Happy Friday, all. Bike news below.
Attention San Jose cyclists: The city of San Jose is working on grant funds to make some existing traffic signals bike friendly, and they want your help. Comment here with your suggestions on intersections that need work.
There’s a discussion on the Streetsblog Network mailing list about the reluctance of traffic engineers to implement “bike friendly” traffic signals; I’ll try to expand and explain on that this next week.
The city of Mountain View, California voted to extend Stevens Creek Trail over Highway 85. This popular multiuse trail connects Mountain View with Shoreline Park and alongside Moffett Field to San Francisco Bay. Currently, the trail deadends just south of El Camino Real. A bridge will connect the trail to the cul de sac that deadends Heatherstone Way.
Mountain View city council also voted to approve funding to extend Permante Creek trail under Highway 101 and under Old Middlefield Way. This trail about midway between Shoreline Blvd and Rengstorff Ave will connect the Google campus to residential neighborhoods south of 101.
More about this at Mountain View Voice.
Cyclist versus cannon in Durango, Colorado.
San Francisco and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Agency (VTA) in the South Bay and the city of Palo Alto have independently been mulling the idea of bike share in their respective areas. Now they’re talking about joining their efforts to create one giant integrated bike share for the entire San Francisco Peninsula and South Bay.
The Economist talks about bike share programs. In the meantime, London’s Cycle Hire is off to a running start today.
Tom Hall has some goofy ideas to add some fun to London Cycle Hire:
Take one to Paris. Undock early in the morning, take on Eurostar and spend the day confusing the French by asking for directions to London landmarks. Take a photo for Boris.
Leave random notes in the spokes of bikes for users to find.
Cycle Streets has created a very nice Cycle Hire version of their cycling route planner.
Don’t forget London Cyclist’s Guide to Cycling in London.