Carfree USA Blog

Austrian Fascist Leader Crashes Car, Dies

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 02:54:00 +0000

Jörg Haider, the leader of the right-wing Alliance for Austria’s Future, who died in a car crash this weekend, was driving at more than twice the speed limit after going to a nightclub, court officials said Sunday.

NYT

Driven to Dispair - PBS NOW

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:24:00 +0000

Wonderful analysis of exurbia and rethinking transit in the USA.

With gas prices spiking and home values crumbling, the American working class dream of a cheap commute to work from ever-appreciating houses on the fringes of suburbia has become more like an American nightmare. NOW on PBS, with Blueprint America, examines this crisis through the example of southern California.
PBS NOW

Choo-choo!

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 21:56:00 +0000

The New School

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:24:00 +0000

Left to Right: Jahmaal, Ayana, and Ross making the scene in the hip Temescal neighborhood, Oakland, CA

Sport Utility Bikes compared

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:41:00 +0000

Today in the LA Times.

Sunday Streets San Francisco, the movie!

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:44:00 +0000

San Francisco's addition to the Worldwide Ciclovia movement.

A Day of Rest - October 4, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:41:00 +0000

A Day of Rest (ADOR) was founded in 2008, by Jennifer Sekar, an 8th grade student at Hopkins Jr. High School, Fremont, California, with the support of friends and family.

The main goal of this non-profit organization is to encourage people across continents to take rest, a true rest, for at least one day a year and spend time with friends and families. True rest means, not driving any type of powered vehicle on that day. Our long term goal is to make first Saturday of October of every year to be A Day Of Rest. A True Day Of Rest. This year we are celebrating A Day Of Rest on October 4, 2008.

The near term goal of ADOR is to get at least 1 million families who own and operate powered vehicles normally, to take true rest on October 4, 2008 and get 1 million cars off the road on October 4, 2008.

We could prevent 10,000 tons of carbon dioxide emission in just one day !

It's replace the batteries in your blinkies week!

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:13:00 +0000

As the days get darker, Carfree USA wants to remind everyone that the first week of October is officially "Replace your blinkie batteries week."

For our readers in the southern hemisphere...enjoy your summer!

Vetoproof $13 Billion for Amtrak

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:54:00 +0000

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Congress passed legislation Wednesday to boost funds for Amtrak and expand passenger rail service at a time of record ridership.

The Senate voted 74-24 to approve the five-year, $13 billion bill, which also mandates new safety measures for trains, including collision-avoidance technology. The House passed the bill last week.

The legislation will now proceed to the White House for President Bush's signature. The president threatened to veto a previous Amtrak funding bill earlier this year. But the bill approved Wednesday passed by a margin large enough in both chambers to suggest there is enough support in Congress to overcome a veto.

WSJ

Waiting for Gas in Atlanta

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:05:00 +0000

The music is not good, but you can turn it off.

The Long Emergency has begun.
(written when gas was $55 dollars a barrel!)

Ciclovia in Mexico City

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:34:00 +0000

LA Times has a wonderful photo spread.

EU's massive auto emissions goals

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 04:17:00 +0000

Over in the First World.

BBC

Top 10 Freeways to Tear Down

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:58:00 +0000

#1 Alaskan Way Viaduct, Seattle

Congress for the New Urbanism issues a new report Freeways Without Futures.

The McCains have 13 Automobiles

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:05:00 +0000

Barack Obama's backers Sunday branded Republican John McCain as out of touch and guilty of betraying US workers after it was reported his family owns 13 cars, including several foreign models.

AFP

Happy World Carfree Day

US Cities Rethink Parking Standards

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 21:13:00 +0000

Like nearly all U.S. cities, D.C. has requirements for off-street parking. Whenever anything new is built — be it a single-family home, an apartment building, a store or a doctor's office — a minimum number of parking spaces must be included. The spots at the curb don't count: These must be in a garage, a surface lot or a driveway.

D.C. is now considering scrapping those requirements — part of a growing national trend. Officials hope that offering the freedom to forgo parking will lead to denser, more walkable, transit-friendly development.

AP

Study: Busy roads 'mean fewer friends'

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 17:56:00 +0000

Bristol, England

People living on streets with a lot of traffic have 75% fewer friends than people in quieter areas according to research carried out in Bristol.

