Greg Raisman of the Portland Office of Transportation takes Streetfilms on a tour of bicycle parking facilities in Portland, Oregon. Watch the video and learn the pros and cons of on street bicycle parking (a bicycle corral) vs a sheltered bicycle parking oasis. And check out this article to read about the next bicycle parking [...]

Feeling remarkably similar to Bogota's Ciclovia, the New York City Department of Transportation held its first Summer Streets event on Saturday by opening 7 miles of city streets to pedestrians and bike traffic only. From 7 AM to 1 PM, roads were car-free from 72nd Street to the Brooklyn Bridge along Park Avenue. It was splendiferous.

Olaf Eliasson's "New York City Waterfalls" is installed along the East River in Lower Manhattan until mid-October. The fastest and most fun way to see all four waterfalls is by bike. The NYC DOT has produced a "Bike the Falls" guide, featuring a map of viewing points and written directions to ensure that seeing the [...]

Here's the official 30 second PSA promo that Streetfilms edited to help promote Summer Streets! The event is very similar to other great worldwide street happenings we have brought you - from Ciclovia in Bogotá, Colombia to Sunday Parkways in Portland, Oregon.
In NYC on three consecutive Saturdays - August 9th, 16th, and 23rd - a [...]

Last February, 22-year-old Asif Rahman was hit and killed by a truck while riding his bicycle on Queens Boulevard. Though the infamous "Boulevard of Death" is a lot safer than it used to be, it still produces far too many injuries. According to the chart below from crashstat.org before Queens Boulevard underwent some street redesign [...]

Jackson Heights is in the beginning stages of a great experiment - 78th Street between 34th Ave and Northern Boulevard is being closed for twenty consecutive weeks to provide a Play Street for children and their families!
Many neighborhood groups, organizations and the NYC Department of Transportation came together to implement this trial which is designed [...]

If you regularly visit Williamsburg's Bedford Avenue you know that the area is an eclectic mix of shops, people, and synergy. But the sidewalks are often jammed with people. Bikes are clamped to anything that won't move. Consequently, it can be uncomfortable to navigate its density.
This past Saturday (and three more upcoming thru August [...]

Leading Pedestrian Intervals (or LPIs) are a traffic signalization strategy that allows pedestrians an exclusive 3 to 5 second signal (in some cases much longer) to begin crossing the street before cars get a green light. Consequently, they are also known by their sassier nickname, Pedestrian Head Start. But in my view the best variation on what LPI stands for comes from Christine Berthet of the Hells Kitchen Neighborhood Association who proposes: "Life Preserving Interval"

On July 15, 2007 Paris debuted the world's largest self-service "bicycle transit system" called Vélib outdoing previously designed bike share programs. Vélib is a balance of scale and functionality, clocking in with more than 20,000 bikes, and 1,451 docking stations, which are never more than 1,000 feet apart. As a result, Vélib is effectively [...]

One of the most exciting days of the year in Brooklyn is when Bar Tabac trucks in mounds of sand to hold its annual Pétanque Tournament. Now in its seventh year, over 80 teams flew in from all over the world to compete (the game is very similar to bocce) and the streets are [...]

It is a big week in Bike Share. Paris' velib program is turning one. The NYC DOT  says it will test the bike sharing waters. And yesterday, the New York Bike-Share Project launched a five day bike share demonstration. It will wrap up Monday evening with a reception at City Bakery featuring DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan (and my Velib video will [...]

According to the Project for Public Spaces (PPS), Portland, Oregon's Pioneer Courthouse Square is one of the Top 10 greatest public spaces in the U.S. & Canada. I couldn't agree more. Affectionately referred to as the city's "living room" the charming and versatile block was once slated to be an 11-story parking garage [...]

It is 4th of July weekend. Can't think of anything fun to do? Might a Block Party fancy you? There are over 3000 block parties in New York every year. There is bound to be one in or near your neighborhood. Check the Block Party NYC list of locations. Or, if you know about a party that is not listed, just add it yourself. Here is a taste of the 87th Street Block Party in June.

This weekend, FIGMENT 2008, a free, non-profit art project, drew upwards of 10,000 people to Governors Island for a three day festival of performance, music and participatory art. Partnering with Governors Island, the producers of FIGMENT hope to increase the enjoyment of art by placing it in an under-utilized public space just minutes from downtown. Streetfilms was there to cover the event and speak to one of the creators of what it is all about.

