October 2011
Over here in Portland, the rains have set in. Our northern offices report a chill in the air and a stunning display of autumn colors, while our southern offices are appreciating the cooler temps. And all through our growing network of Alta offices, we are celebrating, as you'll find throughout this newsletter.
The announcement that Alta Bicycle Share, Inc. was selected to develop and operate the nation's largest public bike share system in New York City is both humbling and exciting. But our celebration only begins there. Capital Bike Share in DC and Arlington clocked its one millionth ride on its first birthday, and Boston's Hubway Bike Share got off to roaring start with over 40,000 rides in the first month.
Alta/Greenways staff embrace the chillier weather on a bike ride in North Carolina. |
We cheer the adoption of Alta Planning + Design active transportation plans in places far and wide, from lovely Greenville, SC to Nampa, ID, a suburb of Boise that has already implemented its first bicycle boulevard. We celebrate groundbreakings and completed projects in Oregon and California, an award for our Tacoma, WA Strategic Mobility Plan, and a Platinum Bicycle Friendly Business designation.
We applaud our friends at the Alliance for Bicycling and Walking for their brilliant Winning Campaigns Training series and raise a glass to Chicago's Active Transportation Alliance on its 25th birthday (happy birthday!). More than 40 cities have so far joined with the National Association of City Transportation Officials in endorsing the superb Urban Bikeway Design Guide; learn more about this exciting intiative below.
It may be darker and wetter outside, but engineers from across North America are heading to Portland to brush up on their skills to make intersections more bicycle and pedestrian friendly. No matter what the weather, the work of creating active communities where bicycling and walking are safe, healthy, fun, and normal daily activities carries on, one pedal stroke, one step at a time.
Enjoy the ride!
Mia Birk
President, Alta Planning + Design
Principal, Alta Bicycle Share, Inc.
Alta Bicycle Share Selected to Launch New York City Bike Share
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| Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan has been leading NYC to a much more pedestrian and bicycle-friendly future. |
September 14, 2011 - New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan and Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson announced the selection of Alta Bicycle Share, Inc. to develop and operate its privately-funded bike share system. The NYC bike share system will launch in 2012, and will include approximately 10,000 bicycles at 600 stations in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
"We could not be more excited to bring our successful bike share system to New York City," said Alison Cohen, President of Alta Bicycle Share.
The announcement marks the beginning of an extensive community outreach process. Working closely with local organizations, property owners, other stakeholders and Community Boards, Alta Bicycle Share and DOT will host a series of demonstration events, open houses and workshops.
To learn more, visit www.NYCityBikeshare.com
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| "With bike share, we're reinventing the wheel by providing an affordable transportation option that's there when you want it. Whether it's covering the last quarter mile from the subway or reaching that dead zone between stations, bike share offers a great, new way to get around in a New York minute and will bring needed jobs and revenue to the city." Janette Sadik-Khan |
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Celebrating Recent Ground-Breakings and Implemented Projects
It took six years to work through property purchase, easement agreements, hazardous material removal, restoration plans and the complex permitting procedures of multiple agencies, but the Fanno Creek Greenway in Oregon for Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District Trails has finally begun construction. When completed, this half mile of trail will include 11 boardwalks crossing wetlands, restoration and enhancement of wetlands and forested uplands, planting of over 2,300 new trees, and removal of approximately 2,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil.
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| The Fanno Creek Greenway will complete a critical gap in the trail network. |
Construction of the City of Berkeley’s 9th Street Bicycle Boulevard Extension project is nearly complete. The multi-use path will connect the existing bicycle boulevard to the south City limit.
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| The project was designed to provide a safe and functional bicycle-pedestrian multi-use pathway, including mid-block crossings on city streets. |
Portland's transit agency TriMet is leading the way in innovative bicycle parking options with its new Bike & Ride facilities, aka “Bike SPAs” (Secure Parking Areas). The latest opening was celebrated recently in the Beaverton Transit Center, boasting parking for 100 bikes.
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| Double-decker parking racks increase bike parking density. |
The new 3-mile Cowell Purisima Trail opened in July, stretching along the coastal bluffs south of Half Moon Bay, California. Led by the California State Coastal Conservancy and the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), planning for this segment of the California Coastal Trail began over 25 years ago. The team worked to ensure that public trail access, agricultural production, and endangered species habitat protection could comfortably co-exist.
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| Alta led a team that completed environmental and planning studies, design and construction documents, and permit applications, including bridges over three large coastal ravines. |
Finally, construction of the first segment of the Chelatchie Rail with Trail in Clark County, Washington, has begun, the culmination of 32 years of planning. This project is just a portion of the planned 33-mile trail. Alta’s Trail Feasibility Study examined the suitability of all segments of the corridor for rail-with-trail development.
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Publication Release: "Best Practices in Campus Bicycle Planning and Program Development"
Universities are not only institutions of higher learning, they are also research and thought leaders and places of great innovation. This can be said about cutting-edge laboratory research, as well as sustainable transportation practices such as bikeway planning and program development. At many universities, there is a renewed focus and emphasis on prioritizing bicycling due to its many benefits, including health, economic, and environmental benefits. Additionally, students who bike during their time at university are more likely to continue bicycling after graduation. Alta is proud to share its experience working with universities to integrate bicycling into campus life via a new study on best practices in bicycle planning and program development at university campuses. Click here to read.
