<![CDATA[Feed from Alta Planning & Design - Bicycle, Pedestrian, Greenway & Trail Projects - Latest Alta News]]> http://www.altaplanning.com/articles.aspx Sat, 18 May 2013 14:24:25 GMT Sat, 18 May 2013 14:24:25 GMT en-us <![CDATA[Latest Alta News]]> For the latest Alta news and updates follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

5/14/13 - All 425 miles of the Palmetto Trail will finally be connected and completed, thanks to private funding. More>

5/13/13 - Birmingham AL's Road to Recovery project breaks ground thanks to Alta-led TIGER grant.

4/11/13 - Can Richmond Transition into a Multi-Modal City? More>

4/3/13 - NW Arkansas Razorback Greenway continues to make news. "Unique Trail System to Link Six Communities." More> 

3/25/13 - Alta President Mia Birk featured on LAB blog in a piece that celebrates Women's Bike History. Written by Alta engineer, Fionnuala Quinn. More> 

2/24/13 - Partners for Active Living plans to link 100 miles of  trails and greenways in Spartanburg, SC. More>

2/17/13 - Wildwood MO endorses Alta's Gateway Bike Plan, a regional plan that regulates safety, greater access, and complete streets, backed by education and enforcement. More>

2/13/13 - Caldwell Greenway (NC) could be first 'emerald necklace' link. More>

2/4/13 - Plans for the 10-mile Saratoga Springs, New York, loop trail have begun! More>

1/7/13 - "The Best Bike-Sharing Program in the United States, How DC, of all places, made it happen." Slate.com

12/26/12 - Birmingham area projects prominent in Alabama's Green Progress Report, including Alta's work on the successful $10M TIGER grant application for the Road to Recovery project. More>

12/13/12 - Alta is inspired and proud to be a part of the Santa Monica Family Bike Fest which brought together over 250 families for a day of cycling and fun! More>

12/12/12 - Portland, Maine, seeks opportunities for cycling improvements. Alta's Phil Goff is working with the city to realize these goals. More>

12/12/12 - Following the award of a $10 million grant, application developed by Alta, Palo Alto faced with what to do with the design of the major US Hwy 101 bike/ped overcrossing. More>

12/12/12 - Alta Bicycle Share today has accepted the responsibility of developing, fundraising, launching and operating Portland's bicycle transit system.  We are pleased to be partners with the City of Portland, and look forward to garnering sponsors to underwrite the system and spread the community benefits of healthy, active transportation. Read the press release>

12/2/12 - Hubway exceeds expectations as it closes for winter, reaching nearly 700,000 rides since launch! More>  

11/14/12 - Shawano County, WI, explores healthy initiatives for smaller sized communities through their Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. This includes a fun idea to promote an annual barn quilt tour by bike! 

11/13/12 - Besides health and access, safety's at the top of the priority list for the Santa Monica Pedestrian Safety Action Plan. 

11/13/12 - Pittsburgh bursts onto the bike/ped scene. Public mtgs for Citywide Transportation Plan encourage big thinking @BikePGH http://bit.ly/Un3QNp

11/9/12 - Public meetings to explore the City of Seattle Bicycle Master Plan Update explore new perspectives in bicycle facility planning and design. More>

11/7/12 - In Columbia, SC, citizens are shifting attitudes and changing their lives with alternative transportation. More> 

10/18/12 - In Kenosha County, WI, bike trail planners are urged to think big and small. Alta Senior Planner Ann Freiwald leads the way. More>

9/25/12 - When a four-lane highway was opposed, the Norwalk Valley River Trail became a transportation solution to connect communities in CT. 

9/11/12 - Saratogian discusses Alta Principal Jeff Olson's new book, "The Third Mode." More>

8/8/12 - Bike safety advocates, including Alta Principal Jeff Olson, take a spin through Pittsburgh to promote bicycle transportation awareness. More>

8/7/12 - The City of Fargo approved plans to add on-street bike lanes to several downtown roadways, part of the recommendations in Alta's NDSU Bicycle and Pedestrian Study. More>

7/30/12 - Complete Streets is "the single biggest change that is happening in transportation infrastructure in this country." Jeff Olson reports from the Vision2Action public forum in Plattsburgh, NY. More> 

7/17/12 - Where should Cincinnati put bike share stations? Alta's demand model and OpenStreetMap take us one step closer. More>

7/9/12 - Palo Alto, California, charges forward with new bike plan, which promotes bike boulevards, new trails, and east-west connections across the city. More>

7/2/12 - What economic impact do trails have in our communities? The Carolina Thread Trail association explores Alta's cost/benefit analysis for a trail in Davidson, NC and Cabarrus County and others. More>

6/21/12 - Ada County Highway District (ACHD) in Idaho has launched a pilot program that aims to promote awareness and increase safety for cyclists and motorists. Includes new bike markings, as part of Alta's Roadways to Bikeways master Plan. More on the bikeway treatments>
More on the ACHD Roadways to Bikeways Master Plan>

6/13/12 - University of Arizona's bike/ped study, developed by Alta, finds that 40% of people who drive to campus live <5 mi away. Great opportunity for encouragement! More>

6/12/12 - Work has officially begun on a 16-mile stretch of the 36-mile NW Arkansas Razorback Greenway!! More>

6/5/12 - Mendocino Rail with Trail Corridor Plan (CA) shows huge amount of public interest in getting access to trails for walking and bicycling. More>

6/2/12 - Pacific Coast Highway Bike Routes Improvement project explores options for this busy highway near Los Angeles. More>

5/24/12 - Non-motorized plan for Waikulu, Waikapu, and Kahului in Hawaii takes off with great potential. More> 

May 2012 - More on the fight to let kids bike to school. Bicycling Magazine features an article about how some communities, like Saratoga Springs, NY, are setting an example for others, despite challenges.  More>

5/7/12 -  NYCDOT released the news that Citi Bikes, aka NYC Bike Share, will be moving forward with a launch scheduled for this summer. Citibank and Mastercard will sponsor this great new transportation alternative in the city. More>

5/3/12 - Helena, Arkansas unveils trail plan, targeted to offer a low-cost alternatitive to those who do not have the option of a vehicle, and increase tourism. More>

4/26/12 - Shawano, Wisconsin poised to develop Countywide Trail Plan. More>

4/22/12 - Alta Designer Sherie Moore and the NV-ASLA participated in "Nevada Moves Day," will activities to enable students to safely walk and bike to school. This effort coincides with Alta's SRTS and walking audit progream for Clark County, NV. Local news including NBC and CBS caught the story>

4/25/12 - Faculty at University of Oklahoma use Staff Week to promote efforts to make OU a bike-friendly university, including a tour of proposed bike routes from Alta/MA+ Architecture's campus plan. More>

4/24/12 - Alameda County, CA Safe Route to School's "Bikemobile" launched yesterday, an innovative bike repair and safety training program designed to promote SRTS! More>

4/23/12 - Alta St. Louis office leader, Paul Wojciechowski, has been inducted into the Missouri S&T Academy of Civil Engineers. 

4/10/12 - Seattle's First Hill Streetcar finally starts construction amid a flurry of anticipation. More>

4/9/12 - Whitewater River Trail, which could connect Desert Hot Springs and Coachelle in California, is estimated to see 2-3 million visitors per year. More>

4/4/12 - Improvements to the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu underway. More>

3/28/12 - Alta/Greenways 9-month planning study and economic impact analysis for Norfolk Southern Ecusta rail line reveals $42million one-time return and $9.4million in annual revenue for the area. More>

3/14/12 - City of Chicago selects Alta Bicycle Share to launch and operate its upcoming bicycle share program, set to hit the streets this year! More>

2/28/12 - Los Angeles County Bicycle Master Plan is approved!  This is the first update to the plan in 35 years. Will add 832 miles of new bikeways, ..and, the visionary plan signals the county as an innovator, w/ painted bike lanes, cycle tracks and bike boulevards. More>

2/26/12 - Norwalk Valley River Trail in Connecticut takes shape. More>

2/22/12 - La Grande, Oregon, studies transportation issues as part of plan to rezone industrial area. More>

2/19/12 - Plan for Birmingham-wide network of walking, bike trails to be unveiled. More>

2/19/12 - Bozeman, MT looks at improving streetscape. 

2/8/12 - North and Northwest Cook County (IL) Bicycle Signage Plan and Northwest Highway Corridor Bicycle Facilities Plan both adoped unanimously. More> 

1/25/12 - L.A. County takes step to promote exercise, reduce obesity through its new Healthy Design Ordinance, developed by Alta and recently adopted by the County. More>

1/16/12 - Metropolis Magazine wants bike share! More>

]]> http://www.altaplanning.com/articles.aspx http://www.altaplanning.com/articles.aspx Wed, 15 May 2013 12:14:59 GMT <![CDATA[Article and News Archive, Winter 2007 - Spring 2008]]> 5/30/08 - Alta accepted the Employer of the Year award from the Portland Chapter of Women's Transportation Seminar at the May 28th Annual Chapter Awards. WTS states "Alta has created a flexible, caring work environment to accommodate the needs of all employees, is family friendly, supports their employees’ continuing education and provides multiple internship opportunities every year." See the complete list of winners in the WTS Portland's Summer Newsletter.

5/30/08 - The Solano Transportation Authority's Countywide Safe Routes to School Plan, developed by Alta, won the Grassroots Initiative Award from the Northern Section of the California Chapter of the American Planning Association. STA was recognized at the May 16th NSCCAPA 2008 Awards Program in San Francisco. This SR2S program is now a candidate for the statewide award. See the press release.

5/23/08 - The League of American Bicyclists launched its Bicycle Friendly States program website today. The program will include ranking of bicycle-friendliness of all 50 states and will offer award recognition opportunities to applying states. Alta staff worked with the LAB and a committee of six State Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinators to develop the ranking criteria for the first part of the program and to develop the scoring system for the program.  Additionally, Alta staff gave input for the award application process. For more information about LAB and their programs visit their website.

5/19/08 - Mayor Michael Coleman delivered the City of Columbus Bicentennial Bikeways Master Plan by bike last week as part of the city's Bike to Work Week events. Alta has been engaged with the city and local groups to develop the plan since last summer. The final plan is available on the project website. The Columbus Messenger had this to say about the event and the city's new bike plan: Link.


Tahoe trail alignments5/16/08 - Sierra Sun published a story on the Tahoe Vista to Tahoe City trail being planned by Alta. Senior Associate Philip Sales recently presented three trail alignment options and the benefits and challenges associated with each option. Alta Planner Mike Rose, ASLA and Designer Karen Vitkay are also on the project team and worked to develop and illustrate the alignment options.

5/16/08 - Alta is proud to be part of Sasaki Associates, Inc. team charged with enhancing Cedar Rapid Iowa's waterfront. The Cedar Rapids Gazette ran this story about the selection as a follow up to their previous article about the city's hopes for improvements. Alta Senior Associate Steve Durrant will head Alta's team on the project. We look forward to working with the City of Cedar Rapids and all our partners on Sasaki's team.

5/7/08 - A new Los Angeles Bicycle Coalition blog post highlight's Bicycling.com's "A Future Best City: Los Angeles" in which they mention the city's hiring of Alta as "part of a sea [of] change" in L.A.'s approach to transportation. Alta Planner Matt Benjamin heads up Alta's new Los Angeles office and has been working closely with the public through meetings and the website www.labikeplan.org .


