Newark makes the case for Red Light Cameras

The facts speak for themselves. Despite a strong push to eliminate red light cameras here in New Jersey and elsewhere, crashes are down where red light cameras have been installed in Newark. Not only that but after the cameras have been up for a while, even the number of violations are down which seems to demonstrate a change in driver behavior and that's even more important. 

Well maybe I should just let the video speak for itself and for the City of Newark.

What We Do With Our Streets Will Change Our Future: Paul Steely White

Paul Steely White of New York City's Transportation Alternatives, makes the argument that how we shape the use of our streets will shape the use and health of our cities.   Filmed at TEDxDumbo 2012, a TEDxCity2.0 event, October 2012.  Enjoy!

Hawaii Bicycling League produces a perfect bicycle PSA for New Jersey

If you ride even a little bit on New Jersey's roads, it doesn't take long to realize that New Jersey drivers need a major education regarding the rights bicyclists' have to use the roadway.  They also need a good lesson or two on the safe and proper way to pass bicyclist riding in the road.  After seeing a motorcycle safety PSA play repeatedly all last summer on News 12 New Jersey, it dawned on me that a PSA focused on bicycling safety would be the perfect means to reach and educate the general public.

Fortunately, the Hawaii Bicycling League has already produced a close to perfect 30 second PSA that teaches exactly what New Jersey drivers also need to learn.  Take a look above.  All we would have to do is take out the "Aloha" greeting with the much more typically New Jersey "How ya' doin'?" and have cyclist ride past some iconic New Jersey landmarks and I think we would have a winner!

Maybe we could even get Prudential Insurance, headquartered in Newark, to underwrite the production.  SERIOUSLY!

Mahalo to Chad Taniguchi, Executive Director Hawaii Bicycling League for personally sharing the link to their most excellent PSA.

Two new videos feature East Coast Greenway in Newark and Cranford

Better news from the East Coast Greenway this go around.  Two new videos from the East Coast Greenway Alliance (ECGA) feature sights that one can see as you travel along the East Coast Greenway in the towns of Newark and Cranford New Jersey.

In the first video from Newark you will hear about the history of Weequahic Park in the south of Newark (it once housed a Velodrome) and you will get a glimpse of the well engineered road diet and bike lanes on Irvine Turner Blvd that the ECGA was instrumental in getting built.  Not only does the bike lane on Irvine Turner provide a critical bicycle connection between Downtown Newark and the Weequahic section of the city, it is also the first bike lane built on a street managed by Essex County and will surely act as a model to be repeated elsewhere in the county.


View Irvine Turner Blvd Bike Lanes in Larger Map

The second video is less eyeopening from a bicycle advocacy perspective but still VERY eyeopening demonstrating the beauty of Cranford which is representative of many of the older pre-war New Jersey suburbs.

Enjoy!

People for Bikes "If I Ride" video seen on major network TV

It was in the wee hours of the morning.  The 4:30am edition of WABC Eyewitness News was already on.  Dealing with a bout of insomnia I couldn't believe what I was seeing.  I had to do a double take!

But low and behold there it was.  The People for Bikes "If I Ride" video was on major network TV asking all that would see it in the Metro New York area to make the pledge for a better future for cycling in America.  You should too!

Enjoy the video below if you haven't seen it before.  It was edited for a 30 second TV spot and the narration ends right before you hear "If I ride, I can wear Spandex like Spiderman,"  (Thank God they cut it off before that line!).


Please take note of what real bicycle amenities look like, as every scene in this video was shot in Portland.

VideoTrailReviews.com - Like Streetfilms for NJ Mt. Biking

I just stumbled across this excellent website, VideoTrailReviews.com which gives web viewers exactly what the title advertises; great video reviews of the mountain bike trails on the East Coast but mostly here in New Jersey.  Manny Lugo, the creator of the website and most of the short films on the site, focuses primarily on hot spots for mountain biking but there are some exceptions.

I found the videography and editing to be superb and pretty much on par with the more famous Streetfilms.  While this is in part due to the amazing capabilities of the small, new helmet mounted cameras, it is also obvious the Manny knows how to get the most out of this and the rest of his equipment.  The "rider's eye" shots are very well composed and really capture the essence, pure speed and thrill of biking sweet New Jersey singletrack.  You really feel like your on the bike, threading your way through the trees!  Plus, his highly professional post production and choice of background music make for great fast pace entertainment.  Before you know it, the two to three minute videos are quickly over and you are left wanting more or better yet, wanting to get out on the bike even if it is 2am in the morning!

Here are two examples of Manny's work at VideoTrailReviews.com:

Six Mile Run Reservoir, NJ from VideoTrailReviews.Com on Vimeo.

Saddle River Pathway - NJ from VideoTrailReviews.Com on Vimeo.

Great Dutch video shows "Cycling for Everyone"

Streetsblog SF picked up on this yesterday.

The Dutch Cycling Embassy (actual webpage not yet operational) a new effort by the Dutch government to share their expertise about cycling with the world, released this 7 minute plus video to announce the launching of the embassy.

