Being a Road User is About Trust?

With Philadelphia's long Quaker history, we in the area know a thing or two about trust, and how trust is very important for creating a community.

But what does trust have to do with commuting? I just found this really interesting article commenting on how much trust all road users (i.e.- everyone) have in each other to do their part to keep each other safe- whether we feel trusting or not:

If you think about it, almost all of our traffic control systems are either lights, or paint, or other similar “symbolic” control devices. You trust others and they trust you. On an average trip you are placing your very life in the hands of hundreds, if not thousands, of total strangers...

This is why I think people who drive cars get so upset when cyclists run red lights. It is not because cyclists are breaking the rules (everyone does that, and often), it is because they are breaking the shared trust. It is offensive to the group because that trust is what keeps them alive…

This idea works for just about any person driving/riding any kind of transportation. Car drivers run red lights also, they also make turns with no signals on, bikers go the wrong way down streets, pedestrians walk out against the signals…etc…etc. The point is each and every time anyone does this, not only are they breaking the rules, they are breaking down the shared trust.…

So how do we rebuild this trust? The same way you build any other kind of trust. Slowly, and deliberately. Stop at that red light, walk with the signal, use your turn signals. It is going to take time, and it is going to happen slowly, and you will not be able to get anyone else to do it with you...

Excerpted from the Boston Biker Blog. Or, Streetsblog has some good commentary.

This was a new idea to me: that being on the road is about trust, and when any road users breach that trust, it gets people upset.

It also underscores the logic behind the idea of "Give Respect, Get Respect". When people feel respected by other road users, they feel more able to trust them and give back that respect. In fact, the Philly Inquirer discusses this in relation to the new Spruce-Pine lanes in a great article published today.

A good way for cyclists to help add to this trust (in addition to following the rules of the road) is to communicate with motorists and pedestrians by being visible and predictable cyclists.

And if you haven't already, you can also sign our I Bike PHL Pledge!

Cool bikes, pt. 2: Bikes and Hip-Hop combine for green streets, against youth violence

Lately I've been looking into cool-looking bikes, and what I'm finding is that behind every cool bike there's an even cooler story. Last week I covered NYC teens that build giant sound-systems for their bikes, and proposed that maybe this kind of bicycle tinkering is taking over old-fashioned car-culture.

Well, Scraper Bikes have been bringing together Oakland teens for a few years now. They're cheap to make (shiny candy-wrappers and spray-paint are all you need), and its easy to learn how to make one. Plus, there's a Scraper Bikes song which has received national attention.

But the bikes aren't even the most impressive result:

"Actually, scraper bikes saved my life," says Tyrone Stevenson Jr., who prefers the title "Scraper Bike King."

"Because I was at a young age, getting into a lot of serious trouble, selling drugs and on the verge of going to jail. So my mom told me this is a way to channel anger and frustration, just focusing on something that's creative, something that's me, and the bikes is me." -from NPR.

Stevenson's bike got other young people interested, leading him to teach others in turn. It quickly turned into a community movement: the bikes provide a cheap and environmentally friendly way to look really cool, a creative and social outlet, and have also become a way for Stevenson to organize young people against gun violence in their communities. Streetfilms' coverage of the 'Bike 4 Life' Scraper Bike ride shows this all in action:




For more info check out the extensive coverage at Streetfilms, NPR, and WireTap Magazine.

New Bike Ambassadors Videos!

During the Bike Ambassadors season, the Ambassadors took some time to make two videos addressing some of the feedback they were hearing about bicycling in Philly. Click on the pictures to go to the video:

Take the Pledge is a short clip focusing on our I BIKE PHL Pledge from the perspective of a variety of Philadelphians (watch out for Mayor Nutter at the end!). Watch the video and then take the pledge yourself.

Sidewalk Riding is Illegal is an amusing short video about a real problem we face in Philadelphia.

Special appreciation should go to all the Bike Ambassadors (and especially Nisha Mitchell), who conceived of, filmed, and edited these videos!

Spruce/Pine Service Station on October 20th

The Bicycle Coalition will be hosting our third Spruce/Pine Bike Lane Service Station at 16th & Spruce tomorrow (Tuesday, October 20th) from 4:30-Dusk (around 6pm). We need volunteers to help us educate cyclists about the new bike lanes, offer free air, and chat with them about safety tips and the Bicycle Coalition.

Let me (max@bicyclecoalition.org) know if you can join us tomorrow afternoon!

We are looking for more volunteers to help out, so please send this on to anyone who might be interested! Please remember to remind them that we ask that all of our volunteers are current members of the Bicycle Coalition.

And even if you can't make it on Tuesday, you can get on the list for future Service Station volunteering opportunities in the coming weeks by emailing Max.

