Alternate Transportation and Green Cities

The battle for the environment will The battle for the environment will be lost or won in cities.be lost or won in cities.

-- Enrique PenalosaEnrique Penalosa

Our MissionOur MissionTo reclaim New York City streets from the To reclaim New York City streets from the

automobile and promote bicycling, walking and automobile and promote bicycling, walking and transit as the best transportation alternatives.transit as the best transportation alternatives.

Transportation AlternativesTransportation Alternatives

Established in 1973Established in 19736,000 Members6,000 Members15,000 activists15,000 activistsHundreds of volunteersHundreds of volunteers20 staff 20 staff –– full time & seasonalfull time & seasonal$1.4 million budget$1.4 million budget

Distance to subway stationsDistance to subway stations

automobile trip length, all five boroughs

22%

50%

28%

1 mile or less

1 to 5 miles

5 miles or more

City of New York:City of New York:PlaNYCPlaNYC 20302030 & & Sustainable StreetsSustainable Streets

Safety in Numbers:Safety in Numbers:Bicycle ridership vs. casualtiesBicycle ridership vs. casualties

94,533

82,149 81,83186,590

98,461

113,041

89,992

47134518

4034

35613223

3030

5225

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 20040

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

24-hour, 5 borough bike volume (T.A.) Crashes & Fatalities

So how do we induce a So how do we induce a ““mode shiftmode shift”” to to bicycling, walking and transit?bicycling, walking and transit?

Be intentional: Dedicate street space to Be intentional: Dedicate street space to biking, walking and buses, not private biking, walking and buses, not private autosautosBuild Build ““CycleCycle--TracksTracks”” & Bike Parking& Bike ParkingPrice Driving and ParkingPrice Driving and ParkingImprove EnforcementImprove EnforcementChange the CultureChange the Culture

How does Transportation Alternatives reclaim How does Transportation Alternatives reclaim street space and reduce traffic?street space and reduce traffic?

StudiesStudiesInIn--house Communications & Earned Mediahouse Communications & Earned MediaTout best practicesTout best practicesEventsEventsGrassroots & Grassroots & ““grasstopsgrasstops”” coalitioncoalition--buildingbuildingLegislationLegislationTechnical assistanceTechnical assistance

TrafficTraffic’’s Human Tolls Human TollRelationships between ResidentsRelationships between Residents

Astoria/Brooklyn HeightsAstoria/Brooklyn Heights

Medium-traffic Streets:11 friends &

acquaintances per person

Heavy-traffic Streets:8 friends &

acquaintances per person

Light-traffic Streets:18 friends &

acquaintances per person

How often does the traffic on your street bother you when you are doing the following: (%Often/Sometimes), N=300

20%

25%

27%

19%

15%

17%

5%

8% 8%

10%

25%

29%31%

15%16%

12%

33%

40%

37%

24%

15%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

Watching TV Sleeping Working atHome

Playing withyour Children

Outside

Light-traffic StreetsMedium-traffic StreetsHeavy-traffic Streets

Raimund

Koch

Raimund

Koch

Raimund

Koch

City of New York:City of New York:Madison Square Pedestrian ProjectMadison Square Pedestrian Project

Before After

CrashStat 2.0

• Google Map of NYC

• Bicyclist injuries

• Pedestrian injuries

• Bicyclist fatalities

• Pedestrian fatalities

• 1995 – 2005 data

• Borough and Community District summaries

• Schools

• Parks

City of New York:City of New York:Bicyclist Fatalities andBicyclist Fatalities andSerious Injuries in New York Serious Injuries in New York CityCity

Analysis of bicyclist injuries Analysis of bicyclist injuries and fatalitiesand fatalities19961996--20052005Released September 2006Released September 2006City commitments to:City commitments to:-- Add 200Add 200--miles of onmiles of on--street street bike lanes by 2009bike lanes by 2009-- Add 40Add 40--miles of offmiles of off--street street greenway paths by 2010greenway paths by 2010-- Launch bike safety public Launch bike safety public awareness campaignawareness campaign-- Distribute free bicycle helmets Distribute free bicycle helmets to the publicto the public-- Improve crash recordingImprove crash recording

