Episode 22: Transitized: Chicago transit, bikes, pedicabs

I sat down with Shaun Jacobsen, Chicago resident and author of the local blog, Transitized.  We learn about the city's transit system which consists mostly of elevated trains, a comprehensive network of slow buses running in mixed traffic, and an infant bike network consisting mostly of sharrows and "weasel lanes". Shaun explains how to redesign our streets for people and tells us where to find the money we're always told we don't have (hint: stop expanding highways and subsidizing car parking). Minku Sharma of the Vegan Pedicab Podcast is back in the second half to talk more about transit, street design and our pedicab experiences (including the big tire blowout).

This week's music is provided by the Weakerthans from Winnipeg.

Visit criticaltransit.com to find out more, follow the blog, make a donation or sponsor an episode to support this work and my ongoing Sustainable Transport Tour.  Spread the word and follow my work on facebook and twitter.  Please contact me if I may be passing through your city, or if you have suggestions on places to go or people to meet.

Transit & Chicago's United Center

Last night I visited the United Center -- home arena for the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team, Bulls basketball team and many concerts -- for the first time. While I was mainly there to drive a pedicab, I did take note of the transportation network as I am known to do. What struck me most about the United Center is its poor access to transportation facilities. It is located two miles west of downtown and surrounded by giant parking lots (the grey areas on the map).

Even though it was built only 20 years ago, in one of the largest cities in North America, no provision was made for a rapid transit connection. The closest station is Illinois Medical District on the Blue Line but that's a pedestrian unfriendly 15 minute walk (from parking lots to an expressway median). The Pink Line travels within two blocks of the stadium but does not stop nearby.

The CTA runs a bus shuttle before and after the game -- Route 19, United Center Express -- to the downtown area for rapid transit and regional transportation connections. Yesterday there were four articulated buses staged to load as the game ended. That's a capacity of only 400 people. What about the rest of the 20,000 attendees?

It seems that, as a direct result of this built environment, most of them drive. There is no incentive to visit anything nearby and thus no disincentive to driving. In fact, both of the pedicab rides I got after the game were to nearby parking lots.

The developer of the stadium should have been required to build a Pink Line station on Madison Street, make pedestrian improvements on the route to the Blue Line, and pay for increased service before and after the game. I don't know if they pay for the bus shuttle but experience elsewhere suggests it's unlikely. The Prudential Center in Newark, NJ is an example of a stadium built recently with no parking facilities and funding for transit service.

Episode 21: Bikes & Pedicabs in Chicago

I've arrived in Chicago!  First up is my good friend and fellow bike nerd and pedicab driver, Minku Sharma, host of the Vegan Pedicab Podcast. We talk winter biking, rickshaws and other transportation related matters.

Enjoy our thoughts on some current events including the ongoing New York City school bus drivers strike (Citizen Radio), privatization of public services and parking meters, car sharing, red light cameras. We explain why bike advocates should not be excited about Obama's nominee for Secretary of the Interior and why it makes no sense to prevent his new Chief of Staff from biking to work.  The Colorado Supreme Court recently struck down one town's attempt to ban bicycling.

Please visit criticaltransit.com, follow me on Twitter @JeremyInTransit, at like the facebook page. Please support my Sustainable Transport Tour fundraising campaign on Indiegogo if you get something from this show and want to see it get even better and more frequent.

Protected (and unplowed) bike lane in downtown Chicago

I was happy to see this nice protected bike lane in the Chicago Loop today. Upon first glance it seems to be well designed, for two-way traffic with special signals and decent separation from motor vehicles. Unlike the Manhattan experience, nobody was walking in this lane when I rode through.

The only problem is that the city apparently forgot to clear the snow, which is unfortunate because it feeds the myth that you can't bike in the winter. It's clear that people are using this lane though.

UPDATE: Well, I guess it's not so well designed or enforced. Note the bicyclist in front of the cab arguing with the driver and passengers.

Many more posts are coming from Chicago but for now I'm just happy to see snow again. If you have any suggestions for post topics, including places I should go or people I should meet, please share.

Episode 19: Time's Up bike activism, driving a pedicab, and the big tour announcement

After a brief recap of my experience driving a pedicab in Washington, DC during the presidential inauguration, I stopped by the Time's Up bike coop in Brooklyn to chat with Keegan about how bike activists can create the change we want to see in the city. Time's Up is an all-volunteer grassroots direct action environmental organization working to ensure access to safe, sustainable, affordable transportation for everyone. Get involved with Time's Up by joining rides, fixing bikes, and helping and networking with other activists in the broader struggle for social and economic justice. Learn more about bicycles, rickshaws and social justice from the Vegan Pedicab Podcast.

Lastly, an exciting announcement about the future of the show as a component of my sustainable transport tour.  The next stop is Chicago.  Please get in touch if you have anything to share with readers and listeners, and consider supporting my upcoming fundraising campaign if you like the idea and enjoy learning about sustainable transportation.

