tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58996616641405691132024-03-12T21:47:49.673-05:00bello velogiving cycling and cyclist a bad name since 2005Bello Velohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281701129166266768noreply@blogger.comBlogger1119125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899661664140569113.post-73137799972285908412011-12-02T08:19:00.001-06:002011-12-02T08:21:35.289-06:00Christmas paradeCome help put the bike back in Christmas this Saturday with the Christmas Parade in Huntsville! Meet in lot K, across from the Post Office on Clinton Ave. Downtown about 11:30 AM. Decorate hour bike, decorate your bod. Route is a bit over two miles & very slow (walking speed) pace. Will be over by about 2:30 PM.clintpattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919198769787875387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899661664140569113.post-55195660394712565452011-06-23T10:43:00.000-05:002011-06-23T10:44:05.343-05:00this SundayBefore the Vintage Ride, come down to the Seminole location of the Boys and Girls Club and pump up some tires. A large number of bikes have been donated to the Boys and Girls Club. These bikes are in great shape for the most part. Tires need pumped up to make sure they hold air. Some brakes need tightening, etc. We will start at 9 am and go until about 12 or 1. Come join us. The next dates for the Boys and Girls Club will be Sunday July 10th and July 24th if we need it. Archie needs to get all the bikes out of the location he has them in by early August.clintpattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919198769787875387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899661664140569113.post-23453034239990705492011-06-07T13:09:00.002-05:002011-06-07T13:09:52.565-05:00Lucky Cat 2 Bicycle Scavenger Hunt<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Lucky Cat 2 Bicycle Scavenger Hunt, a fundraiser to purchase bicycle locks for the Seminole Boys and Girls Club in Huntsville, AL.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Start/Finish at Lowe Mill. $10 to ride, donations accepted from non-riders.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Registration from 6:00-6:45pm, scavenger hunt starts at 7pm.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Prizes from</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><a href="http://www.chromebagsstore.com/">Chrome Messenger Bags</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><a href="http://www.the-scallywags.com/">Scallywags Bikes and Coffee</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">, and more.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2U1JOFgaSQ6BKDT8w3D20Y8p_LUvqt0c5rd8X-WLEQkwaXBZETwfRq1DwOUCHioDkO0QEL-zKe4St4fvC5HdzEKM5FQdBcm96kIM60CnmZro-o1bBhyphenhyphenjdbW0MwgJtiCPM6W57PMryHGA/s1600/luckycat+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2U1JOFgaSQ6BKDT8w3D20Y8p_LUvqt0c5rd8X-WLEQkwaXBZETwfRq1DwOUCHioDkO0QEL-zKe4St4fvC5HdzEKM5FQdBcm96kIM60CnmZro-o1bBhyphenhyphenjdbW0MwgJtiCPM6W57PMryHGA/s640/luckycat+poster.jpg" width="410" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
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</span>Bello Velohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281701129166266768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899661664140569113.post-52805104370362256552011-05-05T10:41:00.001-05:002011-05-05T10:43:54.930-05:00Mayor's Bike RideThe 3rd annual Mayor's Bike Ride in Huntsville is this Saturday May 7th at 10am. Show up early to hear Microwave Dave and drink coffee from Scallywags. Registration starts at 9. There will be other vendors. Proceeds will go to the tornado victims.clintpattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919198769787875387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899661664140569113.post-52164917593385797172011-02-09T14:51:00.000-06:002011-02-09T14:51:07.191-06:00Heartbrakes Alley Cat Birmingham<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Great reason to get out of Huntsville</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz2Qr4p8VkZEa5GGIc78qRrF3KhQ1VFOSPnAPaomjllL_Clj0wF4i_WySuTZDN8sp7txS11LtGBtVLyIKBJ_npNWLq93nfS2hqLBKpII0zQ4JhrWmuuPQZhfamvcKeTpJ8LuEyxq3Z7Xjo/s1600/Heartbrakes+2011_SUPER+FINAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz2Qr4p8VkZEa5GGIc78qRrF3KhQ1VFOSPnAPaomjllL_Clj0wF4i_WySuTZDN8sp7txS11LtGBtVLyIKBJ_npNWLq93nfS2hqLBKpII0zQ4JhrWmuuPQZhfamvcKeTpJ8LuEyxq3Z7Xjo/s400/Heartbrakes+2011_SUPER+FINAL.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>Bello Velohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281701129166266768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899661664140569113.post-65567535134570182052011-01-28T10:08:00.000-06:002011-01-28T10:08:02.760-06:00Critical Mass Tonight and moreCritical Mass SE Corner of Downtown meet @6:30 ride @ 7pm<br />
<br />
Sunday Vintage Ride Meet @ 1:45 ride @ 2pm ( it leaves on time so don't be late) Huntsville Middle School<br />
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Polo and Tea 3pm Lincoln and GreenBello Velohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281701129166266768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899661664140569113.post-4958259307890486752011-01-28T10:04:00.000-06:002011-01-28T10:04:42.598-06:00Al Jazeera English - Live Streams - Watch Now - Al Jazeera English<a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/">Al Jazeera English - Live Streams - Watch Now - Al Jazeera English</a>Bello Velohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281701129166266768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899661664140569113.post-28411066496381812252010-12-02T08:21:00.001-06:002010-12-02T08:22:33.515-06:00How Portland Is Planning to Become the First World-class Bike City in America<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Portland may be the only large city to earn the League of American Bicyclists' coveted platinum status as a bicycle-friendly city, but they have even bigger plans.