5/7/08 - The Pacific Sun recently published this article on the debate over proposed bike and pedestrian infrastructure on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. Alta conducted a study of the effectiveness of promoting alternative transportation for Marin County, CA showing their bicycling rates up 66% since 1999. The article explains the disagreement between Caltrans and local Marin County Bicycle Coalition over access to the bridge as well as the area's efforts to promote biking and walking.

5/7/08 - In preparation for the Big Ideas for a Small Planet - Transportation episode premiering May 27th, the Sundance Channel is hosting this promo featuring Alta Principal Mia Birk and Transportation Options' Timo Forsberg. Learn more about Move by Bike on the Shift website and mark your calendars for the Big Ideas Transportation episode on May 27th at 9pm. See the Big Ideas for a Small Planet website for listing details.   
Direct link to video: http://www.sundancechannel.com/videos/230318497


5/6/08 - The Oregonian ran this article about what to wear when bike commuting. The article features Alta Planner Jessica Roberts and Principal Mia Birk as well as several other Portland riders. Here's a link to the article as well as the complete guide to what to wear to work when bike commuting.


4/30/08 - Alta has been selected to create the City of Albuquerque 's Bicycle Master Plan. Project team includes Principal Mia Birk and Senior Planner Mike Rose .

4/29/08 - Portland, Oregon earns Platinum Status in the League of American Bicyclists' Bicycle Friendly Communities Campaign . Alta helped update the city's Bicycle Master Plan for Platinum consideration and assisted with the process including public forums and the steering committee. See LAB's list of Portland's bicycling highlights .


4/28/08 - Alta has been chosen by Clackamas County, OR to plan improvements to the Madrone Wall. The park is a 44-acre forested area near Carver, Oregon. Alta's team includes Senior Associate Chris Bernhardt and Designer Robin Wilcox, ASLA . See the Oregonian article about this project here .


4/24/08 - The Dallas Morning News ran this story about a recent stakeholder meeting Alta conducted for our Katy Trail Feasibility Study.


4/22/08 - Alta is seeking a summer intern for Marin County, California.
Requirements: Excellent bicycling skills and strength; good organization; ability to self motivate and work independently; experience working with the public is required -
excellent public speaking and community relations skills. Learn More >


4/16/08 - Alta is proud to sponsor the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation's intensive course "Comprehensive Bicycle and Pedestrian Design and Planning" this summer (August 3rd-8th). This week-long course will provide practitioners with the fundamentals of pedestrian and bicycle planning and design through an intensive week of classroom, field, and project experience. Registration is currently open. For more information visit the summer workshop website .


4/14/08 - Alta is offering an exciting opportunity to gain hands on experience
through a summer internship with our Portland, OR office. As an intern, you will assist
professional staff with: feasibility studies, site analysis, conceptual and schematic design generation, production of presentation graphics, and development of construction documents. Learn More >


4/10/08 - Alta Principal Mia Birk's recent presentation in Minneapolis on how cyslist-pedestrian oriented development has transformed Portland, Oregon, and how Minneapolis could best utilize its $21.5 million federal grant money for future bike/walk projects was covered by KFAI Radio and is available for download .


4/10/08 - Alta selected as the Portland Chapter of Women in Transportation's Employer of the Year and will be accepting the award at the May 28th WTS Reception.


4/1/08 - BicyclePaper.com's recent article on Seattle's goals to reach Platinum Status with their Bicycle Master Plan mentions the City of Portland's efforts partnering with Alta.


3/16/08 - Alta planner Kim Voros' work published in "Factors Affecting Bicycling Demand: Initial Survey Findings from the Portland Region" (AN: 01044003)
 
3/24/08 - Alta wins the Culver City, CA Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Project.
 
3/24/08 - Two Alta clients are awarded grants in California's Safe Routes to School program. Santa Clarita, CA and Santa Rosa, CA have will each receive their requested funds to construct pedestrian improvements and traffic signals to improve travel safety.
 
3/17/08 - Alta to proceed on Connecticut Statewide Bicycle Plan update
 
3/14/08 - Dayton Daily News outlines regionwide bikeways plan created by Alta.
 
3/10/08 - Alta, teaming with with Mark Fenton, selected for the Hawaii Statewide Active Living Training.
 
11/13/07 - Alta's Lafayette, CA Bike Plan selected for an Honorable Mention for San Francisco Institute of Transportation Engineer’s Transportation Project of the Year.
 
11/5/07 - New York Times mentions Mia Birk and Alta in their their feature on Portland's two-wheeled culture.

]]> http://www.altaplanning.com/winter+_+spring+2008.aspx http://www.altaplanning.com/winter+_+spring+2008.aspx Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:39:11 GMT <![CDATA[Alta News June - July 2008]]> 7/29/08 - Alta planner Byron Rushing promotes active living in Atlanta on and off the clock. One of his hobbies includes teaching others to ride a bike through the Atlanta Bicycle Campaign's Confident City Cycling classes. Channel 11 news in Georgia recently featured this story about the increased popularity of the riding safety and skill classes. Learn more about the projects and programs Byron's involved in on his staff page.

7/28/08 - The city of Roseburg, Oregon is updating their bicycle and pedestrian master plan with Alta's help. The News-Review reports on the local interest in the project and what Roseburg's residents hope to see improved in their city. Alta and partner firm Parametrix are using public input forums and city tours to gather this feedback for use in the plan update. See the full article here: http://www.nrtoday.com/article/20080728/NEWS/786568414/1063/

7/28/08 - CBS News Sunday Morning featured "Pedal Power"- a thorough look at the growing popularity of bicycling and the communities and efforts that are encouraging ridership. Everything from joy rides to commuting to education to infrastructure is examined. The segment features several American cities and input from League of American Bicyclists' Andy Clarke, Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition's David Watson, Portland Mayor Elect and Transportation Commissioner Sam Adams, and Alta's own Mia Birk. Click here to see the full video clip and transcript.

7/25/08 - The Pearl District, located at the North end of downtown Portland, OR, is undergoing a major revitalization with new residential and commercial developments. An important part of the neighborhood's redesign is its transportation infrastructure which will introduce new streetcar lines, bicycle routes, and couplet streets into an already bustling area. The Bicycle Transportation Alliance published this article on the challenges, opportunities, and ideas being realized in the Pearl. Alta has been working with the BTA and several other organizations to ensure bicycling and pedestrian infrastructure are safe, accessible, and well designed as the neighborhood continues to reinvent itself. Of particular importance are the cobblestone streets and numerous intersections with streetcar tracks and making these important features of the district more bicycle friendly. Read the full article: http://www.bta4bikes.org/btablog/2008/07/24/pearl-district-bicycle-update/

7/22/08 - BicyclePaper.com discusses the demand for singletrack mountain biking trails in and around Portland, OR in this article. The story features an interview with Jill Van Winkel of IMBA and lists several organizations, including Alta, involved in making urban Portland singletrack available. Alta Senior Associate Chris Bernhardt says in addition to singletrack trails in parks, non-traditional concepts such as bike parks and the use of marginal lands are being considered to accommodate this popular activity.

7/21/08 - The Los Angeles Times discusses LA's upswing in bicycle ridership conflicting with the city's outmoded bicycle plan. "It's a citywide issue of people sharing the road, whether on foot, a bicycle, a Vespa or in our cars," says a Mandeville Canyon resident. "Manners have just gone out the window." The article discusses heightened tension on the road as well as the efforts to improve cycling. Alta Planner Matt Benjamin and Alta's LA Office are currently developing the Los Angeles Bicycle Master Plan. Visit www.labikeplan.org for more information on the project and to get involved. Read the full LA Times article here.

7/18/08 - The latest edition of the Alta Update, our eNewsletter, is available in our News section. Featured articles include the Vernonia Bike Skills Park and the North Indian County Greenways Plan.

7/9/08 - On July 1, the Way to Go Sausalito program kicked off with a bang. Over 35 people attended the kickoff event, featuring remarks from the Sausalito, CA City Council, Marin County, and the Chamber of Commerce. Participants learned about this summer program to help Sausalito residents walk, bicycle, and take transit, and participated in a group walk.

7/4/08 - Guadalajara Mayor Alfonso Petersen is envisioning making the city bicycle-friendly, crisscrossed with connecting bike lanes and supportive infrastructure, and Alta is a front runner among the alternative transportation design firms proposing plans. In this article the Guadalajara Reporter tells how the city is looking to Portland, Oregon for inspiration as they move forward with their effort to make the city safer and more encouraging for biking.

6/26/08 - Channel 10 news in San Diego featured this story about the San Diego Regional Bicycle Plan. The story discusses the city's interest in updating and improving its bicycle infrastructure.

6/22/08 - Aside from helping to sponsor this year's Carfee Cities conference, many Alta employees attended and contributed to the events & programs. Senior Associate Steve Durrant sat on the Building Urban Greenways panel and Senior Planner Eric Anderson was part of the Building Better Bikeways presentation. Planner Rory Renfro led the Transportation Geeks Bike Ride developed by Program Manager Jessica Roberts (see the SF Bay Guardian's ride report). Roberts and Principal Mia Birk exchanged insights and ideas at the international level with a visiting delegation from Mexico. Birk was also part of Tuesday's keynote presentation. Designers Karen Vitkay and Melissa Olson were among the 400+ attendees. Benjamin Doyle has been with the World Carfree Network's Portland conference team since the fall of 2007. Learn more about this year's conference at www.carfreeportland.org

6/20/08 -  Lee Cullum, Dallas journalist and host of the Dallas television program "CEO," contributed this article to the Dallas Morning news on the redevelopment of the Katy Trail . "The Katy Trail-Arts Loop is not only brilliant but doable," says Cullum, "It's exactly the sort of imaginative effort we need to keep Dallas alive and jumping, fed by the innovation, energy and youth drawn to cities endowed with the joys of everyday." The Katy Trail feasibility study and designs are being conducted by Alta Principal Mia Birk and designer Robin Wilcox .

6/19/08 - Alta Principal Mia Birk was a guest speaker at this week's Toward Carfree Cities international conference . Mia spoke on behalf Alta's efforts for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure as well as the City of Portland's advancement as a bicycling leader in the United States. "We’re not anti car," she noted, "but we’re trying to create a system where walking and biking are viable transportation options." Mia introduced keynote speakers Andy Clarke, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists , and Gil Penalosa, former Commissioner of Parks, Sport, and Recreation for the city of Bogota, Colombia and Executive Director of Walk and Bike for Life . The San Francisco Bay Guardian ran this article about the presentations and bikeportland.org went into more detail about Clarke's announcement of the Bicycle Friendly Business Program and Penelosa's rousing reality check about Portland's efforts.

6/13/08 -  The Spokane Regional Transportation Council recently selected Alta to help with their grant process seeking $50 for transportation projects encouraging people to walk and bike as an alternative to driving. The Spokane Journal of Business ran this article about the Council's decision. The city's goal is to create programs similar to those Alta has developed for the Non-Motorized Pilot Communities such as Marin County's Walk Bike Marin effort.

6/10/08 - Columbus, OH City Council voted to adopt the Columbus Bicentennial Bikeways Plan produced by Alta. Business First of Columbus ran this story on the plan and what's next for the city.

