by Melissa Miklus, Senior Designer, Alta Planning + Design There are many people out there who love numbers. In fact, it seems their love of percentages and statistics take over the true purpose of analysis to begin with. Some planning documents boast, “We surveyed 20 percent of the population, 50 percent of whom answered this […]
by Christopher Kidd, former Planner at Alta Planning + Design Why is there so much confusion about riding bicycles on the sidewalk? As someone who’s spent time as a bicycle planner in the public sector, in the advocacy world, and as a consultant with Alta, I’ve seen the full spectrum of opinions on the matter. […]
by Derek Hofbauer, Senior TDM Specialist at Alta Planning + Design I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Oregon Active Transportation Summit, held on April 21 and 22, in Portland, Oregon. This was my fourth year attending the Summit and I am continually amazed at how much this conference has grown over the years. […]
by Mark Seinen, Planner, Alta Planning + Design At some point during the course of a bicycle transportation project, a planner will be asked, “why cycling?” The tried-and-true response to this question is to outline the benefits and costs of investing in cycling. Planners have no shortage of ammunition on this topic — cycling is green; cycling […]
Universities are not only institutions of higher learning, they are also research and thought leaders and places of great innovation. One way that universities and colleges are serving as innovation leaders is through their development and provision of on-campus bike share programs. Why Bike Share? Campuses provide an ideal (captive) demographic. Millennials historically have a low-car […]
Boston Healthy Trail by Brad Davis, Planner, Alta Planning + Design Trails have all the right elements to get people moving towards better health. They provide a comfortable space to walk or bike, connect with nature or people in the community and get some fresh air. These activities can help improve physical and mental health as […]
The Complete Streets effort in St. Louis is finally taking hold by Kevin Neill, Planner, Alta Planning + Design Progress comes slowly in St. Louis, but it’s not for a lack of effort, I assure you. Just a short bike ride through the red brick landscape and you’ll see signs of rebirth in this river city: […]
Complete Street in Seattle, WA. Like a shopping mall, but better. For most of you, this may not be the first time you’ve heard about Complete Streets. Today, 34 states and over 550 jurisdictions nationwide have Complete Streets policies or resolutions. This is pretty amazing considering that the nascence of the term Complete Streets, and the […]
Bicycling in the Winter It’s the holidays, which means less daylight, poor visibility, and cranky drivers hurrying to or from the chaos of the major retail areas — a bad cocktail for the bundled pedestrians and wind-chilled bicyclists braving the streets. So, instead of just saying, “Be careful out there!” and sending you off with a hearty pat […]
by Mark Seinen, Former Planner at Alta Planning + Design Barrier-separated cycle tracks are a great opportunity to add high-capacity bike parking in downtown areas. Here are some design strategies that have proven effective in Vancouver, BC. Begin with a two-way cycle track adjacent to motor vehicle parking: The space between the intersection and first […]
