November 13, 2010

Copenhagen Bike Parking
Bike parking in Copenhagen, Denmark


Highlights

  • Red light, green light -- how about nothing at all? (Boston Globe, Somerville Voices, BikePortland, The City Fix)
    By Anthony Flint -- Streets are too often the forgotten element of the public realm, dominated by traffic engineers interested in the swift flow of vehicular traffic, and adorned with all manner of signage and warnings and flashing lights. Highways are a separate matter, but the streets in downtowns and town centers serve a number of functions, as places where pedestrians, bicycles, and cars and trucks must mix. If the aim is more livable, greener cities, being able to feel comfortable walking or riding a bike is hugely important.
  • Craigie Bridge closure not causing anticipated Cambridge, Somerville traffic snarl (Cambridge Chronicle, Somerville Journal, Boston Globe)
    By Andy Metzger -- Bedlam it was not. On the first weekday rush hour since the inbound lanes of the Craigie Bridge were closed, there was some backup but hardly the “bedlam,” that state Rep. Tim Toomey, D-Cambridge, had predicted. The construction is supposed to be completed by April.
  • Standard, buffered bike lanes coming to stretch of Western Ave (Boston Globe, Allston-Brighton TAB)
    By Matt Rocheleau -- Bike lanes, including a unique buffered lane in one direction, will be installed along a half-mile stretch of Western Avenue this month in a collaborative project between the city and Harvard. The lanes will run in both directions on Western Avenue from Travis Street past the Genzyme plant to Soldiers Field Road, the city announcement. Eastbound bike lanes will run in between the sidewalk’s curb and a “floating” parking lane for vehicles. The specially-designed bike lanes, called Cycle Tracks, will be 10-feet wide, including a striped buffer zone to separate the lane from the parking area, the announcement said. A standard 5-foot bike lane will run westbound.
  • DCR proposes overhaul of entire Emerald Necklace foot, bike travel (Jamaica Plain Gazette)
    By Rebeca Oliveira -- The state Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), along with the Emerald Necklace Conservancy and consultants Pressley Associates, presented a wide-sweeping rehabilitation and expansion project for the Emerald Necklace’s sidewalks, crossings and paths at a community meeting held at Wheelock College on Oct. 7, attended by about 60 people.
    Related: Plans to improve Route 9 crossing have new legs (Boston Cyclists Union)
  • Hundreds Rally in Support of Prospect Park West Bike Lane (Streetsblog, NY Daily News)
    By Ben Fried -- Hundreds of Brooklynites gathered this morning at Grand Army Plaza to show their support for the redesigned Prospect Park West. They made a statement that should be hard for elected officials and the press to miss: Most people who live in the neighborhoods near PPW like biking and walking on the new, traffic-calmed street and don’t want to see those changes taken away.
    Related: Results of the New PPW: Speeding Down Dramatically, Cycling Up Big (Streetsblog)
  • For Advocates of Alternative Transportation, A Difficult Election Day (Transport Politic)
    By Yonah Freemark -- With major exception of California, high-speed rail projects put in limbo nationwide after Republican gubernatorial wins. GOP takeover of the U.S. House is likely to result in continued difficulties passing a transportation bill, let alone a progressive one. The 2010 midterm election wasn’t about transportation. But the takeover of several governorships, many Senate seats, and the U.S. House of Representatives in general by the Republican Party portends difficult times ahead for both the Obama Administration’s agenda and the Democratic Party in general.

