As someone who spent time in the Netherlands I can honestly say that the Dutch have figured out how to safely integrate cycling into their city streets. The Dutch are known for their bike riding habits, indeed while I was there I was told that there are 3.2 bikes for every person living in the country. And while it’s true that there may be other factors that influence the prevalence of cycling in the Netherlands, city planning and less cars on the road for instance, it would be nonsensical to ignore the Dutch style of  seamlessly integrating bike and pedestrian lanes into its city streets. I have never felt safer or more comfortable on a bike then when I was riding the city streets in the Netherlands. So maybe we can take a hint from their expertise and reevaluate the way we look at our steets.

Thanks to Light and Motion’s wonderful blog (lightandmotion.com) for this amazing video. It is worth two minutes of your time to see what our streets could be like with a little foresight and community support.

Source:

Light and Motion (lightandmotion.com)

At the beginning of August we blogged about our very own Shaana A. Rahman’s succesful case Tucker v. Mejia. We are very proud of Shaana’s amazing work and look forward to many more successful  resolutions. For those of you interested in more details in the Tucker v Mejia case, VerdictSearch has uploaded the case summary.

Facts:

On Aug. 17, 2008, plaintiff Joseph Tucker, 29, a Wells Fargo Treasury Associate, was riding a fixed gear bicycle east on the left hand side of Eddy Street. At around 9:02 a.m., when he was approximately 42 feet from the intersection with Mason Street in San Francisco, Tucker was struck by a white shuttle van operated by an independent contractor. Tucker claimed the side of the van crashed into him, causing him to be ejected from his bike. He subsequently landed on his face and sustained injuries.

The white shuttle van never stopped and left the scene. As a result, a witness chased the van and although it was identified as a van owned by Lorrie’s Travel & Tours Inc., there was never any positive identification of the driver or the van number.

Tucker sued the believed driver of the van, Rufino Mejia; another possible driver of the van, Edgar Abecendario; and the owner of the van, Lorrie’s Travel & Tours Inc. Tucker alleged that Mejia and/or Abecendario were negligent in the operation of the van and that Lorrie’s was vicariously liable for their actions.

Lorrie’s subsequently filed a cross-complaint against its drivers, seeing indemnification.

Through the use of Lorrie’s internal documents relating to its drivers, plaintiff’s counsel identified four of the 15 Lorrie’s drivers who were in the Union Square area at the time of the collision. Counsel contended that further investigation pointed to Mejia as being the only driver on Eddy Street at the time of the collision. Plaintiff’s counsel noted that Mejia originally denied being involved in the collision, although admitted to being on Eddy Street approximately 10 minutes after the collision, when he was briefly stopped by the police. An internal investigation by Lorrie’s also led to the identification of four drivers possibly involved, but Lorrie’s never disciplined Mejia or concluded that he was the driver.

Prior to trial, Abecendario was dismissed from both Tucker’s case and the cross-complaint. Lorrie’s also settled with Tucker for $250,000 prior to trial. Thus, Tucker’s action proceeded to trial against Mejia only, and the cross-complaint against Mejia was bifurcated and has not yet been resolved.

At trial, Tucker claimed he was riding his bicycle in the left, eastbound lane when Mejia began making a lane change from the right lane into his lane of travel, causing the van to sideswipe him. He alleged that Mejia never stopped his van and left the scene.

Mejia claimed at trial that there was no contact between the van and Tucker. He also claimed that Tucker veered from the left lane into his lane in order to make a right turn, and that the plaintiff admitted fault for the collision to the investigating officers. The defense’s accident reconstruction/biomechanical expert opined that it was likely that Tucker over-braked, as the plaintiff was on a fixed gear bicycle with a single break, and pitched himself over the handlebars.

Verdict:

The jury found that Mejia was the driver involved in the accident. It also found that Mejia was negligent and that his negligence caused Tucker harm. The jury found no comparative fault against Tucker and awarded him $593,172.67 in total damages.

Joseph Tucker

$152,773 Personal Injury: Past Medical Cost

$235,200 Personal Injury: Future Medical Cost

$5,200 Personal Injury: Past Lost Earnings Capability

$150,000 Personal Injury: Past Pain And Suffering

$50,000 Personal Injury: Future Pain And Suffering

Source:

For the complete case report, visit the following link,

http://www.verdictsearch.com/index.jsp?do=news&rep=recent&art=208393

Biking Pregnant

Date:Saturday, September 1, 2012

Time: 9:00-10:00am

Location: Excelsior Youth Center, 163 London Street, San Francisco, CA

Description: You love to bike, and now you’re pregnant. Do you need to stop biking? How long can you bike while pregnant? Is your bike pregnancy and baby-ready? Register for this (free) class to learn the medically reviewed facts about biking pregnant. Meet other pregnant women who bike. This class is great for anyone who is currently pregnant, or thinking about getting pregnant, as well as their partners and supporters.

RSVP: sfbike.org/family_class

Event: Love Your Lanes

Date: TODAY, August 23, 2012

Time: 5:30-8:00 p.m.

Place: Meet in front of 833 Market Street, SF Bicycle Coalition’s HQ

Description: Join members and staff of the SF Bicycle Coalition on a bike ride and happy hour to celebrate the new bike lanes that have made biking in the entire city so much better in the last few years. It is time to toast SFBC’s 12,000 members and staff who have made 22 miles of new bike lanes possible! Meet in front of the SF Bicycle Coalition office at 5:30pm for a group bike ride to The Page Bar (298 Divisadero), to toast the new lanes from 6pm – 8pm.

