Category Archives: Bicycling

Pedal in the City: Need a ride? Call a Pedicab!

Next time you need a ride, you don’t have your bicycle, and have the urge to call a cab or Lyft, consider a bike taxi. Or if you are holding an event or would like a scenic ride through town, a bike taxi may be for you!

Bike taxi is the layman’s term for “pedicab”. One might wonder what it takes to be a pedicab driver. It’s more than you would think. We searched the web and discovered that operating a pedicab isn’t cut out for everyone.. According to Salt Lake Cycle Club “it is a job which requires a great deal of maturity, physical strength, street smarts, and an intimate knowledge of the city’s layout.” We also found useful information on the site “Money Crashers” (https://www.moneycrashers.com/pedicab-driving-how-it-works-earnings-potential-pros-cons/), where it describes that Pedicabs typically weigh about 300 pounds when empty, and can carry more than 300 pounds of passenger weight, according.. “To make it easier to start from a dead stop, pedicabs generally have 21 gears or more.” Some pedicabs have backup electric or gas motors to assist drivers with fully loaded vehicles. There are municipalities that ban pedicabs with motors, Salt Lake Cycle Club uses solar powered lithium batteries to assist the human power it takes to navigate steeper grades and full loads.

The article provides details about operating a pedicab business, different types of drivers, and the pros and cons of working as a pedicab driver.

While using pedicabs are generally good for the environment, they can be a bit pricey.

Salt Lake City has a growing number of eco-friendly taxi options to get you around town. We found two, each one with unique services and approaches to pedicabbing.

Salt Lake City Bike Taxi Company – http://www.slcbiketaxi.com

This company has a “fleet” of bike taxis for 2-3 people each. Their specialities is city/historic tours and weddings. They also will serve a variety of events.

Salt Lake City Cycle Club – http://saltcitycyclecab.com/

Offering rides “anywhere you want to go”, this company offers city tours and transportation to parties. They also can transport you on bar crawls downtown. “You can have fun,get good and sauced, and beat last call with a private team of pedicabs speeding you around the many scattered bars in our downtown district.” Using the slogan “We ride because we care,” they consider themselves as stewards of the planet and will ride in any kind of weather. Now that’s dedication.

GREENbike Program

Ever wanted to take a bike ride, either around town or to easily navigate from place to place downtown, but either did not have your own bike or it was inoperable at the moment? Enter GREENbike, Salt Lake City’s bike share program!

GREENbike started in Salt Lake City in 2013. In the first 3 seasons the service shut down for the winter, starting in December and reopening again in March or April of the following year. In 2016, however, the bike share stayed open year-round, much to the delight of GREENbike members and enthusiasts.

How do you use GREENbike? For annual members with a GREENbike card (issued in the mail after signing up online), just go to the dock of the bike you want, press the metal button, wait for the lights to activate, tap your card at the designated area, and the bike will release. For non-annual members, simply proceed to the station kiosk and follow the instructions on the screen, having your debit/credit card ready to swipe when asked. It’s that easy!

What does GREENbike cost? Passes are available for 24 hours ($7) 4 days ($15) or annually ($75 or $56 for select groups, see www.slcbikeshare.org for details). You must use your debit/credit card to access GREENbike. You can purchase a 24-hour pass at the kiosk at any GREENbike station. Annual and 4-day passes are purchased online at www.slcbikeshare.org.

Annual members are eligible for rides of up to an hour at a time. If you exceeed one hour on a single check-out you are subject to extra fees that are charged to the card on your profile. For 24-hour or 4-day pass holders, checkouts last up to 30 minutes, after which overage fees will apply. Don’t let the checkout time limits discourage you though, since you get unlimited checkouts within the timeframe of your pass. Just be sure to check your GREENbike in at any station before the checkout period ends, then feel free to check it back out to get the clock restarted on a new checkout period.

There are 20 GREENbike stations in Salt Lake City, the nearest ones to the Fairpark area are located at North Temple just west of 600 West, and at the North Temple FrontRunner station underneath the viaduct. Stations are sprinkled throughout the downtown area, going as far south and east as Trolley Square.

Save

Pedal in the City Meets Education Corner: Bike Utah Visits Backman Elementary School

Learning continued right up to the last ring of the bell for 5th and 6th grade students at Backman Elementary School, May 30-June 2. Bike Utah came to Backman as part of its Youth B.E.S.T. Program.

