Halloween Weekend

Halloween is a very busy weekend in Orlando and this year was no exception.

The Halloween Critical Mass ride on Friday night was a good showing and had several riders that dressed in costumes. The ride was without any altercations with police, even though they were parked at several locations along the route to make sure that everything was orderly. The ride was large enough that we took up all three lanes on Orange Avenue. It always feels good to take back the streets and draw attention to cyclists and alert automobiles about bikes being on the road.

Saturday was a typical Lakemont group ride. We got an update on Marty Katz, the Lakemont rider who was struck by a car a little before dawn on Tuesday, October 12, while stopped at a light on Horatio Avenue in Maitland. You can keep tabs on his progress - go here ->  http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/martykatzrecovery and register - you’ll then get daily reports from Team Marty.  Marty is still in very serious condition but some good things have been happening this week. He is OFF THE VENT and breathing on his own and speaking through the trach.  He wants a beer, he wants his coffee, he wants to get up and walk, he wants out of there!  And, as soon as a bed is available, he will be moved out of ICU.  These are positive steps, but no one should be fooled: Marty’s got a long road ahead of him with several surgeries to go.Show your support, register at the caringbridge.com site and let the family know you’re a cyclist and you’re following Marty’s recovery.
 
Saturday night was downtown Orlando's Halloween celebration, and this year I went as a doping cyclist, but I abandoned my blood transfusion gear to be more comfortable amongst the mass of people. Many people just assumed that I was Lance Armstrong, since I had a Radio Shack jersey on. Either way, it was pretty fun just walking around in a full kit and having people know who/what I was.

Bike Sharing Now in 100 European Cities

First was the news that the London bike share program (conspicuously sponsored by Barclay's Bank) expects to break even and turn a profit in the next few years. Now Spiegel magazine reports that a new record has been reached, with 100 European cities supporting some type of bike sharing program. Why are we so far behind with this congenial form of inner city transport?

Spiegel wonders whether the bike share trend will continue. In Paris, Vélib definitely caused people to change their habits - nearly half of Vélib users say they drive less due to getting on a Vélib more. And France has embraced bike sharing - nearly 30 French cities have programs.

Barcelona is another stellar example of bike sharing. The city's residents took to Bici ferociously, with thousands signing up when the system first started. Since then, there's been a noticeable decrease in subscriptions due to a change in the system implemented to control bike loss. But Bici is now part of the city's fast and furious fabric.

But for every Barcelona and Paris there are ten other, less-noted bike share systems that seem to be flourishing. In Hamburg, Spiegel notes, 500,000 trips were taken last year using the StadtRAD bike share, which is seen as one of the most successful projects implemented by the city's coalition government. There are bike share systems in Rennes, France (officially the world's first), in Valencia, Sevilla, and Zaragoza, Spain, in Brussels, Belgium, and in Vienna, Austria. Poland has two bike share systems, and even frigid Norway and Finland have a system each (though Helsinki's will close, Spiegel reports).

Some people think bike sharing is an expensive drain on city coffers and will not be successful in the long run. But cities seem to be finding innovative ways to fund bike sharing - through a combination of user fees, corporation sponsorships, and advertising. And if success is in number of adopters, bike sharing seems on its way to being a success story in Europe, at least.

In the U.S. just over a dozen American cities have thus far opted to implement bike sharing, with premier cycling city Minneapolis being one fo the latest to add one. Cost and the pervasiveness of car culture may be the main impediments, though public officials like Don Maes in Colorado have even attempted to characterize bike sharing as unconstitutional and part of a plot for world government.

Copenhagen to Residents: "You're Safer On a Bike Than On a Sofa"

"You won't believe it... You're safer on the bicycle than on the sofa!" That's the official slogan of a Copenhagen campaign—run not by the department of transportation or bike safety advocates, but by the city's public health office.


The picture above was a poster seen across the city last spring bearing the message: "You are safer on the bike than on the couch... Public Health Copenhagen hopes to place focus on the fact that there are very good reasons to ride a bicycle each day and we would like to highlight that Copenhageners already cycle 1.2 million km each day."


The translation is courtesy of Copenhagenize.com, which did a much better job than what I could get from Google or another online translator.

