Collectives, As you may know the League of American Bicyclists recently awarded Boulder the platinum level for bicycle friendliness. This prompted Clarence Eckerson Jr from Street Films to come out and document our wonderful bike system.
http://communitycycles.org/media/24-2008-media/139-december-5-2008-boulder-g...
And take note that even though we've achieved the platinum level we know we still have a long way to go.
In solidarity
My recollections are that while Boulder had constructed a physical system to facilitate city-wide bike use with minimal automobile encounters, except for the Boulder Creek corridor out to the University and the north-south downtown/univ routes, the rest of the system was sparsely used, and the encounters between cyclists and motorists were nasty, brutish, and short. What's changed?
On Fri, Dec 5, 2008 at 5:06 PM, Rich Points rich@richpoints.com wrote:
Collectives, As you may know the League of American Bicyclists recently awarded Boulder the platinum level for bicycle friendliness. This prompted Clarence Eckerson Jr from Street Films to come out and document our wonderful bike system.
http://communitycycles.org/media/24-2008-media/139-december-5-2008-boulder-g...
And take note that even though we've achieved the platinum level we know we still have a long way to go.
In solidarity
-- Rich Points Community Cycles Director http://CommunityCycles.org http://communitycycles.org/ Rich@CommunityCycles.org 720-565-6019 Donate your old car to Community Cycles
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit:
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The path system is wonderful, if and when it goes from where you are to where you are going. It comes with the standard list of complaints that other locations face when dealing with multi-use paths--runners, dogs, children, etc. The city of Boulder has combined several interests with regards to funding some of the path's coolness. Namely, they've used flood remediation money to pay for underpasses, which allow us to ride our bikes under major roads without stopping. At last count, I believe there are/were 92 or 93 total underpassed on the bike path. The combining of flood remediation money basically means that if and when it rains hard, the underpasses flood (instead of the roads.) Last year, I remember this happening once or twice to a degree that made the underpasses unrideable.
One of my main criticisms of the path is that there are few sections which are properly lit, so at night, even with a decent headlight, it's difficult to see where the path goes; the problem is worse with sharp curves ahead. Add to the danger the fact that the path follows one creek system or another (again, flood remediation), and a misturn could land you in a cold, wet, rocky creek.
With as many cyclists as Boulder has, and with the varying degrees of interest and purposes for cycling--commuting, recreational, etc--another big problem we face is consistency when it comes to cyclists' behaviour and riding..."style." We have people who use the path system (which for the most has users staying to the right;) people who ride in the street--with traffic mostly, but some unaware folks just can't be bothered; and then people who ride on the sidewalks, going in either direction. At intersections, i've seen the convergence of all three types of riders, and I know it's confusing for drivers when three different bikes are doing three different things. These three don't even take into consideration the scofflaw-prone types who run red lights, stop signs, etc. (Full disclosure: I've been known to fit into any or all of these groups myself.)
One of the big advocacy projects i'd like to see us take on is one of educating cyclists on proper riding locations and methods. It's a big project, to be sure, but i believe is one of the steps on our long road ahead which Rich mentioned.
On Mon, Dec 15, 2008 at 4:56 PM, David Kuch < david@communitycyclingcenter.org> wrote:
My recollections are that while Boulder had constructed a physical system to facilitate city-wide bike use with minimal automobile encounters, except for the Boulder Creek corridor out to the University and the north-south downtown/univ routes, the rest of the system was sparsely used, and the encounters between cyclists and motorists were nasty, brutish, and short. What's changed?
On Fri, Dec 5, 2008 at 5:06 PM, Rich Points rich@richpoints.com wrote:
Collectives, As you may know the League of American Bicyclists recently awarded Boulder the platinum level for bicycle friendliness. This prompted Clarence Eckerson Jr from Street Films to come out and document our wonderful bike system.
http://communitycycles.org/media/24-2008-media/139-december-5-2008-boulder-g...
