American Roadways: Dangerous by Design

In 2008 alone, over 70,000 pedestrians in the United States suffered injury in an accident involving motor vehicles. And over the past 15 years, 76,000 pedestrians have been killed on American roadways; that's the equivalent of twenty-five 911 terrorist attacks.

Yet US spending on security-related issues dwarfs the funding of walkable infrastructure. According to Transportation for America's recent report - Dangerous by Design - federal funding for for walking and bicycling infrastructure last year in major metropolitan areas was a meager $1.39 per person. Conversely, appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security alone amounted to about $145 per person - over 100 times the investment afforded to sidewalks and bike paths.

Sadly, almost all of those deaths and injuries are avoidable. The culprit: automobile-only street designs. Taking pedestrians and bicyclists into account when designing roadways, a concept know as "complete streets," creates a healthy and safe environment for alternative transportation.

If this country is outraged by a terrorist attack that kills 3000 people, shouldn't we be at least as concerned about the continued design and construction of unsafe streets that facilitate the needless killing and maiming of much greater numbers of US citizens?

Link here to an NPR report on pedestrian-friendly roads. And check out the Transportation for America website for tons of info on walkable and bikable streets, including an index of pedestrian safety by state and for the top 360 metro areas in the United States.

Streetsmarts with Streetsblog

Get your dose of local mobility at the Streetsblog network.

Streetsblog.net links to over 300 local blogs from around the country that focus on sustainable transportation. From Savannah to San Francisco, or Miami or Missoula, you'll find what's going on in communities throughout the United States - maybe yours!

The site also links to sustainable transportation advocacy groups, so it's a convenient jumping-off place for research on complete streets, walkable and bikable neighborhoods, and transportation policy. Give it a look.

Take A Bike

This Week's Newspaper Column:

May is National Bike Month and the League of American Bicyclists is promoting Bike-to-Work Week May 11-16 culminating in a national Bike-to-Work Day on Friday, May 15^th. Riders across the country will be taking advantage of the beautiful early summer weather to take to the streets, many for the first time.

Why ride a bike to work instead of taking a vehicle? Consider your overall health and economics; when you ride a bike, you burn calories, not gas.

Americans are getting fatter and fatter due, in part, to lack of exercise. Once upon a time, before the automobile was ubiquitous, exercise was part of the daily routine. Most people walked to work, walked to the store, and walked to school.

Now, after half a century of transportation planning with a “car-only” ethic, American cities have spread out (much like our wastelines) and walking in many places is not an option. But a very long walk is an easy ride on a bike. You could say that biking is the new walking.

Here are a few biking rules for the road.

Keep in mind that bicycles are ruled by the same laws as cars. You are expected to stay in the same lanes and obey the same road signs and stoplights as automobiles. The exception is that bikes are not allowed on the interstate highway.

Never ride on the left side of the road. Besides the illegality, drivers always look to the left before making a right turn but they may or may not look to the right before pulling out into the street. As a general rule, bikes are no match for moving fenders.

Check your route ahead of time to make sure you’ll feel safe. When dedicated bike lanes are not present, you may opt for utilizing secondary streets rather than compete with fast-moving automobile traffic. The route you select may be a little farther, but safety and comfort are important factors.

Avoid sidewalks. As tempting as it is to ride the walk, pedestrians and bicycles do not easily mix.

If your schedule puts you out at night, make sure to have both a front and rear light mounted to your bike. Although only 4% of bicycling occurs at night, half of biking fatalities happen after dark.

It’s important to remember that you may very well work up a sweat en route. Leave a change of clothes at the office along with a towel and some soap for the sake of comfort and collegiality.

And remember to wear a helmet. Head injuries are the most serious of biking mishaps, and a helmet might just make the difference between a dust-off and a trip to the hospital (or worse) if an unfortunate accident occurs.

So hop on a bike this month and enjoy the scenery and fresh air; your heart and wallet will thank you.

Special thanks to James Moore of Moore's Bike Shop in Hattiesburg, Mississippi for some invaluable information and feedback on this essay. Mention that you read this article, and get a 10% discount on all bike assessories throughout the month of May.

Moore's Bike Shop
1607 Hardy Street
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
(601) 544-1978

Biking For BeauSoleil

Photos by TEAM BeauSoleil

Solar Decathlon Update: Every two years 20 university teams are chosen, based on proposals, to design an all-solar home and assemble it on the National Mall in Washington DC for public viewing and judging. Check back each Wednesday as the NAV Blog reports on the process of the design and construction of BeauSoleil, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's entry. For more info about the project, visit their website. And check out a short film about the project.

BIKE FOR BEAUSOLEIL is a fundraiser and family event to raise money and community support for the BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home. BIKE FOR BEAUSOLEIL is a part of the College of the Arts FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS. The concept of the races is for the public to go green, live healthy, maintain good fitness, bring their family and support TEAM BeauSoleil.