It continues:

"Lack of movement in everyday life is harmful to health, while physical activity keeps the body healthy. Daily exercise for at least 30 minutes prolongs life by up to 5 years, and cycling can thus help to prolong life."
People in Copenhagen wouldn't seem to need encouragement to bike more, but apparently there's always a need, and it sure is a great campaign. Think it'd go over well here?

Bicycles, Unchained and Grease-Free

THE wheels on bikes haven’t been reinvented, but the chains may be getting an update. This morning I was moving my bike and bounced my chain off and got to go through the fun experience of putting a greasy chain back on. Nothing kicks the day off better than having grease stained fingers.

How ironic that I looked at the NYTimes and saw that they had an interesting article about a new type of bike chain. I have seen several of the new belt drives, but this article exposes where the technology is heading. The clinking roller chains that are now standard on most bicycles have long had a drawback known to any cyclist: they become grimy, and can soil a pants leg or a skirt. That’s because the metal links must be oiled regularly, and the oil attracts dirt. Hence the black grease getting on my fingers this morning.

Now companies are developing new designs and materials to replace these chains with grease-free alternatives like polymer cables or belts toughened with carbon fibers.

The Gates Corporation in Denver, a maker of industrial and auto parts, offers belt-driven systems for biking that, unlike chains, require no lubrication. The belts, made of polyurethane and shot through with carbon cords to give them tensile strength, have teeth on one side that engage with metal pulleys to turn the belt as the pedals rotate. Other companies offering belt-drive systems for bicycles include Schlumpf Innovations in Vilters, Switzerland, and CycleDrive Systems in Foxborough, Mass.

Belt-driven systems were first used primarily on single-speed mountain bikes but are now appearing on multigeared commuter and city bikes as well. They last much longer than chains, and are quiet and clean. In a perfect world, everyone would probably use them because they require less maintenance.

But new belt-driven systems are likely to be a bit more expensive than chains, and can be installed only on frames adapted to their use. That’s because links in metal chains can usually be popped open to slide a chain into position. But much like the timing belts on car engine, the new, continuous bike belts cannot be opened. Instead, the bicycle frame must have an opening, typically in the back, to let the belt pass through for installation.

Belt drives are now included in models from 24 companies, including Trek, Specialized Globe and Raleigh. The systems, which have one belt and front and rear pulleys, can also be bought from many frame manufacturers for use in customized bikes. Prices for the system seem to range from $150 to $280.


Another chainless bike, the StringBike, is being developed in Budapest by the inventor Robert Kohlheb and his business partner, Mihaly Lantos, a patent lawyer. The bike replaces the chain and sprockets with a symmetrical combination of pivoting levers, pulleys and polyethylene cables or “strings” on both sides. (Mr. Lantos chose the word “strings” in part because he is a lover of classical music.)

When the right foot pushes the pedal down, a lever pivots. The pulleys attached to the lever go forward, pulling the cables with them to propel the back wheel. Then, as the left foot pushes down, the action is repeated on the other side. Prototypes of the bike have been shown at trade shows in Cologne, Germany, and Padua, Italy.

The bikes’ development was financed predominantly by the two men, with additional support from the Hungarian government. Schwinn-Csepel, a bicycle company in Budapest, has been licensed to assemble and sell the bikes within Europe. The price will probably be 2,500 to 3,000 euros (about $3,500 to $4,200).

As bike lanes are added to more city streets, chainless drive systems may catch on with urbanites looking for low-maintenance solutions. I think the belt-driven system will start to quietly encroach on the urban pavement market similarly to e-bikes, folding bikes, and any of the other commuter technologies.

Results of the New Prospect Park West: Speeding Down Dramatically, Cycling Up Big

Images: NYC DOT (PDF)

I just got my hands on a copy of DOT’s Prospect Park West radar gun study and cyclist counts [PDF]. The data on traffic speeds confirm the results that Park Slope Neighbors observed this summer: The new configuration — two traffic lanes and a two-way protected bike path instead of three traffic lanes and no bike path — has drastically reduced speeding on PPW. Drivers now travel at average speeds that give them more time to react to pedestrians crossing the street, which will avert injuries and lessen the severity of any crashes that do occur.

