Positive Re-enforcement

For whatever reason, bicyclists don't like to get off their bikes.

Which is why these 'bike foot-rests', shown above, that have been installed in Copenhagen are pretty cool. "It's a tiny detail...just a simple idea to make a tiny fraction of the day a little bit easier for a small percentage of the cycling citizens of the city," writes the Copenhagenize blog, which discusses the new foot-rests (and helped design them, too).

What I also see with these foot-rests is a way to make it more convenient and easy for cyclists to stop at a light (or at least wait for traffic to pass). And in this way, these foot-rests positively promote safer cycling.
This strategy of positive (re)enforcement has been used successfully by a website called The Fun Theory. Their site is based on the idea that "something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behavior for the better".

So even though these projects are focused on little things like trash cans or using the stairway, ultimately (and whether their participants care or not) they help create cultural change around larger issues of health and the environment.



Anyone have any other good ideas for how we could use the fun theory, or positive enforcement, towards the goal of more cyclists and/or safer cycling?

Riding with Others

Riding a bike with friends, whether going for a nice weekend ride or 'bike-pooling' on the way to work, is a lot of fun. It's a great way to get started if you're new to biking or want to get over some of your fears. It makes a commute (especially on the way home, I find) go a lot faster. It can be a nice way for families to spend some time together.

And furthermore, riding in a group will make all of you more visible, and therefore more safe.

But riding with others can pose some new issues to be aware of:

~Make sure you communicate with the people you're with. Use hand signals to show if you're turning or slowing down. And (although this is more courtesy than safety), if you're riding with someone else, try not to zoom too far ahead of them- it's a lot less fun for the person in back to feel like they're being left behind.

~Don't forget that you are still responsible for your own individual safety- especially when going through intersections, make sure for yourself that it's safe to go. When approaching a yellow light, think about the people behind you before you rush through.

~Be careful about riding too close to the person in front of you, so that if they have to stop/swerve suddenly you can too.

~The best way to talk with the people you're riding with is while waiting at stoplights! (or, as this video from the Biking Rules PSA Contest shows, waiting at lights can also be a good way to meet people).


So, what are your favorite aspects or stories about riding with others? Whether riding to work with a friend, biking out for a night on the town, or riding across the country, I'd love to hear how being with others affected (perhaps not always in a positive way) your experience.

Biking and walking is good for businesses? And communities?

The discussion of whether city improvement which increase biking and walking, or decrease car traffic, are bad for business is one that is going on around the country these days. After the economic ups and downs of the last decade, it's understandable to be wary.

But changes being made in cities around the world show that improvements like making streets more friendly to walking and biking or calming traffic can have positive impacts for business, quality of life, and public health. I'm excited about the possibilities that these 'livable' models hold for urban neighborhoods that face economic depression or increased rates of asthma from traffic pollution. Beyond transportation policy, successful programs like the Norris Square Neighborhood Project show how 'livable' improvements as simple as a community garden can help a neighborhood physically, socially, and economically.
(In fact, a Transportation Alternatives study found that community gardens boost the value of adjacent properties).

These thoughts come from an article I recently found from Austin on Two Wheels which offers a very sensible position on how biking and walking improvements help communities. Some excerpts are below:

The Economics of Bike Boulevards: Debunking the myth that bike infrastructure will hurt business

A quick look at what other cities have done to calm traffic and create space for pedestrians and bicycles have done nothing but improve property values and business in general. An August 2008 Transportation Alternatives multi-city study found that reducing automobile traffic on streets increased property values from anywhere between 10-30% after calming was implemented. Moreover for owners of commercial property, tenant vacancy rates improve in one instance having vacancy rates falling an astonishing 70% to 20% within five years of implementing measures to reduce car traffic. As for retail business, there is only upside with sales jumping an average of 10-25% with the creation of multi-modal space. Increased pedestrian and bicycle use appears to be very good for business.