The event will take place at the BeauSoleil Warehouse located at the United Way Complex, 215 E. Pinhook, on Saturday, April 4th at 9am to 1pm, with pre-registration starting at 8am. Pre-race refreshments will be served. There is a 10-mile fun ride, and the options of 30 or 50-mile rides for experienced cyclists.

All races will end back at the BeauSoleil Warehouse. Racers, their families and the public are welcome to visit the Warehouse beginning at 11 am for a family-friendly, fun-filled time. A post-ride Cajun meal will be served at that time to the racers, Jr. Hebert and the Maurice Playboys will be playing and the warehouse will be open for people to view the progress of the BeauSoleil home (the shell has been completed.) There will also be a fun jump to entertain the younger crowd. Hope to see you all there!

A report from the field:

Right now is a very busy time for TEAM BeauSoleil. We are working daily on the construction of our home and daily finding solutions to the challenges we face. The LEED class students are researching different materials and products that will help produce a sustainable and responsible home. The Russo Group and PR team are working diligently to spread our message, complete our Communications Plan, and raise funds. Many of the officers are working to complete our construction documents and project manual to resubmit to the DOE. 482 students are completing mock-ups of planters and storage solutions. Interior design students are selecting finishes and furniture. Engineering students are continuing research on the solar hot water heater and photovoltaic system. Business students are researching market viability of the BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home. We are all really busy, but the students are all learning so much and gaining valuable experience.

-Gretchen LaCombe Vanicor

TEAM BeauSoleil Project Manager

Green Retrofit

Green design is not just for new buildings. This 100+ year old structure has been enhanced with a series of green building technologies including new energy-efficient mechanical systems and lighting, operable windows resulting in a savings of over $1000 per month on energy costs.

This spring, the solar panels and green roof will be installed. Most of the green roof is a low-maintenance roof using indigenous plants and wildflowers that grow heartily without the need for constant supervision. (Think about the plants you see along the highway that grow just fine without being watered by anyone except mother nature.)

We've carved out a 30' x 90' section for a roof garden and "fair-weather classroom" for the five-and-under year old students served by the agency.

The solar panels will supplement the facility's power needs. The amount of power generated will depend on the level of funding generated for the project over the next few months. In the end, this building will not be entirely energy self-sufficient, but close.

The Green Life Cycle

This week's Hattiesburg American column:

Last week I flipped over on my bike and came to terms with the asphalt pavement.

It was a sudden and stunning development. Out of nowhere, a savage concrete curb - otherwise known as a ”No Entry (or Exit)” sign to cars - appeared beneath me, disconnecting two perfectly good parking lots.

And there I lay, contemplating the possibilities and nuances of bike-friendly street design. OK, that last part might be hyperbole, but the thought did briefly cross my mind.

Now, with a clearer head, the question begs to be considered: Instead of frontier justice for cyclists, what if we integrated a system of bike paths into the fabric of our cities and towns? What would happen?

For starters, more people would ride bikes. When dedicated bike routes are convenient, clearly marked and connected, a ride to work or school becomes a desirable option. And step one of a recreational bike ride does not necessarily involve strapping a bike to the back of an automobile.

As a sustainable practice, biking cuts down on fossil fuel use and does not pollute the environment; riding a bike burns calories, not gas and oil.

And the health benefits of regular cycling are obvious. Americans have become ever more obese as auto-dependency has increased. (Who has time to go to the gym with all that driving around?) Why not exercise daily as part of the normal commute?

Biking is a sensory experience. Being in touch with the elements fosters a greater awareness of the surrounding environment. Biking promotes social interaction; try communicating with someone in a fast-passing car.

But it doesn’t stop there. Real money is at stake.

The economic benefits of a cycle-friendly environment include lower health care costs and higher property values. The requisite number of automobiles needed for living a “normal” existence decreases along with associated car maintenance, gas and insurance costs. A hike in biking results in a reduced number of cars on the street extending the road’s surface life. Traffic congestion is relieved allowing shorter travel times and a more pleasant commute for those who do drive.

Here’s the trade-off. Pay a little more for adding bike lanes when it’s time to resurface existing roadways, and we reap the benefit of a higher and healthier quality of life along with the aforementioned economic plusses.

For generations now, the car has ruled as transportation planners designed roads solely for the ease and convenience of the automobile, sacrificing cyclists and pedestrians in the process. By default, the jacked-up price of full participation in society has become one vehicle per adult.

But there is a concept for addressing a wider menu of transportation options than just automobiles - it’s called “complete streets” and involves accommodating bike and pedestrian traffic with equal vigor. In most cases, this can be accomplished without acquiring additional right-of-ways.

Isn’t it time we recycle the way we think about bicycles?

Spring Forward, Fall Bike

A few scenes from Longleaf Trace - a Rails to Trails Conservancy bike trail - as fall paints the landscape.