A report released earlier this week is urging San Francisco’s mayor and Board of Supervisors to increase efforts to reduce bike fatalities, calling for an ultimate goal of “zero bike fatalities.” Although the report [PDF] gave credit to the city for supporting and bolstering bike transportation, it also called for significant increases in bike safety. [...]
GJEL Blog » Bicycling Information
S.F. challenged to reduce bike fatalities, ramp up safety efforts
Posted Thursday, June 13th, 2013What if I get ‘doored’ while riding my bike?
Posted Friday, June 7th, 2013If someone opens a door while you’re riding by on your bicycle, the question becomes, “who’s at fault.” And, in California, as a general rule, it is the fault of the driver who opens the door. But, it’s only a general rule. For instance, if the bicyclist sees the car pull over, sees the brake [...]
Creative cycling attire tricks surrounding drivers into obeying the law
Posted Tuesday, April 16th, 2013Cyclists across the pond have come up with a creative way to make sure surrounding motorists treat their safety with the appropriate amount of respect. By wearing reflective gear very similar in appearance to that of a police officer, cyclists are finding that confused drivers are much more likely to give them a wide berth. [...]
REI lists San Francisco among most ‘bike friendly’ cities
Posted Wednesday, April 10th, 2013In an infographic published by REI earlier this week, San Francisco was listed as one of the countries most “bike friendly” cities. As well as highlighting 6 cities with strong cycling populations, the graphic also provides some bike commuting tips and additional info. Although a lot of the information isn’t particularly earth shattering (did you [...]
Cyclist faces felony vehicular manslaughter charge after killing 71-year-old pedestrian
Posted Tuesday, March 12th, 2013Although the widely reported accident took place almost a year ago, the San Francisco cyclist who collided with 71-year-old Sutchi Hui on March 29, 2012 has recently been order to stand trial on a felony vehicular manslaughter charge. The accident occurred at the intersection of Castro and Market streets when cyclist Chris Bucchere collided with [...]
The debate about whether cyclists should be required to wear helmets rages on
Posted Wednesday, February 13th, 2013It may seem counterintuitive, but despite near unanimous support for the use of helmets, many cycling advocates disagree with the notion that helmet usage should be required by law. A recent measure in Maryland that would require helmets be worn by all cyclists has reignited the debate about whether this type of legislation actually impedes [...]
Washington Department of Transportation plans bike share network in King County
Posted Thursday, December 27th, 2012The Washington Department of Transportation has $750,000 burning a hole in its pocket and it wants to give it to a new bike share program in King County (the county in which the city of Seattle resides). The Department’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Program is hoping for legislative approval when the issue is presented in April [...]
New cardboard bike helmet absorbs three times the impact of a standard helmet
Posted Friday, December 14th, 2012Inspired by the woodpecker, a species that sustains severe impact to its head every time it pecks, Anirudha Surabhi set out to create a helmet capable of more efficiently absorbing the substantial force cyclists experience during a crash. The result of his efforts: the Kranium, a cardboard bike helmet. Although a material as seemingly flimsy [...]
Safety light offers cyclists moving DIY bike lane
Posted Friday, December 7th, 2012With Governor Brown’s recent veto of the three foot passing bill, there’s a new product popping up specifically for cyclists looking to preserve a bit of personal space. The bike safety light from XFIRE allows riders to create their own bike lane (as they ride) by projecting red laser beams onto the ground on either [...]
Toronto cyclists stage sit-in to protest bike lane removal
Posted Thursday, November 15th, 2012A bike lane on Jarvis St. in Toronto, Ontario was scheduled for removal but six protesters staged a sit-in to prevent construction workers from removing the lane. The removal crew gave up after only clearing about 200 meters of road. It’s inspiring to see that such a small number of protestors were able to make a difference, [...]
Helmets shouldn’t deter you from cycling
Posted Tuesday, October 23rd, 2012Last month the New York Times ran an editorial written by someone who found it refreshing that she could rent a bike for $2 in Paris and spend the day bicycling around the city with a baguette sticking out of the front basket and a beret atop her head in lieu of a bike helmet. [...]
Bikway pitches more efficient method for creating bike infrastructure in major cities
Posted Thursday, October 18th, 2012A Scandinavian company called Bikway is suggesting a new way of looking at what it takes to create bike infrastructure in major cities. In a video created as part of the Nordic Startup Awards, Bikway cofounder Simon Hansen proposes installing reusable, “modular bike lanes” directly over paved surfaces rather than taking the standard approach of [...]
Incident in Littleton reminds cyclists to always exercise caution
Posted Thursday, October 11th, 2012A recent incident in Littleton, Colorado has highlighted the importance of always being alert and never taking your safety for granted. Last weekend a 55-year-old cyclist was injured while riding a local bike path when she collided with a piece of barbed wire that had been tied across the trail. Jacquie Carpenter, a cyclist for [...]
Motorist strikes cyclist, threatens to sue for damage to vehicle
Posted Friday, October 5th, 2012The battle between cars and bikes rages on, as the insurance company of a New Zealand motorist attempted to sue a cyclist for vehicle damage occurring after the driver struck the cyclist while making a u-turn. Following a November collision in which Auckland engineer Oisin Frost was hit by a motorist while cycling, the at-fault [...]
Survey results from BART’s August commute period bike pilot program
Posted Monday, October 1st, 2012After relaxing the blackout periods on bikes during Friday’s in the month of August, Bay Area Rapid Transit conducted a survey to gauge passengers’ experiences with the temporarily revised guidelines. According to BART’s Bike Program Manager, Steve Beroldo, “The pilot provided a great opportunity to study and learn how to better accommodate bikes during commute [...]
Copenhagen bike highway system expected to save $60 million per year in health care alone
Posted Thursday, September 6th, 2012With people in Copenhagen already riding a combined 750,000 miles each day, a new “cycling superhighway” that plans to link the city’s surrounding suburbs is expected to get another 15,000 people out of their cars and onto bikes for their daily commute. The 26 new interconnected bike paths will offer riders direct routes in and [...]
Making the bike a family vehicle
Posted Friday, August 31st, 2012Behold, the bicycle minivan. Last week the Bay Citizen featured an article on how some San Francisco parents are opting to make the bike a family vehicle. The article contained the following video featuring Ginger Bisharat, a North Panhandle resident who uses a long bike to transport her two kids to and from school. Ginger [...]
Even minor separation between roads and bike lanes increases rider safety
Posted Thursday, August 30th, 2012A recent experiment conducted by Brooklyn Spoke blog author Doug Gordon has confirmed what many people already suspected; simply having a barrier between the road and bike lane can have a dramatic impact on driver behavior. Inspired by the DIY guerrilla bike lane comprised of orange construction cones, Gordon decided to use red Solo cups [...]
15 Back to School Safety Tips for Kids and Drivers
Posted Tuesday, August 21st, 2012Summer vacation is coming to an end and the back to school blitz is officially here. With kids getting set to resume their daily commute, and some younger children getting ready to start school for the first time, now is the perfect opportunity to review some key safety tips for children and motorists alike. A [...]
New ‘Invisible Bike Helmet’ tries to target fashion forward cyclists
Posted Wednesday, August 15th, 2012There are plenty of excuses people give for why they don’t wear a helmet. Reasons ranging from the understandable complaint that they’re bulky and hard to carry around to self-conscious concerns about helmets “looking silly” or messing up the rider’s hair. Now, a new invention from two Swedish entrepreneurs is targeting an even more vain [...]
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