Bike Utah has launched the Youth Bicycle Education and Safety Training Program to teach 3,000+ kids in Utah how to safely and confidently navigate by bicycle. Imagine that — 3,000 of Utah’s youth who want to ride and have the skills to do so!

The Youth Bicycle Education and Safety Training is a 5-hour, on-bike program that is administered at schools, targeting students in the 4th to 7th grade range. Bike Utah provides a trained instructor, bicycles, helmets, and all other equipment for the duration of the program. The program has the capacity to move around the state so it can be administered at schools in all corners of Utah, depending on the season. This is a no-cost program so every school and student can participate regardless of financial ability.

Through this program, students learn the benefits of riding a bicycle, the rules for riding on the road, and how to get a properly fit helmet, conduct bicycle checks, navigate intersections and avoid hazards. Fairpark residents witnessed the program in action this month and saw some very happy young students riding around the school grounds and on the Jordan River Parkway Trail.

Visit Bike Utah at their web site or Facebook page to learn more about the programs they offer and other events at: https://bikeutah.org/get-involved-2/youth-bicycle-education-program/

Save

300 North Bridge Planning a GO!

Part of living on the West side of Salt Lake is the risk of being delayed by trains if you’re heading east. Frontrunner is just a short delay, while freight trains can be
a huge unknown. If you’re on a tight deadline for work or school, taking a road with a bridge is an absolute necessity!
For students attending West High school, avoiding the train on the 300 North crossing is an inconvenient detour to North Temple. This has been true for every
West High student to date. But in just a couple years, this headache and safety hazard will be over.In coordination with Salt Lake City, UTA has secured Federal grant money to fund a pedestrian and cycling bridge to traverse the 300 North rail line. Plans for a final design are being decided right now. You can supply your input and get project updates at

http://www.slcgov.com/transportation/300NorthBridge.

Besides providing a safe crossing for pedestrians and cyclists in the area, the bridge will have art and a contemporary design to bring a little bit more flair to
the neighborhood.
While part of a series of projects secured by the umbrella grant, it is required to be completed within five years. Salt Lake City transportation planner Collin
Quinn-Hurst says it’s one of several top projects on the list.

How You Can Be Involved
•   Tell Salt Lake City your experiences with this location
•   Participate in the design process
•   Invite your neighbors
•    Educate Salt Lake City about your neighborhood needs
•   Learn about the project
•   Sign up for updates

Pedal in the City: Woman on Wheels

Did you know that in the 1890’s, the US saw an explosion of popularity in bicycling, especially for women? Millions of bicycles were sold, bicycle infrastructure was developed, bicycle member clubs emerged, and attire and accessories all the rage.

Our last Pedal in the City article focused on statistics on women riding bicycles as compared to men.

This month we wanted to share some history with you, from this article: “Women on Wheels: The Bicycle and the Women’s Movement of the 1890s” – http://www.annielondonderry.com/womenWheels.html

“Cycling in the 1890s was nothing less than “a general intoxication, an eruption of exuberance like a seismic tremor that shook the economic and social foundations of society and rattled the windows of its moral outlook. Nowhere was this more evident than in the role of the bicycle in the changing lives of American women. Indeed, the women’s movement of the 1890s and the cycling craze became so inextricably intertwined that in 1896 Susan B. Anthony told the New York World’s Nellie Bly that bicycling had “done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world.”

On the development of “The New Woman”: “As cycling’s popularity exploded, a new breed of woman was making her mark in the 1890s. “The New Woman” was the term used to describe the modern woman who broke with convention by working outside the home, or eschewed the traditional role of wife and mother, or became politically active in the woman’s suffrage movement or other social issues. The New Woman saw herself as the equal of men and the bicycle helped her assert herself as such.”

Read the rest of this interesting history of “Woman on Wheels“.

Today women are bicycling more than ever. There is a plethora of resources for women on bicycling. One such resource is found here: Women Bike (Bike League’s resource page on Women, which also inculdes a link to the Women Bike Facebook page.)

Read the statistics on the gap between men and women who ride bikes, from our December article, “Women and Bicycling: Do Men Ride More Than Women?

