Top Bicycle-Friendly Cities In The World (Part 2)

(This article was originally published in my sports page column Self-Propelled

in the August 28 to Sept. 3, 2011 issue of the Baguio Chronicle

--- a weekly newspaper based in Baguio City, Philippines.)

Last week, we cited 6 of the top 11 bicycle-friendly cities in the world, according to The Bicycle-Friendly Communities Campaign. They are Amsterdam (Netherlands), Portland (Oregon, USA), Copenhagen (Denmark), Boulder (Colorado, USA), Davis (California, USA), and Sandnes (Norway).

The following are the number 7 to 11 of the top bicycle-friendly cities in the world, according to The Bicycle-Friendly Communities Campaign:

7. TRONDHEIM, NORWAY

They have invented the world’s first Bicycle Lift (Trampe) which actually has become one of Trondheims most popular tourist attractions and has become a success.

Inspired by the ski lift technology, the cyclists could be pushed uphill without having to get off of the bicycle. Taking into account the topography of Trondheim, it is no surprise that the idea of a bicycle lift was conceived here.

Trondheim is an environmental-friendly city that promotes cycling. It has a public bike project where you can rent bikes. Eighteen percent of the population of Trondheim uses bike as a daily means of transport to work or school. Norway aims to raise bicycle traffic to at least 8 percent of all travel by 2015.

8. SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, USA

San Francisco is the second most densely populated city in the U.S, so a core bicycle system is key here and it also is consistently ranked by Bicycling Magazine as a top city for cycling. Bicycling is a popular mode of transportation in San Francisco, with about 40,000 residents commuting to work regularly by bicycle. There are 63 miles of bicycle lanes and paths throughout the city.

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition endorsed eight candidates for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and all were elected. The board, which is the transportation authority for the city and county, puts highest priority on pedestrian and cycling needs.

With the number of commuters growing, all public transportation has been equipped to carry bicycles, and driving lanes are being converted into bike lanes.

9. BERLIN, GERMANY

Berlin is the country's largest city and the second most populous city in the European Union. In Berlin, where less than half of residents own a car, it has become downright common to ride a bike every day.

Riders have access to 390 miles of bike paths with over 90 miles of mandatory bicycle paths, 120 miles of off-road bicycle routes, 40 miles of bike lanes on the roads, 50 miles of shared bus lanes which are also open to bicyclists, 60 miles of combined pedestrian/bike paths and 30 miles of marked bike lanes on the sidewalks. Around 500,000 daily riders account for 13 percent of total traffic.

Online bicycle router BBBike determines the best bike route between two points in Berlin. Just enter your origin and destination point. The application has features such as: a display map with streets, railways, rivers, parks, altitude and other features; find and show routes between two points; the route-finder can be customized to match the cyclists preferences (fastest or nicest route, keep wind direction and hills into account etc.); a bike power calculator and automatically fetch current Berlin weather data.

10. BARCELONA, SPAIN

In 2007, Barcelona's City Council started the Bicing Service, a bicycle service for public transport. Once the user has their card, they can take a bicycle from any of the 100 stations spread around the city and use it anywhere the urban area of the city, and then leave it at another station.

Barcelona City Council is working day and night to expand, rationalize and improve the network of routes and cycle paths in the city. The city has created a 'green ring' that surrounds the metropolitan area of Barcelona with a bike path. There are currently 3,250 parking spaces for bikes at street level. Barcelona City Council is constructing a new underground car park for bicycles; this forms part of a pilot program to prevent theft and provide security for bicycle users.

Starting that year, deliberately aimed to coincide with Car-Free Day (every September), the Sustainable and Safe Mobility Week takes place, in which a whole day is dedicated to the bicycle. Bike Week was held for the first time between May 21 and 26 in 2002. It's another step forward along the same path that was started by the Festival of the Bicycle, which is integrated into Bike Week. Apart from the festive and leisure activities or the presentation of various projects that are centered on the bicycle, it is a call to use pedal power to get around.

11. BASEL, SWITZERLAND

Basel is surrounded by a rich agricultural region where fruit trees and grapevines are cultivated and cattle are raised making for beautiful countryside bike tours with clearly-marked networks of bicycle routes and paths that crisscross both the city as well as the surrounding region.

Basel is a very bicycle-friendly city, with many well-marked bicycle lanes throughout the city, and even traffic signals and left-hand turn lanes for bikes. Special route maps are also available for cyclists.

Bikes can be rented locally from the Rent-a-Bike underground bike park. Besides local commuter bike lanes, there are specific bike trails that connect to other parts of Switzerland. These bike trails are indicated by signs at some intersections.

