Here are some pics of the cargo bikes from this weekend's Chicago Bike Swap. Questions? Need a cargo bike? Comment on this post or visit Chicago Cargo Bike Roll Call.
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Crashes are not accidents; they are preventable, as NYPD finally realizes.
With all the dangerous and arrogant behavior I see from car drivers every day, it's amazing that crashes are still considered accidents. It may sound like semantics, but it's important because it's an example of how our car culture manifests itself in law enforcement. In most cases the police will take the driver's word as the truth without even talking to the bicyclist or any witnesses. Every crash is preventable, even according to the DMV. As a vehicle operator you have a responsibility to pay attention and exercise due care, which means scanning for hazards and being prepared to stop if necessary.
There may be no better example of how our car culture impacts policing that the relationship between cyclists and police. Most police officers spend entire shifts in cars, with the exception of walking short distances to/from their car, and most of them live outside of the cities where they work. They tend to suffer from the "windshield perspective", lacking an understanding of what it's like to bike or walk among car traffic.
Things have been so bad in New York City that the police routinely announce "no criminality suspected" without even investigating. The total lack of traffic law enforcement there means that if you inure kill someone while driving your car over the speed limit through red lights and onto sidewalks, it's okay as long as you stay on the scene and aren't drunk. Surely you didn't mean it, right? No criminality suspected.
Those three words will become less common as the New York Police Department, pressed by the City Council, expands its (newly renamed) Collision Investigation Squad to investigate any crash with a serious injury as determined by the emergency medical responders. While they should really be investigating all crashes involving non-motorists, this is a good start and a promising change for the city's least responsive agency. Hopefully it represents a growing understanding among NYPD brass of the significance of traffic crimes, and maybe -- just maybe -- we will start to see some enforcement for routine traffic crimes like red light violations, reckless driving ("speeding") and failure to yield the right of way, among many others.
Episode 24: bike emissions, road costs, segregation and stupid lawmakers
This might be called the idiot episode as take a few state legislators to task for being arrogant idiots: the Florida State Senator who wants buses out of his way at all costs, and the Washington State Representative who believes bicyclists' "increased respiration" causes emissions -- too bad they still have trees in Washington! (thanks Erik). It should help if I debunk the myth that drivers pay for our roads. Contrary to popular belief, most street funding comes from general revenue sources that everyone pays into. Unfortunately the myth in convenient for drivers who continue to demand more space/resources and push others off the streets. We're always told we have no money for transit and livable streets but the reality is we spend too much money for a broken transportation system that is inefficient and unsafe. Plus, we spend much of our money in the wrong places, like highways, big banks, endless oil wars, propping up foreign dictators, ... We have to change our ways before we completely destroy the planet and everyone on it. Rather than misguided, childish sequester (austerity) measures, we should be employing people in good jobs to rebuild the infrastructure that works and expand our transit, bike and pedestrian networks to serve everyone who needs to travel.
Minku from the Vegan Pedicab Podcast is back to add his thoughts and discuss an effort in Chicago to raise awareness about dooring. Local lawyer Jim Freeman calls auto safety standards to apply to people outside the vehicle, arguing that dooring could be eliminated by design.
The helmet of justice debuts to create a "black box" inside a bike/skate helmet. It's a shame we live in a society where we need video evidence because the police and courts automatically believe the car driver.
Israel steps back a few decades and introduces segregated buses in the West Bank. How will they enforce that? And haven't Palestinians been through enough hardship?
Atlanta legislators haven't learned the lessons of privatization (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) as they push to privatize parts of MARTA. Georgians for Better Transit organizes to fight back.
Nevada pretends to deal with unsafe streets by banning texting while walking ... or as it's better known, victim blaming.
Residential and commercial parking has many consequences -- listen to episode 14 for my interview with Rachel Weinberger -- including encouraging unnecessary car trips and leaving less space for useful activities such as housing. Parking makes cities more hostile to walking and biking and more difficult to serve with good transit. Cities should stop requiring developers to build car parking. We discuss one developer's legal battle to build 40 housing units without parking in a transit rich Boston neighborhood where half of households are car-free.
Let's stop pouring money into endless highway expansion, endless oil wars and ... the big banks! Occupy activist Jesse Myerson was interviewed on the Radio Dispatch to explaining the real reason New York's MTA is raising fares more than 10% every two years.
Thanks to the Progressive Podcast Australia for mentioning my work in their latest podcast on sustainable transportation, in which they discuss the links between transport and other political and cultural issues.
Bus priority: build it where we need it, on every route
It's a typical day in any business district. Lots of people are out shopping, eating and walking around. But getting there is made difficult as buses are delayed by all the cars that show up. If we really want to improve bus travel, we have to solve problems like this. Short of banning cars entirely (great!), charging significantly higher parking prices (perhaps the real cost of providing parking spaces) is a required first step to reduce the number of car trips. Then we can strategically remove parking spaces in certain spots to create "queue jump" lanes to allow buses to skip the line. Instead of putting all of our energy into nicely branded BRT lines -- typically only getting bus lanes where they aren't really needed -- we should fix problem spots like this one on every transit route.