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Arial, sans-serif;"><i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">It’s become a cliché that Portland is America’s most livable city, a hotbed for innovative ways to support green policies, </span><a class="internal-link" href="http://www.yesmagazine.org/happiness/building-the-world-we-want-interview-with-mark-lakeman" style="color: #598607; text-decoration: none;" title="Building the World We Want: Interview with Mark Lakeman"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">public spaces</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">, pedestrian amenities, </span><a class="internal-link" href="http://www.yesmagazine.org/blogs/richard-conlin/richard-conlins-blog" style="color: #598607; text-decoration: none;" title="Richard Conlin's Blog"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">transit</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">, and, of course, bicycles. In fact some people are growing weary (and the rest of us envious) of hearing about how great things are in Oregon’s largest city.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, Arial, sans-serif;"><i><div id="paragraph2" name="paragraph2" style="margin-bottom: 22px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">When it comes to bicycling, at least, the cliché is true. Today Portland sports the highest share of bicycle commuters (6-8 percent) of any large U.S. city. It’s also the only large city to earn the League of American Bicyclists’ coveted platinum status as a bicycle-friendly city.</span></div><div id="paragraph3" name="paragraph3" style="margin-bottom: 22px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">But Portland wasn’t born with bike lanes. “No one in the 1970s or ‘80s would have singled out Portland as a great town for biking,” admits city Bicycle Coordinator Roger Geller. Its current success is the result of 20 years of transportation planning with bikes in mind.</span></div><div id="paragraph4" name="paragraph4" style="margin-bottom: 22px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">That knowledge makes the city pretty ambitious about what it can accomplish over the next 20 years.</span></div><div id="paragraph5" name="paragraph5" style="margin-bottom: 22px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Earlier this year, the city council unanimously approved the 2030 Bicycle Master Plan, which envisions Portland as “a world-class bicycling city” with three times the bikeways it has now.</span></div><div id="paragraph6" name="paragraph6" style="margin-bottom: 22px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Meanwhile, Metro, a government body elected by the entire metropolitan area, is enacting a plan to triple the number of people who bike over the next 30 years. Their goal is for 40 percent of all city and suburban trips of three miles or less to be done atop a bicycle by 2040.</span></div><div id="paragraph7" name="paragraph7" style="margin-bottom: 22px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">“In some neighborhoods in Portland, 10-15 percent of people already bike each day,” notes Lake McTighe, manager of Metro’s Active Transportation Partnership, “which means that we could be</span><a class="internal-link" href="http://www.yesmagazine.org/planet/how-to-make-biking-mainstream-lessons-from-the-dutch" style="color: #598607; text-decoration: none;" title="How to Make Biking Mainstream: Lessons from the Dutch"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">making parts of Portland into a mini-Amsterdam or Copenhagen</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">.”</span></div><div id="paragraph8" name="paragraph8" style="margin-bottom: 22px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I recently spent several days exploring Portland as part of a transportation workshop, sponsored by the Bikes Belong Foundation, for city officials from around the country. We wanted to find out what Portland could teach us about promoting biking in our own cities: Chicago, Houston, Seattle, Minneapolis, and Salt Lake City.</span></div><div id="paragraph8" name="paragraph8" style="margin-bottom: 22px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.alternet.org/environment/149042/how_portland_is_planning_to_become_the_first_world-class_bike_city_in_america_/">read more here</a></div><div id="paragraph8" name="paragraph8" style="margin-bottom: 22px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></i></span>Bello Velohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281701129166266768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899661664140569113.post-88391097318886024642010-12-01T11:48:00.002-06:002010-12-01T11:48:54.442-06:00More Riders Wanted In Metro Bike Share Program<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br />
<div class="date-newsfeatures" style="background: inherit; color: #808979; font-size: 11px; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.09em; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 4px;">Wednesday, November 24th, 2010, by<a href="http://wpln.org/?p=21841"> Anne Marshall</a></div><div class="entrytext" style="font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; font: normal normal normal 13px/19px 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">A new program allowing Davidson County residents to borrrow bicycles to ride is supposed to make Nashville healthier, but reaching that goal will require a lot more pedaling.<br style="font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" /><span id="more-21841" style="font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></span><br style="font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" />The program started on a small scale with only thirty bikes and two rental locations – downtown and Shelby Bottoms Park. Over the last three months about 150 people rode the bikes. That’s the number organizers say they expected.