Annals of Cycling – 90: Helmet debate, Bike-sharing in NYC, Ride-to-School Week, MEC Manual

An occasional update on items from the Velo-city.
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BIKE HELMET DEBATE – UPDATE

A good summary here from Bikeshare, an industry (bike-sharing is now an industry!) newsletter:
Conclusion:
This debate is unlikely to be resolved anytime soon. Using a bike-share bike is a spontaneous decision for many riders. If bike sharing cannot succeed where adults are obligated to wear a helmet, then Seattle and Vancouver may need to reevaluate their laws. But until the technology, the law, the public perception and the scholarship get sorted out in places like Seattle, Vancouver, Boston, and Melbourne, we can expect jurisdictions to stick with their mandatory bicycle helmet laws for now. –
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BIKESHARING IN BED-STUY
If you want an indication on how far bike-sharing has come, here’s an image that a few years ago would have been simply unimaginable:

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For two reasons: No one would have known what bike-sharing was.

Signs of the largest bike share program in the United States are starting to appear. New York City has installed the first of 600 bicycle docking stations, which will house 10,000 bikes in much of Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn. The first wave, launching in May, will have about 5,500 bikes and 300 docks.

Secondly, because this installation is in the Brooklyn neighbourhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant – a place of gang wars and race riots in the 1960s, and now “a diverse mix of students, hipsters, artists, creative professionals, architects and attorneys of all races continue to move to the neighborhood.”  Along with the bicycles.

More here.

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From HUB:

As Bike to School Week (May 27 – 31) fast approaches this spring, HUB and HASTe are excited to get more kids and school staff riding to school and to celebrate what Metro Vancouver schools already do to support cycling. To participate in this friendly competition, just designate a School Team Leader and register online. We’ll provided you with all the resources you need to be part of this great initiative and the participating students will get a chance to win some great prizes, have fun, and get active! WHY Register? Receive an info kit with posters, stickers, safety, and tips to help get your school cycling. Our easy to use recording sheets help you track the trips to school during the event. Prizes! There are many chances to win, including a new Norco Bike or a Bike Rack from Urban Racks! HOW to Register Click here  and complete this short form. You will receive a confirmation e-mail, and be kept up to date with everything you’ll need to know. Have a basic package shipped to your school or pick one up at the HUB office for extra giveaways! If you are planning a Bike to School Week celebration such as a bikers’ breakfast or Bike Festival to encourage and reward riders let us know!  We may have additional resources to help you plan a great event.  When we encourage students and staff to ride their bikes for health, fitness, and fun we help to create a future generation of cyclists that values the benefits that active transportation brings. HUB and HASTe are here to help you to challenge, track, and reward everyone who rides to school for a week in May. ___________________________________________________________________ . SOMETHING REALLY USEFUL The MEC Bike Manual.