6/5/08 - Alta’s work in Bozeman, Montana is highlighted as a national model program by the Safe Routes to School National Partnership in a recent report on "how SRTS programs are resulting in the implementation of infrastructure improvements that close gaps in the non-motorized transportation network." The report, prepared for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, also discusses SR2S programs in Miami, FL; Knoxville, TN; and Avondale, AZ. Click to download the full report. [3.4 MB PDF] Learn more about Alta's Safe Routes programs in our Programs & Training section .

6/4/08 -  This bikeportland.org article discusses the City of Portland, the City of Vancouver, and the Oregon Department of Transportation's effort to improve cyclists' access and ability to cross the Columbia river between Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington. Jonathan Maus describes the current: "With a disorienting combination of sidewalks, a freeway on-ramp and off-ramp, and several high-speed streets that access hotels and the Janzten Beach shopping center, it seems like it was designed and planned before bicycles even existed (or clearly before they were considered a viable means of transport)." Alta has been contracted to develop a new map for the troubled area as the improvement process begins. The draft version of the map is available in the article: http://bikeportland.org/2008/06/03/new-map-improvements-will-make-i-5-bridge-crossing-easier/

6/2/08 - Treehugger.com shows an interest in Alta's recently completed Columbus, OH Bicycle Master Plan, comparing the city's efforts to that of New York, Seattle, Chicago, London and Copenhagen. The article mentions the importance of education of cyclists and motorists in the plan and highlights a few other key components. See the article here: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/06/columbus-ohio-unveils-bicycle-master-plan.php ]]> http://www.altaplanning.com/june+_+july+2008.aspx http://www.altaplanning.com/june+_+july+2008.aspx Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:36:55 GMT <![CDATA[August to October 2008 Articles]]> 10/28/08 - A few months ago Portland was visited by Suli Yu- a video documentary producer for the Chinese branch of Voice of America. Yu met with local officials and personalities to learn about bicycling in "Bike City, USA" including the infrastructure, motivation, and culture that make Portland such a bikable and bike friendly place to live. Alta Principal Mia Birk is featured in the video soon to be broadcast throughout China. The short episode is currently available online (narration is untranslated and not subtitled but interviews are in English). Jonathan Maus (also featured) has more about the video and Suli Yu's trip at bikeportland.org

10/23/08 - The City of Portland, Oregon's Bicycle Coordinator Roger Geller presented the Cycle Zone Analysis tool developed by Alta and the Portland Office of Transportation. This new modeling tool defines areas where cycling conditions are similar and rates them based on possitive and negative cycling related factors. Geller and the city are using the CZA to evaluate the city's current bike network and plan improvements as the bikeway network continues to expand. Read more about Geller's presentation in bikeportland.org's article and see the slideshow prepared for Alta's joint presentation with Geller from the 2008 International Symposium on Walking and Biking at our Presentations & Studies page.

10/22/08 - Alta recently completed a report about bicycle interactions and streetcars. The report includes an international literature review and facilities recommendations for minimizing the hazards that streetcar facilities present to bicyclists. As more and more cities build streetcar networks, bicycle/streetcar issues are becoming an important topic. This report adds to the body of knowledge on the subject. Visit our presentations & studies page or click here to download the document.

10/21/08 - The Madrone Wall in Clackamas County, Oregon will soon re-open to rock climbers and hikers thanks to the county's efforts and plans developed by Alta. In this recent article the Clackamas Review details the park site's history and the steps taken to develop a new plan for the area including trails, parking, restrooms and climbing facilities. Learn more about the Madrone Wall planning process and public input opportunities at http://www.madronewall.com

10/17/08 - The fall issue of Alta Update, our quarterly e-newsletter, has been published. Learn about our merger with LandPeople, RTC's Campaign for Active Transportation, our new Pedestrian Safety for Students program, a recent trail reconstruction project, and much more in our latest issue. You can also sign up to receive the Alta Update via e-mail here.

10/16/08 - The Las Vegas Sun mentions Alta's involvement in the study being conducted for three trail systems outside Henderson, NV. Alta's part is to develop a connection from the 35-mile River Mountains Loop Trail to a trail system being developed in the McCullough Mountains with accommodations for pedestrian, bicycle, and equestrian use. Read more about the 3 trail systems under development in this article.

10/13/08 - The California Attorney General has identified the City of Carlsbad's Pedestrian Master Plan as a leading example of innovative strategy to help fight against global warming. Check out the "That's Cool!" sidebar on the California Environmental Quality Act page. Alta's San Diego office has been working with the City of Carlsbad to develop pedestrian improvements- find out more about the project on the project website.

9/24/08 - The League of American Bicyclists officially launched its Bicycle Friendly Businesses program at Interbike and announced their first round of winners. Alta is among the Gold ranked winning companies this year. In their own words, "The Bicycle Friendly Business program assists companies and organizations of all sizes in developing bicycle commuting programs and incentives for their employees and recognizes them for their efforts to promote bicycling." Many of Alta's employees are bike commuters as well as bicycle advocates and enthusiasts in our spare time (see our staff page for more details). The firm has a competitive bike and fitness related benefit program to promote alternate transportation and an active daily life. We're honored to be among the country's top bicycle friendly businesses. For more information about the LAB's program and the list of this round's winners, visit their news site.

9/24/08 - In Boise Idaho volunteers are making an effort to better asses the community's interest in cycling and use of bicycles for daily commutes. The Ada County Highway District's Bicycle Advisory Committee set up count locations at key intersections and will be making several bicycle counts throughout the week. These counts will help support and steer the county's effort, along with Alta, to develop a new Roadways to Bikeways Master Plan. The Idaho Statesman discusses the count system in this story. The county's steps to develop an annual, uniform counting system is similar to those taken in cities like Portland and national programs like the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project which tend to prove a growing interest in cycling and are used to identify cyclist needs.

9/15/08 - Following the release of Alta's Portland Bicycle Related Business study, KGW TV news ran this story about the local bicycle industry. The story features Portland-based bicycle apparel retailer Team Estrogen and Alta Principal Mia Birk discusses the reasons why this and other bicycle businesses are thriving in the city. Watch the full story on the KGW website: http://www.kgw.com/video/video-index.html?nvid=281801&shu=1

9/15/08 - The Everett, WA HeraldNet reports on the city's interest in becoming more bicycle friendly. "We have a lot of disconnected pieces of a bicycle route in place, but we lack the connection," Everett Council President Drew Nielsen says. Alta was recently contracted with the city to provide a bicycle transportation plan which will include a full evaluation of the city's existing conditions- which one resident claims are behind the times" - as well as recommendations for new routes and public bicycle sharing similar to the popular Velib system in Paris. For more on the city's efforts see the full article here.

9/11/08 - Alta's updated study on the economic impact of bicycle related business in Portland has been published. Visit the project page to download the full report and for more details about the project. Bikeportland.org ran this story about the report including some key findings and community benefits featured in the report.

9/9/08 - Alta's presentations from the 2008 Pro Walk/Pro Bike Conference are now available on our Presentations page. Presentations include Cycle Zone Analysis and Bike/Ped Data Collection among others.

9/5/08 - Roseburg Oregon's News-Review ran this editorial encouraging community members to attend the public forums Alta is leading to gather input and feedback on the bicycle and pedestrian master plan update currently in the works. Next week the city is hosting their second of three meetings- which include biking and walking tours- to examine transportation needs and shortcomings in the city. The pedestrian and bicycle master plan update is in response to Roseburg's Transportation System Plan adopted just a few years ago which failed to address which "did not adequately provide for bicycle and pedestrian traffic" according to the NR writer. Full article: http://www.nrtoday.com/article/20080904/EDITORIALS/809040302/1022

9/2/08 - The 2008 Pro Walk/Pro Bike conference kicks off today in Seattle, WA. Much of Alta's team will be in attendance as participants and presenters. Jessica Roberts will discuss SmartTrips and individualized travel marketing as well Bikes and Transit. Kim Voros will speak on behalf of Alta's experience with Los Angeles bike & walk surveys. Mia Birk joins Toole Design Group to dicuss changes to the latest edition of the AASHTO Guide. Joshua Poppel will present advanced modeling systems for assessing cycling improvement demands. See the full Pro Walk/Pro Bike 2008 schedule here.

8/22/08 - The Albany, NY based Times Union discusses the fate of the Tech Valley Trails system, a regional greenways plan for New York State's Capital Region developed by Alta in 2006. The proposed trail system connects communities along the Mohawk and Hudson rivers including the cities of Albany, Troy, Schenectady, and Saratoga Springs. The plan was set aside by the Capital District Transportation Committee claiming "it was determined that the conditions are not yet present in the Capital District for a Regional Greenways Initiative," but also stating that the planning process laid the groundwork for creating the trail system should conditions change. Times Union writer Marlene Kennedy cites "record gas prices and renewed interest in alternatives to our one-person/one-car, auto centric culture" as motivations for the development of the trail system for recreation and functional uses such as commuting to work. Read the full article here. The Capital Region Greenways Concept Plan was developed by Alta's East Coast Principal Jeff Olson.

8/21/08 - Alta Senior Associate Tony Powers is featured in Sacramento News & Review's Green Guide & Sustainability section in an article titled Bicycling: The power of one. Powers discusses his experiencing as a regular bike commuter and hobbyist. His regular commute includes Alta's Folsom/Sacramento, California office. "For him, the adventure and family bonding is the best part about those rides."
Meanwhile Alta's Portland Office is gearing up for this year's Bicycle Transportation Alliance Bike Commute Challenge. Last year the Alta office won with top ridership for the month over all other Portland business competitors of similar size.

8/11/08 - Alta has official announced a plan to update the 2006 Growth in Bicycle-Related Businesses report prepared for the City of Portland, Oregon. Alta Principal Mia Birk believes that the update will show a substantial growth in the bicycle-related economy in Portland. "I’m guessing at least 20%," she says, "maybe even 25%. Our exponential growth in ridership over the last two years is creating larger markets for bicycle products and services. I can’t wait to announce the results." For more about the study and Alta's previous findings, visit the project page. Bikeportland.org also ran this story about the announcement.

Alta is currently seeking information from Portland bike business through this survey.

8/11/08 - Last week Alta Planner Rory Renfro led a discussion with Joseph, Oregon residents to solicit input on their developing pedestrian and bicycle master plan. "We want to hear from you," stated Renfro, "You live and work here every day, so give us your ideas." The Wallowa County Observer ran this story on the meeting and project currently underway. Community input and feedback is an important part of the development process and one that continues throughout the project's lifecycle. The plan wont come up for review until March 2009 and it's possible the city could adopt the new master plan by June of that year.

8/11/08 - Last week the Safe Routes to School National Partnership announced that Portland, Oregon will host the second annual Safe Routes to School National Conference. "Portland has been praised for encouraging its children and adults to walk and bicycle as viable transportation alternatives," said Lauren Marchetti, Director of the National Center for Safe Routes to School, "Their proposal to host the conference included creative partnerships and an emphasis on scholarships that will increase attendance and set the stage for another successful SRTS conference." Alta has served as the Portland SR2S contract manager within the team of technical service providers who have made the program a success (including the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, ACTS Oregon, Community Cycling Center) as well as writing grants, coposing year end reports, and assisting with evaluation efforts to meet federal requirements. Visit our Safe Routes to Schools project page for more information. For more on the conference announcement see the press release and bikeportland.org article.