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; font: normal normal normal 13px/19px 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The bike share program is funded through a two-year grant focused on getting Nashvillians eating better and moving more.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; font: normal normal normal 13px/19px 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Mayor Karl Dean says unfortunately money can’t buy participation and that’s needed, especially given Tennessee’s high rates of adult and childhood obesity.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; font: normal normal normal 13px/19px 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">“When you are sixth from the bottom in terms of children’s health as far as obesity you got to step up the game and that’s what we’re gonna do.”</strong></div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; font: normal normal normal 13px/19px 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">In Davidson County, it’s estimated close to 40-percent of children are overweight or obese.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; font: normal normal normal 13px/19px 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The grant that paid for the bike share program totaled $7.5 million. Because it was created through stimulus funds, most of it is going towards forty full and part time jobs. Those workers market bike sharing, form community gardens, and help create school and workplace wellness programs.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 13px; font: normal normal normal 13px/19px 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Come March, as many as two hundred bikes should be stationed all over Nashville.</div></div>Bello Velohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281701129166266768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899661664140569113.post-80548433141628438142010-12-01T11:09:00.002-06:002010-12-01T11:09:29.811-06:00Hipster Cyclist Pixel Art Game<object height="390" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bfZFO3gIKns&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bfZFO3gIKns&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="390"></embed></object>Bello Velohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281701129166266768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899661664140569113.post-19838537072684132242010-11-23T09:15:00.001-06:002010-11-23T09:16:11.155-06:00Expansion of Bike Lanes in City Brings Backlash<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is not a problem that Huntsville will have in the near future. Now if it were bombs or remote control killing machines, Huntsville and it's Junta would be all over it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/11/23/nyregion/bike1/bike1-articleLarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/11/23/nyregion/bike1/bike1-articleLarge.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Michael Appleton for <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/23/nyregion/23bicycle.html">The New York Times</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Taking the bicycle lane on Ninth Avenue. New York has added 250 miles of bicycle-only lanes in the past four years, but not everyone is pleased.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">By J. DAVID GOODMAN</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Published: November 22, 2010</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Over the last four years, the streets of New York City have undergone a transformation: More than 250 miles of traffic lanes dedicated for bicycles have been created, and several laws intended to promote cycling have been passed.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 15px;"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: medium;"><div style="color: black; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The efforts by the </span></span><a class="meta-per" href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/b/michael_r_bloomberg/index.html?inline=nyt-per" style="color: #004276; text-decoration: underline;" title="More articles about Michael R. Bloomberg."><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Bloomberg administration</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> have placed the city at the forefront of a national trend to make bicycling viable and safe even in the most urban of settings. Yet over the last year, a backlash has taken hold.</span></span></div><div style="color: black; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Bowing to vocal opposition from drivers and elected officials, the city last week began removing a 2.35-mile painted bike lane along Father Capodanno Boulevard on Staten Island. In Manhattan, a community board held a special hearing this month for business owners to vent about problems posed by a new protected bicycle lane on Columbus Avenue — in particular, the removal of parking spaces and the difficulty of getting truck deliveries.</span></span></div><div style="color: black; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In Brooklyn, new bicycle lanes have led to unusual scenes of friction. Along Prospect Park West, opponents protested last month alongside supporters of the lanes. And last year, painted paths along Bedford and Kent Avenues in Williamsburg caused disagreement between cyclists and Hasidim. The lane on Bedford Avenue was later removed.</span></span></div><div style="color: black; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">read </span></span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/23/nyregion/23bicycle.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">more here</span></span></a></div><div style="color: black; line-height: 1.467em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div></span>Bello Velohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281701129166266768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899661664140569113.post-19394172190280664302010-11-05T15:59:00.002-05:002010-11-05T16:01:45.122-05:00Dickhead<object width="640" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lVmmYMwFj1I&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lVmmYMwFj1I&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="390"></embed></object><br />
