A blog about the world of biking and walking.
Dragonfly Trails is the growing network of biking and walking trails around Columbus, GA. I myself use them daily and I can attest that these are the real deal. The trails are accessible, well maintained, and cover a vast portion of the city. keep reading →
It’s no secret that we subsidize driving to a degree that’s vastly disproportionate to other kinds of transportation. Joe Cortright has a great piece in City Observatory that discusses this. keep reading →
Last month, Outside Online published an opinion piece by Joe Lindsey about how the pandemic presents the opportunity to reclaim our cities from cars. keep reading →
The city of Cambridge, Massachusetts will soon be the first US city to put warning labels on gas pumps. The goal is to help drivers understand that the gas they’re purchasing is contributing to the climate crisis, the same way that cigarette labels educate consumers on the dangers of smoking. keep reading →
Matt Pinder, in his blog Beyond the Automobile, has a series of posts which explore what makes a street a “bicycle street.” keep reading →
For several years, Strong Towns has led a social media campaign called #BlackFridayParking. If you aren’t familiar with it, here’s the basic logic... keep reading →
I love just-for-fun bicycle challenges. They embody what bicycles are really about for me: having fun, building relationships, and just going outside to live life. Here’s one coming up soon: Midnite Bicycle League Challenge hosted by Urban Adventure League. keep reading →
Darío Hidalgo reports for The City Fix... keep reading →
People for Bikes tracked bicycle-related ballot measures for 2020. Now, as the election wraps up, they have the results. keep reading →
November 15 is World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. keep reading →
There’s a new mayor in A-town, or rather, a new bicycle mayor. Pattie Baker, of Traveling at the Speed of Bike fame (and an inspiration for Bike Walk Life!), recently completed her application, making her the first one in the southeastern United States. keep reading →
I frequently hear my town described as a “15 minute city,” or a “20 minute city,” by people who advocate living here. That's a shorthand way of saying “you can get anywhere you need within 15 minutes.” But the unspoken caveat is that they mean 15 minutes by car. The thought of walking somewhere, unless it’s from a parking spot, doesn’t even dawn on most people. keep reading →
Previously on Bike Walk Life, we took a look at the glaring shortcomings of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) “Pedestrian Safety Month” campaign. I use scare-quotes because the campaign was seemingly premised on finding ways to blame pedestrians for their own deaths. We’re at a point in history where pedestrian deaths are rising, and it’s not because the people on foot are becoming more dangerous. It’s because of our collective failure to build safe cars and streets. keep reading →
In the US, we all grow up learning that jaywalking is dangerous and illegal. Most of the time, we don’t question that. Of course people shouldn’t step outside of designated walking paths after waiting for the pedestrian signal to turn and after looking both ways. Of course streets are for cars, so people outside of cars shouldn’t expect to be safe. Eventually this thought process brings us to its ultimate conclusion: of course that person killed by a car brought her fate upon herself, she was jaywalking. keep reading →
One of this blog’s refrains is that we need to lower the number of cars on our streets to stop people from dying in crashes. Cars are inherently dangerous and, as they get larger and faster, they grow more deadly every year. However, our “new abnormal” has presented a paradox: Americans drove far less this year, but traffic deaths went up. How is that possible? Of course, true paradoxes don’t exist, only apparent paradoxes. Alissa Walker, writing for Curbed, has a report on the topic. keep reading →
I love the gear aspect of bicycle culture. Riders have endless options for customizing their bicycles to match any taste or lifestyle. I’m always delighted to discover new gear, even if I personally have no need for it. And who knows? Maybe someone I meet on the trail will be glad to know these are out there. keep reading →
Car advertisements are everywhere. Until now, there hasn’t been much public discussion about them. Andy Furillo, writing for Mobility Lab, argues that it’s time to change that. keep reading →
It’s no secret that our cities and towns are dangerous for people on bicycles. But most public discussion of that topic avoids the elephant in the room, that car culture is the direct cause of the danger. The way we build our cars, the way we design our streets, and the way we enforce our laws is all enabling cars to kill people. Unless we can make cars smaller, slower, and in fewer numbers, then peace just isn’t possible. keep reading →
John Bennett, a long-time mobility advocate in Savannah, published a reflection on writing about transportation. His lessons are partially about writing and advocacy, and partially about the causes themselves. For example, he notes that he faced criticism from people who see bicycles as a special interest that's misaligned with the public good, and he explains how that’s untrue. keep reading →
US Bike Route 1, which extends from Florida to Maine, is officially part of costal Georgia. Jill Nagel writes for GADOT’s Milepost summer 2020 issue. keep reading →
Lindsay Bliek of This Mom Bikes has a new post that cuts right to the chase: “Kids Don’t Drive”. keep reading →
Bike to Work (or There) Day will be held this Friday, October 9, in Columbus, Georgia. Considering that many of us aren’t commuting to work in this pandemic era, they’ve modified the holiday this year to encourage people to bike “there.” That could be the grocery store, your friends house, or just around your neighborhood. keep reading →
If you ever wished your phone could give you real-time updates about cycling or walking conditions, that’s what TandemTrip wants to do. keep reading →
The United States’ first federal “National Pedestrian Safety Month” is already under criticism from pedestrian safety advocates. Kea Wilson has an article on Streetsblog USA that doesn’t mince words. keep reading →
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