RSVP: www.sfbike.org/mingle (appreciated, but not mandatory)

Source:  http://www.sfbike.org/?chain

Studies show that Young Americans are leaving their parents and grandparents in the dust… while riding bikes, taking public transportation and even walking. Less than 1/2 of eligible teens 19 or younger have driver’s licenses, down from approximately 2/3 ten years ago, annual vehicle miles driven by Americans ages 16 to 34 have dropped 23% from 2001 to 2009 and biking and walking as alternative forms of transportation have increased by 24% and 16%, respectively, among the same age group. In addition, in 2009 and 2010 — for the first time since World War II — American car ownership rates declined.

This trend can be attributed to many cultural and economic factors.  Perhaps, most obvious is that the country is in a major recession. Young people are having trouble finding jobs and paying rent. Few can afford to buy and maintain a car (approximately $9,000 per year with all payments, maintenance, parking and other fees). These young people are flocking to cities where they can find jobs and get around without the hassle and expense of a car. However, this is only a contributing factor. The shift from cars to other means of transportation, especially cycling, is most stark among wealthier Americans and those least affected by the recession, so it seems unlikely that if/when the economy turns around the younger generation will begin buying cars en masse.

What could be causing the cultural shift away from driving? One explanation is the steadily rising price of gas. Generation Y is driving at a time of $4/$5 gallons of gas. They can barely remember the $1 prices of their childhood, or the $.10 gallons of their parents youth. High gas prices are the norm and it doesn’t look like that will change soon. So, with high gas prices here to stay, younger generations will inevitably be driving less and less.

Some people, like Jeremy Bowman at Daily Finance, also give credit for the shifting trend to social media. Taking public transportation is becoming more and more convenient and accessible, especially since mobile apps tell you when the next bus is coming, help you find the best route and provide ample entertaiment during the ride. Smartphones allow buses and trains to become mobile offices and entertainment stations. In an ever-more work-obssessed culture, that extra 30min to answer emails while riding the bus, instead of being stuck behind the wheel in bumper-to-bumper traffic, is the preferable option.

The role of the environment is also playing a role. Generation Y has grown up with bigger and more frequent natural disasters than any generation before them. The affects of global warming are literally happening in front of their eyes. The increasing evidence that fossil fuels and carbon emissions have a negative effect on the environment and the role of cars in this cycle has had an affect on consumer choices.

The ‘obesity problem’ in the U.S. may also have an affect. Americans are perceived by the rest of the world to be overweight (see also, In Bruges and Paris, je t’aime, to list a few), and studies have shown that this perception has adequate basis. Young Americans are trying to climb out from under this legacy and one way could be through lessening automobile dependence.

Portland is one of the cities where the decline in car ownership is most drastic.Giving up a car in Portland is feasible because of its high population density, the convenient location of services and stores, and its extensive public transportation network, car sharing services and bike paths.

Living car free is not so easy elsewhere, even in San Francisco and the East Bay, but especially in the mid-West and in smaller towns and cities where a car is absolutely necessary to get to the food market. A car-free lifestyle won’t be possible in many areas until city planner’s objectives drastically change. Hopefully this alternative-transportation-minded younger generation will make it happen.

Sources:

http://streetsblog.net/2012/07/27/matching-national-trend-portland-maine-sees-decline-in-car-ownership/#more-286409

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/04/19/cars-young-americans-drive-less-fewer-licenses/

http://www.pressherald.com/news/portland-at-forefront-of-decline-in-car-ownership.html

Anaheim launched California’s first bike-sharing program on Saturday joining Denver, Minneapolis, Washington D.C., Chicago, Miami, Boulder, Madison, New York City and Portland as one of the major U.S. cities to implement the program. Bike-sharing is a very simple concept. Cities and/or private companies provide kiosks with bikes that can be “checked out” with a credit or membership card. The membership card costs a relatively small amount (in Anaheim it’s $75.00 for a year).  The goal is to promote short trips by commuters  so the first 30 or 60 minutes is usually free. The bike can be “returned” to any kiosk in town.

There are many advantages to implementing bike sharing programs in major cities. Bicycle-sharing overcomes common riding deterrents like theft and difficulty finding secure storage.  In addition, bicycle-sharing programs promote investment in bicycle infrastructure,  it creates construction and maintenance jobs, it provides low-cost alternative transportation between transit points and major destinations, it provides cycling opportunities for people who don’t usually cycle, and it can be a publicity boon for cities.

Anaheim’s pilot program will consist of 100 bikes at 10 kiosks near metro stations and major commuter centers. Depending on how the program performs it may be extended to other California cities including San Francisco and the Bay Area.

A bike-sharing program in San Francisco could be a perfect fit in many areas of the city. Bike kiosks around the new 1.5 miles of separated bikeway in Golden Gate Park could be useful to both commuters and tourists. Bike kiosks in the Castro district, along Market Street and Pier 39 (especially if biking infrastructure is improved during the Market Street improvement project) and even along the Treasure Island route when it is complete, could all improve the transportation situation in San Francisco.

Over the next year, cycling advocates will be keeping a close eye on the situation in Anaheim as it could have major repercussions for the rest of California. In the meantime San Franciscans should begin to consider what a bike-sharing program could do for the city.

Here are some additional bike-sharing stats from Bikes Belong:

Source:

http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus/transportation/anaheim-to-launch-bicycle-sharing-program-in-may.html

http://www.bikesbelong.org/resources/stats-and-research/research/bike-sharing-in-the-united-states/