"Streets"

Walking

  • Law Talk: Be prepared to remove snow from your property... or face a lawsuit (Cambridge Chronicle)

Bicycling

Transit

  • Green Line Extension --
  • Northeast Drives An Amtrak Ridership Record (WBUR)
  • MBTA: Real-Time Train Apps Released (MassDOT Blog, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, WHDH)
  • Deal struck for train service to T.F. Green Airport in Warwick (Providence Journal)
  • MBTA outlines Science Park/West End -- Station construction plan and schedule (Beacon Hill Times)
  • With New England Trains, 'High-Speed' Is Relative (ABC News)
  • Wachusett Commuter Rail Extension (MassDOT Blog, USDOT)
  • Time on T's side (CommonWealth Magazine)
  • Red Line riders can get real-time arrival info at South Station (Universal Hub)
  • Cambridge-New York City bus line launches Oct. 27 (Cambridge Chronicle, Cambridge Day)
  • MBTA a step closer to squeaky-wheels solution (Dorchester Reporter)
  • MBTA cracks down on fare evaders, steps up enforcement across system (Tufts Daily)
  • Green Line Train strikes, kills man in Brookline (Allston-Brighton TAB)
  • Starts & Stops: T looks within to restore, repair Red Line cars; Somerville condo group meets with officials to ease fears on T's planned maintenance facility; Somerville spurned, resolute on funding for path (Boston Globe)
  • State wins $32.5M grant to plan South Station expansion (Boston Globe, MassDOT Blog)
  • MBTA: Dean Road bridge in Brookline may reopen ahead of schedule (Boston Globe)
  • MBTA Charlie Card Expands to MetroWest RTA (MassDOT Blog, Universal Hub)
  • Arborway bus yard could finally be rebuilt (Universal Hub)
  • Fast-moving commuter rail proposal meets obstruction (Cambridge Day)
  • New Bedford Rail Bridges Groundbreaking (MassDOT Blog)
  • Man says he was slapped by MBTA employee (FOX 25, WHDH)
  • MBTA Celebrates Copley Station Reconstruction (MassDOT Blog, Universal Hub)
  • North Shore commuters get to see double (Boston Herald)
  • Three-car trains to start on BC line on Monday (Universal Hub)
  • Starts & Stops: New commuter rail cars can be previewed this week; S. Station plan 'really stood out'; Study looks at transit's effects on community; Sales-tax cut would take toll on MBTA, group says (Boston Globe)
  • Greenbush ridership chugs way behind goal (Boston Globe)
  • MBTA Silver Line Upgrades Coming (MassDOT Blog)
  • MBTA Old Colony Line Tie Replacement Begins (MassDOT Blog)
  • Silver Line to get better shelters; seatless Red Line cars get strappier (Universal Hub)
  • Editorial: Rail: A GOP advocate for the Northeast (Boston Globe)
  • CLF Action Prompts EPA to Force the MBTA to End Train Idling at South Boston Rail Yard and Other Commuter Rail Facilities (CLF)
  • Federal board releases documents on Green Line trolley crash (Boston Globe, Universal Hub, Boston Globe)

Cars/Parking

Transportation financing/Government

Parks

Development projects

Land Use/Planning

Out-of-state

National trends

International news

  • VIDEO: Utrecht's pedestrianized shopping centre (A view from the cycle path)
  • Pedaling plumber takes to his bike to beat Olympic traffic jams (road.cc)
  • Vancouver Creates Continuous Network of Protected Bike Lanes (GOOD)
  • London bike hire scheme on road to be only public transport system in profit (Guardian)
  • Giant drill creates world's largest tunnel in Switzerland (BBC)
  • Bike Share Usage Comparisons (Copenhagenize.com)
  • Watch this Invisible Airbag Helmet for Cyclists Inflate (GOOD)
  • Beijing, Fighting Traffic, Considers Car Limits (Wall Street Journal)
  • VIDEO: Traffic circles causing chaos (Winnipeg Free Press)
  • Congestion charge overhauled following review (Telegraph)
  • VIDEO: China's Newest Bullet Train (Wall Street Journal)
  • Wireless charging could drive electric vehicle take-up, developers say (Guardian)
  • There's nothing on the first floor (Boston Globe)
  • Serengeti Road Plan Offers Prospects and Fears (New York Times)
  • Getting These Cyclists to Use Helmets Is Like Tilting at Windmills (Wall Street Journal)
  • Londoners Take Aim at Scourge of the Sidewalks -- Slowpokes (Wall Street Journal)