Interesting Cycling News

by Larry Lagarde

Here are some of the cycling stories that have caught my interest this week.

DC Bike Rental Program In Beta
A cyclist at the WashCycle is a beta tester in the big bike rental program that will soon be launched in Washington, DC. Modeled off of similar bike rental programs in Paris, Barcelona and other European cities, use of the rental bikes will be virtually free provided that riders return their bike to a kiosk within a set period of time. To prevent theft and abuse of the bikes, users must sign up for a SmartCard to use a bike. The WashCycle beta tester reported temporarily loosing the SmartCard while riding, which could have been anything from a minor inconvenience to a major disaster... SmartBikeDC.com

Aspen BikeExpress Bus Roaring Along
The local mass transit authority in Aspen, Colorado (The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority) has retrofitted one of their buses to accommodate up to 12 bikes inside. Currently an experiment, the service runs from Glenwood Springs to Aspen and back. If the bus service becomes popular, additional buses may also be retrofitted to accept more bikes. Kudos to the Roaring Fork folks; if only transit providers in major metropolitan areas were as progressive.

Guam Mandate Adds Bike Lanes To Roadways
The US territory of Guam is getting serious about building safe places to bicycle. A new and rather progressive law mandates that bike lanes and walkways be integrated into Guam's roadways, which will soon be improved to accommodate the relocation of 18,000 armed service personnel and dependents from Okinawa to Guam (U.S. Marine Corps' Third Marine Expeditionary Force). Naturally, the new bikeways and walkways will also be welcomed by the 1 million Japanese tourists that vacation in Guam every year as well as the island's 170 thousand + local villagers.

Midtown NYC Bike Path Nearing Completion
If you plan on cycling in New York City in the near future, by all means, check out the trend setting changes taking place in Midtown on Broadway Blvd. in the Flatiron District. Seven blocks of Broadway right smack in the center of Manhattan are loosing 2 out of 4 traffic lanes to accommodate the growing demands of cyclists and walkers. The bike path and pedestrian way will be insulated from moving traffic by large concrete planters. The new urban space will be complimented by cafe tables, seating and umbrellas. Naturally, if this experiment proves to be a success with traffic calming, more such corridors will be in the Big Apple's future (learn more at the NYC DOT site).

Bike Valet Parking Coming To Univ. of Colorado @ Boulder Football Games
That's right; soon, U of C Boulder football games will also have a bike corral staffed by student volunteers so students can ride their bikes to the game without fear of bike theft or vandalism. No mention how this will affect tail gating...

Bicycle Ambulances Saving Lives In Africa
In impoverished, rural Africa, the only practical transportation for most people is walking. Unfortunately, this makes the prospects of receiving health care bleak because the distances to medical facilities are too great - but not in Namibia. There, a bicycle ambulance program has been instituted. Healthcare volunteers are receiving specially built bike trailers. These "stretchers on wheels" provide healthcare workers with a practical means to transport the sick and injured. Already, over 50 bike ambulances have been delivered to community based organizations and more are in the works.