So why is this happening? ...Well, bike boulevards and other traffic calming maintain access for customer traveling by car while all but eliminate cut through traffic. This cut through traffic is simply trying to get elsewhere limiting likelihood of spontaneous stops. So if traffic calming does not adversely affect current customer access where is the economic growth coming from? When you create a space for pedestrians and bicyclists, you are creating a place where people travel at a slower pace and tend to linger. This means more retail business. Indeed, this was the reason indoor malls were created. By making a space for people to shop and linger, you greatly increased the amount and frequency in which people make purchases. And why the property value increase? It turns out for as much as people like the convenience of cars they don’t like the reality of traffic very much. The Transportation Alternatives study found homes on quiet streets within the same neighborhood command 10% more in sale value versus their counterparts on busy streets.

Read the entire article here.

Sounds pretty similar to the discussions surrounding the Spruce and Pine bike lanes, right?

Check out the Austin Article, and then the in-depth (and really cool) Transportation Alternatives study 'Streets to Live By'.

Fixing loose brakes: Make your ride safer and easier

Last week I borrowed a friend's bike, only to discover that his brakes -while functional- were extremely loose. I was nervous about being able to stop in case I needed to , and it made my ride a much scarier (not to mention mentally exhausting) experience than it needed to be. Having brakes that work makes your bike a lot easier, safer, and less nerve-wracking to ride.

So, how do you know if your brakes are loose? If your brake handles pull most of the way to the handlebars before taking effect, they're too loose. You should only have to pull them a quarter or halfway to the handlebar when they are adjusted correctly.

Tightening brakes seems intimidating, but it's actually really easy to do at home (even if you're like me and are worried that if you unscrew one thing wrong, the entire bike will fall apart). Since seeing what to do is really helpful, let's start with this video:


How to Tighten the Brakes on a Bicycle -- powered by eHow.com

1)The first thing to try are the brake adjuster barrels, pictured below. Turn the adjuster counter-clockwise, so that they pull farther out. This will pull the cable tighter. You will also have a locking nut (looks like a little washer), which you should screw tight all the way to the handlebar. If you have dropped handlebars, the barrel adjuster can be found above the break itself.










2) If you need a bigger adjustment, you can adjust the brakes themselves. There is a nut on the brakes that holds the brake cable. Loosen that nut using adjustable wrench or an Allen (hex) wrench. While holding the cable, push the brake closer to the rim, but still not touching. An assistant can be helpful for this. There should be enough space between the brake and the rim to fit a dime between them. Tighten the bolt and check the brakes to see if they're good.
Make sure you firmly tighten the nut that holds the brake cable! If that nut loosens or falls off, your brakes will stop working mid-ride!





Disclaimer: This is an easy fix that it's helpful to learn, but if it is done wrong or something goes wrong, a brake failure can be dangerous. If you're having problems, take your bike to a real mechanic. Make sure everything is tightened properly, and test your breaks in your home and on the road before setting off on your trip.

Thanks to E-How for the video and Jim Mangley's Bicycle Repair website for the photos! For more detailed advice, check out his article on adjusting brakes or E-How's text version.

Looking for a New Years resolution? Take the 'I Bike PHL' Safe Cycling Pledge

We can make bicycling better by demanding better facilities and planning for bicycles. But you can also make Philadelphia, and the entire Delaware Valley, a better place to bike by taking 13 steps to make your ride safer and better.

Join over 500 Philadelphians by signing the pledge here.

I PLEDGE TO...

-Be a safe and considerate bicyclist.

-Respect the rights of pedestrians, motorists and fellow bicyclists.

-Follow the rules of the road.

-Ride my bike on the street and walk my bike on the sidewalk.

-Use front and rear lights when bicycling from dusk until dawn.

-Not lock my bike to trees.

-Be predictable and visible to all road users.

-Stay calm and collected in times of traffic conflict.

-Follow trail etiquette when riding on multi-use trails.

-Not wear headphones or use my cell phone while riding.

-Wear a helmet.

-Encourage my friends and family to ride more often.

-Smile and enjoy my ride.

Now that you've read it, sign the pledge here.

Watch the I Bike PHL Pledge Video to learn more about the pledge and what Philadelphians (including Mayor Nutter) think about it. And let us know what you think below!