Pedal in the City: Women and Bicycling: Do Men Ride More Than Women?

If you are a woman, do you ride your bicycle for recreation or transportation – or both? Do you have a functional adult bicycle in your house?

An interesting study conducted in 2014 by PeopleForBikes revealed some interesting facts about women and bicycling.

“We decided to ask. In late 2014 we commissioned the U.S. Bicycling Participation Study, an unprecedented comprehensive survey of bicycling participation. We measured all kinds of riding by all kinds of people, including women. It turns out that much of what we thought we knew was wrong. There are some important and interesting findings from the study.”

Read about the gap between men and women who ride bikes,

Who rides more – women or men?

Do parents ride more or less?

Do men and women have similar aspirations when it comes to bicycling?

Comparing safety concerns between men and women,

Do older women ride more or less than younger women?

How are women represented in bicycle racing?

Find out more:

Article:

Download the study: http://www.peopleforbikes.org/pages/u.s.-bicycling-participation-benchmarking-report

Pedal in the City: Preparing for Cooler Weather: Bicycle Maintenance

Fall weather is upon us and it’s time to think about tuning up the bike after summer of riding. You could visit your local bike shop and get a tune up – or you can do it yourself!

The Bicycle League of American Bicyclists offers an entire page of information on bicycle maintenance, including these categories:

Fix a Flat (including causes of flats)
Tire pressure
Patching tubes
Brake basics
Front and Rear derailer adjustment
Packing your bike
Tools for the road
General Mechanics

Improperly adjusted brakes can rub through tire and cause tube to blow out of tire. Maintaining proper tire pressure helps prevent flats and maximizes rolling efficiency. Worn tires leave less rubber between the tube and the road, decreasing flat protection.

Whichever way you choose to tune up your bicycle, be sure it is in safe riding condition for cooler weather. Pedal safe!
http://bikeleague.org/content/bike-maintenance

Pedal in the City: Safety tips for back to school

As children head back to school, parents whose children bicycle should be sure that they are aware of safety items.

Parents Central has a page of back to school bicycle safety resources.(http://www.safercar.gov/parents/OnTheMove/BikeTip.htm), ranging from things like fitting a bicycle helmet, bike inspection advice, chossing a safe bicycle route, bicycle safety songs for children and a bicycle activity kit.

Here are some general items for consideration:

Continue reading →

Pedal in the City: Biking the Jordan River Parkway Trail

It’s summer and time to do some recreational biking! As we eagerly anticipate the bridge to be built, connecting the last section of unfinished trail, it is still easy to travel this path for for 50 miles from Utah Lake north to the Great Salt Lake through Davis, Salt Lake and Utah Counties! On any given day, one can see individuals and families pedaling the Jordan Parkway Trail. How much do you know about this wonderful asset?

There are resources to help you get started on this journey. Here are two:

Jordan River Commission provides a digital guide, map and information on the river itself:

http://jordanrivercommission.com/jordan-river-parkway-trail-map/

Bike SLC provides maps also, but additional information on the master plan, municipalities along the trail, and more:

http://www.bikeslc.com/jordanrivertrail/default.html
Remember your helmet and water and sunblock before you set out – and have fun!

Pedal in the City: Take the Bicycle Safety Survey

The Salt Lake County Planning and Transportation Office of Regional Development is conducting a survey on improving bicycle safety through April 11. Through an interactive map participants can provide input about biking routes and concerns. Take the survey!

What would it take to get you bicycling in Salt Lake County?

What type of bicycling infrastructure should the county invest in?

TAKE THE SURVEY below and use our interactive mapping tool to add points, lines, & comments to let us know where you bike, where barriers exist, and where you might bike if conditions were better.http://wikimapping.com/wikimap/Salt-Lake-County-Bikes.html

Participa en la encuesta en español:

Sus comentarios nos ayudarán a mejor enfocar nuestros esfuerzos para mejorar el ciclismo a lo largo del valle de Salt Lake, y en agradecimiento por su tiempo, usted será elegible para recibir un pase UTA de $5 (sólo para los primeros 750 encuestados). Esta encuesta le llevará aproximadamente entre 8 y 10 minutos.

Para mayor información, visite www.slco.org/bikes

Fairpark Community

Howdy, Neighbor