Meanwhile, the two-way bike path has opened up Prospect Park West for cycling to many more Brooklynites while cutting down on sidewalk riding. On weekdays, cycling on PPW has tripled:

Before implementation, 46 percent of weekday cyclists on PPW used the sidewalk. Now only four percent do, and about a third of them are kids 12 and under who are allowed to do it.
The cycling increases on the weekend are also dramatic:

On many days, close to a thousand people are using PPW in a way that either didn’t feel safe to them previously, or that wasn’t allowed because traffic only flowed southbound. Now it’s easier and safer for them to bike to and from points of interest in Brooklyn and the surrounding area.

6,000 Cyclists Hit the Tour de Bronx

One of the events that I hated to miss, but is on my bucket list, is the Tour de Bronx. When I was up earlier this summer, I was there during the Tour de Brooklyn, so I can only imagine what 6,000 riders would have been like this morning. This was their 15th year and it is the state's largest free cycling event, riders chose between 25 and 40 mile routes, both of which passed by the new Yankee Stadium, St. Ann's Church (the oldest in the borough), and the Historic Longwood District.

The event was capped off with a free end-of-ride festival at the Bronx Botanical Gardens, with live entertainment and refreshments. This year's Tour de Bronx is dedicated to the memory of Megan Charlop, a former Monetefiore employee who was killed while riding her bicycle on Crotona Avenue. Yet despite this tragedy, the event is meant to be a celebration of the ever-growing cycling culture in New York City.
The Tour de Bronx is not the only event of its kind in NYC, there's also a Tour de Brooklyn and a Tour de Queens, both of which are smaller and younger spin-offs of the original.

As the city that never sleeps becomes more and more of a cyclist's city,these type of events will become more common and more popular. Next year's Tour is destined to be even larger than today's, and the culture of cycling will have spread even farther through the city.

Update on Marty Katz

For those of you that have been asking about the status of Marty, he's still in the hospital but progressing. Marty Katz is the Lakemont rider who was struck by a car a little before dawn on Tuesday, October 12, while stopped at a light on Horatio Avenue in Maitland.  His family has started a web page, so you can keep tabs on his progress - go here -> : http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/martykatzrecovery and register - you’ll then get daily reports from Team Marty. 

Marty is still in very serious condition.  When in surgery, Marty’s doctors stopped after placing a pin (a very long pin) in Marty’s femur.  They did not attempt fixing anything else due to lung complications.  Marty’s ventilator use has been as high as full-time but now is at 50%.  I can’t pretend to understand the medical details but Marty is in a serious and long fight.

Rally for Prospect Park Bike Lane Draws Hundreds

Rally for Prospect Park Bike Lane Draws Hundreds
Originally uploaded by bicyclesonly

Hundreds of Brooklynites gathered this morning at Grand Army Plaza to show their support for the redesigned Prospect Park West. They made a statement that should be hard for elected officials and the press to miss. Most people who live in the neighborhoods near PPW like biking and walking on the new, traffic-calmed street and don’t want to see those changes taken away.

The crowd size was estimated at about 300 supporters. The rally was organized by Park Slope Neighbors, the Park Slope Civic Council, and Transportation Alternatives in response to an anti-bike lane demonstration that took place on PPW and Carroll Street. After massing at GAP, most of the pro-bike lane crowd walked down PPW to declare their love for the safer street to the gathering of about 70 or so opponents, while a large contingent rode up and down the two-way bike path.

The defining moment of the morning, came when Carlo Scissura, chief of staff to Borough President Marty Markowitz, rallied the bike lane opponents by telling them the PPW redesign was the vision of “one person” — Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan. The large mass of bike lane supporters were standing just a few feet away when he said it. Scissura’s remark reportedly elicited a hearty round of booing on a morning that otherwise was largely free of overt confrontation.

It is great to see that grass root advocacy can grow to a large enough contingency to get real results on the ground. Prospect Park is a beautiful park for citizens of Brooklyn, and the bike lane projects on either side of it help the citizens of the area access the park easier. It also provides a great connection across the city for commuters. Keep up the good work!

Mapping Your NYC Bike Commute

Sometimes some things are best explained by video or example. Streetfilms is one of my favorite websites for great inspirational and instructional videos. This video is no exception. It is by Clarence Eckerson, Jr.

