Blog

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the 18.4 cents-a-gallon gas tax. Like many of us experiencing birthdays, the gas tax is having some growing pains and can’t seem to keep current with the times. One of the main arguments for not including bicycling facilities in our transportation system has been the inability of the gas tax to cover the cost of transportation. While the average cost of living has increased over the last 20 years, the gas tax has remained the same.

Understanding the power of infographics, we worked with our partners at Momentum magazine to transform the “10 Myths About Women and Bicycling” from our first Women Bike report into a beautiful print-able 11×17 poster. Download a copy for your blog or office!

The National Bike Challenge charged into the finish line today, uniting almost 35,000 Americans to bike more than 18 million miles this summer. In just its second year, the friendly competition increased the distance traveled for transportation, recreation and fitness in communities nationwide by 50 percent. Sponsored by Kimberly-Clark Corporation and presented by theLeague of American Bicyclists, the free program encouraged bicyclists of all ages and abilities to get back on their bikes, ride further, and experience the extraordinary health benefits of bicycling while helping reduce their environmental impact.

As of midnight last night, the federal government went into a partial shutdown. What does that mean for transportation? The U.S. Department of Transportation will only experience a partial shutdown.
Many of the programs that fund bicycling and road projects are administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and will not be closed.

Last week the American Community Survey (ACS) released new data showing how people commute to work. This latest data, estimating commutes to work in 2012, shows that non-motorized commutes are on the rise, but walking commuters are not experiencing the same increases as biking. I looked at the 50 largest cities (in 2005) and found that walking commutes, as a percent of all commutes, have increased by 16.2% since 2005

Last week, we focused on boosting female ridership by increasing women’s confidence on bikes. But confidence extends beyond the classroom, co-op or the bike shop. In Los Angeles, Nona Varnado is “conducting” innovative outreach to encourage hesitant riders to give biking a try.

Carl Morrison is a pro at accomplishing his goals. The 55-year-old set a high bar this summer, promising himself he’d ride 5,000 miles on his bike. To date, he’s already gone more than 10,000! An avid runner, Morrison turned to bicycling after advice from his doctor’s about the wear and tear to his knees. The Surgeon Bay, WI-resident is putting up high numbers for the National Bike Challenge. We caught up with him to talk about blowing past his big goals.

From our “Women on a Roll” report, we’ve learned that Confidence is a key factor to getting more women on bikes. On our webcast this week, we heard from four leading LCIs who shared some tips on building women’s confidence through inclusive education.