Share the Ride - SLO Regional Rideshare

The Cycling Sleuth!

Some of the cyclists in the U.K. are keeping an eye out for dangerous drivers and capturing them on film!  Take a look at this story from B.B.C. News:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12334486

 

Portland, here we come.

Over Thanksgiving, I spent the weekend in Portland. Up until this point, I'd heard and read and heard some more about the amazing bicycle infrastructure in the City of Portland. Up until this point, I thought, "sure, sounds nice." I have to admit, I'm bias. I think San Luis Obispo has one of the, if not the, most amazing bicycle community out there. But seeing truly is believing.

Upon arrival at my friends house in Portland, I was welcomed by a porch full of commuter, road, mountain bikes and an old-schooltandem Schwinn. As if that wasn't enough, the bike decorated with pink boa, cowbells and a huge wicker basket on the back made me feel like home. Over the course of my short stay, our group of 15 strong rode throughout the city on dedicated pedestrian and bicycle paths, bicycle boulevards or bike lanes. I loved the buttons at intersections designed for a cyclist to push, which would in-turn trigger a bike signal. I also noticed covered bicycle parking with bike maps all over the place (picture below). When we didn't feel like biking, we simply put our bikes on the Max. Seriously, it was that simple.

City of Portland: I was a fan through association before, but now I'm a HUGE FAN!

Being in Portland has also opened my eyes to bicycle related infrastructure opportunities in San Luis Obispo. For being a small-urban/rural county, I'm amazed with what we've done so far. We have a dedicated bike signal in San Luis Obispo, Atascadero just approved their Bike Plan and now we have a bike box at the intersection of Mondonna and Higuera. Catrans along with the City of San Luis Obispo installed a bike box this week (pic below). For a brochure of how to use the bike box, visit: http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/bike_ped/bike_box_brochure.pdf 
 

So props to my favorite bike cities; San Luis Obispo and Portland. And thank you to my friend Jaegar who hosted us for an absolutely amazing weekend.

- Morgen

 

More People Biking to Work

Interesting report on NPR today about how more commuters are 

biking

to work and using their lunch hour for an employee team building ride - way to go!

Another reason to carry on the Bike Month momentum!

A study which appears in the Archives of Internal Medicine is indicating that biking for just a few minutes a day can assist in helping women minimize weight gain - check out the article:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/06/28/study.biking.weight/index.html?hpt=Sbin

Thanks Ray

Ray LaHood, our Secretary of Transportation, made some great comments about bicycling and why we should make it a priority. Even though there is an estimated 10% of folks who ride their bike to work, with the other 90% driving, by investing in bicycle facilities we are creating a win-win. Building bicycle facilities is much less expensive than creating additional capacity on our roads for cars, such as building an additional car lane. And, by increasing bicycle facilities, we are keeping that 10% out of their cars too, maintaining room on our streets and roads for cars. LaHood said that if current bicycle commuters decided to drive instead, our current roadways would be put to a halt. You can read Ray LaHoods blog here: http://fastlane.dot.gov/2010/04/what-we-know-about-bike-infrastructure-people-want-it.html

I'm glad that Ray made this point, because one of the biggest events in San Luis ObispoCounty is right around the corner -- Bike Month. I run into a lot of folks who are adamant about driving and not riding their bike for that matter. Now, I feel empowered to remind them that even if they're not a bicycle commuter, and don't plan to be, by supporting bicycle commuters they are ensuring that our current roads and highways remain un-congested and maintained. Aka, they get to keep driving without traffic or congestion because cyclist choose not to. Its a win-win.

Bike Month is this May. For more information, go to www.rideshare.org/lifeinthebikelane.

Bike Month 2010 is coming- Life in the Bike Lane

"Pod" meetings have started. The first Wednesday of every month at 5pm and the third Wednesday of every month at noon. Location: 1114 Marsh Street, San Luis Obispo. Get involved, get in the Bike Lane. To join our Pod mailing list, email [email protected]. For more info, go to www.rideshare.org.

 

 

Coming Soon to our Neighborhood?

You have probably heard all about car sharing programs, such as Funride & Zipcar, but here is a great idea that could change the world for cyclists in the future!

Biking for a Cause

Isn't it amazing what people will do for a cause?  Check out this story of a fantastic senior from New Jersey who just keeps giving!

I need to follow her pedal participation,

Cindy

Another triumph for cycling!

Recently there was an article in the L.A. Times about a car-free cyclist who was unable to purchase food at a drive-through in Portland, Oregon.  Read all about it and how victory was attained!

Absolutely Amazing