Regardless of age or ability, everyone deserves the right to a safe and convenient bike commute. In New York City, every day the DOT is making that more of a reality - thanks to an incredible diversity of bike facilities. The city has moved past simple, striped bike lanes and on to refreshing configurations like curbside, floating parking-protected, physically separated, two-way bike paths.

Bike riding is on the rise. Commutes that were unthinkable years ago, are becoming attainable. Riders are more confident in their knowledge of the street grid. One resource that helps is the NYC Cycling Map. Use this cycling freebie to not only link up to the best routes in your neighborhood, but also to find alternatives and experiment with your riding. You'll be amazed how easy - and safe - it can be.

So for inspiration and major cajoling, Clarence decided to hop on his Batavus Dutch crusier and show us his commute from Jackson Heights, Queens all the way to the Streetfilms offices in lower Manhattan via the Manhattan Bridge. It's a hardy 11 miles each way, and yet almost 90% of the journey is on some sort of bike facility or marked bike route.  Furthermore, about 5 miles of it is on completely separate car-free bicycling paths.

Day of Rememberance On Lakemont Ride

Tuesday morning, Marty Katz, a regular rider in the “third group” at Lakemont was on his way to meet a morning group in Maitland.  Stopped at a red light, in the left turn lane, on Horatio Avenue, he was hit by a car. His injuries are extensive and he’s in ICU at Orlando Regional Medical Center. He sustained 8 or 9 broken ribs, a fractured femur, hip, pelvis and clavicle.  The vehicle was being driven by a high school who had several girls with her in the car heading to school.

Marty underwent surgery on Wednesday, but is breathing now only with the aid of a ventilator.  He is listed in critical condition and the family has requested that there be no visitors but earnestly seeks prayers. A brief prayer vigil was held Thursday night at Lakemont Elementary and before we headed out this morning we had a brief moment of silence and talked about safety issues. Even though Marty had lights on his bike, we were reminded how important visibility is for a cyclist on the road. Being made fun of for looking like a Christmas tree or ambulance may not be a bad thing considering the alternative.

Today was also a reminder of the Ride 2 Recovery ride that is happening tomorrow morning. When I rolled up this morning there were 2 veterans in their Ride 2 Recovery kits on and seeing them out on bikes was a great inspiration. One of the soldiers was missing a left arm and leg and was riding with prosthetic limbs. Nothing can inspire you more than seeing someone that has sacrificed for our country andthen is out riding with the heart of a champion. Absolutely amazing.

You too can honor America’s recovering veterans with a bicycle ride through Seminole County tomorrow, October 17. Ride 2 Recovery of Florida is an advocacy group that promotes cycling as a vehicle to assist in the recovery and rehabilitation of wounded military veterans.  The “Seminole Cyclefest” is a ride designed to raise the awareness of the physical and psychological rehabilitative values of cycling among the civilian, military, and wounded warrior communities.  All monies raised by this event will be used to assist in the recovery of injured veterans.  For more information about Ride 2 Recovery of Florida refer to: www.ride2recoveryflorida.com.

 

Join this group of cycling advocates as they casually ride through Seminole County with the escort of the Seminole County Sheriff. The ride is open to the public by registration at www.Active.com.  “Seminole Cyclefest”. The “Seminole Cyclefest” will start and finish at David’s World Cycles, 1201 South International Parkway, Lake Mary, Florida.  The ride will start promptly at 8:30 AM on Sunday, October 17, 2010.  Riders will select either a 24 mile or 58 mile course through the picturesque townships and lakes of Seminole County.  The ride will be completely supported with rest stations placed approximately 15 miles apart.  All participants receive the official Ride 2 Recovery tee shirt.  Ride packets can be picked up at David’s World Cycle starting at 7:00 AM on the day of the ride.  Same day registration will also begin at 7:00 AM on October 17 at David’s World Cycles.

More Proof that There's Safety In Numbers For Cyclists

Two years ago Lloyd Alter wrote For Bicylists, There is Safety in Numbers noting the work of Chris Rissel, who said "It appears that motorists adjust their behavior in the presence of increasing numbers of people bicycling because they expect or experience more people cycling."

