Author Archives: howrad

Jan 24 2011
Denton

Meet Peter Koonce, Portland traffic engineer

Maybe this video is only interesting to transportation wonks (hand raised), but it’s too good not to post. This is Peter Koonce, Portland traffic engineer, discussing the limitations of the MUTCD (Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices) – the guiding text of American road design.

Tasty quotes:

  • [Capacity] is one of those elements that they suggest widening the roadway as the solution, when in reality that may just be exacerbating the problem.
  • It’s ingrained in us as engineers that pedestrians may be an impediment as opposed to important users that we should prioritize.
  • At our downtown Portland streets, we’re progressing cars at 15-16mph.
  • If you’re walking most of the time, then when you get in your car you’ll be more respectful.
  • The easiest mode to serve is a pedestrian. Once the sidewalks are poured, you don’t have to repave. The sidewalks in my neighborhood are from 1907.

via Intersection911.org via BikePortland:

Peter Koonce, Portland traffic engineer riding a cargo bike

 

Tagged ,
Jan 22 2011
Denton

alleycat cards

Some interesting stuff gets donated to Querencia. While going through some donations last week, I found these spoke cards from Denton alleycat races over the last few years.

Here’s a shot of the covers, a shot of the routes, and a closeup of a route pattern that we saw also used for the Svart Katt transmigratory celebration of darkness.

P1020676.jpg

P1020677.jpg

P1020680.jpg

Tagged ,
Jan 20 2011
1 Comment
Denton

Rings of Querencia

While recently volunteering at Querencia, I helped sort a bunch of older cranksets. I couldn’t help but arrange them and take a photo. There’s so much beauty in the variety of bicycle parts, especially from bygone eras and styles from distant lands.

P1020419.jpg

Tagged ,
Jan 19 2011
1 Comment
Denton

Surly Scars

Surly CrossCheck damage

Nick Magruder recently donated his 2009 hit-and-run Surly Cross Check frame to Querencia’s shop. For being hit from behind by a car going 40mph, I’d say it survived almost as unscathed as Nick. One rear dropout is broken, and the seat stays are bent.  4130 steel can take a hit pretty well, I’d say.

(To whoever stole the frame off the QCBS fence this week, now you know what’s wrong with it)

UPDATE: the person who grabbed it has a pretty amazing sounding project planned for it.  Hints: bamboo, cargo capacity. I take back the word “stole” and substitute “repurpose!”

Tagged ,
Jan 16 2011
Denton

Great Southwest Bike Swap and races

If you’re looking for something bikey to do indoors on a rainy day (today), check out the Great Southwest Bike Swap and crit and cross races in Ft Worth today. There will be a few custom frame builders, if you’d like a taste of what NAHBS will be like next month.

Great Southwest Bike Swap and crit and cross races

Tagged
Jan 14 2011
1 Comment
Denton

Friday roundup

– US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood talked about bike and pedestrian projects creating twice as many jobs per dollar as typical road infrastructure. He discusses the inequity that 12% of trips are by bike or foot, despite 1% of infrastructure spending, and 14% of road fatalities are cyclists and pedestrians.

– According to a CDC report, 57 percent of adult Americans say that their neighborhood features are of high importance in determining their levels of physical activity.  About two-thirds of adults said they were willing to take civic actions to improve neighborhood features. More than 40 percent were willing to write letters. Sixteen percent were willing to pay more in taxes. More from BikeLeague.

– Oregon House Rep Mitch Greenlick proposes HB 2228 to make it illegal to transport a child under six by bicycle. Critics respond en masse, Greenlick claims the idea is merely a discussion starter and not a debate.

– Austin Cycling Association launches a defensive biking class, so cyclists can take a course by League of American Bicyclists instead of paying a fine.

– Bike Friendly Oak Cliff and CarShareOC sponsor a challenge for families to go 52 weeks without driving. WFAA reports that 16 families have signed up.

– BFOC and Photopolus host a Jan 10 – Feb 11 contest to take photos that “capture our city’s growing bike culture and the people and bicycles in it.”

– Copenhagenize found a video of bicycle activists in Guadalajara painting their own bike lanes, bike boxes, and putting up signs.

– Texas Sunset Commission tries to slim down TXDOT, recommends to replace committee with appointee. Seek to move forward towards the “adult conversations” about how to fund Texas transportation projects.

Tagged
Jan 12 2011
Denton

Snow exposures

Snowy desire lines.
snowy desire lines

Waterproof pannier.

weathered Axiom pannier

Thawed tundra wreaked muddy havoc on my evening commute. Made me think of Tour Divide mud stories.

super sticky mud

Many more photos at the BikeDenton Flickr page.

Tagged
Jan 11 2011
1 Comment
Denton

Snowbiking

Slushbiking

It doesn’t snow often here, so when it does, it’s a treat to go riding in it.  The roads are mostly empty of cars, especially out in the unpaved areas.  All the old familiar routes look and feel different.  Heading out west on Oak/Jim Christal is a wonderful gateway to a network of gravel roads.

 

 

Tagged , , ,
Jan 09 2011
1 Comment
Denton

Coffee beans in my shoes

P1020274.jpg

I’ve done some riding in cold and wet weather lately, and my shoes started to smell mildewy.  I found some online mentions of coffee beans as a moisture and odor absorber, so I thought I’d try it.  Coffee is known to absorb odors, which is a great reason to never store it in your freezer or fridge.

After one week of testing, this seems to work very well, and I always have extra coffee beans around.

No, I don’t subject my Bookish coffee to such a fate, I drink all of that.

Tagged ,
Jan 07 2011
1 Comment
Denton

San Francisco makes Green Wave light timing permanent

SF Green Wave cyclist riding through light

photo by Bryan Goebel

As Streetsblog reports, San Fran made the popular Green Wave light timing permanent yesterday.

Valencia Street’s nearly two-year-old Green Wave signal re-timing aimed at prioritizing bicycle traffic speeds continues to please street users, city leaders, and advocates alike. What started as a temporary pilot will become a permanent institution this week with the installation of four new Green Wave signs along the corridor.

Following examples in cities like Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and Portland, the signal optimization keeps vehicles traveling at a steady cycle-friendly 13 mph from 16th to 25th streets while garnering benefits for all users.

This design resulted in calmer street traffic, increased efficiency, increased safety, reduced pollution, reduced noise, fewer cyclists running red lights, and a “thriving commercial corridor.”  Any predictions which Texas city will implement this first?  Austin?  Dallas?  Arlington?  Houston?  I’d guess Austin, thanks to the innovative engineers in Austin Public Works.

Tagged
← Older posts
Newer posts →