Forsyth

Three Reasons Why Congestion Decreases When Cities ‘Delete’ Road Lanes

From StreetsBlog.org

By Kea Wilson

wildly inaccurate comment from Elon Musk about the traffic impacts of deleting lanes for drivers is prompting a conversation about the little-known phenomenon of “reduced demand” — and how advocates can better debunk common congestion myths that powerful, but often ill-informed, people continue to promulgate.

In a much-tweeted-about comment at the Financial Times “Future of the Car”conference on Tuesday, the Tesla and Boring Company founder dismissed the phenomenon of “induced demand” as “one of the single dumbest notions I have ever heard in my entire life,” despite more than a century of research that confirms that increasing lane capacity for drivers only temporarily relieves gridlock before beefed-up roads attract new motorists and development, miring even more travelers in traffic jams along the new and “improved” corridors.

“If adding roads just increases traffic, why don’t we delete them and decrease traffic?” Musk added. “And I think you’d have an uproar if you did that. … It boggles my mind that people wouldn’t think [building tunnels to curb congestion] would work. … It’s working really well already in Vegas.”

Photo by Iwona Castiello d’Antonio on Unsplash

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Reconnecting with Payee Paxaayt – May 22

From LACBC.org

Join us for a day of bike fun, outdoor connection, and local history! This group ride is named after the LA River – Paayme Paxaayt is the name given to this temperamental life force by the Tongva/Kizh/Gabrielino people – the original inhabitants of the Los Angeles area.

This 30 mile ride starts in Griffith Park and heads west to Lake Balboa/Anthony Beilenson Park before turning back around and heading back. There will be a few pit stops along the way, with a longer lunch stop at the turnaround point. Please make sure to buy a lunch ticket for $15 and LACBC will provide lunch for you. Folks are also more than welcome to pack their own lunch or purchase something along the way.

This ride will provide folks a chance to make it a shorter ride by hopping on the Orange Line or Red Line after the halfway point.

Please make sure to register all participants. Spaces are limited so register today!

Participants will be expected to bring a working bike, enough water for the ride, spare tubes and a repair kit.

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How To Get Pacing Right & Not Get Tired On Your Bike Rides

Learning how to pace your bike rides is an important skill. You don’t want to use up all your energy early on, get too tired, then still have quite a way left to get home. Getting your pacing right can be made nice and easy with our top 6 tricks. Conor and Hank let you know how…

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Overview of Metro’s Proposed Fiscal Year 22-23 Budget

From LA.streetsblog.org

By Joe Linton

Metro is flush with sales tax and stimulus, but holding to inadequate transit spending, while increasing highway construction

This month, the Metro board is expected to approve the agency’s budget for Fiscal Year 2022-23 which starts July 1. Staff have a proposed an annual budget totaling $8.8 billion, up nine percent from FY21-22’s $8.04 billion total. The board vote on the budget is a high-stakes affair, with on-the-fly changes being very rare, and boardmembers generally approving the parameters recommended by staff.

Metro is currently asking for public feedback on its proposed budget. Concerned parties can use Metro’s budget input webpage, email budgetcomments[at]metro.net, or give oral public comment at the Metro FY23 Budget Public Hearing (concurrent with the Metro board Finance and Audit Committee meeting) on May 18, starting at 1:30 p.m. Find meeting information at Metro event page.

Readers seeking budget details can look to Metro’s glossy 11-page FY23 Budget Summary and the 87-page FY23 Proposed Budget, which includes spreadsheets for all of Metro’s programs.

This post features an overview of the proposed FY23 budget, and a recap of earlier SBLA criticism of Metro’s plan to increase freeway expansion capital spending, while decreasing transit expansion capital spending. Streetsblog intends to post further budget analysis this week.

 

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L’Étape by Tour de France coming to Las Vegas in 2023

From CyclingWeekly.com

BY

Sportive will run through Sin City and scenic Red Rock Canyon

Las Vegas will become the second U.S. destination to host a L’Étape by Tour de France event in spring of 2023.

Held in 21 countries across the world,  L’Étape by Tour de France is a Gran Fondo series organized by the Tour de France brand aimed at offering “amateur cyclists the ability to ride or race a stage of the Tour de France in their own backyard.”

Gran Fondos, also known as Sportives, are mass participation cycling events that, much like a running marathon, are a race for some and a fun, personal challenge for others.

The L’Étape by Tour de France routes are designed by Tour de France experts and held on closed courses. For the full Tour de France racing experience, there are official podium ceremonies held at the end of each event, complete with authentic Tour de France jerseys. The jerseys will be yellow for the race winner, white-and-red polka dots for the winner of the best climber classification, and green for those fastest through the timed sprint sections on the course. There’s even a ‘fan fest’ designed after the Village Départ.

