Stories & News From the Blogs:

Grand Street Protected Bicycle Path, NYC Bike Maps

Streets Blog has confirmed that the existing Grand Street bike lane between Varick and Chrystie is being replaced with a protected bicycle path.

Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor adds bicycle capacity, Bike Commute Tips Blog

Interesting discovery on my ride home this evening on the Amtrak Capitol Corridor. The car I was on had a new bicycle rack, with space for seven bikes. Six passenger seats had been removed to install the racks.

Feeling the Crunch? Do a Bicycle Commute, The Style Log of Roddy Jones

Everyone’s feeling the crunch – and it’s showing in the way people are going to work. Instead of taking the bus or a cab, people now do bicycle commute.

2008 Omaha Bike Summit – Oct. 18 2008, Stratomatica

…From there I would take the walking bridge from the Qwest Center to Riverfront Dr. and the National Parks Service Building. This was the site of the 2008 Omaha Bike Summit.

Study Confirms: Safer Bike Routes Get More People Riding, onNYTurf

How effective are bike lanes at enticing people to ride? Portland State University professor Jennifer Dill has been looking into that question for more than a year, and her research is starting to get some attention. Using GPS trackers to map more than 1,700 bike trips, Dill found that about half of all bike travel occurs on dedicated infrastructure like bike lanes or bike boulevards, even though such routes comprise only eight percent of Portland’s street network.

Bicycling: Comparing Pittsburgh to Austin, ClickNathan

As you probably may or probably may not know, I’m currently on the road, for awhile. Right now I’m staying in Austin, TX and I’m blown away by the biking infrastructure here. If you take a look at what this city has done and then compare it to our own beloved Pittsburgh, it’s both a little heartbreaking and equally inspiring.

Maker Faire!, Craftiness

The Austin Bike Zoo made their appearance with the Rattle Snake bike monster.

And From the News Media:

The McCain-Obama Mismatch on Urban Policy, Gotham Gazette

“Our communities will better serve all of their residents,” says the Obama campaign, “if we are able to leave our cars, to walk, bicycle and access other transportation alternatives.”

A different way to Dallas: A bicycle journey through the Texas Hill Country, My San Antonio

On a bicycle, the Texas Hill Country feels, smells and sounds different than from the inside of a speeding car. The long, gradual hills demand the lowest gear. You linger longer. Your gaze is more concentrated. You remember more. I stared until I felt each flower etched in my mind. From a car window, all I ever saw was a cacophony of colors.

Cycling on the mommy track, Boston Globe

“…I was fine with my decision until a few of my friends started showing up to playgrounds and play dates via bicycle with their babies in tow. They made it look so effortless and European, as if all they needed in life was a basket for their daily baguette and a seat for their babe. So how hard is it to outfit a bike for baby?”

Four commuters, four types of transport, one destination: The winner is … The Age (Australia)

SICK of sitting in peak-hour traffic with your life in neutral and your brain fit to blow a gasket? Nauseated by the thought of yet another morning crammed into the sweaty armpit of a fellow train commuter? The Sunday Age feels your pain, and has three words of advice: On yer bike.

Traffic-free city centres for Ireland?, BikeRadar

The Irish Government wants 150,000 commuters to abandon their cars and get on their bicycles by 2020 to ease the county’s congestion woes and help alleviate global warming.

Working toward more life — and less death — on city streets, TwinCities.com

When it comes right down to it, why do we live in cities? For me and many constituents I have spoken to, a primary motivator is proximity — the ability to be able to walk or bicycle to places easily.