Again, courtesy of Angelina Lopez, Transit for Livable Communities’ Communications/Media Relations intern.  

A month ago, Fresh Energy’s Elena Velkov advocated increasing bus use for universities.  As a complement, I would like to share the work of some of my classmates at Macalester College to use transportation demand management principles to reduce parking requirements and demand at universities, colleges, and seminaries. (more…)

Angelina Lopez, TLC’s Media Relations & Communications intern offers the following thoughts on “mobility education.”

A new foundation based in Seattle has a brilliant idea:  replace the narrowly-focused traditional driver’s ed with mobility ed.  Mobility education, “addresses issues of safety, environment, health and economics by redefining our expectations about transportation and its consequences,” according to the Mobility Education Foundation.  By teaching youth how to use public transit, to effectively cycle, to be a responsible pedestrian, as well as how to drive, we can empower students to understand how their lifestyle choices influence the wellbeing of themselves, others, and global ecosystems.

When I was 15, I took driver’s ed.  What I remember most is the “Red Asphalt” films which showed the gory remains of car accident victims.  It used fear to try to instill a sense of the responsibility of driving 3-ton hunks of metal at high speeds.  In high school, I drove the 1½ miles to the school’s massive, overflowing parking lot. This distance would have equated to a 25 minute walk or a leisurely 10 minute bike ride.  I did not know bicycle etiquette, did not use public transportation, and was mostly sedentary.  Though I did not like to drive, emit, or spend money on gas, but I didn’t see that I had a real option.

This is where mobility education comes in.  It offers youth choices.  The foundation phrases it well:

While millions of dollars are spent every year trying, unsuccessfully, to change adult transportation habits, mobility education tackles those habits before they’ve fully formed, focusing on teen driver’s education courses as a point of intervention.

Mobility education empowers teens to make safe choices in a world where motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among people ages 4–33 …[it] instills healthy habits that make it possible for teens to protect the wellbeing of their bodies and the planet…  (From Mobility Education:  A four-point approach).

Instead of frightening youth into obeying traffic laws (the effectiveness of which is questionable anyway), we can showcase the benefits of multimodal personal transportation.  I use a bicycle to get most places.  I am healthier than I ever was, save money, and know my community more intimately.  Encouraging our youth to be aware of their transportation options and their interconnectedness equips them with tools to navigate the challenges of a globalized, climate-changing 21^st century.

Angelina Lopez is a junior at Macalester College. She’s currently Transit for Livable Communities’ Media Relations and Communications intern, and she’s also a very passionate transiteer (definition: lover and frequent user of transit). Check out her thoughts on Paris’ Velib. ~Katie

After I got home (Albuquerque, NM) for summer break from Macalester College last spring, I decided to radically reduce my driving and bike or use public transit. What began as a moral decision quickly became one of the most empowering and awakening changes I have made in my life. Never before had I understood the potential power of my body and my bicycle, nor had I conceptualized the heat (often upwards of 95°F) as less a discomfort than an aspect of my ‘habitat.’ I explored many side streets, learned to appreciate the distinct character of neighborhoods, and met engaged communities of people. Though I set out to reduce my carbon footprint, I stumbled upon a treasure trove of other benefits of biking. I’m not alone.

You can imagine why I think Paris’ new bicycle rental program couldn’t have picked a more appropriate name: Vélib, short for “vélo libre” or “vélo liberté”, translating to free bicycle or bicycle freedom. Thousands of specially designed bicycles await riders, who rent the bikes by swiping a credit card through the kiosk, accessing an individual account, and then pedaling off to their destination. To ensure that the bikes are returned, the company gets deposit authorization for 150 euros. The first half hour is free, with charges accruing by the half hour after that.

San Francisco and Portland have gotten attention for their interest in developing their own bicycle rental programs, though community shares and private rentals already exist in at least 38 U.S. states. If the 7.5 million miles already ridden by Parisians in the last three months are any indication, this inspired market-based innovation has major potential in U.S. cities to supply a mounting demand for solutions to pressing issues: climate change, congestion, obesity, community building, and smart (re)growth. Civil society and private enterprise have begun to make more bikes available to individuals. Now, it’s time for our legislators to step up to meet the growing need for safe bicycle routes.

American Public Media, a kissing-cousin of Minnesota Public Radio, has a new web feature out to measure your impact on the planet, called Consumer Consequences.  You enter some data about your lifestyle and it’ll tell you how many planet earths would be needed if everyone lived like you.

Sadly, I am sitting at a need for 3.3 planets for everyone to live like me.  My transportation choices are hurting me the most.  Food is the next highest, though being a vegetarian certainly helps there. 

There was a nice little silver lining though.  After you’ve gone through your life and compared it to others, you can also adjust a few government policies.  Turns out, if we upped car gas milage and implemented global warming solutions, my impact goes down by half a planet.  It just so happens that as you read this many organizations are preparing to advance these issues during the next legislative session.  Stayed tuned for how to get engaged with that.

Sure, you’ll find the game a wee bit simplistic and all, but it was a good reminder to me that I have miles to go on the road transit-way to sustainability.  Give it a try and let me know how you do.

