Category Archives: National

Support the League: Autonomous Vehicles are coming

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Perhaps no new technology is more hotly debated in transportation circles than autonomous vehicles. Whether you envision a future of 100% legally compliant, error-free driving or a dystopia of distant commutes and no place for bikes, autonomous vehicles are coming. In several places, they’re already here!

While the League supports the development of this technology and agrees that it has the potential to greatly reduce the traffic injuries and fatalities attributed to distracted driving, speeding and other behaviors, we also believe that these vehicles must meet some basic safety standards before being deployed on our streets.

This is why the League has called for a standardized performance test, or “vision test,” that measures an automated vehicle’s ability to recognize and respond to vulnerable road users, including bicyclists and pedestrians.

Simply put, we need your help to build awareness and momentum of the safety implications of Autonomous Vehicles before it’s too late. Please consider supporting work at the National level by donating today, and contact your Senators to demand a vision test for this new technology.

Support National work on AVs!

National: Draft rules don’t count bicyclists! We can change them!

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Bike League Action

We need your help (again)!

The Federal Highway Administration once again ignored bicyclists when determining performance measures for our transportation system.  These performance measures may affect future funding to these areas- and could be a disincentive for states and communities to build biking and walking networks.

  • Even though Congress just instituted a complete streets policy for the National Highway System (Main streets, arterials and other major roads), FHWA wants to measure performance of the system using a measure for drivers only.
  • It measures congestion by measuring delay for drivers, but gives no credit to states or metropolitan areas that invest in biking, walking or transit facilities that reduce congestion.
  • Finally, the rule sets goals for measuring air pollutants from transportation, but doesn’t include greenhouse gases.

If these draft rules are implemented, they will hinder the ability of local governments to implement complete streets, build protected bike lanes, etc.

We can change these rules! We’ve done it before!
With your help we convinced FHWA to include a safety performance measure for biking and walking. We need your help again.

Send in your own comments here.

Click the link below to log in and send your message:
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/S7VPiw6aRKVgUwigwm1oUg 

Santa Monica’s Savvy Multimodalism Shows Moxie

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Great video of our fair city!

Shot before Expo Light Rail Line arrived – this is a great look at the steps City of Santa Monica  has taken to move us toward a safer, more active, healthy and sustainable community that serves it’s residents and welcomes visitors. If you haven’t been here lately – COME VISIT US!

Lots of events this week and beyond –

Wednesday- Free Screening: Carless in LA, one woman care free trek through Los Angeles
Thursday- HandleBar Happy Hour at Upper West
check SMSpoke.org/events
Now with Expo it is even easier to get west – don’t miss Coast – Santa Monica’s Open Streets Event

From  STREETFILMS

“Santa Monica certainly has a wave of transportation wonders taking flight. Like many cities they seem to be trying out a heaping of everything: bike share, a mix of bike lane treatments, a new rail line, neighborhood greenways, a pedestrian action plan (incorporating Vision Zero), a new people-friendly promenade/protected cycletrack where the Expo line terminates and of course they always have the hard-to-miss Big Blue Bus!

Just in the last six months they have launched both Breeze bike share and opened the Expo rail line to downtown Los Angeles which cuts travel times from an hour and a half by bus to 50 minutes. (Personal note: after spending the day shooting this story I endured a 2 hour and 15 minute bus ride back to L.A.’s Union Station. So at rush hour it can be even more tortuous than that!) The Breeze bike share was my first experience with the smart bike program and it was easy to use and comfortable.

So come see just some of the many options the city has employed to make getting around as easy as possible whatever mode you choose. Thanks much to the wonderful Cynthia Rose from Santa Monica Spoke who made my first visit there a joy by giving me the grand tour.”

Thank you Clarence!

Ask Sec. Foxx to consider bicyclists when evaluating our roads

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Bike League Action

We need your help

The Federal Highway Administration once again ignored bicyclists when determining performance measures for our transportation system.  Please ask Secretary Foxx to consider bicyclists when doing performance evaluations of our streets and roads.

  • Even though Congress just instituted a complete streets policy for the National Highway System (Main streets, state highways, and other major roads), FHWA wants to measure performance of our transportation system using a measure for drivers only.
  • It measures congestion by measuring delay for drivers, but gives no credit to states or metropolitan areas that invest in biking, walking or transit facilities that reduce congestion.

If these draft rules are implemented, they will hinder the ability of local governments to implement complete streets, build protected bike lanes, etc.

Read more about the rule and how it will effect  biking.

Please ask Secretary Foxx to consider bicyclists when judging performance of our streets and roads