Earlier this year, Portland's Office of Transportation installed many high visibility bike boxes that are colored lime green to help cyclist avoid right hook collisions. So while in Portland for the World Car-free Conference, we decided to have a little fun and publish a sequel to our very popular "How to Use a Bike Box".

Despite a very dreary and damp first half of the day, Portland's first Ciclovia-style street closure, Sunday Parkways, was a smashing success with countless thousands of city residents participating. It was like a giant community block party with walkers, bikers, joggers, bladers, families, and pets filling the 6 mile course.

Hike the Heights is a yearly guided urban hiking safari for kids thru Morningside Heights, following along paths defined by the presence of statues of giraffes. The object is to encourage fitness as well as promoting fun and education. The event, sponsored by CLIMB (City Life is Moving Bodies), connects numerous parks in the Harlem area. <

The Towards Car-free Cities Conference is wrapping up here in Portland but car-free events go on. On Sunday June 15th, Vancouver hosted a Car-Free Day featuring four simultaneous Community Festivals. Frank Lopez brings you this recap. Check out your local car-free events this weekend. There are two block parties in NYC and Portland is launching [...]

Portland, Oregon's Depave.org leads an asphalt removing project to kick off the World Carfree Conference. Depave.org will continue to work with Goldsmith Properties to transform this now asphalt-free site into a community greenspace. Once completed, the site will be used to educate the public about pavement removal and storm water drainage management.

A large heaping of news media and livable streets advocates converged at Astor Place for the Mayor's presser to make the official announcement of "Summer Streets." Essentially the plan opens Park Avenue to pedestrians and cyclists from 72nd thru to the Brooklyn Bridge (using other connectors) on August 9th, 16th, and 23rd from 7 [...]

Physically separated bicycle paths exist in cities worldwide. This video explains what they are, how they work, and asks: "Why not here?"

In San Francisco, several organizations led by REBAR temporarily liberated over two dozen parking spots, turning them into temporary green spaces for pedestrians.

In Part 1 of our Bogotá trilogy watch as every Sunday & holiday, every week, the City of Bogotá, Colombia closes down over 70 miles of roadways to cars and let people bike, walk, talk, exercise, picnic, sunbathe, I could go on and on. Just watch the video, it's amazing.

Feeling remarkably similar to Bogota's Ciclovia, the New York City Department of Transportation held its first Summer Streets event on Saturday by opening 7 miles of city streets to pedestrians and bike traffic only. From 7 AM to 1 PM, roads were car-free from 72nd Street to the Brooklyn Bridge along Park Avenue. It was splendiferous.

In Part 2 of our Bogotá trilogy, we examine the tremendously successful Bus Rapid Transit system which has revolutionized transit there.

Transportation Alternatives held its 7th annual Commuter Challenge pitting cyclist, driver, and transit rider in the ultimate showdown of speed. In the end, the bike proved swiftest over the 4.5 mile course which began in Brooklyn's Fort Greene and ended in Manhattan's Union Square.

In Berkeley, Calif. a citywide network of traffic calmed streets called Bicycle Boulevards allows bicyclists to navigate safely. They are marked by wonderful purple signage and street stencils larger than a car!

In our follow up to "Hal Grades Your Bike Locking," two experienced mechanics offer advice and grades on the bike locking ability of New Yorkers.

StreetFilms' 30 minute film on Portland, OR showing just a few of the ways it is one of the most livable cities in the U.S.

In Fall 2007, T.A. & The Trust for Public Land organized a of group of motley advocates in liberating nearly two dozen parking spaces and turning them into open green areas for city residents to enjoy. Parking Day rules!

There are dozens of Bike Boxes popping up all over NYC, wanna find out how to use them?

Hitch a ride along Transportation Alternatives annual Century ride, one of the most enjoyable and friendly rides in the nation. Here is the 2007 campaign.

The staff of Transportation Alternatives rides with Enrique Peñalosa & David Byrne to the "Manhattan on the Move" transportation conference.

Despite a very dreary and damp first half of the day, Portland's first Ciclovia-style street closure, Sunday Parkways, was a smashing success with countless thousands of city residents participating. It was like a giant community block party with walkers, bikers, joggers, bladers, families, and pets filling the 6 mile course.