A thought provoking article. Bicycle-friendly projects are even good for people who will never ride a bike. Here's how: (AARP Livable Communities series)

NOTE: This is a reposting of a blog article that originally ran on March 23, 2019, but one that is especially relevant in the local current climate. The popularity of bicycling has increased dramatically during this COVID-19 pandemic. Sadly, long term strategic plans have been tossed aside on personal whims of the current local officials.   

10 Ways Bicycle-Friendly Streets Are Good for People Who Don't RideBikes

Benefits abound for those with no intention of ever getting on a bicycle

by Jay Walljasper, AARP Livable Communities

This article is part of the AARP Livable Communities series.

Please read the entire article and consider the 10 reasons – set out in detail in the full article. But first, I would like to start with the PS or post script, which really hits home the some major points for those who skim or fail to finish the article:

 P.S. People of All Ages Like to Bicycle

Contrary to myth, bikes aren't only for kids, and bicycling as a means of exercise and transportation is not the sole purview of young, male, ultra-fit daredevils.

The article notes that the number of older, younger, female and inexperienced bicyclists is rising.

Riders age 50 and over pedaled an estimated 2.6 billion miles rides in 2009, according to the latest data from the National Household Travel Survey conducted by the USDOT. That's more than a six-fold increase from 1995, when that age group covered less than 400 million miles.

Read this article. Bike lanes are not the enemy, to the contrary, they are part of the Safe Streets Guidelines that Palmetto Bay adopted under my administration which is still the stated Policy of Palmetto Bay, unless and until that resolution / policy is rescinded.

The author makes the case that the solution is to share the streets by providing a space for each listed category of user, again, making the case that bicycle-friendly projects are even good for people who will never ride a bike. Here's how:

1. Safer Streets Are Safer For Everyone 

2. Safer Sidewalks 

3. Smoother Trips 

"The anxiety and anger that many people have about bicyclists is because we have streets designed for conflict," observes Randy Neufeld, director of the SRAM Cycling Fund. "Everyone is nervous because no one knows where the bikes belong. Protected bike lanes take that chaos and disorganization away. We're not all fighting over the same space."

In fact, says Martha Roskowski of People For Bikes, defining spaces is the reason why research shows that drivers like protected bike lanes: "It increases the predictability of bicyclists by giving them their own place in the streets."

4. Less Congestion 

It makes sense that having more people on bicycles will lead to less roadway congestion. However, a study by researchers at the University of Virginia finds that increased bike riding across America could mean more congestion if bike lanes are not included on busy streets. 

5. Increasingly Livable Communities 

"Bicycling makes cities more attractive," explains Gil Penalosa, founder of 8 80 Cities, which promotes making community livability for people of all ages. "The quality of the air is better and the amount of noise is less. You're more likely to know your neighbors and stop for a conversation." 

Arlington's Leach notes that neighborhoods with bike lanes are often "filled with people on the streets going to stores, sitting in cafes." 

6. Economic Vitality 

One of America's most ambitious bicycling projects is Indianapolis' Cultural Trail, an 8-mile network of separated bike and pedestrian lanes that has reinvigorated a number of struggling business districts and sparked a whopping $1 billion in increased property values. The Cultural Trail has also bestowed considerable cachet on this often-overlooked city. 

7. More Opportunity 

8. Saves Money For Taxpayers 

In an era when streets and sidewalks across the country are in disrepair, bicycle projects can save us a bundle in maintaining and expanding our transportation systems. 

Even protected bike lanes are "dirt cheap to build compared to road projects," says Gabe Klein, a partner at Fontinalis, a venture capitalist firm founded by Ford Motor Co. Chairman Bill Ford. 

9. Health Care Savings 

The health benefits of bicycling look almost like a miracle. Moderate physical exercise such as bicycling for only 30 minutes a day reduces a person's chances of diabetes, dementia, depression, colon cancer, cardiovascular disease, anxiety and high blood pressure by 40 percent or more. 

10. A Greener Environment 

Transportation accounts for more than a quarter of all greenhouses gases, the second largest sector after electricity (30 percent), according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

A study from the Worldwatch Institute found that swapping a car for a bike on short commutes of four miles to work and back would generate 2,000 less pounds of carbon every year — which adds up to a five percent reduction in the carbon footprint of an average American. 

More bicycles on the streets and fewer cars also lessen other forms of air and noise pollution.

Planning for an age-friendly community requires planning to keep everyone safe and active. 

Please see a related post: March 9, 2018, Age Friendly community - an update. Palmetto Bay is the 156th community to be accepted in the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities. Where an update was provided on Palmetto Bay moving onto the next step toward being recognized as an "Age Friendly" Community.

