Cycling on the Up and Up in the U.S.

San Francisco gets a mention in this great short video by Al Jazeera!

 

http://www.aljazeera.com/video/americas/2013/01/201311675349997107.html

 

They make a good point: Businesses who want to attract young professionals should actively support bike lanes and cycling infrastructure because many of today’s ‘young professionals’ don’t want to sit in a car and commute for an hour, they want the ease and environmental-friendliness of cycling to work.

We’ve Said it Once, We’ll Say it Again.

Two new studies suggest (as bike advocates have long argued) that bike lanes are good for small businesses. The rationale is very simple. Bicyclists tend to eat and shop more locally. For example, they are more likely to stop in at a mom and pop diner than at a McDonald’s drive-through.

Fiscal Cliff Deal Unexpectedly benefits Transit Commuters

The lukewarm compromise reached by Democrats and Republicans to avert the impending doom that was the fiscal cliff contained a New Year’s surprise for transit commuters. The new deal included a return to the 2009 commuter benefits program “that allows workers to pay for up to $240 of their monthly transit costs with pre-tax dollars.”

Traffic Camera finally gets the Green Light

On Thursday, Attorney General Kamala Harris approved a welcome addition to the intersection of Octavia and Market Streets; a traffic camera. The camera installation, which Assemblyman Tom Ammiano proposed over three years ago, has been repeatedly delayed as it made its way through the state government approval process.

It’s All About How You Walk

A new year means new resolutions. Make 2013 a year to remember and make one of your resolutions to walk more! Here are a few tips from Walk SF Director Elizabeth Stampe and the U.S. Surgeon General.

1) Walk with a purpose: Walk to work, or walk to the next bus stop over.

New Year’s Day Accident leaves Two Dead and Third with Life-Threatening Injuries

A tragic New Year’s Day accident leaves two people dead and a third in the hospital with life-threatening injuries after a man fleeing the scene of a shooting hit another vehcile and sent it flying into a building. The incident began near the Valencia Gardens housing complex at 14th and Guerrero streets at around 7:45am Tuesday morning.

Increased Enforcement in 2013

Thanks to a $140,000 federal grant, San Franciscans will be seeing a greater police presence around schools, senior centers and other at-risk areas in the coming months. These motorcycle officers will be patrolling the areas, enforcing speed and other basic traffic laws in an attempt to make them safer for pedestrians.

It’s About Time…

The stoplight at 12th Street and Market has become more of guideline than a rule for many cyclists because the timing of the light is just so inconvenient. The wait often prompts cyclists to cross early when they do not have the right of way.

Valencia Street Commute is Dangerous for Cyclists

In 1999 City Officials and the SFMTA transformed the restaraunt-lined Valencia street by trading in two traffic lanes for bike lanes. This transformation made the street a regular commute route for cyclists going to and from work. However, the increasing late-night popularity of the corridor among foodies and those looking for a meal in a chic part of town has led to more car traffic especially at night.

Fed Report Raises Additional Funding Concerns for CA High-speed Rail

The California High-speed Rail that will transport passengers from San Francisco to L.A. in just 2 1/2 hours, the largest proposed public works project in the state’s history, has it another speed bump (cheesy, over-used pun intended of course). Said speed bump being a report by the U.S.