Fare Recovery & User Fees: Transit is not a business
Most people don't realize that only a few mass transit systems in the world can pay themselves through user fees. The typical fare recovery ratio (the amount of operating costs paid by fares) is 20 to 40 percent, lower if you include capital costs such as new vehicle and infrastructure.
You might argue that we should just raise fares, but when you do that, some people can't afford the increase and others could afford it but choose another mode anyway to save money. That's not because infrastructure for driving is cheaper to provide; it's most certainly not. The operating cost recovery ratio for state-maintained highways is around 50-70 percent -- much less if you include expansion (capital) costs -- because politics has prevented states from charging direct user fees and kept the only indirect revenue source (gas taxes) artificially low. That's actually quite poor considering that you're not paying drivers like transit agencies are. The cost recovery ratio for local streets is a big fat zero because those are funded entirely by local tax revenue that everyone pays. [The myth that drivers pay their fair share is a big problem because many drivers resent non-drivers who they believe don't pay for the roads and thus don't deserve safe streets.]
If transit were really a business whose users paid all of the capital and operating costs (plus profit), the fare would be so high that the system would see few riders and have to abandon all but a few key corridors. Those remaining corridors might be profitable, but only for service at the busiest times at the busiest stops. Don't expect any evening service because you couldn't afford what it would cost you.
On the other hand, if we were to switch to a purely libertarian system* and charge everyone for exactly the costs they inflict on the system, transit would cost very little and have very high ridership -- which would mean perpetual expansion, the opposite of the death spiral of fare increases, service cuts and declining ridership that most cities are experiencing today. In such a system, most people would bike at least sometimes because dramatic growth in the number of bicyclists would be complemented by rapid growth in safe cycling facilities.
That may be an impossible task, but we could start by making drivers pay their fair share. Then transit would no longer be more expensive than driving on subsidized roads to a free or cheap parking space.
* Note: I am not a believer in American political style Libertarianism, which promotes the absence of government involvement and regulation and usually manifests itself in the defense of corporate power. In reality, transportation is by definition a use of the commons because you cannot move about the public realm without a network of infrastructure on which to walk, wheel or operate a vehicle. That network is and clearly should be public. However, the different ways in which we each get around carry various tangible and intangible costs which we tend to ignore. Each one of us should think seriously about the impacts of our decisions on others. My experience with transportation demand management shows that the best way to promote behavioral changes beneficial to society (i.e. more efficient use of resources) would be to have everyone share the costs and benefits according to their own use.
Episode 23: Climate Rally & TransLink (Vancouver)
My first guest this week, Andrew Austin of Americans for Transit joins me to recap last weekend's Forward on Climate rally in Washington, DC. Andrew explains how public transportation is a critical part of the solution to climate change and how we must move forward by expanding transit and making existing transit more sustainable. I am also joined by Jhenifer Pabillano and Robert Willis, authors of The Buzzer blog, the "accessible face" TransLink in Vancouver, BC. TransLink is a diverse and proactive regional transportation agency and is one of the few operators of automated rail lines. They also operate the busiest bus route in North America, as well as electric trolley buses, motor buses, commuter rail and the SeaBus ferry. Learn about the operational benefits of automated trains, efforts to upgrade the 99 B-Line bus to higher capacity rail (see also my earlier post), why they are installing fare gates on an existing train line, and what they have in store for the future.
Want to learn more about TransLink or advice on transit planning and operations? Check out TransLink 101 for a great compilation of informative posts, and read about managing the network to improve its performance.
Daniel writes in from San Antonio, Texas, with information on intercity shuttle bus service provided by Texas State University at San Marcos which makes it possible to travel between Austin and San Antonio. Unfortunately it will be discontinued this summer, so go ride it and report back on your experience.
Please support my work if you get something from it. Follow the blog at CriticalTransit.com, on Facebook or Twitter, share it with your friends and colleagues, and contribute to my Sustainable Transport Tour if you are able to spare some funds or other useful things.
Guns & transit don't mix
The Illinois state legislature is debating a "concealed carry" bill that would allow people to carry guns in public. That's always good ... ignore all of the actual problems in this country -- over 15% of people unable to reliably afford food, housing and medical care; people being shot in schools and workplaces -- and claim that your childish desire is somehow an important matter on which to spend time and resources. I think I get it, your gun is a symbol of your manhood, and we can't deny you the "right" of expressing your manhood in public. But tell me again how you're going to calmly use it in a moment of chaos -- perhaps aboard a crush loaded bus -- to solve any situation? It's not happening. People still believe in the childhood fantasy that "a good guy with a gun" will solve all problems are smoking something which also should not be allowed on transit. The problem with sanctioning violence as a society is that we can't guarantee the good guy will always win.
We already have enough tension in crowded spaces, and everyday stress can make people act irrationally -- some people are so stressed that a simple fare dispute can cause them to assault an operator. In Mexico City there are shootings in traffic jams. Do you really want a George Zimmerman carrying a gun to "defend" his manhood when a "suspicious" young black man bumps into him by accident?