8/4/08 - Alta Principal Jeff Olson and Senior Associate Charlie Denney, both part of our East Coast office, were recently interviewed by Planning Commissioners Journal for their article on Greenway Trails. The article discusses a shift in trail use from purely recreational use to everyday transportation as well as steps for creating greenway trails. You can view the article and download the full PCJ Summer Newsletter on this page.]]> http://www.altaplanning.com/aug+_+oct+2008.aspx http://www.altaplanning.com/aug+_+oct+2008.aspx Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:33:17 GMT <![CDATA[November 2008 to January 2009 Articles]]> 1/28/09 - Bikeportland.org reports on the City of Portland's Bicycle Master Plan update process. Alta Principal Mia Birk is a co-chair of the Bike Master Plan Update Steering Committee tasked with proposing improvements to the city council. According to BP, "Once completed, the plan has potential to become a very important road-map for biking in Portland. Its policy implications will depend a bit on timing but regardless, it will help city employees, supportive elected officials, and advocates move forward with their vision of making Portland a truly 'world-class' bike city." Read the full article here.

1/28/09 - Alta has published a study on Bike Sharing programs. Bike Sharing/Public Bikes: A Summary of Program, Vendors and Technologies is available on our website in the Presentations and Studies area. Until recently, bike share programs worldwide have experienced low to moderate success; in the last 5 years, innovations in technology have given rise to a new (third) generation of technology-driven bike share programs. This study details bike share systems, compares methods, and examines the elements of successful programs worldwide. Click here to visit the Alta's Bike Sharing page.

1/27/09 - In California the Marin Independent Journal describes the city's push to finalize plans and begin construction on bicycle and pedestrian improvements funded as part of the Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Program. Infrastructure improvements are only one element of the 5-year NMTP Program managed by Alta. Other facets of the grant such as Personal Travel Encouragement programs (see walkbikemarin.org) are already underway and the combined efforts are making Marin County a safer, more sustainable place to travel. See the full article here and visit altaplanning.com for more on the national Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Programs.
Moapa Valley, Nevada's local publication Progress details last week's public meeting on the Moapa Valley Trails Study. The study will develop a trail network linking key destinations for pedestrian, ATV, equestrian, and bicycle use and is eagerly seeking public input on the plan. A user needs survey and public meeting dates are already collecting feedback on the project website. Read the full story on the MV Progress website.

1/26/09 - Last week Mexican news outlets Milenio and El Informador both reported on Guadalajara's intentions to develop a non-motorized mobility plan for the six-municipality metropolitan area of the city. The plan will aim to develop a bikeway network and reclaim public spaces for pedestrians and Alta is working with Walk and Bike for Life and the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy to achieve these goals. An estimated 37.4% of daily trips in Guadalajara are made by foot and a bikeway network could benefit the over 80,000 daily cyclists. The 5 primary goals for the plan can be found in Milenio's article and you can learn more in this story from El Informador.

1/19/09 - Coming up this Wednesday, Alta Principal Mia Birk and Portland Bicycle Coordinator Roger Geller will be presenting a Cycle Zone Analysis webinar as part of APBP's professional development series. The webinar will discuss adapting the Cycle Zone Analysis tool to other locales, and what would be required to implement this planning tool in your community. The one-hour webinar will take place on January 21, 2009, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. For full details about the webinar and how to register, visit the National Center for Bicycling & Walking's webinar page or click here to download the flier. Please contact Debra Goeks at (262) 228-7025 or deb@apbp.org to register or for any additional questions.
Alta has previously presented the Cycle Zone Analysis tool at several conferences. You can retrieve past versions of this presentation on our presentations and studies page.

1/19/09 - The Portland State University Initiative for Bicycle & Pedestrian Innovation (IBPI) has announced two scholarships for 2009 - 2010. The Alta Planning + Design Scholarship is a $2500 scholarship plus paid internship opportunity offered every year by Alta to graduate students. For full details about the available scholarships and for application instructions, visit the IBPI application page. Applications must be submitted to IBPI (please don't contact Alta) by February 20th, 2009.

1/14/09 - The City of Portland has released a statement about "a crucial local jobs creation and business stimulus package aimed at revving Portland’s economic engine." The city's stimulus package, based around public infrastructure projects, will invest $503 million in the local economy create nearly 5,000 jobs. The stimulus package includes several important bicycle and pedestrian projects including the Gibbs Street Pedestrian Bridge- Alta led the bicycle/pedestrian team of a multi-disciplinary team effort to design the bridge providing ADA accommodation, demand analysis, and intersection crossing improvements at key intersections. The City says that project will cost $11 million and create an estimated 157 jobs. Bikeportland.org has more on this and the other bicycle and pedestrian improvement plans included in the stimulus package. Learn more about the complete stimulus package on the city's website.

1/7/09 - Consider Biking released this press release announcing that Columbus, OH City Council enacted revisions to traffic codes that will implement key provisions of the Columbus Bicentennial Bikeways Plan. The Plan, created through a city-wide, comprehensive, public-involvement process and released by Alta last may, creates a blueprint for making the City of Columbus a "Bicycle Friendly Community." The plan uses the "4-E's" -- engineering, education, encouragement, and enforcement -- to accomplish its goals. For more information about the Bicentennial Bikeways Plan plan visit the project website.
Download the press release by clicking here [PDF].

1/6/09 - Streetsblog LA picked up the story that Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is voting on a proposal to fund the creation of a county-wide Bike Master Plan. Alta's LA office is already hard at work on the City of Los Angeles' Bike Master Plan and Sharrow system, but this proposed plan would potentially extend the reach of the current efforts to the great LA county. The county's current Bicycle Master Plan hasn't been updated since 1975.

12/27/08 - This month's issue of Oregon Business magazine features a cover story on Oregon's bicycle fueled industry and the cultural momentum behind it. The article discusses Portland and regional businesses including manufacturing, sales, and organized events claiming in all the state generates $150 million in annual bicycle-related revenue. This articles comes on the heals of Alta's recent report on Portland's bicycle-related industry growth. Mia Birk is featured in the article as well as the stories of several Oregon based business owners and a brief look at the growth of ridership and interest across the state. The January 2009 issue of Oregon Business is currently available online and you can read the full article "Geared Up" here.

12/27/08 - Streetsblog recently interviewed Alta planner David Pulsipher about his involvement in the forthcoming Los Angeles Bicycle Master Plan Update and LA local education & community-building cycling group C.I.C.L.E. The interview touches on the role of activism in the planning process as well as the importance of public involvement to help shift public perception of riders. "I really want to encourage feedback from the public," says David, "it helps us make sure we've addressed the common concerns out there." Read the full interview here and check the LA Bike Master Plan website for the latest news and updates.

12/15/08 - On December 4th the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission adopted the Comprehensive Local Regional Bikeways Plan prepared by Alta reports the Dayton Daily News. Among other features, the trails plan calls for complete connections between existing bike paths to encourage active, non-motorized transportation and improve safety. The article discusses the reason MVRPC chose to drop the plan's language outlining Complete Streets policy- city staff and the League of American Bicyclists are optomistic that a similar policy will be adopted in the future. For more information on the plan and to review documents and presentations, visit the project website at http://altaprojects.net/mvrpc/

12/12/08 - Tune in to KERA 90.1 Dallas Public Radio (broadcast or online) to hear Alta Principal Mia Birk discuss how the proposed Katy Trail improvements and connections will improve personal travel options in the city. The KERA program "think" hosted by Krys Boyd will also feature Eric Van Steenburg, executive director of the Friends of the Katy Trail. Show starts at 12:00pm CST (see program guide here) and you can read more about the discussion topic here. You can tune in locally in Dallas on 90.1 or online at http://www.kera.org/audio

12/11/08 - The Rails to Trails Conservancy is seeking active transportation project submissions to include in their federal economic recovery package proposal. According to RTC "The recovery package will likely be $700 billion or more, aiming to create and maintain 2.5 million jobs over the next two years. This framing is significantly different than previous estimates of $300 billion over a few months—hence our renewed call for projects." Learn more about the goals of this economic stimulus project and submission guidelines at the RTC online submission page.
Submissions are due Monday, 12/15/08 - 12:00pm ET!

12/10/08 - The Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) is hosting a series of webinars in the coming weeks featuring Alta staff. On December 17th Alta Program Manager Jessica Roberts will be presenting "Bring SmartTrips Home," a look at programs use for individualized marketing to change trip behavior by offering information and support for shifting some car trips to walking, bicycling and transit trips. On January 21st Alta Principal Mia Birk will join Portland Bicycle Coordinator Roger Geller for "Cycle Zone Analysis (CZA), A New Bicycle Transportation Planning Tool," discussing how this tool helps Portland planners more accurately assess and improve cycling conditions. You can learn more and register for theses webinars at http://www.bikewalk.org/webinar.php. Cost is $50 per site for APBP members; $60 per site for non-APBP members.
If you missed these great presentations at the 2008 Pro Walk/Pro Bike conference, this is your opportunity catch them live and interact with the presenters. For a sneak peek at these topics, download the presentation slideshows from the presentations & studies section of altaplanning.com

12/1/08 - Alta Principal Mia Birk is hard at work on her forthcoming book: Joyride: One Woman's Journey Empowering People and Transforming Communities. It is a memoir following her career, and telling the story of what we have done to revolutionize Portland and integrate bicycling and walking into daily life in communities across the U.S. Publication is planned for Fall 2009. Click here if you would like to be notified about advance ordering information.

12/1/08 - A recent Dallas Morning News editorial outlines the potential positive impact of the Katy Trail expansion project. Aside from offering transportation alternatives and a recreational outlet in existing neighborhoods, the expansion project could help extend new commercial and residential growth. Read the full editorial here and learn more about the Katy Trail project- under development by Alta and Friends of the Katy Trail- on the project website.

11/25/08 - Following a recent visit to Copenhagen, Alta Principal Mia Birk has developed Cycle Tracks: Lessons Learned, a guide to the advantages and best practices of implementing these bicycle-exclusive facilities. Cycle tracks have been an roadway accomodation for many years in European cities, but have only recently begun to appear in the United States. Safety and increased ridership are key factors in their popularity. To review the full report, visit our Presentations and Studies page.

11/11/08 - The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ask "Can Milwaukee become the next big bike friendly city?" in the Editorial Board's blog. The article is about Alta's work with the City of Milwaukee and the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin to assist in updating the Milwaukee Bicycle Master Plan including the public process and feedback integral to Alta's work. Alta Project Assistant Susan Peithman is quoted in the article- she's a Chicago native with experience riding in Milwaukee and understands the issues facing the city and what it's taken for her present home of Portland to become a bike friendly city. For more information about the Milwaukee plan update process, visit the project website.]]> http://www.altaplanning.com/nov+08+_+jan+09.aspx http://www.altaplanning.com/nov+08+_+jan+09.aspx Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:59:56 GMT <![CDATA[February to May 2009 Articles]]> 5/6/09 - The Vancouver Voice ran this story about bicycling in Clark County, Washington. The county is working with Alta to develop a Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan for the area encompassing the Vancouver and surrounding communities to promote active urban transportation as well as rural areas for recreational cycling. The county's goals include making Clark County a bicycle tourism destination. According to the article: "biking in Clark County is: healthy, active, enviro-friendly, communal and cost-effective. Perhaps most important, however, is what a well-known biking infrastructure can bring in: money." Read the full article here.