Episode 17: conversation in transit with Brock Dittus from The Sprocket Podcast, regional connections

I hopped on a train from Boston to Providence last week with Brock Dittus from The Sprocket Podcast. On the return train we got out the microphones and had an interesting chat about bikes, buses, trains, slow travel between cities, suburban sprawl and much more. Brock mentioned Tri-Met of Portland, the Lower Columbia Community Action Project which provides limited rural transit service in Washington state on a shoestring budget, and Transportland cargo bikes. Thanks to Josh Zisson from Bike Safe Boston for loaning Brock a superb single-speed bicycle.

At the end of the show I share an experience where a connection between LRTA and MBTA was practically useless due to lack of information. A great example of an inter-agency regional transit connection is the Coastal Link operated jointly by Bridgeport, Milford and Norwalk transit agencies on the Connecticut shore line. This decade-old route fills a gap in a retail-oriented suburban area and is part of a a series of local bus routes running from the New York line to the Rhode Island line.

Episode 16: Livable Streets with Charlie Denison

While in Boston I sat down with Charlie Denison, Advocacy Committee Chair of the Livable Streets Alliance, a local network of sustainable transportation advocates. We discuss the latest in the ongoing effort to redesign our transport networks to serve all users and shift the balance away from car oriented development. Charlie is a multimodal transit user and passionate advocate for safer and more inviting streets where everyone can coexist peacefully. Find out more about the Livable Streets Alliance and read Charlie's blog on the Somerville Patch.

Episode 14: parking, land use and transit with Rachel Weinberger

Parking is a very important factor in urban design and transport mode choice, yet is frequently overlooked as cities consider it part of zoning codes rather than transportation infrastructure. Sustainable transportation consultant Rachel Weinberger joins me to explain the connections between parking, transit and the urban environment. The costs of driving are not only heavily subsidized by all levels of government but also bundled into the costs of goods and services in the public and private sectors. As a result, the provision of free or cheap parking (and the perceived endless need for it) promotes driving and makes it more difficult to walk or use other transport modes. We also talk about her work on the original PlaNYC and other transportation politics and trends.

Find out more about Rachel Weinberger by reading her research papers and and in coverage on Streetsblog.

Please send questions, comments and suggestions for future topics or guests to feedback@criticaltransit.com.

No Turn on Red

One of the most dangerous laws in the United States is the provision permitting drivers to turn right on a red light. It was one of a few terrible 1970s policy changes, along with raising highway speed limits from 55 to 65 mph, which pretended to reduce gasoline use and emissions during the US gasoline shortage. Environmental awareness began increasing at that time but even today most people don't recognize that anything you do to make driving easier and faster actually encourages more driving. The theory of induced traffic demand shows that adding motor vehicle capacity or improving traffic flow is always going to increase traffic demand and congestion. Research by the Federal Highway Safety Administration confirms my experience:

While the law requires motorists to come to a full stop and yield to cross street traffic and pedestrians prior to turning right on red, many motorists do not fully comply with the regulations. Motorists are so intent on looking for traffic approaching on their left that they may not be alert to pedestrians on their right. In addition motorists usually pull up into the crosswalk to wait for a gap in traffic, blocking pedestrian crossing movements. In some instances, motorists simply do not come to a full stop. ...

Prohibiting right turns on red will significantly improve pedestrian safety.

A common problem is that no turn on red signs are typically located on the far side location where they are less visible. Traffic signs and signals should always be located at the near side of the intersection, prior to the crosswalk, so that drivers have to stop before the crosswalk in order to see when the signal changes to green. If an advance stop line is used the signals should be placed so that motorists stop there.

Fifth bicyclist killed in Boston this year, by another large vehicle

Another bicyclist was killed this week on another dangerous street. Boston Biker reports that a tractor-trailer made a right turn from the left of two motor vehicle lanes. This was a right-hook, where a vehicle abruptly and improperly turns right in front of another vehicle (usually a bike or skater), except that in this case the turn would be totally unexpected. Because trucks make very wide turns, the typical bicyclist would probably "know" that the truck was going straight by the time it began its turn. At that point, if the bicyclist is traveling more than 10 mph, it's too late to jam on the brakes or execute an emergency right turn. The truck driver in this case was using the correct lane positioning but nothing else is known about his actions. If the truck driver absolutely could not avoid this turn by using a safer route, the proper procedure would be to signal, enter the intersection and wait until the signal changes to red and traffic stops, then slowly make the turn, giving time for anyone not expecting the turn to stop or get out of the way. Most large vehicle drivers have a tendency to complete the turn as quickly as possible to avoid blocking traffic.

Situations like this happen because most drivers have not been on a bike in recent memory, and many bicyclists have not learned as much as they should about traffic safety. That's why I argue so strongly against misguided "safety" campaigns that engage in victim blaming and pushing helmets. We should instead be using our resources for real safety improvements like educating people on how to avoid and deal with emergency situations. What if cities and towns provided free bicycle traffic safety education workshops, covering topics like What Cyclists Need to Know About Trucks? And how about eliminating the double standard where cars are allowed to ignore the laws they don't like, while bikes are singled out among modes for their own selective obedience to traffic laws? As long as cars continue to dominate our cities and kill several people a day, usually without even a citation, others will continue to be killed.