Category: Transportation

Biking in the winter

January 23, 2009 / / 0 Comments

Frank's bikeHow do you get people to bike in the winter?

  1. You educate about clothing
  2. You make it safe
  3. And you educate some more (but this time about lighting and defensive riding)
  4. Remind them about transit

1. Bikers don’t need technical gear. So many websites talk about clothing on the cheap. I really don’t want to reiterate what they’ve said, but the key points are: wool, layers, windbreaker, wool, layers, and a windbreak. Got it?

2. CLEAR THE ROADS. And then clear the sidewalks so cyclists can get to the bike racks (well, this isn’t that big of an issue if your city chose the right bike rack – U-racks and wave racks stick out above the snow cover – see photo).

3. Since the days are shorter and the darkness lasts longer, lighting is a necessity. Most states require a front headlight (that means a white, battery-powered light and not a reflector, which is worthless). Bicyclists need to know how to ride safe. Every major North American city publishes something about safe cycling in urban settings. Here’s Chicago’s: English | Espanol (both in PDF).

4. Transit is everyone’s winter friend! For those who can’t ride their bike all the way, make sure they have the right materials to connect their short bike ride with a transit ride. It might even eliminate a transfer (and reduce the trip cost). Most transit agencies in North America have bike racks on the front of buses. Check your local transit agency’s website or information center (try headquarters) for a brochure on how to ride the bus – or train – with your bike.

It can be done!

P.S. I cannot stress lighting enough. Motorists appreciate it. It allows them to make more informed decisions about their driving path and speed. It also reduces aggression because they see that the cyclist is doing the right thing.

Getting people out of cars

November 17, 2007 / / 0 Comments

Gas prices are only one of the costs associated with car ownership. It comprises a large part of yearly expenses for one’s automobile, but it only accounts for 20% of the “true cost of ownership.”

Edmunds.com has figured that with a new 2007 Toyota Camry LE with automatic transmission, fuel will cost an average of $1676 per year in Chicago for the next five years. That’s 21.5% of the total amount of money the car’s owner will spend and lose for the next five years.

So why do people continue to let their cars ruin their personal financial stability, regardless of how well they can argue its necessity?

One reason is that people haven’t considered the alternatives or, if considered, believe taking the train or bus, walking, biking, carsharing, or vanpooling won’t work for them. But it obviously works for millions of people everyday. Do they know something we don’t? Do they live a block from the commuter train station at home and work one block away from the end station? Are their legs in better shape than others’?

I think that governmental and non-profit agencies that have the mandate and authority to reduce vehicular traffic, congestion, and ownership, can use better marketing tools that will assist car owners to find ways that make their vehicles less relied upon and less used, period. By having car owners drive less, they will become more financially secure, probably experience reduced emotional and physical stress, and reduce their impact on the earth and the atmosphere.

In return, infrastructure would improve because money for highways and roads would be spent on projects and systems that have a better return on investment; transit agencies are able to serve more people (riders) than can highways serve singular drivers and their vehicles. Simply put, driving is a very selfish act which, combined with millions of other selfish drivers, creates a dysfunctional and inequitable transportation arrangement.

I have one tool in mind that can sway people out of their cars. My idea goes beyond slinging simple to understand quotes and statistics that all fail to motivate (for example, and this is not totally accurate, “80% of all car trips are less than 2 miles from the point of origin.”). What we need are individuals who are passionate about the alternatives to car ownership, those who, themselves have chosen a car-free or reduced-car lifestyle. These people would be used to listen to drivers who express some interest in jettisoning their driving habits or reducing their dependence on cars and determine some personalized options to accomplish this.

It would all start with a website. This website would have two purposes: to inform and to connect. The information on car ownership costs and how to reduce one’s car dependence is already out there – that would just be copied. The connect section of the website would invite visitors to submit their name, and either an email address, IM name, or phone number. One of the passionate individuals I asked for above would contact this person and become familiar with their car routines and suggest small ways to meet the driver’s goals.

Obviously, connections would need to be made on a local scale so helpers can be more effective and knowledgeable about the advice they give.

Getting people out of cars and using alternative modes of transportation almost always starts with one-on-one dialogue. It’s a goal that requires a lot of knowledge and some planning. I’m sure there are many readers who have been able to design a plan for at least a few people they know; sometimes it’s just a personal example that is needed to show how easy the change can be and how beneficial it is for more than themselves.

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A simple way to make biking easier

November 16, 2007 / / 0 Comments

Biking is already super easy. There’s so little investment. And most people’s bikes aren’t even in top or good condition. Bikes will roll for so long before the last piece to break down actually goes ahead and breaks down. You don’t need a license, but you do need some lights. No helmet is required and neither is registration.

Buy a bike and go.

But it’s hard to go uphill, right? Fortunately, Chicago is flat. If you think there are hills, please vacation to Seattle and Portland to see what cyclists there have to deal with. The only hills we have in Chicago are bridges going over the different branches of the river, and a handful of overpasses – and these are mainly to go over railroads because Chicago’s expressways are smartly built below regular ground level.

A couple bike lifts, like this one mentioned and picture on CoolTown Studios, might be just what is needed to get half of a town’s cyclists up and over to the grocery store or music venue on the other side.

Just to quickly inform you how it works: There is a tinny escalator installed on the side of the road, but instead of steps, there are short poles. Stand over your bike with one foot on the pedal and the opposite foot on the end of the lift, waiting for a pole to show up so you can step on it (pushing it backwards) and be pulled and rolled up the hill. It’s kind of like a ski lift on a bunny hill.

