National Transportation Safety Board: Speed kills. The numbers.

 NTSB Aims to Reduce Speeding-Related Crashes

The study links speeding to 112,580 passenger vehicle highway crash fatalities between 2005-2014.  To put that number in perspective, nearly the same number of people – 112,948 – died in alcohol-involved crashes in the same period.

Despite this sobering statistic, speeding has few negative social consequences compared to the consequences of an arrest or conviction for driving under the influence. The study further notes that although drivers are aware that speeding is a threat to safety, they also acknowledge it is a common driving behavior in the US.

Sobering statistics:

https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/PR20170725b.aspx

Looking For Input For The Plan for Walking and Biking

Looking For Input For The Plan for Walking and Biking

The City of Asbury Park was awarded a Local Technical Assistance grant from the NJ Department of Transportation to conduct a Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan for the City on April 18, 2017.  NJDOT assigned consultant WSP to lead the development of the plan.  Steering committee meetings, focus groups, public meetings and a public input “WikiMap” are the community outreach efforts for the project.  The goal is to produce a comprehensive plan for pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure that is achievable and serves ALL residents of the Asbury Park community – all ages and abilities.

Provide Your Input!
Visit: http://tinyurl.com/APBikePedPlan
Community input and support are critical to
create a successful plan and a more walkable and
bikeable Asbury Park. An interactive online map
is available to allow members of the community
to provide input and comments at any time.
Help us identify:
»
Corridors and/or spots in need of
improvement
»
Desired pedestrian corridors
»
Desired bike routes and bike parking
»
Upload photos and provide other comments

 

http://www.cityofasburypark.com/topic/index.php?topicid=93&structureid=87

Teaching Law Enforcement Officers How to Ride a Bike in Traffic

 

“The real power of this course is its dual approach: classroom discussion helps officers become more aware of the motor vehicle code as it applies to bicyclists. Then, getting the officers on bikes gives them a real taste of how the world looks from the saddle…”

Over the past few weeks, the NJBWC educated nearly 150 law enforcement officers in 50 police departments from seven New Jersey counties in the rules of the road for bike riders. The course, “Title 39: A Bike’s-Eye View,” was created and taught by Les Leathem, NJBWC Education Coordinator. It consists of classroom learning, skills building maneuvers on bikes, and a group ride on local roads. The officers were asked to be in plain clothes and to leave their duty belts home.

The purpose is to help the officers understand how traffic law relates to bike riders, and to give them first-hand experience of what most of us who ride regularly already know: the road is very different when you are on a bike. The course, funded by the NJ Division of Highway Traffic Safety, was held in locations in Atlantic, Hudson, Monmouth, Ocean, Passaic, and Union Counties in May and June.

While New Jersey law gives bicycle riders the same rights and duties as drivers of motor vehicles, many police officers, not being riders themselves, do not have the perspective of traffic from the bike rider’s view; they are not aware of how traffic looks to a bicyclist. They also don’t fully understand the challenges bicyclists face in dealing with motorists.

http://njbwc.org/teaching-law-enforcement-officers-ride-bike-traffic/?utm_source=June+2017+Newsletter&utm_campaign=June+2017+newsletter&utm_medium=email

Property Values Boosted by Bike Lanes

This article evaluates the connection between the establishment of bike lanes and increase in commercial property value.  The conversation continues about whether bike lanes lead to gentrification.  We contend that safe street infrastructure does not lead directly to gentrification, but rather that gentrification often happens at the same time as road infrastructure is improved.

Blame it on the bike: does cycling contribute to a city’s gentrification?

 A cyclist rides down a newly painted bike lane on Knickerbocker Avenue.

The link between street improvements like bike lanes and pedestrian plazas and a subsequent jump in property values is no secret.

Bike lanes and the gentrification they symbolize, have caused tensions in cities across the country and drawn fire from critics like Jeremiah Moss, blogger behind “Vanishing New York” who said they’re a tool used by mayors to “spur and reinforce gentrification.”

While protected bike lanes have proven to decrease injuries for cyclists and pedestrians, they’ve also been linked to an increase in retail sales, according to a 2014 report from the Department of Transportation.

 

https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20170713/bushwick/bike-lane-property-bushwick-gentrification-lane-bikes-rent-sales-price

Mayor John Moor of Asbury Park: Commitment to Climate

Thank you Mayor Moor!

Mayor John Moor has joined the US Climate Mayors pledge, a commitment signed by over 350 American Mayors to uphold the Paris Climate Agreement and combat climate change.

In the last decade or so, bicycle transport has been catching on.

Top 5 Ways to Save the Planet with Bicycles

http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-tech/sustainable/5-ways-bicycles.htm

“On average, Americans commute about 32 miles (51 kilometers) a day roundtrip, and most of that commuting is done in cars. Some people (like the ones belting out Journey at the wheel) find those car hours relaxing, a temporary refuge from the outside world. Others describe their commute in less favorable terms, citing frustration, nervousness and even rage.

Personal automotive experiences aside, since cars have serious drawbacks for the planet, for society and for the individual, alternative modes of transportation are gaining increasing amounts of attention. While many focus on alternative power like ethanol or hydrogen, some of the ecologically minded are pushing a whole other power source: the human body. It’s a profoundly clean way of generating energy.”

 

http://www.cityofasburypark.com/egov/doc…

Inline image 1