We could use some bicycle parking love like this in Cincinnati at least in one or two locations. The new Central Riverfront Park might be a great opportunity and is something the park officials have hinted at given the inclusion of the Ohio River Trail into the park design that will potentially bring lots of bicycle commuters into the center city from the eastern neighborhoods.
Great video showing what can happen if you provide adequate bicycle infrastructure in a city. People will commute to work, go shopping and visit friends all by bicycle. Don’t take my word for it though…
In addition to the new dedicated bike lane on Spring Grove Avenue that will provide a critical north/south travel corridor for bicyclists through the heart of the city, the City has also announced a new pilot project for shared lane markings (sharrows).
Sharrows are widely used but have yet to be embraced in the 32nd ranked state for bicyclists that has no cities included on the bicycle friendly list. They improve the safety for bicyclists on streets that lack dedicate bike lanes. With sharrows, motorists are made more aware of their surroundings making it more difficult to ignore a bicyclist that is properly sharing the road with motorists.
The Cincinnati Sharrow Pilot Project has identified a few corridors that the City believes are good candidates for sharrows and is planned to start this spring. The City is currently asking for input and have put a survey up for people to vote on the top 2 corridors for potential sharrows. You can also email them with additional ideas and other corridor suggestions at sharrows[at]cincinnati-oh[dot]gov.
The City of Cincinnati currently boasts 55 miles of streets designated as bike routes (24 of which include signage), over 200 bicycle racks citywide, with an estimated 63 miles of bike/hike trails in the planning stages all as part of the City’s Bicycle Transportation Program. To request bike rack installation, report potholes, missing signs or any other bicycling related issue you can contact the City by calling (513) 591-6000.
Click to view larger version of flyerNew Orleans, and its residents, are working to make the city a better place post-Katrina. One of those efforts is the creation of a “high-quality cycling map of New Orleans” that has engaged the community in a way that is truly special.
Lauren Sullivan, a soon to be School of Planning graduate, has been working closely members of the community, fellow bicyclists and Planners from the New Orleans area and started the whole project. Much work has already been completed and before the end of this year free maps will be available in print and online to help cyclists navigate New Orleans.
The final maps will include information about pavement quality, car travel speeds, lane widths, and other special caution areas for cyclists. This comprehensive data collection process was made possible through the help of volunteers that primarily participated in mapping events that made the whole process more of a social gathering. Volunteers also participated in the innovative NolaCycle DIY mapping (think wiki-style involvement in the real world) – see video below for more details.
The grassroots project has already garnered national attention and is currently in the process of applying for grants to help fund the remaining work. At this stage the group could use your help in receiving a $500 micro-credit loan through New Orleans’ Crescent City Farmers Market. The Farmers Market has opened the process up to voting, and you can help the NolaCycle cause by voting for the project.
The process is fascinating as it employs an innovative way to gather and engage community support. In the end, the community will have complete ownership, of the project, and will have also poured in tons of hours to help make it reality. This engagement organizes a group of people to create a new community asset for no cost at all to the taxpayers of New Orleans. For more on the project check out this brief video from The Times-Picayune.
UPDATE: NolaCycle was one of three winners of the $500 micro-credit loan
I’ve been in a video sharing mood as of late so why stop now when I’ve got more great material to share. STREETFILMS shares a great piece with us about the transformation of NYC’s Madison Square. What was once a mess for autos and a nightmare for pedestrians, bicyclists, etc is now a beautifully landscaped public space.
The street network has been reconfigured and condensed in a way to free up public space that is heavily used. The area has become safer, cleaner, and more pleasant as a result. The film is excellent as it gives a great overview of the transformation and includes fantastic input from the users, of the space, to experts like my favorite – Jan Gehl.
There is another great film about Portland’s bicycle parking program. The film looks at on-street bicycle parking and areas known as a ‘bicycle oasis.’ These are things that could really be looked at as ways of empowering the local bicycling community here in Cincinnati. Enjoy!