It's not hypothetical. In Dallas, shootings on DART vehicles and facilities have been more common than in other places. After one such incident, a DART spokesperson had this to say:
“I don’t really know what can be done; you have a right to carry in the state of Texas,” spokesman Mark Ball told KTVT-TV (Channel 11). “If there is anything in the future that we can possibly do, we’ll do it.”
If it's not illegal to carry a gun, how can police stop people from using guns?
The NRA is just trying to sell more guns. Rather than taking any of their arguments seriously, we need to be proactive (find ways to prevent violence), not reactive (merely respond to violence with more violence). Maybe some of our previous attempts haven't worked, but means we should keep trying new methods. Unfortunately the arbitrary fixation on the misunderstood second amendment doesn't help.
Want to be prepared in case you or another passenger is assaulted? Carry a bottle of pepper spray.
Chicago Elevated: unique, simple and complex
After three weeks I continue to be fascinated by the Chicago L system. The downtown area is known as "The Loop" because all of the trains* meet there. And while it's not unusual for a large old city to have a radial rail system, what is unique is that four of the six main lines circle the downtown on an elevated alignment known as The Loop. This type of infrastructure existed in most large American cities a century ago but remains in only a handful of places, with Chicago probably being the only city with elevated tracks still operating downtown (although some cities are building new elevated light rail lines). The Loop is a work of art but also a minor operational miracle. Each side of the rectangle has only two tracks with closely spaced stations. The CTA Green Line serves only two sides as it travels both west and south, while the Pink, Orange & Brown Lines (and the Purple Line in rush hours) use the Loop to turn around before returning to their other terminus.
The other lines (Red, Blue) pass under the Loop in two parallel subway tunnels and passengers can make the long vertical trip to transfer at Jackson or Lake.
This picture (courtesy of Chicago L user Graham Garfield) shows Green or Pink Line train entering the Loop at its northwest junction by traveling eastbound on Lake Street. In typical operation, trains approach the junction, wait for a signal, then cross oncoming traffic just like a car making a left turn on the street below. There is no space to layover and nowhere to pass a disable train, so a delay or broken switch can be a nightmare. Sometimes trains are sent around the loop a second time if an open drawbridge ahead prevents a train from exiting here.
When I say that just getting the buses and trains back to the garage at the end of the day is a feat in itself, this is the kind of stuff I'm talking. However, it's really cool looking into the buildings and out over the city when the turns makes its very tight turns.
* For this post I mean only rapid transit (subway/metro) trains. Because the transit systems were built be competing companies, as in most large cities, the regional rail and bus stations are located a short walk from the Loop. Also for the same reason, there are 12 regional rail lines operating from four different terminals, and intercity buses stop at a different terminal.
P. S. Have you been following me on Facebook and Twitter? Read my micro thoughts and some of my favorite of micro transport posts/tweets by others.
Biking is not a summer hobby
It's not just a seasonal sport. It's not about fitness. You can bike every day of the year in every place. Bikes are a transport mode to get from point A to point B.
Many cities pretend to support bicycling but really they're just trying to make the bike advocates be quiet: "We really wish we could but it's just too hard we just don't really want to". Few things do more to cement the perception of bicycling as solely a recreational hobby than prioritizing a parking spot or other driver amenity over safe bicycle facilities.
One of these things is the routine failure to clear bike lanes of snow. These same cities have always refused to clear walkways, instead "requiring" that abutting property owners clear snow and but declining to enforce this "requirement".
Grimlocke reminds us how Boston and surrounding cities only pretend to make biking safe.
Maybe some of the money going to cycling infrastructure should be funneled into clearing out our bike lanes during the winter months, rather than putting in new bike lanes that will only be available to us during the summer. It’s sad to know that this is a reflection of just how important cyclist safety is to the powers that be.
There can be no excuses. If there is too much snow, pick one of the thousands of lightly used car lanes to pile it in. Don't put it in one of the few and well used bike lanes.
Chicago's new L cars
I have been riding the elevated ("L") around Chicago over the past few weeks and recently had the chance to ride some of the new CTA rail cars. They look very similar to the old cars and have the same automated announcements and seat type, but they feature mostly longitudinal seating. This arrangement is preferably to the traditional layout (where most seats face the ends of the car) because it sacrifices a few seats to maximize standing capacity and circulation. That allows the car to carry more people and minimizes congestion as people get off and on.
Also notice the sign at the end of the cars which shows the next station as well as the date and time. This is the first in-vehicle sign that I've seen which has more than one line so hopefully that will become the norm. Displaying the time is incredibly useful for passengers looking to make connections, but what would be even more useful is real-time departure information for connecting routes. The technology is available to have the AVL system report information relevant to the next few stops based on your current location. On buses it could be located behind the driver's seat. I expect that we'll see this somewhere in the next few years.
There are currently 200 new cars operating, or about 15% of the fleet, with more on the way. All "L" cars are 9 feet wide but only 48 feet long because of the many tight curves in the system. That means they can only fit two doors per car, which limits capacity and increases dwell time. However, unlike in some other large cities, CTA can use any car on any line.