The Bicycle Mayor Network by Amsterdam-based BYCS.org is a global initiative which promotes the bicycle as a solution to some of the most complex urban challenges.
Interviews with Bike Mayors Arcy Canumay of Waterloo, Canada and Jillian Banfield of Halifax, Canada; also, Lucas Snaije, BYCS Content and Communications Manager.
Plus a bike manifesto from Lindsay Sturman
twitter.com/LindsayJS
Co-hosted by Don Ward, Nick Richert, Lindsay Sturman, and Terence Heuston.
Edited by Kevin Burton.
Brand new Los Angeles CD 14 Councilmember Kevin De Leon, former “climate champion” with aspiration to be Mayor, wrote an open letter asking for more meetings on the Metro BRT’s plan for Eagle Rock. It seems the pro-short commute crowd of Eagle Rock have his ear now that Metro’s leaning to the “Beautiful Boulevard” option, which features a bike lane and slower traffic. Felicia Garcia, community organizer; Joe Linton, Streetsblog LA journalist/editor; and Seamus Garrity, not in his official role as a Field Representative for California Assemblymember Laura Friedman, preside. With Don Ward, safe streets organizer.
la.streetsblog.org/2021/05/14/kevi…-more-meetings/
www.latimes.com/opinion/story/202…ect-kevin-de-leon
America Walks E.D. Mike McGinn and League of American Bicyclists E.D. Bill Nesper on ‘a once in a decade or more opportunity–’ the revising of the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
The MUTCD is at once an ‘obscure’ document and ‘bible’ for engineers, controlling bikeways, crosswalks, speed limits, and other road design features.
The new administration and USDOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg give active transportation advocates reason to hope that the Manual will be rewritten with pedestrians and bicyclists in mind.
League’s MUTCD action alert – p2a.co/nG8UFZU
Background blog on the MUTCD and the League’s proposition: bikeleague.org/content/mutcd-ref…ty-rewrite-future
Bike-side Chat with Sec Pete – www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VSBTNGDpb
Mike McGinn and America Walks links:
americawalks.org/urgent-action-al…r-safer-streets/
americawalks.org/how-the-mutcd-cr…-to-access-food/
Traffic savant, cartoonist, and author Andy Singer (www.andysinger.com/) explains the MUTCD,
‘The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (which) defines the standards used by road managers nationwide to install and maintain traffic control devices on all public streets, highways, bikeways, and private roads open to public travel(mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/) .’ The ‘bible’ for traffic engineers, the Manual is dangerously auto-centric, and undergoing a process of revision which only happens every 10-15 years.
Andy also talks about his work with the St. Paul bicycle coalition which he founded, his cartoon career, hopes for the current administration, and thoughts about the future.
Then: an interview by Andrea Learned, climate action leadership strategist, with David Miller, former Mayor of Toronto, Director of International Diplomacy for C40 Cities, and author of Solved: How the World’s Great Cities Are Fixing the Climate Crisis.
On 4/20, the Beverly Hills City Council unanimously voted to adopt complete streets after years of advocacy by Mark Elliot and his allies. Mark talks about this win.betterbike.org/Then-Deborah Murphy, Urban Design Planning Principal Active Transportation Planner/Designer and Grant Coordinator, Los Angeles Walks Founderand Hilary Norton, chair of the California Transportation Commission and Executive Director of FASTLinkDTLA, a Transportation Management Organization (TMO) for Downtown Los Angeles-consult with Mark on his recent experience in Beverly Hills.Hilary, Deborah, and veteran rida Don Ward go on to talk about Deborah’s amazing success with facilitating the award of over $278 million in grant funds for active transportation, new parks/open space and sustainable cities projects in the past 13 years. It’s why Deborah is affectionately known as the Oprah of the safe streets movement.Deborah and Hilary focus in particular on the record breaking $31 million ATP grant for “Connecting Canoga Park” which Deborah worked on and the CTC approved. It was the largest monetary award in the ATP’s history.cal.streetsblog.org/2021/02/09/acti…tions-released/Hilary and Deborah also talk about the CTC’s request for $2 billion in Active Transportation funds:catc.ca.gov/-/media/ctc-media/d…or-website-a11y.pdf
Because defending the most vulnerable road users makes everyone safer, we talk to LA Walks Executive Director John Yi and Jared Sanchez, CalBike Senior Policy Advocate, about AB 1238, the Freedom to Walk Act. If made law, this would legalize mid-block crossings and crossing against traffic lights in California.
THEN,
Josh Cohen, a personal injury lawyer specializing in bikes, discusses the legal options for forcing DOTs and carmakers to make transportation safer.
Sophie Maerowitz on the Loisaida Open Streets Community Coalition she co-founded and the resistance to a protected bike lane on Ave. C in NYC
5:30 Joe Linton and Felicia Garcia on the Beautiful Boulevard they’re trying to get Metro to adopt as it puts a Bus Rapid Transit line in Eagle Rock, in the face of NIMBY (not in my backyard) opposition.
15:55 cartoonist and Why We Drive author Andy Singer on the NYC, LA, and Twin Cities “block by block battles” of bike and safe streets advocates, and why they’re symptoms of the problem of road funding in the US.
1:03:45 Joe comes back for more debate with Don about whether to work with NIMBYs.
1:06:45 Lindsay Sturman interviews John Stout, author of the new report, “Transform Transportation,” which identifies the harmful health and environmental impacts of California’s car-centric transportation system and gives recommendations for a healthier, more sustainable sector.
Bike Talk correspondent Lindsay Sturman interviews Chicago, IL ‘biking and transit visionary’ Courtney Cobbs, Co-Editor for Streetsblog Chicago.
The Monterey Park city council wanted to vote on spending $100 million of Measure R money on new parking structures and expanding lanes for driving. Jennifer Love Tang, an english teacher and organizer, wrote about the vote in Streetsblog LA. Jennifer consults with Charles Mahron, the Founder and President of Strong Towns and the author of Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity, and Don Kostelec, a transportation consultant and advocate in Boise, Idaho.
With Nick Richert.
Lindsay Sturman and Terrence Heuston talk to David Zipper about the Ebike Act, which passed congress and would give $1500 rebates on ebikes. Other topics include transportation as an economic development tool and changing the sidewalk paradigm.
Inspired by David’s tweet:
twitter.com/DavidZipper/status/…73014689673217?s=20
A radio show dedicated to the idea that we need to prioritize transportation by bikes.
Take our Bike Talk Listener Survey please!
Broadcasting on FM and streaming since 2008 from our home station in Los Angeles, KPFK, our sister station Valley Free Radio in Florence, Massachusetts and Pacifica affiliates:
WNUC in Detroit, MI,
WBTV in Burlington and WOOL in Bellows Falls, Vermont
WFMP in Louisville, Kentucky, WBDY in Binghamton, NY,
KXCR in Oregon’s Central Coast, WDRT in Viroqua, Wisconsin, KAPY in Snoqualmie Valley, Washington, WKFH in Ellwood City Pennsylvania, and
KCEI in Taos, NM.
Join our Facebook Group.
Follow us on Blue Sky, Reddit.
Pitch and discuss ideas at Bike Talk Stories.
Sponsored by:
If interested in contributing to the show, or if you have any questions,
Sponsored by:
Donate $20 (or more!) through Patreon and get the BikeTalk t-shirt!