5/2/09 - Mia Birk's presentation to the Portland City Club- part of their "All About the Bike" program on May 1st- is available for download. Click here to download the speech in print form or listen to the presentation- featuring Mia and several other key members of Portland's bicycle industry and popularity growth- by downloading the MP3 here.

4/27/09 - The city of Grand Rapids, Michigan held their first annual Bike Summit this year expressing the city's commitment to developing bicycle facilities in an effort to be designated a Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists. Detailed coverage of the summit is available on mediamouse.org including Senior Associate Ann Freiwald's discussion of best practices, the influence of bike culture, and the importance of safety in encouraging new riders.

Mia Birk will be discussing bicycles as an economic influence, an urban planning opportunity and a lifestyle at the first May City Club of Portland Friday Forum. She'll be joined by other members of Portland's bicycle industry including a number of local bicycle builders displaying their work. Full details are available here.

Efforts to promote mountain biking in Portland continues to find traction and a coalition of mountain bike advocates has recently formed. Learn more in bikeportland.org's article. Alta is pleased to be part of this effort by discovering opportunities for more mountain biking in and around the city. Learn more about our experience with Mountain Bike Parks and Tourism on our Parks, Green Spaces, and Great Places page.

4/24/09 - Streetsblog LA features Culver City, CA's Bicycle & Pedestrian Initiative in their Bike Friendly Friday section. According to SBLA, "Culver City is working and planning to become the kind of bike-town that could rival Santa Monica for top spot on the Westside." Alta's Los Angeles office is working on the city's plan that includes coordination with the development of a light rail station and improved access to existing bike paths and infrastructure. The public input process has already begun and the community is encouraged to get involved at www.ccwalkbike.org

4/24/09 - The Greenville News reports on Easley, South Carolina's "push to become more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly" in this article. Alta was awarded the city's contract to develop a bicycle and pedestrian master plan for the community funded by an area transportation study. The plan reflects the City's desire to become a more fit and active community and is one of the City's first steps towards its goal of achieving Bicycle Friendly Community Status. It will involve an active community engagement process and is scheduled to be finished in early 2010. John Cock, Alta's new regional manager in the Southeastern United States will be leading this effort.

4/23/09 - Alta Principal Mia Birk was a panelist for Portland, Oregon's recent Green City Confidential symposium. The topics- based around improving Portland's sustainability- included livable metropolitan spaces, green transportation, development, and commerce. Mia's view is that while Portland has come a long way to becoming one of the country's most bicycle friendly cities, it has a long way to go in comparison to European cities like Copenhagen. See the Portland Daily Journal of Commerce's coverage of the panel here and learn more about Mia's recent experience with European bicycle infrastructure in our Cycle Tracks: Lessons Learned publication.

4/14/09 - Portland's Gateway Green project- a vision to build a 35 acre park in East Portland including world class mountain biking and cyclocross facilities- received major backing recently. The Oregonian reports on the momentum building on the project and mentions the concept plan for the park developed by Alta's Chris Bernhardt.

4/9/09 - Runner's World asks Alta Senior Associate Chris Bernhardt "Where Do Trails Come From?" Their article is a great look a the start-to-finish process it takes to design and build a natural surface trail.

4/9/09 - StreetFilms celebrates their 200th film with a recap of the previous 199. This three minute clip gives us a glimpse of livable streets efforts from around the world. Among the many featured activists, policy makers, and familiar faces is Alta Principal Mia Birk from the 2007 Bicycle Boulevards film in which she describes the how and why of Portland Bike Boulevard network.

4/1/09 - We've brought you special news and announcements before on the Rails-to-Trials Conservancy's Campaign for Active Transportation and we're happy to help spread the word about their upcoming Transportation Forum in Alameda County, California:
Alameda County Active Transportation Forum & Open House - April 16th
TransForm, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a TransForm regional coalition member), and United Seniors are working with the Alameda County Transportation Improvement Authority to make Alameda County a model for bicycling and walking. The 2010 Campaign for Active Transportation seeks to establish a $2 billion national Active Transportation Program, and bring $50 million of that federal funding to Alameda County to complete the Iron Horse Trail, expand Safe Routes to Schools programs, and improve access to transit for seniors. Come discuss the campaign Thursday, April 16, 2009 from 6:30-8:30pm at Dublin, CA City Hall. For directions and information about the April 16 Forum, click here ; to learn more about the Active Transportation Campaign, go to www.railstotrails.org/2010 or call Rails-to-Trails at 415-814-1100.

3/27/09 - Oregon Field Guide examines Portland's growing bicycle ridership, infrastructure, and network. This segment takes a look at the City of Portland's efforts to improve safety and Alta Principal Mia Birk discusses the motivation for improving conditions and education for cycling. Portland's bike boulevards, green bike boxes, and Springwater Corridor are highlighted and there's even a look inside Alta's Portland office. See the full segment here (7.5 minutes).

3/12/09 - Recent Updates & Mentions:
  • Alta Senior Associate Steve Durrant's concept for secure bike parking facilities at transit stations was featured in this Bikeportland.org article about the Portland Metro Council's approval of stimulus funds for bike-related infrastructure. TriMet, Portland's regional public transit authority, was awarded funding for bike stations and bike garages describes as “secure, covered, high capacity bike parking facilities" that will be located a major transit centers around the city. Alta has been working with TriMet to research and develop proper designs for these facilities which help connect bicyclists to transit.
  • Streetsblog San Francisco reported on the standing-room-only crowd gathered to voice their support for reopening the Alto Tunnel (a prexisting railway tunnel between Mill Valley and Corte Madera, California). Alta+LandPeople is developing the corridor study for this connection as part of Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Program . Find more information about this study on the walkbikemarin.org website.
3/2/09 - Streetsblog San Francisco goes more in depth about last week's announcement City of Sausalito's contract with Alta to recommend options for riding on downtown ferry landing and the start of the bike path next to US 101. According to Streetsblog, "The current bike route along Bridgeway was widened and repainted last year, but neither cyclists or motorists are happy with it." The article further discusses the goals of the project and features input from the Sausalito Police Department and Marin County Bicycle Coalition . See the full story here .

2/26/09 - The Marin Independent Journal says "Southern Marin city has become a bicycle mecca in recent years" and explains the city of Sausalito, California's commitment to "find a better way to move bicyclists through town." Specifically the city council recently agreed to award Alta a contract to examine bike access between the city's Ferry Landing and Gate 6 Road, a two-mile stretch through the town, in an effort to move bicycle traffic more quickly through the city. See the full article here .

2/24/09 - "One day, the Tahquitz Creek could be a place where horseback riders, joggers and bicyclists congregate to enjoy trails, desert landscaping and wildlife," says The Desert Sun of Palm Spring, CA. Alta recently presented preliminary plans for the prospective trail system. For a summary of the improvements and amenities Alta has proposed, see the full article . The 50+ local residents are looking forward to a trail system that will add to the quality of life and provide a new horseback riding, hiking, and biking tourist destination in the community. Visit our website to learn more about Alta's unique experience in Trail Planning and Corridor Studies .

2/23/09 - Alta is hiring! We're currently seeking qualified applicants to fill roles in our Berkeley, CA and/or Portland, OR offices. Openings include Mid-Level Landscape Architect/Designer and Junior-Level Planner . Full details are available on our Careers page and applications are due March 6th.

2/12/09 - Alta Principal Mia Birk is featured in the SustainableLife section of today's Portland Tribune. The article titled " Portland ‘bike queen’ finds worldwide niche " talks about Alta's present work in Dallas, Texas as well as Mia's history as Portland bike coordinator and involvement in outreach programs. See the full article here and to learn more about Mia, visit her profile in Alta's staff directory .

2/11/09 - The Le Grande, OR Observer reported on the Joseph, OR city council review of Alta's recently submitted City Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan. The article gives a brief history of the plan's purpose- originating from a citizen request for better access paths through the city which led to a grant to improve all forms of non-motorized transportation and access. Priorities in the plan are the connecting and adding sidewalks for better access to downtown and key areas. According to Alta Planner Rory Renfro , the plan not only includes "on-the-ground" improvements, but also a bicycle and pedestrian education, encouragement and enforcement campaign. Read the full article here .

2/5/09 - Bikeportland.org is running a feature on bicycle and streetcar interaction. Freelance writer Libby Tucker is examining the relationship and rider experience in Portland and cites Alta's study on bike/streetcar interaction published last year. The first in the two-part feature story is available here . Visit our Presentations & Studies page for our Report on Bicycle Interaction with Streetcars.]]> http://www.altaplanning.com/feb+_+may+2009.aspx http://www.altaplanning.com/feb+_+may+2009.aspx Wed, 08 Jul 2009 10:26:12 GMT <![CDATA[Alta in the News, June through November 2009]]> 11/9/09 - Alta has been selected along with the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria to run the Melbourne, Australia, bicycle share program.  The program will utilize Bixi bicycle sharing system from Montreal, launch a 600-bicycle fleet, and be funded with revenues and a grant from the Victoria Department of Transportation. Alta will provide the overall management and documentation for the bike share network. An article from Architecture & Design Australia describes the city's motivation to take part in this opportunity to promote transportation and health benefits for the residents and workers of Melbourne. We are excited to be part of such an important and exciting project! For more information about Alta's involvement and experience in Bicycle Sharing systems please visit altabicycleshare.com

11/5/09 - Quick updates:
10/22/09 - The Santa Clarita Signal reports on Wednesday's Bike and Walk to School Month festivities in the Santa Clarita school district. The schools have seen a great increase in the number of students arriving at school on foot and bicycle thanks to this Safe Routes to School supported program. Alta is helping to coordinate the city's program with the goal of making walking and biking to school a safe and healthy alternative to driving. Read the full article here. You can learn more about Alta's development of Safe Routes to School programs on our Technical Services page and visit the Santa Clarita Safe Routes to School website for more information on their program.

9/29/09 - On Wednesday, September 30th Alta Principal Mia Birk and fellow author Jeff Mapes will be featured on Portland's KBOO Radio Bike Show to discuss the rising popularity of cycling in America. Mapes' recent publication "Pedaling Revolution: How Cyclists Are Changing American Cities" has been a success since it hit the shelves in March and Birk's forthcoming "Joyride: One Woman's Journey to Empower People and Transform Communities" is already generating a lot of interest. They'll be discussing the nationwide resurgence of bicycle popularity as well as Portland's status as Bicycle City USA. Listen live Wednesday at 11:00am PST over the air in Portland at 90.7 fm or online at http://kboo.fm/listen

Then on Wednesday evening Mia joins musician, artist and author David Byrne to discuss Portland's bicycle culture as part of Byrne's presentation of his new book "Bicycle Diaries." This sold out panel discussion at Portland's Bagdad theater also features bikeportland.org editor Jonathan Maus and City or Portland Transportation Options program developer Timo Forsberg.

9/21/09 - Los Angeles, California will be among the cities taking part in the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project this fall. Says Dorothy Le of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, "We want L.A. to be truly bike friendly and we noticed that all the major bike-friendly, or getting-to-be-bike-friendly cities, all have bicycle counts. We figured, if they’re really bike friendly, these counts must be part of why they are." Los Angeles Downtown News tells the whole story in their article "The Cycle Counters." For more information about the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project visit the official website and if you'd like to get involved with LA's efforts to count cyclists visit the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition website calendar.

