| IDB approves US$176.7 million for urban transportation program for ...
The Inter-American Development Bank today approved a US$176.7 million loan to Brazil for an urban transportation program for its Federal District, where around 2.8 million commutes are made each day. “This initiative will improve the mobility and accessibility for the population of the district, particularly its low-income segments, by further integrating its communities through financing of a modern Bus Rapid Transit System," said IDB team leader Rosana Brandao. “This will help to improve the circulation and safety of motorized and non-motorized forms of transportation." The program will invest in road and urban infrastructure, including bus transfer stations, roadway and pedestrian safety, the construction of ramps at crosswalks, sidewalks and pedestrian walkways for persons with physical disabilities, the modernization of the traffic light system, bicycle paths or lanes, and the strengthening of institutional and management capacity in the area of transportation.
Dublin police to ride three-wheeled scooter
DUBLIN Police will soon be patrolling the city's busiest shopping center on a three-wheeled, clean-energy scooter. The T3 scooter, which has a top speed of 25 mph, looks like a beefier version of a Segway. It runs on batteries that need recharging every 30 miles. The police department now uses patrol cars and bicycles to navigate the shopping center on Hacienda Drive and Dublin Boulevard. The scooter, which was donated by center businesses, will give officers a good option, said Dublin police Lt. Glenn Moon. Patrol cars have more visibility, a good deterrent to bad behavior, but they are harder to use in crowded areas, Moon said, while bikes can be used when officers don't necessarily want to be seen. The motorized scooter is the best of both worlds, he said. "It has the (visible) deterrent of a patrol car, but somewhat of the stealth" of a bike, Moon said.
The Great Fire of 16.66 miles
I have a small electronic milometer on my bicycle which, among other fascinating statistics (maximum speed, average speed, current speed), records the distance covered to two decimal places. Thus ten and two thirds of a mile shows up as 10.66, just shy of 16 and a half miles is 16.49, and so on. It will be seen immediately that although those figures represent mileage, they can also be read as dates, very famous dates in the case of the two examples. Using this insight, I have developed a game combining my twin interests of cycling and general knowledge. The game is to think, as you pedal along, of something significant that happened on that date in the moment that your milometer registers it. Beautiful in its simplicity, no? You haven't got long. One one-hundredth of a mile is 17.6 yards, or not much over 50 feet.
Bigger Children's Hospital means more time in traffic
On the east side of University Village, there's a five-way intersection where each car typically is delayed 79 seconds during the afternoon rush. Growth in the area will push that wait to more than two minutes by 2030, according to a new city study -- and a proposed expansion of Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center would add nearly another minute on top of that. But unlike several other nearby intersections affected by the expansion, there's no way to ease traffic here, the study says. "Currently, there are no feasible improvements to this intersection." All told, the expansion would increase vehicle trips to the hospital 91 percent -- from 9,200 a day now to 17,600 in 2030 -- although remote parking and alternative transportation could cut the impact significantly, according to the study, which was released Jan.
Bikers, joggers should stay off main alternate routes
The I-64/Hwy 40 reconstruction has created a dangerous situation for joggers and bikers who have long utilized many of St. Louis County's secondary streets. Joggers/bikers are putting themselves (and drivers) at risk by using these now overly populated side streets. I appeal to MoDot and media outlets to encourage bikers/joggers to find safer areas to get their exercise. Side streets such as Clayton, Litzsinger, Warson, Spoede and Conway have often attracted bikers and joggers. Drivers familiar with these areas have learned to share the road. However, the highway closures have brought many new motorists to these streets.The additional motorists, many of them less than familiar with the danger spots along their new routes, are coming precariously close to injuring defenseless bikers/joggers.
Pedal power For commuting or just having fun, riding a bike in winter ...
Studded tires for bikes? Sure. You can also get chains if you want to join the intrepid cyclists who commute to work on two-wheelers during the winter, or who just want to have fun in the snow."I've been riding a bicycle for my main transportation for over 30 years. It's a force of habit," says John Schwenker, a 51-year-old aerospace engineer who lives near Boulder, Colo.He rides four miles to his office and four miles back, even in the snow."It's a matter of going slow in the stuff," he says.Bikes aren't just for sunny summer weather. There are those across the country - whether for environmental reasons, fun or fitness - who so love cycling that they ride year-round, pretty much regardless of the weather. .
Security shambles as airport is invaded for third night in row
If you want to see how it is done properly, go and look at Narita Airport in Japan: watchtowers, searchlights, multiple fences, solid walls, sterile areas and lots of barbed wire. Those are only the obvious signs. I'm sure there is much else we can't see. .
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