Sustainable Transportation

Comment

Comment by Rob Olason on May 10, 2010 at 8:05pm

Is anybody participating in the everybody bikes event this May? I would like to join a team--or start one. We talk the talk, now it's time to bike the walk.

If you are a bike commuter, let's form a Transition Whatcom team--or two-as a way to draw attention to the activity of bike commuting and also the Transition movement!

Comment by Renata Beata Kowalczyk on May 1, 2010 at 12:35pm

WTA is voting the cuts in bus services! here is a link to the article at Bellinghma Herald describing the dillema WTA is faced with where only Bellingham voted overwhelmingly YES to Prop 1, the rest of cities in the county voted NO. Public hearing is scheduled for May 13th. We need to be there!
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2010/05/01/1411066/after-tax-propos...

Comment by Cindi Landreth on April 27, 2010 at 6:34pm

Hi all - I just wanted to share this great article to help vision into the future for more sustainable modes of transport.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/04/27-0

Comment by Juliet Thompson on April 27, 2010 at 11:18am

Werner Brog presentation about Bellingham's current of bicycle trips - he is great, if you have a chance to go, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
"Great News, and a Puzzle or Two, from Whatcom Smart Trips"


Photo courtesy of Smart Trips

Wednesday, April 28th
6:30pm
RE Sources' Sustainable Living Center, 2309 Meridian Street, Bellingham
Free

The results are in! As a community, we're making more of our trips by walking, bicycling and riding the bus. Join Whatcom Smart Trips for a presentation followed by small group discussions of survey data showing changes in Bellingham residents' travel habits from 2004 to 2009.

Survey data will be presented by Werner Brög, Managing Director of Socialdata (the firm that completed the survey research) and an international expert in travel behavior. The data shows remarkable differences in the trips of Bellingham residents-depending on which side of the freeway they live on. Following the presentation will be a brainstorming session: how can we help residents overcome obstacles to making more Smart Trips?

This event is co-sponsored by RE Sources.

Comment by Gary P. Malick on April 21, 2010 at 9:57am

I can go that evening, I have commented at a city council meeting but not a county one, if anybody has some tips or advice on doing this let me know, like do you have to provide anything ahead of time etc.. let me know directly if you don't want to clog up the wall

Comment by David Waugh on April 20, 2010 at 10:45pm

It would be a good idea for at least some of this group to show up for that. I see drivers being ignorant or driving dangerously around bikes too often.

Comment by Juliet Thompson on April 20, 2010 at 7:40pm

Hello,
The next opportunity to tell County Council that this bridge has been a problem for years is April 27th at 7 pm in Council Chambers during the public comment period. Maybe it would make an impression if everyone showed up?? Anyone? Could the bicyclist be invited also, Gary?

Comment by Juliet Thompson on April 20, 2010 at 7:31pm

Gary's comment from this morning:
Morning all
so on my bike ride in today where I ride over the infamous bridge over the railroad tracks on Marine drive ( if you don't know it it has both a curve and a crown and no shoulder) I was passed by a car thankfully wide enough to not put me in danger but they failed to see the other bike heading towards us and caused him to go slightly off the side catch his wheel on the edge of the road and tumble into the street, ouch !! he was banged up a bit but ok. The car didn't stop.
Why I am bringing this up is I recall this very type of incident caused an death a few years ago and a law was passed in this state making it illegal for vehicles to pass a bicycle when one was coming in the other direction. Do any of you know about this law?? I would love for some public service announcements, bulletin boards etc.. to make more drivers aware of the dangers. There was a big campaign in the last few years about passing trucks maybe we can get the same for bikes?? Ideas....

Gary, and all, I hope you don't mind that I posted your comment to the site. Gary it sounds like you might have provided aid to the injured cyclist. It's pretty upsetting that this happens, then the driver keeps going, not knowing what happened to the human being they plastered to the pavement.
This location is outside of the city limits, so any comments would have to be addressed to the County Public Works office. I will check their site now and see if there is a person we can contact. There is also a county Bicycle Ped Advisory Committee - this event should be reported to them. In terms of the law you mention, I don't know about it, I hope someone can research it and find out.

Comment by Alys Kennedy on March 9, 2010 at 9:58am

Hi Sandy, I checked out the concept of the Smart Jitney system. I personally do not think it would work for many of us. For example, when I go to town, which I try my best to only do once a week, I have numerous errands and maybe appointments to take care of. This entails good timing and many stops. I do my best to make sure that as I execute a town trip I do not backtrack. And, I also do my best to time it so I can get home in a reasonable amount of time, and in the winter, in time to be here to shut my chickens up. If I had to depend on others to pick me up and take me to each of my destinations I do not think I could accomplish as much as I do in one day, so then that would mean I would have to go to town more frequently, which in turn would be counter productive to my goal of just going to town one day a week, which gives me the time I need to be here to take care of chickens, grow baby chickens, take care of my garden, etc. Also, I live in a rather out of the way area, and on the reservation, so I would not always be amenable to taking rides from people I did not know. Furthermore, I often have to pick up things such as a bale of straw, large bales of wood chips, large bags of chicken feed, fencing materials, etc. What I need is to come up with an alternative transportation method that does not always require my using my car. I would love it if someone would invent a really good powered bike like vehicle; one that had a bit of protection from inclement weather and had the capacity to pull a large load and travel more than 12 miles, which is about the max I have found for powered bikes at this point. Also, it would need to be older or handicapped person friendly. Another objection I would have, personally, to the concept of the Smart Jitney system, as I see it, is the fact that there are some pretty serious control issues involved. I do not think things like being ticketed without even knowing it or having someone being able to track you without you constantly is a good idea. We would be giving up our freedom just to save on gas, electricity, and/or help the environment. I think there are better ways to do the latter. Also, I do not like the concept of having to have a cell phone constantly with me. I currently do not have a cell phone for the simple fact that I like living simply and cell phones require many things that are contraindictive to simpilicity....they require many manufacturing issues related to oil! There has to be something that we can do that will allow us to maintain our freedom, individuality, and cover our needs at the same time. People traveled the world for centuries without being tracked, and they did not create the kinds of messes we have in our modern world regarding the environment and the need to rely on a finite substance....course there were far fewer people then.....................................OK, I have gone far enough for now!

Comment by Sandy Hoelterhoff on March 6, 2010 at 10:56am

I've been intrigued for years by the idea of a Smart Jitney system. I think it addresses Alys' comment about a need for more than bikes as alternative transportation. It certainly has it's limitations and probably at best would aid in the transition. But it would be a great first step to making sure our car trips are more efficient.
See http://www.communitysolution.org/rideshare.html for more information on this idea.

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• Next ›
• Page