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A new lick of paint can be all it takes to make cities safer for pedestrians

Anoush Darabi

January 30, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Redesigning streets to be more pedestrian-friendly can have big impacts on traffic safety and local business. A fast, easy and cheap way to weigh the pros and cons of such changes is to simply redraw street lines using paint or chalk, then measure public response. After a day-long pilot in Sao Paulo, 97 percent of locals supported making the proposed changes permanent.

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What the two-wheeled tourist can offer tiny towns

Micah Drew

January 12, 2018 |

Seeley Swan Pathfinder |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Ovando, Montana

Ovando, Montana, a tiny town just off a main highway, has benefited from economic growth as a result of almost one thousand cyclists who ride through each year. The Ovando Community Fund was started to build appropriate infrastructure. Another town, Twin Bridges, created Bike Camp to attract more cyclists. Growth from cycling tourism is spreading across the state and adding millions of dollars to the Montana economy.

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Can optical illusions trick drivers into slowing down?

Matt Rocheleau

November 09, 2017 |

The Boston Globe |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Boston, Massachusetts

Lead-footed drivers are a problem everywhere, and cities around the world have struggled with ways to get vehicles to slow down, especially in dense areas where the risks to pedestrians are acute. One clever solution is popping up on numerous roads around the world: 3D decals on the pavement that look like floating blocks, speed bumps, or small children. The decals create an optical illusion that is proving to help slow down speedy drivers, and for a fraction of the cost of speed bumps or traffic cops.

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Abandoned at Burning Man, bicycles now head for Houston and the Caribbean

Jessica Lussenhop

September 25, 2017 |

BBC |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Black Rock City, Nevada

Many argue that the Burning Man festival has become an exclusive and wasteful indulgence for the wealthy - an opinion that was exacerbated this year when thousands of perfectly good bicycles were left among the debris in the desert. But a few enterprising individuals and organizations saw an opportunity to aid the victims of hurricanes Irma and Maria by rescuing, fixing, and transporting the abandoned bikes to communities where many people had lost all other forms of transportation, stifling their recovery efforts. Now hope is being restored for some, two wheels at a time.

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No Room on a Bike Rack? Not a Problem for These Smart Bikes

Winnie Hu

August 28, 2017 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York

Bike share programs have helped decrease pollution and traffic in urban areas. However dockless city bike programs are now threatening bike docking stations because they are cheaper and more accessible. Dockless bike programs rely on apps for users to find the nearest available bikes. This new technology and dockless system of bike-share still need to prove that they are a better alternative.

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How Ljubljana turned itself into Europe's ‘green capital'

Simone D'Antonio

August 23, 2017 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Slovenia, Ljubljana

Ljubljana was once a highly crowded city but since the election of its mayor, the city has become far more green due to a clear strategic plan and efficient mayoral office. The largest impact change was making the downtown core largely car free, other changes such as reducing waste and creating urban gardens have also had an impact.

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The slow lane: Dutch app allows elderly to 'hack' traffic lights

Gordon Darroch

July 12, 2017 |

The Guardian |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Netherlands, Tilburg, North Brabant

In the Netherlands, city councils are piloting remarkable new technology to make roads safer and friendlier for cyclists and pedestrians through the use of apps that improve the efficiency and sensitivity of traffic lights to the elderly, disabled, and young children. Improved traffic flow is a key part of the way forward into a greener, safer urban future.

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Pop-Up Bike Network Leads to Permanent Change

Josh Cohen

July 10, 2017 |

Next City |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Macon, Georgia

A bike share system as well as a pop-up experiment that added eight miles of temporary bike lanes in Macon, Georgia more than doubled the number of people riding bikes on the streets every day. It also showed county officials bike lanes were viable and desirable and now there are modest plans underway for three miles of permanent bike lanes and advocates are pushing for the county to adopt a complete streets policy for the city.

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City Is Unequal for Bike Users

Bruce Murphy

June 11, 2017 |

Urban Milwaukee |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

A report by the Rails to Trails Conservancy in Milwaukee shows how access to bike paths can be a catalyst for development and economic growth in low-income, minority neighborhoods where people are less likely to be able to afford a car. Ironically, those are the neighborhoods that currently have the fewest bike trails. To call attention to this, the study includes a "connectivity score" outlying the massive potential that bike paths have to connect neighborhoods with schools, hospitals, and employment centers and improve overall quality of life for the city as a whole, as they have done in Minneapolis.

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Columbus, Ga., used as model in downtown Prattville's renaissance

Marty Roney

June 08, 2017 |

The Montgomery Advertiser |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Prattville, Alabama

Alabama's Historic Prattville Redevelopment Authority has emulated the successful downtown revitalization project in Columbus, Georgia, in an effort to address vacant industrial sites and a blighted downtown. Through a collaboration with local entrepreneurs, a private real estate company, the Chamber of Commerce, and other departments and members of the local government, the HPRA is transforming the small city. Several local business prepare to open, the old cotton gin mill will open new apartments, and recent community events demonstrate an increasing public interest in a revitalized downtown Prattville.

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