More Bikes=Safer City

Bike parking facilities are in demand in Utrecht-there are more bikes than people and more than a quarter of all trips are made by bicycle. The key takeaway here is that the more bicyclists are the safer everyone will be. But it wasn’t always a bicycle culture in The Netherlands. There’s hope for the US.

By Christopher F. Schuetz Sept. 6, 2017

If You Build It, the Dutch Will Pedal

More important for the nation’s bottom line, the country’s preference for the bicycle could save its economy $23 billion each year, according to a recent study done at Utrecht University and published in the American Journal of Public Health. The study suggested that the Netherlands’ vigorous cycling habits prevented 6,500 premature deaths each year.”

September 6, 2018August 31, 2018

Debate About Helmet Use Rages On

Wear a helmet if you want to. But…

As the debate around cycle safety, and in particular helmet use, continues to rage, British Cycling policy advisor, Chris Boardman, writes about the danger of introducing compulsory helmet laws.

All over the world, countries with the highest use of safety gear are the most dangerous for cyclists. Wherever helmet use has been made compulsory, there has been no corresponding drop in head injury unless there is also a drop in cycling rates.

September 5, 2018August 31, 2018

Helmet Debate Is Distraction From Real Safety Issues

Chris Boardman was appointed Greater Manchester’s first ever commissioner for walking and cycling in 2017. Known s “The Professor, Boardman is a British former racing cyclist who won an individual pursuit gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics, broke the world hour record three times, and won three stages and wore the yellow jersey on three separate occasions at the Tour de France. In 1992, he was awarded an MBE for services to cycling.

Chris Boardman: “Helmets not even in top 10 of things that keep cycling safe”

by John Stevenson, February 17, 2014

British Cycling policy advisor says it’s time to stop distracting helmet arguments and concentrate on real safety issues…

“We’ve got to tackle the helmet debate head on because it’s so annoying,” he said. “It gets a disproportionate amount of coverage. When you have three minutes and someone asks ‘Do you wear a helmet’ you know the vast majority of your time when you could be talking about stuff that will make a difference, is gone.”

September 4, 2018August 31, 2018

Smaller Firetrucks Get The Job Done

Many calls to a fire station are not fire related emergencies, so a huge rig with thousands of gallons of water isn’t needed to respond. Safety to pedestrians, bicyclists and other motorists is a benefit in situations where a smaller truck can do the job.

Fire departments are adopting Vision Zero, so why shouldn’t you?

Posted by Bike/Walk Central Florida on May 31, 2018

“The good news is that, even without smaller fire vehicles, city planners and fire officials can work together in this conscious effort to improve safety, not only for people walking, but for all road users. Let San Franciso and Portland stand as examples of what can happen when groups work together (hint: everyone wins).”

September 3, 2018September 6, 2018

Walking May Save Our Cities

Asbury Park is on it’s way to becoming a more walkable and livable city with new construction and improvements in infrastructure underway. Go for a walk in Asbury Park and look around. Find things you never knew existed. Get a feel for an unfamiliar neighborhood. Observe what you like, and what you aren’t crazy about, and let us know…APCSC wants to help make our city safer and more livable for everyone.

How walking might save the world (or at least our cities)

Lloyd Alter August 23, 2018

Berlin. (But doesn’t it look like Asbury Park’s Cookman Ave?)

“Walking is healthy. Walking is fun. People who walk engage with their cities in a different way, they are connected to it. It’s why walkable cities are such a joy. I have walked a mile in suburban Toronto and it felt like an eternity, but ten times as far downtown without being bored for a minute. This is the true test of a place- what is it like to walk there?”

September 2, 2018August 19, 2022

Grocery Shopping By Bike In Asbury Park-Our Markets and Stores

This is a simple story about grocery shopping by bike in Minnesota. Grocery shopping by bike is indeed a simple pleasure, and it’s great in Asbury Park! Nothing in Asbury Park is much further than a mile from anywhere, and bicycle infrastructure is getting better and better, so riding a bike to shop makes total sense. There isn’t always fantastic bike parking, but there is some…ingenuity and a decent lock are important. Pick up some veggies to grill and ingredients for a salad, and fresh fruit for dessert. Asbury Park has a great markets with lots of fresh produce and staples. Tapatia Market on Main St.; Super Supermarket on 3rd Ave; Asbury Farm Market, Springwood Ave and Memorial Drive, next to/behind the train station; Asbury Fresh, Kennedy Park, Grand & Cookman Avenue, Sundays, 10am-3pm; Asbury Park Sunset Market, Sat., 8am–1pm, June–Oct., Main and Sunset Ave. A cargo bike would be great for a big haul, but a basket in front works just fine.

