Focus on Bicycles & Pedestrians for good Health
25 November, 2009
I’ve seen this come across my screen a few times today. An article in the British medical journal, The Lancet, is one of the first well respected publications to call “green cars” for what they are and to call for a focus on Bicycles & Pedestrians as the only healthy and best use of our transportation funding. Further, it calls for policy makers to focus primarily on those means of transportation, even to the detriment of those who chose to drive. Additionally, the director of the World Health Organization, Dr. Margaret Chan, followed the article with a commentary voicing her unbridled support. To read a more eloquent account, visit Copenhagenize and read Mikael’s take on it. Ready the full article here. Keep riding, and have a great Thanksgiving.
Brad
Today I was in an accident…
22 November, 2009
Yep. I was hit by a car. The really bad thing is that it wasn’t just me. It was me and the kids. We were riding to church. I had just come out of a bike lane and had taken the lane to go through an intersection. The car hit us from behind. The box on the Bakfiets is pretty much destroyed. We’re all okay. I have a bit of road rash, and the kids have a bump or two, but overall, we aren’t too bad off. I’ll post details as I get them, but the initial report is that the person, who is somewhat elderly ,may have had a medical condition at the time of or as a result of the accident. More to come I’m sure. All is well.
Orem Bike/Ped Study
3 November, 2009
I’ve been very bad at posting lately. I am really ashamed actually, since I’ve had a lot to post about. This one is very important though, so here goes. Orem is conducting a study to determine how to make the city more friendly to people who walk or ride a bike. They want and need your help in doing this. Click on the big picture and fill out the survey. It WILL make a difference. Thanks
Brad
Consultant Selection!
5 August, 2009
The consultants that want to work on the Central Utah Valley Bicycle/Pedestrian Study(Orem Bike/Ped Plan) are due to turn in their proposals tomorrow! That means that we’ll be getting started picking one of them later this month and they should be getting to work real soon! I’ll keep you all up to date, and thanks for those of you who have contacted me about being involved. Tell your friends and family members who ride. We’ll need lots of help and support! More to come, so come back for details.
Plans
24 June, 2009
Orem is working on a big Bicycle Master Plan. They have some money from Mountainland that will allow them to hire a consultant. They need our help! In order to make Orem a more friendly place to ride, they want to hear from you. Comment on this post, or send me an email to get on a mailing list so you know when meetings and other events will be. You won’t get any spam, just good old knowledge. Ride on!
Another reason to ride.
26 February, 2009
As if I needed another reason to ride a bike. Anyway, the BBC (British Broadcasting Company) has a great article on their website this morning. Check it out. Now, how do we get governments in this state to start recognizing how simple the solutions to so many problems are?
Happy Thanks Digging
24 November, 2008
I had to run to Wal-Mart tonight and I took my wife’s Schwinn Breeze. I was delighted to see crews hard at work on the new FrontRunner South line at 2000 S Orem / 2000 N Provo. Dump trucks were cruising up and down the new line, and men were laying cable. Happy Thanks Digging indeed!
UTA FrontRunner South Construction at 2000 S Orem
It’s nice to see the development unfolding right before my eyes. And it’s a great way to anticipate my next purchase — a folding bike would go quite well with a FrontRunner, don’t you think?
1972
17 November, 2008
I was looking at the editorial section of the New York Times yesterday when I saw an op-ed about transportation entitled “Have You Driven a Bus or a Train Lately?” Of course I have not driven either lately, or ever, though I have ridden on both, so I clicked on the link and enjoyed very much what I read. It was fascinating! There seems to never be any ideas that are new, just recycled. It turns out that former Secretary of the Interior, Stewart Udall, wrote an article in 1972 for The Atlantic entitled “The Last Traffic Jam” that this current op-ed is based partly upon. Both are great reads and I highly recommend them, especially in light of the current crisis that GM is going through and the higher gas prices of this last summer. I’ll sum up for those who don’t have a lot of time. Basically, the argument goes that we should wean ourselves from big heavy inefficient cars and retool to produce smaller, more efficient ones, as well as investing not on more roads but on transit, particularly rail transit, and more compact development patterns that foster walking and transit use. That also means better for bicycles as a given. All I have to say is AMEN! These ideas are far from new. Mr. Udall was advocating this all in 1972! Give them a read and let me know what you think.
Frontrunner South Status Update
1 November, 2008
The following email from UTA in my inbox this week:
Greetings,
Construction is progressing on UTA’s FrontRunner South Provo to Salt Lake Commuter Rail line. Below is the FrontRunner South quick construction update for the week of October 16. For a more comprehensive construction update, click here.
· Area 16 — Downtown Salt Lake City to 4500 South (Murray)
Construction Activity:
Fiber optics will continue to be relocated between Murray and Salt Lake City.
· Area 15 — 4500 South (Murray) to 7800 South (Midvale)
Construction Activity:
There are no construction activities to report in Area 15.
· Area 14 — 7800 South (Midvale) to Bangerter Highway (Draper/Bluffdale)
Construction Activity:
Construction is gearing up in Area 14. On Sunday, October 19th, a crane was set up at the track crossover near 144th South and the Union Pacific Railroad. A construction fence has also been installed behind Salt Lake Community College’s campus at 9800 South.
· Area 13 — Bangerter Highway (Draper/Bluffdale) to Thanksgiving Point (Lehi)
Construction Activity:
Crews continue to establish access in this area and prepare the site along the railroad corridor in Bluffdale and Lehi and throughout the Jordan Narrows. Work on the South Jordan Canal and embankment improvements will begin toward the end of October. Earthwork along the Union Pacific Railroad is also scheduled to begin in this area during the first part of November.
· Area 12 — Thanksgiving Point (Lehi) to Main Street (American Fork)
Construction Activity:
Extensive excavation work has taken place at the Lehi Park and Ride Lot near Thanksgiving Point as crews continue to clear and grub the area and begin drainage improvements. Construction is also taking place along the rail corridor in this area just south of 11000 North in Lehi.
· Area 11 — Main Street (American Fork) to 800 South (Orem)
Construction Activity:
Drainage improvements are currently taking place along the Union Pacific Railroad tracks from Orem to American Fork. Crews are also clearing and grubbing along this area in preparation for earthwork scheduled to begin the first part of November.
· Area 10 — 800 South (Orem) to Center Street (Provo)
Construction Activity:
FrontRunner construction continues to take place in Area 10 along the Union Pacific Railroad corridor between University Parkway in Orem and West Center Street in Provo. Drainage and irrigation structures are being improved by extending existing box culverts and waterways to accommodate the new FrontRunner track. Existing signal poles located in the right-of-way have also been removed in this area.
Crews have removed old railroad ties and rail all the way from 500 West in Provo to University Parkway in Orem. Materials removed from this area are either reused or recycled.
Thanks again for your interest in the FrontRunner South project. If you have construction related questions, please call our 24-hour construction hotline number at 1-888-800-8854. If you have specific questions about the FrontRunner South project, my contact information is listed below. To unsubscribe to this list, please click here.
Sincerely,
Marc Bowman
UTA Community Involvement Specialist
www.rideuta.com
801.236.4784
801.867.4573 (mobile)
