From an editorial in the Topeka Capital-Journal:

The Federal Highway Administration plans to recommend next year that states increase the time pedestrians have to finish crossing the street once they see the flashing orange signal in the box that tells them when it’s safe, supposedly, to walk. Reports are the highway administration wants states to increase the time the orange signal flashes by about 15 percent.

That might not sound like a long time, and it isn’t. But it might be enough to make our crosswalks safer for those on foot, and the extra time isn’t going to create any significant delay for motorists.

Some cities already are well ahead of the FHWA’s thinking in terms of making crosswalks safer. Denver and Knoxville, Tenn., are among cities that have gone to a system that stops all traffic at an intersection for about 30 seconds, during which time pedestrians can cross in any direction.

The number of vehicle/pedestrian accidents at crosswalks are behind the federal government’s plan to increase the required walking time. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notes that while pedestrian deaths have declined over the past 10 years, the numbers are still too high. In 2006, 4,784 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents and 471 of those accidents occurred at crosswalks.

Topeka Police Department records show the city had one fatal vehicle/pedestrian accident in 2006 and one in 2007, neither occurred at a crosswalk, however. Overall, there were 38 vehicle/pedestrian accidents in the city in 2007, with 18 of those occurring in crosswalks. For 2006, the numbers were 30 vehicle/pedestrian accidents, 15 of those in crosswalks. This year the city has recorded six vehicle/pedestrian accidents with no fatalities. The city’s reports don’t differentiate between crosswalks with traffic lights and those guarded only by stop signs.

That doesn’t sound like a lot of accidents when compared with the national numbers, but every vehicle/pedestrian accident has the potential to be fatal. If a couple more seconds means even one or two fewer accidents, we think it’s well worth the time.

Read more at Pedestrian crosswalks — Step up safety.

Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser has a vision of KC becoming a platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Community, and he has announced an action plan to make KC more bike-friendly, and to achieve the coveted designation, by 2020.

The Bicycle Friendly Community program is an awards program administered by the League of American Bicyclists that recognizes municipalities that actively support bicycling. A Bicycle-Friendly Community provides safe accommodation for cycling and encourages its residents to bike for transportation and recreation.

There are four levels of certification — bronze, silver, gold, and platinum — with platinum being the most bicycle-friendly of all. Only two US cities are currently at the platinum level, Davis, California, and Portland, Oregon.

Two Kansas communities have reached the bronze level: Lawrence and Shawnee. No cities in Missouri are currently listed, though several are moving toward achieving the designation in the next few years.

“Kansas City is a beautiful city, but we need to do more to make it an ideal place to bicycle so folks can better enjoy its beauty,” Mayor Funkhouser said. “Also, with the rising cost of gasoline, and an increased interest in ‘green’ solutions, more and more people are bicycling to and from work. Our city should provide an environment where this is a safe and viable choice.”

“We have lots of work to do to make Kansas City more bike-friendly,” said Councilman Russ Johnson, who rode to thr press conference in part to show how difficult it can be to navigate Kansas City on a bike. “We have bike trails and bike lanes that go for a mile or two and then abruptly stop, giving way to busy streets. But we’re taking steps to change all that and make Kansas City a much better place to bike.”

Complete coverage at KCBike.info, Kansas Cyclist.

What single silver bullet can simultaneously reduce air pollution and oil dependency, roll back urban congestion, and fight obesity?

It’s not a pill, nor a complicated formula concocted by the World Bank. People around the world are turning to bicycles by the millions, as governments rush to create incentives for the low-tech transport alternative to gas-glugging, smog-making, traffic jam-producing automobiles.

Some 130 million bikes were produced worldwide in 2007 — more than double the number of cars rolling off assembly lines (52 million). Bike production took off in the 1970s, and after a brief dip, has been soaring since 2001, according to an ”Eco-Economy Indicators” report issued by the Earth Policy Institute.

Although more than 80 percent of all bicycles produced today are made in China, rising wealth led many Chinese to set aside their bicycles in favor of cars. But in the face of rising urban pollution and congestion, Chinese authorities are insisting that bike lanes be re-established in major cities. In Beijing, bike rentals are being strongly promoted.

China is following a growing trend in Europe and developing country smog centers such as Mexico City, Bogota, and Seoul, South Korea. The latest master plan for New Delhi, India, for example, calls for fully segregated bicycle lanes on all main roads to reduce growth in fossil fuel consumption.

Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and the German city of Freiburg are all investing millions in infrastructure to encourage more people to bike to work. In Amsterdam more than 55 percent of those who travel five miles or less to work already ride bikes. The government plans to spend $160 million by 2010 on bicycle paths, parking, and safety, according to the Earth Policy report.

Paris now has some 20,000 bikes available for rental by credit card, scattered around the city at strategic sites. Six million people used the new rental program during the first three months after it was launched last year.

The United States lags far behind this emerging trend, with less than 1 percent of workers commuting by bicycle. Overall, bike ridership has dropped by 32 percent since the early 1990s.

But, the report notes, there are positive signs as well: “Aided by $900 million a year in federal funding for promotion of biking and walking for 2005 to 2009, the installation of bicycle facilities — including parking, bike-friendly roads, and designated lanes — is proceeding at a record pace” in the United States.

Several large cities, including New York, plan to double bike and pedestrian routes by 2030. Washington, DC is set to begin a bike-sharing program like that in Paris, and even hilly San Francisco is considering a similar program, according to the Worldwatch Institute, an environmental think tank.

Bicycle advocacy groups are expanding, and a “Complete Streets” movement has blossomed in recent years, bringing together a broad coalition of citizen and environmental groups demanding more pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly roads. Six states and more than 50 cities, counties, and metro regions have now enacted some form of Complete Streets legislation.

With more than half of the world’s population now living in cities, and given the steep health and economic costs of continuing reliance on oil-fueled cars, many analysts expect the lowly two-wheeler to continue to become more and more fashionable.

Written by Alison Raphael of OneWorld US.

The Iowa Bicycle Coalition’s Mark Wyatt has put together a presentation that he uses when talking with bike clubs, civic meetings, and special events.

The presentation is titled “More Iowans Biking”, and is used to promote bicycling as a safe and enjoyable recreation and transportation alternative, and to encourage improvements such as Complete Streets, Safe Routes to School, and motorist and cyclist education.

For a real eye-opener, view slides 17 through 37 to see obesity trends among U.S. adults, 1985-2005. The explosion of obesity is just incredible.

Nicely done, Mark!

The month of May is the official National Bike Month as designated by the League of American Bicyclists.

As part of National Bike Month, communities around the country sponsor activities and events to celebrate bicycling and get people riding. A focus of the month is Bike-to-Work Week from May 12-16, and Bike-to-Work Day on Friday, May 16.

In addition, the League of American Bicyclists offers a list of 50 ways to celebrate Bike Month.