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Bike Share helps to increase cycling in Sevilla, Spain |
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Saturday, 24 April 2010 |
Bike sharing programs throughout the world have had mixed results. New technology in the way that bikes are checked out and tracked may be the key factor in the success of these programs. Individuals can purchase inexpensive memberships and scan their cards for quick checkout and check in.
Sevilla, Spain is a great example of this program working to increase overall ridership. In 2006, there was practically no cycling in Sevilla. At the end of 2009 and a few years after the establishment of their bike sharing program, Sevici, 6% of all trips in Sevilla are made by bicycle. This was made possible by both the establishment of the Sevici program and a multi-million euro investment from the city into improving bicycle infrastructure.
The success of such programs within the United States will be dependent on the continued improvement of bicycle infrastructure throughout the United States, cheap memberships and access to smart cards and wireless technology, and multimodal accessibility.
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Wednesday, 21 April 2010 |
We had a great weekend in Monterey, CA at the Sea Otter. The weather was near perfect, there was great attendance and everywhere you looked, there were smiles.
Although the Sea Otter is known as a great comprehensive bike event (road, XC, DH) it takes place in an incredible corner of the globe. The picture above to the right represents just one of these many gems in Monterey County. |
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20 by 2020 seeks 20% mode share by bicycles by 2020 |
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Friday, 16 April 2010 |
Germany and the Netherlands shows to be inspirational to a delegation of city planners and bicycle industry veterans from Madison, Wisconsin. Check out the following link to learn more: http://20-by-2020.com/ |
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Wednesday, 03 March 2010 |
 Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) builds on the successes of the Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program, a program initiated by Freedom and it’s advocacy partners, to establish the Campaign for Active Transportation (ACT).
The ACT Act would establish a fund within the Surface Transportation Program that would allow communities nationwide to draw from to improve their walking and bicycling networks.
The Act was introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday, March 2, 2010. Encourage your U.S. representative to support the legislation.
For more on the Act, visit http://www.railstotrails.org/ourWork/advocacy/activeTransportation/campaignForActiveTransportation/ACT_act.html
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Tunnel Top Grips Now Available |
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Community Foundations Could Play a Key Role in Greening up America’s Streets |
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Tuesday, 12 January 2010 |
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 Community Foundations are great resources for improving various aspects of communities throughout the United States. Most community foundations earmark a certain percentage of their annual philanthropic givings towards specific categories. Some are very specific and others are a little more general. However, the main point is this: foundations are looking to disperse capital every year to groups, schools, and non-profits. This is good news for those of us who wish for safe places for people to ride their bicycles, walk, or skate.
In 2001, less than 16% of children between the ages of 5 and 15 walked or rode their bikes to school. In 1969, 42% walked or rode their bikes to school. More children are driven to school today than ever which has various negative health and environmental effects. This information alone is what inspired the creation of the Safe Routes to School program (SRTS) (http://www.saferoutesinfo.org). SRTS is funded through the federal government, however, in the case of the Greenways to School campaign, other piggy-backing programs could get the attention of community foundations.
The Greenways to School program has been given a $175,000 grant from the Marin Community Foundation (MCF) to help combat global warming. If you visit the Marin Community Foundation’s website (http://www.marincf.org), you will see that Climate Change is categorized under Strategic Initiatives allocations. Our hats off to MCF for supporting such a good cause like the Greenways to School Program.
Let this be an example for anyone who wants to take action towards building a more sustainable community. Look into your Safe Routes to School chapter or think about creating your own group. Then, look into local foundations and research their specific areas of giving and steer your program to fit their categories with special consideration to environmental or educational programs. With the right organization, you could be on your way to obtaining a grant and making your community a more sustainable community.
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How Many Trees Does it Take to Eat One Car? |
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Friday, 20 November 2009 |
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 You’re out of milk and you have to run by the bank. So, you grab your keys, get into your car, turn the ignition and make a 10 mile roundtrip errand. You’ve just emitted 9.5 lbs of CO2 into the atmosphere.
Most of us are guilty of it, but let’s put it into another context. How many trees will it take to absorb the CO2 emitted from that one trip during one 12 month period?
The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that one ten year old conifer tree that grows at a moderate rate, will sequester 7.4 lbs per year. So, it will take approximately 1.3 conifer trees over the span of 12 months to absorb the CO2 emitted from that one trip. Ouch!!
The only way to truly (as opposed to purchasing credits) offset that is to plant 1.3 trees every time you travel 10 miles in your car, which would take about an hour OR ride your bike instead of driving, which would also take about an hour. The latter will save on all of the externalized costs associated with burning one gallon of either domestic or imported oil to begin with. Why not stockpile your CO2 savings and do both?
Sources:
www.epa.gov/oms/climate/420f05001.htm
www.urbanforestrysouth.org/resources/library/method-for-calculating-carbon-sequestration-by-trees-in-urban-and-suburban-settings
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Bay Area Traffic Nightmare! |
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Friday, 30 October 2009 |
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After a main cable broke on the bridge on October 27th, traffic throughout the entire Bay Area has been negatively affected. Officials plan to re-open the Bridge by Friday evening…we shall see.
On the flip side, daily commuters along my San Francisco-Marin bike commute went about their daily business. Unlike the discontent from folks stuck in their cars during the nightmare gridlock, smiles prevailed along the bike paths. In fact, I saw many new faces out on the paths today on their bikes with packs on, choosing the “alternative” way to get to work. Who knows, perhaps an occurrence like this will encourage more people to seek alternative modes of transportation. |
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Freedom ThickSlick Makes a Presence at Interbike |
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Friday, 02 October 2009 |
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The Freedom ThickSlick made its debut appearance at Interbike this year and could be seen on bikes built by Foes Racing (foesracing.com) and Shorty Fatz (shortyfatz.com).
If you desire a fast rolling tire designed and built to provide for improved lifespan and durability, the ThickSlick might be your choice. Not for the road racer, the ThickSlick is designed for the urban rider in mind or the rider clocking in serious commute miles. The ThickSlick is offered with your choice of DuraStrip, a centerline Kevlar strip, or Urban Armor Casing, which consists of a combination of the DuraStrip and added sidewall protection. Best of all, the ThickSlick fits in any budget with price points set at $19.99, $29.99, $39.99. These price points hold throughout the Freedom tire line. Additionally, Freedom offers a great variety of saddles ranging in price from $29.99, $39.99, $49.99.
Demand Freedom at your local dealer!
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Team Mt.Khakis Championship |
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Friday, 02 October 2009 |
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Congratulations to Team Mountain Khakis to a victory at the USA Crit Race at Mandalay Bay as well as an overall victory of the USA Crits Championship Series. Team Mountain Khakis ride on the Freedom Racine saddle.
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