Best line "New Age Fun with a Vintage Feel"Bello Velohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281701129166266768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899661664140569113.post-90469426678410521432010-11-05T15:58:00.002-05:002010-11-05T15:58:28.058-05:00Unicycles are badass<object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=13113979&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=1&color=&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=13113979&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=1&color=&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/13113979">NAUCC 2010</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user722637">Max Schulze</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Bello Velohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281701129166266768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899661664140569113.post-73540627306412649032010-11-04T10:46:00.000-05:002010-11-04T10:46:23.144-05:00How automobiles make our streets less livable<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/16399180?color=9086c0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/16399180">Revisiting Donald Appleyard's Livable Streets</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user2352061">Streetfilms</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>From <a href="http://www.grist.org/article/2010-11-04-how-automobiles-make-our-streets-less-livable-video">Grist</a><br />
Let's test your knowledge of urbanist heroes. Sure, you know who Jane Jacobs is. But have you ever heard of Donald Appleyard?<br />
<br />
Appleyard isn't often mentioned in the urbanist pantheon, but he should be. His 1981 book Livable Streets (which will be republished in 2011) showed in graphic terms what Appleyard discovered in his revolutionary research on the effect of automobile traffic on people's everyday lives. It also coined a phrase still in use today.<br />
<br />
What Appleyard discovered in his studies -- conducted in San Francisco in the late 1960s -- is that the more traffic there is on the street, the less connected people on that street will feel to their neighbors and the less ownership they will feel in their neighborhoods.<br />
<br />
On lightly trafficked streets, people will use their stoops and sidewalks to play and socialize. The whole street is part of their living space. On heavily trafficked streets, residents sometimes feel that even their own apartments are invaded by the sound of cars.<br />
<br />
Appleyard died at the age of 54, not long after Livable Streets was published. In a tragic twist, he was killed by a speeding automobile in Athens, Greece.<br />
<br />
His work is more relevant than ever today, and similar results have recently been found in the United Kingdom by researcher Joshua Hart. That's why it is so terrific that Appleyard's book has been quite literally reanimated in this video from Streetfilms (disclosure: I used to work at their sister site, Streetsblog).<br />
<br />
The video features great graphics illustrating his findings, as well as an interview with his son, Bruce Appleyard. It's more than a tribute to an underrecognized urbanist. It's a reminder of how much still needs to be done to make our streets livable.Bello Velohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281701129166266768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899661664140569113.post-57674353043269153042010-11-03T14:50:00.000-05:002010-11-03T14:50:22.689-05:00US Bicycle Route System May Become a 50,000 Mile Interstate RealityFrom <a href="http://www.yesmagazine.org/planet/an-interstate-bicycle-system">Yes Magazine</a><br />
by Winona Bateman<br />
posted Nov 01, 2010<br />
<br />
A group of touring cyclists on U.S. Bicycle Route 76 (also known as the TransAmerica Trail) in Virginia. (2004)<br />
<br />
“People across America who value bicycling should have a voice when it comes to transportation planning. This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized.”<br />
<br />
When U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood made this announcement at the National Bike Summit last March, he became an instant superstar with bicycling advocates who work hard to create and maintain cycling routes as part of their local, state, and regional transportation networks.<br />
<br />
In July, Secretary LaHood took it a step further—embracing the creation of a U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS), a project that will connect many of the existing (and envisioned) bicycle routes around the country into an official, national network of cycling routes, linked coast-to-coast across state lines.<br />
<br />
"The U.S. Bicycle Route System is not just a bunch of bike paths; we're talking about a transportation system."<br />
Ray LaHood<br />
Secretary of Transportation<br />
LaHood wrote, “The U.S. Bicycle Route System is not just a bunch of bike paths; we're talking about a transportation system. It will facilitate travel between communities and to historic and cultural landmarks. It will give people living in more rural areas a way to travel into a nearby urban area by bicycle. Urban and suburban residents will have better access to rural recreation areas. And—like our interstate highway system—it will facilitate long-distance travel by bicycle, whether across one’s state or across the country.”<br />
<br />