Last year Lloyd asked Is there "safety in numbers"? and quoted Peter Jacobson's 2003 study that concluded that "Where, or when, more people walk or bicycle, the less likely any of them are to be injured by motorists. There is safety in numbers."

Now cycling activist Elly Blue follows up on Grist with more recent data, and notes how the theory is catching on.

Graph of the Day: Bike Ridership and Casualties
Ms. Blue explains why it works:

When there are a lot of bicyclists on the road, according to this theory, drivers take notice. They become more attentive, slow down, pass more cautiously, double-check their blind spots, expect the unexpected. They sense that the road has become a more complicated place, and adjust their behavior accordingly. As a result, the road becomes safer, presumably for everyone.

She concludes:

Safety in numbers will prove over time, I suspect, to be the first major theory based on objective data that can break down the double standard we all pedal under. Jacobsen's research calls into question the foundation of a system in which the convenience of driving is exalted above the basic safety and mobility of people walking and bicycling.

More in Grist

Click to enlarge Portland study PDF
Cycleicious picks up the story and notes that the data in San Jose, California confirm the theory:

The number of cyclists on the road quadrupled in San Jose California between 2005 and 2008. You'd maybe expect a quadrupling in the number of cyclist fatalities as well, especially since all of those new cyclists are inexperienced and maybe tend to crash more. We see about two to six cyclist fatalities each year in all of Santa Clara County (which encompasses sevens time the area of the city of San Jose) In spite of the huge and visible increase in bikes in San Jose and environs.... there wasn't a corresponding increase in cyclist fatalities.

In Toronto, all the leading candidates for mayor are competing with each other to get rid of bike lanes and get the bikes out of the way, and the front runner says "My heart bleeds when someone gets killed, but it's their own fault at the end of the day."

All the data show that he is completely wrong, that it is not the cyclists own fault, and that the more cyclists there are, the safer everybody is.

Transportation Alternatives Takes On Queens Boulevard

Getting to see all of the new, cool bike facilities in New York was one of my highlights during my time there this past summer.  Another highlight was getting in contact with one of the best advocacy groups in the country, Transportation Alternatives,  and see how their voice has changed the culture of the city. The NYCDOT has been working with T.A. to survey the results of the new facilities and their astonishing results.

Collisions occur on corridors; is a major finding in the DOT's recently released New York City Pedestrian Safety Study and Action Plan. It was also a bit of vindication for Transportation Alternatives. For years, they've called out the composite danger of major corridors as a cause of crashes.

Since 1999, T.A. has been focused on correcting one of the city's most deadly corridors, and with the DOT's conclusion, they have renewed vigor for our longstanding Zero on Queens Boulevard campaign.

Yesterday, volunteers from T.A.'s Queens Committee donned their business best to clock conversations with senators, assembly members and other officials on an inaugural Queens Boulevard lobbying day. Monthly bike pools have been guiding commuters safely home along the corridor since 2008 and lately, a series of walks have brought together elected officials and advocates to observe the present danger.

But despite all those hard strode miles of leafleting and lobbying, on a heat map of crashes in New York City, Queens Boulevard remains a replica of Mount Vesuvius.

With the DOT's Street Design Manual as a vocabulary, inaction has become an unacceptable word. The City has the tools to staunch Queens Boulevard's towering death toll; the City only needs the political will to replicate designs that have already corrected some of New York's most treacherous avenues.

Take Action

Cleaning up Queens Boulevard is going to take a lot of political noise. Sign the petition

In 2011, T.A. will be asking elected officials whose districts include the Boulevard to help herald the call for Vision Zero: zero deaths, zero injuries and zero fear of traffic on Queen’s most deadly, injurious and terrifying boulevard. Queensite or no, winning those changes will affect us all, because if they can fix Queens Boulevard, there is no street that can't be corrected.

Alzheimer's Breakthrough Ride

With our summer travels this year, we missed a very important day for our family. Observed every year on September 21st, World Alzheimer's Day raises awareness of the public, people with dementia, their family and friends, medical professionals, and researchers about Alzheimer's Disease. It is important to my family because dementia and Alzheimer's affected my grandparents and my wife's grandmother died from Alzheimer disease on '04. My mother-in-law has become a great advocate for Alzheimer research and has become the leading state advocate for Kentucky. Having a globally coordinated awareness day sends a strong message to governments and policymakers that dementia is fast becoming a public health crisis as the world's population grows older. The day can also be used to educate and challenge people's misconceptions as well as the stigma of dementia.

