Better superhighways

London has succeeded in upping bike traffic by 70 percent:

“The city of London just announced that bike traffic is up 70% on two major thoroughfares in London proper and they are crediting it all to the opening of two bike superhighways last July. … The two open superhighways are just the beginning — 10 more will be installed in the coming years.”

When Chicago was asking its own residents for ideas on how to do the same, my suggestion was something like what London is doing.

Optimally, costs aside, I’d love raised bike trails, similar to but more extensive than the El tracks, to get bikers off the road altogether.

 

Newness

A new year is for new things. Some old things too. Like aging.

But the new is more exciting, like this site, dedicated to a new TBE, my column on the built environment. When I first began TBE, it had little identity, but as I wrote more and more, it lost what bit it had and devolved into a series of sprawling, philosophical essays. I don’t regret this, but I do want to begin afresh, with a true, blog-style column on the matter, especially now that, since I began the project, I am now in a position to comment more sophisticatedly on the topic as the associate editor of gb&d magazine.

My hope is that I can present relevant news, cool ideas, and quick commentary in the format of great blogs like Bobulate and BLDG BLOG.  

To a new year and a new project but an older mind. I think these things will benefit one another.