If implemented as planned, the U.S. Bicycle Route System will become the largest official cycling network on the planet, encompassing more than 50,000 miles of routes. These routes will be officially recognized by state and local Departments of Transportation (DOTs), and in some cases, marked with signs. Because the system will link existing infrastructure whenever possible—including roads, bike paths, and trails—building the network will be cost-effective.<br />
<br />
Local benefits<br />
Twenty-two states are now actively working on U.S. Bicycle Routes. In some states, cycling advocates have taken the lead, developing the route and coordinating minimally with their state DOT until ready to apply for designation. In others, the state DOT and its bicycle/pedestrian coordinator are trailblazing, collaborating with volunteers and cycling and trail organizations.<br />
<br />
“I am seeing tremendous excitement from the cycling community and the local communities that these routes will touch,” said Ginny Sullivan, special projects director for Adventure Cycling Association and lead staff on the USBRS.<br />
<br />
One reason communities are excited to be part of the national system is the economic boost it may bring to local economies. In Michigan, for example, towns along proposed USBR 20 have actively lobbied for their communities to be included on the new route.<br />
<br />
“We’ve asked each city, village, and county that owns any piece of USBR 20 to pass a formal resolution of support for the project,” said Scott Anderson, a volunteer for Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance and a leader on USBR 20. “Every resolution I've seen has specifically mentioned economic development.”<br />
<br />
Many states that already boast significant biking infrastructure have seen the benefits of bicycle tourism. North Carolina’s estimated annual impact from bicycle facilities in its northern Outer Banks region is $60 million and 1,407 jobs. A Wisconsin study [pdf] estimates that bicycling contributes $1.5 billion to the state annually—and $530 million comes from bicycle travel. According to the Great Allegheny Passage Economic Impact Study [pdf], multi-day cycle tourists spend an average of $98 per day in businesses along the trail. La Route Verte in Quebec spans 2,400 miles and generates $160 million annually in economic returns.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.yesmagazine.org/planet/an-interstate-bicycle-system">read more here</a>Bello Velohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281701129166266768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899661664140569113.post-70179202678608274702010-11-01T14:57:00.001-05:002010-11-01T14:57:36.194-05:00ahhhhhh Bike Polo<object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=16293820&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=1&color=&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=16293820&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=1&color=&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/16293820">Bike Polo Modern Drift</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/mrdo">Mr.Do</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Bello Velohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281701129166266768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899661664140569113.post-7113730667904804122010-10-21T11:18:00.000-05:002010-10-21T11:18:19.851-05:00ciclavia<object width="640" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/k5-lYpcAaD8&rel=0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/k5-lYpcAaD8&rel=0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="390"></embed></object><br />
<br />
More here: <a href="http://ciclavia.wordpress.com">ciclavia.wordpress.com</a>Bello Velohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281701129166266768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899661664140569113.post-29330832452252567422010-10-15T15:29:00.002-05:002010-10-15T15:31:34.771-05:00public input meetingThere is a BASC public input meeting at HPL Main next Wednesday Oct 20 at 6pm. Bring your complaints/suggestions/ataboys and listen to city officials talk about what has been going on.clintpattyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919198769787875387noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899661664140569113.post-76578319939731901722010-09-25T09:10:00.002-05:002010-09-25T09:18:15.654-05:00Pictures from Critical MassFor more click <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25485386@N06/sets/72157624905728153/" target="_blank">here</a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25485386@N06/5023155744/" title="DSC_0958 by leelathekid, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4146/5023155744_c49ef68617.jpg" width="332" height="500" alt="DSC_0958" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25485386@N06/5022544705/" title="DSC_0941 by leelathekid, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4124/5022544705_83c49765d4.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0941" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25485386@N06/5023157836/" title="DSC_0965 by leelathekid, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4083/5023157836_a7d54e051b.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0965" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25485386@N06/5022549469/" title="DSC_0967 by leelathekid, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4125/5022549469_7b57232b27.