Category: san jose

Photo shoot Thursday for San Jose walkable community promotion

Richard MasonerOctober 23, 20131 Comment on Photo shoot Thursday for San Jose walkable community promotion

TransForm, the Bay Area organization formerly known as the Transportation and Land Use Coalition that works to create world-class public transportation and walkable communities, wants YOU at one of their photoshoots throughout San Jose throughout the day on Thursday, October 24, 2013.

Marta Lindsey TRANSFORM

They want photos of all types of people riding buses, bikes, and trains at various locations around downtown. We need individuals and families of all ages and ethnicities for our photo shoot. Absolutely no experience as a model is required to participate.

The photo shoot is a chance to have fun and volunteer your time for a great cause, since TransForm directly works to make our communities better places to walk, bike, and take public transportation. Pictures of happy people like you are one of the most powerful ways Transforms can communicate the advantages of walkable communities.

Look for Marta, who will be wearing a white Transform shirt and looks like the person shown in the photo.

Here’s the schedule and locations:

  • 10 AM, Plaza de Cesar Chavez for a shoot with Bike Share bikes. Cesar Chavez Park is that plaza with the (in)famous Quetzalcoatl “poop” statue. Market Street splits and goes around this plaza.
  • 11 AM, San Jose Diridon Station for a shoot on and around a VTA bus on Cahill Street.
  • 1:15 PM, S. 2nd St. near Paseo de San Antonio Walk for photos of people walking, using light rail, and riding bikes.

Spread the word, bring your friends.

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Zero Waste SJBP & public bike repair stands for downtown San Jose

Richard MasonerOctober 17, 20131 Comment on Zero Waste SJBP & public bike repair stands for downtown San Jose

San Jose Bike Party will celebrate its 6th Anniversary Friday night with a Day of the Dead ride, October 18, 2013. The new Raven Bikes will be introduced at this ride along with an initiative to transform Bike Party into a Zero Waste event, funding for downtown bike repair stations, and a new strategy to reduce the impact the popular ride has on neighborhoods and traffic.

San Jose Bike Party Day of the Dead ride 2013

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Tonight in San Jose: Healthy Communities with Sadhu Johnston

Richard MasonerOctober 17, 20131 Comment on Tonight in San Jose: Healthy Communities with Sadhu Johnston

San Jose’s infamous sprawl is the legacy of long time city manager Anthony “Dutch” Hamann. He and his planning department — known as “Dutch’s Panzer Division” — grew the city’s sales tax revenue through aggressive annexation during his control of city politics from 1950 to 1969. “They say San José is going to become another Los Angeles,” said the former oil executive in a 1965 interview. “Believe me, I’m going to do everything in my power to make that come true.”

More recently, city leaders are slowing making an about face on the sprawl policy in an effort to contain costs and improve the health of the city while working to improve the city’s economy and dealing with the challenges of governing a diverse, 180 square mile, car dependent municipality.

Deputy City Manager for Vancouver, BC Sadhu Johnston will speak tonight on how Vancouver and other cities have changed how they build and operate to become greener and healthier places to live at the Healthy Communities Forum at Roosevelt Community Center and Library – Classrooms 1 & 2, 901 E. Santa Clara St., San Jose, CA. This forum takes place Thursday, October 17, 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. and will explore how economic, social, and environmental issues intersect with the health of our cities.

Guide to Greening Cities - book cover

Johnston authored the recently published Guide to Greening Cities with Steven S. Nicholas, Julia Parzen, and Gloria Ohland. The Guide to Greening Cities is the first book written from the perspective of municipal leaders with successful, on-the-ground experience working to advance green city goals. Through personal reflections and interviews with leading municipal staff in cities from San Antonio to Minneapolis, the authors share lessons for cities to lead by example in their operations, create programs, implement high-priority initiatives, develop partnerships, measure progress, secure funding, and engage the community. Case studies and chapters highlight strategies for overcoming common challenges such as changes of leadership and fiscal austerity.

See the event page here for more information and to RSVP for this free event.

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Coming Soon: The Raven Bike

Richard MasonerOctober 15, 2013Leave a Comment

San Jose Bike Party calls their volunteer helpers “BIRDs,” which stands for “Bicycle Information Resource Director.” ”

Ravens” are the elite BIRDs who try to clean up at the bike party meetup locations, but it’s an overwhelming and thankless job, and at many recent parties Bike Party have left behind huge piles of trash.

In an attempt to address this problem, Joe Tate imported eight of these trash pickup bikes from a Dutch bike builder. The hope is that riders will stow their trash in these mobile trash cans instead of just dumping everything on the roadside and parking lots.


Joe Tate's new Raven bike

Front loaded tadpole configuration gives super easy handling. Eight speed Shimano Nexus hubs provide more than enough gear range for the modest hills San Jose Bike Party might encounter. Dynamo front light and battery tail light ensure visibility. Because Bike Party happens every month of the year, fenders and chainguard help with all weather operation.

In addition to trash pickup, these bikes will also carry air pumps, basic tools, and first aid kits. You’ll see some of these Raven bikes debut at this Friday’s Bike Party. Watch for the route reveal at the bike party website Thursday evening.

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