BBC
Guardian UK

The Gas Guzzler Candidate

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:35:00 +0000

World Carfree Day - Sept 22nd 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:35:00 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

22nd SEPTEMBER: WORLD CARFREE DAY!

PRAGUE - Thousands of people will be taking to the streets in cities around the globe on Sept. 22 to celebrate the annual World Carfree Day: a joyous public celebration characterized by festivities, mass bicycle rides and free public transportation for all to enjoy.

The World Carfree Day, promoted by the World Carfree Network, is intended to advance the economic, social and environmental benefits of self-propelled or mass transportation. It also aims to show how livable modern cities can be when free from the noise, stress and pollution caused by cars. Highlights for this year include the closing down of Brussels’ Capital Region to all motorized transport from 9.00 a.m. until 7.00 p.m. and the plans by Washington’s citizens to surpass last year’s 10,000 “carfree pledges”.

With crude oil prices remaining over US$100 per barrel for most of 2008, people around the world are re-evaluating their relationship with the car. Evidence can be seen by the rapid increase in the United States’ transit systems usage to levels unseen since the 1950's, by the success of Paris' Velib bike-sharing program that was ridden 27 million times in the past year, and by the 16% fall in car sales this year in the USA.
.
###

MEDIA CONTACTS

WORLD CARFREE NETWORK

Europe
Mr. Chris Coleman
Tel. (+420) 274-810-849, (+420) 774-646-804
E-mail: chris@worldcarfree.net

North America
Ms. Sara Stout
Tel. (+1) 718-344-8154
E-mail: sarastout@worldcarfree.net

South America
Mr. Étienne von Bertrab
Tel. (+5233) 3630-9336
E-mail: etiennevon@hotmail.com

Notes for editors

1. World Carfree Day was established in 2000 as a grassroots movement by the World Carfree Network to coincide with the European Mobility Week. It has grown to involve official and unofficial participants in over 1,000 cities in 40 countries.

2. The World Carfree Network coordinates the promotion of global events of the World Carfree Day from its offices in Prague, Czech Republic. Activities of the Network include the publication of the quarterly Carbusters Magazine and other carfree-related literature, and conducting the annual Towards Carfree Cities Conference.

3. The carfree movement is a broad, emerging network of individuals and organizations brought together by a shared belief that cars are far too dominant in most modern cities. The goal of the movement is to create places where car use is greatly reduced or eliminated, and to liberate road and parking space for public use.

4. For more information, visit www.worldcarfree.net

Quotes

“World Carfree Day is not only a celebration of fun ways to get around the city, but a demonstration of what is possible: unclogged streets, clean air, and city traffic participants with their usual stress levels turned down drastically.”
- Carlos Pardo, Sustainable Urban Transport Project - Bogota, Colombia

"Streets overfilled with big-engined cars and traffic jams and in need of bicycle infrastructure are the main reasons that make us act. And of course we'd like to be part of the global carfree process and make our small citizens' contribution into the
European integration of our country!"
- Viktor Zahreba, Kyiv Cyclists' Association in Kiev, Ukraine

Sunday Streets San Francisco (the movie)

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:31:00 +0000

Polar Bears and Transit

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:12:00 +0000

Gas? No thanks.

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 23:53:00 +0000

Adam Kimmel presents: Claremont HD from adam kimmel on Vimeo.

Detroit Three Beg for Taxpayer Bailout

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 20:15:00 +0000

And get a cold shoulder.

The U.S. government should not back $25 billion or more in loans to help General Motors Corp and the other domestic auto companies, the top Republican on the Senate Banking Committee said on Friday.

Reuters

Drill, Baby, Drill!

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:46:00 +0000

As Congress prepares to debate expansion of drilling in taxpayer-owned coastal waters, the Interior Department agency that collects oil and gas royalties has been caught up in a wide-ranging ethics scandal — including allegations of financial self-dealing, accepting gifts from energy companies, cocaine use and sexual misconduct.

NYT

Transit Ridership Surges in USA

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:24:00 +0000

The nation's public transportation systems logged a 5.2 percent jump in ridership in the second quarter, according to industry figures to be released Tuesday, as record-high gas prices pushed people to take millions more trips on buses and rail systems.

AP

How to commute by bike

noreply@blogger.com (Brian) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:53:00 +0000

Grist on Bike Commuting 101.