If you build lanes, bike riders will come

Our Philadelphia Bicycle News Blog reported last week that early data shows significant increases on Philly's new bike lanes. The new Spruce/Pine St. lanes are the first bike lanes running East/West through Center City.

This increase, although still early, seems to show that new bicycle facilities--by making biking in the city safer and easier-- increase the amount of people willing to give bicycling a try as a mode of transportation. In other words: if you build lanes, bike riders will come.

Cool bikes

In general, I'm not really sure what makes a bike cool. I understand that some fancy road bikes are sleek and fast looking. And I like the crazy color schemes that people come up with, customizing their wheels, handlebars, and even chains.

But I've often found myself confused about the question 'What Makes a Bike Look Cool'?
However, these kids, without a doubt, have some sweet bikes. These photos come from a group of teenagers of Guyanese and Trinidadian background in Queens, New York City, who turned their bikes into rolling sound systems giant enough to rival the bass on any car. In fact, they measured one bike's sound-system at a car show, and “it’s 150 decibels.” Above, Clint Hasnoo, 17, has a 1,600-watt system with four midrange speakers.

These teens are taking the social aspects of cars (which are growing increasingly less popular for young people), like mechanical work and cruising through the city, and putting them on bikes. "The group rides in packs, each taking turns playing his sound system. Sometimes, the riders cruise down Atlantic Avenue to a McDonald’s, where car aficionados gather." Then, of course, there's the fact that those bikes are just cool.

And, in the photo above, it looks like they are following our lane positioning advice for safe street riding!


For more information on these teenagers' stories, read the full article here. In fact, there's a documentary about them: check out Made in Queens for a trailer, profiles, and more photos.

Predictability: It's Ok to Let Others Know What You're Going To Do

Last week, we covered how focusing on making yourself visible can make you safer by helping road users to see you. But being able to see you isn't enough, if road users don't know what you're going to do.

To be safe, you must also make it easy for motorists and other cyclists to know what you are going to do. Predictable bicycling makes for fewer accidents. And as an added bonus, predictable bicyclists don't incite road rage from people in cars. You can be predictable by:

-Obeying all traffic signs and rules of the road
Being predictable might feel less cool, but it seems to me the benefits of being safe and making the road saner (which we all know it needs to be) outweigh the potential minute or two you will gain. Traffic works best and safest when all people interpret the laws and messages the same. Read here for more on why we think it's important to follow the rules of the road.

-Riding the same direction as traffic
Many people feel safer riding so that they can see the cars in front of them. However, riding with traffic means that motorists can see you for longer before reaching you, and they will have more time to respond (two objects approaching each other will collide faster than two going the same direction). More on the Physics here. And, when you're in a car or on bike, it is scary to suddenly see a cyclist approaching.

-Using hand signals before turning or changing lanes
Never change direction or change lanes without first looking behind you and using the correct hand signals. That way everyone knows where you're going. Hand signals are below, courtesy of Biking Rules:




Right






Left






Slowing/Stopping




More info, and a guide for kids, at the Delaware Bicycle Council.

Visibility: How to be seen

Unlike that Monty Python sketch on 'How to Not Be Seen', when you're riding a bike anywhere, the safest thing to do is make yourself visible.

Making sure that you are visible on a bike is extremely important for safety. Being visible means that other people can see you. But rather than assuming that people will be looking out for you, making sure you are visible is something you can actively do:

Bicyclists riding in the street can be more visible by spacing themselves appropriately on the road. The law states that a bicycle must ride as far to the right as practical, not as far to the right as possible! Read more on how your position on the road can make you safer (and saner).

Similarly, it's important to be a predictable rider by riding in a straight line, rather than weaving in and out of cars. Don't hide from cars, they need to see you in order to avoid you. Many car-bicycle accidents happen when cyclists leave the sidewalk (where they are not visible to motorists) to go onto the street or into a crosswalk.

When riding from dusk to dawn, wearing lights is essential to being visible. White in front and red in back. Blinking lights help motorists (and other cyclists) know you're there. Reflectors and wearing bright colors can provide added visibility, but are not enough without lights. You know those reflectors you got with your bike, keep them on.

Bike lights can be as cheap as $12, and you can even make one out of a flashlight (however you would still need a red light for the back of your bike).

Remember, when bike crashes happen, one of the most common phrases you hear is "I couldn't see them".

Of course, these are all ways for bicyclists to actively make themselves more visible. Motorists also have a responsibility to look out for cyclists, which is made clear in this entertaining Public Service Awareness Test.

Streetsblog picks up bikePHL!

In a gratuitous 'blogging about being blogged about' moment, we're really excited that Streetsblog picked up our Philly is #1 for most bicycle commuters out of top 10 US cities post from yesterday.