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="DSC_0967" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Anyone who would like their photo removed from the Internet contact <a href="mailto:tbrown348@gmail.com">Tyler</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08618528749046786999noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899661664140569113.post-73473988176318478602010-09-24T13:20:00.001-05:002010-09-24T13:22:49.661-05:00More bikes means slower bikes<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Rachel Brown has a fantastic little 5-minute film about biking up First Avenue to work:</div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ADUhqva9PwU&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ADUhqva9PwU&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="390"></embed></object></div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I love the way that she’s caught on camera all of the annoyances which drive bike commuters mad: the cars cutting across the bike lane to make left turns; the pedestrians blithely stepping out into the lane in front of you; the trucks using the lane as a parking spot; the taxis driving up it. And, of course, the Evil Bike Salmon.</div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">At the same time, there’s more than a hint of tension, in this film, between relatively serious bike commuters, on the one hand, and slow hobbyists, on the other. And this tension, I think, is likely to get worse rather than better, even as the other problems might alleviate themselves somewhat as the number of cyclists in New York grows.</div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">There’s <a href="http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/06/05/safety-in-numbers-its-happening-in-nyc/" style="color: #006e97; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">safety in numbers</a>, when it comes to cycling, and a similar phenomenon is likely to happen with regard to pedestrians and car drivers being increasingly conscious of bicyclists in their midst. Already, the First Avenue bike lane has <a href="http://eastvillage.thelocal.nytimes.com/2010/09/23/businesses-bike-lanes-slow-deliveries/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter" style="color: #006e97; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">reportedly</a> cut injuries to all street users by 50%. But as the number of cyclists rises, the average speed of cyclists necessarily falls. Everybody thinks of northern European cities like Copenhagen as bicycling paradises — and they are. But if you’re biking around Copenhagen, you’re going to go a lot more slowly than if you’re biking the same distance in NYC.</div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">A slow cyclist can cope with most of the dangers and obstructions that Brown complains about much more easily than a fast cyclist — and the fast cyclists, as Brown’s film shows, are now shunning the lane entirely, moving over to the right-hand side of the street, where they’re much less likely to get cut off by a car. (Cars often turn left off First Avenue, which runs up the east side of Manhattan, but much more rarely turn right.)</div><div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">It’s going to be very interesting to see how fast cyclists cope with an influx of slower cyclists in Manhattan, as bike lanes continue to get built and average bike speeds continue to decline. I love to zoom down avenues at high speed, but I also love being safe. Maybe that means I’m just going to have to start going a little slower.</div>Bello Velohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281701129166266768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899661664140569113.post-57002329722443379312010-09-24T13:16:00.000-05:002010-09-24T13:16:59.935-05:00Bamboocycle UH-02From <a href="http://hypebeast.com/2010/09/bamboocycle-uh-02-bicycle/">Hypebeast</a><br />
<br />
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.5px; line-height: 1.8em; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 619px;"><img alt="bamboocycle uh 02 bicycle Bamboocycle UH 02 Bicycle" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-223318" height="413" src="http://www.hypebeast.com/image/2010/09/bamboocycle-uh-02-bicycle.jpg" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 620px !important; min-height: 200px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="bamboocycle-uh-02-bicycle" width="620" /></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.5px; line-height: 1.8em; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 619px;">The brainchild of 24-year old Mexican industrial designer Diego Cárdenas, the <a href="http://www.bamboocycles.com/" style="color: #0298ff; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Bamboocycle</a> UH-02 Bicycle wanted to make an ecological statement by re-visiting bicycle design. The resulting project features a bike that integrates bamboo into the frame’s design. Known for its lightweight, strength and flexibility as well as its general ability to grow in any situation, the Bamboocycle UH-02 hopes to create more sustainable form of transportation.</div><div><br />
</div>Bello Velohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281701129166266768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899661664140569113.post-63664956209301787972010-09-23T15:46:00.003-05:002010-09-23T15:49:46.897-05:00Ek Shaneesh<object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1lLm0HYVrlg?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1lLm0HYVrlg?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>Bello Velohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281701129166266768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899661664140569113.post-87973028582282281442010-09-16T11:45:00.000-05:002010-09-16T11:45:29.607-05:00Bicycle Friendly Communities Announced<h1 style="font-family: Georgia, 'New Times Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 22px; font-weight: normal; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px; line-height: 10px;"><b>Nice to see Mississippi has two cities mentioned, Alabama no way last, last, last......In 20 years though:) It will be too late</b></span></span></h1><div class="entry" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><div></div><div style="font-size: 10px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The League announced 18 new <a href="http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bicyclefriendlyamerica/communities/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;">Bicycle Friendly Communities</a>(BFC) and eight renewing BFCs at the Pro Walk/Pro Bike Conference yesterday, September 15. See the complete list of BFCs <a href="http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bicyclefriendlyamerica/communities/pdfs/bfc_masterlist_09_10.pdf" style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;">here</a>.