Grocery Shopping by Bike

Adam Miller on August 23, 2018

Bike grocery shopping at The Super Supermarket in Asbury Park

Bike shopping in Minnesota

“Someone recently asked me how you shop for groceries on a bike. It struck me as a question lots of people have probably never thought about, so why not write something about it?

I think the first thing to keep in mind is that you’re probably going to have to shop for groceries more than once a week. To me, that’s a feature not a bug, as I mostly try to eat fresh produce, some of which doesn’t keep all that well for a week anyway. Shopping more frequently means I only have to plan meals for a few days at a time. It’s also not that much of a burden, if you shop closer to home, which is easier if you live closer to stuff.”

September 1, 2018August 31, 2018

The Door Zone Bike Lane

Asbury Park’s Main Street will have bike lanes at the end of the current NJDOT project. The design of the lanes is not yet final…door zone lanes are not a good option.

The Real Door Zone Tragedy

May 2, 2018

“Cycling Savvy Instructor John Brooking has compiled a list of 36 fatalities, with names, dates and a narrative describing each crash. As happened last month with Lenny Trinh, most fatalities involve the “doored” bicyclist being run over by an overtaking motorist in the adjoining lane.

Why does this happen? The typical scenario is that the bicyclist almost avoids the open door, and her handlebar end catches on the door. The handlebars swing to the right, which dumps the bicyclist onto the pavement to her left. The nearby overtaking motorist can’t stop in time, and runs over the bicyclist.

An overtaking vehicle is not necessary for serious personal injury or death. Instead, the victim hits the ground hard enough to sustain a fatal injury. In at least one case that Brooking recorded, a helmet did not prevent a fatal head injury. This isn’t surprising. If you’ve ever tripped and fallen in the bathtub, you know you can fall fast and hit hard. Add in the bicyclist’s speed, and that’s a faster, harder hit.”

September 1, 2018September 1, 2018

AP Sun: Grants For Street Safety Improvements

More great coverage from Asbury Park Sun about grants for improvements for safe walking and bicycling in Asbury Park!

CITY HOPES GRANT FUNDING WILL HELP IMPROVE TRAFFIC SAFETY

APPLICATIONS BEING MADE FOR TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES ALONG 3RD & 4TH AND MEMORIAL DRIVE IMPROVEMENTS

By Michelle Gladden

Memorial Drive

“Asbury Park was recognized as Safe Routes to School Gold Community this year,” Manzella said. “We think this distinction makes a good case for us to receive this funding which will help reduce speeding and improve pedestrian and cyclist safety on Third and Fourth Avenues in the vicinity of the Bradley Elementary School.”

August 31, 2018August 30, 2018

News: Asbury Park Sun Covers Transportation Improvements

Among many improvements in the city, the Main Street Road Diet is probably the most controversial, especially at this time while the construction is well underway. There is much more happening in the city, and The AP Sun has it covered right here!

ASBURY PARK TRANSPORTATION

OVERVIEW SNAPSHOTS ROAD IMPROVEMENT, A SPRINGWOOD AVE BUS ROUTE, BIKE & CARE SHARING, VALET PARKING & METER UPDATES

By Michelle Gladden

“Main Street Road Diet

• The NJDOT is reportedly ahead of schedule on improvements to the state-owned Main Street. Utility relocation is ongoing, concrete work, which includes curb ramps and sidewalks, started at the north end of the project and has reached Fifth Avenue.

• Traffic signal installation has just begun at the north end.

• The Deal Lake Drive portion of Route 71 is expected to be paved by year’s end

• The entire stretch of Main Street is expected to be completed by late 2019.

“It is important to understand that any project of this magnitude on a busy commercial corridor is going to be disruptive,” Manzella said. “When it is complete, the City will have new streets, sidewalks, and traffic signals for our Main Street.”

No Helmets-No Problem. Building A Cycling City

Building The Cycling City, out just this week on Island Press, is a tour of Dutch bicycling culture that attempts to “extract lessons that can be applied to other cities, including, yes, American cities.”

For anyone interested in how we can create a city that’s safe for bicyclists-and for everyone-this book and interview will be a great read. The interview with the authors, Chris and Melissa Bruntlett is illuminating and positive. Helmets are not necessary in a city with infrastructure designed for the safety of all users, not mainly for expediting automobile traffic.

Does this sound familiar? Excerpt:

“The American stereotype of the Netherlands is that they’ve got it all figured out; they do everything right. But your book makes it clear that everybody was not always on the same page. There were political battles.”

Chris Bruntlett

One of the things we heard repeatedly when we got back was, “That would never work here, our city’s different.” We would always say, “well, every Dutch city is different!”

No helmets, no problem: how the Dutch created a casual biking culture

A chat with the authors of a new book on cycling in the Netherlands.

By David Roberts Aug 28, 2018

Asbury Park Complete Streets Coalition

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