Until then and have a safe ride all the time. Put on that cycling helmet each time you get on your bike. Remember: YOU CAN BEAT THE EGG WITHOUT BREAKING THE SHELL.* (SP14)

Top Bicycle-Friendly Cities In The World (Part 1)

(This article was originally published in my sports page column Self-Propelled

in the August 21 to 27, 2011 issue of the Baguio Chronicle

--- a weekly newspaper based in Baguio City, Philippines.)

A bicycle-friendly city is judged in five categories often referred to as the Five Es. It was created by The Bicycle-Friendly Communities Campaign as an award program to recognize cities that actively support bicycling.

The Five Es are:

ENGINEERING: What has been built to promote cycling in the community, the availability of bike parking, designated lanes, signals and the connectivity of both the off/on-road networks.

ENCOURAGEMENT: The promotion and encouragement of bicycling through events and campaigns.

EVALUATION and PLANNING: Systems to measure current programs and take appropriate steps to plan for the future.

EDUCATION: The amount of education there is available for both cyclists and motorists, including bike maps.

ENFORCEMENT: If the community uses enforcement to encourage cyclists and motorists to share the road safely, and the existence of bicycling-related laws.

According to The Bicycle-Friendly Communities Campaign, the following are considered bicycle-friendly cities:

1. AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS

Amsterdam, a.k.a. the bike capital of the world, has 40 percent of all traffic movements by bicycle. They have created a bicycle-friendly city that promotes a healthier, more active lifestyle for its residents. An extensive network of safe, fast and comfortable bicycle routes has been developed, the road safety of cyclists has been increased, and a theft-prevention program was set up as well as the number of bicycle sheds increased.

Amsterdam is home to the famous Amsterdam Bike Ramp at Central Station which holds some 7000+ bikes for commuters to park while they travel by train.

2. PORTLAND, OREGON, USA

Portland has a varied bicycle network that connects all parts of the city. This network has proven successful in dramatically increasing bicycle use. Portland also has a strong bicycle culture where all types of cyclists can find opportunities to enjoy riding a bicycle. Portland’s Create-a-Commuter Program is the first project in the U.S. that provides low-income adults with commuter bicycles as well as a session on commuter safety. The bikes come outfitted with lights, a lock, a helmet, a pump, tool kits, maps and rainwear.

Much headway is being made in 2010 towards further expansion of the Portland Bicycle Network. Bicycle use has quadrupled over the last 20 years without any increase in crashes. The city still has 38 miles of bike lanes left in order to achieve its master plan. But in some neighborhoods bike commuters are as high as 9 percent.

3. COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

Named as one of Forbes’ Top Ten Places to Live in Europe, Copenhagen is also home to the world's most successful community bicycle program. In Denmark, practically everybody has a bike, and for many years Copenhagen has been known as The City of Bikes. Copenhagen estimates that it spends between $10 million and $20 million per year on bike infrastructure additions and improvements.

Currently 32 percent of workers bicycle to work and 50 percent say they cycle to work because it is fast and easy. The city's bicycle paths are extensive and well-used. Bicycle paths are often separated from the main traffic lanes and sometimes have their own signal systems. Already one city neighborhood, the notorious commune Christiania, is completely car-free. In other places, cars are charged $5 per hour to park, so having a bike is a great money-saver.

The city provides public bicycles which can be found throughout the downtown area and used with a returnable deposit of 20 kroner (1 kroner is equivalent to about 0.18 US$), your money is refunded when you return the bike to one of many racks.

4. BOULDER, COLORADO, USA

Great public programs that help promote safe biking and encourage its use such as Boulder Safe Routes to School pilot program. One school reported that 75 percent of their students walked or biked to school --- a 620 percent increase from before the pilot. More than 4,000 people participate in Boulder’s Bike-to-Work Day.

At least 95 percent of arterials have bike lanes or trails on them. They recently completed two major underpasses, and offers online bike mapping. Boulder has spent an average 15 percent of its transportation budget on building and maintaining bicycle traffic over the past 5 years

5. DAVIS, CALIFORNIA, USA

This small city of 65,000 people has over 100 miles of bike lanes and bike paths. Seventeen percent of Davis residents commute to work on bicycles. Davis was one of the first cities in the U.S. to actively start planning for and incorporating the bicycle into its transportation infrastructure. Davis residents enjoy an extensive network of bike lanes, bike paths, and grade-separated bicycle crossings. The flat terrain and temperate climate are also conducive to bicycling. City residents voted to get rid of public school busses many years ago, so many children walk or bike to school.

Davis has a comprehensive local bike map with tips and resources on the back. This map is multi-colored, it is free, and it is distributed through the city, university, and local bike shops. Bicycling is so core to this community’s identity that the city’s logo is a bike. The City of Davis and UC Davis are in the process of establishing a west coast bicycle museum. Davis has more bikes than cars and is the only place to earn platinum status on Bicycle Friendly Community's list of top cities. The city has a number of bike tunnels for riders to enjoy a seamless experience throughout the city.

