as the year of the bike.

Mayor Becker announced this at a press conference at the City/County building earlier today.



Some of the highlights (for me, at least) in the presentation was the announcement by the General Manager of UTA saying that they are increasing the number of bikes that each city and express bus can hold from 2 to 3, and starting this month, they are installing hooks in the TRAX cars to better hold bikes. Also, a representative from UDOT spoke, and announced that they would be working on increasing bicycle infrastructure by narrowing drive lanes, and painting bike lanes where possible when they re-surface roads. They also announced that they will be working on some bicycle-specific signals - signals that will be able to detect when there is a cyclist at the intersection, so they won't have to wait for a car to come to trip the signal, or run the light.

A list of several of the events coming up this year can be found at the BikeSLC website. 

What are you waiting for? Get out and ride, and  enjoy the Year of the Bike!

Open Streets Coming to SLC

Salt Lake City and Bike Utah are partnering to bring Utah it's first Open Streets event event on Saturday, May 4th.

Are you wondering what an open street is? Well, the Open Streets Project temporarily closes a street to automobile traffic, so that people can use it for walking, cycling, playing, dancing, etc... Basically, it's a huge street party that cars aren't invited to. For several hours on May 4th, Broadway Ave (300 S) in SLC will be car-free.

The concept started in Bogota, Columbia in 1976 where on each Sunday and holidays certain main streets are closed for several hours to auto traffic for the use of pedestrians. These weekly "ciclovias" are used by approximately 2 million people.

Here in the US of A, there are currently 80+ communities that participate in some form of Open Street event.

If you are interested in learning more, or if you want to help, there is a kick-off on Thursday, Feburary 7th at Squatters Pub from 4 pm to 7 pm.

It sounds like a lot of fun. Let's go do what our parents always told us not to do and play in the street!

SLC Bike Share is Coming

I was out on the innerwebs this morning and I came across this link.

Intrigued, I clicked on the link for "Bike Sharing" to see what it had to say:

The Downtown Alliance, in cooperation with Salt Lake City, is working to bring bike sharing to downtown SLC. SLC Bike Share will be a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that will operate and manage the system of bicycles and kiosks.

SLC Bike Share will be a green organization that uses solar power to operate a network of fully automated kiosks (stations) and bicycles, provide local jobs, stimulate the SLC economy, and reduce our collective waistline.

Our pilot program will begin with 10 solar powered, automated, bicycle sharing stations place in strategic locations throughout downtown Salt Lake City. A total of 100 bikes will dispersed throughout the 10 station system to create a network of high-end commuter-friendly bicycles designed to make getting around downtown Salt Lake fun and easy.

If SLC Bike Share is a success, and we think it will be, the number of kiosks will be increased to create a more extensive downtown network. We hope to expand the program to include other areas of Salt Lake City, not just downtown.

If we are able to meet our fundraising goals, Salt Lake City can expect to have a pilot program ont he ground and operating by Summer 2012.

Please visit our Facebook page for more information and photos

By the pictures on their Facebook page, it looks like SLC Bike Share will be using the B-cycle bikes and kiosks.

More information as it becomes available.

Do You Have Your "Share the Road" Plates Yet?

Do you have a “Share the Road” plate on your car yet? If so, good for you! If not, there is no time to wait. 24 more people need to order plates now or the program will be discontinued by the DMV.

“This plate benefits the Share the Road initiative as it works to create awareness and safety support systems for bicyclists throughout the state. This plate generates funds for the Department of Transportation in support of this initiative…”

I can attest to the awareness part. Just this last weekend, I was asked by the technician at our local Wal-Mart tire & lube center who the cyclist was in my family. We were there picking up my daughter’s car after getting the oil changed, and he noticed the plate.

But, more important than identifying you as a cyclist, is the funds generated by the plate for the Share the Road initiative. There is a $10 special plate fee and a $25 initial contribution fee when you pick up the plate. Then an annual $25 contribution fee. It’s these fees that fund programs that help make motorists aware of our presence out there on the roads.

