Category: san jose

Mormon Fixed

 

Update: The LDS Elders asked (politely) to have the photos removed — apparently this post was drawing unwanted attention to them. I’ve complied with their request. —Richard

It had to happen, ladies and gentlemen: the marriage of two uniquely American bike cultures — Latter Day Saint missionaries on bikes and urban hipster fixies!

I and several others got a real kick seeing these LDS Elders riding urban fixed gear bikes in downtown San Jose during the Via Velo open streets event last Saturday.

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Peninsula transportation consternation

Happy Friday, everybody.

A flock of seagulls supposedly knocked out power in San Mateo County this morning. Highway 101 on the Peninsula was closed near Highway 92 during the lunch hour so PG&E could repair the damaged power lines, sending lunchtime freeway traffic onto local streets. And so I ran. I ran so far away.

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San Jose bike commuting up 206%

Congratulations to:

San Jose, California blows all of these out of the water with an astounding 206% increase in bike commuters from 2005 to 2008. From 2000 to 2008, the number of bike commuters doubled. From 2007 to 2008, the upward trend in San Jose continued with 80% more bike commuters.

Dutch style cyclist in San Jose

The total bike share is still a paltry 1.23% in San Jose and 77.8% still drive to work alone, but that’s still over 11,000 cyclists riding to work in San Jose, and they are much more visible than in the past.

Reese rides a bicycle

The statistics come from analysis by the League of American Bicyclists on U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey numbers that were released last summer. The American Community Survey and Census numbers undercount cyclists. Each person is asked for the principal transportation used for most days the previous week. I bike everyday, but I’m not counted because my principal transportation is public transportation. In San Jose, where 4.1% of commuters ride public transit, the bus bike racks and transit center bike parking are often fully utilized. 10% of Caltrain riders bring their bikes on board the train.

Parked bikes

San Jose isn’t the only large city with dramatically larger increases resulting in noticeably more bikes on the street. The bike modal share in Kansas City, Missouri rocketed an astonishing 680% from 2005 to 2008. Still, the absolute numbers are pretty pitiful — fewer than 80 people in a population of nearly half a million people commute by bike. I see that many cyclists roll up to the Caltrain station in San Jose in a 5 minute period during the morning commute.

In spite of the national trend of more bike commuters, some cities slid back. Dallas, TX, and Newark, NJ each lost over 70% of their bike commuters in three years. Colorado Springs bike share dropped by 46% from 2005 to 2008. Some places like Virigina Beach lost and gained for a net zero change.

What do you think, South Bay cyclists? Almost all of the cyclists I talk to on my commute are brand new to it. They ride all kinds of bikes and wear all kinds of clothing.

What’s your impression? Do you see this increase in your area?

San Jose Bike Party last Friday

I wasn’t there but know some people who were, and by all accounts the changes the Bike Party organizers made resulted in a much smoother and more lawful ride.

Wirehead’s video demonstrates some of the vibe of last Friday’s bike party — much mellower than some of the other recent rides.

Wirehead has some more photos and a ride report here. See also SJ Bike Party Reflections on August’s Beach Blanket Bike Along and Banane “BIke Party!”