An occasional update on items from the Velo-city.
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BOSTON BIXI
From Ken Ohrn:
Ari Ofsevit has analysed 500,000 data points from Boston’s “New Balance Hubway” public bike-share system. Graphs, charts, bullet points galore — and a very clear idea of how the system is mostly used. Hint: it isn’t MAMILS.
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Hubway has around 1000 bikes, 105 stations (~2/3 of Vancouver’s planned system size), operates 3 seasons of the year, and is planning to go to four seasons. The system is an Alta/BIXI, and ridership is apparently 50% higher than anticipated since launch in July 2011.
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JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE TO GLOW OUT IN THE DARK
From The Guardian: Why cycling in high-vis may be not as safe as you think
A study of motorcyclists shows head-to-toe fluorescent yellow does not always ensure you are visible.
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YOUR GOOD NEWS QUOTA
And don’t we need some every day:
New Westminster, TransLink seek to replace dangerous parkway path
The city and TransLink hope to replace a dangerous stretch of the BC Parkway adjacent to Stewardson Way by moving the bike/pedestrian path to an unused railway right-of-way.
Yup, the parkway is that nasty bit of asphalt next to the speeding truck. It will be shifted to the rail right-of-way.
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John Atkin would buy one of these:
This zippy little bike, called the LOCAL, is the latest endeavor to come out of San Francisco-based studio Fuseproject, headed by designer Yves Behar. The result of the Oregon Manifest Constructor Design Challenge, a one-of-a-kind design/build competition to imagine a new generation of sustainable transportation for city-dwellers.
Fuseproject created the LOCAL to address the needs of our daily lives, while bringing back the fun of riding around the neighborhood on a bike (those were the days…). The team went beyond the mundane practicality of hauling groceries, they made sure it could stylishly schlepp a surfboard too. There’s even a wireless speaker for tunes. We’d so ride it.
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Is the railway wants to preserve the siding for future use, it looks like the path could still built out a bit towards the tracks on a bench (stabilized earth wall) and a fence or wall erected for safety from passing railcars.
RE: New Westminster – BC Parkway
It is about time. The railway has long been abandoned. Many people already cycle in that desire line visible immediately adjacent to the rail track.
Plans for the BC Parkway: http://www.translink.ca/~/media/Documents/plans_and_projects/public_consultation/bc_parkway/reports/BCP%20Conceptual%20Design%20New%20Westminster.ashx
It is time to fund the BC Parkway project and build those missing sections, especially in Surrey. For example with the opening of the South Fraser Perimeter Road there is increased traffic on 110 Ave adjacent to the skytrain park and ride. It already was a crappy bike route and now it is crappier. Most cyclists use the north side of the park and ride already, even without a proper crossing of the northbound Scott Road, which is where the BC Parkway is supposed to be built.
http://www.translink.ca/~/media/Documents/plans_and_projects/public_consultation/bc_parkway/reports/BC%20Parkway%20Conceptual%20Design%20Surrey.ashx