Transit for Livable Communities is disappointed that Governor Pawlenty chose to hold a special session without addressing transportation. Yet again, we’re left waiting for the 21st century transportation system that Minnesotans want and deserve. What does this decision mean for transit?

It means that a comprehensive transportation funding bill will have to wait until at least February 12, 2007, which is the starting date for the 2008 legislative session. It is very likely that there will be a motion to reconsider the transportation bill that was vetoed by Governor Pawlenty during the 2007 legislative session.

Transit supporters are disappointed that transit investment will have to wait, but we are pleased about two recent victories: 1) The new 35W bridge will be ready for future light rail transit lines, and 2) Transit supporters prevented serious attempts to create a pre-special session agreement that would raise the gas tax (which is constitutionally dedicated to funding roads and bridges) without a corresponding increase in transit funding.

We figure it’s worth the reminder. Joan Pasiuk, Director of Bike/Walk Twin Cities (which is an initiative of Transit for Livable Communities) published a letter to the editor of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reminding all that bicyclists have the same rights to the road as motorists.

Bikes are traffic

Minnesota law gives bicycles the same rights and responsibilities as motor vehicles. The roadways are common ground: bicycles don’t impede traffic; bicycles ARE traffic. Moral superiority or horsepower superiority aside, let’s be clear about the role of bikes in an urban environment. Replacing more car miles with more bicycle miles makes our region a better place to live.

JOAN PASIUK

St. Paul

The writer is program director of Bike/Walk Twin Cities, an Initiative of Transit for Livable Communities.

From Houtlust:

Bronze at the Cannes Lions in the category Outdoor.

While the Chinese economy is booming, the skies above its cities are darkening. One of the biggest causes is the phenomenal growth in the number of cars and exhaust emissions. To kick off their ‘20 tips for sustainable development campaign and drive people to their 20to20.org mini-site, WWF expressed one tip in dramatic fashion. Along with an increase in new volunteers, WWF received coverage of the event in a number of Chinese newspapers as well as on CCTV 9, Beijing TV, Phoenix TV; even international news stations as far away as Deutsche Welle Broadcasting in Germany and Al Jazeera in the Middle East.

Copy on the ‘balloon’: Drive one day less and look how much carbon monoxide you’ll keep out of the air we breathe.
Agency: Ogilvy & Mather Beijing
Executive Creative Director: Nils Andersson
Creative Director: Doug Schiff
Copywriter: Doug Schiff/Fei Zhao
Art Director: Teonghoe Teng/Kama Yu
Photographer: Kenny Chai

The new Bike/Walk Twin Cities website was launched last week, just in time for the State Fair. Check it out at http://www.bikewalktwincities.org/. The website is intended to be a resource for walking and bicycling in the Twin Cities and eventually draw upon the combined knowledge and experience of the Twin Cities walking and cycling communities.

Many thanks to Brady Clark of Third Eyebrow (and a frequent TLC volunteer) for designing the website, and many additional thanks to TLC staff for the initial content. We’ll be expanding the website in the upcoming months, so please send your brilliant ideas on how to make the site more interactive and user-friendly to webmaster@bikewalktwincities.org!

As many of you know, Bike/Walk Twin Cities is part of a national Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Project administered by Transit for Livable Communities in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). The program is part of a four-year, $21.5 million initiative in four states that was backed by Congressman Oberstar in the 2005 federal transportation bill, SAFETEA-LU.

Also, check out the Bike/Walk Twin Cities booth in the Eco-Experience building of the State Fair. It looks pretty cool!

Air Pollution in Cars Can Be Up to 10 Times Higher Than Outside Air
Bad air quality can cause breathing difficulties and eye and throat irritations even in healthy people. How can we have fewer bad air quality days? 

Numerous studies have shown that pollution within vehicles can be 10 times higher than the outdoor air, and concentrations can be particularly high when vehicles are trapped in congestion or traveling slowly. What can Twin Cities residents do to fight the smog?

1) Take transit. Motor vehicle emissions are the primary cause of air pollution in the Twin Cities. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has calculated that nearly 60 percent of the pollution responsible for adverse health effects is from motor vehicles. Taking the bus or the light rail reduces the number of vehicles on the road and reduces the emissions contributing to bad air quality. Taking transit helps you fight congested roads and bad air quality at the same time!

2) Walk or ride a bicycle. Up to half the pollution inside your car comes from the vehicle directly in front of you. Luckily, walking or riding a bicycle doesn’t create any air pollution. If you walk or ride a bike on bad air quality days, though, it’s best to avoid high traffic areas, and consider leaving earlier in the morning. 

3) Combine trips. Cold starts and short trips are the worst offenders when it comes to pollution. Instead of running errands at different times, combine your errands into one trip. Remember to shut the engine off, even for short stops - one minute of idling uses more fuel than re-starting your engine. Again, on high pollution alert days, try to avoid driving altogether.  

4) Carpool. If you have to drive, try carpooling. Keep your car well-tuned—a well-maintained car runs better and pollutes less. Drive at moderate speeds and check your tires regularly. Refuel your car after sundown when air pollution levels are lower and gasoline vapors won’t add to the problem.

5. Already do all of these activities? Don’t run that lawnmower, start up the grill, or use lawn chemicals. These are also activities that can compromise our air quality.