The article I referenced indicates that hills are a problem for Vélib, the bike-sharing system that opened in Paris this summer. Many bikes are abandoned or returned to stations at the bottom of hills: bike renters didn’t want to pedal up and walked instead. Install some bike lifts on some strategic hills in the city and this problem could go away. This issue also presents problems for the system’s basic workings: there must be an equal distribution and flow of bikes being returned to their stations. In these cases, maintenance vans working for the bike-sharing system operator must pick up bikes overflowing at one station and drop them off at stations missing bikes – namely the stations at the tops of hills.

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Five favorite places in Chicago

November 12, 2007 / / 0 Comments

jackson park 1. This is Jackson Park, the Columbia Basin, and the East and West Lagoons. This is a beautifully landscaped park, originally built for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. The Museum of Science and Industry was built for this show and was called the Palace of Fine Arts. Unfortunately, it is the only surviving building from that festival, but my god, it is gorgeous as is the entire park – designed by one of the world’s premier landscape designers, Frederick Law Olmsted, who left a legacy in Chicago as well in New York City.

The park, ideally, should be biked or walked to. One must visit the Japanese Gardens in the park on the Wooded Island in the lagoon.

2. Lower Wacker, Michigan and Columbus. The lower levels of these three streets (plus many intersection others) are very intriguing and unknown to most, if not all, visitors to the city. They can only be explored by walking or biking (except for Wacker which is too narrow and high-speed vehicle traffic makes it dangerous). It is home to loading docks for so many downtown buildings, and also to many homeless Chicagoans. For a short length, there is even a lower lower Wacker Drive. There are a handful of other things that can be accessed on these lower levels: the Randolph Street Metra station, an independent stage theater, and the city’s towing pound. Looking at the bigger streets above from below puts one in the scene of one of many futuristic movies. The support beams for the streets and skyscrapers show the importance of these lower levels of Chicago.

3. Not Millennium Park. The amusement park on the lake is quite a fantastic place. The Pritzker Pavilion could not have been better designed or featured in the city. However, Millennium Park is not a place in or of Chicago that makes the city what it is. It’s only been around for four year, but it’s also not something that city residents themselves are quick to brag about. The artistic playground is just one itty bitty parcel of the interestingness of the city.

4. Roosevelt Rd. bridge over the South Branch of the Chicago River. This bridge is the largest viewing platform for trains in and out of the city. Come rush hour on a summer weekday, you will spot Metra after Metra after Metra, all leaving Union and LaSalle St. Stations. It is a fantastic opportunity to fill up a camera’s memory card with train after train after train. There won’t be much variety of compositions or subject matter, but you will have enough practice time to get the perfect shot.

5. Madison St. after the workday is done. Madison St. just happens to be one way east of Des Plaines. It’s a major exodus route for buses, taxis and private vehicles. Its sidewalks are also teeming with commuters walking or rushing to the train stations. Ogilvie Transportation Center sits on Madison St., but Union Station also has a Madison St. annex, and the main platforms for the busier station are only two blocks south of Ogilvie. In a two-hour window, more than 100,000 people will make their way to either train station and take Metra home. It’s a fantastic sight to see so many people walking in the same direction to the same place. And it only happens once a day.

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The Olympics in Chicago, 2016

November 11, 2007 / / 0 Comments

I’m excited that Chicago is a prospected city for the 2016 Summer Olympics. I think that it will be an interesting time to live here while hundreds of thousands of people from all over the country and the world will descend upon this amazing city. I think that we will easily be able to accommodate them all, both with our infrastructure (I must surely sound like a nut now) and with our good attitudes.

Chicago is a pretty well-known city to the world, especially in the landscape, planning, and architecture cultures. Chicago leads the world in architecture in so many ways.

Atlanta is the American city which most recently held a Summer Olympic Games – that was in 1996. Atlanta received many great benefits from hosting the games: the stadium was converted to become the home of the Braves; the Olympic Village became student housing for Georgia State University; and the city got a major park with Centennial Olympic Park.

However, Downtown Atlanta missed the opportunity to piggyback the Olympics and be revitalized and MARTA, the transit system, was not improved – it hardly can handle the city’s own population.

Transit improvements is one thing that Chicago and Atlanta have in common: we both need more funding to improve quality and speed of service. Fortunately, Chicago has a very broad and deep service system – trains and buses go where we need them, and both of our international airports are directly serviced by trains that leave often. However, yearly funding issues put the CTA’s service in jeopardy and only a few legislatures have stepped up to fix the problem with public funding of the Chicagoland transit agencies.

Chicago is already ahead of many other cities that want the Olympics, including Atlanta. We already have a large, beautiful park to serve as a central meeting location for athletes and spectators. We already have practically all the sports venues we need; facilities at our universities will play a key role, including UIC. Chicago will follow in Atlanta’s footsteps by using as little public money as possible and getting private investors and corporations to pay for the games. We also have a well-established hospitality industry that can temporarily grow to meet the needs of the influx of visitors. And since Chicago is so diverse, travelers will be able to feel welcome in neighborhoods reflecting their home cultures.

Most Chicagoans agree that the CTA will need some help before we can host the Olympics, and I think many people are relying on this prospect to turn the transit agency into something wonderful: always fast and always on time.

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