National Association of Transportation Officials Press Release, December 8, 2009, Washington, D.C.
Big Cities Urge Bike Friendly Streets: Nationwide bike boom needs Federal support

Congressman Earl Blumenauer; New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik- Khan; and artist/musician David Byrne joined city officials from Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C. to launch Cities for Cycling, a new effort by city governments to promote best practices in urban cycling and to increase the use of bicycles to improve urban mobility, livability and public health while reducing traffic congestion and CO2 emissions.

Cycling is booming in cities across the nation. Based on the American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. census bureau, cycling as a share of transportation is up in major cities by as much as 72% from 2007-2008, with an average growth rate of over 30%. Still much work remains to make cycling a more mainstream mobility option. Providing safe, comfortable, convenient bicycling facilities has allowed cities like Portland, New York and others to vastly increase commuter cycling and drive down injuries and fatalities to cyclists. From protected cycle-tracks to bike boxes and special traffic signals for bikes; Cities for Cycling seeks to share these best practices among leading cities and encourage State and Federal governments to adopt the new design treatments emerging from cities as standard practices, opening up funding and technical support opportunities and cutting red tape.

“Cities have been going it alone with their bike networks,” said Commissioner Sadik-Khan, who is President of the National Association of City Transportation Officials. “Cities for Cyclists will create a forum to discuss and develop best practices and speed the adoption of innovative design guidelines at the federal and local levels.”

Cities for Cycling will feature an online warehouse of bike-friendly street best practice factsheets as well as a compendium of links to cities’ technical design guidelines for innovative bicycle facilities. The project will convene leading bicycle experts from cities around the United States and abroad to share information and stimulate the development of a new generation of better bicycle facilities.

Cities for Cycling is a project of the National Association of City Transportation Officials and is supported by Bikes Belong and the SRAM Cycling Fund. More information is available at www.citiesforcycling.org

Contact: Robin Lester-Kenton, New York City Department of Transportation, (212) 839-6470

National Association of City Transportation Officials: NACTO is comprised of transportation officials from Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, DC. Formed in 1996, the group fosters information exchange between cities and articulates common interests at the national level. More information is

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NACTO

National Association of City Transportation Officials 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For Immediate Release December 8, 2009 Washington, D.C.

 

Big Cities Urge Bike Friendly Streets

Nationwide bike boom needs Federal support

Congressman Earl Blumenauer; New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan; and artist/musician David Byrne joined city officials from Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C. to launch Cities for Cycling, a new effort by city governments to promote best practices in urban cycling and to increase the use of bicycles to improve urban mobility, livability and public health while reducing traffic congestion and CO2 emissions.

Cycling is booming in cities across the nation. Based on the American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. census bureau, cycling as a share of transportation is up in major cities by as much as 72% from 2007-2008, with an average growth rate of over 30%. Still much work remains to make cycling a more mainstream mobility option. Providing safe, comfortable, convenient bicycling facilities has allowed cities like Portland, New York and others to vastly increase commuter cycling and drive down injuries and fatalities to cyclists. From protected cycle-tracks to bike boxes and special traffic signals for bikes; Cities for Cycling seeks to share these best practices among leading cities and encourage State and Federal governments to adopt the new design treatments emerging from cities as standard practices, opening up funding and technical support opportunities and cutting red tape. “Cities have been going it alone with their bike networks,” said Commissioner Sadik-Khan, who is President of the National Association of City Transportation Officials. “Cities for Cyclists will create a forum to discuss and develop best practices and speed the adoption of innovative design guidelines at the federal and local levels.”

Cities for Cycling will feature an online warehouse of bike-friendly street best practice factsheets as well as a compendium of links to cities’ technical design guidelines for innovative bicycle facilities. The project will convene leading bicycle experts from cities around the United States and abroad to share information and stimulate the development of a new generation of better bicycle facilities.

Cities for Cycling is a project of the National Association of City Transportation Officials and is supported by Bikes Belong and the SRAM Cycling Fund. More information is available at

 

 

 

 

 

 

www.nacto.org/citiesforcycling or www.citiesforcycling.org

Contact: Robin Lester-Kenton, New York City Department of Transportation, (212) 839-6470

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NACTO

NACTO is comprised of transportation officials from Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, DC. Formed in 1996, the group fosters information exchange between cities and articulates common interests at the national level. More information is available at

 

 

 

 

 

 

www.nacto.org

Bike Mode Share Increase in Selected NACTO Cities

City 2007 2008 Percent Increase

Minneapolis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.5 4.3 72.00%

Portland

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.2 6 42.86%

New York (self reporting)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

35.00%

Philadelphia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.2 1.6 33.33%

Boston

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.2 1.6 33.33%

Seattle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.3 2.9 26.09%

San Francisco

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.3 2.7 17.39%

Washington

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 2.3 15.00%

Chicago

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

0.9 1 11.11%

Source: American Community Survey unless otherwise noted

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