Another Share the Road Video

It would be nice to have one of these made for Idaho that airs state-wide on television.  It would also be nice if the narrator sounded a little more pleasant.  Good information, though.

Quote of the Day

"Walk, do not drive, to buy your Lotto ticket. If you drive ten miles to buy a ticket then you're three times more likely to get killed in a car crash on the way than you are to win the jackpot." - Dr. Mike Orkin, Can You Win?: The Real Odds for Casino Gambling, Sports Betting, and Lotteries

Local Cyclists Ride to Raise Money for Autism

Sponsored by Laughing Dog Brewery in Sandpoint, four area cyclists are riding the Race Across American in hopes to raise $1 million to support families with autism, particularly in North Idaho.

Check out the CdA Press for the whole story: http://www.cdapress.com/news/local_news/article_d7821149-c386-554e-86da-3525167dbe5b.html

Piano Stairs

See what happens when you make walking fun?

Cycling Satire

Here is a satirical look at the frustrations of owning and operating automobiles.

Goofy Motormania

Almost too true to be funny...but I still laughed.  Disney hit the mark on this one 60 years ago and things haven't changed a bit.

Winter Warriors

The Inlander had a great article about winter bicycle commuters.  I guess I would put myself somewhere between the "Metaphysicist" and "The Bike Guru".  Although, if I lived only 2 miles or less from work, I would definitely be "Mr. Business Casual".

Read the article here: http://www.inlander.com/spokane/article-16095-winter-warriors.html

What kind of winter rider are you?

Share the Road

Hats off to Kia for this commercial.  Now, let's see the other auto manufacturers follow suit.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure Create Jobs

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood writes this about job creation resulting from pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure projects:

This week, a coalition of bicycling advocates introduced me to a new report showing that in Baltimore, MD, pedestrian and bicycle projects created nearly twice as many jobs per dollar spent than traditional road projects.

In this case-study, "Estimating the Employment Impacts of Pedestrian, Bicycle, and Road Infrastructure," the Political Economy Research Institute compiled data provided by the city of Baltimore. They found that on-street bike lanes and pedestrian measures created more direct jobs, more indirect jobs, and more induced jobs per dollar than either road upgrades or road resurfacing.

Read the rest on his blog here: http://fastlane.dot.gov/2011/01/new-data-adds-job-creation-to-the-many-benefits-of-bicycle-infrastructure.html#tp

I wonder if that will have any impact on future transportation spending. 

Studs/Chains For Your Feet

I have been meaning to write about this for a while but never got around to it.  Well, I guess procrastination pays off sometimes.  This was written over at the Huckleberry's Blog:

For those keeping score at home, I used Yaktrax Walkers — a device that clamps onto bottom of shoes for traction in ice or snow — for first time this year to cross street & lawn of Post Falls City Hall for Leadership Post Falls presentation this AM. Worked like an absolute champ. Sorta like having studded tires for your shoes. Studs on my 4Runner. Studs on my shoes. Bring on winter. (BTW, Trish Gannon & I are on the same page with Yaktrax Walkers. She included the handy device, pictured above, in her list of tools that make living in a winter wonderland a bit easier, in her latest “Politically Incorrect” River Journal column here.)

I have a couple pairs of these at home and I can attest that when it is slick out there like today, these things can save your bacon.

Bicycle Typogram

If you keep referring to the stem of your bike as a "goose-neck" or describe a part as "that thingy down there", this cool typogram by Aaron Kuehn will help you learn the terminology for your next venture into a bike shop to speak to the mechanic.

A higher resolution pdf is available at http://aarline.info/hotaar/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/BicycleTypogram_Aarline.pdf

Bike-cars?

A Portland artist Johnny Olivan has created six different bike-cars that are turning heads.  What's a bike car you ask?  It's a vehicle that will perform a task (replacing a vehicle) that is pedal powered.  Here is a description of his bike-cars:

There's the "Bike-Car Hands-On" -- which he will have to re-create because the original was stolen and scrapped before it could be recovered. The three-person vehicle is designed so a person in a wheelchair can roll up the ramp and into a "driving position," operating a hand-cranked drivetrain while two other riders pedal on either side.

 The "Mini-Bike Bus" is designed to take a passel of kids to school. Along with two adult drivers, it can seat five kids for a truly fun ride to class, or just around the block.

The "H2O Flow" has a catchment tarp above it that feeds rainwater into three steel barrels mounted on the back. ("It even does its job while it's parked," Olivan notes. "Cars just sit there taking space.")

The "Bike-Car Media" has camera mounts for on-the-fly video, or it can serve as a mobile tripod for still cameras. It's designed to operate in the middle of the scene at bike events.

The "Bike-Car Rescue" is a pedal-powered tow truck -- it's equipped to haul both you and your broken-down bike to the nearest pit stop.

And the "Trashy Tricycle" is equipped with a trash-can trailer, so people can deposit trash into it during an event or just riding around town.

Read the whole story here: http://www.oregonlive.com/living/index.ssf/2011/01/a_portland_artists_fantastical.html

"Every kid deserves a bike"

Those are the words of Gary Dagastine of Northwest Recumbent Cycles in Post Falls.  Gary, with the help of other caring people in the community, built a hand-cranked tricycle for 13 year old Kate Danner free of charge.  Kate has orthopedic issues that prevented her riding a bike...until now.

See the whole story here.

Photo credit: Nick Rotunno/Coeur d'Alene Press

Bicycle Etiquette

Head on over to Cycling Spokane for a good discussion on being courteous and safe on the streets.

http://cyclingspokane.blogspot.com/2011/01/what-is-good-bicycle-etiquette-in-sea.html

It's important that we be good stewards in the community and practice safe cycling techniques.

Respect....Give it, Get it....

Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act

Have you ever considered the safety consequences of cars that are actually too quiet?


On Tuesday, President Obama signed the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2010. In this law Congress requires the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to ensure that electric and hybrid car manufacturers add noises that alert the blind and other pedestrians...

You can read more at http://fastlane.dot.gov/2011/01/nhtsa-working-to-fulfill-psea-of-2010.html#tp

Clear your windshields!

The Boise Police Department reports of a pedestrian being hit today.  The driver apparently didn't see her because his “vehicle's windshield was heavily obstructed by an icy frost.”

The law states: “No vehicle shall be operated when the windshield and/or windows of the vehicle are coated with ice, snow, sleet, or dust to the extent that the driver’s view ahead, or to the sides or rear of the vehicle are obstructed.”

Let's all take an extra minute or two before driving to make sure you can see.  It's worth the life you could save.

No Bike Rack?

Another good blog entry from BiketoWork Barb on what she does when a bike rack isn't available for her to use.  Read her advice here: http://biketoworkbarb.blogspot.com/2010/12/no-rack-now-what.html

How Bikes Can Save the World

BiketoWork Barb has a nice video and transcript of the video on her website telling us the not-so-obvious reasons why she rides a bike to work.  Good stuff.

Read and/or watch it here: http://biketoworkbarb.blogspot.com/2010/11/how-bikes-can-save-world.html