6. SANDNES, NORWAY

In 1990, the government decided to start a 4-year pilot bicycle project in order to reduce car traffic and Sandnes was chosen to be one of two pilot towns. The two main goals of the project were to make the town friendlier for cyclists as well as to make more people use the bicycle. The campaign has continued well past the 4 year mark and today, Sandnes has the best facilities for cyclists in Norway.

Starting in June 1986, the public bike system enables you to subscribe to a plan of use.

(To be continued next issue.)

This week, I get off my bike in remembrance of my mother who joined her Creator on August 24, 1991. I miss you until this day, Ma!

Until then and have a safe ride all the time. Put on that cycling helmet each time you get on your bike. Remember: YOU CAN BEAT THE EGG WITHOUT BREAKING THE SHELL.* (SP13)

Sa Ikauunlad Ng Bayan, Bisikleta Ang Kailangan

(This article was originally published in my sports page column Self-Propelled

in the August 14 to 20, 2011 issue of the Baguio Chronicle

--- a weekly newspaper based in Baguio City, Philippines.)

He started the joke. But the joke was on him.

One story about the early days of Martial Law that remains in my memory until today is about television host Ariel Ureta who, live on national television, said “sa ikauunlad ng bayan, bisikleta ang kailangan”, rephrasing President Ferdinand Marcos’ catch-phrase “sa ikauunlad ng bayan, disiplina ang kailangan”.

Obviously irritated, the story goes, Marcos’ military agents literally dragged Ariel Ureta off the stage and locked him up at the Camp Crame stockade for a night. Giving him a dose of his own joke the following morning, Ariel Ureta was made to bicycle around Camp Crame grounds all day.

When Martial Law was lifted about ten years after, Ariel Ureta stood his ground, citing China who pedaled her way to progress.

Ironically, nearly 40 later after the “bad joke”, no less than the former Dictator’s only son, Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. filed in the Senate a bill granting incentives to bicycle commuters to address the primordial problems of air pollution, traffic and road congestion, rising costs of gasoline and other commodities, personal health problems, and other related social issues.

The proposed bill, Sen. Marcos said, also seeks to “incentivize” bicycle use as a mode of daily transport, particularly the use by workers and students, in order to maintain the present bicycle-commuting scene and also attract more bicycle users in the country.

Senate Bill No. 2924, known as “an act granting incentives to encourage and promote commuting by bicycles or other non-motorized transport vehicles, and for other purposes,” will entitle employees who regularly and mainly use bicycles or other non-motorized transport vehicles as means of transport to and from their places of work to an annual tax deduction of P2,500 from their gross income.

“Expenses incurred by employers or schools in providing their employees or students, by way of benefits, bicycles and non-motorized transport vehicles, eligible equipment, and bike-friendly facilities shall be deductible in full from their gross income,” the bill states.

Bicycles and other non-motorized transport vehicles granted by employers to its managerial and supervisory employees in compliance will not also be taxable under the bill.

“This bill seeks to introduce a world-renowned approach to solving the above primordial problems of our society: the promotion and re-invigoration, by way of fiscal incentives, of bicycle commuting on Philippine roads,” Marcos explained.

“The specific targets are the employees and students who shall be the direct participants in the fiscal incentive program or system, as well as the employees, schools, companies and other institutions that shall provide the conditions for the system,” Marcos said.

“Riders and direct users are benefited by bicycle-related facilities and tax deduction incentives, while indirect participants are benefited also by way of tax deduction on expenses and corporate social responsibility programs,” he pointed out.

Meanwhile, Bike Tour Philippines reported that a Manila-based group advocating the use of bicycle as a mode of transportation in the country is hopeful for the passage of House Bill 4785 or the Bicycle Act of 2011 that seeks the establishment of a local bikeway office or LBO.

Filed by Pasay City Representative Emi Calixto-Rubiano, the bill mandates that the municipal engineer in the cities would be responsible for the project development, management and implementation of a bikeway project and roadmap.

The LBO will also establish partnerships with local or foreign organizations to carry out the provisions of the act and will also push for the registration of all bicycles operating within the bikeways.

According to Firefly Brigade president Ricky Pineda, the bike group has been promoting the use of bicycle for clean air for more than a decade now and the bill can help the group’s advocacy.

“We are particularly pleased on the on the emphasis on the creation of bicycle parks and we welcome this bill as well,” Pineda said.

The Firefly Brigade is hoping that the bill could also emphasize the role of promoting the bicycle as a climate change mitigating tool and the incentives to further promote bicycle use.

“We also would like to seek emphasis on stronger stakeholder consultation and institutionalizing a city-based bicycle day which would help broaden the awareness of the communities in this regard,” Pineda said.

