jtackett's blog

What if???

Posted Thu, 2010-03-04 10:29 by jtackett

Doing some thinking (my head still aches) and wondered what if I never became a bike commuter. Humm....

I would alternate between mass transit, and driving a car, because I would have never get rid of my car. While taking mass transit, I would be greeted every day by glum faces ready to begin the workday. I may as well be waiting for the second coming, if I’m waiting for MARTA, and certain buses would have the oppressive smell of sweat and urine mixed with equally oppressive heat.

LA Freeway System For Cyclists

Posted Mon, 2010-02-08 12:26 by jtackett

Saw this and I thought I would share with you all. It is good to see what other cycling advocacy groups are doing as it gives us hope and ideas here in Atlanta.

7 Year Old Biker on a Mission

Posted Tue, 2010-01-26 12:03 by jtackett

Saw this story on Bikehacks.com and I just had to share it with you all. The basic story is that Charlie, a 7 year old boy, wanted to do something to raise money for the Haiti earthquake relief. So he decided to raise £500 by riding his bike five miles around his local park.

Well as of today, Charlie has raised over £150,000 (that's over 241,935 U.S. dollars.)

Amazing what a 7 year old on a bike can do.. And to think when I was 7, I was just happy with putting playing cards on the spokes for that "motorcycle effect."

Cycling Stuff from Around the 'Net'

Posted Thu, 2010-01-21 09:43 by jtackett

Safer Bike Lanes Come Down to Earth - http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/william-bostwick/architecture-design/saf...

US Bike Sales Higher than Car Sales in 2009 - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dennis-markatos/us-bike-sales-higher-than_...

How Cycling Centers Could Help Smooth Commuter Transitions - http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/138/fast-talk-create-a-smooth-transi...

BETTER BIKEWAYS - http://bikewaysignage.org/index.php?/ongoing/signage-types/

Should cyclists pay road tax?

Posted Wed, 2010-01-20 09:46 by jtackett

You may not be aware of a "experiment" that was recently done in Portland, OR, by a company called Webtrends.
Portland-based Webtrends wanted the public to tweet, e-mail, blog, post on Facebook or visit their website to share it. In the process, they would become part of a rapidly evolving social-networking experiment.

Jascha Kaykas-Wolff, vice president of marketing, said the mobile ad campaign had two goals: Show off Webtrends as a local company that employs hundreds in downtown Portland and give people a taste of its marketing-intelligence tools.

Changing attitudes, one driver at a time

Posted Tue, 2010-01-19 10:19 by jtackett

Last night I got into a friendly discussion with a neighbor over his frustration with cyclists on the road. Seems that he is tired of cyclist taking up the road for what he deemed, "recreation." He wanted my thoughts (and someone to vent too) on the subject.

He started to say that we should use the sidewalks or if we need exercise, the gym or ride the Velodrome down the street. I let him make his case and then I pointed out some things to him..

Public Commuter Bicycle Station

Posted Tue, 2010-01-12 09:38 by jtackett

As a bike commuter, I am always on the lookout for stories on how other cities around the country adapt to the growing number of bike commuters. I ran across this story and thought it would be good to share.

With all the empty buildings in downtown Atlanta, this would be a great concept. Especially in the Underground Atlanta area, with plenty of empty storefronts.

Would you as a bike commuter pay a membership fee to have access to such a facility?
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LA doctor gets 5 years in prison for road rage against cyclists

Posted Fri, 2010-01-08 16:26 by jtackett

I have been following this story for a while. The good Doctor has been arrogant in interviews about the issue and got what he deserved. I am not going to deny that there are cyclists that break the law in regards to traffic signs and riding more than 2 abreast, but to use a car as a weapon is inexcusable in this situation. (Can't think of too many situations when one would need to use a car as a weapon.)

But again, it reinforces that we must all use the roads together and properly. With tempers that flair along Columns Drive I am waiting for a similar incident to happen there.

Bicyclist seriously hurt in Sandy Springs crash

Posted Sun, 2009-12-27 12:22 by jtackett

Does anyone have any more information on the cyclists? Was he an ABC member?

http://www.ajc.com/news/north-fulton/bicyclist-seriously-hurt-in-258477....

Sunday Streets.

Posted Tue, 2009-12-22 11:20 by jtackett

Being from San Francisco, I still keep up on what is going on back home via the SFgate.com website. Saw this article that I thought I would share with you all. It is about a program called Sunday Streets.

Basically, the city closes off streets to automobile traffic on designated Sundays throughout the year, in different parts of the city. The streets are now open to cyclists, walkers, runners, kids on skates and scooters.