And take note that even though we've achieved the platinum level we know we still have a long way to go.
In solidarity
-- Rich Points Community Cycles Director http://CommunityCycles.org http://communitycycles.org/ Rich@CommunityCycles.org 720-565-6019 Donate your old car to Community Cycles
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit:
http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...
-- David Kuch Shop Production Manager Community Cycling Center
Office 3934 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Suite 202 Portland, OR 97212 Office: 503 288-8864 Fax: 503 288-1812
Bike Shop 1700 NE Alberta St. Portland, OR 97211 Hours: 10 AM-6PM Tues through Sat Shop: 503 287-8786
www.CommunityCyclingCenter.org
The bicycle is a tool for empowerment and a vehicle for social change
Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit:
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Let me say that living car free in Boulder is about as ideal as it gets. Our small foot print of 25 square miles with over 381 miles of bikeways with 74 underpasses make Boulder a cycling paradise. When it snows the paths are cleared in a timely manner, they're often better cared for than the roads. I've been living car free for about ten years and ride my bike everywhere. I rarely take the bus, if I do I usually throw my bike on the front rack and take it with me.
I don't know how many miles of greenways have been added since I've lived her but the path system is filling out nicely. The Goose Creek Greenway was completed 5-6 years ago and now sees significant recreation and commuter traffic. I'd say on any given spring or summer day over 1000 cyclists ride the path. I know this because the Community Cycles shop is located just spitting distance from the path, I attribute much of our current success to this proximity.
But the best thing about the path system is it's starting to interconnect. For example Goose Creek connects to two other paths and by 2012 two new paths will tap into the path from the north. When the system is built out around 2020(?) you can be anywhere in Boulder and not be more than a quarter of a mile from bike infrastructure.
One of the big problems with our system is that the business community doesn't understand our needs. I'm talking specifically about bike parking at places like grocery stores and other retail outlets in places like strip malls. We have a bike parking code but it is largely unenforced and at the property managers discretion. Imagine what Whole Foods could do if they encouraged their patrons to bike to shop and when they ride there they would be greeted with covered well lit parking. Instead cyclists are treated as second class citizens and left to fend for themselves.
All and all Boulder is a great place to live and cycle. I hope to be able to share it with you all at the 2010 Bike Bike in Boulder.
Peace Rich
David Kuch wrote:
My recollections are that while Boulder had constructed a physical system to facilitate city-wide bike use with minimal automobile encounters, except for the Boulder Creek corridor out to the University and the north-south downtown/univ routes, the rest of the system was sparsely used, and the encounters between cyclists and motorists were nasty, brutish, and short. What's changed?
On Fri, Dec 5, 2008 at 5:06 PM, Rich Points <rich@richpoints.com mailto:rich@richpoints.com> wrote:
Collectives, As you may know the League of American Bicyclists recently awarded Boulder the platinum level for bicycle friendliness. This prompted Clarence Eckerson Jr from Street Films to come out and document our wonderful bike system. http://communitycycles.org/media/24-2008-media/139-december-5-2008-boulder-goes-bike-platinum.html And take note that even though we've achieved the platinum level we know we still have a long way to go. In solidarity -- Rich Points Community Cycles Director http://CommunityCycles.org <http://communitycycles.org/> Rich@CommunityCycles.org 720-565-6019 Donate your old car to Community Cycles _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@bikecollectives.org <mailto:Thethinktank@bikecollectives.org> To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org <mailto:TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org> To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org-- David Kuch Shop Production Manager Community Cycling Center
Office 3934 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Suite 202 Portland, OR 97212 Office: 503 288-8864 Fax: 503 288-1812
Bike Shop 1700 NE Alberta St. Portland, OR 97211 Hours: 10 AM-6PM Tues through Sat Shop: 503 287-8786
www.CommunityCyclingCenter.org http://www.CommunityCyclingCenter.org
The bicycle is a tool for empowerment and a vehicle for social change
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