NYC Crash Study FindingsNYC Crash Study Findings

99thth Avenue, Manhattan Avenue, Manhattan -- beforebefore

99thth Avenue, Manhattan Avenue, Manhattan -- nownow

““CycleCycle--tracktrack”” –– parkingparking--protected protected bike lanebike lane

Mitigating intersection conflictsMitigating intersection conflicts

Before Before –– 2 car parking spaces, 2 car parking spaces, bicycles parked bicycles parked everywhereeverywhere

Pedestrian squeezePedestrian squeezePolice seize bicyclesPolice seize bicycles

Parking Spot Swap =Parking Spot Swap =30+ bike parking spots30+ bike parking spots

& happy walkers!& happy walkers!

Covered onCovered on--street bicycle parkingstreet bicycle parking

EventsEvents

We make the city, and the We make the city, and the city makes us.city makes us.

--Jan GehlJan Gehl

City of New York presents:

Summer Streets

• Ciclovia-style street opening for walkers, bikers, joggers, bladers, strollers, shoppers

• East 72nd Street to the Brooklyn Bridge (4.5-miles)

• With connection to Central Park via 72nd Street

• 3 Saturdays in August

• 7am – 1pm

• Complimented this summer and fall by weekend pedestrian streets in neighborhoods around the city

Parking Spot Squats &Parking Spot Squats &Park(ingPark(ing) Day) Day

Parking Spot Squats: making more Parking Spot Squats: making more efficient use of urban public spaceefficient use of urban public space

Parking Spot Squats: making Parking Spot Squats: making greener use of urban public spacegreener use of urban public space

UNCIVIL SERVANTS

• Documents parking placard abuse

• Public-reported posts, photos

• Staff moderated

• Since February 2007:

-876 members

-Posted 863 violations

• January 2008:

- Mayor Bloomberg committed to 20% reduction in City agency parking placards

NYCNYC’’s Crown Jewel Parkss Crown Jewel Parks

Reclaim, the magazine ofTransportation Alternatives

• Covers T.A. campaigns

• T.A.’s “history book”

• Promotes new ideas

• Puts decision makers “on notice”

• 4 issues/year

• Free to T.A. members & comp list

• 8,000 copies/issue

• Take Action boxes & postcard

• Membership cultivation

• Event & organizational promotion

•transalt.org/newsroom/magazine

Transportation Alternatives’

StreetBeat e-news

• Covers T.A. campaigns and NYC news

• Promotes T.A. and other events

• Every two weeks

• Free to all members and non-members

• 15,000+ subscribers

• Action Alerts

• Membership cultivation

• Self-promotion

• www.transalt.org/streetbeat

StreetsBlog

• Daily news source, online community and political mobilizerfor the Livable Streets movement

• Independent media & news source

• Not T.A.

• Says things T.A. can’t/won’t

• Asks questions T.A. can’t

LivableStreets Network

• Online community for people working to create sustainable cities through sensible urban planning, design, and transportation policy.

• StreetsBlog

• StreetFilms - produces educational, entertaining, and inspiring films for a sustainable urban environment

• Tools

• E-Organizing

• User driven content

• www.livablestreets.com

Mission Work and PurposeTo create, strengthen and unite state, regional and local bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations.

• Start Up Assistance for new groups & coaching for all • Retreat & Trainings - Winning Campaigns, Complete

Streets, Mutual Aid Conference Calls, etc.• Website, Listserv, Peer-to-Peer Networking & Resource

Library w/ over 500 resources• Benchmarking to Track Progress• 50/50 Program to cover all the US and Canada• Coordinating Grassroots Campaigns

ResourcesResourcestransalt.orgtransalt.orgstreetsblog.orgstreetsblog.orgstreetfilms.orgstreetfilms.orglivablestreets.comlivablestreets.comcrashstat.orgcrashstat.orguncivilservants.orguncivilservants.orgthunderheadalliance.orgthunderheadalliance.orgnoah@transalt.orgnoah@transalt.org