Drop by to PMTB Community at http://www.pinoymtbiker.org/ and get to share ideas with fellow bike commuters.

Drop by to PMTB Community at http://www.pinoymtbiker.org/ and get to share ideas with fellow bike commuters.

great summary. some further thoughts:

re:

1. both MMDA and LGUs -but could benefit from enabling legislation from national government (like requiring congruence in local plans and policies -and linking those back to intra-government grants)

2. + provide incentives for new construction to provide bicycle parking (like reducing the number of required car parking spaces in exchange for public and private bike racks)

3 and 4. ditto on the incentives for providing facilities.

also: check out this example from Chicago’s Millennium Park

and this bike facility that is standard to Bogota’s TransMilenio BRT (see around 5:30 minutes into the video)

(also, BF’s gwapotels should have bike facilities)

re: business community

add #3. in partnership with government, provide live-near-your-work incentives for home ownership.

re: CAN’T CHANGE:

we can’t change the general climate (well, we actually are…but that’s another matter) but we can work on the microclimate.

see this study.

great summary. some further thoughts:

re:

1. both MMDA and LGUs -but could benefit from enabling legislation from national government (like requiring congruence in local plans and policies -and linking those back to intra-government grants)

2. + provide incentives for new construction to provide bicycle parking (like reducing the number of required car parking spaces in exchange for public and private bike racks)

3 and 4. ditto on the incentives for providing facilities.

also: check out this example from Chicago’s Millennium Park

and this bike facility that is standard to Bogota’s TransMilenio BRT (see around 5:30 minutes into the video)

(also, BF’s gwapotels should have bike facilities)

re: business community

add #3. in partnership with government, provide live-near-your-work incentives for home ownership.

re: CAN’T CHANGE:

we can’t change the general climate (well, we actually are…but that’s another matter) but we can work on the microclimate.

see this study.

Urbano: Thanks for the link. Was able to scan the document..

Rephrased bits and pieces to put together a list of solutions to the barriers to bicycling mentioned in the text, which are (i think) most relevant for (would-be) bicyclists in Manila. Organized according to who can do something to change/remedy the situation NOW (NOTE: some solutions are my own, inspired by the text):

GOVERNMENT (is it the job of the MMDA or LGU?)
1. safety issue
- put up bikelanes
- ensure bikelanes are continuous (i.e. no gaps) by coordinating and working hand-in-hand with neighboring LGUs
- create and enforce a uniform bikeway design and traffic control standards (which motorists must adhere to with respect to cyclists and vice versa)

2. parking spaces where commuters can safely leave their bicycles, free from theft and damage from the environment
- create actual parking sites
- or create policies requiring these spaces in existing establishments

3. the issue of parking for bikes is also related to “transit links” or systems that allow bikers to link to other modes of transport (in order to travel or commute over greater distances)
- examples of solutions: park-and-ride bike locker facilities, bike racks inside the Metro or MRT or attached to buses

4. public personal care facilities (showers and changing rooms) where
commuters can “freshen up” and put on their business attire
- again, either create actual sites
- or create policies requiring them within business districts, etc.

5. motivation issue
- information campaign on benefits of bike use (health, economic, etc), and on government efforts to support actual bike use (new policies, success stories, etc). Sample methods (used in Chicago): safety coloring books in different languages, bicycle rodeos, Safe Routes Ambassadors program (college students formally trained to make safety presentations at schools, help students fix their bikes and take care of them, organize bike training days to teach children to ride)
- rewards/incentives for bikers
- biking events to build community relations
- strict implementation of bike policies

BUSINESS COMMUNITY
1. increase support to employees, encourage bicyle-use (rewards program, etc.)
2. hire employees who live nearby and can realistically bike to work

PERSONAL/ INDIVIDUAL
1. mindset change: overcome subjective or perception-based barriers such as distance, safety (or perceived risk), cost, convenience, and value added (ex. time or exercise)

CAN’T CHANGE
1. physical-based factors: climate, topography

Urbano: Thanks for the link. Was able to scan the document..

Rephrased bits and pieces to put together a list of solutions to the barriers to bicycling mentioned in the text, which are (i think) most relevant for (would-be) bicyclists in Manila. Organized according to who can do something to change/remedy the situation NOW (NOTE: some solutions are my own, inspired by the text):

GOVERNMENT (is it the job of the MMDA or LGU?)
1. safety issue
- put up bikelanes
- ensure bikelanes are continuous (i.e. no gaps) by coordinating and working hand-in-hand with neighboring LGUs
- create and enforce a uniform bikeway design and traffic control standards (which motorists must adhere to with respect to cyclists and vice versa)

2. parking spaces where commuters can safely leave their bicycles, free from theft and damage from the environment
- create actual parking sites
- or create policies requiring these spaces in existing establishments

3. the issue of parking for bikes is also related to “transit links” or systems that allow bikers to link to other modes of transport (in order to travel or commute over greater distances)
- examples of solutions: park-and-ride bike locker facilities, bike racks inside the Metro or MRT or attached to buses

4. public personal care facilities (showers and changing rooms) where
commuters can “freshen up” and put on their business attire
- again, either create actual sites
- or create policies requiring them within business districts, etc.

5. motivation issue
- information campaign on benefits of bike use (health, economic, etc), and on government efforts to support actual bike use (new policies, success stories, etc). Sample methods (used in Chicago): safety coloring books in different languages, bicycle rodeos, Safe Routes Ambassadors program (college students formally trained to make safety presentations at schools, help students fix their bikes and take care of them, organize bike training days to teach children to ride)
- rewards/incentives for bikers
- biking events to build community relations
- strict implementation of bike policies

BUSINESS COMMUNITY
1. increase support to employees, encourage bicyle-use (rewards program, etc.)
2. hire employees who live nearby and can realistically bike to work

PERSONAL/ INDIVIDUAL
1. mindset change: overcome subjective or perception-based barriers such as distance, safety (or perceived risk), cost, convenience, and value added (ex. time or exercise)

CAN’T CHANGE
1. physical-based factors: climate, topography

“In speaking about the design of public space and its relationship to the pedestrian and bicyclist, Gehl suggested that architects and designers commonly neglect the very people for whom they build public spaces. For example, Brasilia was planned from 5,000 meters above ground; in neglecting the human
scale, short-distance travel such as walking and bicycling was thus discouraged.

Effecting changes that promote non-motorized travel takes not only education, enforcement, and leadership but a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach. There is tremendous opportunity for partnerships to meet the unique needs of pedestrians and bicyclists in large central cities. To borrow Gehl’s observation that “architecture and planning should fit man and man should not try to fit planning and architecture,” perhaps the same analogy can be made for pedestrians and bicyclists: transportation planning in large central cities should fit pedestrians and bicyclists and pedestrians and bicyclists should not try to fit transportation planning.”

“In speaking about the design of public space and its relationship to the pedestrian and bicyclist, Gehl suggested that architects and designers commonly neglect the very people for whom they build public spaces. For example, Brasilia was planned from 5,000 meters above ground; in neglecting the human
scale, short-distance travel such as walking and bicycling was thus discouraged.

Effecting changes that promote non-motorized travel takes not only education, enforcement, and leadership but a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach. There is tremendous opportunity for partnerships to meet the unique needs of pedestrians and bicyclists in large central cities. To borrow Gehl’s observation that “architecture and planning should fit man and man should not try to fit planning and architecture,” perhaps the same analogy can be made for pedestrians and bicyclists: transportation planning in large central cities should fit pedestrians and bicyclists and pedestrians and bicyclists should not try to fit transportation planning.”