You don’t have to wait till your car’s registration is up for renewal, you can go to the DMV at any time and get your plates. Get a set for your car, your spouse’s car and your kid’s car. Tell your friends and extended family. Don’t let the program end.

Salt Lake City Sees Increase in Cyclists

Salt Lake City’s investment in cycling infrastructure over the past year has shown results.

In a press release issued yesterday, it was reported that there was a 27 percent increase in the number of cyclists from 2010 to 2011. Improvements such as 50 lane miles of new on-road bikeways and additional sharrow lanes in the downtown area are indicated as part of the reason for the increase.

New York City, which has been heralded for its bicycle commuting, only saw a 14 percent increase during the same time.

You can read full press release here.

Write your Senators!

This is an important message from the League of American Bicyclists:

This year, around $700 million of Federal transportation funds, which is less than 2 percent of total transportation dollars, will be spent on bicycling and walking. In 2012 that figure might be a big fat zero. Please contact your Senators TODAY and let them know you support continued funding for biking and walking.

In the next few days, Senator Coburn will ask Congress to eliminate the federal Transportation Enhancements program – the primary funding source for the past 20 years for bike lanes, trails, bike racks on buses, bike education etc. This isn’t safe or smart; it’s not good for the economy or the environment; this is bad health policy and bad transportation policy. But they are going to try because they don’t think bicycling matters.

Even though bicycling projects create more jobs per dollar than highway-only projects and cutting enhancements won’t impact the deficit – the money just won’t be spent on bicycling – some Members of Congress want to force us backwards to a 1950s highway-only mindset: as if oil embargoes, congestion, smog, the obesity epidemic and climate change never happened.

Now is the time to save biking and walking. So, we are asking you to contact your Senator and urge them to support continued funding for biking and walking. Don’t let them take away this vital investment program for smart, sustainable, safe transportation choices.

Please take action today.

Please contact your senators. It's very easy, just enter your zip code, and it will create a message ready to be sent to your senators.

World Bicycle Relief

In most industrialized nations around the world, the bicycle represents a choice. We can choose to lessen our environmental footprint and ride our bicycles for our commutes instead of driving. Many of us have more than one bicycle - choosing the race bike for the weekend crit, or the mountain bike for some singletrack riding in the mountains. We choose to save the race wheels for those important races. We choose our clothes based on the type of riding we will be doing, Lycra, tweed, or whatever. We have the choice.

In underdeveloped areas of the world, the bicycle is less about choice, and more about survival. A bicycle can allow a child to obtain an education by reducing their commute from an unrealistic time to one that is realistic. It can allow a healthcare volunteer to cover a greater area, and see more patients in a week than walking would allow. It can increase the earning potential by allowing an individual to cover a greater distance and carry a greater load than they could by walking. The bicycle represents a better life.

World Bicycle Relief is an organization whose mission is to provide access to independence and livelihood through The Power of Bicycles. Started in 2005 by SRAM and Trek Bicycles, they are working to provide a sustainable transportation alternative to walking to people in underdeveloped areas. They are working to accomplish this mission by providing a sturdy, durable bicycle that can withstand the environment, and that is simple to operate and fix, and by providing mechanical training to keep those bicycles running.

Simple sustainable mobility in the form of a bicycle multiplies a person’s effort and efficiency with improved access to healthcare, education and economic development, especially when compared to the alternative of walking.

Healthcare: Brings healthcare to patients and patients to healthcare.
Education: Brings educators to the field and students to schools.
Economic development: Sustainable mobility is a fundamental requirement in all economic systems. Bicycles multiply an individual’s efforts by:

• Bringing goods and services to markets;
• Enabling workers to get to jobs or find better jobs;
• Fueling an individual’s entrepreneurial drive – entire businesses can be run off the back of a bike.

I found this image on their site, which does a great job at showing what a great impact a bicycle can have to people.

World Bicycle Relief has provided over 50,000 bicycles to people in underdeveloped areas, and areas devastated by natural disasters.

I highly recommend you go to their site http://www.worldbicyclerelief.org/ and check them out. I also highly recommend you support them if you can, not only through monetary support, but by getting involved.