Photo by Grant Cai on Unsplash

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How To Master Cycling In 6 Easy Steps!

Cycling is great, and it’s even better when you know exactly what you’re doing! Conor takes you through his top tips to master the cycling basics, so that you can get the most out of your time on the bike!

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Check out this solar electric RV that is both a camper and an electric boat… and an e-bike

From Electrek.co

By Micah Toll

Electric campers have a certain charm to them, being able to explore the open road powered by the free sun rays beaming above you. But what if you could combine that freedom with the versatility of an electric boat and an electric bike? That’s exactly what Aigars Lauzis sought to capture when he designed the BeTriton electric camper

It may not be the first three-wheeled electric RV we’ve spotted, but it’s definitely the most versatile.

The Latvian-made electric camper isn’t designed for cross-country trips, at least not quick ones. The smaller size means less battery, and that results in a range of around 30 miles (48 km).

But it’s what you can do over those 30 miles that really seems to count. The BeTriton (formerly known as the Z-Triton 2.0) doesn’t only house a typical sleeping area for overnights, but the entire contraption also transforms into a boat for water voyages.

Built on an aluminum frame and with a fiberglass hull, the BeTriton electric camper can hit the water to cruise at a modest 3 mph (5 km/h).

The transition includes folding the wheels up and attaching inflatable floating stabilizers in their place on the sides of the craft. An electric trolling motor is lowered down from inside the cabin to complete the transformation. Attachable paddles are available just in case the operator runs out of charge while still on the water.

 

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Metrolink invites bicyclists to ride free during ‘Bike to Work’ week

From TheAVTimes.com

Metrolink is celebrating National Bike Month with free fare for riders who board trains with their bicycles during Bike to Work Week, May 16-20, the agency announced.

“Metrolink’s bike-friendly passenger trains are perfect for a summer travel adventure as well as for those riders who use their bikes for part of their commute.” Metrolink Board Chair Ara Najarian said. “And during Bike to Work Week we invite everyone to bring their bike and take the train to work or anywhere they like, free for the entire week.”

The bike month festivities include a “Cycle SoCal” sweepstakes giveaway worth more than $2,500 – including a brand new Aventon e-bike, a Metrolink Monthly Pass, an overnight experience at a local luxury hotel, and dinner for two at a well-known restaurant. Metrolink partnered with e-bike company Aventon Bikes and LOCALE Magazine for the giveaway of a new e-bike that features a 40-mile average range with a foldable frame, pedals, and handlebars, made for easy transportation. To learn more about how to enter the contest, visit Metrolink’s Bike Monthwebpage.

Working with outdoor adventure company AllTrails, Metrolink will share a specially curated lineup of trails for cyclists within two miles of a Metrolink train station and add a collection of bike trail destinations on Metrolink’s EXPLORE webpage. Additionally, Metrolink’s amenities include dedicated bike cars that each hold nine bikes, bike storage lockers at 23 stations, and bike racks at 34 stations.

 

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Top 9 Unwritten Rules Of Cycling!

If you’re new to cycling, or even a seasoned veteran, there are some things in cycling which just aren’t done. Wearing underwear underneath your shorts, not greeting other cyclists, and don’t get us started on leg shaving! Conor and Hank take you through nine of their unwritten cycling rules!

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Caltrans Proposes Angeles Crest Safety Plan

From OutlookValleySun.com

ByMark Kellam
At a city Public Works and Traffic Commission meeting last week, several representatives from the California Department of Transportation presented proposed safety changes and measures to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which included possibly building a mini-roundabout at the intersection with Green Lane.
Several representatives from the California Department of Transportation, or Caltrans, gave a presentation about proposed safety and ADA changes along Angeles Crest, which included possibly building a mini-roundabout at the intersection with Green Lane.
It is a Caltrans project, but agency representatives wanted to get feedback from local officials and residents about it.
Public Works Director Patrick DeChellis said the proposal is “conceptual and preliminary” and, while the commission wasn’t going to vote on it, it will advance to City Council for further consideration.
“Nothing is in concrete,” said Tina Dalili, transportation engineer for Caltrans, District 7.
The overall 12-mile project along the 2 Freeway includes Los Angeles, Glendale and La Cañada Flintridge, with LFS’s portion being three miles. The proposal here would run from Foothill Boulevard to Gould Mesa, reducing the number of lanes in the southbound direction to one lane in some segments of the highway.
The focus of most of the meeting was a section from Vista Del Valle to Salisbury Court. It’s two lanes now, with plans to reduce it to one, a point that concerned some residents who live along that stretch who spoke at the meeting because it would be harder for them to exit their driveways, and one resident, who backs into her driveway to make it easier to exit, said one lane might prohibit her from doing that.

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