9/11/09 - Portland TV news station KOIN channel 6 featured a series on Portland's bicycle movement as part of their Keep It Local programming. Alta Principal Mia Birk joined bikeportland.org managing editor Elly Blue to discuss Portland's "Bike Truths," a discussion of the history behind Portland's cycling popularity and the efforts made to get the city to where it is today. Click here to watch the "Portland bike truths" segment.

9/9/09 - Alta Principal Jeff Olson will be taking part in New York's New Amsterdam Bike Slam this week. The Slam is "a unique battle for the future of New York City transportation" with teams competing to propose the best vision for the city's bicycle transportation future. Jeff joins Andy Clarke, Executive Director of American Bicyclists and Arjen Jaarsma of Balancia for the panel discussion "Cycle Planning in the US and the Netherlands." Find out more on the New Amsterdam Bike Slam website.

9/9/09 - Northwest Hub, a new website for land use and environmental news in the Pacific Northwest, reports on the City of Portland's new Cycle Track demonstration project. The article discusses Alta's influence on the demonstration's design and implementation through our Cycle Tracks: Lessons Learned study published last year including the advantages cycle tracks lend over conventional bike lanes. Learn more about Cycle Tracks on our website's Research & Studies page and read Northwest Hub's full article on the first Portland Cycle Track.

8/18/09 - Alta has recently begun work on Kodiak Island's Trail Master Plan in an effort to organize, protect and better identify trails inside town and off the road system. The Kodiak, Alaska Daily Mirror reports this trail plan is a long time in the making and underscores the importance of a community's trail plan. See the full article at the Kodiak Daily Mirror.

8/18/09 - Alta is proud to sponsor the 2009 Safe Routes to School National Conference, which kicks off this Wednesday in Portland, Oregon. Alta staff including founding Principal Michael Jones and planners David Pulsipher, Hannah Kapell, and Susan Peithman are presenting about emerging trends and conducting valuable mobile workshops. We hope to see you there at our booth!

To learn about how Alta can help your community develop its own Safe Routes to School program, visit our Safe Routes to School page. For more information about Alta's support and involvement with conferences, visit our Community Partners page.






8/4/09 - Vancouver, BC publication The Tyee reports on "Portland's Bicycle Brilliance," praising Portland, Oregon's bicycling friendly culture and approach to development. In the article Alta Principal Mia Birk explains the city's efforts and process to develop this environment. "There's a myth that Portland is just a place where everybody bikes, that's just how it is," Mia says, "And that's not correct, the truth is that we made this city what it is today." The article likens Vancouver to Portland and highlights steps they- and any community- can take to achieve the kind of results Portland has seen. You can learn more about Alta's work with the City of Portland as well as Mia's years as Portland Bike Coordinator in her forthcoming book, Joyride.

8/3/09 - Curious about what Safe Routes to School is, how to it happens, or what it can do for a community? Ian Pari from the City of Santa Clarita has all these answers and more in this video interview from SCV-TV. Alta has been helping the city of Santa Clarita to secure Safe Routes funding and is leading the city's Non-Motorized and SR2S programs. Among our work with the city, Alta designed the bulb-outs he refers to, wrote the non-motorized plan, and wrote the four grants he discusses. Learn more about our involvement with Santa Clarita's SR2S program on our website and visit the project website at http://www.scsaferoutes.com/

8/3/09 - Communities large and small in Missouri are preparing for bicycle counts this fall. Kansas City, Lawrence, and the surrounding counties are pooling volunteers to take part in the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project counts under the guidance of Alta Midwest office manager Ann Freiwald. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the Lawrance-Douglas County Planning office hopes to better understand where to invest in transportation improvements. Documenting these needs will help secure federal funding and grants for infrastructure improvements. These Missouri community join the many communities around the country taking part in bike counts for the NBPDP this year- visit bikepeddocumentation.org to learn more. To learn more about Alta's grant writing and funding assistance experience, visit our Funding page.

7/31/09 - Alta Principal Mia Birk talks about Lance Armstrong's influence on cycling and getting more people riding in this video for the Oregonian.
Mia Birk talks about Lance Armstrong


7/8/09 - Alta received an attention grant from WorldChanging.com along with the Portland Department of Transportation and BikePortland.org for our involvement in Portland, Oregon's shift to sustainable transportation. The article discusses Portland's continued adoption of the bicycle as a primary means to getting around- recently achieving a 3.5% mode split, far and above United States' national average. The article also touches on Portland's bicycle industry and bike related business growth, a figure Alta reported in our 2008 Oregon Bicycle Related Business Study. Read the full article here, part of WordChanging's Attention to Philanthropy 2009 series.

6/30/09 - The 2009 National Safe Routes to School Conference will be held in Portland, Oregon August 19-21st. Alta is a sponsor of the event and we're happy to help bring communities from across the country (and around the globe) together to learn how SR2S programs across the country are changing the habits of an entire generation of schoolchildren and putting thousands of families two steps ahead of health and environmental concerns. You can learn all about the Safe Routes to School Movement and programs on the conference website at saferoutesconference.org and while you're there learn about registering for the conference.

Find out more about Alta's experience with Safe Routes programs on our Safe Routes to School page.]]> http://www.altaplanning.com/jun+_+nov+2009.aspx http://www.altaplanning.com/jun+_+nov+2009.aspx Thu, 07 Jan 2010 21:18:48 GMT <![CDATA[December 2009 to February 2010 Articles]]> 2/24/10 - The City of San Diego and Alta produced a Top 40 Projects (PDF) for the city's Bicycle Master Plan. Bike San Diego discusses the projects and the city's focus on developing bikeways in the urban core.

2/18/10 - A Spectator Australia columnists considers the demand for a bike sharing system in Sydney. Among his chief concerns for the popularity and accessibility of cycling in Australia, though, is the country's mandatory helmet law. Alta's upcoming launch of a 600-bicycle sharing system in Melbourne is discussed along with pitfalls and limitations of sharing helmets. Read the full article here.

2/16/10 - The Kodiak Daily Mirror reports on a recent public meeting to gauge public interest and allow comment on the forthcoming Kodiak, AK trail master plan. Winter and snow recreational users dominate the meeting with special interests unique to the Alaskan environment. See the full article here.

2/16/10 - The Waterbury, CT Republican-American ran this story about Alta Principal Jeff Olson's presentation of the final plan for the Waterbury/Naugatuck River Greenway. The plan aims to convert 7-miles of riverfront property to a network of greenways between Derby and Torrington. A later article goes on to explain the greenway study report in more detail. Among the benefits are public health and aesthetics as well as providing an opportunity to clean up contaminated post-industrial sites.

2/15/10 - Quick Release, bicycling newsletter for the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition, released this article about Santa Maria City Council's approval of an updated city Bikeway Master Plan developed by Alta. The article mentions that while the city planning commission unanimously approved the updated plan it didn't receive full support from city council, citing certain conflicts of interest. The US Census Bureau show that the percentage of bicycle commuters to jobs in Santa Maria has doubled from 0.9% in 2000 to 1.8% in 2008. That's four times the US average, and twice the California average. Read the full article here.

2/15/10 - The City of Milwaukie, Oregon has initiated early phases of their Bikeway Signage Plan by installing new bicycle wayfinding signs. Bikeportland.org reports on the new signs going up around the small town and the story of how they came to be. The signage plan, adopted by Milwaukie city council in 2007, was developed by Alta. Benefits of such a bikeway identification system may include: helping to familiarize users with the bikeway system; helping users identify the best routes to significant destinations; helping to address misperceptions about time and distance when traveling by bicycle; and helping to overcome a “barrier to entry” for people who do not bicycle often, but who want to get started. See the story here for more details about the Milwaukie plan and implementation.

2/15/10 - "Easley citizens approve of the city’s move toward becoming more bicycle friendly," says the Easley, South Carolina Progress in an article about the city council's recent vote to hire Alta to develop their Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. Alta Southeast Office Manager John Cock presented a range of possibilities for city transportation redesigns that could make the community more accessible to non-motorized travelers. Among the improvements are a citywide walkway and bikeway network and a major greenway to facilitate neighborhood to downtown connections. For more details about the city's goals and Alta's involvement, Greenville Online ran the story 'Easley to take small steps in bike, walking plan rollout' and Your Pickens County published 'Easley’s future could be built on pedestrian and bike paths.'

2/3/10 - Alta Principal Mia Birk contributed a column to The Oregonian on Portland, Oregon's 2030 Bicycle Master Plan Update. She recalls the reasons she believes strongly in promoting bicycling as a safe and healthy form of transportation in the city and describes her investment in the development of the plan as co-chair of the steering committee. In the article she states "With a goal of having a quarter of Portlanders using bicycles for daily transportation, it's a pro-livability, pro-health and pro-sustainability plan. It won't force anyone to change his or her transportation habits. It will simply make bicycling more irresistible." Alta Programs Director Jessica Roberts joined Mia on February 2nd on Portland's KBOO Radio Bike Show to discuss the forthcoming plan as well. You can read the full Oregonian column here and listen to the radio show on the Bike Show archive page.

1/26/10 - The Missoulian reports that, for the first time since 2003, Missoula, Montana will resume counting bicycle and pedestrian travelers. This data is important in shaping the city's planning, especially as it affects updating the Missoula Active Transportation Plan. The data collected will be contributed to the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project operated by ITE and Alta. For more information on Missoula's counting approach, check out the article. For information about the NBPDP, visit http://bikepeddocumentation.org/

1/26/10 - On January 19th, Jeff Olson presented "Moving Buffalo Forward: The Value of Creating a Bicycle Friendly Community" to the Buffalo City Forum. The presentation was broadcast live on WNED-AM and a recording is available on their website. You can also download Jeff's presentation slideshow from our Presentations page or directly by clicking here (2MB PDF).

1/11/10 - Alta planner and Boston office manager Phil Goff contributed this article to Bikeportland.org explaining the 12-year effort to improve bikeability and walkability across Portland, Oregon's Morrison Bridge. While Goff no longer lives in Portland, his Alta Portland based co-workers are excited to see this important connection between Southeast and Southwest Portland re-open to bicycles and pedestrians with a much safer and friendlier approach to moving people across the river on their daily commutes. Goff's passion for non-motorized transportation access continues today as part of Alta's East Coast team of professionals.

1/7/10 - Alta Principal Jeff Olson will address the Buffalo City Forum, a community speaker series produced by WNED-AM 970 and Leadership Buffalo, later this month. The hour-long program about enhancing community development and quality of life though bicycling will be broadcast live on WNED-AM at 1 p.m. EST on January 19th. Buffalo Rising discusses Jeff's history in the area and what to expect from the presentation. Learn more at WNED.org and listen live anywhere in the world by streaming the program on here.

12/24/09 - Greenville News reports on Alta's progress in developing the Easley, South Caroline Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan. Read more on the report and how Alta project manager John Cock is hoping to make Easley a safer place for people to walk and bike in this article.

12/9/09 - Cities for Cycling, a project to catalog, promote and implement the world’s best bicycle transportation practices in American municipalities has been launched by the National Association of City Transportation Officials. We're excited about this effort by the nation's cities to make best practices a top priority. The City of Portland has features information on the formation of Cities for Cycling in this article including the October 2009 meeting hosted by Alta that helped kick off this coalition. Learn more about the Cities for Cycling project on their website and catch press coverage of the announcement on StreetsBlog.

