After our winter/holiday lull, things are starting to pick back up again in the world of bike and multi-modal related events. There are several opportunities to give feedback to the City regarding upcoming street changes/enhancements. And FC Bikes (the City’s bike program) is holding several classes and a winter celebration.
You can get details on events (in February and as far into the future as I’ve found information for) by using the calendar below. It’s also a handy way to save events directly to your calendar. For a quick overview of February events in particular, scroll to the list just below the calendar.
There were also several articles that came out in the past month on alternative transportation issues. Scroll to the end for those.
February 3
Traffic Operations Tour, 5:30-7pm. residents must RSVP to 970-224-6062 or jmarx@fcgov.com by Monday, Feb. 1.
Pitkin Bikeway Corridor Open House, 6-8pm, University Center for the Arts, 1400 Remington St.
February 4 and 5
Parking Focus Groups – Give input to the City on Old Town area parking. Two sessions each day. Must RSVP.
February 5
FC Bikes Winter Celebration, 6-9pm, Wolverine Letterpress and Publick House 316 Willow Street.
February 10
Vine Lemay Intersection Open House, 6-8pm, FC Traffic Operations on Ninth St.
February 11
Sharing the Road with Cyclists Class. Sign up through the Recreator – Activity Number 109592.
February 20
Smart Cycling (formerly TS101). Sign up through the Recreator – Activity Number 409590.
February 25
Downtown Plan Workshops – Give feedback to the City about parking and other downtown issues. 6-8pm. Lincoln Center. Must RSVP.
Bicycle related articles from the past month
“10 Tired Traffic Myths That Didn’t Get a Rest in 2015“, by Eric Jaffe on CityLab. (31 Dec 2015) This is a great summary of bike myths and recent studies that prove them wrong.
“Houston has something to teach you about public transit,” by Daniel Hertz in CityCommentary. (6 Jan 2016) The key is not the mode of transit so much as the frequency and predictability.
“In praise of slow cycling,” by Chris & Melissa Bruntlett in VanCityBuzz. (7 Jan 2016) One sign of a city with comfortable riders is the speed with which the average rider travels. The slower people ride, the more comfortable and safe they appear to feel.
“How Do Our Lanes and Paths Get Cleared After a Snow Storm?” by Dan Porter of Your Group Ride. (12 Jan 2016) Dan interviewed folks in the Fort Collins Park and Streets departments about the process and plan behind bike lanes and trails getting cleared of snow.
“A Proposed Missouri Bill Would Require Cyclists to Fly a Fluorescent Flag,” by Hilary Angus in Momentum Mag. (13 Jan 2016) The flag would have to be 15 feet over the street… high enough to be a problem when bicyclists travel under trees, bridges, possibly some electrical lines….
“Study: Sharrows Don’t Make Streets Safer for Cycling,” by Angie Schmitt in Streetsblog. (14 Jan 2016) Without traffic calming measures, sharrows don’t seem to do much in terms of providing a safe and comfortable route for cyclists.
“Rich people walk and bike for different reasons than poor people do,” by Ben Adler on Grist. (15 Jan 2016) Poor people walk or bike in their neighborhoods when they live in areas of high density and walking is convenient. Rich people, on the other hand, tended to only get out to walk or bike if they felt like their neighborhood was pretty.
“The problem with too much parking,” by Emily Badger in The Washington Post. (16 Jan 2016) There is compelling evidence that the availability of parking correlates closely with the frequency with which people choose to travel by car.
“Fort Collins bike shop applies for beer, wine license,” by Katie de la Rosa in the Coloradoan. (20 Jan 2016) Brave New Wheel has applied for a beer/wine license because the shop has already become a bit of a community hangout spot. This is just a natural next step in making the place comfortable for those that like to hang out here.