</div><div style="font-size: 10px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">“The most exciting thing about this round of awards was seeing communities that had implemented past feedback, improved their communities, and achieved a Bicycle Friendly Community designation,” said Andy Clarke, League president.</div><div style="font-size: 10px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The third time was the charm for the Charm City, Baltimore, Md. and Knoxville, Tenn. Both received the bronze designation after previously receiving the Honorable Mention the past two times they applied. Other communities climbing the BFC ranks this round include Bloomington, Ind. and Carrboro, N.C., all of which moved from Bronze to Silver designations. Denver, Colo. is another thrilling success story – they rejoined the ranks of silver communities after having been downgraded to bronze for the past five years.</div><div style="font-size: 10px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">To learn more about becoming a BFC, click <a href="http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bicyclefriendlyamerica/communities/getting_started.php" style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;">here</a>.</div><div style="font-size: 10px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><img alt="" class="alignnone" height="438" src="http://www.bikeleague.org/media/images/bfc_fall_10.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 6px;" width="391" /></div><div style="font-size: 10px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">The <a href="http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bicyclefriendlyamerica/communities/bfc_about.php" style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;">Bicycle Friendly Community</a>, <a href="http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bicyclefriendlyamerica/bicyclefriendlystate/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;">Bicycle Friendly State</a>, <a href="http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bicyclefriendlyamerica/bicyclefriendlybusiness/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;">Bicycle Friendly Business</a> and <a href="http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bicyclefriendlyamerica/bicyclefriendlyuniversity/index.php" style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;">Bicycle Friendly University </a>programs are generously supported by program partners <a href="http://www.bikesbelong.org/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;">Bikes Belong</a> and <a href="http://www.1world2wheels.org/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;">Trek Bicycle’s One World, Two Wheels Campaign</a>. To learn more about building a Bicycle Friendly America, visit<a href="http://www.bikeleague.org/" style="color: #990000; text-decoration: none;">www.bikeleague.org</a>.</div></div>Bello Velohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281701129166266768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899661664140569113.post-77072510507269587432010-09-08T08:33:00.000-05:002010-09-08T08:33:45.759-05:00First Impressions of Obama’s Big Infrastructure Announcement<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: arial, verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
<div class="post-author" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.95em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">From <a href="http://Streetsblog.net/">Streetsblog.net</a></div><div class="post-author" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.95em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">by <a href="http://streetsblog.net/author/angie-schmitt/" style="color: #42689d; line-height: 1em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial !important; outline-style: none !important; outline-width: initial !important; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="Posts by Angie Schmitt">Angie Schmitt</a></div><div class="post-entry" style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, 'trebuchet ms', verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">President Obama gave the first outlines yesterday of a $50 billion plan for new <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/us/politics/07obama.html?src=ISMR_AP_LO_MST_FB" style="color: #42689d; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial !important; outline-style: none !important; outline-width: initial !important; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">infrastructure investment</a>, which would provide funds for the expansion of high-speed rail and local transit systems, road construction and repair, and runway upgrades at airports. A centerpiece of the proposal is the creation of a national infrastructure bank, which would pool public and private funds to finance transportation projects.</div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></div><div class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_7151" style="background-color: #ededed; border-bottom-color: rgb(223, 223, 223); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(223, 223, 223); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(223, 223, 223); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(223, 223, 223); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; float: right; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0.2em; margin-left: 0.5em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.3em; text-align: center; width: 310px;"><a href="http://streetsblog.