If the bill gets approved, Pineda added that the form or means of registration should also be clarified and be exercised carefully as it may only constrict rather than promote the use of bicycles for more people as a means of transportation.

The Bicycle Act of 2011 will be implemented by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).

Once passed, all bicycle riders or cyclists are also mandated to obey traffic regulations, signs and other control devices applicable to vehicles, wear the appropriate gear and ensure that their bicycles are equipped with reflective materials visible from both sides or they would be fined P2,000 for the violation.

Until then and have a safe ride all the time. Put on that cycling helmet each time you get on your bike. Remember: YOU CAN BEAT THE EGG WITHOUT BREAKING THE SHELL.* (SP12)

Efficient Pedaling

(This article was originally published in my sports page column Self-Propelled

in the August 7 to 13, 2011 issue of the Baguio Chronicle

--- a weekly newspaper based in Baguio City, Philippines.)

One of the most important habits to learn in the early stages of cycling is pedaling effectively with as little effort as possible.

Like most bad habits, poor pedaling style becomes ingrained, so it is much easier to learn to pedal well in the first place than to improve later on.

The biggest mistake that most beginners make is to pedal slowly in a high gear, putting a lot of effort into each stroke. This is inefficient because the body can do far more work if the legs move quickly, making less effort with each individual revolution.

When you start out, before you have learned to turn the pedals quickly and to move your feet in circles, fast pedaling seems unnatural and ineffective.

According to the Sierra Club's Guide To Outings On Wheels, racers or accomplished cyclists on the road, spin the pedals at what appears to be a very fast rate. Racers typically spin in the vicinity of 90 to 100 revolutions per minute, while strong touring cyclists usually turn the cranks at 70 to 90 revolutions per minute. You should rarely drop much below 60 revolutions per minute.

The brisk tempo will be inefficient at first, because it takes time to learn to run your feet in little circles but once you have learned, you will be able to maintain such speeds for long periods without tiring. The steady rate at which you turn the pedals and cranks is known as CADENCE.

Another important reason you should learn to cycle at relatively fast cadences is that pushing higher gears at slower speeds is very hard on the legs, especially the knees. Sore knees rarely bother cyclists who pedal at relatively fast cadences, even when they are riding day after day over long distances. Even strong, experienced cyclists often have knee trouble from cycling in high gears at slower cadences.

The most effective cadence varies from person to person but it is largely a function of training. Simply try to concentrate on pedaling at the maximum comfortable speed for a while, shifting down and pedaling faster rather than pushing harder at a slower cadence as the wind comes up or as you start up a hill. Once you have had a reasonable amount of practice at fast rates, you will be able to determine the best cadence and develop a feel for it.

Beginning cyclists tend to exert pressure on the pedals only when they are pushing straight down. In fact, you probably will find that when you push down with one leg, you actually are resting the other leg completely on its pedal, so that your working leg is not only pushing the bike forward but lifting the weight of your other leg at the same time.

Try to pedal all the way around the circle. Start pushing forward when the pedal reaches the top of its path and continue pushing back at the bottom. Most importantly, lift the leg that is on the upstroke rather than allowing it to hang like a dead weight on the pedal. MOVE YOUR FEET IN CIRCLES RATHER THAN JUST UP AND DOWN. (Toe clips are necessary for this and for efficient pedaling.)

The only way to develop good cadence is to practice. One or two days’ riding can give you the idea but it is not sufficient to ingrain the motions in your muscles and nervous system so that you can pedal for hours at a fast cadence, moving your feet in those efficient circles that eat up kilometers and hills.

When you are riding for fun, check your cadence occasionally and concentrate on it. Try riding for ten minutes at a faster cadence but not at a faster speed. Drop down a gear and pedal faster. Relax your leg and attempt to spin fast without having them tense up. The cadence at which you can pedal efficiently will improve gradually with practice.

Concentrate on your pedaling technique when you are climbing. When you are working hard on a hill, you tend to revert to sloppy pedaling, pushing down hard on the downstroke and neglecting either to move your legs in circles or to lift the rear leg.

When climbing hills, you need all the help you can get and it is amazing how much difference it makes when you suddenly remember to clean up your pedaling technique. Strong riders can climb hills either in the normal sitting position or by honking, standing up and moving the body forward over the pedals.

Honking can be very efficient way to climb hills but only if you practice it a lot. It is very tiring at first, until you have developed the technique well and have conditioned the muscles that are used. A rider who is proficient at this technique can honk for long periods without tiring and the method can be extremely useful on extended climbs.

Until then and have a safe ride all the time. Put on that cycling helmet each time you get on your bike. Remember this: YOU CAN BEAT THE EGG WITHOUT BREAKING THE SHELL.* (SP11)