Protected Bike Lanes

Parking protected bike lanes use parked cars to create a  buffer between moving vehicles and cyclists. While this eliminates a few parking spots, it improves traffic flow for vehicles increases retail sales for nearby businesses, and improves bicycle safety and encorages more people to bike. After a pilot project on 9th Avenue in 2007, then New York City transportation official Janette Sadik-Khan used 1% of her agency’s budget to build 1200 miles of protected bike lanes.

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Subtle Safety for Bikes

More of America’s city dwellers are trying bicycles, and that makes these trying times for bike riders, pedestrians and drivers alike. Bikes run into people, cars run into bikes, bikes run into cars. New York City is trying a novel approach to improve bike safety: poetry.

The NYC Department of Transportation has rolled out a new bicycle safety program, Curbside Haiku signs. The signs feature 12 designs, and each spells out bike safety tips in poems of 17 syllables. This official New York municipal program is based on an Atlanta guerrilla art project by John Morse.

The thoughtful Curbside Haiku poem cycle covers essential bicycle topics, all except one. This one:

Pedal with respect
The streets are for everyone
Spandex shorts are not