A thought provoking article. Bicycle-friendly projects are even good for people who will never ride a bike. Here's how: (AARP Livable Communities series)

Palmetto Bay remains focused on its Age-Friendly plan. I still receive significant material and offer up the following read for the Age Friendly Plan in the making:

10 Ways Bicycle-Friendly Streets Are Good for People Who Don't RideBikes

Benefits abound for those with no intention of ever getting on a bicycle

by Jay Walljasper, AARP Livable Communities

This article is part of the AARP Livable Communities series.

Please read the entire article and consider the 10 reasons – set out in detail in the full article. But first, I would like to start with the PS or post script, which really hits home the some major points for those who skim or fail to finish the article:

 P.S. People of All Ages Like to Bicycle

Contrary to myth, bikes aren't only for kids, and bicycling as a means of exercise and transportation is not the sole purview of young, male, ultra-fit daredevils.

The article notes that the number of older, younger, female and inexperienced bicyclists is rising.

Riders age 50 and over pedaled an estimated 2.6 billion miles rides in 2009, according to the latest data from the National Household Travel Survey conducted by the USDOT. That's more than a six-fold increase from 1995, when that age group covered less than 400 million miles.

Read this article. Bike lanes are not the enemy, to the contrary, they are part of the Safe Streets Guidelines that Palmetto Bay adopted under my administration which is still the stated Policy of Palmetto Bay, unless and until that resolution / policy is rescinded.

The author makes the case that the solution is to share the streets by providing a space for each listed category of user, again, making the case that bicycle-friendly projects are even good for people who will never ride a bike. Here's how:

1. Safer Streets Are Safer For Everyone 

2. Safer Sidewalks 

3. Smoother Trips 

"The anxiety and anger that many people have about bicyclists is because we have streets designed for conflict," observes Randy Neufeld, director of the SRAM Cycling Fund. "Everyone is nervous because no one knows where the bikes belong. Protected bike lanes take that chaos and disorganization away. We're not all fighting over the same space."

In fact, says Martha Roskowski of People For Bikes, defining spaces is the reason why research shows that drivers like protected bike lanes: "It increases the predictability of bicyclists by giving them their own place in the streets."

4. Less Congestion 

It makes sense that having more people on bicycles will lead to less roadway congestion. However, a study by researchers at the University of Virginia finds that increased bike riding across America could mean more congestion if bike lanes are not included on busy streets. 

5. Increasingly Livable Communities 

"Bicycling makes cities more attractive," explains Gil Penalosa, founder of 8 80 Cities, which promotes making community livability for people of all ages. "The quality of the air is better and the amount of noise is less. You're more likely to know your neighbors and stop for a conversation." 

Arlington's Leach notes that neighborhoods with bike lanes are often "filled with people on the streets going to stores, sitting in cafes." 

6. Economic Vitality 

One of America's most ambitious bicycling projects is Indianapolis' Cultural Trail, an 8-mile network of separated bike and pedestrian lanes that has reinvigorated a number of struggling business districts and sparked a whopping $1 billion in increased property values. The Cultural Trail has also bestowed considerable cachet on this often-overlooked city. 

7. More Opportunity 

8. Saves Money For Taxpayers 

In an era when streets and sidewalks across the country are in disrepair, bicycle projects can save us a bundle in maintaining and expanding our transportation systems. 

Even protected bike lanes are "dirt cheap to build compared to road projects," says Gabe Klein, a partner at Fontinalis, a venture capitalist firm founded by Ford Motor Co. Chairman Bill Ford. 

9. Health Care Savings 

The health benefits of bicycling look almost like a miracle. Moderate physical exercise such as bicycling for only 30 minutes a day reduces a person's chances of diabetes, dementia, depression, colon cancer, cardiovascular disease, anxiety and high blood pressure by 40 percent or more. 

10. A Greener Environment 

Transportation accounts for more than a quarter of all greenhouses gases, the second largest sector after electricity (30 percent), according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

A study from the Worldwatch Institute found that swapping a car for a bike on short commutes of four miles to work and back would generate 2,000 less pounds of carbon every year — which adds up to a five percent reduction in the carbon footprint of an average American. 

More bicycles on the streets and fewer cars also lessen other forms of air and noise pollution.

Planning for an age-friendly community requires planning to keep everyone safe and active. 

Please see a related post: March 9, 2018, Age Friendly community - an update. Palmetto Bay is the 156th community to be accepted in the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities. Where an update was provided on Palmetto Bay moving onto the next step toward being recognized as an "Age Friendly" Community.

Read the complete June 7, 2018, e-news published by Palmetto Bay Mayor Eugene Flinn

CLICK HERE to view the full e-mail online. 

