Category: Bicycling

Text messaging and bicycling: Is it dangerous?

August 1, 2011 / / 0 Comments

Garret, a Moving Design participant, talked about his friend in the Netherlands who was text messaging while bicycling and ran into a parked car. This was during the conversation about the homework assignment: talk to someone who’s been hit, and who’s hit. Text messaging while bicycling is extremely common in the Netherlands. Take a look at this photo featuring a father riding a bakfiets with his baby in the front cargo bay, and text messaging.

Click through to the photo and you’ll read my caption:

He couldn’t be safer. Driving cars and cycling is safer in the Netherlands than in any other country in the world (at least amongst the ones that have detailed and comprehensive statistics and record keeping). This dad is riding a bakfiets with a baby (facing dad in a car seat) while text messaging (or just looking at his phone).

Another photo:

While we’re on the subject, here’s a photo of a guy riding a Segway in the bike lane, going the wrong direction, and using his cellphone.

Cross-posted to Moving Design. 

Cap contest over – We have a winner

July 31, 2011 / / 0 Comments

Jennifer Davis of Chicago won the cycling cap contest by coming up with a good slogan, making it into the top 10, and being randomly selected.

Her slogan: “See a whole new world everyday – go by bike.”

It reminds me of the signs in Portland, Oregon, that say “Go by train,” “Go by streetcar,” and “Go by cab.”

See the rest of the slogans.

More letter writing

July 21, 2011 / / 0 Comments

I’m two for two on writing letters and getting the results I intended to see.

First, there was getting the bike rack at Dominick’s in Bridgeport.

Then there was getting parking spaces removed so a pinch point in the Halsted Street bike lane at 15th Street was less “pinchy.”

Now I’m trying to get the United States Postal Service to stop parking and driving in bike lanes, especially the Kinzie Street protected bike lane.

I mailed out letters to six recipients on Wednesday.

On sucker poles

July 19, 2011 / / 0 Comments

Twice in the past seven days I’ve encountered an unsecured sucker pole.

A sucker pole next to a highly-secure bike rack provided by the City of Chicago’s Bicycle Program. The adjacent placement of the two fixtures is an unfortunate side effect of construction crews who didn’t receive guidance on bike rack placement. 

What’s a sucker pole? Any sign pole that’s not embedded in concrete or securely fastened to the ground in another fashion. A simple hex nut on a bolt fastens the pole to the base.

So last Saturday I encountered my latest one in front of India House (59 W Grand), just hours after Alexis Finch of Thought You Knew pinup calendar fame mentioned a specific sucker pole at the Green Eye (2403 W Homer) – I could completely remove the pole from its base.

Alexis reported that when she visits that bar, she removes the pole from its base and lays it on the sidewalk to prevent others from locking their bikes there.

I want you to spread the word about sucker poles while at the same time requesting a bike rack for that spot. I invite designers to remake this crappy poster I created and thankfully never printed.

Remake this “beware of sucker poles” poster into something cool and I’ll pay to print a few copies for you to keep and give to friends or bike shops. 

Bike parking is simple

June 21, 2011 / / 0 Comments

I created a website a couple months ago where my intention is to create a single place where people can get good advice on installing bike parking wherever it’s needed. The advice includes what kind of bike rack to choose and where to put it.

Visit Simple Bike Parking – Helping make bike parking a simple affair.

Distance is the key to effective and usable bike parking. Notice the bike racks in the foreground – no one’s using them after the one’s next to the train station entrance were installed (by me, actually).

The website’s not even closer to being finished. Steven Can Plan, now GRID, and my part-time work doing bike parking consulting with Active Transportation Alliance for Cook County schools has taken priority. It’s also meant as a “calling card” for people to hire me to consult them on their bike parking needs.