12/2/09 - Counts and surveys show a substantial increase in bicycle and pedestrian traffic in Marin County, California. The Marin Independent Journal ran this story about results of the most recent report from the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Pilot Program encouraging non-motorized transportation in the area. Weekday bicycling rates have increased 118 in the past decade and the number of pedestrians has risen 51 percent in the same period. Alta is proud to be part of the pilot program by operating the Way to Go personal travel planning campaign, connecting the community through events and walkbikemarin.org, and conducting the counts and surveys to monitor these achievements. See the article to learn more about our most recent report.

12/3/09 - Alta Principal Mia Birk explains Bicycle Boulevards to StreetFilms. This short story introduces the concept of bike boulevards, explains how and why they're catching on in the United States, and features several unique boulevard designs from around the country. Mia explains a few of the features and best practices of successful boulevards, the same approaches discussed in the Bicycle Boulevard Planning & Design Guidebook published earlier this year. Contrasted in the documentary are New York's bike routes which don't feature the same level of traffic calming and bicycle safety improvements and have seen less success in promoting comfortable cycling. See the video and read the full story at StreetFilms' "Bicycle Boulevards for NYC".]]> http://www.altaplanning.com/dec+09+_+feb+10.aspx http://www.altaplanning.com/dec+09+_+feb+10.aspx Mon, 12 Apr 2010 11:57:41 GMT <![CDATA[March to August 2010 Articles]]> 7/29/10 - Beaverton's TriMet Transit Center, one of the busiest park-and-ride facilities for TriMet, gains 74 bike parking spaces. See the full story to see how 74 parking spaces were created by only getting rid of 8.

7/26/10 - Website Tuscon Velo published the story Riding in Portland: Lessons for Tucson about a visit to Portland, OR which found inspiration in the city's bicycle infrastructure. TV joined Tucson’s bike and pedestrian program manager, City of Portland planners, and Alta's Steve Durrant on a bicycle tour of the city. See the full story for insights into Portland network from Steve and the City's Greg Raisman and some great photographs.

7/12/10 - Bikeportland.org ran this story about Alta's recent win of a contract to develop bikeway projects in the Portland, Oregon metro area. Read the story here.

6/30/10 - Iredell County, North Carolina is considering options to extend the Carolina Thread Trail through their territory. Alta's Southeast office is managing the planning effort for a proposed trail alignment that will access the county's key points of interest. The Statesville Record & Landmark ran this article about the potential benefits of the trail and the community's goals for the trail. You can learn more on the project website at http://www.iredelltrailmasterplan.com/

6/28/10 - San Joaquin County in California is making a strong effort to improve bicycling for commuters and recreational riding. Alta is helping the county plan and manage a $43.9 million improvement budget to improve safety and access. Read Manteca Bulletin article on the bike route upgrades here.


6/25/10 - Normal, Illinois is taking steps toward implementing the bicycle and pedestrian master plan developed by Alta and adopted in 2009. Read the full article on the city's implementation in this Pantagraph article.

6/16/10 - Alta Principal Jeff Olson's speech to the 2010 Maine Active Communities Conference was featured on WERU 89.9 FM's "Common Health" program.

6/15/10 - The Bicycle Show on CBC Radio Canada - Alta Principal Mia Birk talks transforming Portland into America's most bicycle-friendly city on the pedal-powered edition of GO! with Brent Bambury. But what will it take to make Canada's cities even more bike friendly?

6/8/10 - Portland's TriMet is planning to open a 74-space secure Bike and Ride parking facility in July. The design phase of the project was completed by Moyano Leadership Group, Boora Architects, and Alta Planning + Design. Other Bike & Ride facilities are planned to open in Beaverton, Hillsboro, and at Portland State University, bringing the region 378 new or improved bike parking spaces. Read more here.

5/31/10 - Alta Principal Jeff Olson's workshop with regional councillors caught the attention of the online news source, YorkRegion.com . His workshop on constructing a viable network of bikeways and pedestrian paths within the region included emphasis that for path treatments "Context is crucial" for different environments. Read more on this article here .

5/21/10 - Arlington County and the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) announced today a joint effort to expand bike sharing tenfold in the Washington area. Both Arlington and the District will launch systems later this year with roughly 1,100 bikes and 114 stations and will be the largest of its kind in the U.S. Alta Bicycle Share will operate the system, and is implementing or consulting on similar programs in Australia, Europe, China, and other locations in the United States. Read more about this exciting news here.

5/19/10 - Alta Principal Jeff Olson was interviewed by Brazilian environmental news agency Eco Agencia about bike lanes and his international work.

5/11/10 - Bike San Diego » Interview with Alta Senior Associate Sam Corbett

5/11/10 - The Des Moines Register dropped in on a public workshop for the West Des Moines Bicycle Master Plan, led by Alta Project Manager Ann Freiwald. The purpose of the workshop was to gather input and ideas from community leaders and members on how funds should be distributed to improve and enhance current and future biking trails and pedestrian paths. Read more about the West Des Moines Master Plan here.

5/10/10 - City planners track cyclists, pedestrians to measure trail needs - USA Today on the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project .

5/10/10 - Cobblestones, 'skinny tires', and how the Dutch really do it - Bikeportland.org discusses a unique Portland street treatment developed by Alta.

4/19/10 - 10 City Bike Sharing Networks to Watch - Earth 2 Tech discusses the upcoming Melbourne bike share scheme.


4/22/10 -

Wave and Smile

An Earth Day Essay on the Joys of Bicycle Transportation
By Mia Birk
CEO, Alta Planning + Design; author, Joyride: Pedaling Toward a Healthier Planet , forthcoming; Founder, Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation, Portland State University.

Ah Spring is here, and with it bicycling pleasures beyond words. On a typical day, I might get pelted by hail and then warmed by a double rainbow as I inhale swirls of cherry and pear blossoms. You just don’t get this kind of flowery intoxication sitting in a car. The stresses of running an international company in our down economy dissipate under a dazzling explosion of Camellias, Dogwoods, and Rhododendrons and are replaced by delight at seeing herons, geese, and an Osprey peeking out of his nest on the top of a power pole on the Springwater on the Willamette.

I wave constantly at my neighbors and at strangers who stop for me at stop signs. Often, they wave at me to go ahead. Used to be, I would motion, “No, you go ahead, really. I’ll stop.” But then I realized that when someone offers me kindness, it’s my responsibility to graciously accept. Besides, when you’re on a bike, momentum is your friend, and I think that the motorists waving me through must understand that. (Thank you – all of you!) Perhaps they themselves bike from time to time. I always smile and wave in gratitude. And since this happens numerous times a day, I’m always smiling and waving, waving and smiling, happy, happy, happy as I pedal along, until I arrive at work or a meeting or home feeling pleasantly hungry, energetic, even buzzed.

A friend once observed, “It’s hard enough trying to get people to purchase and screw in an energy efficient light bulb. Your work – creating more bikeable communities and trying to get people to change their behavior - that’s way, way harder.”

Point well taken, but see, I have a critical edge. Compact fluorescent light bulbs save you a few bucks, over time, and allow you to feel eco-friendly during the twenty seconds you’re actually screwing them in, but they don’t improve your health, reduce stress, allow you to bypass traffic, save you money, connect you with your community, and put a smile on your face. Let’s face it, double-paned windows, solar panels, and bottom-loading freezers are excellent energy savers but aren’t, in any way, going to get your heart pumping or tone your legs.


Yes, these pleasures can be yours too… but only if you try it. Because if you’re not part of the solution, unfortunately, you’re a part of the problem.


Bike, for as many trips as possible. Volunteer to walk or bike a group of kids to school. Factor in transportation to your daily transportation decisions and find ways to shift more and more trips to walking, bicycling, or transit.


No matter how you get around, model good behavior. When driving, yield to pedestrians and cyclists, slow down, hang up, and chill out. Refrain from over-generalizing or judging all cyclists by the few bad-behaving jerks and recognize that every cyclist is one less car on the road. And when you’re biking, always wait for red lights, yield to pedestrians, and wave and smile at the slightest act of kindness. Heck, wave and smile just to spread the joy.


In honor of Earth Day and for your health, community, kids, and pocketbook, start today. You’ll be glad you did.



4/12/10 - The Marin Independent Journal explains the disconnect in bicycle routes between major communities in Marin County, California. Now the county is pursuing funding to carry out routing improvements based on a linkage study conducted by Alta. That's good news for area residents considering the recent report that the number of bicycle and walking trips are on the rise in Marin . Read about the plan to improve Marin's bicycle transportation links in this article .

4/7/10 - On Wednesday, April 7th, Alta Planning + Design had the opportunity to lead a tour of the proposed Naugatuck River Greenway in Waterbury, CT with Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez, Congressman Chris Murphy, Mayor Michael Jarjura and invited local leaders. Alta Principal Jeff Olson was asked to lead the presentation, and it was an extraordinary day. The visitors were impressed by the complexity of the project and how quickly it has gone from an idea to a detailed plan that continues to gain momentum. Media report available here.

4/9/10 - Forbes.com published a press release "U.S. Biking Trends" describing the nation's increase in ridership and announcing the American Planning Association's media briefing conference call which will include Alta's Southeast office manager John Cock .

4/1/10 - Alta Principal Mia Birk is featured in Fitness Magazine's "Champions of Health & Fitness 2010" article .

3/26/10 - Alta East's team working on the Naugatuck Greenway routing study presented their progress in a public meeting for area residents. The plan, encompassing pedestrian bridges, paths, and trails along the Naugatuck River Valley. Beacon Falls Citizen's News and the Republican American both discuss the meeting.
Update 4/1/10: More about these public meetings in Town Times.

3/19/10 - Melbourne is "a step closer to city bike hire scheme" according to this article in The Age . Alta is among the lead consultants rolling out this public bicycle sharing system. Learn more at altabicycleshare.com .

3/13/10 - Brazilian news source Delas interviews Alta Principal Jeff Olson about the importance of creating green infrastructure in major cities. Jeff was interviewed while attending the International Conference of Innovative Cities (CICI). The article, in Portuguese, is available here ( click here for a translated version ).

3/4/10 - Minnesota Business announces the launch of Green Complete Streets by Alta and several partners in the Minneapolis area. Learn more about Complete Streets on our website.


]]> http://www.altaplanning.com/mar+_+aug+2010.aspx http://www.altaplanning.com/mar+_+aug+2010.aspx Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:00:22 GMT <![CDATA[Sept 2010 - March 2011]]> More >

3/23/11 - Palo Alto, CA's Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Planning open house last week was a great success. The City, who aspires to become a Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Community, hired Alta to develop the Master Plan. More >

3/10/11 - Sam Corbett is featured in Zev Yaroslavsky's blog on the newly-adopted Los Angeles Bicycle Master Plan. More >

3/7/11 - A plan for an on- and off-street bicycle route network is being presented to the West Des Moines City Council.  Click here to read more about what the plan includes. 

3/7/11 - The Greenville Post and Courier reports that the Swamp Rabbit Trail, located in Greenville, South Carolina - is just the beginning. Read more on how the bicycle research and data in the Greenville Bicycle Master Plan is moving Greenville toward a higher-level of bicycle friendliness.   More >

3/3/11 - Alameda County is considering the greenways plan presented in the East Bay Greenway Plan that will connect oakland, San Leandro, unincorporated Alameda County, and Hayward across five BART stations, offering the local communities more alternatives for transportation. More >

3/3/11 - Los Angeles City Council approves the Bicycle Master Plan. Cycling advocates at the City Council meeting said they were pleased with the final draft, saying that it would help Los Angeles catch up with other cities. More >

3/2/11 - Urban planning blog Planetizen features an article by Mia Birk about how Portland became a bicycle-friendly city.