Important updates included in the e-mail blast released on June 7, including:

IN THIS ISSUE:     NEW  Make plans to attend our Lunch & Learn Hurricane Workshop this Saturday, with Meteorologist and Hurricane Specialist Bryan Norcross. CITE update - Report a Traffic Concern Online .  Palmetto Bay will launch a free shuttle beginning Monday, June 11, operating to and from the parking lot of Holy Rosary - St. Richard's Catholic Church and the Dadeland South Metrorail station Join us for age friendly discussions on June 13 and July 13 at Community Meetings that will touch upon the Strategic Plan, DUV code process update & AARP- age friendly discussion.  Palmetto Bay moves closer to receipt of a major grant for Freebee. We continue to work on a southern Park & Ride location.  $80,000.00 grant for Palmetto Bay: Smart Mobility Hubs/Transit Infrastructure Plan View May, 2018, Crime Stats Online (posted on June 4)! How we compare: Our upcoming Budget process officially begins.  Budget Workshops set - dates listed below.  Monday, July 9, 2018 at 6:00 PM (prior to Regular Council Meeting) - General Government Operating Monday, July 16, 2018 at 7:00 PM - Capital Projects  Monday, July 23, 2018 at 7:00 PM - Special Revenue REMINDERS - UPCOMING Important links for hurricane preparedness.  Thank you to those who attended our Palmetto Bay Parks Master Plan visioning session. Opportunities remain for input. I don't mean to hound you, but reminder, that the 2018 edition of the Dogs of Summer is set to return to Palmetto Bay's Coral Reef Park on Sat., June 23, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM.

Age Friendly community - an update. Palmetto Bay is the 156th community to be accepted in the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities.

Palmetto Bay moves on in the next step toward being recognized as an "Age Friendly" Community.

I want to congratulate our residents who have asked for as well as those who have participated in this effort to make Palmetto Bay a Village for all ages!.  

Palmetto Bay is the 156th community to be accepted in the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities.  This was the next step in getting to the Age Friendly Community designation and we are continuing to work towards that effort.

Though our Palmetto Bay application was formally submitted on March 16, 2017, this has been a long process started under the initial council and continued to move forward over several administrations. 

We started our parks programs in our initial Village Parks Master Plans. Our future Community Center will be a hub of programming for all ages, including Senior programming (Thank you to Council Members David Singer and Larissa Siegel Lara for the ongoing support for the purchase and design of the grounds for the Center).  

Other efforts that move us forward to inclusion relate back to 2012, where, as a response to numerous requests for increase in park programming for Senior Citizens, the Parks department hosted a ten week summer program called, "Senior Sampler". The "Senior Sampler" program ran for 10 weeks and included a variety of activities; Music Therapy, Arts & Crafts, Gold Zumba, Seminars and Lectures, Yoga, Tai Chi and Aerobics. The Village Council has formed several Committees and appointed members of the community to serve; giving them an opportunity to work in collaboration to determine priorities and recommend strategies to achieve a common goal. The Village partnered with Baptist Health in 2011 to offer exercise classes geared towards older adults at Coral Reef Park. 

Other programs offered throughout the year are Gardening workshops, lectures and seminars in partnership with East Ridge (sessions on Aging and Eating to Avoiding the Fall), Bird Watching, Yoga by the Bay, and Photography Workshops.

Credit for most of the information posted above from (CLICK HERE to view) - World Health Organization, Age-Friendly World

A new e-blast was released Monday, July 24, 2017.  I have sent these periodic e-mails out since my very first term!  Are you a subscriber?  If not, I ask you to sign up.  Please also follow my Mayor Facebook page and follow me on Twitter!

Communication prevents miscommunication.

CLICK HERE to view this 7/24/2017 e-mail.

In this issue: Budget time in Palmetto Bay - I's your money - Let's hear from you. Village receives $550K state grant for stormwater projects Dover Kohl & Partners, Marcela Camblor & Associates present   recommendations regarding the Palmetto Bay DUV All Palmetto Bay area public schools receive an "A" Rating Take the Palmetto Bay Age-Friendly Initiative Survey Congratulations Village Clerk Missy Arocha Should Palmetto Bay reduce the internal street speed limit?

Palmetto Bay - working to be part of the network of Age-Friendly Communities - Application for Palmetto Bay filed

Palmetto Bay continues the council teamwork required to Join the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities. Making our community age friendly (for ALL ages) is a priority of ALL members of the Palmetto Bay Village Council. 

Our application was formally submitted in March, 2017.

Note - from the official AARP website (CLICK HERE):

WHAT MEMBERSHIP IS AND ISN'T

Communities in the AARP age-friendly network are not retirement villages, gated developments, nursing homes or assisted living facilities.

Membership in the network does not mean that the community is, currently, "age-friendly" or a great place to retire.

Membership in the network is not an endorsement by AARP.

What membership does mean is that a community's elected leadership has made the commitment to actively work toward making their town, city or county a great place for people of all ages.

Our Palmetto Bay application was formally submitted this week (March 16, 2017).  I will continue to keep everyone up to date.