Thanks Streetsblog! And I hope any new readers continue to visit our blog in the future! Check us out on twitter (@bikeambassadors) as well.

Philadelphia has the most bicycle commuters of the nation’s most populated cities

Breaking-ish news for bicycle commuters in Philly:

Philadelphia is Ranked #1 Among Big Cities for Bike Commuting

The US Census Bureau’s 2008 American Community Survey recently reported that Philadelphia has the most bicycle commuters per capita of the nation’s most populated cities. Philadelphia’s bicycle commuters comprised 1.6% of all commuters who travel to work.

Among the nation’s ten largest cities, Philadelphia had the highest percentage of commuters who use a bike; higher than New York City, Chicago or Los Angeles. Philadelphia also tied for 10th among the country’s 60 largest cities and the second highest percentage among east coast cities (only Washington DC has a higher percentage).

Philadelphia’s percentage of commuters who bike is nearly three times the national average of 0.55%.

The Bicycle Coalition's Philadelphia News Blog has the full story.

Intersections: Complete streets = Complete communities

Intersections is a new series of articles exploring the ways that riding a bike can contribute positively to many contemporary issues, whether we know it (or care) or not. This is the second in the series. Read the first feature here.

If I didn't work at the Bicycle Coalition, I probably wouldn't know anything about the Complete Streets movement, or care much about it. Complete Streets is about "designing the roadway with all users in mind - including bicyclists, public transportation vehicles and riders, and pedestrians of all ages and abilities". But I guess for me, infrastructure improvements just aren't something I get very excited about.










However, what I've realized is very cool about complete streets is that they create complete communities, or livable streets. Livable streets mean everything from improving physical and environmental health, to the emotional health that comes from being connected to the people around you. (And we already saw in a previous article that simply walking or riding a bike can help make your community safer). There are even economic benefits to building more livable communities, like increasing local business sales and property values.

And I definitely get excited about the goal of creating communities where everyone -regardless of age, gender, or economic class- has access to public spaces; to stores, parks, and schools; and to each other.


I was impressed by some comments by Ray LaHood, the US Secretary of Transportation, about how building complete streets is really about building healthy communities. In this interview with AARP posted on Streetsblog LaHood makes it clear that these projects are about improving everyone's communities:

Q: You talk a lot about livable communities. How would you describe one?

A: It’s a community where if people don’t want an automobile, they don’t have to have one. A community where you can walk to work, your doctor’s appointment, pharmacy or grocery store. Or you could take light rail, a bus or ride a bike.

Q: In an AARP poll of transit planners, two-thirds said they don’t specifically take the needs of older Americans into account for their work. Is somebody at DOT specifically tasked with making sure your plans address the needs of this growing segment of the population?

A: This is the first time in the history of a DOT authorization bill that we’re going to have a livability program in the legislation. That sends a pretty good message that this is not your grandfather’s—or your grandmother’s—DOT.

Q: It sounds like you seek out livable communities in your personal life.

A: The idea of livable communities is not Ray LaHood’s idea or Barack Obama’s idea: It’s the people’s. This is what the people want right now.

And in a separate speech, also posted on Streetsblog, LaHood articulates how Complete Streets start from community needs and work their way up. And in a comment relevant to both cyclists and motorists, LaHood's 'healthy communities' are about being able to get around safely however you want, rather than pitting one mode of transportation against another.

I believe it’s time to re-think our federal spending priorities and focus on transportation investments that more effectively meet the needs of our communities...We need to turn around [our current rigid policies], so that our priorities and the outcomes people care about -- such as building transit and affordable housing closer together -- drive our investments.

We need to make our national priorities clear -- and then empower state and local jurisdictions and other stakeholders to make them a reality. And we don’t want to pit one mode of transportation against another.

For more info and resources check out the Livable Streets Initiative or Partners for Livable Communities.

Bicycle Coalition Offers Free Air and Advice on Spruce St

From the Philadelphia Bicycle News blog.

The Bicycle Coalition rolled out its pilot "service station" at 16th and Spruce during Wednesday's evening commute. The station staff offered free air, safety tips and up to the minute information about the new bike lanes on Spruce and Pine Streets. More than 50 cyclists stopped by and gave us their opinions about the new facilities. They left with an I BIKE PHL sticker as well the guide to biking in Philadelphia. The pilot was an overwhelming success, so look for more BCGP service stations in the future.

The bike service station is a concept introduced by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition who have used itto improve their outreach to the local bicycle community. (Photos on Flickr) They shared their knowledge during a recent membership conference held by the Alliance For Biking And Walking a national organization composed of bicycle and pedestrian advocacy groups.