Just a couple of notes:

• "Cycling for everyone" I believe was first coined by New Jersey's and Rutgers University's own John Pucher in a ground breaking report he and Ralph Buehler wrote a few years ago.
• Our friends at NJ TRANSIT could learn a few things about bike/transit integration starting at time-stamp 2:43 (but they can close there ears when the narrator mentions "small fee").  All the ideas shown in the video are discussed in my report A Review and Critique of NJ TRANSIT Bicycle Access Policies (and facilities).
• Check out the spectacular bike/ped bridge at the end of the video.  If you ever rode over a bridge like this, like I have in Germany, you would never be satisfied with the caged over "cattle chutes" that pass for bike/ped bridges here in NJ.

Enjoy this great video!


Cycling For Everyone from Dutch Cycling Embassy on Vimeo.

Driver assaults 50+ cyclists in Brazilian Critical Mass ride

Two riders in critical condition

I've not always been a big fan of the way some Critical Mass rides have been executed.  My take is that these rides should be very passive, follow all vehicle laws and take only one traffic lane when there are several to choose from.  I am not sure what the case was here and I am also not familiar with the way Brazilian law handles bicyclists so I can't add anything else except that I'm really surprised that this hasn't happened during any U.S. Critical Mass as of yet.



The video above is the version that actually includes footage of the attack that happened this past weekend.  It is all very violent and graphic so be warned!  I've embedded this version (there are less graphic edits) because I feel that it is critically important for people to understand the violence that an automobile is capable of perpetrating.  This is also one of the rare video examples of a car crashing into one or more cyclists and I again feel that it is important for all people understand how violent a car / bicycle crash really is.

The primary lesson that we should take from this tragedy is that there is little difference between the potential violence and carnage that can be perpetrated using an assault weapon or an automobile. This video is proof of that and it's time that our laws acknowledge this reality!

Such a horrible event saddens all of us at WalkBikeJersey and we wish (and pray) for nothing but the best  for all the victims of this savage attack.

WBJ was made aware of this incident from Streetsblog LA.  More info about the tragedy can be found there.

Videos you can use - Moving Beyond the Automobile: Bicycling

Streetfilms is currently in the midst of a great series called Moving Beyond the Automobile and this weeks installment is focused on bicycling. I figured I'd share it with you all as a bit of fodder to feed your excitement for this Saturday's Bike and Walk Summit.



One note:  It's a shame that of all the towns talked about, there is not one mention of anyplace in New Jersey.  Heck!  Even Columbus, Ohio gets a prop!  Well, then again, I don't think that Philly is mentioned either but it would still be nice to have a town in our state that was at the forefront of this movement to be noticed.

Videos you can use - Feb 11, 2011

Again, I don't like to just rehash content that is already out there on the web without at least a little analysis but the following two videos that were featured on Streetsblog NYC are just too good and pertinent not to share.

The first is a look at the different view the media and law enforcement has of cyclists and of the drivers that hit them in the Netherlands. Clarence's analysis of the differences is spot on and needs no further comment so take a look at what he has to say here.



Also, and maybe even more relevant to New Jersey, is this video meant to counteract some of the national push-back on Red Light Cameras. The video has it's very disturbing moments, so be warned. There is a bit of irony since much if not all of the video of the crashes seem to have been shot on Red Light Cameras (tragically ironic, really since the cameras didn't seem to help those victims). Again Streetsblog's analysis along with that of the commenters just about says it all.

Streetfilms: Snow piles as de facto traffic calming

With all the snow on the ground for the past two months, one can't help but notice how all the piles of snow on the streets have been acting as de facto bulb-outs and neck-downs. I've been meaning to go out a document this in my neighborhood but today I came across this great video by Clarence at Streetfilms.  So why bother trying to reinvent the wheel when an expert such as Clarence has done such a great job demonstrating the principle already.  Enjoy!



BTW, Clarence is a really great guy and a good friend of Kerri down at Second Life Bikes in Asbury Park.

Roundabout video shows locals eating "Humble Pie"

This is a great, well edited but simple video of a well designed roundabout and of all the locals residents admitting that all their strong doubts about the project were entirely unfounded.  The location is Glens Falls, NY.  While this is primarily a project to benefit motorized traffic, there are still a great deal of pedestrian amenities like bump-outs and streetscaping not clearly shown in this video, around the roundabout and down the main street.  It would be curious to see what people's reactions would have been if the video interviewed a whole bunch of locals after a (pedestrian zone, woonerf / shared space / play street, bike lane, traffic calming, shared use path, etc. - choose one) was installed that was never intended to solve a traffic flow problem. That would be much more interesting, indeed.

Also, I wonder if that being from up state New York has anything to do with people willing to admit that they were wrong.  If you threw in a little "Jersey Attitude," would it change people's opinions of the end results?



If your curious to see what the intersection looked like prior to the change, this Google aerial image shows what it once looked like.  Then to compare, you can go to the Streetsview and see what it looks like today while you take a virtual drive through the roundabout.  The transformation is incredible and exceptionally well done (bike lanes?)!