There was a new and exciting event leading up to World Alzheimer's Day this year, Alzheimer's researchers left the lab and took to the road on  July 17th in the First Alzheimer's Breakthrough Ride. More than 55 researchers  cycled cross-country segments from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., collecting signatures along the way to support Alzheimer's research funding. The goal was to secure 50,000 petition signatures and present them to Congress on World Alzheimer's Day. After riding over 4,500 miles, they had reached an astounding 110,000+ signatures.

Originally conceived by Bruce Lamb, Ph.D., whose current research analyzes the mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease, the Breakthrough Ride's petition supports the Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act and other legislation to increase funding and focus attention on Alzheimer's research, care, and support. According to the Alzheimer's Association, for every $25000 the federal government spends on care for people living with Alzheimer's disease, it spends only $100 on Alzheimer's research.

In addition to the annual Memory Walk sponsored by the Alzheimer's Association, this seems like a terrific opportunity to get involved and show your enthusiasm and support for Alzheimer's disease. Click here to find an event in your area, follow the riders, and sign the online petition.

 

When I was growing up, I always thought of New York City as a sprawling, crowded, traffic-clogged mess. It is hard for me to remember that I was just in NYC for 2 months a month ago. That short time there was enough time to see that NYC was promoting livable transportation through supporting bike to work day, greening Madison Square, and getting serious about physically separated bike lanes. It seems that the planning authorities, citizen activists and even politicians of NYC seem to have put their weight behind pedestrian, bike and mass-transit friendly planning. The result is even good for motorists and businesses, as the video below shows.


While some people may still like to talk about the war between cyclists, pedestrians and motorists, the video below—created by environmental transport non-profit Embarq—emphasizes in no uncertain terms that a holistic, people-centric approach to planning can be good for everyone, even motorists. After all, when streets are so clogged with cars and people, all competing for the same space, it's inevitable that everyone loses.
Instead, New York is beginning to understand that by distributing resources more equally among different transport modes, and by designing dedicated, well-thought out infrastructure for everyone, you can free up the arteries of the city to flow more freely; you can create pleasant spaces for people to spend time in, and you can boost business as a result too.

Biking on the Appian Way

The Appian Way used to be known as the “Regina Viarum,” the queen of all roads, and since we were already in Rome, we had to end our trip with a ride through the countryside on this historic roadway.


There is probably no other place in Rome that gives you such a strong sense of stepping back into the past, or its remains at least. Even strolling through the Roman Forum, thoughts of mutinous senators or vainglorious emperors are constantly intruded upon by modern-day traffic. Because the Appian Way is protected within a regional park, the only intrusions tend to be bikers, joggers, and tourists, of which there are surprisingly few. On Sundays and holidays, especially, all the roads inside the park (there are private residences) are closed to traffic, so the riding is particularly good.

Only a few tracts of the Appia are still lined with ‘basoli’ (huge polygonally-cut stones of basalt rock) that paved the ancient road (originally about 12 feet wide, enough for two carriages to cross). The basoli are very well worn with deep grooves and murder to ride on. At these points, we hoisted our bikes to the side of the road and rode along the dirt path that other cyclists have worn to avoid the bumpy stretches. Either way, it felt pretty amazing to ride on stones that chariots did 2000 years ago.


Historically the road wasn't just for transportation. In Rome's early years, people weren't allowed to be buried inside the city walls, so emperors and rich citizens purchased land along the Appian Way to build their tombs and be buried. This has created miles and miles of crumbling tombs and statuary marking the locations.


On one of the side roads, there are several churches and catacombs. Since the third century the San Callisto catacombs have been the most important Christian burial place in Rome and even seeing a fraction of the hundreds of kilometers of underground burials that honeycomb the Appian Way give an eerie sense of life as an early Christian in pagan Rome. The road through the San Callisto catacombs emerges on the Appia near the catacombs of San Sebastiano, and this is where the going gets really historical.