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/07obama1-cnd-articleLarge.jpg" style="color: #42689d; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial !important; outline-style: none !important; outline-width: initial !important; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-7151" height="157" src="http://streetsblog.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/07obama1-cnd-articleLarge-300x157.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(120, 120, 120); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(120, 120, 120); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(120, 120, 120); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(120, 120, 120); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; float: none; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="07obama1-cnd-articleLarge" width="300" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text" style="color: #393939; display: block; font-size: 0.9em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.3em; padding-left: 0.3em; padding-right: 0.3em; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;">President Obama touts his $50 billion infrastructure plan yesterday in Milwaukee. Photo: New York Times</div></div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The infrastructure plan also offers a glimpse of the administration’s priorities when it comes to the reauthorization of the national transportation bill. Here’s a sampling of what Streetsblog Network members are saying in response:</div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a href="http://t4america.org/pressers/2010/09/06/t4-america-applauds-president-obamas-initiative-for-21st-century-infrastructure/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+transportationforamerica+(Transportation+For+America+(All))" style="color: #42689d; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial !important; outline-style: none !important; outline-width: initial !important; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Transportation for America</a> called the plan “fundamental to the long-term health of our economy.” Director James Corless issued this statement:</div><blockquote style="border-left-color: rgb(172, 176, 182); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 0.5em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0.7em; margin-right: 0.7em; margin-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0.7em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The Administration has recognized that the earmark-driven, unaccountable spending of the past must end. The President today has promised to press for carefully targeted investments in those projects that compete best in satisfying clearly articulated national goals for energy security, safety, affordability, environmental sustainability and economic competitiveness.</div></blockquote><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Yonah Freemark at <a href="http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2010/09/06/president-obama-promotes-50-billion-in-transportation-investments-again-emphasizes-rail/" style="color: #42689d; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial !important; outline-style: none !important; outline-width: initial !important; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The Transport Politic</a> asks how the timing of the infrastructure push will affect its chances in Congress:</div><blockquote style="border-left-color: rgb(172, 176, 182); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 0.5em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0.7em; margin-right: 0.7em; margin-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0.7em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">It is not clear how much enthusiasm the Congress holds for what is being portrayed as a second stimulus, nor how much can actually be built with the money, which would be invested over a period of six years though mostly at the front end.</div></blockquote><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">James Rowen at <a href="http://thepoliticalenvironment.blogspot.com/2010/09/obamas-infrastructure-bank-good-idea.html" style="color: #42689d; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial !important; outline-style: none !important; outline-width: initial !important; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The Political Environment</a> had a front row view of the President’s speech, given at a labor rally in Milwaukee:</div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 30px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I loved the administration’s commitment to a national passenger rail system; jobs and growth for Milwaukee will be and already are the local outcomes.</div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Rowen thinks the plan might win broad support, even in this divided political climate, though not necessarily for the right reasons:</div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 1em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><a class="more-link" href="http://streetsblog.net/2010/09/07/first-impressions-of-obamas-big-infrastructure-announcement/#more-7140" style="color: #42689d; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial !important; outline-style: none !important; outline-width: initial !important; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Continue…</a></div></div>Bello Velohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281701129166266768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5899661664140569113.post-53940832246189913242010-09-07T15:46:00.002-05:002010-09-07T15:46:27.709-05:00Great Idea<object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/c6EuPTFfaVA&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/c6EuPTFfaVA&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>Bello Velohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16281701129166266768noreply@blogger.com0