Wednesday Afternoon Commute - green-colored coating

Good afternoon

• At NoMa's July 4th bash "Awards will be given to the best decorated bicycle, tricycle, 4-wheeler (wagon), and dog. There will be a Parade Decoration Station with materials for children to decorate their bicycles" You can also bike to the Palisades Parade with Tommy Wells and BicycleSpace.
• Bikeshare employee pay petition gives Alta until today to take action on the allegations.
• A rundown of DC businesses that make deliveries by bicycle.
• Virginia may develop the air rights over I-66 near Rosslyn and East Falls Church Metro stations. These developments could represent opportunities to improve the Custis and W&OD Trails in those areas. "Arlington County is currently undertaking a review of the Rosslyn Sector Plan. As part of that process, development over I-66 in the northern and eastern edges of the Rosslyn Metro Station area can be evaluated. While there are no existing mixed-use development rights over the I-66 right-of-way at either Rosslyn or the East Falls Church Metro Station location, the East Falls Church Area Plan currently supports mixed use development on VDOT and WMATA's property next to I-66." Here's more with pictures of the areas. 
• "The bicycle box in the southbound lane of Commonwealth Avenue at its intersection with Mount Vernon Avenue will be enhanced with a green-colored coating and the installation of a new detection system this summer." In addition, Alexandria will be adding bicycle facilities to Janney's Lane, North Pitt Street, Quantrell Avenue and West Braddock Road this summer.
• Cindy Sheehan's cross-country bike ride, the "Tour de Peace" wound up coming into town across the Memorial Bridge at the same time that the pro-gun rights "Toy Gun March" was crossing the same bridge. "I didn't even know about another march across the street," said anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan with a laugh.
• Theories on why Portland's bike boom happened. 
• In Montreal, many apartment leases start on the same day of the year (July 1), leading to a shortage of moving trucks. So what does one do? "Aside from people simply carrying their worldly goods by hand down streets, some novel solutions to the congestion and cost have emerged. Claire Poirier said she was skeptical after learning that her two daughters had hired bicycle-powered movers to supplement two family cars for their move. But as family members looked on, the movers, Yohann Mouchboeuf and David Pelletier, piled and strapped two couches, a box spring, a bed frame, two mattresses, a large bookcase, a stove and full-sized refrigerator on two bicycle trailers before pedaling off. "

Comments

[david johnson]

I just don't understand why Alta won't pay their employees what the are supposed to pay.
I am dismayed that there has not been more protest about it.
So is it that as biking becomes more "mainstream" that all that is wrong with the main stream comes into it?

[Stan]

Really, you cant figure out why ALTA wont pay. Quick back of the envelop math shows that CABI is a very expensive endeavor. The almost constant rebalancing of the system through trucks is energy intensive and expensive. The only way CABI is feasible is if they cut lots of corners.... or maybe its not so feasible after all. Didnt I see an article just the other day about ALTA CABI remarking on the expensive of constantly rebalancing and "how users can help." Ha ha ha ha.

[Michael H.]

Yes, Stan, life would be so much greater if all of those bike trips were replaced by more cars on the clogged roads.

[SJE]

Perhaps its time to seriously think about some alternative CaBi pricing models, where people who "reverse commute" pay nothing. You could offer this as a freebie to non-members. Put a sign next to the busiest destinations, with an offer that any CaBi charge will be waived if you ride it from that station to one of specific other stations. For existing members, it could be a days extra membership each time they do it.

Will this solve all problems: no. But it might alleviate some problems, and would get non CaBi members into being willing to try. If you lived in Dupont and worked in Van Ness, the free ride would be a win-win for everyone, with more biking instead of driving or using Metro.

[ACyclistInTheSuburbs]

you couldnt waive ANY CaBI charge, or some folks will use it as free all day bike rental, in exchange for moving it. That won't work. But offering to get the free 30 minutes without paying the daily charge could work pretty well. Or just giving inducements to members - I think Montreal does something like that.

[ACyclistInTheSuburbs]

And nice to see continued improvements in Alexandria.

Oh and the data in Pucher slide was dramatic. all but 3 of those cities now have higher bike mode share than ANY of them did at the earlier date. Even NYC - which today has the lowest share of that group - its current share would have put it in the middle of the pack at the earlier date.

[ken]

@SJE: in Paris this spring when I used Velib they had some stations designated as Velib+ that gave you an extra 15 minutes if I recall. Given where the Velib+ stations were located (I used 2 simply because of where I was going / coming from) it was clearly to encourage rebalancing by use.

[SJE]

A Cyclist in the suburbs: My plan would be that you pay to take the bike out, and get a refund when you return it to a "reverse commute" dock. Simple.