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Tacoma (WA) Strategic Mobility Plan Recognized for Innovation in Sustainability
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| Alta assisted the City of Tacoma in developing a Strategic Mobility Master Plan for a citywide bike/ped network to enhance the comfort and safety of all users and increase the non-motorized mode split. |
The City of Tacoma is the third-largest city in Washington State, located on Puget Sound with views of nearby Mount Rainier. Known as the "City of Destiny" for being the western terminus of the Northern Pacific Railroad in the late 19th century, Tacoma features challenging topography balanced by a strong culture of active transportation.
The city has been awarded the 2011 VISION 2040 Award by the Puget Sound Regional Council, an honor that recognizes innovative projects and programs that help ensure a sustainable future as the region grows. "We were impressed with how Tacoma is using the Mobility Master Plan to achieve three citywide goals: transportation improvements, increased sustainability, and encouragement of active living," said Mukilteo Councilmember Jennifer Gregerson, Chair of the VISION 2040 Awards Selection Committee. "More importantly, Tacoma is making sure the plan becomes a reality by investing $1 million in the top four bikeways from the plan." Congratulations to all who were involved.
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Alta Welcomes Hubway Bike Share to New England
Since launching at the end of July, New England's first public bike share system has already logged over 40,000 trips, with over 2,200 annual members and an astounding 7,000 new riders. Hubway, operated by Alta Bicycle Share, provides enhanced mobility and reduced motor vehicle trips in Greater Boston.
Those interested in learning more about Boston's bike share system are urged to attend Alta Boston Field Office manager Phil Goff's presentation about Hubway at the October 7th New England Bike-Walk Summit in downtown Providence, RI. Learn about the planning and permitting issues encountered during the lead-up to the launch and lessons learned about implementing a large-scale system in an intensely urban context like inner Boston.
Alta Planning + Design is proud to sponsor the Summit, and we encourage planners, designers, engineers, public agency officials, and advocates to attend. Learn more at newenglandbikewalksummit.org. Further questions can be directed to Eric Weis: eric@greenway.org or 401-450-7155. See you in Providence!
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NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide Gaining Steam
The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) has launched a campaign to get cities from across the U.S. to endorse the Urban Bikeway Design Guide. As reported by the Alliance for Biking & Walking, "as more cities endorse the guide, creating safe streets for cyclists will become the status quo...The more endorsements NACTO collects, the more likely the guide and its principles will gain acceptance at the state and federal level, increasing the possibility that we will begin to see more of the cutting-edge infrastructure recommended in the guide appear across the country." More than 40 cities and organizations have already endorsed the Guide. The process is simple. Click here to learn more: http://nacto.org/nacto-endorsement-campaign/
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Portland State University/IBPI Professional Development Workshop, Oct 13-14
Engineering Principles for Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation: Intersections, Crossings, Signals
This course, developed and taught by engineers for engineers, teaches participants how to design intersections that provide safety and mobility for bicyclists and pedestrians. Participants will learn the principles and process of good intersection design for bicycle and pedestrian facilities, understand the relevant policies and standards, and learn how to apply them in a variety of settings, including retrofits of existing conditions and design of new facilities.
Instructors: Peter Koonce, PE, Division Manager for the City of Portland Bureau of Transportation’s Signals, Street Lighting, and ITS Division
Jamie Parks, Transportation Planner, Kittelson & Associates
Who should attend: Professionals who are planning, designing, or advocating for bicycle and pedestrian networks at the community or regional level.
Dates: October 13-14, 2011
Register online: http://www.ibpi.usp.pdx.edu/intersectiondesign2011.php
For more information: Contact the IBPI at ibpi@pdx.edu or 503-725-4024
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Eleven New Bicycle Friendly Communities Designated
Alta Earns Platinum Level Bicycle Friendly Business Designation
Alta applauds the communities recently selected by the League of American Bicyclists for their Bicycle Friendly Communities Listing, and recognizes the effort, dedication and passion that goes into the application process. Whether your city is a Bicycle Friendly Community, or holds the potential, Alta can help you get to the next level. We have helped numerous cities across the country take the steps necessary to elevate their status, from Portland, Oregon (Platinum!) to Columbus, OH (Bronze!) Alta earned Platinum level as one of 111 Bicycle Friendly Businesses, a new record high for the League of American Bicyclists.
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New Staff
Brian Gaze joins our San Diego office as Associate. He earned his Master of City Planning Program from San Diego State and has over five years’ experience in the active transportation planning field as a transit and transportation planner. He has also taught graduate-level classes in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) at San Diego State University. Brian's areas of expertise include cyclist and pedestrian needs assessments, facility design and funding strategies, the analysis of transit service feasibility and system operations, and facilitating the implementation of other alternative modes of transportation, including vanpooling, carsharing and ADA-compliant paratransit services.
Other New Staff
- Scott Lekovish: Systems Admin/Technical Support (Portland)
- Lauren Moore: Marketing Assistant (Portland)
- Mary Duffy: Office Administrator (Durham)
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In the News
Click here for more published news articles.
Order Alta President Mia Birk's Joyride: Pedaling Toward a Healthier Planet at www.miabirk.com or www.amazon.com. Second edition coming soon!
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