Word is coming down from America Bikes that After several long weeks of intense work from advocates around the country, the Cardin-Cochran Amendment has been accepted as part of the base Senate transportation bill, MAP-21. If MAP-21 ends up becoming law, the language from this amendment will ensure that local governments, school systems, and metropolitan… read more
Advocacy
National Merger
In case you haven’t heard, it was announced yesterday that initial steps [have been taken] to unify three national bicycling organizations – the Alliance, the League and Bikes Belong – to create a powerful, dynamic new voice for cyclists at the local, state and national level. You can read more about the merger on the… read more
Vulnerable Road User Bill Filed Again
Thanks to Senator Sosnowski and Representative Tanzi, “vulnerable road user” bills S2214, H7463, have been filed to ensure appropriate consequences when a motorist, not taking due care, kills or injures a bicyclist, pedestrian, wheelchair user, highway worker etc. This time our CTC partners have endorsed the bill, no hearings yet scheduled by the Judiciary Committees.… read more
Can you make bicycling in RI better?
Can you envision a Rhode Island with a completed network of offroad paths, dedicated, safe, bicycle-only lanes and signed bicycle routes? Can you see a Rhode Island where riding a bicycle to get to work, market, game, or friends house is normal? I can, because that’s what the members, founders and board of… read more
Second Showing of Bicycle Dreams, Feb 22
Thanks to the generosity of the producers of the film, the Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition is hosting a second showing after a sellout at the premiere of the movie Bicycle Dreams. The showing will be Wednesday Feb. 22, 2012, 6:30PM at the Cable Car Cinema. Bicycle Dreams documents the extreme hardship endured by teams of… read more
Amendment Voted Down
Word has come down from Rails-to-Trails that: Unfortunately, by a vote of 27 to 29, the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee just moments ago voted down the bipartisan Petri/Johnson/Lipinski amendment that would have fixed many of the deficiencies in the House transportation bill, particularly as they relate to the Transportation Enhancements and… read more
House bill would eliminate ALL biking/walking from transportation policy!
Word is coming down from the League of American Bicycles in Washington that the House transportation bill, the American Energy and Infrastructure Act, has cut every reference to bicycling and walking out of the federal transportation policy! Clearly this shows how important some of our current legislators feel alternative modes of transportation are. If this… read more
update on possible bike projects for TIP
Some preliminary results from a Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) subcommittee meeting on bike/ped projects submitted for the next 4 year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) that RIDOT tentatively allocated about $3.4 million/year. Projects that scored well enough to possibly continue, though the subcommittee will be meeting again to review this, and results must be approved by… read more
Make Driving While Dialing the New DWI
An article on Bloomberg Businessweek follows up on yesterday’s story about complete cellphone bans by suggesting that perhaps it’s time to treat distracted driving in the same way as the assault on DWI over the past decade. I personally find it particularly interesting how they start their story: Driving is an inherently dangerous activity. But… read more
No Cell Phones… Period!
An article on AP News states: Texting, emailing or chatting on a cellphone while driving is simply too dangerous to be allowed, federal safety investigators declared Tuesday, urging all states to impose total bans except for emergencies. The recommendation goes so far as to make it illegal even to use a hands free device. I’m… read more
EBBP Closure – Northern Section
We are getting reports that barrels are up blocking the East Bay Bike Path and cyclists are being told to turn around if they ride past them. The sewer project has officially started on the bike path. Unfortunately, it appears that East Providence is concurrently ripping up the portion of Veteran’s Parkway near where the… read more
From today’s NPR
Secret To A Long, Healthy Life: Bike To The Store by Nancy Shute 02:39 pm November 2, 2011 Hajime Ando/Flickr Putting the shopping bags in the bike basket rather than in the car trunk could deliver big health benefits. What would you say to a cheap, easy way to stay slim, one that would help… read more