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Traffic Safety Has a Bias

My 17 year-old daughter had a babysitting gig the other day. She walked the neighbor kids down to our local YMCA in the morning. Two of the kids were in a stroller. It is a familiar route to her that has a number of crosswalks. She said it was amazing that cars were stopping for […]

What We Are Doing Now Isn’t Working

Tuesday, June 7th, 2016 in Kalamazoo was a proverbial plane crash in the world of bicycling. The tragic loss of numerous lives in the blink of an eye shook the country and made people question their own safety when riding a bike. But soon our collective attention will switch to a new headline and I […]

I Need a New Schtick

In some ways I am envious of the design professional who travels the country with a simple message. The insights are usually pretty good, sometimes even profound.  Most are worth listening to and integrating into one’s own practice. But too often they are sold like snake oil – a salve that cures all ills. I […]

The Relatively Short Life of Modern Transportation Networks

Many years ago doing research on the history of a trail project, I was struck by the fleeting nature of this country’s canal and railroad transportation networks.  Enormous amounts of capital and effort were put towards establishing networks that lasted less than one hundred years.  Granted, elements still continue today, but they are a shadow of […]

The Dead-end One-way Alley

Most days, I bike down a dead-end one-way alley, literally.  It is located about two blocks from our office.   The one-way signs point in, but the end is blocked off save a small path only navigable by pedestrians or bicyclists.  It is one of those little absurdities of an ever changing built environment.  Makes you realize […]