Posts from February, 2010

As Orlando increases its cycling ridership, I am starting a small project with some of my cycling friends, that may help other commuters and cyclists feel more comfortable in using their bicycle in the urban Orlando environment. We are calling it the No Excuse Zone, based on a project that our company did for Sydney [...]

I have no excuse but pure laziness. Yesterday evening was beautiful and the wind had even calmed down, but I didn’t feel like riding. So I dragged my feet until time dictated I use the car. Or so I thought. What I forgot about is rush hour traffic.
When I got to General Rees & Glenridge, [...]

We’ve often said that better public transportation is necessary to solve our traffic (in)justice problems. The fact that driving a car is necessary for some people to get to work, makes it incredibly difficult to revoke their privilege when they prove unworthy of it. Driving has become a de facto entitlement because there are so [...]

Color me green, with envy, that is.  Today I visited St. Petersburg with Mighk Wilson and Keri Caffrey.  Keri and I were tagging along with Mighk whose purpose was to check out installations of the RRFB, Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon, on pedestrian crosswalks.  The envy part came about when I saw just how pedestrian friendly [...]

I-4 Speed Limit Sign: 50 MPH
of the worst commutes in the country.
Forbes Magazine ranked the 60 largest MSAs and ranked Orlando the fourth worst at 57th out of the 60.
Overall Rank: 57
2007 Travel Delay: 42
Green Commuting: 50
Travel Time: 37
Who was the worst? Tampa/St. Pete. The best? Salt Lake City.
Orlando ranked worse than Los Angeles [...]

This weekend has been beautiful riding weather and I got to put in 4 hours of recreational riding. Most of my time in the saddle was spent taking in the sight and sounds of the open road/trying to hang onto the back tire of the rider in front of me, but the rest was spent [...]

The freshwater springs that feed our rivers are among Florida’s better features. Aside from being beautiful, sparkling, blue-green ribbons of water in the forest, they run a consistent temperature year round. In summer, the 72° water is a human playground and refuge from the heat. In winter, it offers manatees refuge from the cold. This [...]

Metroplan Orlando held a pedestrian safety workshop yesterday. The attendance and enthusiasm was very encouraging. The board room was filled to capacity with more attendees than expected. Many different disciplines and organizations were represented, all with the same goal of enhancing pedestrian safety in Metro Orlando.
Presenters included Bill Segal, Metroplan Orlando Board [...]

The bicycle, the bicycle surely, should always be the vehicle of novelists and poets. ~Christopher Morley
Last week I got to see another dimension of the bicycle — a crime-fighter’s steed. I also had the pleasure of watching nearly 2 dozen people transform from novice cyclists to proficient bike handlers. On day one, they [...]

In the first CM ride of the year, things got a little contentious just as we got to Orange Ave. OPD herded riders into a single lane and instructed them to follow the law and stop at red lights. Over the PA came the unassailable statement that bicycles are vehicles and riders must follow the [...]