2/23/11 - The Sausalito City Council recently accepted a study prepared by Alta that outlines how the city can create a multi-use pathway from the Sausalito ferry landing to Gate 6.  More >

Feb 2011 - "The Queen of Cycle Nation: Mia's Birk's Vision from the Asphalt Up," Goodness Magazine, Feb/March 2011. More >

2/9/11 - Alta's Park to Playa trail project strives toconnect Baldwin Hills to the beach, and will be Los Angeles' first regional urban trail. More >

2/1/11 - APBP Announces 2011 Officers: Brett Hondorp, AICP, a Principal with Alta Planning + Design in California, was named Vice President. More >

1/28/11 - Two more Portlanders add their voices to the League of American Bicyclists Board, including Alta Principal Steve Durrant. More >

1/24/11 - Alta President Mia Birk reflects on experience drawn from the Portland Streetcar design on how to integrate bicycles with streetcars in the latest update on the Seattle Streetcar development. More >

1/21/11 - The need for education (cyclists and motorists) a recurring theme at public mtgs for the South Bay, CA Bike Plan. More >

1/20/11 - Senior Associate Ann Freiwald makes the news as a speaker at the South Dakota Bike Summit where she will discuss how communities can become more bicycle friendly.

12/3/10 - Exciting news about the Northwest Arkansas Regional Greenway developments are mentioned on theActive Healthy Transportation Development website and NWA Online.  Read more about this 36-mile greenway trail plan here.


11/22/10 - Alta Planning + Design is pleased to be partnering with Oregon Parks and Recreation and Travel Oregon to offer educational workshops for marketing bicycle tourism and transportation in rural Oregon communities.
  • Oregon Scenic Bikeways Program: On December 8, 2010, Alta Associate Scott Bricker will lead a course for leaders of designated scenic bikeway communities. The Oregon Scenic Bikeways Program is designed to provide a high quality system of cycling routes that inspires people to experience Oregon’s natural beauty and cultural heritage by bicycle and offers economic and social benefits to the state’s communities, residents, and visitors. As part of the Scenic Bikeways process, communities must develop a marketing plan to increase usage of the bikeway. This workshop will provide critical information about successful bikeway marketing techniques.

Contact for more information about Oregon Scenic Bikeways Program: Alex Philips, Bicycle and Water Recreation Coordinator, Oregon Parks and Recreation, alex.phillips@state.or.us; 503-986-0631

  • Rural Tourism Studio: Rural communities may apply for Travel Oregon’s comprehensive Rural Tourism Studio, providing training in Oregon’s key tourists markets; the bicycle tourism studio is one of the focus areas. The eight days of training address tourism development, marketing strategies on a shoestring, and how to fundraise to support the efforts.

Contact for more information about Rural Tourism Studio: Kristin Dahl, Sustainable Tourism Development Manager, Kristin@traveloregon.com; 503-378-2104

Click here for the full press release.

10/13/10 - Australian news service NewsMaker interviewed Principal Michael Jones at the 2010 Bike Futures Conference in Melbourne. Jones, who is scheduled to give a keynote speech at the conference, talks about educating motorists and cyclists about existing road laws and how more cyclists in an area can lead to safer environments. Click here to read the article. 

9/30/10 - The October issue of Alaska Airlines Magazine features a story on Portland, Oregon titled "A Wealth of Recreation: Outdoor enthusiasm is a boon to Portland's economy." The article features information from Alta's 2006 report on bicycle industry growth in the city and Mia's present-day take on Portland's state of cycling. Click here to download a PDF copy of the article.

9/20/10 - Listen to Alta CEO Mia Birk’s inspiring keynote speech from Pro-Walk Pro-Bike 2010 at Chattanooga. 

In it, she talks about the fascinating history of Portland’s development as a bicycling mecca, stories of incredible successes from across the nation, including rails-with-trails, shared lane markings, and bike boxes and the birth of the exciting new Cities for Cycling project of the National Association of City Transportation Officials. Click to download the keynote recording (mp3). All this and more is captured in her book: Joyride: Pedaling Toward a Healthier Planet, which was recently reviewed on the Huffington Post. Order atwww.miabirk.com.

Also check out the Association for Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals
Postcards from PWPB series http://www.apbp.org/?page=EPostcards . Enjoy!

9/14/10 - Work on the Saranac River Trail in Plattsburgh, NY has finally begun!  See the full story from the Press Republican on why the long wait was worth it for this "Bargain" of a trail.  

9/13/10 - The Billings Gazette reports on the update to the 2004 Heritage Trail Plan. Alta's Bozeman Office Manager, Joe Gilpin talks about addressing the many gaps in Billings, Montana's trail network, and calls on local residents to give their input.  

9/2/10 - Mia Birk's "Joyride" gets glowing reviews by Huffington Post's Diane Dulken.  See the full story on this "Safe and Splendid" view on one of the most bicycle-friendly cities and visit miabirk.com for more information on Joyride and how to get a copy.

]]> http://www.altaplanning.com/sept+2010+_+march+2011.aspx http://www.altaplanning.com/sept+2010+_+march+2011.aspx Tue, 31 May 2011 13:54:37 GMT <![CDATA[April - Dec 2011]]> More>

11/30/11 - "Bridge over Highway 101 Gains Traction with Council Vote". Palo Alto City Council voted unanimously to consider building a Highway 101 overpass for bikes and pedestrians, the bridge option conceived by Alta Planning + Design. More>

11/10/11 - "Portland's Alta Rides the Bike-Sharing Wave". Sustainable Business Oregon. More>

11/3/11 - Alta Principal Jeff Olson weighs in>> KunstlerCast #179: The Long Emergency vs. NYC’s Resurgency. JHK Debates Transportation Alternatives Executive Director Paul Steely White. http://kunstlercast.com/shows/kunstlercast_179.html

10/30/11 - Alta President Mia Birk advises Charlottesville and Albemarle County, VA cyclists on how to improve their bike network during a visit to Virginia as part of her "Joyride" tour. Listen to the webcast here>.

10/30/11 - British Columbia's Capital Regional District pushes closer to regional trail strategy. CRD cycling and walking plan considered "a coming of age for bicycles." More>

10/27/11 - Danville, CA: "Additional bicycle parking may debut downtown". More>

10/18/11 - "The Last Mile: How Bike-Ped Improvements Can Connect People to Transit". More>

10/18/11 - Cycling and Health Advocates have High Hopes for Bicycle Master Plan. Alta to assist Kern, CA with Bicycle Master Plan. More>

10/17/11 - San Mateo plans to make city streets safer for pedestrians, but funding questions linger. More>

10/8/11 - Chautauqua County celebrates their Equestrian Trail Plan with a Fall Color Ride. More>

9/26/11 - Decatur, Georgia, considers options during a community workshop at city hall on safety, pedestrian and bicycling improvements for Clairemont, Church and Commerce streets. More>

9/14/11 - NY1 video, "City's Bike Sharing Program Ready to Roll". View>

9/14/11 - Alta designated Platinum Level Bicycle Friendly Business by the League of American Bicyclists. More>

9/14/11 - NYTimes: Alta Bicycle Share selected to launch NYC Bike Share system. More>

9/7/11 Alta Principal Mia Birk bikes over the Ravenel bridge and discusses Charleston's potential on the South Carolina ABC News channel. More>

8/23/11 - Burlington NC > "A city competing for state and federal money for infrastructural changes benefits from having a pedestrian plan."

4/4/11 - Dubai launches another pedestrian safety campaign aimed at workers. Efforts reduced the number of run-over fatalities from 116 in 2008 to 43 in 2010. This effort is part of Alta's Pedestrian Safety and Mobility Action Plan.

8/12/11 - City planners and consultants last month unveiled a plan to build a wide overpass that would span 101 at Adobe Creek in south Palo Alto -- an ambitious project that has been on the city's agenda for the past eight years and is just now starting to gain traction. More>

8/7/11 - Study shows foot traffic in Raleigh, Virginia rivals cities like San Diego. Long-term plan will make the city more walkable.

7/27/11 - Palo Alto eyes the Platinum BFC with its Bike & Ped Transportation Plan.

7/27/11 - Oregon Business reports on women in bike shop culture. Alta principal Mia Birk discusses bicycle transportation and retail industries with reporter Linda Baker. More>

Alta profiled on the Oregon Health Division’s Wellness at Work website. More>


7/12/11 - Businesses support potential bike facility transformation in Memphis. Could “unite economic development potential.” Project developed with Looney Ricks Kiss architects, Alta/Greenways, Powers-Hill design and Fuss & O’Neill Inc. http://t.co/P50UslH

6/15/11 - The Rapid City Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan has been approved by the Public Works Committee. More >

6/15/11 - Planners are calling it the nation's first bicycle "freeway." The Cedar Lake Regional Trail, a 20-year effort, comes to fruition.

6/9/11 - Forbes Magazine talks about Alta Bicycle Share President Alison Cohen's journey from physics, to professional tennis, to investment banking...to leading a Bike Share operation.

6/5/11 - Work on $38m NW Arkansas Razorback Trail progresses. "The trail will improve the quality of life for everyone," says Lowell Mayor Eldon Long. More >

5/26/11 - South Nyack wants to tie new Tappan Zee Bridge with “green assets”. Jeff Olson weighs in on a "lid park" concept at the very successful Green Assets forum. More1 > More2 >

5/17/11 - The South Bay (CA) Pedals Uphill Towards a More Bike Friendly Future. "After a recent survey, the South Bay Bicycle Coalition (SBBC) and bike planning consultants Alta Planning + Design determined that the lack of active transportation in the area is largely due to a fear of a street system that is almost entirely devoted to the car." More >

5/9/11 - New bike boulevard planned for Palo Alto. City officials hope new bike lanes, trails and signs will make city a national bicycling leader. Alta's revised plan aims to roughly double the number of trails and paths in the city. More >

5/6/11 - Alta Principal Jeff Olson weighs in on Danish study on NYC bike infrastructure. More >

5/2/11 - Toronto Complete Streets Forum works to build alliances. "One of the more rousing speakers was Mia Birk, President of Alta Planning + Design, who worked previously with the City of Portland to implement much of their biking and pedestrian infrastructure." More >

4/26/11 - Everett, Washington Bicycle Master Plan unanimously approved! More >

4/23/11 - Planning for the Norwalk CT River Valley 27-mile bike/walking trail moves forward. Public workshops start next month. More >

4/12/11 - The East Bay Bicycle Coalition awarded Alta the 2011 Bike-Friendly Business Award. "While focusing on strategies and solutions for healthier, safer bicycle commuting in the community, Alta also devotes time and effort to supporting their employees. Part of an extensive list of resources, employees receive great benefits such as access to secure bike parking in an enclosed garage, shower and sauna facilities, and annual stipends for bike tune-ups." More >

4/1/11 - The Billings Gazette reports on the upcoming spring weather, cycling challenges, and Mia Birk's recent visit. More >]]> http://www.altaplanning.com/april+_+dec+2011.aspx http://www.altaplanning.com/april+_+dec+2011.aspx Mon, 18 Feb 2013 19:50:07 GMT