In recent years new sites have opened along the Appian Way as the park – which was founded in 1988 – has developed. You can now visit the fourth century A.D. Circus (for chariots, not bikes) and imperial residence of Maxentius. The villa includes a mausoleum known as the Tomb of Romolus, named for Maxentius’s son who was buried here in 309 AD.

Next to it is the grandest tomb (11 meters high, 29.5 meters in diameter) on the Appian Way, dedicated to Cecilia Metella, and erected in 50 B.C. In the Middle Ages it was annexed to a fortified castle which expanded over the centuries. This tomb is the start to more than ten kilometers’ worth of sepulchers and funerary monuments. They were all shapes and sizes. Most have been stripped of their marble exteriors, but you can still see the odd statue or stele along the way.

Some sections allow detours down side roads that lead to ancient aqueducts and hidden ruins. The Villa dei Quintili, just beyond the sixth mile, was once the largest suburban villa of Rome. The Casal Rotondo, the largest tomb, dates from the time of Augustus, but later evolved into the farmhouse that gave it its name.


There may be no better way, to view the hills that surround Rome. The vista along the last stretch, with most of Rome behind you, is pretty awesome, to say the least.

Biking in Rome

The last week of our Italy vacation was spent in the beautiful city of Rome. Rome is known for its history, churches, art, and now I know that it also has bike culture. On first arriving their by train and then bus, all I could see were cars, scooters, and buses. When we broke out on foot, we immediately saw that the side streets and non-tourist areas were ruled by bike.

Rome's transportation department (ATAC) controls its buses, trains, metro, and now its bike sharing program. It is ran similarly to Milan's program, in that you can rent and return to any station, first 30 minutes are free, and that they are heavily used. The program in Rome is newer and so the number of stations still remains few, but it seems that future growth is definite.

Rome also has decent bike parking, but it seems that they are like many places and park anywhere that there is an unmovable object. They also have interesting bike lanes, paths, and trails. Almost all of these were off-road and provided cyclists and pedestrians a car free zone to travel through the city. They also had good wayfinding to guide cyclists to the proper routes between the bike stations and the main city hot spots. All in all, Rome was a great way to finish off the trip and we had a chance to rent bikes and ride down the Apian Way, which I will describe in an upcoming post.

People For Bikes Reaches 100K

Yesterday peopleforbikes.org surpassed 100,000 pledges in support of better bicycling in the U.S. Thanks for quickly recognizing the value of the movement, signing the pledge, and spreading the word! They are well on their way to showing our elected leaders and the public that people across the entire country believe that bicycling is important and should be promoted.

Only a month ago, they were at 60,000 pledges. They've nearly doubled in the last 30 days --that's major momentum! Did you know that in the past six months since PFB first launched...

• Lance Armstrong, mountain bike legend Gary Fisher, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, and basketball-great Bill Walton have signed the pledge;

• PFB has traveled with New Belgium Brewing Company's nationwide bike-festival, Tour de Fat, and participated in other bike events in Chicago, Madison, Minneapolis, Denver and other cities to collected pledges;
  
• More than 1,000 Trek, Specialized, Cannondale, and Performance Bike shops coast to coast have gathered hand-written pledges at their sales counters;

Follow the PFB blog, Twitter feed, or Facebook page to get these updates as they happen.

Help them get to 200,000
Do you have any friends/family/coworkers/landlords/long-lost college roommates/pizza delivery guys/pets (ok, maybe not pets) who like to ride bikes, but haven't signed the pledge yet? Tell them today. If each of us got one person to sign the pledge this weekend, we'd double the size of our movement. Whether they cruise around the block once a year, or commute by bike to work every day, PFB wants to unite their voice with a million others to make bicycling in America safer, more convenient, and fun for everyone.

Track their progress
You can follow our continued progress toward one million names on the PFB homepage with the interactive pledge tracker -- even see how your state is doing compared to other states. Riders from Georgia were psyched to be able to track how their state stacked up in the pledge count. They've been on a mission to get as many Georgia pledge-signers as possible, and moved up from rank #47 to #9 in ten days! Think your state can do better? Rally local riders you know to join in this friendly competition by signing the peopleforbikes.org pledge. In the end, we'll all benefit with a bike-friendly America.